Locanda Vini e Olii
“Was as charmed as the first time by this straight-from-Italy experience in an old pharmacy with much of the original detail intact.”
“The outside is still designed as an old drug store but when you walk inside you are transported to a cute and comfy Italian restaurant.”
“Of the main dishes, the most intensely flavored one was the rabbit braised with black olives with cannellini beans.”
Locanda Vini e Olii
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
Rate and write a review Cancel reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Though the interior of the restaurant is very cool (Brooklyn's Il Buco is an apt description) the food was just meh and the service was worse,. We were basically ignored for about 20 minutes before we were able to order. I went with the tagliatelle with beef ragu and orange zest. I found the sauce to be pretty bland and the meet dry; I really wanted parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper to spice things up and kept trying to flag down our waiter to ask for some. Unfortunately no one ever stopped by the table to see how our food was so I never had a chance to ask. With the number of great restaurants in Fort Greene and Clinton Hill, this one you can skip.
Oh man, I really love this place. The perfect meal for 2 when you split an appetizer, pasta, and second course. Even with a bottle of wine our meal comes out to be around $100. We've spent much more for much less enjoyable dining experiences.
It's an odd perk that they let you return unfinished house red for a refund, but I certainly appreciate it!
Located in an old drug store, Locanda delivers charm from the moment you arrive.
Seating is tight, as in most Brooklyn restaurants. Service started out slow, but it improved as the night went on. The staff was very helpful explaining the wine list and offering suggestions on food.
My dining partner and I split a salad that was recommended by the waiter. I was skeptical because, you know, greens… but it was excellent. My duck entree was delicious and perfectly cooked.
A little pricey but well worth it for the food and the experience.
I went again, but wasn't as impressed.
Ribollita: as good as usual.
Pici: simple but tasty.
Duck: it came barely warm, we sent it back, it came back burned, we left on the dish. Although the dish was sizable, this was not good. In addition, the chick peas were uninspiring and boring.
Braised short ribs: very tender meat, and very generous portion; plain and boring beans.
Chocolate cake: not even close to the old saker torte they used to have… a huge disappointment.
Pistachio cake: tasty.
House red wine: ok.
Service: very accommodating; Filippo was very understanding after realizing the problems with the duck, which were substantial. He took it off the check (we barely touched it) and comped 1 dessert. He couldn't be more gracious.
Overall, it's not a nearby place for me and it's not cheap, so I can't hide that this time I was disappointed. The first time I went I was wowed by everything they brought, but this time there were some issues with some dishes, and they totally murdered the duck.
Upgrading to a 5 from a 4.
I had my second experience here on Saturday night and the experience was almost uniformly positive. My one complaint was that the single glass of wine that I had at the bar tasted a bit stale, as though it had been open for a while or that it had changed temperatures a few too many times.
Everything else was great. My reservation was honored, on time, despite a packed house and the polite and efficient hostess gave me the table that I requested, Once seated, we ordered a Barbera, which was superb. I had the calamari appetizer which was delicious and very well prepared. I was told that the flounder entree was excellent. I had the beef which came with a generous helping of arugula. The beef was incredibly tender and flavorful and there was more than I could finish in one sitting. I am already thinking about my next trip back,
Some friendly Brooklynite friends of ours brought us to this restaurant and thus opened our eyes to the glory of Italian cooking in Clinton Hill. I can't tell you exactly what we ate here since the four of us actually had the chef's tasting menu to be shared family style by the table. But I can tell you we left happy and full.
Maybe too full… Hardly a complaint I know, but we were almost stuffed after the first course. I'll just say that pretty much everything we had was creative and rustic and wonderful. The service was great and the drinks, while maybe not the best, certainly were strong and did their job.
If we're in the area again we'll definitely be back…
Really cute Italian restaurant tucked behind the facade of a converted pharmacy. Very cozy and cute. My friends and I split the asparagus and burrata and anchovies. The food is very simple in the best way, in that all the ingredients are really allowed to shine. Nothing is gussied up in a way it shouldn't be. For mains we ordered the guitar strings, flat pasta with mushrooms, asparagus soup and sardines. Dessert was pistachio olive oil cake. Great selection of wines and cocktails. I don't know when I'll next be out this far in Brooklyn, but I would come back!
Looks like an old Drug Store from the outside, the inside is super uniquely decorated.
Had the TAGLIATELLE AL RAGU (Piedmontese beef & orange zest), really good but salty. The sage pappardelle with rabbit was really good, not that salty which is nice. Also had the duck with chickpeas which was probably the best dish of the night. However it took FOREVER for it to come out so that was a downside.
Good little place overall.