There are a ton of great restaurants in the West Village, and, nowadays, most of them have outdoor dining. If you're feeling overwhelmed by the selection, or if you can't find a place that isn't booked for the next three months, check out this list of spots where you can eat some good food outside while you enjoy a nice breeze that smells like pricey townhouses. From nice backyards to sidewalk patios where get some last-minute seats, here are the best options in the neighborhood.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Silver Apricot
Silver Apricot’s back patio is a secret oasis suitable for when you want to prove to a date or friend that you still have the whole restaurant-choosing thing down. The menu is full of impressive small plates that you won't find elsewhere, like scallion puffs, deviled eggs, and a grilled cheese with duck confit.
photo credit: Teddy Wolff
This especially-quaint corner spot on Hudson Street has excellent pasta, cocktails, and broiled oysters that will arrive at your patio table on a silver platter. Their sidewalk patio tables can seat parties of up to 4 under large umbrellas.
Joseph Leonard’s outdoor seating area employs enough greenery and chic wicker seating to make you feel like you’re eating on the French Riviera–as long as you ignore all those warm-weather New York smells trying to make their way into your fantasy. Brunch and dinner are both nice times to dine at this West Village go-to.
There aren't a lot of places where you can get dim sum outside, but at RedFarm you can enjoy a creative dim sum menu in a bright red chair on a fenced off sidewalk patio. Order the Pac Man dumplings and the pastrami egg roll, and you’re pretty much guaranteed to have a good meal.
Empellón Taqueria has a large indoor space, but margaritas and tacos are meant to be eaten outside. Go heavy on the Queso Fundido section of the menu, and make sure you get a margarita and lots of tacos.
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Unfortunately, the Clam is not a restaurant by the sea. But the outdoor seating at this NYC take on the roadside clam shack is still quite pleasant if you’re stuck in the city on a warm weekend. There are plenty of non-clam dishes here, such as baked halibut and lobster arancini, and it's always pretty easy to get a table.
photo credit: Liz Clayman
This spot is Permanently Closed.
Quality Eats put a lot of effort into their stylish, baby blue semi-outdoor seating set up with tables separated by walls and curtains that make the structure look like a row of private pool bungalows. If you want to eat your steak and roasted beet tabbouleh completely in the open air, they also have bistro tables for two on the sidewalk patio.
This place is on a little side street in the lower West Village, and the location, decor, and reasonable prices make it ideal for either an early-in-the-game date or a casual late-in-the-game outing. It’s a popular spot for relatively affordable pastas, so expect a crowd and consider making a reservation to make sure you get an outdoor table.
This wine bar from the people behind Cotenna is an ideal first date spot. You can have a few glasses of wine while you get to know each other, then turn drinks into dinner if things are going well. There’s plenty of outdoor seating, a full bar, and a constant Euro Party soundtrack.
On a nice day, it can feel like the whole neighborhood has descended on the huge outdoor patio at Bar Pitti. But it’s really not as bad as it looks. Bar Pitti turns over tables like clockwork, so there's never that long of a wait. Bring cash and order one of the chalkboard specials.
Rosemary’s big, bright space has some huge windows that open up when it's warm out, so you can get some fresh air while still being partially covered if you want. But there are also tables on the sidewalk if you're determined to eat outdoors. They don’t take reservations, but they run a tight ship, and you’ll most likely be sitting at a table before your allotted wait time is up.
You could navigate Panca’s menu like a Ouija board, order whatever you land on, and leave satisfied. They have a particularly good selection of ceviches and cocktails that you can enjoy on the sidewalk patio. You can always reserve a patio seat, but Panca is also a good walk-in option.
photo credit: Adam Friedlander
Both Spicy Moon locations have the same great plant-based Szechuan menu, but come to the West Village location if you want to enjoy really good mapo tofu and dan dan noodles outside. This location also has a few dishes on the menu that the other doesn’t, like spicy curry buns and fried dumplings stuffed with chives and Just Egg. Make sure to get an order of the notably thin and crispy scallion pancakes too.
Wild has plenty of outdoor seating where you can enjoy some upscale vegan, gluten-free pasta and pizza in a neighborhood where you’ll find plenty of carbs and cheese but very few options for those with dietary restrictions. All the pies here are made on gluten-free vegan crusts, and those with real cheese can also be made with plant-based options. The rest of the menu is also vegan-friendly, from the meatballs served with marinara sauce to the veggie burger and the entire dessert slate.
photo credit: Kate Previte
You don’t want to “do brunch.” You just want to eat breakfast food in public. Go to La Bonbonniere. This cash-only diner serves perfectly crispy pancakes, big plates of bacon, and great milkshakes every day starting at 7am, and all of their seating is currently located in an outdoor structure on 8th Ave.
Sometimes, we forget how good Llama San is. Then we stop by, eat the duck nigiri with banana and nasturtium, and remember why we constantly send people here. This restaurant's Japanese-influenced Peruvian food is fantastic—the ceviche and tiradito in particular—and you can eat it at one of their tables on 6th Avenue.
Malaparte is a block from the river, and it’s a great option for when you get tired of gazing out at New Jersey like it’s an island in the Mediterranean. Stop by some sub-$20 pasta or a pizza with mozzarella, arugula, and prosciutto.
The world is constantly changing, but there are two things you can pretty much always count on being true: You'll have to wait for a table Via Carota, and it’ll be worth it once the food arrives. Get a table on the sidewalk at this West Village Italian restaurant, order the chopped steak, and spread the roasted garlic cloves over it.
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With its central West Village location and abundance of little trees, the outdoor dining setup at this West Village Mediterranean spot is pretty ideal. Book a table outside, and eat a burger, a Greek salad, or a plate of lobster ravioli.
This Brazilian restaurant has both a front and a back patio, and you should come here for some feijoada and baked-to-order pão de queijo. Be sure to add a caipirinha to your order.
The Middle Eastern dumplings at Kubeh are filled with things like beef and mushrooms, they have the texture of matzo balls, and they’re served in your choice of broth. In other words, you should be eating them in the near future. You can also get anything from lamb chops and kibbeh to zucchini pasta and chicken schnitzel. Their outdoor seating is on a pleasant little patio right on 6th Ave.
Saying a restaurant serves Mediterranean food doesn’t tell you a whole lot. The place might serve grilled octopus or shawarma or ravioli, or in the case of Meme, all of the above. This place is a good option for when you’re eating with picky or indecisive friends, and it's never too tough to get a table here.
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Boucherie is a restaurant in the West Village with an abundance of sidewalk seating and plenty of French food like duck, foie gras, and various cuts of steak. It's definitely on the pricier side, but the steak frites and profiteroles will make you a happier person. This place is open for brunch, lunch, and dinner.
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Outdoor dining is now available at this French wine bar’s Soho and West Village locations, meaning you can order multiple rounds of escargots and white Burgundy on Spring or West 4th Street. Bring a date, and share some small plates.
After a quick glance at Jajaja’s menu, you might assume that this place is like countless other Mexican spots serving chorizo burritos and fish tacos. But it’s not. All of the food here is entirely vegan, with fermented bean standing in for chorizo and hemp and flax seed battered squash replacing fish. Make a reservation for an outdoor table, and get a frozen margarita.
Buvette is a tiny and very charming spot where you can eat fluffy eggs topped with smoked salmon at breakfast or enjoy some coq au vin at dinner. You can book an outdoor table online, and we suggest you do so—because this place is extremely popular.
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Brunetti is serving their Neapolitan pizzas, as well as Italian small plates like arancini and eggplant parmesan, on their front and backyard patios. The pies, which are also available with gluten-free or whole wheat crust, range from a margherita with housemade mozzarella to a carbonara version topped egg yolk and pancetta. Stop by for lunch or dinner any day except Monday.
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232 Bleecker is the first full-service restaurant from the people behind the fast-casual chain, Dig, and their roast chicken is one of our favorites in the city. They’re also serving things like pastas, a whole grilled fish, and a vegetarian smashburger. You can reserve an outdoor table on Carmine Street for lunch or dinner Tuesday through Sunday.
Corner Bistro is an old, divey West Village institution, and if you haven't been here yet, it's honestly a little embarrassing. The order here is simple: bistro burger, fries, and a cold beer. Just remember to bring cash.
Butcher’s Daughter is open from 8am-9pm most days, which means you can stop by for an acai bowl at breakfast then swing back over for a burger and a matcha gimlet later in the evening. The food is all vaguely healthy, and the all-white decor is arguably "too cute."
photo credit: Kate Previte
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Ofrenda’s outdoor seating on 7th Avenue is a great spot to get some guacamole, queso, and margaritas, especially when all of those things are discounted during their weekday Happy Hour from 3-6pm.
Hudson Clearwater’s back patio is one of the most pleasant outdoor dining spaces in the West Village. So book a table out there for brunch and get some spicy eggs benedict, or stop by at dinner and have some seared duck and a cocktail or two.
If you don’t have your own neighborhood Italian place, or if you just prefer the West Village to whatever neighborhood you live in, check out Malatesta. Sit at a table on the sidewalk, and eat some really good gnocchi while pondering a move to Washington and Christopher.
