“Namaste” in Nepalese and Himalayan cultures is a greeting and sign of respect or welcome. We welcome the guest as we would a divine presence, expressed with word and gesture, hand to the heart, a bow. We at Namaste Brooklyn extend this greeting to all who come to share in the experience, flavors, atmosphere, and culture of our home. Along with this cultural background, we bring our decades of extensive experience in aspects of restaurants and hospitality, including bussing, serving, bartending, and the preparation of healthy, wholesome, and heart-warming food.
We are also longtime residents of this diverse and vibrant neighborhood. With Namaste Brooklyn, long a dream and now a reality, we have sought to create a unique space and experience, innovative and local in focus. Our concept is to bring the community and neighborhood to the table, to welcome with our hearts and to share both traditions of Himalayan or Nepalese cultures as well as our particular innovations and fusion of these traditions. We link the creative presence of food, drinks, and atmosphere with diverse pasts and richly imagined futures.
This innovation represents an understanding of the neighborhood, city, and what our guests see: a well-appointed venue with simple design, hand-crafted materials, and close attention to all aspects of the dining experience. We provide a full bar, a carefully designed and focused menu, and a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Brooklyn and the city in general have long been home to established world cuisines, from Chinese to Japanese, French, Spanish or Latin American, and many others. At Namaste Brooklyn, we seek to represent both tradition and innovation unique to Nepal, Tibet, and the Himalayan region, a place of striking landscapes and people. This cuisine is focused on simple, seasonal ingredients but with a modern touch in plating, presentation, flavors, and inspiration. Through our meticulously prepared drinks and food, service, environment, and care for every detail, we seek to provide our guests with a holistic sense of comfort, home, and familiarity. This attention to details is reflected in the experience craft that we bring to each and every cocktail, appetizer, entree, and dessert. Our sense of the seasonal nature of the dining experience is central, as reflected in signature craft cocktails such as the Namaste Brooklyn, Ditmas Old Fashion, Summer Love.
The Mandala, prominently displayed on the restaurant’s facade in a mosaic form created by local artists, JOHN and CARLOS reflects a life cycle in which everything is connected. We have created Namaste Brooklyn in this model, at the intersection of the natural environment, the city, community, and neighborhood, the staff and their experience, and the integration of every element. From the very first thoughts of creating this space and experience, our goal has been to be inclusive of the community and its diversity, a goal reflected the elements or pieces of the mosaic mandala. The paintings that hung throughout the restaurant, for instance, reflects the local region of Nepal where we come from, but now integrated into our contemporary environment. SUNIL GURUNG’s unique and beautiful artwork recalls Mustang, Nepal regions where he lives, but also in this environment reflects a reinvention or extension of tradition through the restaurant’s total and innovative vision. These elements are part of a larger conversation to which we invite all to join, welcomed with that simple, powerful word and gesture, NAMASTE.