Honestly, I was super disappointed with this place. I really came in because I saw all there instagrams, and the food looked delicious. My boyfriend and I came on a Sunday night and it was empty. The place looks like it hasn't been updated since the 1970's, and if you have to go to the bathroom you have to awkwardly walk past the kitchen. He got the vodka sauce and asked for fresh mozzarella on it and I got grilled chicken with sautéed vegetables. Food was average, prices were decent and service was good. read more

Always a pretty good go-to for tasty Italian food. However, with my delivery order tonight they really pushed some buttons. A linguini and shrimp dish was delicious, but only contained four shrimp. Okay, I'll give them a walk on this. It was the dessert I found disgraceful. A $6.00 slice of ricotta cheesecake was so small it was practically invisible. If I was served this in the restaurant I would have sent it back. Just so everybody can see, I've attached a photo. Nobody likes to be ripped off, particularly when it's in my own neighborhood. read more

Caffe Buon Gusto - The $6.00 portion of cheesecake that was delivered to me. - Italian Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Honestly, I've walked by this place a hundred times but had never gone it. Mostly, it's because the outside seating is so cramped and the restaurant's front is so small. But, since we didn't want to cook and had a minor something to celebrate, we thought we'd give Buon Gusto a chance. The menu outside looked like it had a lot of options. Inside, the space was much larger, comfortable and not crowded at all. The menu had a lot of interesting possibilities, but we went with the Caesar salad to start, followed by a couple of the pasta specials; crab ravioli and a penne with chicken, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes and a tomato cream sauce. The pasta portions were seriously large. I hate it when I go to a place, order ravioli and get like six raviolum (that's probably the singular of ravioli). Both our pastas were delicious and the Caesar salad was too. I think of myself as a Caesar connoisseur, and this was definitely a good one. Unfortunately, they're going to lose a star because the service wasn't that great. The waitress never came by to offer us a dessert menu or a second round of drinks. And that's surprising, because we wanted to look at the dessert menu, but we had to wait that long we changed our minds. But, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt, the waitress was nice, and she might have been busy with something else. Would go again as I would love to sample some of the other items on the menu. I'll just hope that the service is slightly better next time. read more

My friend just recently moved into the downtown Brooklyn area and she can literally order from TONS of restaurants. We were in the mood for Italian food and decided to order from here. This is seriously THE BEST ITALIAN food I have had in a seriously LONGGGGGG TIME! No exaggeration. The prices are GREAT and delivery time was fast!!! All I can say is don't hesitate to order or eat at this place. I would give them 6 STARS if I could! read more

Love this place! My wife and I started going years ago to the location in Upper Manhattan, and then we moved to Brooklyn and have frequented this location often. The food is always delicious and the staff friendly, while the decor is decently casual and cozy. The homemade crab ravioli in cognac sauce is an absolute must...just amazing! The orecchiette with sausage is usually our second dish, but the penne alla vodka, especially with adding pancetta, is always great as well. The chicken dishes are a bit small in portion, though also pretty reasonably priced. Go support this great establishment, and also note that their delivery is also always fantastic. read more

This spot has some tea authentic pasta. The crab meat pasta really hit the spot. I hoenslty could have ordered an extrA PLATE.

Great family owned, no frills Italian restaurant. AMAZING homemade pasta!! We also got the burrata special which was so fresh and flavorful. Highly recommend this place!! read more

Caffe Buon Gusto you are totally awesome, I had a spectacular experience here today. Everything is delicious, fresh, the staff is very nice the place kept very clean. Every single menu item that we purchased was very fresh and delicious. The staff was extremely pleasant and service is impressive. Stop by for a visit, I promise you, you won't regret it. read more

Ordered in delivery from here. The gnocchi (half regular half spinach) with the vodka sauce was SOOO good. I love their vodka sauce. The food came really fast and it was still hot. I'll be sure to order from here again. read more

Food was good but the service was terrible. On a Saturday night, the entire wait staff was congregated by POS system having a conversation/engrossed by each other that my table was ignored for well over 15 minutes. No dessert menus were offered, our water glasses were never refilled, and we had to flag down waiters for our check after being ignored. What a joke. Also, don't waste your money ordering the wine here. The selection is extremely poor and limited to old/not current vintage wines. The list was obviously put together by someone who has no clue on picking varietals/producers. read more

I visited the Caffe on June 5th. The lovely Grace was the bartender who made us feel like we were the only people in the restaurant. Meatballs were delicious. I will definitely be back next time in town. I suggest you visit for a unique and special experience. read more

Unenjoyable evening . Trout Almondene was terrible. Specifically asked the waitress if the trout was free of bones. Of course she said yes. Well...there were more bones then almonds. Couldn't eat it . The wine was ok read more

Not the best Italian food I've ever had but my family liked it. Heavy on the sauce. Awesome gnocchi. Their tortellini soup in clear broth was tasty too. They have an outdoor eating space. Large inside eating area. Big pitfall though, the water was warm and the ice melted. Ick. It tasted disgusting and thus, a 3 star rating because the food was ok but the service was shotty. read more

I don't really like Italian food here. But their lunch special with fish was good and filling

A spontaneous dinner gone well! We were happy to dine in the charming hideaway dining room. It was virtually empty so we felt like we had the restaurant to ourselves, except of course for the few loud sports commentators at the interesting front bar. The sight of the small but empty-ish bar could be a tiny turnoff for couples or solo diners, but once you pass it and enter the ski resort-like, relaxing haven, you'll be able to enjoy the quiet and comfortable vibe at Cafe Buon Gusto, while savoring their authentic pasta. I had the popular crab ravioli with shrimp in a cognac cream sauce and a glass of tasty full bodied red wine. I wanted to fall asleep right there. Talk about pleasantly full. read more

I came by on Monday afternoon with some family of mine from Italy, who were in town visiting. In total there were 5 of us. Little did I know that your staff took it upon themselves to add a 15% gratuity to the check when it arrived. Maybe they thought they could rip off foreigners but I am born, raised and have lived in Brooklyn my whole life. And since my family doesn't speak English, I did all the ordering. And your "restaurant" had the nerve to add on gratuity. No where on your menu did it say gratuity added automatically for parties of 5 or more. You my friend are a crook for sneaking that onto the bill. I will spread the word of this in the neighborhood and online. Oh and PS, my cousin from Milan, said that was the worst espresso she ever had, and couldn't finish it. CROOK! read more

This place was great food and a relaxing summer dinner outside. The prixe fix menu for dinner was a great deal. The salad with aged balsamic vinegar was a great way to start the meal. The three mini lamb chops which were fantastic and well paired with a port wine reduction. For dessert, the ricotta cheese cake and tiramisu which i shared with my dining partner were both a perfect way to end the meal. read more

When visiting someone who works for the Eastern District Court of New York, I suppose this is a decent place to eat. And that's really the best thing I can say. The food is your typical fare, pastas and whatnot. And it's prepared in a perfectly acceptable way. Service is a bit slow and their serving size of soda leaves much to be desired. I left feeling... ehn. read more

This has got to be one of my favorite cafés in Brooklyn. Love the atmosphere, the food, coffee, and dessert. They serve delicious sorbet inside of their "shells". Orange sorbet in an orange, coconut sorbet in a coconut, lemon sorbet in a lemon. read more

My friend and I were looking for a lunch spot where we could sit outside, and this place fit the bill. We were both craving pasta, so we split 2 pasta dishes-- crab meat ravioli with a cognac cream sauce and spinach ravioli with an artichoke vodka sauce. The crab meat ravioli was good, and came with jumbo shrimp too, perfectly cooked. We both preferred my sauce; the focaccia soaked up the extra nicely at the end. The pasta dishes do not come with a salad or anything, so we basically ended up paying almost $20 each for pasta only. The portions are not huge, but we were pretty impressed with the pasta (the ravioli is homemade). Would I go back? Probably not, but if you work in the area I would check it out. The outdoor seating area was very cramped, but it was worth it to enjoy being outside on such a beautiful day. read more

This place is great for locals and visitors to the neighborhood. Situated just a few blocks from the Promenade makes it perfect for a date, family gathering or anytime you want to go to dinner and take an awesome stroll afterward. I was just here for a bday dinner...I made a reservation for 12 people and changed both the date and time twice. Not many restaurants (especially ones that do well) will give up this much real estate during prime eating hours. The staff could not have been more accommodating. The food is classic Italian - everything I tried was delicious. The appetizers were the weakest point, but the prices are so reasonable that I definitely recommend looking at the wine list and getting dessert. The berry tart is AMAZING; served warm with coconut gelato. Wait staff was friendly although seemed a little inexperienced. Overall, entirely a pleasant experience. read more

*Delivery* I will never order from here again, I literally threw away my Eggplant Parmigiana, it was that disgusting. It was relatively pricey and then inedible to top it off. The eggplant was not cooked correctly, it was both bitter and mushy. My boyfriend got the Chicken Parmigiana and was not impressed either. The Caprese Salad and Caesar Salad were fine, but not good enough. Fail. read more

The food is always great, authentic, hot, fresh, filling & flavorful.... The complementary bread is so yummy be sure to use the seasoned olive oil with it .... The pizza bread is really good make sure it's in the basket.... I've had the chicken caprese it is very fresh & well seasoned with pasta & red house sauce, the baked egg plant parm is also very good, the lasagna is yummy good, the lobster & crab ravioli is very good as well... The service is prompt & friendly. Very welcoming atmosphere, date friendly, it seems welcoming for adult family gatherings as well. read more

Caffe Buon Gusto - Lobster & crab ravioli & lasagna yum - Italian Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

See all

Right in the middle of brooklyn heights, you can't miss this place. the service is great and friendly. we try to sit out in the front when we have a chance but indoor sitting is still pleasant. you can't go wrong with their pastas and a good bottle of wine! read more

Came here on a work lunch with an old supervisor. She is a regular and I'm not so I took her advice on food. She ordered from the lunch pre fixe menu which was reasonably priced and offered plenty of food and good sounding options. I had the lobster linguini which was absolutely amazing. The staff was very friendly and accommodating but I do have to dock them some points for making us ask when someone was finally going to take our orders (we were running on a tight schedule so the delay was especially noticed). Other than that one hiccup, a very solid and pleasant lunch spot. Would recommend. read more

I think this place is fantastic. It's a great location on Montague with plenty of opportunities for people watching. The atmosphere inside is nice and cozy. The outdoor seating is relaxing on a beautiful day. And the service is fantastic. (Every time I go, the manager always opens the door for me and asks how my meal was.) The food is reasonably priced, and the handmade pastas (~$12-15) are delicious. They also bring out a great bread basket with foccacia, french bread, and pizza bread. read more

Tonight I had dinner with my boyfriend and two of my friends from High School that I haven't seen in a while and it was nice to see them again. One of them requested to eat in Downtown, Brooklyn and little did I realize that we worked very close to each other. I wasn't in a mood for an Asian Fusion place or Diner food and I have heard of Caffe Buon Gusto through my co-workers so why not give it a try? You can't really tell much from the outside, but inside the restaurant just felt like a whole other world. The decor was very simple yet beautiful and it was a comfortable restaurant ,candle-lit, and good music as well. When you first walk in, there's a bar and seating in the center/back of the restaurant. This isn't an ideal place for a group dinner, unless it's a group of maybe four people at max. I feel this restaurant is more suitable for a date or with friends. The waiters/waitress was pretty friendly. The bread basket was rather small, but at least it was unlimited bread. Entrees, my boyfriend ordered his usual - Chicken Marsala which looks very different from the ones he's eaten before at the Italian restaurants we've been to. The Chicken Marsala looked clean and definitely not a mess unlike other places I've been too. There wasn't too much sauce or things laying around. The presentation was unique. One of my friends ordered a Seafood Linguine with Red Sauce and it looked amazing and definitely a variety. Great pick! My other friend got a pesto sauce with linguini and I decided to order Tortellini with porcini. The last time I had tortellini, I wasn't too thrilled with it, but this one was great and it was stuffed with veal and porcini mushroom and cream sauce. I really liked the size of the tortellini, but I couldn't finish the entire dish because too much cream. I simply couldn't resist the dessert menu, so I decided to try their Tiramisu which turned out to be amazingly delicious! I can still feel the coffee kicking in. The Tiramisu was so moist and you can really taste the coffee. All desserts on the menu are $7.00 and also not sure, why but we got an "On The House" slice of cheesecake. Awesomeness! My friends were very impressed with the restaurant, not bad for our first time here! The likelihood of returning to this restaurant is pretty high! I love everything about it. This is probably one of the best Italian restaurants I've been to. Many reviewers before me didn't see to have a good impression but I had a good time, good food, and good experience. Note: Due to some difficulties, I do not have pictures of the food because of lack of light. Next time. read more

What a warm and welcoming feeling when you walk through the door. We just had a quick cocktail and appetizer at the bar with friends. The bartender was not only pretty and sweet. She made great drinks and was very attentive. Just the bread basket alone was amazing! We will definitely be back for a full dinner next time we are in town visiting our friends. read more

This is one of the better restaurants in Brooklyn Heights. I came here with my family for mine and my twin's birthday meal. The produce was fresh. I could tell the kitchen was ON this night. The seafood was cooked perfectly. The pasta was fantastic and seasoned appropriately. Nothing was over the top. It was an incredible celebration of the season. We sat outside as it was a lovely evening. The wine that they brought to us was a great match (a chianti...how can you go wrong with a chianti?) The waitstaff was very attentive and acted very quickly. The meals here were a bit pricy but, for the size of the portion and the quality, I didn't mind in the least bit. This is a great place to eat. Family atmosphere. There's some love that has gone into this place. Family run restaurants make my world go round and this one delivered. Well done Cafe Buon Gusto. You've earned another eventual visit from me and my family. read more

This is really a hidden secret on Montague Street.l have walked by for several years and finally decided to check it out. I was quite pleasantly surprised. The place is quite cozy and very upscale. As soon as you walk in you are greeted and taken care of immediately. I love the selections of pasta and salad that they offered. They also had a price - fixed menu for lunch. I tried the grilled salmon with mashed potatoes, cherry tomatoes with asparagus. It was smothered in a saffron sauce that was quite tasty.. A very nice sized salad for my appetizer and cheese cake for dessert. Service was excellent. I also ordered a nice glass of Moscato to push my fantastic lunch over the edge. This is how they lost 2 stars. When the waiter came to the table he had a bottle of Riesling . He started to pour and l said this is not what l ordered. I know, but this is better. He pored a sample and l really did not appreciate it one bit. He said Moscato is too sweet and it has too many calories. I started to speak on the situation, but my friend and colleague of over 25 years touched me on my arm . Jack, let it go, and so l did. I am not a big girl by any means. 5 feet 8 inches and 168 pounds soaking wet!!!@@%$#@. Anyway, l had an edge l didn't plan on having. I really enjoyed my experience there other than that short episode. My point is l asked for what I wanted, not what you think l should have. In order for me to return l would have to flip a coin. Some of my best decisions have been made this way. read more

Casual and cozy. The pasta is great and they have a great selection of sauces. Service was right on top of things. We never ran out of water. Bread was replenished as soon as we ran out (we were waiting for a guest and it took longer than expected). I am not a fan of crab cakes but I can have them again. I ordered the carbonara on linguine but I got the bolognese instead. I was with my brother and his wife whom I haven't seen in 2 years so I didn't complaint. Ate it all and it was gooood! Duvel and Palm were the brews of choice. For desert: Tiramisu and espresso. Do have the espresso. If in the area, I will give them a chance again. read more

GREAT service, the manager or owner is very nice to each customer and attentive to everyone's needs. Their food is also pretty high end (NOT diner quality.) I had melons with prosciutto, which came with long and thick (haha) slices of hard (ha) parmesan cheese. I also created my own omelet. I forgot what I put in it. Goat cheese, a meat and a veggie I believe. It was delicious. They have pretty good drinks too. The atmosphere of the place is great. It's very clean and high end looking on the inside and there's plenty of outdoor seating as well. It's on a nice, clean and quiet street in a very relaxed neighborhood. I couldn't think many better places to hang out at all day on a nice spring day. read more

Italian food that is pedestrian at best but for New York it is a *ZERO*. The standard pasta side is a fusilli that has been sitting in what tastes like canned tomato sauce. Ugh. The fish dishes are way too salty. The veal dishes are a complete waste of what might be fine meat -- but we'll never know because the kitchen destroys the veal. The pastas resemble what the Atlanta Marriott might serve at a corporate event's buffet lunch. Get on line, and grab a plate. The atmosphere is completely uninspired. The waitresses all seem to be young Russian immigrants. No problem with that, but it's an interesting dynamic. In a nutshell: it's the kind of place people who don't dine out often might be lured to as an upgrade to Friday's or Dallas BBQ. But the rest of us will be disappointed. How this place manages to stay in business is beyond me. Visit near-by Noodle Pudding or Queen for much better Italian food. Or call me -- I'll bury its product in my little kitchen any day. read more

Well, looking at the other reviews, it seems like people either love this place or hate it. I thought it was OK... I ate there on a pleasant weekend afternoon, when Montague St. was closed and there was plenty of outdoor seating. We enjoyed drinks and breads while waiting for lunch. The sandwiches were tasty. The different options looked basically the same -- your choice of portobello, salami, etc., on foccaccia with mozzarella and pesto. You have more mix-and-match pasta options, also tasty. All together, a nice, relatively quick lunch. read more

The service here is phenomenal. I totally forgot I was in NYC for a bit. Every single employee was attentive, charming, and friendly which all makes for a better dining experience. My glass of water was never below half. The food was great as well. We came here for brunch and enjoyed eggs benedict with mushrooms and I ordered the homemade foccaccia with salami, pesto, mozzarello, and arugula. I'll definitely be returning here for another awesome experience. 4 stars = great service + delicious food + good prices read more

This rating is for brunch only. I ordered three eggs over med, home fries, bacon, and a toasted bagel. I got- Eggs almost deep fried hard, cold home fries, bacon that taste like it was deep fried in oil with fish, and this crazy burnt toasted bagel platter the trimmings for lox minus the lox. This was my third time trying brunch here and my worst yet. The wait was very long however the staff was super friendly. The fresh squeezed OJ is really good too. read more

Caffe Buon Gusto is an adorable and elegant restaurant that has fantastic Italian food! It's in a great neighborhood and has a great vibe! I order the ravioli in cream sauce and artichoke every time. It's amazing! read more

It had been a few years since I tried Buon Gusto and I had a craving for pasta so I decided to go there for lunch yesterday. I think I ordered the wrong dishes because they were absolutely average. I had linguini with fra diavolo, which was tasteless. It was spicy, as it should be, but that was it, no other taste. It could have benefited from extra parmigiano, which my waiter did not offer. The linguini was cooked al dente, which was nice, but seriously, Rao's Arrabiata out of the jar is better than the sauce they served. I also ordered the Caesar Salad which is completely ordinary and uninspired. The Caesar at b.good down the block is 100% better. If I'm so unhappy with my meal why 3 stars? I'll tell you: 1.) The restaurant has a nice outdoor seating area which is great for people watching. 2.) Service was quite good, they took my order quicky, refilled water and were pleasant and polite. 3.) I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt and admitting that I may have just ordered the wrong dish (although there's no excuse for average pasta at an Italian restaurant). Since I've been here in the past and had pretty good meals, I will definitely go back and try something else, but probably not for a while because a $27 lunch (including tax and tip) should be fantastic, not just average. read more

Its not outstanding but its really good. If you are in Brooklyn Heights and looking for a cute place to eat outside, I would definitely check out this place. Couple friends and I decided take advantage of a good weather and sit outside for dinner. The place was not crowded and the service was good. Huge portioned meals and everything was good but I would not describe them to be exceptional. Still a very good neighborhood spot. read more

See all

This may seem a strange rating because, in truth, I did not enjoy my meal. However, I want to be fair to this restaurant, especially during these difficult times. My friend chose this restaurant for his birthday dinner and we decided to get takeout and picnic in the park. We were a few minutes late picking up the food and the restaurant called to make sure everything was okay and asking if it would be more convenient for us if they delivered. I found that to be great customer service, especially since the order had been prepaid. When we picked up the food it smelled absolutely delicious. 2 of my friends ordered the lobster over black linguini, the other ordered penne with vodka sauce and I ordered bowtie pasta with pesto and had them add chicken cutlet. My friends loved their meals. The lobster over linguini actually had other seafood as well and an excellent fra diavlo sauce. Their only complaint was that the lobster wasn't shelled. In the restaurant I am sure that they would offer crackers or offer to remove the shell but for takeout it wasn't an option. They probably should automatically de-shell the lobster for takeout orders. My other friend raved about her pasta and vodka sauce. We did universally hate the garlic bread. Avoid it, it is literally white toast with some garlic. Not tasty at all. The focaccia style bread that they gave with each dish was perfect texture but lacked taste. To be fair, in the restaurant they probably would have served it with olive oil and seasonings or some other dipping sauce and I probably would have asked them to keep refilling the bread basket. I did not like my pesto at all. I did not taste the basil or any other spice. The best I could say is that it was edible. Nevertheless, I give this restaurant 4 stars because when my friends who are all picky eaters raved about the food it could be that the problem rests with me and not the restaurant or maybe they should eliminate pesto as an option. I would give this restaurant another shot. read more