For the most part, this Tribeca restaurant is a grazing spot for the upscale loft-dwellers of the neighborhood. However, come weekends, the eatery is buzzing with diners looking to savor a hearty brunch. Don’t be surprised to find a serpentine queue awaiting you at peak hours. No matter the time of the day, Bubby's is the place to head to when you crave comfort food such as deviled eggs, fried chicken and apple pie. The decadent desserts and heady cocktails on offer are major crowd pullers. When the weather permits, the patio makes for a pleasant dining destination too.
Jack's Wife Freda is a small family-owned restaurant which is a melting pot of different cuisines. The food is quite reasonably priced, tasty, delicious and has a nice homey feel to it. Every morsel will delight your taste buds for example Freda’s fried fish balls, the sandwiches with a tweak, horse cured bacon and the list goes on. Be it breakfast, lunch or dinner, you sure will not be disappointed with Jack's Wife Freda. You will always be welcomed by their wonderful staff and tantalizing food.
Balthazar is a fabulous recreation of a typical French brasserie: bold, loud, and exciting. The space is dominated by red leather banquettes with retro mirrors, giving it a spacious look. The restaurant is a venture by Keith McNally, who also owns Pastis in the Meatpacking District. It offers breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner menus as well as special inventories for desserts, wines, and after-hours. You will find items such as grilled lamb T-Bones, duck confit, and crisp Berkshire pork belly. The Sunday Brunch is particularly popular.
The menu at Jane's is filled with familiar American dishes and the kitchen only uses locally sourced ingredients from around New York state. Most of the dishes add a contemporary flair to this familiarity: like roasted organic chicken in foccacia with Merlot-mustard spread or the Montauk fluke dressed up with bright tomatoes and sauteed shrimp. The wine list accompanies all dishes quite well and the grapes are chosen by season, rather than region. The seasonal fruit Martinis such as the infused Bartlett pear served in the summer and cider in the winter make anytime a great time to visit.
Shopsin's General Store is actually a restaurant. It has an extensive menu that lists hundreds of soups, sandwiches and other items, in addition to a blackboard full of daily specials. It is full of booths and offers a counter area too. The staff and regulars have a bit of an attitude, but that is part of what makes people like it. This small little diner is very popular, so get there early or be prepared to wait.
A lovely French-style bistro, Buvette effortlessly blends vintage with modern chic. Featuring a delightfully rustic but trendy vibe, the little bistro is a popular local spot for an elegant breakfast, light lunch or after work drink. The menu stays close to its bistro theme, serving up a nice array of retro classics like the mouth-watering selection of baked delights from flaky croissants perfect for a quick breakfast to more substantial steak tartare, ratatouille and coq au vin. A lovely spot for a quiet evening out and a nice place to enjoy the perfect glass of French wine accompanied by one of the delicious small eats, in quaint little jars and bowls, meant to be shared. Round off the evening with a slice of melt-in-the-mouth tarte tatin, for a truly satisfying experience. Since they do not accept reservations, expect a wait on weekends.
A stellar addition to East Village's eclectic culinary scenario, The Smith has been wowing patrons with its superb all-American fare and a great atmosphere to make the meal, all the more enjoyable. The menu sticks to casual-American delights for the most part with a small selection of pasta which has a following of its own. The restaurant is big on local, seasonal and wherever possible, organic produce and it shows in their preparations. Open till late, The Smith proves to be a blessing for late-night revelers looking for good food. The restaurant has good facilities to host private events and also offers catering.
Intimate, casual and elegant, Cafe Cluny in the center of the West Village is a stylish choice. With two rooms, creamy interiors and candlelight, this restaurant offers interesting French-American cuisine. Steak-frites, salad frisée, duck confit, frisée aux lardons and more feature on the varied menu. A full bar provides a plethora of accompaniments. Those looking for a not-so-romantic date-spot or a place to have a nice celebratory dinner, this is the place for you.
La Bonbonniere is the last of a dying diner breed in the city, where fancier, niche restaurants consistently encroach on the old-school mom-and-pop spots. La Bonbonniere has been a fixture in the neighborhood and most locals don't even know how long its been along this quasi-quiet strip of 8th Avenue. Inside, the diner menu is filled with no-nonsense, stick-to-your-ribs breakfasts. The decor leaves much to be considered, however the homey atmosphere, linoleum floor and shaky tables are all part of the charm.
The charming little Friend of a Farmer is located in an equally charming area, but dining here feels more like a trip to farm country. The atmosphere is friendly and dress is definitely casual. Friend of a Farmer offers three great meals a day. Start early with fresh squeezed juices at the juice bar including honeydew, pineapple and carrot-kale. Then enjoy a pancake feast breakfast. Lunch features good soups and salads. Dinner includes specials like their famous chicken pot pie, Shepherds Pie or seafood dishes. Visit once and be hooked for life!
At Barbounia, Chef Michael Cressotti carefully prepares an assortment of Greek dishes. Pop in at the bar, go for a cocktail or one of the Greek wines and order some fresh bread with a yummy dip to go with it. You can also relax at the cozy pillowed banquette and let your eyes wander before your order arrives. The preparations, especially the appetizers, are so tasty that you could keep ordering them and never make it to the main course! No matter what you order, do try the baked cheese prepared at the restaurant which is pure bliss! They also host a popular brunch with bottomless mimosas.
In keeping with the typical cookshop concept of all-things-fresh, co-owners of Cookshop, Chef Marc Meyer and Chef Vicki Freeman, source local ingredients and produce for their food preparation. To bring out the best taste from the natural food, traditional methods such as wood-fired ovens are used. The Virginia farmers’ cross center cut pork chop and the wilted spinach, red onion and Sarvecchio cheese pizza are favorites here. The cocktails are innovative concoctions with a twist that change with the season. Try the tea prepared using Bergamot and oranges that comes highly recommended. The ambiance is chic and trendy, with the tables closely laid out in the L-shaped dining section. The dessert list has tempting offerings that make for perfect endings.