Carlos E

Great place for Isan Thai cuisine in East Village. Would recommend trying the so poak kai der (signature fried chicken), gaeng om kai (spicy chicken herbal soup) and pad see eiw (stir-fried flat rice noodles) with seafood.

The fried chicken is more of an appetizer and comes with a spicy dip on the side. The herbal soup is sour and spicy, but comes with a good amount of chicken. The pad see eiw wasn't spicy and it was the tastiest and has a good balance of carbs, veggies and meat.

The place is of a decent size, although it may look bigger in pictures because of the floor-to-ceiling windows at the back side. The seating is a bit dense but the tables are large enough to accommodate around three plates of dishes.

The place is quite popular so consider getting a reservation. Although it is possible to get a table by walking in. Note that they open for dinner around 6pm, and that would be a good time to come in if you don't have a reservation.

A fine Michelin Guide Italian restaurant in West Village. For starters, would recommend trying to fritto misto (fried calamari and shrimp). It comes in a large quantity and should be more than enough to snack on as you wait for your mains to arrive. For pasta, consider trying the pappardelle with wild boar ragu. The portion is a bit on the smaller side, but it is very tasty. The funghi (grilled mushrooms & smoked scamorza) is also very flavorful. For dessert, would highly recommend getting the tiramisu.

The place is very popular, and would recommend getting a reservation. Otherwise, it would be best to come in early. They may still have seats available before 6pm depending on the size of the party. Outdoor seating is also available.

Nice Japanese sushi restaurant that serves movie-inspired special maki. Would recommend trying Spider Woman, which has soft shell crab. For appetizers, consider getting the agedashi, which is deep fried tofu with light broth. If you are hungry, would recommend getting one of the rice bowl dishes (donburi), but this is only available from 5-7pm. The tori katsudon is really nice and filling. A plated version is also available, but minus the egg.

Hip French restaurant in West Village. Went here during restaurant week and got their 3-course dinner. For starters, consider trying the tomato gazpacho or watermelon salad. For mains, the chicken confit is really nice and comes with salad. The paccheri is a good vegan alternative. For dessert, would highly recommend the molten chocolate cake. For a less sweet option, try the sorbet du jour. You could try both as they go well together.
We also tried the oysters (part of the regular menu) and they came out quite fast.
While the entrance of the place is through the basement, there is a second floor with balcony for additional seating. Would recommend getting a reservation as this place is very popular, particularly during restaurant week. Their offer is quite reasonable for what you get, and is generally less expensive than the restaurant week options at other restaurants.

Cool Mexican restaurant in Grove St. Would recommend trying the spicy shrimp tacos. It's very tasty and comes with rice and beans. If you're very hungry, consider the truffle ribeye burrito. This is quite big and could be enough for two people to share. It's also tasty, although the cream sauce poured over it seemed a bit too much.
For starters, you could try the guacamole with chips. There are different variations of guac and they have a tastings option of 3/5/7 different guac flavors. Consider trying the guacamole casa (closest to original), pulpo picante (octopus) and el naco (crispy braised pork belly).
The ambience is really nice, spray painted murals on the walls and colorful lighting.