The Best Restaurants In Greenwich Village

Greenwich Village is, yes, the birthplace of Carbone —but it’s also so much more. The West Village -adjacent neighborhood (we’re focusing on the area between Broadway and 6th Ave.) is home to Washington Square Park, as well as an impressive amount of off-Broadway theaters. It also has a high concentration of excellent restaurants. Whether you’re visiting your kid at NYU, channeling your inner Beat poet or ’60s folksinger, or watching a particularly thrilling game of basketball at the West 4th Street Courts, here are 20 spots for a quick burger, a côte de boeuf for two, and everything in between.

THE SPOTS

9.0

Dame

Dame got its start as a beloved pandemic-era fish and chips pop-up, and at their brick-and-mortar on MacDougal Street, you can get those, plus a bunch of other precious-feeling seafood plates. Picture things like grilled oysters with green chartreuse hollandaise, and squid and scallion skewers submerged in parsley oil. It's a pretty tiny spot, and everybody wants to bring a date here and sip on Pimm’s cups, but you can usually snag a late reservation without too much notice. Bring someone who loves seafood on small plates, and make sure to check out the very beautiful bathroom.

8.7

Minetta Tavern

If you're looking for a spendy special occasion spot in Greenwich Village, there's no better option than Minetta Tavern. It originally opened in 1937, and local legend has it that regular guests included Ernest Hemingway, and E.E. Cummings. Despite renovations in 2009, it still feels old-school, with red leather booths that might compel you to order the roasted bone marrow, the Black Label Burger, and the $189 dry-aged côte de boeuf for two. If you don’t have a reservation, try snagging a bar seat, even just for a perfectly icy, expertly dirty martini.

8.5

Lord's

The closest thing us New Yorkers have to The Devonshire in London, Lord’s is a very fancy pub that comes from the team behind Dame. Before we talk about their excellent small plates and pub classics, the first thing you need to know about Lord’s is that their burger, topped with Welsh rarebit cheese, is fantastic. They only make 12 per night, so ask about it as soon as you sit down. If you miss out, there’s great upscale pub grub, like a scotch egg with curried lamb, or whatever seasonal meat pie they have that day. Come here for a date, drink some cocktails, and don’t skip dessert.

8.4

Cauldron Chicken

The Dao Kou chicken at this tiny Chinese spot on Bleeker simmers in a hot five-spice broth jacuzzi for several hours before you get to it. By the time it lands on your table, the bird is too tender to eat with a fork, so don the plastic gloves it came with, and go to town with your hands. There are only five tables—take just one other person, and order a whole chicken to share. It comes on a tray with two drinks and two picks from a long list of sides, with everything from fries and onion rings to scallion pancakes and chicken wontons. If you want to dine solo, there are also quarter- and half-chicken combos.

8.4

Mimi

Mimi is one of those places you go when you want to pretend you are in Paris, and maybe smoke a cigarette (or pretend to smoke one). The tiny red-and-blue bistro is a very sexy spot, with a small bar perfect for nursing a drink alone, and a few tables where you could make eyes at someone over a glass of red. Currently, they're hosting a summer-long Shy’s Burger pop-up: the city's sexiest burger, and also one of the best . Expect a Valentine’s Day-pink patty topped with a dollop of caramelized onions, fish sauce-heavy crispy chili mayo, and a thick layer of Kraft Deli Deluxe.

8.4

Da Toscano

There are more Italian restaurants in lower Manhattan than there are rats. (Unconfirmed, but it feels right.) Da Toscano stands out. From the street it doesn't look like much, but when you step inside, you'll find a large dining room, where families, couples, and friends sip on Minetta Sours, and eat a braised artichoke dish that tastes like tangy mac and cheese. The mains are by no means an afterthought—and the coriander-crusted duck breast certainly feels birthday-worthy—but we'd still recommend focusing on the pastas. They change often, but if the orecchiette with sausage, broccoli rabe pesto, and slightly spicy pickled peppers is available, order it.

8.4

Loring Place

Do you need vegetables? If the answer is, “yes” or even, “sure” try Loring Place, one of those restaurants that will make you feel really excited about broccoli. You could bring just about everybody here for just about every possible occasion, so keep this one in your back pocket, and then take it out of there often. Besides the vegetables, you can't go wrong with any of the crudos, the seasonal pastas always hit the spot, and the wine list is reliably lovely.

8.3

Bar Moga

If your preferred restaurant is actually some place that's more-than-a-bar and less-than-a-restaurant, meet Bar Moga, a Japanese spot where you can pair your impeccably-made cocktail with a pork katsu sando. Or a flight of whiskey, and an order of omurice that's sliced tableside. We prefer having a full meal here, but you could also come for drinks before a dinner reservation someplace else. Except, you could get so comfy here, you might never make it to that other place.

8.2

Carbone

Carbone’s reputation precedes itself. It's one of the most divisive restaurants in NYC (and also one of the hardest to get into ). Should you give up your first-born to get a table here? Definitely not. But if the opportunity arises, go to Carbone. And since that might be your one and only opportunity, here's your exact order: the daily crudo, baked clams, a chopped salad, the famous spicy rigatoni, and the ravioli al ragu. Plus whatever piques your interest off the dessert cart. Lunch is slightly easier to reserve (slightly), and we actually like it here better during the day. It's somewhat of a revelation to drink a Negroni in a room full of people who don't have to worry about a day job.

8.0

Ras Plant Based

Ras Plant Based is a vegan Ethiopian restaurant, but it’s got the sort of crowd-pleasing menu that will satisfy even the friend who is single-handedly keeping the red meat industry afloat. It’s the second location of a beloved Crown Heights spot, but it’s only here that you can try their injera nachos, with fake meat and a plant-based nacho cheese sauce that somehow rivals the real thing. Come for a group meal, order a bunch of platters to share, and sip on some rum-based Wet Ass Passionfruit cocktails while you wrap spongy injera around scoops of velvety ground chickpeas, and tangy collard greens.

Dante

If you’re sitting at work right now dreaming of ruby red Negronis and big, fat, forest green olives, make sure your evening plans involve Dante. Though technically a restaurant, the main reason to come here is to sit outside and drink, as people have done at various locations of Dante since 1915. Follow suit, then make the difficult decision between a Negroni and an Aperol Spritz. And if you get peckish (drunk), order a caesar salad and fries, or a crispy baked potato.

8.0

Kazumi Omakase

Sub-$100 omakases are opening at an alarming rate in New York, but Kazumi is still notable for a meal that tastes more expensive than it is. For $75, you get a dozen pieces of simple but good nigiri—like kanpachi with a little bite, or king salmon with miso beans. You’ll also get some luxurious pieces, like torched otoro with caviar, Hokkaido uni, and torched a5 wagyu—as well as a dainty piece of yuzu cheesecake for dessert. This is a great spot for a casual date that won’t completely break the bank, or a solo dinner to celebrate making it through the week.

8.0

Old Tbilisi Garden

When the temperature dips below 50 degrees, we usually start hankering for hot cheese. That's when you can find us at Old Tbilisi Garden, elbow-deep in their gooey cheese-laden ajaruli khachapuri. Eat out on the enclosed back patio, which has enough plants and stacks of rocks to convince you that you’re very far from NYC. Follow your cheese boat with some huge beef and pork khinkali, and some tender chicken skewers, and then take your food coma home for a nap.

7.9

Thelewala

Open until 2am, Thelewala is a kathi roll and chaat counter where you can grab something portable to eat around MacDougal Street after a late-night bar crawl or comedy show. Their flaky rolls come with chicken, lamb, or a ton of vegetarian options, and spice levels range from the mild chatpata to please-call-my-mom phaal. They also have bhel puri and jaal muri—both snacks are made with potatoes, onions, and puffed rice that’ll snap, crackle, and pop in your mouth, and they’re perfect for sneaking into nearby IFC theater when you want something more exciting than popcorn.

7.9

Il Cantinori

If you’ve ever wondered where to drink an espresso martini in Greenwich Village, look no further than Il Cantinori. Look here, too, for a white tablecloth dinner, which starts with bread and warm red sauce. There’s a long menu of Tuscan classics, but we’d encourage you to order the off-menu specials—like the textbook-perfect chicken parm, and a tri-color pasta sampler. Yes, that's a plate of three pastas for $50, but it’s not like you can get your hands on a pasta sampler any day. Lovers of Il Cantinori tend to here for every special occasion dinner, probably because once you eat here enough, the owner, Frank, will learn your name.

7.8

Tomo21 Sushi

Greenwich Village’s hardest-to-get-reservation award goes to Carbone , but its longest-line award goes to a low-key sushi restaurant right across the street. Tomo21 has a steady stream of takeout orders, but it’s worth waiting to dine in. It's a casual, light-wood space decorated with hand-drawn signs of menu offerings, like agedashi tofu, and seasonal soft shell crab. Focus on the sushi sets here, like the $28 Sushi Lunch with seven pieces of nigiri and a half-roll during the day, or the $43 Sushi Deluxe with 10 pieces of sushi and one roll in the evening. All the nigiri is ridiculously fresh, and surprisingly large.

7.8

Gene's Restaurant

Gene’s opened in 1919, and it’s not just Sarah Jessica Parker’s favorite restaurant —it’s a lot of people’s favorite restaurant. The old-school Italian spot is always packed, even on a Tuesday, and though you can sit at a table in the dining room next to someone wearing their furs and order veal parm from a server in a vest, you should always try for the bar. It’s a coveted spot for heavy pours of red wine and garlicky baked clams under a thick layer of golden brown breadcrumbs. End with a raspberry cordial parfait with chocolate ice cream that’s boozy enough to make you feel eternally grateful to live in NYC so you can take public transportation home.

7.8

Bar Pitti

Bar Pitti is a constant scene , and it's not necessarily due to the food being great. (Though some things, like the warm bowl of tuna and beans, are fairly delicious.) It’s the definition of an endearingly imperfect NYC classic, and it has the wait times to prove it. The all-yellow restaurant is over 30 years old, and it’s not going to change its ways any time soon (or ever). Come for people watching on their sidewalk patio, bring cash, and expect the sort of blunt service that makes you feel like you did something slightly wrong. At best, you’ll see an A-lister, and at worst you’ll make friends with a kid in a soccer uniform who has a regular order here.

7.8

Butter Smashburgers

Between the bars and the comedy clubs on MacDougal Street, having late night options in Greenwich Village is key. Butter Smashburgers doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but they are a one-stop-shop for crispy smashburgers, fries, chicken tender sandwiches, and ice cream. Everything on the menu at this fluorescently lit counter is under $10. It’s cheap, it’s quick, and the potato buns that the sandwiches are served on are fluffy. Plus, it’s right next door to 7th Street Burger. They serve basically the same menu, and you’re a lot less likely to run into a line at Butter.

7.7

Villa Mosconi

At the mouth of MacDougal Street, Villa Mosconi dances to its own tune, several steps out of time with the rest of the neighborhood. This old-school Italian restaurant opened in 1976, and it still gets pretty lively ( Monte’s , down the street is older, and owned by the same family). There’s a narrow bar room in front, an enclosed garden room in back, and a big dining room that would look like a hospital lobby if it weren’t for the white tablecloths and ornately framed paintings. The best thing about this place is the way the long-time waiters hug and cheek-kiss the regulars good night, but the hearty, unpretentious northern Italian dishes, carafes of wine, and fresh, housemade pastas will serve you well for a throwback group dinner.