Palo Santo

We've dined here about 4 times over a 6 month period and at different times of the day. You read that right, it's open at 7 am! The vibe is like you're stopping by to visit a friend for a cup of coffee or a bite to eat and your friend happens to be a gourmet. The secret is siting at the tiny bar to enjoy the chef's tasting menu. It's amazing and a steal at $45 per person (that was the 2006 price). The ingredients are seasonal and the menu inventive. I like to show off this place to my city friends, because it feels like a neighborhood secret and embodies the Brooklyn restaurant scene: exciting but not pretentious. Pros: Good eats for all three meals; attentive staff; Cons: Too bad garden is only for looking more

I almost missed the place. It's cutely tucked into I guess what would be the garden apartment of a brownstone on a residential block. I thought the decor was elegantly rustic and I was tickled by the music. Unlike other reviewers, I didn't find it too loud at all, but I went around 7-ish during a weeknight, so maybe it's different during that time. When I was there, it was lots of Harry Belafonte which reminded me of my grandmother (she loved him when I was a kid), so I liked it. The menu was creative, the food was delicious - - you can tell they use fresh ingredients - - and the staff was really attentive, sweet and well-educated on the menu. My friend and I were next to a couple who had a million annoying questions about the food they were about to order and the waitress patiently and eloquently answered each one. Anyway, we both completely enjoyed our meal. I'm telling all my friends and I'll definitely be back. more

I am truly impressed by this restaurant, and I've eaten at most of the restaurants in Park Slope. The menu is adventurous and was different on the two occasions I've been there. The first time, my friends and I shared several appetizers. Our favorites included the green garlic and potato soup, and the baby octopus and fennel salad. The duck with mole was perfect - soft meat, flavorful sauce. My friends had the lamb and were equally pleased. Make sure you get extra bread/tortilla to soak up whatever is left on your plate! The second time I went with my family, who loved the pork as well as the mushroom casserole. Desserts on both occasions included a baked banana-chocolate concoction. The service was great - knowledgeable but not overbearing. The music can be a little loud, but they turned it down upon request. The front room is cozy, the back room is inviting - but if you are looking for a romantic table for two, be sure to ask, as the tables in the back room seat six or eight, and can include two or three different sets of people who don't necessarily know each other. All in all, Palo Santo was fantastic. I'd recommend it highly, and would make reservations if you are looking for table during popular times. Pros: Right in the slope, warm ambience, outstanding food Cons: Can have loud music, we were seated late despite reservations. more

This is not a typical latin restaurant, and if you're daring, you will be rewarded. We had Nestor's Egg, Octopus, greens, lamb and mushroom casserole. The food was all excellent. Our server was knowledgable, but a bit earnest. For dessert we enjoyed the lime pie and loved it. This would be a higher rating if the back room were a bit more comfortable. The crafty tables are cute, but leave little leg room. The music was too loud. Also, the beverage list offers nothing but water, tea and coffee if you're not in the mood for wine or beer. Definitely worth the hike away from your slope favorites. Pros: Great, inventive food. Cons: Loud music, kind of weird decor--like a fancy vegetarian restaurant from the '70s. more

Had a few great meals here, the menu is constantly changing and incorporating more interesting and well-thought out options. It's obvious that a lot of care was put into the place, and it was worth the effort. The tables, the fountain out back, the iron work, are all great touches and really pull the place together. I can't wait to see what they do when they're able to have wine pairings. Pros: interesting food, great space Cons: I keep missing it! more

Have been hearing great things through the grapevine about this place, and after a solid brunch there a few weeks ago, popped in for dinner last night. Nice! 1st really chilly night and they have the fireplace going up front...place was maybe half full (still pretty new, I guess), and we sat at the chef's counter. Wanted to see the kitchen in action, and it turns out they do a tasting menu only at the counter. At $45, all you can eat, it was a steal. The food is comforting, but balanced...I'd say there's a lot of Mexican influence (they call it ""eclectic Latin""), but mostly what shines through is the great ingredients and care. The chef, who's very friendly, apparently shops at the Greenmarkets most days (there was a review hanging up that talked about that as well). Pros: Fireplace, friendly service, food that's "flavor first" Cons: No liquor license yet more

I had dinner at Palo Santo for the second time tonight. The place is a revelation. The room is charming and intensely cozy at once, the service is super (I wonder if the staff own a piece of the restaurant), and the food is just deeply and fundamentally .... good. As far as I understand, the menu changes daily, and that seemed true tonight, when nothing but the sides were the same as what was offered on my previous visit. While I was disappointed that the cazuela de hongos (mushroom casserole, but that translation does little to describe the lovely dish of mixed wild and cultured mushrooms in a limey-herby broth accented with bits of crusty melted aged manchego cheese) wasn't available tonight, my disappointment didn't last long. My aunt, my mother, and I shared 3 apps, each of the four side dishes on the menu (a ripe plantain baked in its skin, rice and beans, collard greens dusted with bacalao, and precious little corn tortillas made from home made masa) along with one ""main"" (wild boar with jackfruit). They don't mind if you mix things up this way, and the waitress did us a great service steering us toward the boar (I had also been considering the braised lamb breast with a gratin of latin american sweet potatoes). The jackfruit was a revelation to all of us at the table more

had the opportunity to check this new spot out. the chef is so talented and the food is absolutely fresh and delish. the place is so adorable and such a great place for a nice saturday or sunday brunch. looking forward to trying their dinner. the banana and zuchini bread with the plantain are sooo yummy. i want to go back for more! Pros: fresh food and great ambiance Cons: yerba mate tea served too strong more

Friendly Chef & Staff. The food is very fresh and tastes delicous. The ambiance is very relaxing and pretty to look at. Pros: Fresh Ingredients (you can taste the difference) more