The Saint Austere

Here's the thing about the Old World: folks always coming in talking Richelieu this and Hapsburg that, and you're like, "Monsieur, bro, direct your attention to 'Top Gun' and crack a foamer, yeah?" Fortunately there's a middle ground at The Saint Austere, a laid-back Williamsburg joint pouring European-only beer and wine with an American approach to hospitality. The Grand Street space is industrial yet charming, with a steel bar, plumping pipe shelf, wine chilling in a bucket made from an old tool chest and bar-height communal tables—all wrapped up in brick and Victorian-style ceiling and lit with a chandelier. The list of suds is ample and distinguished, ranging from Germany's Weinstephan Hefe-Weiss on tap to 25-ounce bots of Baladin Nora from Italy; wine, meanwhile, comes 12-strong by the glass and more by the bottle, most of which check out around $40. Grub is less geographically austere: Highbrow bar fare ranges from meats and cheeses to snapper tartare, meatballs and an Italian-tweaked Banh Mi{lano}.

See more: East Williamsburg restaurants, American contemporary restaurants