New York may be the city that never sleeps, but it is definitely a city that eats, especially late at night while all those other locales are dozing. Greenwich Village offers plenty of options for those who want to feast on something other than pizza late at night—so many, in fact, that we listed only a few favorites below.
Joseph Leonard
170 Waverly Place (at Grove Street)
Joseph Leonard serves food till 2 a.m. on Thursdays through Saturdays. Image: The Infatuation
Bathed in warm sepia and siena tones, Joseph Leonard exudes coziness. You can enjoy dinner until midnight seven days of week, tucking into a hangar steak, Arctic char, cauliflower with toasted garlic, or marinated lobster salad with avocado, radish, and grapefruit. On Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays it offers an abbreviated menu until 2 a.m. During those times you can still order the steak, as well as a burger and a fried-chicken sandwich accompanied by pickled okra and buttermilk dressing, among other options. Along with a tightly curated beer and wine list, the drink menu includes house cocktails such as Chai Harder (chai bourbon, pear liqueur, and walnut bitters) and Pennylane (jalapeño tequila with lime, agave, strawberry, and mint).
The Spaniard
190 West Fourth Street (between Jones and Barrow Streets)
Image: Unsplash
If you were expecting to nibble on tapas at the Spaniard, think again. The menu instead offers hearty fare such as burgers (both beef and vegetarian), New York strip steak, and chicken schnitzel, with dinner served until 2 a.m. daily. (The bar remains open till 4.) Those seeking smaller plates can choose from the likes of charbroiled oysters, crab-and-avocado toast, and golden-beet ceviche with olives, serrano chilis, and tomatoes. Even more wide-ranging than the food menu is the whiskey and cocktail selection; among the house cocktails is Supernova, in which gin and grapefruit bitters are leavened with lemon, egg white, and star anise, and Hot Rock, a warming blend of mezcal, reposado, clove-and-chili syrup, and chocolate bitters.
4 Charles Prime Rib
Four Charles Street (between Greenwich Avenue and Waverly Place)
4 Charles describes itself as a “late-night dining den.” Image: The Infatuation
Open till midnight seven days a week, 4 Charles Prime Rib resembles a classic chophouse, with vintage lighting that casts a dim glow over the wood-paneled walls and leather banquettes. The ambience perfectly complements the menu. As the restaurant’s name indicates, prime rib—salt-crusted, slow-roasted for 12 hours, served with horseradish cream, and available in three sizes—is a highlight. So are the dry-aged bone-in rib-eye steak, the Dover sole, and the double-cut lamb chop. Fresh oysters, Alaskan king crab, and shrimp cocktail are available from the raw bar. If you are not too peckish, the baked potato loaded with bacon, sour cream, and cheddar could be meal enough. As befits an old-school steakhouse, the bar menu includes a solid selection of
bourbons, Scotches, and whiskeys along with martinis, Manhattans, and other time-honored cocktails.
A.O.C.
314 Bleecker Street (at Grove Street)
A.O.C. is one of several French-style bistros in the Village that stay open late. Image: A.O.C.
A number of the Village’s late-night eateries are French-style bistros, of which A.O.C. is one of the most beloved. The cozy spot, which offers outdoor seating in the summer and is open till midnight every day year-round, specializes in Gallic comfort food. Start with onion soup (topped with toasted cheese, of course), escargot in the requisite garlic butter, or salad Niçoise before proceeding to coq au vin, mussels served either marinière or Provençale, or scallops, shrimps, and mussels in a lush saffron cream sauce served within crisp phyllo pastry. Those immune to the charms of French cuisine can enjoy New York shell steak, burgers, or wild-mushroom risotto with baby vegetables, Parmesan, and a balsamic glaze, among other options.
Boucherie
99 Seventh Avenue South (between Barrow and Grove Streets)
Image: Max Guiliani
Boucherie is another of the Village’s French bistros, open till midnight during the week and 1 a.m. on weekends. Larger than A.O.C., it also has a slightly larger menu, with rack of lamb, chateaubriand for two, and a Wagyu filet available alongside the traditional steak tartare, boeuf bourguignon, ratatouille, and charcuterie. The restaurant also offers a specialty of the day; the bouillabaisse might make Thursdays your preferred evening for dining out. And be sure to end your meal with a classic dessert such as tarte tatin or crêpes Suzette.
Employees Only
510 Hudson Street (between Christopher and West 10th Streets)
Have a two-in-the-morning hankering for steak frites or oysters on the half-shell? Head to Employees Only, which is open till 3:30 a.m. daily. The restaurant’s late-night menu, served from midnight till closing, is delightfully varied. Small plates include bacon-wrapped lamb chops served with salsa verde and corn fritters with Parmesan and black-pepper aioli; truffled grilled cheese with Parmesan fries and cavatelli with spicy pork sausage are among the entrees. For dessert you might find it difficult to choose between the butterscotch-and-mascarpone cheesecake and the brown-butter chocolate tart. Arrive before midnight and you can partake of the more-expansive dinner menu, whose main dishes include seared rib-eye with horseradish potato gratin, pumpkin ravioli, and pan-seared elk chop with cauliflower served three ways. When it opened in 2004, Employees Only was perhaps best known for its drinks, so if you are the imbibing sort you will want to sip one of the house cocktails such as its interpretation of a Manhattan, which adds Grand Marnier and Angostura bitters to the rye and vermouth.
The Folly
92 West Houston Street (between LaGuardia Place and Thompson Street)
Specializing in seafood and rum cocktails, the Folly has a suitably seafaring theme. Image: the Folly
The kitchen at this nautically themed restaurant is open till midnight every day, though you can continue to drink rum cocktails and frozen grog—along with wine, beer, and other beverages—until 4 a.m. As befits a restaurant where porthole-style mirrors and fisherman’s ropes hang from the brick walls, seafood dominates the menu. Beer-battered fish and chips; mac-and-cheese with generous lumps of crabmeat among the cheddar, Gruyère, and Parmesan; halibut ceviche; and a shrimp po’boy with carrot-jalapeño slaw are standouts. Less-fishy options include burgers, chicken wings, and the Hangover Soup, with chicken, rice noodles, jalapeño, and ginger.
La Lanterna di Vittorio
129 MacDougal Street (between West Third and West Fourth Streets)
This charming Italian eatery is open till 2 a.m. on weekdays and 3 a.m. on weekends, and you can order from its full menu until an hour before closing. Start with a bruschetta—goose-liver paté and red onions or grilled peppers and goat cheese, perhaps—or one of more than a dozen salads, which range from simple mixed greens to heartier medleys that include the likes of tuna, tomatoes, smoked duck breast, and Fontinella cheese. The selection of paninis, calzones, and pizzas is equally robust. Even if you turn up within an hour of closing, you will not go away hungry; you can still order from a more limited menu that excludes salads and sandwiches but includes pizzas, soups, and a cornucopia of cheeses. Arguably most important, you can order gelato up till closing, though you might want to plan ahead as to which of the dozen flavors, including Earl Grey and Amoretto Crunch, you want to savor.
Village Late-Night Eats