buvette

 

 

http://www.ilovebuvette.com/

Best known for the homey Italian food she serves up at NYC's Giorgione, Gusto, Morandi and Gottino, Jody Williams switches gears at this tiny French cafe, or what she calls a 'gastroteque,' a place where people meet for casual food and drink at any time of day. Everything in the place is small and charming - the portions, the silverware, the carafes, the tables - and few dishes are over $10. That said, we needed six dishes for three people, so don't expect a bargain. Each dish we ordered was better than the last: the delicately roasted beets served beneath a dollop of decadent horseradish cream, the incredibly tender and spicy grilled octopus, the warm vegetable ratatouille and crisp garlic bread, the rich and smoky coq au vin. The atmosphere is adorable and very French-country, with distressed white oak floors and a glittering marble bar laid out with homemade baskets filled with roasted nuts for snacking. I loved it here, but would suggest coming with no more than one or two friends, unless you like the idea of sitting on top of one another. 

42 Grove St. (near Bleecker)
buvette

*recommendations:
  artichokes a la grecque
  grilled octopus salad
  coq au vin