Some restaurants try to do it all. Saint Julivert does exactly what it wants — seafood-forward, globally inspired, deeply satisfying — and does it flawlessly. Tucked away in Cobble Hill, this snug little fisherie and wine bar run by the dynamic duo of Alex Raij and Eder Montero is proof that great things come in small packages. The space is cozy, the menu is bold, and the flavors? Straight-up revelatory.

Our meal started with Alex’s take on a Portuguese sardine pâté — spicy, bold, and exactly the kind of thing you wish you had on your table at home. But before that, a deceptively simple snack: spicy peanuts. Just peanuts? Maybe. But with a drink in hand, they felt like the right kind of genius.

Then came the tacos, but not as you know them. Picture delicate, sushi-sized bites where the tortilla is swapped out for a vegetable. The shiso taco with raw scallop, salsa macha, and sweet pickled onion was nothing short of spectacular. The wild shrimp, raw-cured with salted kumquat, poblano pepper, and pomelo, was a full-sensory experience — heads off, but otherwise, eat everything. And then there was the amberjack: raw kampachi in tomato water with crispy shallot and shiso oil.

Alex is a force. She started with a Basque restaurant in Manhattan, Txikito, then opened La Vara, a spot infused with North African and Middle Eastern influences. Finally, she landed here, a seafood-focused love letter to coastal flavors. Being Argentinean, Spain runs through her veins. She’s perfected the art of tapas reimagined as fine dining — without the usual fuss. The press loves her for it. Because everything she does is simple yet complex, refined but completely unpretentious. It’s all about the food.

Over dinner, she told us about her honeymoon in Lisbon, a trip still vivid in her memory. From a magical meal in Guincho (the kind that lingers for decades), something caught her attention: the wooden clothespins used in seaside cafés to keep those tablecloths from flying away — something she’d love to bring to her own restaurant.

And the wine? A thoughtful selection of small producers, including plenty from Portugal. For this meal, we had a glass of Arinto dos Açores Entre Pedras 'Efusivo' 2021, from the volcanic soils of Pico Island. A perfect match.

No surprise, then, that Saint Julivert holds a Bib Gourmand. Exceptional food, no ego, just great hospitality. If you find yourself in Brooklyn, do not think twice.