Restaurant openings and closings in Brooklyn Heights, DUMBO

Family-friendly Ziggy’s opened in DUMBO on Thursday. Photo courtesy of Connie Zhou

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS/DUMBO — Changes are coming to the restaurant scene in Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO, with some old favorites closing and new spots opening up.

Family-friendly Ziggy’s Roman Cafe at 15 Main St. in DUMBO opened Thursday and has been packed ever since, said Helen Zhang, who owns Ziggy’s with husband Igor Hadzismajlovic and partner Edo Ademovic. Strollers were parked outside the restaurant Sunday night. “We have a line at 4:45 p.m. for a 5 p.m. opening,” Zhang told the Brooklyn Eagle.

Owners of the family-friendly Ziggy’s Roman Cafe at 15 Main St. in DUMBO include (left to right) husband and wife team Igor Hadzismajlovic and Helen Zhang, with partner Edo Ademovic. Photo courtesy of Connie Zhou

With a small play space on the mezzanine upstairs, “The 5 o’clock seating is very popular with the parents who want to feed their kids and then get them to bed before 7 p.m.,” she said.

Even minus the kids, the food and cocktails are a draw. “We’re doing simple Roman classics — straightforward but delicious, thoughtfully-presented food.” Zhang added, “People should order the bucatini, the maccheroni, the chickery salad, the suppli sticks — and the steak is incredible … And of course, the thin-crust Roman-style pizzas.”

Highly-rated Colonie at 127 Atlantic Ave. will be closing on Nov. 30. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle

One surprise — Colonie, at 127 Atlantic Ave. in Brooklyn Heights, is closing on Nov. 30 after nearly 14 years in business. Always making the lists as one of the best places to dine in Brooklyn Heights, owners Emelie Kihlström and Elise Rosenberg made the decision to close due to expiring leases, rising costs and changing dining trends since the pandemic, according to to restaurant Substack “The Strong Buzz” by Andrea Strong. The same owners also recently closed their other restaurants, Hildur in DUMBO, which shuttered Saturday, and Pips, also on Atlantic Avenue, which closed Sept. 27.

Workers are renovating the former home of Fatoosh Pitza & Grill at 330 Hicks St. for a new Afghan bakery to be called Diljān. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle

Opening later this month: Workers were busy over the weekend putting together a new Afghan bakery, Diljān, at 330 Hicks St. near Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn Heights. The site was formerly the home of Fatoosh Pitza & Grill. According to Eater, the star of the show will be Afghan flatbread, meant to be “ripped and dipped into condiments like honey, pomegranate, molasses, eggplant, and different chutneys.” Workers told the Eagle they expect the site to be ready in about two weeks.

Clover Hill at 20 Columbia St. in Brooklyn Heights has closed. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle Clover Hill at 20 Columbia Place in Brooklyn Heights has closed. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle

Clover Hill has closed: Sources including Eater said they were informed that the Michelin-starred eatery at 20 Columbia Place in the shady Willowtown section of Brooklyn Heights had shuttered. The Eagle strolled by on Sunday to confirm that, sadly, the restaurant was dark, and we were unable to make a reservation on Open Table.

Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten in late October opened ABC Kitchens DUMBO at 55 Water St. Photo: Mary Frost, Brooklyn Eagle

Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten in late October opened ABC Kitchens DUMBO, his first-ever Brooklyn restaurant, at 55 Water St. at Dock Street at the Empire Stores complex. The Observer notes the new restaurant draws inspiration from the existing ABC restaurants (ABC Kitchen, ABcV and ABC Cocina), including the “beloved crab toast with dill and lemon aioli.” You can expect ABC Kitchen’s Greenmarket fare, “ABCV’s innovative plant-based dishes and ABC Cocina’s global flavors, under one roof,” according to the restaurant’s website. An interior retail space transforms into a dining room by night, which is fun.

Also, not so new but worth a mention is Barbuto, which opened in September at 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge (replacing the Osprey), bringing James Beard Award-winning Chef Jonathan Waxman’s California-Italian cuisine to DUMBO. The restaurant is located at 60 Furman St.