Straight up delightful. It's comfortable and bright, with good style plus interesting food and cocktails.
Trendy restaurant without being a total clusterfuck. The space is cozy and the food happens to be great: beets; crab salad; raw tuna, gnocchi, black bass curry; carrot fries. Sit at the Chef's Table.
All the date night trappings – little tables, brick walls, quiet street, but the unusual Asian-ish food is the big seller here: deviled egg; octopus; chicken liver; mushrooms; skate; rice or pig out.
Modern, sleek, but still FRENCH. The prices – for both food and wine – are reasonable. Oyster; bouchot mussels; blanquette de veau; hake; kale salad; croque monsieur; taste tatin; profiteroles.
Great for brunch but a hit at dinner, too. Spaghetti carbonara; black rice with duck; blistered squid; whole grilled fish.
$60 Spanish set menu or lighter tapas at the bar: passed pintxos; tortilla espanola; boquerones; setas; chorizo and eggs; pulpo a la gallega; huertas rotos (Spanish ramen); embutidos.
One of many EV Italian spots, but possible the best tasting: meatballs, scialatielli; cavatelli with spicy sausage; garganelli botarga (traditional Sicilian pasta with fish roe); tortellini con ragu.
Quality Greek food in a charming space. Pastitsio; anginares moussaka; htapothi scharas; horiatiki; lamp chops; krasata paidakia.
Possible largest selection of oysters in NYC--there are often like, 20 kinds a night. But Upstate is also stocked with excellent wines and beers, an amazing pasta, and crazy friendly service.
Virgola is a small Italian wine bar with $1 oysters all day, and it’s a great place to go on a casual date. They also make a killer negroni.
OYSTERS: $1 M-F 5-7; S&S 3-7P. It’s got a ton of character, is filled with regulars, and has way better food than a poppin’ wine bar in this part of town really needs to have.
OYSTERS: $1 Daily 5-7. A funky cocktail bar that looks more like an art studio than it does oyster bar, Sel Rrose is a super cool space with decent food and an excellent oyster happy hour
In addition to salads and sandwiches, the menu has traditional Italian pastas, and entrees like veal scaloppine and potato-crusted salmon. Most dishes are priced under $20.
