We grew up in Germany’s Black Forest, but only met in Brooklyn.
As a tribute to our love we opened Black Forest Brooklyn, serving homemade regional specialties and a unique selection of German draft beer, wines & craft spirits.
Ayana & Tobias
Black Forest Brooklyn opened in 2013 in Fort Greene as an instant neighborhood favorite with a warm and casual vibe for lunch, brunch & dinner. A second location opened in the Fall of 2017 at 181 Smith Street in Boerum Hill for brunch & dinner, featuring outdoor seating in a large backyard.
We are open for indoor dining in our our spacious and bright dining rooms. Both restaurants have extensive outdoor seating: in Fort Greene you can sit outside in our Sidewalk Chalet in front of the restaurant, which is heated, covered, has dividers between all parties, ceiling fans for plenty of ventilation. At the Smith Street location we can seat you in our large backyard, which is home to the The Backyard Chalet which is heated, covered, has dividers between all parties, ceiling fans for plenty of ventilation. There is also additional outdoor seating in the backyard that is not covered.
Dogs are allowed in all our outdoor spaces.
LocationS & HOURS
Fort Greene
733 Fulton Street
Brooklyn, NY 11217
(718) 935-0300
Email Fort Greene Location
Mo-Th 12pm – 10pm
Fr+Sa 12pm – 11pm
Su 12pm - 10pm
Smith Street
181 Smith Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201
(718) 522-1806
Email Smith Street Location
Mo-Th 5pm – 10pm
Fr+Sa 12pm – 11pm
Su 12pm - 9pm
RESERVATIONs
We are taking reservations for parties of 2-25 at both locations that are best booked via the resy links below. Please email us for larger parties or private events, we are happy to host you!
We only seat complete parties and reservation duration is 60min for parties up to 4 guests, and 90 minutes for larger parties. During busy shifts we may not be able to extend your reservation end time, so we ask that you arrive on time. We can only hold your table for 10min, please let us know if you are running late. We are looking forward to having you!
FOR WORLD CUP RESERVATIONS: click on one of the locations, select date, then scroll down until you see the separate resy events for each game. No regular reservations will be available during the games, except for the heated/covered sidewalk (Fort Greene) and backyard (Smith Street), which do not have TVs.
Fort Greene
(718) 935-0300
fortgreene@blackforestbrooklyn.com
Smith Street
(718) 522-1806
smith@blackforestbrooklyn.com
Oktoberfest 2022
Thank you for an amazing OKTOBERFEST 2022 Season, check back here for the events in 2023!
As every year, plan to host a series of massive Oktoberfest parties in 2023 at both locations, every weekend from mid September until late October. Full schedule and ticket link will come online in May 2023.
Each Oktoberfest party will feature authentic decorations, a live German oompah band, beer and food specials, a mug holding competition and a costume contest with prizes.
To reserve a spot for the parties, we will offer tickets on resy.com for $15, see links below. Additionally a 3hr unlimited beer package ($45/person) can be added during checkout.
The band performance and the mug holding competitions will take place indoors, but we will have indoor seating as well as covered outdoor seating available at both locations. (sidewalk seating in Fort Greene, backyard seating on Smith Street). If you get tickets for a large group, we will seat you all together!
Don your finest pair of Lederhosen, gather your friends, and come celebrate the time-honored Oktoberfest tradition of drinking great beer from giant glasses in the company of your favorite people!
We can’t wait to dance on the tables together!
Ayana & Tobias
Check back for 2023 Schedule, coming online in May 2023
FIFA WorldCup 2022
Showing Most WORLD CUP Games on our giant HD screens!
We are so excited to host a series of live soccer watch parties on our giant HD screens at both locations for most matches during the 2022 FIFA Soccer World Cup from November 20 - December 18, 2022.
Tickets for the games are live now, see schedule below!
Regular tickets are $10/person/game, and include one half liter of a select German draft beer (or a soda, or a cup of coffee). Admission to Germany, US games, semi-finals and the final is $20/person/game and includes one FULL liter of a select German draft beer (or a soda, or a cup of coffee). Tickets are refundable until 3 days before the event.
A ticket will guarantee you a seat in the restaurant, either at a communal table, at the bar, or just open seating on a chair, if you arrive before kick-off. Actual seating assignments will be first come first serve, we recommend to come early for the popular games to claim a good spot. Please note that we will only seat complete parties, and will give unclaimed tickets to walk-ins as soon as the game starts. If you are arriving after kick-off we cannot guarantee a seat, even if you have a ticket. It will be packed for the popular games, so you might share your tables with another party.
No regular reservations will be available during the games, except for the Fort Greene sidewalk and the Smith Street backyard, which do not have TVs. We'll be serving our regular menus during the games.
Remaining Viewing Schedule
(with links to tickets)
We will show all games, except the 5am and 8am ones, except we will show the 8am Germany - Japan game on 11/23. When there are two concurrent games, we will show one at the Fort Greene location, and the other one at the Smith St location, except for Germany and US games, which we show at both locations.
Games with an asterisk (*) are also shown at our sister restaurant Lilly’s Pizza Bar, right next door to our Fort Greene location. Lilly’s has a 65” TV indoors, and a 50” TV on the heated/covered patio. There is a separate ticket option for Lilly’s when you click on the Fort Greene games. Check Lilly’s instagram for photos of the setup.
Fort Greene location:
Fri 12/02: 10am South Korea - Portugal, 2pm Serbia - Switzerland
Sat 12/03: 10am R16-1*, 2pm R16-2*
Sun 12/04: 10am R16-3, 2pm R16-4*
Mon 12/05: 10am R16-5, 2pm R16-6
Tue 12/06: 10am R16-7, 2pm R16-8
Fri 12/09: 10am QF-1, 2pm QF-2*
Sat 12/10: 10am QF-3, 2pm QF-4*
Tue 12/13: 2pm SF-1
Wed 12/14: 2pm SF-2
Sat 12/17: 10am 3rd place play-off
Sun 12/18: 10am FINAL*
Smith Street location:
Fri 12/02: 10am Ghana - Uruguay, 2pm Cameroon - Brazil
Sat 12/03: 10am R16-1, 2pm R16-2
Sun 12/04: 10am R16-3, 2pm R16-4
Mon 12/05: 10am R16-5, 2pm R16-6
Tue 12/06: 10am R16-7, 2pm R16-8
Fri 12/09: 10am QF-1, 2pm QF-2
Sat 12/10: 10am QF-3, 2pm QF-4
Tue 12/13: 2pm SF-1
Wed 12/14: 2pm SF-2
Sat 12/17: 10am 3rd place play-off
Sun 12/18: 10am FINAL
We can’t wait to watch some soccer with you guys!!
Ayana & Tobias
Private EVENTS
Book your next event at Black Forest Brooklyn!
Black Forest Brooklyn is a German restaurant & beer garden with a warm and casual vibe, serving homemade regional specialties and a unique selection of German draft beer, wines & craft spirits. BFB has two locations, one on Fulton Street in Fort Greene, and one on Smith Street in Boerum Hill, featuring a large backyard.
Black Forest Brooklyn is the perfect space to host a variety of events, from birthdays to weddings to bridal showers to corporate dinners. From an intimate seated dinner for 20 under the stars in our backyard garden to a cocktail reception for 200 guests in the full restaurant, we can accommodate many party sizes.
Also consider our sister restaurant Lilly’s Pizza Bar for your event!
Please reach out with any questions, we’d love to help you plan your event! Email or call us at (718) 935-0300 (Fort Greene) or (718) 522-1806(Smith St). Looking forward!
We can accommodate many party sizes.
For parties up to 20 guests, there is no minimum, you can simply make a regular reservation on resy, or by reaching out via phone or email.
For parties larger than 20 guests, we ask for a minimum consumption guarantee, which depends on the time, duration, guest count and space desired for your event. If you don’t reach the minimum with the actual consumption, no worries, we simply add the difference to your check as a rental fee.
To book an event reservation we ask for a deposit in the amount of 50% of your event minimum, which is fully refundable until 2 weeks before the event, and non-refundable after that.
Food Options
The German Family Feast for $28/person: A customizable 3 course family-style meal, consisting of our most popular food items. One appetizer course, a mix of fresh German sausages and/or half-sized schnitzels plus three of our sides and a dessert platter. Vegetarian/Vegan as well as gluten-free options are available. Platters will be dropped on tables or a buffet station, along with small plates and silverware and guest serve themselves. Plenty of food for a full meal.
German Appetizers $18/person: If a full 3 course meal is too much, our heavy Hors d'oeuvre option is perfect. A customizable mix of our German soft pretzels, stone-oven flatbreads, chicken wings, and German sausages. Vegetarian/Vegan as well as gluten-free options are available. Platters will be dropped on tables or a buffet station along with small plates and silverware and guest serve themselves.
Individually Plated 3 course meal $50/person: If family-style is too casual for your occasion, we offer a festive, customizable 3 course meal, individually plated, consisting of food items from our regular menu.. Vegetarian/Vegan as well as gluten-free options are available. Plenty of food for a full meal.
Catering orders from our sister restaurant Lilly’s Pizza Bar can also be arranged for parties of 45 guests or more. We charge a plating fee for outside desserts, $25 flat fee for groups up to 20 guests, and $50 flat fee for groups above 20 guests. Orders from Lilly’s Pizza Bar and plating fees do not count towards the minimum.
Beverage Options
We hope you are as excited as we are about our unique selection of German draft beers, wines and craft spirits. Drinks for your event can either be ordered a la carte and billed on consumption, per current menu prices, or you can select from these two beverage packages:
Wine & Beer Package $35/person for 2 hours: Includes select beers, wine and NA beverages.
Bar Package $50/person for 2 hours: Includes 4 of our signature cocktails, select spirits, wine, all beers and NA beverages
Any beverages outside of our bar packages are charged on consumption, per current menu prices. All beverages (on consumption and/or drink packages) will count toward the minimum.
The Spaces and Capacities
Event minimums are based on a two-hour timeframe. Longer timeframes can be arranged upon request. Minimums are not inclusive of sales tax, and gratuity. Peak times are Friday after 5pm, all day Saturday, and Sunday before 5pm.* During November & December, weekdays after 3pm are also peak times. All other times are off-peak.
*If Monday is a holiday, it is treated like a Sunday, and the preceding Sunday is treated like a Saturday.
Fort Greene location
The Skylight Room (Fort Greene)
The brick and wood accented main space at our Fort Greene location. It has incredible light coming through two large skylights, features six large communal tables, 2 smaller tables, a window bar, a wall bar, and plenty of space in-between tables to mingle. It is not a fully private room, but it is nicely separated from the bar area by a wood-clad, partially open wall for some privacy and it can easily be roped off so that no other guests may enter this section of the restaurant. The Skylight Room can be booked as a whole, or the back portion only, which contains 4 of the large communal tables plus a wall bar.
The Full Skylight Room can host 60-70 guests for a seated dinner or 80-90 guests for a cocktail reception. Minimum $1,500 (Off-Peak)/ $3,000 (Peak)
The Back Skylight Room can host up to 40 guests for a seated dinner or up to 60 guests for cocktail reception. Minimum $1,000 (Off-Peak)/ $2,000 (Peak)
If you book the Skylight Room, the other areas of the restaurant (the bar area and the sidewalk area) will remain open to other guests during your event.
The Sidewalk Chalet (Fort Greene)
Located on the Fulton Street sidewalk in front of the restaurant, the Chalet provides outdoor seating that is covered, heated, and has ceiling fans, and is open on the sides to provide plenty of ventilation. The electric radiant heaters make it remarkably comfortable in cold weather. The Sidewalk Chalet consists of five back-to-back booth tables that each can sit 8-10 guests. Each booth is separated from the next one by a plexiglass divider. Four of the five booths are directly next to each other, the last booth is separated from the other four by the restaurant entrance. The Sidewalk Chalet can be booked as a whole, with all 5 bays or any lesser number of bays.
Partial Sidewalk Chalet booking: for groups up to 20 people (2 booths) no minimum is required, just make the reservation on resy.com or reach out to the restaurant. Three booths can seat 24-30 guests, with a minimum of $600 (Off-Peak)/ $1,200 (Peak), Four booths can seat 32-40 guests, with a minimum of $800 (Off-Peak)/ $1,600 (Peak)
The Full Sidewalk Chalet can seat 40-50 guests. Minimum $1,000 (Off-Peak)/ $2,000 (Peak)
If you book the Sidewalk Chalet, the indoor areas of the restaurant will remain open to other guests during your event.
The Full Restaurant (Fort Greene)
Take over the whole restaurant, either just the indoor space (Skylight Room plus Bar Area), or indoors plus sidewalk seating.
The Full Restaurant (Indoor only) can host 110 guests for a seated meal or 150 guests for a cocktail reception. Minimum $3,000 (Off-Peak)/ $6,000 (Peak) - Sidewalk Seating will be open to other guests who will need to enter the restaurant to use the restrooms, etc.
The Full Restaurant (Indoor & Sidewalk) can host up to 160 guests for a seated meal or up to 200 guests for cocktail reception. Minimum $4,000 (Off-Peak)/ $8,000 (Peak) - Fully private restaurant buyout, no other guests.
Smith Street location
The Back Room
The brick and wood accented main space at our Smith Street location. Beautiful light coming through a large skylight, features six large communal tables, and a series of smaller tables, and plenty of space in-between tables to mingle. It is not a fully private room (other guests and staff will need to move through the backroom to get to restrooms, kitchen and backyard) but it is nicely separated from the bar area by a wood-clad, partially open wall for some privacy. The Back Room can be booked as a whole, or half the space. Either side of the center aisle contains 3 large communal tables, which can be set up as one large table.
The Full Back Room can host 70 guests for a seated dinner or 90 guests for a cocktail reception. Minimum $1,500 (Off-Peak)/ $3,000 (Peak)
Half of the Back Room (one side of the center aisle) can host 25-35 guests for a seated meal. Minimum $1,000 (Off-Peak)/ $1,500 (Peak)
If you book the Back Room, the other areas of the restaurant (the bar area and the backyard) will remain open to other guests during your event.
The Backyard
The Smith Street location is home to a large, beautifully planted backyard oasis, It features open table seating that is partially covered by umbrellas, as well as plenty of seating in the Backyard Chalet, a structure that provides outdoor seating that is covered, shaded, heated, has ceiling fans, and is open on the sides to provide plenty of ventilation. The electric radiant heaters make it remarkably comfortable in cold weather. The Backyard Chalet consists of six back-to-back booth tables that each can sit 8-10 guests. Each booth is separated from the next one by a plexiglass divider. The Backyard can be booked as a whole, or only the back portion. Large groups can book any number of booths in the chalet, plus open seating in front of the chalet.
Partial Backyard Chalet booking: for groups up to 20 people (2 booths) no minimum is required, just make the reservation on resy.com or reach out to the restaurant. Three booths can seat 24-30 guests, with a minimum of $600 (Off-Peak)/ $1,200 (Peak), Four booths can seat 32-40 guests, with a minimum of $800 (Off-Peak)/ $1,600 (Peak)
The Full Backyard can host 60 guests for a seated meal or for a cocktail reception. Minimum $1,500 (Off-Peak)/ $3,000 (Peak)
The Back Half of the Backyard (three booths plus adjacent open seating) can host 30 guests for a cocktail reception. Minimum $1,000 (Off-Peak)/ $1,500 (Peak)
If you book the Backyard, the other areas of the restaurant will remain open to other guests during your event.
The Full Restaurant
Take over the whole restaurant, either just the indoor space (Back Room plus Bar Area), or indoors plus backyard.
The Full Restaurant (Indoor only) can host 100 guests for a seated meal or 150 guests for a cocktail reception. Minimum $3,000 (Off-Peak)/ $6,000 (Peak) - Backyard Seating will be open to other guests who will need to enter the restaurant to get to the backyard, use the restrooms, etc.
The Full Restaurant (Indoor & Backyard) can host up to 150 guests for a seated meal or up to 200 guests for a cocktail reception. Minimum $4,000 (Off-Peak)/ $8,000 (Peak) - Fully private restaurant buyout, no other guests.