The 14 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, 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 and you just might get a seat.

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. 

Kandaswamy Thirukumar’s popular dosa cart has been a fixture of Washington Square Park since 1991. Priced under $10, his fermented dosas have fed many hungry souls, from broke college students to visitors who had this spot on their list. The Pondicherry Masala is a popular option, just remember to choose your spice level wisely.

New York is truly home to everything, even more so with the addition of this Australian fine dining spot. New to the scene as of October of 2024, Acru translates Daniel Garwood's Tasmanian roots to the plate. The seasonal, multi-course meal has included riffs on bush bread from aboriginal Australians, known as damper, and a dessert inspired by one areas most time-honored treats, Golden Gaytime ice cream bars. Plus, it all comes in at a cool $95 per person.

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.

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.

While Cantonese dishes can be found here, Auntie Guan specialize in cuisine found in the northeastern region of China, or Dongbei. Starters include green bean sheet jelly with thinly sliced vegetables and clear mung bean noodles and dumplings plump with leeks, shrimp and pork and cabbage. Order a few braised meat balls or go all in on the stewed goose for the table. 

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.

Everything at this 1929 pizzeria is a bit of a time warp, with wooden booths etched with diners' initials over the years and well-worn black and white tiles on the floor. But what's old can still be so, so good. Order a crispy, slightly charred pie from the coal-fired oven (no slices here, sorry) and a pitcher of beer to drink it all in. 

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Chloe Coscarelli's plant-based cafe is for all eaters. The all day vegan cafe churns out the hits, Butternut Mac & Cheese, salads and vegan burgers. Don't forget to get a sweet treat (or two)—the cinnamon espresso chocolate chip cookies are a favorite.