NYCReview

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8.0

Lore

Experimental

Park Slope

$$$$Perfect For:Date NightCasual Weeknight DinnerDining SoloEating At The Bar
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If you’re ever looking to eat food inspired by popular dishes from around the world without having to step into a Cheesecake Factory, Lore is the restaurant for you. 

Run by two chefs with the stated goal of “uniting cultures,” this Park Slope restaurant serves a menu that has both a dosa and wild mushroom lasagna on it. And they actually pull it off. There are no gimmicks; the food is to-the-point, executed well, and sophisticated enough to have the floor at the UN. Eat it in a classy-but-casual space with nice hand soap and globally inspired interior design that manages to avoid looking like something thrown together after a trip to Pier 1 Imports. 

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photo credit: Kate Previte

A few of the best dishes are Indian-inspired, including items like a dosa with coriander-heavy coconut chutney and a sea bream served with a yogurt sauce blended with mint at peak-freshness. On a menu that also includes kimchi short rib and baklava, these things might seem out of place—but as each dish passes the taste test, you’ll stop asking “Why?” and instead shrug and think “Why not?”.

Stop by this self-assured neighborhood restaurant for a second date when you don’t want to seem boring or a casual weeknight dinner with an indecisive friend. A self-proclaimed "haven for a multitude of cultural stories," they are a little bit trying to do “a thing,” but when the fish and chips are just as well-executed as the jerk-inspired chicken and peas, all we can say is: Keep doing you, Lore. 

Food Rundown

The menu at Lore changes frequently, but there are a few crowd favorites that tend to stick around. They do both dinner and brunch, and if you're intent on eating something you liked during a previous visit but don't see it on one menu, check to see if it's just moved over to the other one.

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Fermented Dosa

Considering Lore's wide-ranging menu, you’d think that their dosa would be fusion-y, but it’s got a solid, thoroughly spiced red lentil daal and potato filling similar to what you’ll find at any South Indian-specific restaurant. It also comes with a generous sprinkling of gunpowder to give the crepe some red chili-based smokiness. Scoop up plenty of coconut chutney—they do not skimp on the coconut. If you'd like more heat, you can ask for a spicier red chutney on the side.

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Sea Bream Ssam

The menu changes at the restaurant’s whim, but the sea bream is a favorite that we hope will keep reappearing in the rotation. Every component is essential—from the acidic onion slaw to the chutneys and super soft lettuce meant for wrapping around the fish. You can smell the mint and masala from a few feet away.

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Mushroom & Swiss Chard Lasagna

This lasagna isn’t the most exciting thing on the menu, but it’s still good, which is very important when you only have five options under mains. Simple, well-executed dishes like this are what make Lore an appropriate place for a satisfying dinner if you live down the street and don’t trust those “no-bake” lasagna noodles at home.

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Fish & Chips

Flaky, delicate, properly salty hunks of fish outshine the chips, which could be more crispy and salty—but we’d still order this again. There's a tartare sauce on the side, as well as an Indian chutney that goes great with the fish.

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Charred Summer Squash

When this dish arrives, you’ll probably wonder if you really need this much squash. Then you’ll taste the silky, slightly sweet flax seed sauce and no longer mind having this much squash.

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Stone Fruit Granité

This wonderful dessert is composed of stone fruit, herbs, and, most memorably, an olive oil curd that adds some richness to those fresher, lighter ingredients.

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FOOD RUNDOWN

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