Popina

High quality food and experience at this little place with a magical outdoor dining area and now with extended seating (we've been going for a while). You can't go wrong with anything on the menu, starting with their bread service--if you just ate their fresh sourdough and fresh butter, that would be enough. Save room for their ricotta cheesecake - again--worth going just for this. And if you're lucky, they''ll make their burnt butter pie (forgot the name) when you're there. Ask early and reserve a slide - limited supply when they make it. Wine selection is perfect. Go. What are you sitting there for?

This has been on my list for some time now but the distance from the subway has deterred me. We were a party of two and were seated in the front which is a smaller space. There is apparently a bigger party space inside which makes sense since Popina hosts weddings!We shared the sourdough bread which came with a very soft butter and olive oil dip. There was only one salad option but it was perfect with a subtle anchovy dressing. We shared the short rib fettuccini. It was surprisingly just ok. The sauce was lacking. The hot chicken Milanese definitely stole the show. We can definitely see ourselves coming back for the chicken and trying another pasta.

My brother works in Brooklyn and had been meaning to try Popina for a while. The idea of fusing Southern and Italian cuisine intrigued him, and since I was off from work the other day we thought i was a good idea to meet up for dinner. I'm not too familiar with all that Brooklyn has to offer, so I was excited to check this place out. Popina is unassuming from the outside, and the somewhat simple aesthetics continue after entering the restaurant. It's not a large space - there is a banquette to the left with tables set up, and a large bar to the right which has additional seating. I'm assuming there's a backyard area since some people were being led there after we were seated, and several reviews suggest so. There's a mostly grey color scheme with lots of clean lines and minimal decor. The menu isn't large, but there's a good variety of apps, pastas, and mains. But first, drinks; I ordered a mezcal margarita which was smooth and had great flavor. For food, we decided to start with two apps: the arancini and the stracciatella. The rice balls were served traditional style sprinkled with cheese and came with marinara sauce on the side. They were tasty but their marinara was slightly too acidic for my taste. the stracciatella was good too - it was paired with asparagus, peas, and some light greens which complemented the creamy texture of the cheese. I wanted to try their pasta as a main - the orecchiette stood out to me the most so I went with that. The dish was good - the pasta was served al dente and with pesto sauce and also contained fava beans. I admittedly did not get the most Southern dish on the menu, but there was definitely a good representation. My brother got the pappardelle with braised ham hocks which I tried a bite of and really liked. For dessert they only had two choices: cheesecake and panna cotta so we got both. The cheesecake was noting too outstanding IMO, but the panna cotta was great. When I attempted to order a coffee with dessert I was informed that they don't serve it - kinda strange and something to keep in mind if you're dining here. Service was great, everyone was friendly and the food came out at a good pace. Overall, I enjoyed my experience at Popina. I wouldn't necessarily hike it out to Brooklyn just to dine here - this is more of a neighborhood spot from my perspective. However, if you are in the area this is a great option with delicious food and a welcoming atmosphere.

We had an incredible evening dining al fresco at Popina's spacious backyard, beautifully lit with string lights and complemented by soft music, creating a perfect ambiance. We started with the sourdough and arancini, both of which I highly recommend. Sharing dishes is a great way to experience the wide variety of delicious options on the menu. For our main course, we split the Spaghettini and the Hot Chicken Milanese. The chicken had a nice kick to it, so I suggest pairing it with the lemon and lettuce for balance. Every dish was outstanding, and the service was both attentive and warm. I highly recommend this charming Italian restaurant.

I had passed by Popina on the way back from Red Hook a few weeks ago. The cozy environs on an otherwise industrial stretch of Columbia Street appeared inviting enough for me to bookmark the address and suggest dinner here with a friend a few weeks later.Compared to most chic Italian restaurant in the area that claim some garbled Brooklynized "Roman" heritage, Popina offers a seemingly unique Southern influence, with appetizers like a pimento cheese dip and potato rolls, or the arancini made from Carolina gold rice. These were the less tasty but more unique and intriguing constituents of our meal.In contrast, I found both the kale paccheri and Gorgonzola tortellini decently tasty, if a bit uninspired. With a bit more funk in the latter, I think this dish could really be a home run.

Made a reservation for two people on a Wednesday evening for their outdoor area. Not overly decorated but a nice atmosphere nonetheless for a quiet dinner.Concise menu of several Italian dishes, as well as a large drink list. Decided on the Hot Chicken Milanese ($28) and an IPA ($9). The chicken is flattened and thinly breaded - not dry, lending well to a bit of lemon juice. The side salad is overly bitter, not helped by the dressing. Had to order dessert as well, getting a slice of the Chocolate Chess Pie ($10). Incredibly rich, cut by a dollop of fresh whipped cream. Great flavor that's not overbearing in sweetness.Service is good and the ambiance outside is welcoming. Nice spot for a slightly upscale dinner.

Came here with a group of friends. First off it's a little hard to get to but once here warm and inviting atmosphere. We started with a variety of cocktails, all of them were very nice. For first course we tried the crispy corona beans, a big hit with everyone. Winter chicories salad, had an excellent anchovy dressing, I would buy a bottle of that. Everyone went nuts for the charred prawns, great flavor and lastly the fish crudo, the sauce was amazing. Second course we had 3 pastas, all delicious, it's hard to choose a favorite between the spaghettini with clams, agnolotti with braised duck leg or bucatini alla gricia. Last course we tried the long island duck, cooked to perfection and excellent sides. Black garlic bavette was also cooked perfectly, we all really enjoyed the sauce and the side potatoes were fantastic. But I think the crowd favorite of the night was the whole branzino fish! We paired our meal with a wonderful red wine the waiter recommended. Then to finish we had cheesecake, rich and moist. The panne cotta was some of the best I've had, it was smooth, creamy and lemony and the currents added a little hit of tart. Great meal experience!

brilliantly balanced dishes, everything we ordered - hamachi crudo, hot chicken milanese, ham hock papardelle - was stellar. lovely ambience, fantastic service, and I'll always appreciate good hip hop with my meal thanks, y'all...will be seeing you again soon!

Fantastic wine list. They even have some high end wine bottle specials.Biggest issues were the arancini. 3 tiny bite sized balls for $12 is absurd. If you are going to push the supposed wonderful bread you have, the least you can do is warm it up. It wasn't even room temperature. Not much of an effort required to warm up bread. The Basque cheesecake was too cold and too dry. 3 people didnt bother to finish 1 piece

Popina is basically a perfect restaurant, to me - consistently excellent food, hospitality, overall vibes. I've celebrated a friend's birthday and my rehearsal dinner in Popina's lovely private dining space a few doors down and the wonderful experience carried seamlessly for those private events, too. You can't go wrong with any of the pastas; hot chicken, nonnegotiable. My husband mourns the loss of his beloved chocolate chess pie as Popina made chef/menu changes this year - but neither snow nor rain nor heat etc will keep us from dinners here