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Once an industrial space, this high-ceilinged room now feels more like a social club, with its creamy wainscoting, low lighting, and small tables clustered around a central bar. By day, the neighborhood freelance brigade settles in with laptops and books; at night, twentysomethings slide into the benches to share stories and plates of slightly old-fashioned comfort food. (People-watching is an indoor sport here, since the restaurant is several steps above ground level and there aren’t any large windows facing the street.) Some menu choices are simple to the point of tedium, like the cucumber-vinaigrette salad. A better bet is the tangy, crisply topped macaroni and cheese. (Spring for the optional bacon and the oozing dish gets crowned with richly marbled strips.) The bratwursts—both traditional and vegetarian—also hit the mark, with plump, juicy sausages and sauerkraut overflowing the buns. The namesake teas are here in force, with dozens of brews including mate, greens, and bracing British blacks. These come in large glass beer mugs, so watch out for that heat conductivity. — Jennifer Paull

The entrance to Roebling Tea Room is on Metropolitan Avenue.

Computer Usage
A no-laptop policy kicks in around 7 p.m. (The cutoff time varies, sometimes according to the staff’s whim.)

Bratwurst, $10; macaroni and cheese with bacon, $11; chocolate pot de crème, $5