Meadowsweet

The story

Meadowsweet Brooklyn: Michelin-Recommended American Contemporary in Williamsburg

Meadowsweet

In 2014, husband-and-wife team Polo Dobkin and Stephanie Lempert opened Meadowsweet on Broadway in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Their aim was straightforward: a neighborhood restaurant built on warm hospitality, seasonal cooking, and the simple act of gathering around a table. The result is a place that feels both grounded and refined.

Chef Polo Dobkin brings a deep pedigree to the kitchen. After graduating with honors from the French Culinary Institute, he cooked at Gramercy Tavern and the Dining Room under Tom Colicchio and Mark Spangenthal. In 2006, he became executive chef at Dressler, where he earned a Michelin star — the third chef in Brooklyn to do so — and held it for seven years. His cooking also earned a two-star review from The New York Times and multiple James Beard Award nominations. At Meadowsweet, his food continues that tradition of consistency and quality, blending contemporary American cuisine with Mediterranean influences. The menu changes daily, built around locally sourced ingredients, handmade pastas, and fresh seafood.

Stephanie Lempert, a Rhode Island School of Design graduate, brings her own creative eye as director of operations. She oversees the wine program, with a focus on family-operated wineries and women and Black winemakers. Her background in design is visible throughout the restaurant: the wallpaper features her original art of the meadowsweet herb, inspired by 18th-century botanical engravings, and her photography of the family’s upstate property is part of the décor.

That upstate property is Meadowsweet Farm, where the couple, along with their two children and Polo’s father, grow vegetables that make their way to the Brooklyn kitchen. It’s a direct line from soil to plate that defines the restaurant’s ethos.

Meadowsweet has been awarded a Michelin star from 2015 through 2021 and remains Michelin Recommended — a recognition that speaks to the restaurant’s steady hand and Dobkin’s reputation as one of the founders of contemporary Brooklyn dining. The space includes a front room and an herb garden, with outdoor seating available weather permitting. Walk-ins are welcome, though reservations are recommended.