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Restaurants:
The above map illustrates some of the restaurants within Greenwich Village and Soho. Indicated above, and described below, are a selection of some of the more interesting places to eat in the area.
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1. Hundred Acres, Bar and Restaurant, 38 MacDougal Street between Houston and Prince Streets, (212) 475-7500
Hundred Acres combines the best aspects of a great food, upscale ambience, and the casual downtown feel of SoHo. With a great bar, and a pleasant staff, there is no surprise that it's best to make a reservation in advance. Keep in mind the back room with full skylight has a completely different feel than the front bar and seating area open to Macdougal Street.
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2. 12 Chairs, 56 MacDougal Street, between Houston and Prince Streets, (212) 254-8640
12 Chairs, with its clean lines and setting is a great place for a relaxed evening meal, or a casual brunch. Serving the best of Israeli foods, it's a great place to watch the passerby's on the quaint intersection of King and MacDougal. (Now, if the abandoned building ever gets renovated, it would be perfect.)
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3. Salt, 58 MacDougal Street, between Houston and Prince Streets, (212) 674-4968
Another small and comfortable place to eat along one of the best stretches of SoHo. Although a little more upscale than 12 Chairs, and not quite as much fun as Oscar's, argueably a nice change from the other restaurants on the Street. Not that one shouldn't go to the others, quite the contrary, one should go to the others often, but you can't always eat in the same places.
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4.. Aqua Grille, 210 Spring Street, corner of 6th Avenue, (212) 274-0505
One of the premier fish places in this area of the city (and really why go to any other area of the city). If you're looking to impress a date, this would be one of your best bets, and then a couple years down the road the two of you can have dinner at Fish (listed below) and enjoy another great seafood dinner in a more relaxed environment.
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5. The Spotted Pig, 314 West 11th Street, at the corner of Greenwich Street, (212) 620-0393
A great casual restaurant with a fantastic wine and beer list. Unfortunately, every other person in the city also realizes this, so good luck getting in. Last time I checked they don't take reservations, although if you're lucky enough to get a spot at the bar, there's practically no better place in the city to wait for anything. The burger is heavenly.
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6. Blue Ribbon Bakery, 35 Downing Street, atthe corner of Bedford Street, (212) 242-1068
If there was a perfect place for brunch, this would be it. People from all over, including the Upper East Side, travel from far and wide to have a relaxed brunch with a panoramic view of Downing and Bedford Streets, often call the cul-de-sac of the West Village. Get here early and prepare to wait on line, but on a nice fall morning, with coffee in hand, I can't imagine a better place to be.
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7. Jean Claude, Cafe and Bar, 137 Sullivan Street, between Houston and Prince Streets, (212) 475-9232
Jean Claude is probably best known by those in the neighborhood as the storefront with all the wine corks in the window, but it is also a great little french cafe and bar, which is to say, a wonderful restaurant .
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8. Fish, 280 Bleecker Street near Cornelia Street, (212) 727-2879
Fish restaurant serves, as you probably guessed, great fish. With a southern New Orleans style flair, Fish has the most consistent fresh seafood around, and should you want to do the preparations for yourself, they sell fresh seafood to go as well. Try the fried oysters, and don't miss the catfish sandwich.
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9. Pearl Oyster Bar, 18 Cornelia Street, between West 4th Street and Bleecker, (212) 691-8211
Argueably, one of the best lobster rolls in the country, but without a doubt one of the best in the city. With a small, but good, selection of tap beers and white wine to complement the fried oysters, seaweed salad, and lobster rolls, you can't ask for a better new England feel.
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10. Perilla, 9 Jones Street, between West 4th and Bleecker Street, (212) 929-6868
Opened by a former Top Chef contestant, Perilla has found a home away from the bright lights big city glamour of television, on a quite street in the West Village.
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11. August, 359 Bleecker Street, (212) 929-4774
Although they don't take reservations, and you'll probably have to wait outside a bit before getting a table, it's worth the trouble. The setting is wonderful and the food delicious. The one down side would be it's difficult to have a date here, given the uncertainty with getting a table.
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12. Smiths, 79 MacDougal Street, between Bleecker and Houston, (212) 260-0100
The narrow dining room recreates the elegant interior of a European train car. With mirrored ceiling the room is open yet cozy, and transcends the space that contains it.
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13. Pesce - Pasta, 262 Bleecker Street, between Cornelia and Morton Streets, (212) 645-2993
A comfortable, home cooking feel, Italian restaurant, that feels like it's been there since the beginning. Just grab the wicker bottle of chianti on the table, order a pasta or fish in any imaginable preparation, and you are on your way to the old world.
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14. Villa Mosconi, 69 MacDougal Street, between Bleecker and Houston Streets, (646) 402-6911
Perhaps the best known Italian restaurant for those in the know, it is also perhaps the least known Italian restaurant for those not in the know. Located next to the gun club (another unknown item in the West Village), this Italian restaurant serves some of the best food in the city. The waiters instantly make you feel like you've been going there for ages, which is easy, since most of their clientele has been.
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