Bodega Nights opens in Bushwick

Zoe Clifton and David Wilson have opened Bodega Nights at 425 Troutman Street in Bushwick, adding a second venue less than a year after launching BabySips on the Lower East Side. Edible Brooklyn reported Friday that the new spot is a Brazilian- and Iberian-inspired wine bar and restaurant built for year-round service, with a full kitchen and outdoor seating. (ediblebrooklyn.com) The new restaurant opened in late March, according to Edible Brooklyn and Brooklyn Magazine, after the pair moved quickly on a former Bushwick restaurant space. (ediblebrooklyn.com) Eater reported in February that the project was planned as a larger follow-up to BabySips, which opened in May 2025. (bodeganightsbk.com) ### Who is behind Bodega Nights? Zoe Clifton and David Wilson are the co-owners of both BabySips and Bodega Nights, according to Edible Brooklyn and Eater. Edible Brooklyn said the two met in 2017 while working at Cosme in Manhattan and later spent time in Spain harvesting wine and studying European wine bars. (ediblebrooklyn.com) Wilson is Brazilian-American and spent much of his childhood in Brazil, Edible Brooklyn reported. Clifton told the publication the team had not expected to expand so quickly, saying, “We were crazy to say yes, and we were crazy to say no, so we said yes.” (ediblebrooklyn.com) ### How much bigger is this place than BabySips? Bodega Nights is a 2,200-square-foot restaurant, Edible Brooklyn reported, compared with what Clifton described as BabySips’ much smaller, two-person setup. Eater reported in February that the Bushwick project would have roughly double the space of the Lower East Side bar. (ediblebrooklyn.com) Brooklyn Magazine reported that the Bushwick site includes outdoor seating and is open Wednesday through Sunday from 5 p.m. to midnight. The address sits between Wyckoff and St. Nicholas avenues, near the Bushwick Collective area. (ediblebrooklyn.com) ### What is on the menu? Josh Zambrano, the chef de cuisine, worked with Clifton on the menu, Edible Brooklyn reported. The publication said Zambrano previously worked at Bar Miller, the Michelin-starred omakase bar in the East Village. The menu includes bolinho de bacalhau, or Brazilian salt cod fritters, charred cabbage in guajillo sauce, whole fish, steaks, broccoli rice, Portuguese-style potatoes and desserts including angel food cake with sticky figs and sabayon oranges, Edible Brooklyn said. (ediblebrooklyn.com) Brooklyn Magazine separately described the food as drawing on Brazilian and Iberian influences. (bkmag.com) ### How does the wine program work? The wine list is organized into simple categories including “bubbles,” “no skin,” “some skin,” “more skin,” and “a little red,” according to Edible Brooklyn. Brooklyn Magazine reported that glasses start at $16 and many bottles fall between $60 and $80. (ediblebrooklyn.com) Wilson told Brooklyn Magazine the focus is on “artisanal, small farmer wine,” while Clifton told Edible Brooklyn that BabySips had been designed to sit between minimal-snack wine bars and more formal wine-focused dining rooms. (ediblebrooklyn.com) ### Why did the project come together so fast? A friend alerted Clifton and Wilson to the Bushwick space, Edible Brooklyn and Brooklyn Magazine reported. Edible Brooklyn said the location had previously housed The Rookery, a neighborhood gastropub that closed in 2023. Clifton told Brooklyn Magazine that the pair had always wanted a larger venue with outdoor seating but assumed it would come later. (ediblebrooklyn.com) Instead, the space became available less than a year after BabySips opened, accelerating the timeline for a second business. (bkmag.com) ### What happens next at the Bushwick address? Bodega Nights’ website lists the restaurant at 425 Troutman Street in Brooklyn. An Eventbrite listing shows the venue hosting a “Georgian Supra” family-style feast on May 15, 2026, indicating the team is already using the space for programmed dinners beyond regular service. (bodeganightsbk.com) (bkmag.com) (ediblebrooklyn.com)