Lilia
Italian restaurant · Williamsburg
567 Union Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Highlights
In a sleek former garage, Missy Robbins’ Lilia whips up legendary wood-fired Italian with cult-fave pastas, killer focaccia, and next-level gelato.
In a sleek former garage, Missy Robbins’ Lilia whips up legendary wood-fired Italian with cult-fave pastas, killer focaccia, and next-level gelato.
"It happened. You did it. You finally got a reservation at Lilia in Williamsburg. Build your order around as much pasta as possible. The mafaldini with pink peppercorns is one of the most refreshing pastas in Brooklyn, but you can't go wrong. The pastas are made in-house and accented with wood-fired meats and extremely good cheese. There’s one very important thing to keep in mind when it comes to getting a table at Lilia: They take reservations over the phone. In fact, it’s easier to get a table over the phone. Reservations are released 30 days in advance at 10am, and whatever isn’t booked over the phone gets released online at midnight. Bar seats and a few outdoor tables (weather permitting) are saved for walk-ins. The last time we stopped by, we had to wait around two hours after putting our name in. It was worth it." - willa moore, bryan kim, neha talreja, carlo mantuano
"There are a ton of Italian restaurants in Brooklyn, but there’s nothing else like Lilia. The space feels like a glamorous, whitewashed warehouse, and their modern Italian food is always perfectly executed. While this place is great for special occasion dates and impressing out-of-towners, our favorite way to eat here is by grabbing a few seats at the bar. Start with a Negroni and an order of squishy focaccia, and plan to go deep on pastas. The agnolotti is a required order, and the cacio e pepe-style mafaldini should be in front of you as well. There’s one very important thing to keep in mind when it comes to getting a table at Lilia: They take reservations over the phone. In fact, it’s easier to get a table over the phone. Reservations are released 30 days in advance at 10am, and whatever isn’t booked over the phone gets released online at midnight. Bar seats and a few outdoor tables (weather permitting) are saved for walk-ins. The last time we stopped by, we had to wait around two hours after putting our name in. It was worth it." - bryan kim, neha talreja, willa moore, molly fitzpatrick, tiffany yannetta
"Missy Robbins’ pasta destination hits all the right notes when it comes to her take on Italian cooking. Start with cacio e pepe frittelle, move on to grilled artichoke with breadcrumbs, consider the lamb sausage fettuccine with lemon and pecorino, and if you’re with a crew, the grilled lamb. This is not dressed-up fare (pastas and mains are around $25 to $40), but the bill can rack up with wine and the full range of dishes. Book reservations online." - Melissa McCart
"Every year, we think to ourselves, “Maybe this is when Lilia will become easier to get into.” And every year, we wind up disappointed. Lilia's space feels like a glamorous, whitewashed warehouse, and their modern Italian food is always perfectly executed. While this place is great for special occasion dates and impressing out-of-towners, our favorite way to eat here is by grabbing a few seats at the bar. Start with a Negroni and an order of squishy focaccia, and be sure to get the agnolotti and cacio e pepe-style mafaldini. There’s one very important thing to keep in mind when it comes to getting a table at Lilia: They take reservations over the phone. In fact, it’s easier to get a table over the phone. Reservations are released 30 days in advance at 10am, and whatever isn’t booked over the phone gets released online at midnight. Bar seats and a few outdoor tables (weather permitting) are saved for walk-ins. The last time we stopped by, we had to wait around two hours after putting our name in. It was worth it." - willa moore, neha talreja, bryan kim, will hartman, sonal shah
"Verdict: Lilia isn't that good. That's a lie, and we apologize. We just want you to stop trying to get a table at Lilia, so we can go more often and enjoy a better quality of life. This Williamsburg Italian restaurant continues to serve top-tier pasta, and, yes, those sheep's milk cheese-filled agnolotti are still on the menu. So is the gelato. Order it. There’s one very important thing to keep in mind when it comes to getting a table at Lilia: They take reservations over the phone. In fact, it’s easier to get a table over the phone. Reservations are released 30 days in advance at 10am, and whatever isn’t booked over the phone gets released online at midnight. Bar seats and a few outdoor tables (weather permitting) are saved for walk-ins. The last time we stopped by, we had to wait around two hours after putting our name in. It was worth it." - bryan kim
