Brooklyn has always had strong women at its tables — behind them, running them, building them from nothing. But in 2026, the conversation around women-owned restaurants in the borough has taken on new urgency. From Williamsburg institutions that helped define the neighborhood’s dining identity to brand-new openings in Greenpoint and beyond, these are the women-owned restaurants worth knowing, visiting, and supporting.

Every restaurant on this list is verified, open, and run by a woman (or women) who built something real.

Lilia — 567 Union Ave, Williamsburg

Lilia is the restaurant that changed the conversation about Italian food in New York. Chef and owner Missy Robbins — a James Beard Award winner and former executive chef at Chicago’s Spiaggia — opened Lilia in 2016 in a former auto body shop on Union Avenue, and the reservation waitlist has barely shortened since. The food is ingredient-driven Northern Italian: wood-fired fish, handmade pastas, and a wine list that rewards curiosity. The cacio e pepe with black pepper and Pecorino is one of the best versions of the dish in the city, full stop.

Resy calls it one of the restaurants that changed New York’s dining scene. It’s also openly queer-owned and operated — a detail that shapes the warmth of the room in ways that are hard to articulate but immediately felt. Reservations are competitive; walk-ins at the bar are your best bet on a weeknight.

Misi — 329 Kent Ave, South Williamsburg

Missy Robbins’ second restaurant, Misi, opened in 2018 at the revived Domino Sugar Refinery complex on the South Williamsburg waterfront. Where Lilia is convivial and warm, Misi is architectural and precise — the pasta here is the whole point, and Robbins treats it with the seriousness it deserves. The handmade shapes change with the seasons. The vegetable antipasti are a full argument for plant-forward eating.

It’s a harder reservation than Lilia in some ways because fewer people know to look for it. That’s reason enough to go.

Superfine — 126 Front St, DUMBO

Superfine has been in DUMBO since 1997 — which means it predates the neighborhood’s current identity by at least a decade. Co-owned by Laura Taylor and Tanya Rynd, it’s a queer- and woman-owned restaurant, bar, and live music venue under the Manhattan Bridge that has outlasted trends, economic cycles, and the complete transformation of the neighborhood around it. The menu is farm-to-table American, the brunch is reliably good, and the room has a lived-in energy that newer restaurants spend years trying to manufacture. If you want a sense of what DUMBO was before the luxury condos, this is it.

Chama Mama Greenpoint — 113 Franklin St, Greenpoint

Chama Mama is a Georgian restaurant with three Brooklyn locations — Chelsea, Brooklyn Heights, and the newest addition on Franklin Street in Greenpoint, which opened in April 2026. The food is the real draw: khinkali (Georgian soup dumplings), khachapuri (cheese-filled bread in various forms), and a menu that is simultaneously unfamiliar and immediately accessible. Georgian cuisine is one of the most underrated in the world, and Chama Mama has built a genuine following across all three boroughs by doing it properly and affordably.

The Greenpoint location is the freshest — go now before the lines catch up with the reputation.

Ramen by Ra — 70 East 1st St, East Village (Manhattan)

Technically Manhattan, but too important to leave off any list of women transforming New York’s food scene. Chef Rasheeda Purdie is a 2026 James Beard Emerging Chef nominee and the first Black woman in the United States to own a ramen shop. Ramen by Ra is a six-seat, reservation-only counter in the East Village inspired by Japan’s asa-ramen tradition — a deeply personal, deeply skilled interpretation that has earned some of the most devoted regulars of any restaurant that opened in the city in recent years. The intimacy of the format is intentional: Purdie is present for every service, and the food reflects that.

Reservations open on a rolling basis and go fast. Worth planning around.

Why Women-Owned Restaurants Still Matter as a Category

The framing of “women-owned” as a category can feel reductive when the restaurants are simply this good. But context matters: women make up the majority of the restaurant industry’s workforce while representing a small minority of restaurant owners. Access to capital, industry networks, and media attention has historically skewed heavily male — and the restaurants that get covered most extensively tend to reinforce that pattern.

The shift happening in Brooklyn and across New York is worth paying attention to — not as a token gesture, but because the restaurants listed here are producing some of the most interesting food in the city. Supporting them is good dining, full stop.

How to Get a Table

• Lilia and Misi: Book on Resy. Lilia releases reservations 28 days out at midnight. Walk-ins at the bar are the local’s strategy.
• Superfine: Call (718) 243-9005 or walk in — this is not a hard-to-book restaurant and that’s part of its charm.
• Chama Mama Greenpoint: Book on Resy or call (347) 422-0141. The new location is still building its reservation volume — easier to get in now than it will be in six months.
• Ramen by Ra: Reservations only via their website. Check regularly — cancellations do open up.

For more on women building their own paths in food, business, and beyond, see our coverage of the founder’s dilemma and income streams professional women are building in 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best woman-owned restaurant in Brooklyn right now?

Lilia in Williamsburg is the most acclaimed — Chef Missy Robbins has won James Beard Awards and the restaurant is consistently cited among the best Italian restaurants in New York City. But “best” depends on what you’re looking for: Superfine in DUMBO offers a more casual, neighborhood-institution experience; Chama Mama in Greenpoint is the best value; and Misi is the choice for serious pasta obsessives.

Does Lilia take walk-ins?

Yes — the bar at Lilia accepts walk-ins, and this is the preferred strategy for many regulars. Arrive when they open (5 PM Monday through Friday) for the best chance at a seat. The full dining room requires a Resy reservation, which opens 28 days in advance at midnight.

Is Superfine still open in DUMBO?

Yes. Superfine at 126 Front Street in DUMBO has been operating since 1997 and remains open as of 2026. It serves brunch and dinner, hosts live music, and is one of the longest-running woman- and queer-owned restaurants in Brooklyn. Call (718) 243-9005 for reservations.

Who is Rasheeda Purdie and why is Ramen by Ra significant?

Rasheeda Purdie is a chef and the owner of Ramen by Ra in New York’s East Village. She is the first Black woman in the United States to own a ramen shop and was nominated for a James Beard Emerging Chef award in 2026. Her restaurant is a six-seat reservation-only counter inspired by Japan’s morning ramen tradition. It represents both a culinary and cultural milestone in New York’s dining scene.

What is Georgian food and is it worth trying?

Georgian cuisine — from the country of Georgia in the Caucasus region — is built around dishes like khinkali (broth-filled dumplings), khachapuri (cheese bread in multiple regional styles), and walnut-forward sauces and stews. It’s deeply flavorful, largely unfamiliar to most American diners, and exceptionally good. Chama Mama, with locations in Greenpoint, Brooklyn Heights, and Chelsea, is the most accessible entry point in New York and is consistently well-reviewed.