The Little Owl
New York, NY 10014
Phone: (212) 741-4695
- Price:
- $$$
- Cross Street:
- Grove Street
- Directions:
- 1 at Christopher St-Sheridan Sq
- Best of Citysearch:
- Date Spot 2006
- Hours:
- Mon-Wed 5pm-11pm , Thu-Sat 5pm-12am , Sat-Sun 11am-2pm , Sun 5pm-10pm
Editorial Review for The Little Owl – by Justin Hartung
The Scene
Cooing couples, local families and peckish night-owls pack this corner restaurant in the West Village, which manages to feel airy and intimate at the same time. A rustic tone is set by large paneled windows, whitewashed wood and silverware hand-delivered from boxes, while the tiny, packed bar and elevated waiting bench impart just a touch of who's-who. Service balances genuine warmth with the knowledge often attributed to the titular bird.
The Food
The menu reads like a flyover of the Mediterranean, adding inland touches to coastal cuisine and vice versa. Plump, perfectly cooked scallops float on a cloud of silky risotto flecked through with emerald green spinach; farm-fresh cauliflower mellows smoky grilled sardines; and sauteed radicchio adds a welcome bit of roughage to a thick, scarlet-centered steak. Too much salt undoes duck confit, however, and slightly undercooked grilled dorade, served with an unimaginative side of olives, just misses the boat.
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Insider Tips
The ExtrasFor dessert try the refreshingly tart cherry sorbet (from Il Laboratoria).
What to DrinkTry the $9 glass of syrage, a medium-bodied blend of syrah and cabernet, or one of the unusual bottled beers such as the pleasantly mellow Goose Island Ale.
User Reviews for The Little Owl
11/19/2008 Posted by caylowenstein
Hmmm...been 3 times now and have to admit...I don't see what all of the fuss is about. But then I felt that way about Market Table and Cookshop, too. The food is fine, can be inventive but very inconsistent and the seating situation is truly appalling. I know there are many complaints about this. Okay, you have a small restaurant but c;mon. You know its limitations by now. You don't make people with reservations wait from 45 minutes to and hour and 15 (last time we went.)
Cons: seating, service, inconsistancy of food
11/09/2008 Posted by WolfBrad
what can i say? Food is very well plated, service is very professional, and the way eveything is set up in the place is just beautiful. I've been here a couple times now and i have not yet been disappointed. Also had a birthday here and it was great. They even had a little candle for me heh heh. Great food, great service, cant wait to go back!
Pros: food,service
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