295 Grand Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Chef Nick Cortola
September 2016

Reminiscent of our East London favourites, Brawn and Paradise Garage, we took an instant liking to The Four Horsemen; a cosy wine bar serving beautiful cuisine in hip Williamsburg, New York – and perhaps more famously known as the brainchild of James Murphy, LCD Soundsystem frontman. With Scandi-style interiors, a laid back atmosphere and a warm welcome from the staff, the general ambience is guaranteed to make one feel right at home. The food and level of service, however, were the main factors securing this spot for our NY Special.

The details:

Food: 7.5 / 10

– Starter – 

Black garlic gougères
Light and fluffy balls of garlic-flavoured choux pastry to start. Cooked to perfection and a more-ish starter to our dinner, albeit lacking in any potent flavour.

– Mains – 

Snap pea salad with calabrian chill, cashews, mint and ricotta di capra
This dish was easily the star of the show. The cold, moist and crunchy snap peas balanced with creamy cashew nuts and ricotta cheese served as a combination of textures and flavours that left us reeling. The mint was a subtle addition that served as an underlying flavour to pull everything together. The results are a winning combination leaving us desperate to book our return flights!

Fried potatoes with aïoli and tomato chipotle sauce
A play on patatas bravas that came out disappointingly average. The aïoli was a bit bland and the potatoes were drowned in the tomato sauce.

Hake and corn brandade on toast with aleppo and scallions
Another average offering with the brandade sitting quietly in the back row when it should have been centre stage.

 – Dessert – 

Coconut panna cotta with hibiscus & lavender granita and ground cherries
The meal ended on a high note, with the granita in particular wowing us with its perfect simplicity. Often ingredients such as lavender can be overwhelming, and it only takes a little amount to cross that line, however here at The Four Horsemen they got it absolutely spot on. Whilst the panna cotta was delicious and the cherries served as a nice decorative touch, it was the granita we were left slurping by the end of the meal!

Service: 8 / 10

The staff were warm, friendly and welcoming – possessing the American hallmark for excellent customer service without intruding our dining experience. As newcomers to the city, the affable staff were hugely helpful sharing their other restaurant recommendations and clearly very passionate about what they do.

Price point: A bit more than the high street, but worth it.

In conclusion: If you’re visiting New York, this place is a must. Easily accessible (near the first subway stop in Brooklyn from Manhattan) it’s not much effort for gorgeous food, good wine and fantastic service. (As an added recommendation: the plethora of surrounding cocktail bars and roof terraces nearer the waterfront, the Four Horsemen also serves as a good start to a lively Saturday night.)