Lula Mae takes a loose approach to Cambodian cooked, in a kitchen helmed by Dan San, formerly of restaurants like the Tyger, Nami Nori, and Chinese Tuxedo. The kitchen serves up lort cha, Cambodian rice noodles, plus fried chicken with lime pepper dressing and fry bread with tom yum butter. It’s a neighborhood spot you can actually get into as a walk-in and a reliable spot for neighborhood regulars.

Saraghina Caffè is the fancier sibling to the team’s Bed-Stuy pizzeria. The food is good (think supple pastas, a crudo bar, and a luxurious tiramisu), but it’s clear people come here more for its grand interiors, fashioned in the style of a cafe in Milan, that look like Brooklyn’s answer to Bar Pisellino. Either way, the people-watching is top-notch — and it’s a sexy date spot.

This isn’t the best Latin American restaurant in Brooklyn, but it’s easily the best in Fort Greene. Husband and wife team Felipe Donnelly and Tamy Rofe, who also run Comodo out of Manhattan’s Freehand hotel, are responsible for this cozy restaurant with duck confit tacos, pão de queijo burgers, clams al pastor, and lots of wine. The restaurant is especially reliable for brunch, where it serves options beyond the run-of-the-mill eggs and pancakes. The spot has lots of seating in its backyard-covered patio, warm enough no matter the season.

Open since 2009, Roman’s is as good as ever, says Eater’s critic. This restaurant from Andrew Tarlow — Diner, Marlow & Sons, Achilles Heel — specializes in pastas, like rigatoni with chickpeas and pork sausage, and daily-changing specials, hitting all the right notes more than a decade later.

Miss Ada is one of the best options in the neighborhood for a sit-down meal, and everyone seems to know it. The dining room hums with life around peak dining times — in particular during brunch. Start with an order of fluffy pita bread and a few shareable dips — whipped ricotta, lamb shawarma over hummus — then graduate to larger plates like a za’atar-crusted salmon or a brick chicken with harissa and preserved lemon. The team recently opened a wood-fired seafood restaurant, Theodora, in the neighborhood.

Speedy Romeo, from the owner of Michelin-starred restaurant Oxomoco, is the neighborhood’s best bet for wood-fired pizza. The bubbly sourdough pies are thin and shaped into 12-inch crusts, making it possible to finish one alone. Try the Dick Dale — basically, a Hawaiian pizza for adults with pineapple and bechamel sauce — or the Mike’s Broccolini, with charred florets and sweet Italian sausage.

With so much coverage of Dept of Culture, and two years of James Beard nominations, it’s surprising Radio Kwara hasn’t blown up. It’s as good as Dept of Culture and unlike that restaurant, you can get in easily. The format is different: Most days the menu is a la carte, with dishes like goat pepper soup and Nigerian agege bread. The tiny restaurant plays great music, and it’s BYOB with no corkage fee, so stop by next-door Radicle Wine on your way in.

After parting ways with its initial chef, Margot has finally settled into itself with plates more substantial than typical wine bar food. The menu starts with snacks like ham and fermented honey, maitake, and butter beans. Bigger plates include items like skirt steak with miso, with a dessert of sunchoke chocolate cremeaux.

Fast-casual isn’t exactly Clinton Hill’s strong suit, but Chef Katsu upped the game when it started serving its Japanese bowls and sandwiches from this Greene Avenue storefront. The specialty here is the namesake katsu sandwiches — which come with either chicken, salmon, pork, or mushroom.  But don’t sleep on one of the rice bowls, such as the teriyaki portobello with shishito peppers, pickles, and a jammy egg. On the beverage menu, drinks run the gamut from yuzu-mint lemonade to hojicha lattes.

Since opening in 2018 Fradei has gone through several incarnations. Formerly a tasting menu spot reviewed by Pete Wells at the New York Times, Fradei is now a la carte. It’s in the hands of a one-to-watch chef, Nico Villasenor, who was previously a sous at Four Horsemen, and similar touches are attained on this loosely French-inflected Fort Greene menu. You’ll have to see it for yourself, though, as Fradei doesn’t post its menus online.

Theodora is laid out like a railroad apartment, and each section of the restaurant has a slightly different vibe. There’s a long bar up front, where you can sip on Mexican cocktails, and a small counter in the middle that overlooks the wood-fired oven. Further back, the large dining room has more of a party with custom speakers, booths, and bigger group tables. The menu, a bit of a departure from the team’s nearby Miss Ada, is all about wood-fired seafood and homemade breads, like sourdough and pita, plus mezcal martinis.

This Clinton Hill restaurant has spawned a second location in the West Village and a small chain of pizzerias operating under the name Emmy Squared. None make a burger quite like here. The legendary Emmy Burger, a thick patty topped with aged cheddar and caramelized onion on a pretzel bun, is easily one of the best in the city.

Hart’s in Bed-Stuy has been a neighborhood staple since opening in 2016, and this “chicken bar” from the same team fills a similar need in Clinton Hill. Hole up at a table out front with a glass of natural wine or grab a seat at the U-shaped bar, great for feeling like a main character on a budget. The fries and Caesar salad are both massive, and the rotisserie chicken platters are best for sharing with a group.