1 Knickerbocker

Closed, and deservedly so.

I really want to give this spot an extra star… It’s a lovely location, great atmosphere, the staff was very friendly and gave very good suggestions. As for the food… Pig ears, amazing! As well as the Scotch Egg. The burger which I thought would taste as good as it looked left me a bit disappointed. Unfortunately they got a little too creative with the flavor combinations, and IMO wasn’t a very good result. That being said I will be going back to try some of the other dishes offered.

1 Knickerbocker joins the long list of NYC landmarks featuring a word popularized by early American author Washington Irving and with a far better performance than the team bearing the same name.
Look for the wooden door on the corner of Johnson and Knickerbocker, amidst the potholed roads, industrial activities (Steam was coming out of a nearby building) and adventurous bicyclists. Or, if you prefer, simply spot the posted menu and turn the knob to enter a world worlds away from the outdoor grit.
The history of the location is as fascinating as the menu and both make a return entirely necessary. An homage to the industrial past is found along the wall as this was once a textile factory. The owner showed us a recovered and preserved advertisement from the building’s other iteration as a bar and entertainment spot, most likely during the Prohibition era. The place does have speakeasy written all over it, considering the window-​less exterior and sliding door to the backroom (with a small stage). A more salacious time saw this building double as a brothel.
I always like a helping of history with my meal. And a brunch that includes crispy pork jowl will have my wholehearted attention.
For $ 17 you can choose from 5 brunch items and 5 cocktails or order the brunch items separate for the teetotalers (or designed drivers) amongst us. You can order a side of pork jowl, a sandwich that features pork jowl or two eggs any style with… pork jowl! (This is becoming like Monty Python’s spam sketch…)
At that rate my own jowls will start to resemble Porky’s.
My wife ordered the two eggs so I sampled a small portion of the pork jowl and it was firmer and fattier eating experience compared to crispy bacon. This is not a bad thing. Her order also included grapefruit brulee, one of the most fascinating breakfast items I have seen in awhile. Imagine the burnt sugary top of a crème brûlée resting atop the citrus refreshment of a grapefruit. Add spoon, scoop and the flavor combination is delicious.
My order of biscuits and gravy featured a fried egg and bits of crumbled merguez sausage. One minor nitpick has me lusting after a fluffier biscuit: this one seemed healthier and had a whole wheat flavor that was perfectly fine. A forkful of biscuit, egg and sausage with a dip of gravy made for a excellent brunch.
Added bonus points for the musical playlist that ranged from Ziggy Stardust era Bowie to Snoop Dogg.
1 Knickerbocker adds further evidence that the center of culinary gravity is shifting eastward past the Williamsburg waterfront and into the still active industrial streets of Bushwick/​East Williamsburg. The jigsaw puzzle pieces of price, ambiance and culinary intrigue align perfectly. I’ll be back for dinner.

The proprietor Amy is charming as hell and has done a spectacular job with this spot. It used to be a dance-​hall/​brothel circa prohibition era and was then converted into a canvas factory. The history of this space is as interesting as it is tastefully preserved in the stage, versatile dining room/​dance hall, bar and décor. The food is great.
The chocolate orange rye pancake is what all brunch pancakes aspire to be and Jon the bartender makes a mean, spicy Bloody Mary, using golden and red beets, topped with a smoked porter.
If you find yourself up for a Bushwick brunch adventure, don’t miss this spot.

Awesome atmosphere for dinner, but overpriced dishes that attempt to merge «fine dining» with «comfort food», and falls very short. Server was very patient, friendly, unpretentious. 1 Knickerbocker did not meet my expectations.

As much as I wanted to like this restaurant there were a few misses… I ordered the monkfish, And I don’t know what they Brought me but it was more like a fish pâté and not like I expected at all– There were toasted veggies accompanying that just were way too crunchy… We also got the tater tots that were way too ambitiously seasoned and soft… Pig ears appetizer was good, cauliflower too. Drinks good. Service great atmosphere too… I tried my friend’s burger — for $ 15 it should have been better and come who more
All in all the food is overworked and could be better cooked, less expensive and hold off on the flourishes

Located on a bleak corner in Bushwick, this former speakeasy turned restaurant is a very Brooklyn place to get a satisfying brunch.
From the windowless front and the curtains right behind the door as you walk in, to the impressive bar and the old timey feeling inside, you can tell it was a speakeasy (the numerous dudes with handlebar mustaches and bowler hats help add to that atmosphere as well). The front room is pretty spacious, but there is an even larger room in the back for groups and perhaps performances, as there is a big stage.
On to the food, which was all delicious. They have a deal for a brunch prix fixe, which gets you any item and a cocktail for $ 17. It’s a pretty small menu, but with many great choices:
— Smoked Sablefish ($ 16)
We got this to start, from the «Share» section, and it was decent. More satisfying to the eye than the palate, it would have been much better with more of the few tasty little potato pancakes to go with the generous amounts of sablefish and herb salad. Once the three little pancakes were done, we were left with a very salty, fishy plate. The sablefish was good though.
— Tater Tots ($ 6)
I’m a tater tot man, and will pretty much order them any time I see them on a menu since they are a rare occurrence compared to fries. I am happy to say that these were really excellent. They were pretty large and were really crispy and well-​seasoned. The hipster ketchup they came with was not really needed as they tasted great on their own. There was also a good portion of them for a decent price, another strength of this place.
— Brussel Sprout Salad ($ 3)
Again, this was shockingly cheap for such a substantial side. While similar restaurants typically charge $ 8-​$ 10 for a side of oily Brussels sprouts, this generous bowl for a fraction of the price was crisp, cool and refreshing. This is a must order not just for the value and the taste, but as a much-​needed offset for some of the heavier, richer main courses.
— Chocolate-​Orange Rye Pancake ($ 12)
This was a pretty tasty stack of two thin pancakes, but was definitely the weaker of the two entrees. I was hoping for a lot more of a chocolate taste than these had, with just a little drizzle covering a small area of the pancakes. The rye batter was good, but I couldn’t taste much orange — unless they were being clever and the orange referred to the few slices of mostly bland sweet potatoes on top, a bit of an odd mix with the chocolate.
— Red Flannel Hash ($ 15)
This was excellent, and definitely the best thing we had. You can get it with delicious, crispy duck confit, or as a sad, vegetarian version with winter squash. The crispy, fatty duck was so good with the runny egg and beets and peppers, along with the buttery, crumbly biscuit to soak it all up. This is definitely a great choice for your entrée.
— Deep Fried Bread Pudding ($ 10)
In a pretty silly move, our waiter brought us the dessert menu, only to tell us he had to go check if they could make any of them for brunch. Of course he came back and said they couldn’t, so they probably should not bother handing out the dessert menu.
Anyway, he mentioned that we could try some of the sweet items from the brunch menu for dessert, so we went with this one, which was great, but would be a terrible choice for your main meal. First off, it’s small, like a dessert portion, and second of all, it consists of ice cream, so that’s obviously weird for your main meal compared to the other stuff here. But for us, this was a great ending to the meal. The bread pudding had a slightly crispy exterior from the frying, and was pretty rich, so it benefited greatly from the refreshing but too small scoop of maple bourbon ice cream. The pecan praline shavings underneath the ice cream and scattered around the plate also added some great crunch to the dish. Definitely try this, but save it for dessert.
All in all, this was a very good meal. The service became non-​existent toward the end as they got a little busier, but it was forgivable since everyone was so friendly and polite when they did show their faces. After getting tantalized by the dessert menu that they couldn’t actually offer us at brunch, I wouldn’t mind returning to try some of those options along with the dinner menu.

I am back!!! Back for the smiles and pleasant welcomes that I get from this place. The curated drink and the well placed food dish. Bön Appetit! I’ll start with an order of Burgundy Snails, and on to the Shad…

This is the second time I’ve been here and I really wanted to like it. I went for brunch with a friend. The hostess meant well but was awkwardly moving tables around and mumbling? The waiter started out by asking if he could «start us off with some caffeine.» We ordered their Dunkin’ Donuts grade coffee, which came in a stylishly slender coffee mug (4 oz?) and cost a fat $ 3. I finished it quickly and was never offered a second cup or a refill for the remaining 40 minutes I was there. Trust me, if I am not hurt by «do you want some caffeine,» I’ll want a second cup of your bad coffee.
Onto the food. This place proudly mashes up «fine» items mixed with accessible «comfort» food. For instance with brunch, they offer a down-​homey good ol’ American biscuit. If you’re gonna offer a biscuit in a $ 15 meal, it would be smart to get it right. It shouldn’t be dry and flavorless. And if you can’t get a biscuit right you’re probably not going to rock the smoked monkfish eggs benedict (bland) or the «Red Flannel Hash» a humorous title for a boring, unseasoned (but granted, very colorful) dish of vegetables and shredded duck «confit»
The attractive meals at 1 Knickerbocker are served without salt on the table; apparently the chef is sure he has avoided the perfect amount of flavor. And the interior decorator wouldn’t want him to disturb the red pleather booth with something as gauche as granulated salt.
If these five star Unilocal reviews are real (I highly doubt it) the only explanation is that the almost-​handsome decorations act like a shiny object to the bearded Bushwick crowd. They’re so intoxicated by the embossed tin wall coverings, the dark stained woods and the art deco fonts, they’ve been robbed of their ability to taste food.

Bougewick, I want to love you. You may might look the part when dimly lit; but your food is unremarkable.

I was waited upon by two really classy servers who recommended the fried cauliflower and provided excellent and enthusiastic service. I felt like I was being taken care of in more ways than one. Make sure you try the chocolate tangerine cake, it is da bomb. Seriously. I’ll be coming back soon!

My friends and I ate here after attending an art show in the area. Because it’s new, it wasn’t very busy, so we were seated right away. The food was extraordinarily wonderful! The prices are reasonable, the staff are very sweet and attentive. I almost didn’t want to write a review, because I would hate not to get a table so easy the next time we come! Oh well!

An amazing addition to our neighborhood. Hubby and I were here for Valentines Day. The atmosphere was romantic yet not overwhelmingly so, and even though it was a packed house the service was attentive and timely. The food… Amazing! We got a tasting menu and had a little bit of everything. For drinks, ladies try the chorus girls milk! I will definitely be back, next time with my girls!

I want to give 2.5.
Keep looking, this joint ain’t worth the effort.
Looking for another new and better (hopefully) brunch spot.
This place is sub par and pricer than the rest of bushwick’s Sunday brunch offerings.
For some reason the ‘destination’ restaurants of this hood (over four blocks from the L train) charge MORE than those closer– apparently to recoup against low foot traffic?
Anyway– the waitress was a total nube– couldn’t suggest one over dish over another; thinking it’s cute to suggest we come back and have the other… Before we even ate.
We ordered the ham steak at $ 15 for a store bought slightly seasoned thick slice of ham– a flattened whole wheat biscuit and some super sweet apple pie filling they call compote. There was no reason to order this dish again.
The dish my companion ordered was their smoked monkfish Benedict. Which came to the table four minutes after the ‘ham steak.’ The only thing WARM on the plate was the eggs and hollandaise sauce… The plate was just the Benedict no garnishes; yes they’re fillers true, but they offer something extra– a little deception or presentation for the $ 14 entrée– $ 7 for each half of the cold muffins.
The management was kind enough to compensate our coffees which split the cost on the cold Benedict, which is why I’ll round up on this review.
The décor is poorly conceived,
The coffee is always cold because the waitress’ take your cups to the kitchen.
1 knickerbocker might do dinner with more sensitivity but I won’t be making the extended trek to waste my money in finding out.

I really enjoy trying new restaurants especially when they have been getting a lot of press like this place. What a nightmare.
We ordered a glass of wine and it came out as about a 2oz-​3oz pour for $ 12. We asked if that was a typical pour and the waitress assured us it was. A few minutes later the manager came over with a glass of wine poured to the brim, maybe 8 or 9oz. She asked sarcastically «is this what you were looking for?». Obviously we weren’t you moron. But the fact you made us this uncomfortable means you get a 1 star review and I’ll never come back. I will also make sure to spread my very uncomfortable experience to my friends and family.

Late evening on a Saturday.
I’ve been meaning to come here for a while. Its new and I pass by all the time.
I would never come back, there’s too many great places in the hood and this isn’t one of them.
Servers were completely clueless. Weird vibe between the owner and his friends and the staff. Populated that night by Soho types, felt like a hotel bar. Cheap fittings and built ins detract from the restored vintage fireproof panels on the walls and ceilings. A bit pricy even in an overpriced hood.
They’re going for some kind of classic american bar from days of yore and it totally doesn’t work. Something is just not right. It never felt comfortable, more like chaotic, jumbled and trying-​too-​hard.

After all the news here and there about this restaurant shared on fb, I was curious to try its food. The interior certainly was amazing. I was so excited to try the food.
First of all, I tried to order a bottle of wine, but my server didn’t seem to have a clue about wines on the menu, so I just ordered a safe bottle, cabernet. When we got the wine, wine was served warm, which didn’t make anything better to compensate the server’s lack of knowledge/​experience. Chef was so nice to offer us little tasting dish before our meals. However, I’m not too sure about the chef’s experience with fine dining, but it’s not really a good idea to serve something sweet before the meal. Normally they offer something citrus to increase the appetite, not decrease by serving something sweet.
We ordered chicken thigh and some kind of fish. Fish was too salty we couldn’t finish. chicken thigh was good, but why would you serve chicken thigh and a drumstick in such a plate that I couldn’t even use knife because of the shape of the plate? Chicken was delicious, but was very hard to eat.
Overall, I see that the dish we ate were very experimental. I think the restaurant is trying to be an upscale restaurant in bushwick. I say, they have the design, but everything else was too immature (plating was okay, but again, not practical) to price the food that high. They need to educate the servers about the menu and wine list. They need to up the quality of food to match the price, or bring the price down.
I only gave three stars because they just opened. I would’ve given 1.5 stars.

Great atmosphere – went on a Wednesday and had a full meal.
Drinks were excellent. Staff was super nice, and there is a really great back room a la turn-​of-​the-​previous-​century that would work really well as an event space.
The food was quite good – appetizers were very strong, entrees were solid. I had the pork cheek, which was a solid B or B+, but not excellent. The rest of the experience though was enough to tilt the scale toward a 5 star experience. A welcome addition to the area.

Went for dinner last night and have to say that I’m really excited to add this as an option for a mellow night out. The bar is great and the booths in the back are a great place to have dinner. My only complaint would be that the duck dish I ordered was extremely salty but it could have just been an off night. definitely going back

Went on a Saturday night while visiting some friends in the area and couldn’t have been more impressed by this hidden gem. Didn’t realize how new it was, so all I have to say for anyone reading this review is GO FOR THE FOOD. It’s hard to describe the menu… part gastropub, part brasserie, part modern-​updates-​on-​classics, all very delicious and all things I would never be able to recreate at home. This is precisely why I go OUT for dinner — to try new dishes and enjoy food that both tastes good and is creative and complex.
Went with a bigger group so we got to share a number of different appetizers and entrees. Highlights were the pig ears (crisp, flavorful, paired with aioli and some greens), the pickled fried cauliflower (substantial, slightly curried), the meat plate (the bacon mousse!!!), the pickle plate, and the creamed greens with potato croquettes. It was also the first time I ever ate a scotch egg… how did I not hear about this delicacy earlier?
For a main course, I had the pekin duck. First, it is a HUGE portion so you could definitely share. Second, it was rich without being fatty and combined with a hearty portion of spaetzle and tangy cabbage. Others got steak, pork cheeks, sablefish, and the club sandwich — and everyone was happy with their meal. Kinda wish they had a burger on the menu…
Last tip: try the pumpernickel dessert. It’s ridiculously good, nearly impossible to describe, and I’m still not sure what was in it but I’d get it again in a heartbeat.
Cocktails are straightforward and strong. Good beer and decent wine selection. Beautiful, warm front room and gorgeous, spacious back room with comfortable booths. Great for an intimate date AND for larger groups, and a perfect place to treat yourself to a classy meal, and to try some truly tasty and innovative cuisine.

Beautiful interior — more spacious than it looks from the outside and richly designed. Private booths make for an intimate feel — perfect for date night.
The menu is fascinating — I finally got my chance to try sweetbreads (delicious)! The only disappointment was dessert — overall the flavors were smart (a fun experience!), but at that point in the meal I had had enough excitement and was craving something simpler and/​or more familiar.
Major props for the Choir Girl’s Milk cocktail (I think that was the name, it was pretty strong!).
The service is very eager to please — will it last once word spreads and the staff to customer ratio is no longer 2 – 1?