The 16 best restaurants in Greenwich Village

From tag-team chefs Rich Torrisi and Mario Carbone, Carbone is a Godfather hangout on steroids, a more fantastical set piece than a history-bound throwback. Under brass chandeliers, on navy walls, brash modern art hangs on old-school Italianate themes. If the ambiance isn't reason enough, you're also in for an evening of great Italian classics and warm, attentive service.

It’s 4am, you have three dollars and the munchies. Take heart: Mamoun’s Falafel is there for you, day or night, serving quality Middle Eastern food since 1971. Always busy, show up late at night, when you might get a seat.

Quality Italian's chef power couple Angie Rito (Torrisi Italian Specialties) and Scott Tacinelli (Quality Meats) turn out modern Italian-American plates at this small corner trattoria in the Village. Lit solely by warm globe lights and candles at night, the romantic locale serves inventive plates like a decadent, deconstructed lasagna for two, a sourdough pasta cacciatore made with mezcal-braised chicken and sides like spicy cauliflower Francesco topped with Frank’s Red Hot infused bread crumbs alongside Campari- and Cocchi-based cocktails. 

This Village fry shop does one thing and does it deliciously. Thicker than their French counterparts, the double-fried, Belgian-style batons—doled out in gingham-patterned paper cones—are spudsy vehicles for more than 25 exotic sauces, including sweet mango chutney, Vietnamese pineapple mayo and Irish curry. But you don’t need to slather on dressings—the golden, supercrisp frites are surefire crowd-pleasers on their own.

In his first solo spot, chef Dan Kluger (formerly chef of ABC Kitchen and ABC Cocina) maintains the same voice in everything in the kitchen that we've grown to love. Their dinner menu drives West Villagers fighting for a table looking for bright and fresh dishes featuring local vegetables from the market, while adding and nostalgic takes on classics like cheeseburgers and grandma-style pizza in in droves.

This West Village standby—opened in 1996 by former Merrill Lynch VP Adam Pomerantz—turns out superlative bagels in 15 varieties (poppy, cinnamon raisin, sesame)—best snarfed down immediately on the bench outfront. 

For three decades Keith McNally’s New York restaurants have defined effortless cool, generating the sort of overnight buzz—and long-running exclusivity—institutions are made of. McNally’s Minetta Tavern, a West Village relic reborn, serves up food that is as much of a draw as the scene in which you eat it. Of course, you can't miss out on their burger: It's one of the best in the city.

Alice has been bringing a moody, mysterious vibe to Greenwich Village since day one after opening amid the start of the pandemic. The sister restaurant to fellow beloved neighborhood spot Osteria 57, Alice offers a raw bar and coastal Italian dishes like langoustines and fritto misto. Always sourcing from the farmer’s market, the menu changes to match the seasons.

Shuka is complete with a rustic yet vibrant menu inspired by the chef's travels through Spain and North Africa, as well as by her experience on the line at top Tel Aviv kitchens. The decor has likewise been rejuvenated, with Moroccan-influenced tiles and textiles to accompany a menu full of mezze (aka appetizers; think fried halloumi and charred broccoli. The real draw is the Shuka feast, made with beet hummus, labne, pumpkin-spiced squash, fattoush salad, falafel, marinated olives, crudite, choice of kebab and pita ($56 per person).

Ariel Arce has been quietly building a nightlife empire in Greenwich Village, with Air's Champagne Parlor, Tokyo Record Bar, Special Club and Niche Niche. At the latter of her wine-focused restaurants, your entry comes in the form of a ticket for one of the 30 seats at this supper club. At each of these one-night-only events, the meal and wine is curated by a star bartender or somm (like Olmsted's Zwann Grays); if you've been thinking about "getting into natural wine," this masterclass is for you. 

Recently rebranded as “Family Meal,” this longtime favorite of the Obamas now serves as “pop in” with no set menu ($115 per person). Chef-owner Dan Barber builds his oft-changing menu around whatever’s at its peak on his Westchester farm (home to a sibling restaurant). Once among the most sedate little restaurants in the Village, this cramped subterranean jewel box has become one of the most raucous.

A powerhouse trio—Rich Torrisi, Mario Carbone and Jeff "ZZ" Zalaznick—continues its neo-Italian-American hot streak (including Carbone and Parm) with a raw bar. The 12-seat spot highlights first-rate cocktails and crudo. At the marble bar, bartenders concoct eclectic drinks while diners explore raw fish in all forms, like East Coast oysters on the half-shell and toasts topped with tuna and uni.

This 55-seat restaurant focuses on charcoal-grilled classic French dishes like salmon sauteed in pea leaves and topped with pickled chow chow and filet mignon au poivre with carmelized piquillo peppers. The name of the restaurant is an ode to co-owner Louis Levy’s grandmother, sadly not affiliated with Barbra Streisand.

Open since 2010, BB&C is a fun, lively bar and chef's table with a cozy atmosphere. One of the coolest things about the space is the aeroponic rooftop garden, which produces dozens of the restaurant’s herbs and vegetables year-round.