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Photos: Visiting Brooklyn's Floating Restaurant
By
Jen Carlson
Published Aug 19, 2013
Modified Aug 19, 2013
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By
Jen Carlson
Published Aug 19, 2013
Modified Aug 19, 2013
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The Amberjack V may only have two reviews on Yelp, but they add up to a 4.5-star rating... and honestly, this place could have a 1-star rating and we'd still go, at least once, because it's ON A BOAT. A 120-foot yacht, to be exact—it may even be Brooklyn's only boatstaurant.
Recently photographer Nate Dorr wondered why there weren't more floating establishments in the city, before coming across this one in Sheepshead Bay—last week he dropped by, telling us:
"Biking back from the Rockaways along Emmons Ave, my girlfriend and I were struck by how few places in Sheepshead Bay take advantage of the water by actually having outdoor seating overlooking it. Finally, just when we were despairing of ever finding a place to get a drink without glass between us and the Bay, I spotted the illuminated words 'Boat Restaurant' and knew we'd found our place. While there are two decks of indoor seating and a bar, the place has also filled any outdoor space with tables, with outer decks on both levels and dining tucked into against the rail on both sides. Honestly with all the waterways of New York, I can't even begin to understand how this and the Frying Pan are the only floating night spots I can think of."
The menu mostly consists of Russian and Turkish cuisine, with entrees that favor that from the surf and that from the turf. But you could just go for some appetizers, baklava and cocktail which you can enjoy from the deck overlooking the water (and possibly an unsettling army of swans).
While the Amberjack V typically stays docked, it can set sail for events—they note that they are United States Coast Guard certified to sail 20 miles offshore and carry up to 149 passengers. And on September 11th, 2001, it took on passengers for a different reason—the vessel "participated in the largest sea evacuation in history, transporting people from Manhattan to other boroughs."
Earlier this year the vessel changed hands after being run by the same family, who had successfully converted it from a fishing boat to a boatstaurant in the 1980s. You can find their hours on their Facebook page—today they're opened from 11 a.m. to 11:45 p.m.
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Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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