This summer will be a little sweeter at Prospect Park, as a new café is set to open at the park’s boathouse next week.
Starting on July 4, Purselane Cafe will serve up healthy food and snacks and coffee daily on the boathouse terrace. On select evenings, the eatery will also offer a selection of beer, wine, and summery cocktails.
The cafe will be operated by the hospitality group The Oberon Group — which runs local restaurants including Rucola, June, and Rhodora, as well as the zero-waste catering company with which the cafe shares its name.
Purselane Cafe will only carry items that are sustainable, recyclable, and compostable.
The menu includes hot and cold coffees and teas and baked goods including brownies, cookies, and croissants. The full food menu offers overnight oats, a frittata cooked with different ingredients daily, and sandwiches — including jerk chicken and chicken curry sandwiches.
“The Prospect Park Boathouse is one of the park’s most beloved and scenic destinations, and a historic landmark,” said Prospect Park Alliance president Morgan Monaco, in a statement. “The Alliance is dedicated to providing more food options in the park for the community, and Purslane Cafe will offer delicious, consciously sourced food and drinks for all to enjoy.”
Parkgoers can also expect to see occasional live concerts and pop-up events at the cafe, according to the Alliance.
Prospect Park — with its wide-open lawns and hiking trails — is affectionately known as Brooklyn’s Backyard, since it gives all Brooklynites a space to relax and enjoy the outdoors. But unlike a regular old backyard, the park has welcomed a number of popular eateries in recent years.
Winner, a cafe from Michelin-star chef Daniel Eddy, opened in the Picnic House in 2022, and the Flatbush staple Lark Cafe opened on the Parade Grounds last year.
“Brooklyn is The Oberon Group’s backyard and home to the majority of our restaurants, so we’re excited to be able to partner with Prospect Park Alliance and bring this new offering to such a historic part of the park,” said Henry Moynahan Rich, Managing Partner of The Oberon Group. “We’re thrilled to have this personal touch point between park visitors and Purslane, allowing people to interact with and learn about our mission to create a more sustainable food system.”
