West Village First Date

Art Asks:

“I need a nice, comfortable, romantic place to eat… Preferably in the West Village. It’s for a first date with a good friend, so it can’t be too extreme. Price doesn’t really matter… So far I’m thinking Extra Virgin, Otto, or maybe the rooftop of Sushi Samba.. But I’m totally open to suggestions!”

I personally don’t find either Sushi Samba or Otto terribly comfortable… I like them both, but they can both get really loud and the service can be a bit inconsistent. They can be fun.. personally I think they work better as second or third date destinations. Extra Virgin (http://www.extravirginrestaurant.com/) would be a better bet in my opinion. Food is great, the volume is turned down and I think it’s much more warm of an atmosphere.

Another thing to note is that I personally can’t stand the in-your-face, candlestick-and-rose kind of romantic restaurant. I feel like everyone around me is celebrating anniversaries and it feels forced. From the places you’ve mentioned, it seems like you agree… so another place you might want to look at is Pearl Oyster Bar (http://www.pearloysterbar.com/) on Cornelia Street. It’s pretty much all seafood — I think the best lobster roll in the city. It’s a cozy little place and the fish is awesome… plus I think there’s something inherently romantic about fish.

Another nice and simple spot is Snack Taverna (Menupages here…) on Bedford, right near 7th Ave. It’s modern Greek food with small plates, meant for sharing, which I think is nice on a first date. Again, it’s a pretty small place with some great staff. There’s some nice, affordable Greek wines on the menu which never hurt, either.

All of these places are also a pretty short walk to Grom, the new-ish gelato place that opened on Carmine and Bleecker. It’s great, authentically Roman gelato across the street from Father Demo square, a beautiful place to end the evening.

Those would be my suggestions for now if you want to stay within the West Village. I hope I was of some help… good luck!