12. Rondel

Rondel Ukrainian restaurant
Courtesy of Rondel Restaurant

Rondel is a Ukrainian restaurant along Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn. Though not as well known as the East Village’s Ukrainian places, Rondel is an intimate and elegant spot in southern Brooklyn, featuring a dark ambiance with exquisite light fixtures, lavish tables, and live music on weekends. The restaurant has been posting on Facebook encouraging diners to support Ukrainian people and soldiers through an Amazon link.

Rondel features a rather extensive menu that also pulls from other European cuisines, such as Georgian. Hot appetizers include potato pancakes, crepes with caviar, and foie gras, while cold appetizers range from Ukrainian salo (cured slabs of fastback) to pickled vegetables. There are over a dozen seafood entrees, including branzino and salmon in white sauce. For meat entrees, try poperechka (beef ribs with white beans), beef stew, or lamb shish kabob.