Colonia Verde
“While I'm still going to be a regular at Comodo (even though I lost my long-time Foursquare mayorship), this place is my new go-to.”
“The farofa loca (Brazilian grain with vegetables) was my favorite – portion is big…which is a good thing, because it was outstanding.”
“I started with a La Picosa to drink.”
Colonia Verde
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Accepts Apple Pay: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
7 reviews
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Like it or not, 'First impressions are everything'… or, at the least play a disproportionate role in forming the ultimate image one walks away with.
"It's not all that. You can hardly see any customers, except on weekends". I heard that from two girls walking by as I stood outside the restaurant, reading the menu. I had passed by Colonia Verde many times, noticing that it stood out from the neighborhood restaurants in terms of the color, façade, and ambience. But, it was true. Other than on weekends, I saw fewer people sitting inside than at nearby restaurants like Walter's and the always busy, Madiba.
That's an unfortunate impression, because the seating area inside the restaurant allows for a back patio and a green room, in addition to the area upfront. So, what casual passersby would not otherwise glean from a superficial glance inside are the patrons in the green room and, in warmer weather, in the patio.
I sensed that there's another backdrop explaining the impressions from the initial days of the launch, in a neighborhood chock full of dining options. But, I prefer to focus on the Now, and give a restaurant a fair chance, and I have. My first visit was on a Tuesday, and with a stand-in bartender, and a fairly autonomous kitchen staff, left very unimpressed. I had tried the La Picosa (Tequila, Jalapeno, cucumber syrup, and lime juice) and found it uninspiring. But, crucially: I was really disappointed with the food. The grilled Colombia style arepas and the duck confit tacos (though succulent and tender) were extremely bland and under-seasoned. The dessert, a hybrid between Tres Leches and Carrot cake, ended up lacking the strengths of either: the cake wasn't milky enough (despite appearances) and didn't emphasize the carrot flavor. Had I reviewed after one visit, my rating would have been much lower.
I did decide to give them the benefit of the doubt over the next few months, with mixed results. When I went with the regular bartender's recommendation on the ceviche, I wasn't impressed. But, his suggestion on the steak was better. While the steak was a tad over-cooked for medium it still has lots of pink inside and I enjoyed the taste and char. On a subsequent visit, the Poblano Pepper Fettuccine was well cooked in terms of the pasta, but again didn't emphasize the Poblano flavor as boldly as it could. Same was the case with the charred langoustines where I would have preferred the cilantro chimichurri to shine.
In line with this theme: my favorite two menu items at Colonia Verde have been: (1) the Pao De Queijo burger, cooked medium, but one of the most flavorful burgers I've had in recent memory, accompanied intelligently with sweet potato fries and a spicy salsa, with the juicy meat enclosed in an excellent cheese bread bun (Brazilian); and (2) the Coffee Chocolate Mousse ("Made in Mexico"): dense texture, boldly featuring cinnamon and coffee, and not weighing like a million pounds inside my stomach!
So, as well intentioned advice to the owners: go with bolder flavors true to a region, instead of aiming at culinary fusion. The kitchen staff need more consistency (my burger was definitely not medium on another visit). Your grilled items are your strength, and you need more on the menu. And, finally: I came here expecting to try the Lomo Al Trapo (beef tenderloin wrapped in a mixture of coarse and fine salt layered on a wet cloth then cooked directly on the grill), but didn't. No one even suggested it to me. Now, I know it's meant to be enjoyed by 2-3 people, and possibly the serving staff recommends it to a larger group than a solitary diner. But, keep it on the menu. Let diners decide if they are greedy enough to over-order (ahem), or bring a guest with them the next time. There's artistry and spectacle to the dish and nearly everyone I saw sitting at the bar asked what it was, when it was served to others. Lomo Al Trapo adds sizzle to your (seasonal?) menu and highlights your strengths. Play to those.
I really hope today's service was a fluke. Maybe willing to come back in the far future because food was promising. At the end of the day, they have tough competition on the street that beat my unfortunate experience today.
Hanger steak and eggs:
Good: the meat was flavored well, the two sauces packed heat and everybody loves a good fried egg with rice.
Problems: asked for medium rare, the ends maybe passed as medium and the center was definitely well done. Eggs were inconsistent as one egg was runny and the other was cooked. Ya know, unless they want me to experience the range of how an egg can be cooked in one meal.
Drinks:
Ordered a cold brew and mint limeade once we sat down. Received the mint limeade halfway through the meal, and cold brew 3/4 of the way through. We actually ordered two cold brews and they ran out so we only received one… They said the bartender was backed up.
I'm unsure what was going on, but the lack of communication was apparent.
Such a shame because the food was flavored well and the location/ambiance is inviting, sunny and airy.
They also take reservations for brunch, which is always a plus!
My new favorite pasttime in good weather has been walking the East River, over the Brooklyn Bridge, into Brooklyn and wandering my way back up to the Bedford L Stop. This time I cut in a little more than usual and found myself in Fort Greene which is an adorable town that doesn't feel like New York at all. We decided to stop for some food at this restaurant literally just by picking a place off the street. We sat at the bar with the very friendly bartender who made us some awesome cocktails. There was a mess up with the kitchen so we ended up waiting an hour for our food but when it came it was very good. I had the steak which was perfectly cooked and a very large portion. Scrumptious. And they took a round of drinks off for the annoyance of waiting which was a smart move. I would definitely eat here again when and if I end up in Fort Greene again. It's the type of place I'd take some friends to hang out or dinner with the parents.
Great spot in Fort Greene. Came here on a whim Sunday night with no expectations. Sat at the bar.
Definetly get the pork, which was a left over from earlier that afternoon.
Every Sunday afternoon, they roast a pork in the backyard. It sounded amazing and a great way to catch up w friends.
I'd been wanting to try this place for months as I work down the block and they had been closed due to the fire for almost the entire time I've worked there. Finally, my friend and I checked it out on a Friday night and we were very happy with our experience there.
It's a cool place—cozy and candle lit bar and seating areas in the main restaurant and out back. The kitchen is tiny and you can see everything made right in front of you. Reservations would be smart if you have your heart set on coming here on a particular night.
The menu appeared to be Latin American themed. We opted for some Malbec to start (yum) and I chose to order the fettuccine bolognese with poblano peppers. Delicious and smokey but not too spicy. Everything was clearly fresh and homemade. My friend ordered the eggplant and really enjoyed it too. Not a super cheap restaurant but not outrageous by any means. Plan on $30-40/person for a drink and dinner.
Would recommend if you find yourself along dekalb or in Fort Greene!
Just finished brunch. We sat in the back room- lots of light and very lovely! We arrived at 12:30 and was surprised to find the place almost empty.
The food:
Duck confit – amazing! Order this.
Cv burger – this was ok.
Also very nice pot of tea.
In the past few weeks since they opened I've been reading good things, including the fact that people in the neighborhood love it so much there are 2 hour waits on the weekends.
With this in mind, I made sure to arrive for the early bird special right when they opened at 6 on a Saturday night. Lately when going to a new spot that's supposed to be trendy and therefore crowded, I typically go very early anyway since we have our infant son with us. This maximizes the chance of getting a table with an extra spot, and minimizes the dirty looks we get from baby-hating hipsters and spinsters.
My fears were unfounded though as 1) we got in immediately and 2) every single table already seated had at least one baby. But for all those that don't like children, don't let this dissuade you from coming here, as the food is incredible and well worth the potential wait times. Also, I'm sure most of these families had the same idea we did, and the regular Brooklyn hipsters of Fort Greene would be out in full force later on at night.
The restaurant is smallish, with a bar up front and a few tables, in addition to the much better back room, which has a skylight and a nice, bright, airy atmosphere. Enough about babies and hipsters though, and on to the real strength here, the outstanding food:
– Grilled Machaca Colombian-style Arepas ($11 for 3)
As some other reviewers correctly pointed out, these were not really the arepas that you think of, and are much closer to tostadas. It doesn't really matter what you call them though, as they are delicious. You get 3 pieces, topped with plenty of pork, guacamole and onions. My only complaint is that there weren't 4 pieces.
-El Diablo Escoces ($11 for 4 pieces)
This was the best bite of the meal, and probably the best scotch egg I've ever had. Described on the menu as something like a mix between a scotch egg and a deviled egg, it was much better than both. It has the crispy, fried coating and the satisfying porky taste of the exterior, but it also has the added genius of the corn niblets placed on top of the semi-runny yolk in the center. Every single table ordered these, and you should too, because they were excellent.
– Farofa Loca ($8)
Listed as a side, this could actually pass as a large appetizer or a small entree. It's a huge portion of a delicious mishmash of ingredients: Brussels sprouts, red beans, garbanzos, pecans, rice and a couple other things mixed in there. It arrived piping hot and I could not stop eating it by the spoonful.
– Chicken Frito ($18)
This was ok, but a little disappointing given how good it looked and how great the rest of the food was so far. There were 3 pieces: one breast, one thigh and one drumstick, accompanied by some honey for dipping. The skin was extremely thick, with not much meat under it. Normally I wouldn't complain about this as the skin can be the best part of fried chicken, but it was a little bland here. I still quite enjoyed the piece of white meat, but I do wish I tried the pasta instead, which looked a lot better. Also, $18 for 3 pieces with no side or anything else on the plate stung a bit.
– Coffee Rubbed Cochinita ($18)
This was much better than the fried chicken. It consisted of a generous portion of pork shoulder piled atop some mashed potatoes, with a scattering of tasty fried chickpeas around the plate. The pork was really juicy and flavorful and went well with the creamy potatoes and crispy chickpeas.
– Bread Pudding ($11)
I didn't really love either of the desserts. This one particularly didn't do it for me, starting with the lazy presentation of just stuffing the thing into a mug. Consisting of dark chocolate and dried cherries, I was hoping for a richer, more chocolatey taste, but I could barely taste the chocolate. Instead it just mostly tasted like butter, which in this case was a little overwhelming and not so great.
– Avo Banana Cake ($11)
This dessert was better. The cake was spongy and moist. It was a little bland on its own, but when paired with the smoked pecan frosting on top, it made for a pretty delicious bite.
Service was pretty good, but it dropped off a bit toward the end of the meal as the place started getting packed. For a really satisfying, enjoyable meal, I would definitely recommend coming here. Just come early to avoid the waits and maybe skip the fried chicken and fill up on all the other great stuff (no need to save room for dessert).