Via Carota is a West Village Italian restaurant that is a popular neighborhood spot serving elevated comfort food and fine wine. I had the pleasure of dining here for my milestone birthday recently. Read on for my full restaurant review.
Anytime I would plan a trip for New York City, I would ask my Instagram followers for their favorite restaurants. Every single time, Via Carota was at the top of the most recommended restaurants by my fellow foodie travelers.
Recently, I enjoyed my 50th birthday dinner at Via Carota. My husband Alain and I were joined by Alain's brother Marc and partner Silvia, and one of my college roommates and dearest friends for life, Julia.
It was possibly the perfect place to celebrate a milestone birthday.
But you don't have to be celebrating anything in particular to dine here! Via Carota is a neighborhood restaurant that has become extremely popular with locals and tourists alike - for good reason.
The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, the food is made with expert care, and the wine list matches the menu beautifully.
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A cozy neighborhood Italian restaurant
Around the corner from Grove and Bleeker Streets, this West Village Italian restaurant is the epitome of a cozy neighborhood spot.
A long bar that stretches across most of the restaurant is a great spot for meeting a friend or a date, and gives you a fun view of the restaurant.
The main dining room is open space, so the restaurant fills with lively conversations. It's definitely a friendly and inviting space.
There's covered outdoor seating on the sidewalk, and there's a more intimate separate dining room with a large table that seats about 10 people.
We were seated in the private dining room. There were five of us, and we took up half the space of the communal dining table. Another party was seated at the other half, which, at first, I thought we might feel as though we were each intruding upon the other party's dinner. But honestly, it worked out wonderfully. I still felt like we had our space to enjoy an intimate dinner, and they had theirs.
🍷 Thoughtful wine and cocktail list
The wine list at Via Carota is heavily focused on Italian wines. They also make classic cocktails and apertivos, as well as a few select Italian beers.
We enjoyed the 2020 Nebbiolo from Arpepe wines, and a Schioppettino from Vignai da Duline.
🍽 Refined Italian comfort food
The dishes at Via Carota shine in their simplicity and expert execution.
You can't miss the Insalata Verde (green salad), dressed lightly with a sherry vinaigrette. It's a towering plate of greens that is one of the restaurant's signature dishes.
The Carote starter is a plate of charred carrots, yogurt, and topped with pistachios and herbs. You get rich layers of flavor in every bite.
We all ordered pastas for our main course, although Via Carota does offer some fantastic fish options. I have also heard the fried rabbit is not to miss, and I can't wait to order that dish on our next visit.
For this dinner, we enjoyed bowls of just-right-portions of pasta: the Tonnarelli (cacio pepe), Pappardelle with wild boar ragu, and Tagliatelle with Parmigiano and prosciutto. The Pappardelle usually has a mound of freshly shaven Parmigiano Reggiano like the other dishes, but they graciously skipped it due to my milk protein sensitivity.
Decadent desserts
For dessert, we enjoyed the cannoli and olive oil cake. Both were absolutely delicious.
✨ Restaurant FAQs
It's a neighborhood restaurant in the heart of West Village, so diners were dressed as casual as jeans and sweaters to business casual to dressy attire.
It is. I saw a few older children seated during our dinner here, and the restaurant does have high chairs available.
Via Carota holds several tables for walk-ins only, and has very limited reservations available. Be sure to call the restaurant or check their website for the latest.
Yes. There are plenty of vegetarian options and a few vegan options. You can also speak to your server if you have questions about any dishes they may be able to adapt.
Yes. Part of the street outside of the restaurant has been converted into covered outdoor patio seating.
Via Carota restaurant
Via Carota is a warm and cozy, convivial West Village Italian restaurant that I highly recommend dining at if you visit New York City. The service is truly attentive, friendly, and so helpful. The dishes are comforting and homey, and beautifully prepared. And the wine list is an excellent accompaniment to the food.
Via Carota restaurant
51 Grove Street
New York City, NY
HOURS:
Monday - Friday 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
Saturday & Sunday 10:00am - 11:00 pm
For the latest information, please visit the Via Carota website.
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Where to stay nearby
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