North Square
“You're right next to Washington Square Park, so you're guaranteed a nice stroll for your post-brunch walk off.”
“North Square has a privileged position at the NW corner of Washington Square Park within the basement of the Washington Square Hotel.”
“I got the french toast and it was a pretty hefty serving: 3-4 slices of challah French toast, and one pretty large link of chicken apple sausage.”
North Square
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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I was not impressed with my meal here. It's one of those places that is right in between–I would have been much happier going out for a cheap Thai or pizza or saved and splurged on a nicer place. These in-betweenys just aren't worth it.
To start, my boyfriend and I got the cauliflower apple soup and the tuna tartar. Both were just okay–absolutely nothing special. For entrees, I got the roasted lobster and my boyfriend got the arctic char. Again–bland. Neither of us left impressed. The drinks were decent–I got a cocktail with elderflower (my fav) and a glass of wine.
The atmosphere is nothing special. There are most definitely nicer, cuter, and better restaurants nearby. Save your money and time.
With the advent of the food network, celebrity chefs and continually rising real estate prices in NYC the average diner has to suffer many indignities to enjoy a great meal or taste the latest trends – waiting on long lines, communal seating in cramped restaurants where tables are so close you are sharing a meal with strangers, rushed and less than friendly service, etc… Luckily North Square is a mainstay that DOES NOT subscribe to these latest trends.
North Square has a privileged position at the NW corner of Washington Square Park within the basement of the Washington Square Hotel. You are greeted at the door by the host or hostess. The space is all wood tones and warm, muted colors – it feels like a 90s throw back, which is comforting. The cushioned seating and tables offer generous space. The clientele skewed decidedly older because with age comes wisdom.
So many excellent choices on the menu, with prices I feel are extremely reasonable – they even offer a $40 prix fixe menu, all sides $5 and extensive, nicely priced wines. Although the delicious bread and olives are awesome, the Small Bite Trio is an excellent way to start with 2 each Tuna Tartare, piquillo pepper & olive tapenade baguette and duck confit roll – its a tasty sample of a few of the apps on the menu.
We had an excellent Sancerre Sauvignon Blanc to go with our mains of Seared Sea Scallops and the Arctic Char. The scallops were seared to perfection served with quinoa and spinach. The Arctic Char (similar to Salmon, but a good sustainable seafood choice) was cooked medium rare with a crispy skin on a bed of basil risotto and truffle sauce – fantastic dish! A side of brussel sprouts to share were good, but not the best version I ever had. A shared decadent slice of Dulce de leche cheesecake finished off our meal.
The service was wonderfully friendly and attentive throughout. The meal was perfectly paced were we never felt rushed or waiting for anything too long.
Being near beautiful Washington Square Park and offering so many delicious items on the menu makes me wished I lived in the area because I would be a regular and it was nice to see many of the diners were. Good for small groups and couples that want to enjoy time with their dining companions – North Square is a winner!
I was invited by Executive Chef Yoel Cruz to his restaurant and I was floored at what he and his staff had put out, especially after touring the small kitchen.
First off the front of the house was nice. It was a rainy Wednesday night and we were seated at 5:30 – guests were trickling in and the restaurant was full by the time we left. Anyhow here's the complete run down:
Lobster & Crab Cakes – They were small, and understandably so as you wouldn't want to overcook lobster. Good, but worth skipping as you couldn't taste much lobster and I'd just opt for a shrimp cake all together.
Duck Confit Roll – This was what I was helping Chef Cruz with at the Food and Wine Festival (total winner). Thought unfortunately the white beans were a touch undercooked.
Tuna Tartar (Chef's suggestion) – Amazeballs.
Wild Mushroom Ravioli (Chef's suggestion) – Double amazeballs. I've never tasted such strong mushroom flavor in my life.
Seared Cod – So delicious. Fish cooked perfectly, always a fan of crispy skin. And I could just eat a tub of that Potato Brandade.
Atlantic Char – Also cooked so perfectly. The basil risotto was also nice and light unlike most risottos which is typically drenched in butter.
Pistachio Ice Cream over Chocolate brownie? – This was a special and it was simply lovely. Chef hired a pastry consultant for this one and this was definitely worth the salt. Love the Pistachios all over the dessert.
Key Lime Pie (Chef's suggestion) – Ironically, this was heavier than the Chocolate Brownie. Nice key lime flavor and perfect graham crust.
If you never tried what "seasonal" food is, this is absolutely a place worth checking out. This is where an older crowd goes so their palates are probably more refined than yours while knowing that what they're eating is good for them and gentle on their stomach.
The prices are fair and though the two of us ate so much food, when I got home there wasn't a heavy feeling as a lot of the food is vegetable focused. The menu is ever changing and if there's ever a special, I'd recommend trying it. Chef knows best.
Very cute brunch place to visit with friends or family. They have a delicious bread basket filled with muffins and fancy breads. They also have a brunch fixed price option for $20; you get a choice of Bloody Mary, mimosa, or coffee with 2 breakfast options to choose from (omelet or brunch sampler). Cute atmosphere and really nice waiters. Definitely recommend!
I've been to North Square twice for brunch. It's a great place to bring your parents when they visit, or to have a quiet, non-boozy catch-up with a friend.
The restaurant has two seating areas – a front room, and a back room. The small back room is where they host Sunday jazz brunches, with hour-long sets at 12:30 and 2:30. Definitely make a reservation (you have to specify jazz brunch) to snag a table.
The food and drinks are solid. I usually go for the pre-fixe deal with the brunch tasting entree, which includes three mini pancakes, chicken sausage, roasted potatoes and roots, eggs, and a biscuit. (Very carby, yes!) The pre-fixe comes with two drinks, one alcoholic and one not.
When I had my first bite of the potato brandade I could not hide my smile.. I thought this place to me would be Arco Cafe to Gael Greene and The Simone to Pete Wells, but then I realized this place has been around for years and I was just never in the know. Oh well.
I was expecting some stupidly lavish and snooty West-Village-hotel-restaurant, but the entrance was unassuming and the interior intimate and welcoming. I had the chopped salad as an appetizer. I enjoyed the quail eggs and appreciated the fact that the salad probably was my entire day's consumption of veggies, but there was very little dressing in the salad and to be honest the blend of vegetables was rather bizarre – jicama, carrot, celery, turnip, enoki mushrooms, the list goes on… Never thought I'd say this about a salad but it was just too much.
My entree, the seared cod however was marvelous. The skin was thick but still crispy. The fish was a tad overcooked but I also like everything rare. The potato brandade on the side though. I could not get enough of it. That side alone will make me want to come back.
Service was lovely. I'll admit that I only went to this restaurant because it participated in Dine Out for Heroes for the Bob Woodruff Foundation, but I am so glad I took the chance.
Has a great brunch menu and a nice brunch deal that includes coffee/juice plus entree. I went a few months back and don't recall anything being spectacular. I suppose I'd go back.
Let me break this place down for you guys and let y'all know why this is one of my favorite brunch spots in the city.
*Location, location, location. North Square is tucked away in the basement of the Washington Square Hotel, and is a few minutes walk from W 4th st. You're right next to Washington Square Park, so you're guaranteed a nice stroll for your post-brunch walk off.
*Intimate, family style seating. Now this could be a good or bad thing, depending on who you are, but any set up that forces you to put down your phone and have an actual conversation is a plus for me.
*Due to its relatively unsung reputation, you don't need to make a reservation months in advance or set up base camp to wait it out. I got here with another friend at around 1pm on Saturday, and we were brought in and seated immediately. Of course, we could have just gotten lucky, so don't blame me if you do end up having to wait.
*Decent food paired with good service. The complementary bread-muffin basket was a nice deviation from the usual selection of stale bread rolls. Our waters were constantly refilled, and we never once had to call our waiter over for anything. Their house coffee was strong and robust, but unmemorable as a whole. My friend and I split their Brunch Tasting ($13) and Challah French Toast ($11), and received our food within 20 minutes.
The Brunch Tasting consisted of pumpkin pecan pancakes (amazingly sweet and fluffy), two eggs any style (go over easy or go home), cheddar biscuit (buttery and soft) and chicken & apple sausage (juicy and tender – my personal favorite).
The generous portions of Challah french toast had a melt-in-your-mouth consistency, easily soaking up the delicious maple syrup. It also came with a side (you get to choose) of crispy, fat-laden bacon.
With its prime location, lack of wait time, decent food and extremely fair prices, North Square has everything you love about brunch, only without the bad.