Black Swan | Pub & Restaurant

Black Swan   

1048 Bedford Ave

Brooklyn, NY 11205

(718) 783 - 4744

            This little hidden gem has been around for years! From what I’ve garnered, they’ve gone through a multitude of managers and it’s typically a hit; however, there are times when it’s a miss. My cousin and her boyfriend invited me, its historically one of their go to brunch spots. They don’t offer a bottomless boozy brunch option, but $7 for an incredibly strong Bellini or Mimosa isn’t too bad.

            The food menu is no incredibly vase, but if you venture to brunch for everything that isn’t typical breakfast the only items that stand out are the Rum French Toast, Chicken and Waffles, or the Mac & Cheese (option to add lobster). We all ordered the Rum French Toast with a side of scrambled eggs.

Rum French Toast

The French toast was made with croissants, topped with caramel, bananas and a side of bacon. The bacon addition adds a nice savory taste to the sweetness of the caramel. My side of scrambled eggs was cold and bland, even after adding salt. The overall meal was decent, probably because I was starving. 

            The most enjoyable part of the meal was the drinks. We had two rounds of Mimosas and Bellini’s, which were 90% champagne. That makes for a good brunch any day! 

            The ambiance matched the gloomy weather outside. The entire décor is black with extremely dim lighting. The benches are low to the ground and the tables are kind of narrow. I felt like we were sitting in some type of medieval parlor. Feel free not to dress up; a lot of patrons were dressed casual and comfortable with sweat pants and hoodies. 

            Overall the service was good. We didn’t have to wait at all to be seated, although I was told it isn’t typically the case. Our waiter was very attentive, he replaced the cold items promptly and made sure to check on us and take away dirty dishes quickly. One thing I noted, though was that he wasn’t very knowledgeable about the menu, not sure if he was new but he described the French toast as being made “pancake style,” not even sure what that means.

            Great company, a full belly and strong drinks make for a happy bruncher! If you're local to the area and need a quick bite, this is a decent restaurant. For a boozier and tastier brunch deal check out some of the other places I’ve reviewed!

Bottomless 0

Food 3

Service 4

Overall Experience 2.3

XOXO,

Brunch Chic

Station

Station

166 N 7th St, Brooklyn, NY 11211

(718) 599-1596

www.stationnyc.com

From the moment I saw the sign on the corner of Bedford ave & 7th ave directing me towards the restaurant I wanted to go!  Then I found out that Station has a bottomless boozy brunch for the cost of $40, from 10am-5pm ALL WEEK LONG and it automatically jumped to number one on my list of restaurants to try!

My boyfriend and I went on a Wednesday afternoon and it was empty except for two other parties.  I was running late and he was on his second PITCHER of mimosas by the time I got there! 

The service was relaxed and chill, which was fine because we weren’t in a rush. It was the perfect summer day to just kick back and get tipsy. With the open air set up, you can be seated inside, but still feel like you are right outside. We had two more pitchers once I arrived that were mostly champagne (thank goodness!) and we tried the red and white sangrias; unfortunately, those were horrible. 

Salmon Burger

The menu items all seemed interesting, but nothing sounded mouth watering. We ordered the Station’s North 7^th Burger and the Salmon Burger. My salmon burger was edible, but I didn’t really like it. Something was definitely missing and it tasted a little too “organic” to me. I am not a beef burger person, but this had to be one of the best burgers I’ve ever tasted. I wanted to completely switch entrees! Moist and tasty with an extra zing to it (the boyfriend added bacon, hot sauce and a bunch of other yummy toppings to it). 

Station's North 7th Burger

Station is the perfect place to come when you have a beautiful summer weekday off and want to get some good grub and drinks. I will most definitely become a regular patron here!

Bottomless 4

Food 3

Service 4

Overall Experience 3.6

XOXO,

Brunch Chic

Rustik Tavern

Rustik Tavern

471 Dekalb Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11205

(347) 406-9700

www.rustiktavern.com

This place was supposed to be amazing. From the bottomless brunch special for $30 (includes entrée) to the food, ambiance and décor, if only the food was as spectacular as it sounded. Everyone at my table ordered either the DeKalb’s Finest Chicken-n-Waffles with coconut rum syrup & strawberries or the Tres Leche French Toast with dulce de leche caramel sauce, so I can’t rule out every item on the menu. But these two items are supposed to be their best and they are definitely were not worth having again.  

The service on the other hand was spectacular; from the moment we walked in we were greeted with a smile. Unfortunately our table wasn’t ready – although we had a reservation - because a server called out sick, but the hostess quickly apologized and offered us a seat on their beautiful (hand carved?) wooden benches.

Although not very comfortable on your tush, you definitely feel as if you’ve stepped out of New York City and into a tavern far away in a different time zone.

Our waiter made Rustik Tavern a restaurant to visit again. His service was impeccable. The food took forever to come out, but he was bringing us our drinks as fast as we could drink them. I love that the bottomless brunch special includes a variety of beverages – Champagne, Mimosas, Bloody Mary’s, Screwdrivers & Bellinis – for 90 minutes. Unfortunately I can’t remember his name, but if you’re seated with our guy, no one’s really watching the clock.  

Overall, the entrees were disappointing, but the drinks and service were great and I had a wonderful time with my family. I’ll definitely go back someday to try the Spencer Steak & Eggs, the Butcherboy Turkey Sliders and the Rustik’s Fried Cheesecake. And of course I want more Champagne!

Bottomless 5

Food 1

Service 3.5

Overall Experience 3.1

XOXO,

Brunch Chic