Leave screaming children and cell phones at home. People here are nursing hangovers.
Cafe Cluny is that West Village, low ceiling, crowded but not too crowded, hip but not too hip, affordable but not cheap, stroller-less kind of institution I love. A soft Sunday morning can be spent at the bar reading the Times, devouring a Bernaise short rib hash ($17) washed down with Cote du Rhone ($11) and... all without screaming children. I'm not sure how they do it.
The bar is the place to be. Communal tables and a tight space turn the dining area into a whole lot more congestion than any sane person (not from NYC) can stand. Most folks at the bar are alone except for their newspapers and the solitude and speediness perched on a stool here can't be beat. It's perfect around 3PM on any Saturday or Sunday afternoon. At the corner of 12th and West 4th.
Have you been to Cafe Loup, another West Village brunch place?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cafeloupnyc.com/
I think you'd enjoy it.
nice; my office is nearby would like to check it out.
ReplyDeleteLooks fantastic! Just my kind of spot.
ReplyDeleteML
mlanesepic.blogspot.com
Okay, freaky... this is my regular. (I was there today!) I have a kindred spirit with one of the hosts - he grew up in Sydney.
ReplyDeleteJust ate there last week. Quiet and relaxed for breakfast. Ham and gruyere on a croissant. A hostess whose legs stopped at about her armpits.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a comforting place to recoop!
ReplyDeleteLike the outside setting too, a must see for my next Nyc trip!
L.
John- I've walked by but not tried. I see they serve a burger at dinner. That's always a good sign. I'll give 'em a try.
ReplyDeleteJohn- There's a lotta Johns around here. Yeah, give it a shot. It's a very serene place on the weekends. Have no idea what it's like during the week.
M Lane- You'd like it a lot. I think there's ample Calvados behind the bar.
Alice- This town's not big enough for both of us. Did you enjoy their Champers yesterday? I did.
Anon- Long legs always help at brunch.
La Maison- Put in down for your next stop.
ok so I tried it out today (Sunday) very good stuff - eggs benedict, grapefruit juice and profiteroles; thanks for the suggestion.
ReplyDeleteHa! I did indeed.
ReplyDeleteSweet! Bas-relief ceilings and wall trim with simple, crooked-hung pictures...love it. Can't go with red wine at brunch, though anything with Bernaise gets my attention fast. I'll be a little late so go ahead and order for me. I'll have the same.
ReplyDelete-DB
John- Glad you liked it.
ReplyDeleteAlice- The foxtrot and I were big fans of 3rd Coast as well. There's something I can't (maybe you can) put my finger on about a great brunch place. They give me the sluggishness of two Bloody Mary's before I ever have a drink.
DB- This place would fit in nicely with your 'hood. And what the hell's wrong with red wine at brunch?
Screaming children may be hard to take, but we all start out that way. Maybe that screaming kids dad needs some red wine and eggs on a Saturday afternoon more than you do.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget that.