The amazing reviews are for good reason at Cafe Camillia because everything was great. I'm very surprised this place isn't packed! Started with a cocktail called A Bubbly Gin Citrus You Get It. I usually don't like anything with bitters but the grapefruit and lime really worked here. We started with some oysters that could have been shucked a little better but tasted pretty good. We then had the fried crab claws, fried green tomatoes and collard greens. Collard greens were so good with a lot of smoked pork and the dish was somehow not heavy and might I even say, refreshing. The fried crab claws were just super creative and fun to eat. The fry somewhat took over the crab taste but honestly these are fantastic. They sadly were out of the fried fish so we got the shrimp and grits which was very tasty as well. Tons of shrimp, a large prawn but the sauce was the star. We also got the fried chicken. I don't like ordering chicken when I'm out and especially not chicken breast. The breast was so juicy, amazingly cooked and there was a drumstick and some other piece that had the perfect fry. They could have put a small side with the fried chicken, just looked lonely. Ended with the banana pudding tart, also great! 5 stars and 100% coming back!

I often try new restaurants, but this one really stood out as one of my best new spots of the year. Delicious food, excellent wine and very unique dishes! Great vibe and our server was excellent. The roasted rib cap completely blew me away (Carmel sauce?? With a steak???) and the banana tart rocked my world. Will 100% be back!

A pleasant experience, but nothing unexpectedly divide. How in the world did it get into the NYT top 50 restaurants to try for 2023? I have no idea. Everything was well prepared, but the seasoning was uninspiring. The fried ribs: fall off the bone, not greasy, but dusted with a very sour seasoning, somewhat offset with the sweet apple sauce, but still unbalanced all together - a pucker with each bite. Then, the picked fried green tomatoes: well fried and nicely presented, but frankly tasted just like pickles, eliminating what should be the star of the dish - the tomato; hardly any seasoning and bland garnish with a mayo-forward sauce. Another fried sour thing. Understandably, sour is meant to cut through the fat on the palate, but balance must be achieved. Now on to the 1/2 crispy chicken: perfectly cooked and well presented, yet tasted just like any other rotisserie chicken. Serving it on another (may be the same?) bed of mayo-forward sauce and calling it 1/2 a chicken when it was a drumstick and 4 small rounds for $26, did nothing great for the dish. For dessert, the key lime pie: this was the star of the meal, finally! a well balanced, beautifully presented, and delicious dish. Lastly, the wine menu was quite nice and the ambience was warm and friendly. The service was quick and attentive. We may come back out of curiosity to try other dishes. Overall, nice, but nothing to write home to mom about.

Unique dishes, great space & above all incredible staff. You can tell everyone who works there is excited to meet people, happy to talk through the dishes & drinks and passionate about the restaurant. A great new addition to East Williamsburg! Peter helped us choose from their fantastic wine menu (great wine!), we ordered the simple salad, fried green tomatoes & hush puppy dishes to start. Chicken is fantastic & can't miss dessert and an amaro to finish! Highly, highly recommend.

Delicious! Definitely lives up to the hype of being on the top 50 restaurants of 2023 from the NY Times. Favorite dish was definitely the country fried baby back ribs. They come with a sweet sauce, which pairs well with the fatty, crispy, melting-off-the-bone ribs. Blackened catfish had a nice depth of smoky flavor that was cut with the freshness of the fish and the creamy sauce. Crispy chicken was boneless (a delight!) and the 'bama sauce was mayonnaise forward. Banana pudding is a must get, very light and the perfect amount of sweetness.

Mid-week, my friend asked if I wanted to join in on his dinner reservation here. He prefaced it by saying that reservations are very hard to get by so of course I had to say yes! True to most Brooklyn restaurants, I appreciated all the space btw the tables. The three of us split almost the entire menu! We thought everything was very good, but nothing was super amazing that would make us want to come back asap. But given how everything was done well, we could see ourselves coming back if the menu was seasonal. We shared the collard greens, green tomatoes and hush puppies. Of the three apps, we loved the hush puppies the most. For the protein section, we shared the blackened catfish, the steak and the chicken. The chicken was probably the best. Lastly, we shared the two desserts. Similarly to the other foods, the two desserts (which I had to look at my photo to remember what we got) were good but not super memorable. They were the key lime pie and a tart.

Can I just say how crazy it is that this place has so few reviews? We made a reservation because the NYT put it on its 2023 list of 50 restaurants across the US that they're most excited about. I thought it would be impossible to get a reservation - it wasn't, so my recommendation is: GO, while you still can. The food here is amazing! Everything we ordered was delicious, and we ordered almost half the menu. The best thing about it was the even though we had lots of fried things, nothing was greasy, heavy, or felt too decadent. Both desserts were out of this world (Banana cream pie and Key Lime). Service was about as quick and friendly as it gets. And the space is relaxed and smartly decorated. What a treat to have Southern food in NYC that is this tasty.

Ate here last nite and everything we had was fantastic! For apps we got the hushpuppies, which were a surprisingly light and had a bit of a kick, served with seasoned popcorn for crunch with a tangy remoulade we could not get enough of. And if having one fried appetizer wasn't enough we also got the country fried baby back ribs which were sensational! The breading was heavily seasoned but not in a negative way, the salty flakiness a delicious contrast with the creamy richness of the fall apart ribs they coated. If you think deep fried ribs is going to be too much absurdity to handle the fruity vinegar relish it comes with cuts through the fat like a tart acid sword of sweetness that perfectly balances each bite. What a dish! I could have eaten a dozen! We'll be back for these for sure. I will say, we are not ones to typically order a lot of fried food but we found ourselves ordering 3 fried items out of our entire meal of 4 and there were absolutely no regrets. Nothing felt greasy or heavy, just crisp and wonderfully juicy. For entrees we got the 1/2 fried chicken and the blackened catfish. The catfish was the least wow dish we got. Some bites were very tasty and the blackened seasoning on point but the fish overall was lost in a sea of beurre blanc. We saw the striped bass came with chow chow and I really think something with some vinegary texture to contrast with the fish like that would have helped. But the 1/2 fried chicken was phenomenal! The entire half chicken is deboned down to the leg then the breast and thigh rolled together tightly around herbs. The chicken skin is stretched wafer thin over the seasoned roll and fried golden crisp. The chicken was delectable, marvelously juicy while the mayo thick bama' sauce it's served over coated it sublimely. I wish either of these entrees came with a veggie side since this meal was almost entirely protein but we ate every last bite without complaint. THE DRINKS! Don't sleep on the cocktails! The margarita (not spicy) is a lush, refreshing cucumber based margarita that was a revelation. Not your usual sugar/salt bomb at all but something more nuanced and a perfect summertime companion. I had the truffle honey infused Old Fashioned and every sip I would swish around in my mouth, the earthy honey coating my tongue before being softly bitten apart by the rye. A rich, slow appreciative drink. For dessert we went in planning to get the banana pudding tart after reading rave reviews for it but once we saw the key lime pie slice land at a nearby table there was no question that was happening. A confectionary monster, the curd filling standing nearly 3 inches tall and a thick waistcoat of graham cracker crust surrounding it. It resembled a cheesecake more than a pie slice! Topped with toasted coconut and candied key lime zest (oh my!) it was bright, punchy, tart, and rich. Everything you want from a key lime pie and hands down THE BEST one I've ever had, no denying. This meal was rich, yes, but not heavy and I didn't feel at all disgusting at the end of it, only wonderfully satisfied. Each dish was an updated twist on classic comfort cuisine and arranged with intelligence. We'd walked by Cafe Camellia several times glancing inside to see what it was before finally taking the plunge, so very glad we did. The decor was beautiful, minimal and modern. We were quickly seated and if the weather had been nicer the outdoor garden looked lovely. Our only complaint during the entirety of our meal was the music mix and volume felt more fitting at a bar than a sit down restaurant but that didn't stop us from digging in. If you want to try some homestyle southern cooking executed with modern technique and a bit of whimsy, this meal will not disappoint.

Amazing service...Amazing food. I think I ended up trying one of everything by the time our party was finished. I'm not sure there was anything we didn't like while we were there. Definitely an unexpected dinner in Brooklyn!!

Walked by this nondescript place (somehow missed when this place opened) and was drawn in by the menu. Very glad I did. Friendly service and everything I ate was excellent. Hush puppies and ribs and key lime pie all hit the spot. Looking forward to coming back on an empty stomach to try more of the menu. I feel like this place might blow up so I gotta get back here before it's impossible to get a reservation.