Hole in the Wall is a brunch café that has learned to stay up late, and the results are mostly convincing. The Williamsburg location — one of four in the city, all run by Australian restaurateur Barry Dry — runs the same bright-wood, hanging-plants playbook as its siblings, but the Bedford and Grand corner gives it enough outdoor room to feel like its own thing once the patio lights come on.
The Vibe
Light, airy, and loud during the day. The room is built for morning: warm wood, open sightlines, a Bedford Ave corner window that catches everything. At night, the inside stays brighter than you'd want — this is not a candlelit situation. The covered outdoor patio, strung with hanging lights, is where the evening actually works: forty seats, flowers overhead, good people-watching on one of Williamsburg's busiest stretches. On weekends, it fills fast and stays full.
What to Order
- Salt and pepper squid with fried curry leaves — the dish that doesn't belong at a brunch café but does belong in front of you. Order it first.
- Chili scrambled eggs with tomato kimchi salsa — available all day, and the right move at any hour. The sambal-forward heat is the thing that separates it from every other scramble on Bedford Ave.
- The espresso martini — the house signature, and the one cocktail that gets talked about. It's fine. It's also the cocktail equivalent of ordering the cheesecake at a place famous for its pasta. The wine list is more interesting.
When to Come
A weeknight dinner — Thursday works well, when the kitchen runs to midnight — is the play. Weekend brunch is packed and the vibe is full café chaos. Book on Resy; weekend reservations are genuinely necessary. This is a first date that wants to feel low-stakes but still have options.
The Bottom Line
Good enough if you're already on Bedford Ave and want something that goes from flat white to squid and cocktails without switching venues — not good enough to cross a bridge for.