Bergen Hill
“We originally ordered three dishes, and Chef D'Ambrosi asked if we rather had squid or octopus for our last dish.”
“My dishes of choice that night were the lobster toast, hen of the woods, fluke tartare, and squid tagliatelle.”
“The hamachi, lobster toast, cauliflower toast, and eggs and caviar were also delicious.”
Bergen Hill
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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This is for dinner on a Saturday night in November 2015. Most courses were well composed, but we thought they were not as amazing as they should have been for the price.
Here's what we had:
Food:
-Cauliflower Toast — good, but not $12 worth
-Baked Oysters — not very good at all, a special
-Hamachi Crudo — $18 for what should have been a $12-$14 dish
-Roasted Carrots side — excellent (see below)
-another side (can't remember the name, and the sides aren't listed online)
Cocktails:
-Char No. 8
-Poppy Gibson (I think)
The cocktails were scrumptious. Perhaps I could be convinced to go back just for drinks. The carrots were the winners for us out of all the dishes, although each one was well-balanced. The carrots came with cheese and pine nuts and were perfectly roasted. We agreed that if we went back we might just get some of the veggie sides, which were more appropriately priced for what we got.
In terms of service, it was excellent. The people who were dining before us were lingering for a while (like over 30 minutes past our reservation time), so they gave us complimentary glasses of wine while we waited and were overall very apologetic. But overall, we weren't blown away. We both agreed we wouldn't be likely to go back for dinner.
Dined here during the soft opening and was blown away! The team did a great job with the small space (less than 60 seats) and the food preparation and flavors are top notch!
Hamachi crudo was stunning to look at and packed full of flavor. The radishes added a perfect flavor contrast and the avocado purée was delectable.
Hen of the Woods was also a stunner! The way the 3 different types of mushrooms were composed on the plate made me think about the forest. I am not a big pickle person, so I thought pickled mushrooms were a little too strong, but that is really nitpicking and I'm sure pickle lovers would enjoy them.
Cauliflower toast made for a trifecta of goodness in my belly! I was debating with the waiter whether this dish or the amount you Crudo was my favorite. Don't make me choose! Just get them both and enjoy!
This is an awesome addition to the neighborhood!
This is a very very small restaurant that does not lack any flavor. The kitchen is right in the public eye as you are able to dine at the chef's table. The two recommended dishes here are the hamachi and octopus. The hamachi was so fresh and went well with the avocado puree. The octopus was the best octopus we ever had. It was grilled to perfection and had so much flavor. The kale caesar was different but worth a try though the dressing was really strong. Don't forget to order the red velvet cake with cream cheese ice cream for dessert!
My only complaint is the size of the dishes. My wife and I devoured each dish as it came within a minute or two. But overall, worth a try.
What was the best meal I had last year? Tough to say. Though my meal at Bergen Hill was a rememberable one for sure.
I kept hearing about Bergen Hill from friends, and now I'm doing the same. I can't stop raving about the place. I finally made my first trip last summer.
No tables available, but that's cool. We got to sit right in front of the chef. There's no better spot. My man was cooking right in front of us. Letting us try things. Telling us all kinds of information. That's where you want to sit.
We got three dishes and a nice bottle of white. We started out with the cauliflower toast, with raisins, pine nuts, and grape. Amazing starter. Next up was the Hen of the Woods, mushroom purèe. kohlrabi. pickled hon shimeji. My mouth is watering thinking about it. For our main we got the Octopus, onion purèe, farro, broccolini, raisin, harissa vinaigrette. This completed the slam dunk that was our meal. I love octopus when it done right. And they do it better than just right. They do it perfect.
We also got some cocktails. One cocktail I got was unbelievable, it was called Bone or something like that. One of the tastiest concoctions I've ever tasted. It was such a great experience. All while they're playing great tunes, providing us with impeccable service, and a wonderful atmosphere.
Bergen Hill is more than a restaurant. It's an experience. They hit on every level. Now stop reading this and make plans to check them out.
4.5 stars: Went to Bergen Hill for my birthday after reading so many rave reviews and had a delicious time — though some dishes just didn't quite meet the hype.
Came on a Thursday evening for a 7:30 reservation and was seated immediately by our very kind and knowledgable waiter.
This restaurant is indeed small. But there's still space for parties of 4-or-so.
The ambiance is home-y and warm (the chef makes everything on a standard cook-top that's right in-the-open!) but I'm not sure I'd call it mind-blowingly romantic. Perhaps it's just me, but some of the furnishings and wood made the space feel a little dated.
Anywho, onto the food!
We ordered a bunch of dishes to share (that's the way to do it), including:
-Hen of the woods mushrooms
-Cauliflower toast
-Hamachi tartare
-Hamachi ribs and collar bone special*
-Octopus
The hamachi ribs and collar bone special was the clear winner. There was only one of this rare dish available and my friend and I were the lucky diners who got to enjoy it!
I'd never had these cuts of yellowtail before but now I'm not sure I'll be able to eat any other part. The ribs were so meaty, yet so delicate, and the collar bone was insanely flavorful. The sweet, sticky sauce the chef used made this dish unforgettable.
My second favorite dish was the octopus, and this is coming from someone with high octopus-expectations (I know that sounds pretentious; bear with me). The meat was perfectly cooked — which is no easy feat. And the sauce and farro that accompanied it were outstanding as well. It's up there with some of the best octopus I've ever had.
The cauliflower toast and hamachi tartare were also tasty, though not as memorable as the hamachi special.
I wasn't blown away by the hen of the woods mushrooms. Perhaps I've just been spoiled by the mushrooms at L'Artusi, but these lacked the warmth and nuttiness I was hoping for.
Overall, Bergen Hill is an impressive restaurant serving meticulously crafted, fresh food. Looking forward to my next visit!
Had an excellent meal at Bergen Hill last night. As others have already alluded, it's a real panty-dropper. Small, intimate and romantic with a great beverage program and a menu full of items that are just about perfect for sharing with your partner. If you're looking for a good date spot or just somewhere to get cozy over some good food and drink, this should be added to your short list.
The well-curated wine list and carefully chosen cocktails provide all the social lubricant (or otherwise) you may need to get the sexy train out of the station. The menu is dominated by seafood, so if that is not your thing for whatever reason, that may be a deal-breaker. If you're still on board (see what I did there?), there are a few raw items to start things off with. They offer oysters, tartare, as well as crudo. For some segue items before hitting the heartier fare, they have a few different types of toasts (cauliflower, salmon or lobster), which are basically crostini on steroids, as well as a couple salads (kale or mushrooms). Lastly, the heavier items on the menu consist of either langoustine, octopus or squid, all of which are prepared in creative fashion, which I will let you discover at your leisure.
Everything sounds, looks and smells amazing, so I don't think there are really any bad decisions to be made here. Sex in the bathroom isn't necessarily out of the question, but it's a pretty small space and there is only one bathroom, so you've been warned. Aside from that, this place is a win. We had seats at the bar directly in front of the food prep area, so it was cool to interact with the chefs and be able to watch everything being prepared. If you prefer a table, there are a handful of two- and four-tops ringing the room, as well as a decent amount of outdoor seating when weather permits. The icing on the cake was the service; our server, as well as the bartender and the chefs, were all super nice, helpful and friendly. They've created a really chill vibe at Bergen Hill (replete with a killer soundtrack, too), and you would do well to check them out.
Summary: Affordable for well-composed food. A great spot for a date if you get the corner table. Better with smaller groups.
Atmosphere: Bergen Hill gets a 5 for atmosphere. Always on the look-out for fellow Yelpers, this spot is a great choice for a 3rd (or however long it takes you to get there) date. This warmly designed interior pulls off neighborhood cool and casual without pretentiousness. You have the choice of bar seating, which faces the kitchen or a small nook of a dining area. The nook area has 4-6 tables making reservations prudent. The two end tables are technically 3 tops that could be used as 2 tops. These are key tables for a date as they are adequate size for the family style of service, but tight enough where you will likely be touching under the table quite a lot. The grid style window will collect snow creating that wonderful quaint winter- romantic mood. NOTE: If with a girl that is just a friend, add someone to the party or indicate it's not a date. This place was mostly couples.
Service: This is one happy set of servers for a Sunday. There wasn't a formal hostess when we arrived and it was slightly confusing as staff was busy servicing guests. Once finally identified, the host/waiter sat us at the table and was quite animated in making sure we had great descriptions of all the food and our needs were met. All staff appear to be very well-versed in the menu. I thought it was adorable that he said multiple times, "I'm going to bring you the food and make sure to describe it to you." Indeed, this did occur. While a bit much,it could come in handy given the number of food allergies people appear to have these days.
The Food: The menu, to me, is quite affordable give how much effort must go into the food. 5-6 dishes serves 3 people. On food alone, I have to give it a 4, but atmosphere rounded it up. While individually each dish is delightful, my issue is that the total composition of the menu lacks a unified point of view, which I'll explain below. Though it keeps it interesting, it doesn't quite allow me to get to know the chef's soul. I'd like to see him commit a bit more and do the hard work of bridging the entire menu into 1 orchestrated perspective.
Hamachi – 4 stars. Great job on cutting the fish. It was nicely sliced in even, not too thin or thick, texture. The fish was very fresh, sans any fishy flavor. You lost a star because the white soy ponzo needs to go just a bit longer to correctly salt/flavor all the way through or alternatively go just a bit of a kick further on the togarashi
Salmon Toast – 5 stars. While it may not be the favorite for everyone that evening, the salmon cucumber and herb with feta mixture was the best executed dish of the evening. Where as the Hamachi is elegantly pallet-cleansing, Japanese, the Salmon reminds you of rustic Italy. Still delightful. But these are far different points of view.
Langoustine – 5 stars. What a delightful re-envisioning of matchstick potatoes. I think it's absolutely brilliant to use the egg as flavor glue keeping the matchsticks together in a way reminiscent of a birds nest a la Asian cuisine. However, this dish is distinctly Modern American in feel, both a positive and a negative as I am on dish three and my brain is trying to orient its pallet vs. having dish after dish build toward a collective chef's point of view. If your food is making love to my mouth, you've just switched gears abruptly 3 times, and not in the good way.
Octopus Bourguignon – 5 stars, not on the main menu. The tenderness of the Octopus is to be applauded, likely the creature died happy being massaged into the perfect texture for a dish. The wine reduction was well executed to infuse the classically french flavors into the octopus thereby removing all the fishiness. The reduction was served over potato (?) fluff that held up less well in the sauce. I think this was the point and therefore am not reducing stars for this, though possibly a slight bit more potato could have been interesting… only slight more though. Same point as above on the abrupt switch. My mouth was American and now its French. Maybe some people are into that, but for me the transitions need to be smoother, dish to dish.
Brussel Sprouts – 3.5 stars. The reality is that everyone else loved this dish for its flavoring. I agree, but believe the Chef slightly overcooked, as I think you want Brussel sprouts to have just a slightly bit more crunch/springiness. Flavoring was simple and classic. It served its purpose of having green vegetables for dinner and was good, just not in the same league as the other dishes.
Dessert – This changes each night, but was 5 stars and worth trying.
Desert composition – 5 stars. A toasted sweet bread-like thing with slight salt mixed among homemade specialty ice cream.
Strawberry sorbet with brandied cherries. 5 stars. Great execution on the brandied cherries.
Anyone who reviews Bergen Hill less than a 5 was clearly born without a mouth. Otherwise, they would have tasted what I tasted and given this place the that it deserves.
I'm not going to go into too much detail about the food, but you should really know the follow things:
– Fried fingerling potatoes: Do it.
– Carrots: Just do it.
– Octopus: Do it, really. Both ways if available.
– Squid: Did you do it yet?
Really though, you can't make a bad choice.
And did mention how amazing the staff was? They were very knowledgeable, super sympathetic and accommodating for a coeliac diner, and some of the friendliest people you'll meet in Court Street. PLUS, as if that wasn't enough, our waiter (maybe the owner?) topped off our wine for free during the last course because he wanted the meal to finish perfectly balanced.
Honestly, if you haven't been here yet, there's no time like the present.