Emma's Torch Cafe — Restaurant in New York

I cannot say enough good things about Emma’s Torch — they helped me pull off a surprise proposal at their Carroll Gardens café, and it was absolute perfection from start to finish.

From the moment I reached out with my proposal idea, the team jumped in with thoughtfulness, excitement, and an incredible level of coordination. Every single detail was handled with care — from the timing of the surprise to the layout of the space, to the way they helped make the whole place feel intimate, cozy, and full of love.

And the food? INCREDIBLE. Every guest — and we had a lot of tough critics in the group — said it was hands-down the best event they’ve ever attended. The menu was thoughtfully crafted to compliment mine and my partners taste, it was creative, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The warm, welcoming energy of the space only added to the magic.

Having the Carroll Gardens café all to ourselves made the night feel deeply personal and special. It wasn’t just a venue — it felt like Emma’s Torch was celebrating alongside us. I’m so grateful for their hospitality, their heart, and their commitment to creating meaningful experiences.

If you're looking for a space to host an event that people will talk about for years to come, I highly...

Let me start off with this, we love your mission statement. Had dinner here last night. We arrived around 630 and were told to sit wherever we'd like. We took a seat towards the back because we didn't know how crowded it might get. We were greeted promptly and attentively. We sat, ordered beers (they don't have wine yet). We tried the checkpoint, which the waitress said was unusual, ahe didn't mention its like the tartest lemonade/beer you ever had. Unfortunately, I had to send mine back for an IPA. Also, she didn't know how to pour beer. We then ordered appetizers, the black eyed peas hummus and chicken wings. Both were amazingly, super flavorful and delicious. Our mains were the salmon and grilled veggie skewers. The salmon was cooked to perfection, the swiss chard and potatoes, not so much and lacked seasoning. The veggie skewers were barely average, underseasoned, over charred and who knows what the cold accompaniment was. The service was good, the atmosphere very nice. Food was average. I'll not be back, but I love the mission and will...

I want Emma’s Torch to succeed due to its mission so I’m going to leave some honest feedback that I hope is helpful: You need to be more accommodating when it comes to allergies. There was one dish the server was willing to offer me due to my allergy. It was the pasta. They had to remove the sauce and I asked if there was any way they could crumble a little cheese or squeeze a lemon on top to give it a bit more flavor. They said no. I’ve never known a restaurant to 1. Not be willing to make a simple pan sauce 2. Not even be willing to put some cheese on top. I paid $20 for flavorless pasta. Not okay. You also need to pour more than 2 oz of wine in your glasses. 4oz is generally standard. You need to be more accurate in your meal description. You listed my dish as “Butternut Squash Pasta.” I thought it would be made from Butternut Squash. Instead it had 4 small chunks of Butternut Squash in it. I really had to hunt for the Squash. You need to re-name it Pasta with Butternut Squash to be...