Fort Defiance

Cafes

The best people-watching is at the tables near the open windows overlooking the corner of Van Brunt and Dikeman.

If coffee isn't your thing, try the old-fashioned chocolate egg cream.

Named for a Revolutionary War fort that once stood nearby, this "low-key", affordable Red Hook haunt dishes up "homey", artisanal American bites that "never leave you disappointed", and slakes tipplers' thirsts with "amazing" classic cocktails; some say it's so "easy to be chummy" with the "smart, saucy" staff that they "want to move" to the nabe and make it their local.

Fort Defiance poses a challenge to diners in terms of its location. That is, unless you already live in Red Hook, Brooklyn, a neighborhood that is lacking in public transportation. Then again, this circumstance actually makes the restaurant all the more charming. The cooking is a notch above the average neighborhood eatery, and it’s complemented by well-executed cocktails. Silky chicken liver...

Leave it to the ever-gentrifying Red Hook to continue attracting new business, like the restaurant, cocktail bar, and coffee house Fort Defiance.

Equal parts revivalist bar and neighborhoody café. Pegu Club alum serves up OCD cocktails and small plates to Red Hook grups. Not-so-spendy drinks vary from expected (Tom Collins, mai tais) to obscurely historic (Prescription Julep, circa 1850). Cozy interior plays on eclectic, homey touches: Mexican oilcloth-covered tables, wine-colored leather, wood chairs. Perfect spot to nosh on sandwiches...

Fort Defiance is an award-winning cafe-bar in the heart of Red Hook, Brooklyn serving seasonal American cuisine at breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. Equal parts neighborhood hangout and dining destination, Fort Defiance is known for its world-class cocktails, killer coffee, simple and classic food, and warm, welcoming service.