Restaurants in Bensonhurst

The sandwich and salad slingers at Cafe Basil, a casual Midtown East deli, quickly assemble breakfast and lunch fare. Beneath a giant black menu board, gloved chefs toss colorful veggies into custom salad creations, box up meaty entrees with savory sides, and build skyscrapers using paper-wrapped sandwiches and paninis. Metal ladles sit parked in pots of warm self-serve soup, and sushi selections roll across the counter on weekdays. Schools of noodles swim through containers of udon soup, and egg sandwiches may be ordered all day.

At LGBT-friendly Vlada Bar, executive chef Brian Pancir sources his 25 years of culinary expertise and experience as a chef for the New York Yankees to craft a menu of classic pub fare flanked by an array of innovative cocktails. The bar's drinksmiths infuse more than 16 vodkas onsite with the flavors of real fruits, aromatic spices, and fresh herbs, which splash martinis with creative tastes to surprise palates more effectively than eating a suspense novel. When she's not brightening guests' nightlife, owner Vlada Von Shats harnesses her minister's license to perform in-house marriages for amorous partners, replete with catering services, photography, and personalized cocktails.

1 Republik Lounge whisks patrons into a low-lit series of rooms decorated to evoke classic Hollywood, Rat Pack glamour, and the Land of Oz. Nine flavors of tobacco-free hookah add an aromatic complement to meals in the beer garden, where red tables polka-dot the patio like the spots on a zebra's back. NCAA season sends cheers coursing past tables along with Italian-tinged entrees such as shrimp scampi and pub snacks including bruschetta and meatballs. Meanwhile, versatile, outgoing bartenders tap beer, pour wine, and mix cocktails while adding to the conviviality of the dive-inspired lounge whose "hospitality is second to none," according to Shecky's NYC Nightlife.

The epicurean curators at Cachacaria Boteco cultivate hearty meals of traditional Brazilian fare and drinks served beneath soaring ceilings and a chandelier of exposed bulbs. Servers bear morsels of pao de queijo, or cheese buns, and kibe, or fried meatballs, across the black-and-white checked floor during fast-paced games of human chess. The sugar-cane-rum blend of caipirinha, Brazil’s national cocktail, flows as freely as the orange curtains that frame potted palms and flat-screen TVs.

Coupled to CEO and President Radhika Oswal's vision of a lush, happy planet, Otarian loads gleaming recycled tables with vegetarian feasts. Chefs draw upon culinary traditions from the Mediterranean and Asia to fill cool wraps, and the crunchy baguette shells of bahn mi launch dispatches to nostrils, foretelling of mint, pickled daikon, and other exotic accents. The eatery's staff keeps an eco-conscious eye on ingredients, carefully scrutinizing each item's carbon footprint. Warm chatter drifts amid chairs woven from recycled plastic and pendant lights constructed from pieces of glass in order to reunite star-crossed plates from rival families. Otarian harnesses sustainable resources including electricity drawn from wind, water, or sun and ovens and grills heated by the snoring of napping dragons.

Chefs source organic produce from local farms and ensure all ingredients are totally free from any animal products to conjure sweet and savory vegan dishes at five distinct eateries in Chelsea and Manhattan. The staff at all five locations sates curiosity by educating diners about the benefits of a vegan lifestyle, which eliminates both animal cruelty and the need to barter with cats for their saucers of milk. Hardwood tables add to Blossom's intimate atmosphere hidden in a refurbished townhouse, and sleek accents create a modern interpretation of a diner behind Cafe Blossom's entrance. Sommeliers at V-Note pair meatless recipes with vegan, organic, or biodynamic wines and beers. The kitchen at Blossom Du Jour applies its vegan philosophy to quickly prepared meals that are faster and healthier than a Jolly Green Giant relay team. Cocoa V rounds out the restaurant family tree with shelves lined with dairy-free cakes and pastries, gourmet chocolates, and international wines. Chocolatiers employ cocoa beans imported from the Dominican Republic that are also completely organic and fair-trade.