Four star chef Thomas Ferlesch, formerly of Vienna 79 & Cafe De Artistes, opened his Beisl 3 years ago serving Viennese classics and traditional bistro food. Located directly across the street from Brooklyn Academy of Music, Thomas Beisl has a dark wood bar, a 55 seat banquette-lined tallow dining room and a patio garden open all year round.
"...authentic Viennese dishes at chef Thomas Ferlesch's "charming" Fort Greene Austrian are "worth traveling for"; its "comfortable" feel recalls a "homey" "corner of old Europe", and the location and "personable" service are both "perfect" "for a BAM night." Food 23, Decor 18, Service 20 -Zagat 2005
"Beef cheek goulash has an almost chocalately suavity". "The celeriac schnitzel...was the come-from-behind winner of the schnitzel-off. It was one of the best things I had eaten in months" NYT 11/3/04
The Scene It's the sort of beloved neighborhood haunt where locals stop by the clubby bar for after-work beers, young families frequent for easy-going meals and artsy BAM-goers retire for late-night desserts in the wooded, wainscoted dining room. With half-moon antique windows, ornate plaster ceilings and retro Austrian beer signs, the sunset-colored space is comfortably elegant, and graciously tended to by an international staff.
The Food The versatile Austrian menu, fused with French and American, rewards both high and low-end appetites: rich, cheese-laden onion soup, grilled Gruyere and country ham sandwiches and big-bunned burgers are as satisfying as velvety liver terrine with kumquat-cranberry compote, speck and sausage charcuterie and inexpensive cheese plates. Heart-warming, assured entrees--beef cheek gulash with buttery spaetzle, caraway-rubbed sauerkraut pork with knodel and little crocks of aromatic short rib Pot au Feu with grated horseradish and marrow--are best followed by inexpensive, insanely good traditional sweets, like bittersweet chocolate-hazelnut crepes.
You feel a bit European when you eat here. Nice beer and delicious food. Perfect location to meet up before or after Brooklyn Academy of Music performances
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Latest reviews by Citysearch:
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Shame it's not better
By JusticeJP
A couple of years back, this place was great. It's really gone downhill, despite the upkeep of the marvelous decor. The last couple of times I've gone recently, I've been really disappointed. The service has been lazy and careless: tables were sticky, the wait staff could care less about taking your order or making sure everything is all right. The last time I went, the mussels were room temperature. After finding our waitress at the bar, talking with the kitchen staff, I complained gently about the food. She agreed to replace it, but by this time an hour had gone by. The service drags the whole experience down. With all the great places to go to in Fort Greene and Park Slope, why bother? Want Austrian food - try Lederhosen in Manhattan.
Pros: Right across from BAM Cons: Service, food quality, eh.
Posted 06/22/09
it's worth a try
By kellerdavd
I attended an event here and the beef gulash on the menu was really well done, the apple strudel was nearly inedible, and the endive salad was just okay. The atmosphere was pretty solid for a nice evening (but not really interesting at all...), and I think the food quality might have had somehting to do with my group's large size, so it's worth a try
Cons: average food
Posted 11/27/08
worth the trip
By msk83
Thomas Beisl was so great - the food was delicious and the atmosphere really took me back to a Viennese cafe. Went while a show was going on at BAM so it wasn't crowded. Had some smoked fish appetizer that was excellent - everything was great and really well priced. Great place to go with a group of friends.
Posted 07/30/08
need reservation
By tomaid
If you have tickets for show and doesn't want to be late this is perfect place for you....Verrrrry nice place ...
Posted 04/24/08
Really great food
By robinita13
Delicious, hearty, flavorful, honest to goodness food. New York has gotten so disconnected from down to earth good food. But here it is. And at good prices in a charming dining room. And for someone who grew up on schnitzel, spaetzle and other viennese fare, I can tell you this is the creme de la creme. And the mussels, YUM, with a little jalepeno in there, ask for more bread for dunking. Also, they have Czechvar on draft, which I had never had and is a great beer. Try the goulash, it's the best!
