Palmetto — Restaurant in New York

A paradise at the very heart of Bushwick.

I’ve had the pleasure of being a guest of Palmetto’s since they opened on Valentine’s Day 2020. A carefully thought-of design and decoration that reminisces of Italy and the Amalfi Coast as well hints of old record shops on the walls, and greenery that would make every plant person jealous, Palmetto was definitely here to stay. Walking in felt like magic and like home… little did we know the world would kind of fall apart exactly a month later and we would all be homebound with no end in sight. Part of me felt very sad at the thought of Palmetto going out of business due to the pandemic, yet it thrived; and it’s heart kept beating and pumping blood to both it’s guests and the community around the bar as they made sure they campaigned for the ones in most need and continued to tighten bonds around them and us.

Fast forward to today, Palmetto has remained a place where I walk in eager to see people who have by now become friends, and introduce new friends to such a fabulous spot. Every single cocktail has been meticulously crafted by the team of incredible mixologists and owners to bring you into a world that they are continuously creating and reinventing for you, for your senses; and you feel welcome! Natural wine definitely does not go amiss in this gorgeous bar and the selection is always most exciting and appealing… pair wine or cocktails with their olives (potentially the best I’ve ever had in all of New York City) or a cheese board or any of the other bar snacks that they offer and you’re in for a little treat. The music plays a pivotal component to the atmosphere and everyone’s invited to be a part of it. Whether a fantastically curated playlist of the wonderful set of DJs invited to play many nights at Palmetto, you’re bound to be immersed in an experience; one that is crafted for us, the guests. I say it again, it makes me feel welcome and appreciated.

All this wouldn’t be even remotely as good if Palmetto didn’t have the right staff, I could maybe exaggerate and say perfect staff. But I’ll settle for dream staff, or dream team. Every bartender or server I’ve ever interacted with, whether they gave me a smile and a cocktail (since they were probably in the weeds trying to whip out tons of orders) or whether they gave me a long convo and human connection has been a really lovely human with a big heart. That is what makes any place within the service industry what it is: it’s people. You could be having the best cocktail in the best bar in the whole world; every single condition could be ideal, and yet, if the company around you (in this case the staff, since your friends are on you) was bleh or meh, then that cocktail would maybe not taste as good, the environment would maybe not be as memorable. And here… they are (I may or may not be intentionally quoting Nicole Kidman’s AMC Theatres promo here).

As you can tell, I have nothing but praise for Palmetto, and rightly so. They have all earned it. It feels to me they’ve worked so incredibly hard over the years (who knows how many it actually took them to open up the place) that it almost goes unnoticed because it is so smooth. And that is ultimately what the service industry is about. As a former service industry worker, I can vouch for that.

So please, if you’re in Bushwick and feel like taking a trip to a different little island (it actually flooded a couple years back during the most intense déluge New York has seen in a while), do yourself a favor and come to Palmetto. They will take...

I never write reviews for anything, but I had a negative and bizarre enough experience here last night that I feel compelled to say something. I really liked the vibe of this place when I first walked in, but the staff here went out of their way on a crowded night to be particularly rude and micromanagerial to my group of majority POC friends.

The bartender who initially took my drink order was a bit cold, but I chalked that up to it being a busy Saturday night, so I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt. However, later on this bartender then left from behind the bar while several people (including me) were waiting for drinks just to reprimand my friends for having brought an outside non-alcoholic beverage into the bar; they then made us leave the establishment to dispose of it. After that, a friend of ours pulled over an extra chair since our group of 6 was a bit too large to fit in the booth. The same bartender then came back to reprimand my friend using an extra chair for "blocking the aisle" despite no one trying to walk by us the entire time we were there (also we could have easily moved to let someone pass by if needed). Mind you, another table of majority white people sitting near us was doing the exact same thing with an extra chair, but the bartender didn't bother them. Since my friend couldn't use an extra chair, she just stood in the aisle against the railing, but then ANOTHER staff member came over to reprimand her for doing that too.

Just weirdo behavior all around from the staff...

This place is racist, which is funny since they’re located in Brooklyn. The waiter did not attend our table, but tended to everyone around us (who all had 🖐🏻 skin). When I ordered my drink, I found it to be incredibly bitter and only took two sips. I walked up to the bar and kindly asked the bartender if I could try a different drink. They rolled their eyes at me, then mumbled sure, they’ll bring it to me. I was taken aback by the rude attitude, but walked back to my table anyway. When the bartender was done, he walked over to my table and I extended my hand to get the drink and was about to thank him, when he stopped, placed the drink next to my friend’s current drink at the end of the table opposite me, and then turned around without looking at me. When my friend asked why he did that because I was the one who ordered it with him, he shrugged without looking at us…… What?

There are wayyyyyy too many bars in this area for this place to ever receive my money. It’s the clear the 🖐🏻 owner only wants certain clientele here, and it’s very easy and natural for his staff to be rude to ✋🏾people. I had such a disrespectful interaction at this place, I literally...