Dante
“There are precisely 12 different kinds of Negronis for all sorts of palates.”
“Loved the chamomille sazerac and unlikely negroni (my only slight criticism was the daquiri was unwhelming – despite a beautiful presentation) Elegant dining area with killer music playing.”
“- Vongole soup spaghetti: I loved this.”
Dante
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Happy Hour: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Such a cute spot to enjoy a coffee outside. Caught up with a friend and ended up sitting here for hours people watching. There was a woman at the table next to us enjoying a book and soaking up the sun (servers are so friendly and not rushing anyone). Very chill calm spot that transports you back to Europe.
4.5 stars. What a gem this place is! Dante had been on my list since the week it opened (about one year ago) and I finally dined (and imbibed, obviously) here on Monday night. I'm completely shocked that this place has so few reviews to its name. It's in a fantastic location and is part cafe, part cocktail bar, part restaurant, and part whatever else you'd like it to be. Being centrally-located, versatile and of course, all kinds of yum, should be reason enough for you to try this out. But because I write unnecessarily wordy reviews, you're going to hear quite a bit more.
Came here for a late dinner on a rainy (read: drizzly), summer night. Dante offers quite a generous amount of indoor table seating as well as bar seating, but we opted to sit outside under the awning, which juts out just enough to keep the tables (and diners) dry. Were I to dine here again, though, I'd probably sit by the bar. The cocktail menu here–negronis and beyond–is superb and I love to watch talented mixologists at work. Judging by how well-executed our drinks were, I think it's safe to assume that the bartender working on this particular night was, indeed, talented.
The cocktail menu at Dante is actually divided into two separate pieces of paper: one, a "Negroni Sessions" list, and the other, a typical cocktail list. Despite my love for gin, I've never been the biggest Negroni fan. I've had a number of them in my life, they don't really do it for me. But given how expansive the Negroni selection is at Dante, I had to try one. I should also mention that not every Negroni on this menu is made with gin, so if you're more of a whiskey or tequila drinker and are still curious about the Negroni style, this menu's got something for you.
After scanning the menu and enlisting the help of our waiter, I settled on the Unlikely Negroni (cabeza blanco, campari, banana, pineapple shrub, chili, sesame). As it turns out, cabeza blanco is tequila. In the past, I have had a very negative reaction to tequlia and as such, I refuse to drink it. But because I assumed that this was gin-based, I actually LOVED this drink. Sometimes the aversion seems totally physical for me, but this is pretty decent evidence for it being partially psychological too. In any case, I'd highly recommend this drink. Spicy, sweet and very well-balanced. Perfect for summer.
For my second drink, I went with the Gin & Tonic (fords, yeoman's tonic cordial, perrier, citrus, jasmine mist), which is perhaps an even better summer drink. It comes in what can best be described as an oversized wine glass, such that a nice slice of grapefruit and a nice slice of orange can comfortably sit inside. This drink is as refreshing as it gets.
For food, we opted for sharing. Though honestly, opted is probably the wrong word, because sharing is the only option I allow. Eats are below:
Octopus w/ hummus, black olive, radish, chive and chili flake (A+)
Octopus is my kryptonite. I've successfully held many a-hand into beautiful, octopus-water. I've shown people how goddamn delicious it is if they can start to accept that eating tentacles isn't so weird. This happened in Dante in the best of ways. The response: "this is without a doubt the best thing I've eaten all week". And it's true: this dish was fantastic. The octopus was served cold, which you don't find too often (or at least I don't). The octopus was cooked beautifully, but its accompaniments made the plate. The hummus was fresh and incredibly flavorful, the olives added some more juiciness and saltiness, the radish was fresh and crunchy, and the chili added some spice. Beautiful (look at the picture!).
Special flatbread: arugula, fig, ricotta and hazelnuts (A)
What could be bad? Always a winning combo of ingredients. Crunchy, creamy, salty, sweet–basically dessert pizza. Not much to say other than that. This was a lovely complement to our otherwise seafood-centric meal. Ideal for sharing.
Whole Branzino w/ cabbage slaw, yoghurt sauce, some other stuff (not on the online menu) (A)
Yes, "Whole Branzino" means you see it all. They will show you the head. You can choose not to look, but it's part of the experience so just go with it. Though I'm sure if you ask beforehand, they'll happily skip the initial presentation and serve it sans head/body. In any case, this was some of the best branzino I've ever had. Juicy, flavorful and fresh. I'm a big fan of any kind of bass, and this dish reminded me why I often profess that. I'm not sure what kind of wizardry goes on in that kitchen because this place came out FAST, but I'm not questioning it.
Like I said in the intro, Dante can work for pretty much any occasion. Come here any time of day with groups of varying sizes. You can make this a nice date night or a chill night out with friends. You can come here during the day and drink a cup of coffee outside. You can come just for drinks and try to conquer the whole Negroni menu during Happy Hour (5-7). The possibilities are endless here.
Cafe Dante is a cute little cafe by day that turns into a bar/restaurant later in the afternoon. We found ourselves strolling around looking for a place to sit and have a coffee. It also started raining after we had strolled around washington square, so we were looking for somewhere to wait out the rain for a little while.
Dante was very inviting. There were a few tables along the side walk and the interior feels very homey. We ordered some drinks: a latte, a lemonade and glass of wine (it's 5:00 somewhere, right?) and enjoyed people watching for the next two hours.
The service was attentive and the bathroom was clean, but tiny. The latte was great and the people watching was hilarious. Definitely a great little cafe if you ever find yourself in the area. It had me wondering what the dinner menu was like….
While there is street parking, we did see parking police come by and issue tickets to cars parked in the loading area. The one lane street also can get congested when deliveries are made, so you're really better off walking/taking the subway.
Dante has become one of my favorite restaurants in the city. Located just a short walk from Washington Square Park, it's easy to get to and there's always a lot going on in the surrounding area.
While it looks very upscale, the overall atmosphere is warm, inviting, and unpretentious. The team has a lot to do with that as they're always friendly, polite, and courteous. They're awesome.
The menu is thoughtful and there are tons of options. The drink menu is really nice and as previously recommended, try the Salty Dog. My friend ordered it last night and she enjoyed it. They also offer non-alcoholic drinks, which I appreciate. Rather than offering the usual orange or cranberry juice, they thought of tasty and creative drinks.
There's a large communal table in the back, near the bar, which is good for large groups/birthdays/celebrations, etc.
While I highly recommend Dante, there are a few things to point out. The bathroom is really small and the toilet is placed in a really bad location. But hey…it's New York and space is limited. My friend and I also waited quite a bit for our drinks to arrive. But that's because it was peak hours (7:30 PM). You won't wait long during brunch/lunch and mid-afternoon.
Tip well, enjoy the comfy seats, and take a post card for the road. Enjoy.
Solid 3.5
I've passed Dante numerous times when in the area and recently noticed it popping up on some NYC food lists. It definitely has a lovely airy European cafe feel to it. Bestie had chosen the restaurant for our 'girls night out dinner' with a few friends this past Friday.
I ordered a glass of red wine and the beef tartar as my entree with a side of asparagus. Overall, my friends and I felt the food was pretty good but not worth the value. I'd come back to sit outside on a nice day and people watch with a coffee.
We happen to be out for dinner on St. Patty's day, and wanted to find a cocktail bar that wasn't decked out for the event. I honestly just wanted a scotch to cap off my night, and we discovered this place – with the corner of the bar vacant and able to seat the three of us (plus my giant bags!).
The bartender, bless her, made the best recommendation for a whiskey – Hakushu. She even gave me the story behind how it was first discovered and served us water the second we sat down. LOVE.
I must return for the food – it smelled ah-mazing.
Well it is Negroni Week in NYC so I stopped by Dante. They have a happy hour special list of about ten Negronis for $9.00. I had a Negroni Blanco which was pretty good. Bartender was working hard. Did not try the food. Music was older pop. I heard one Sinatra song. Just a short walk from the W. Houston Street subway.
Shoutout to Victoria who provided excellent service last night- one woman team holding down on a busy Friday night. Great place for drinks and food. I had the octopus with hummus and it was surprisingly good- never thought that combo would go so well together. The place is small but really comfy and I would love to come back again for their other dishes. Also, get the Salty Dog for drinks- sooooo good. Can't wait to be back!