This review is for the Summer Tuesday special : all you can eat seafood boil. Places in NYC don't do seafood boils. So I'm so glad I booked this summer special. The $99/person meal includes an appetizer (watermelon, ricotta, endive salad or lobster corn chowder), followed by fresh baked bread, then the main course (little neck clams, lobster, mussels, shrimp, crab, corn, potatoes, asparagus), and there is a dessert, but I had to take that to go. We ate two seafood portions !!! This meal is served from 12-8pm. If you can dine before 5pm, there are buy one get one free drinks. All in. The perfect date night. The waitress said they weren't booked fully. So I'd jump on it. Before it is sold out. read more

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Little Owl is the perfect name for this teeny, tiny, and adorable restaurant. Tucked just under the famous FRIENDS apartment building, this little LGBTQ+ friendly breakfast/lunch spot was a fantastic find. With just a few tables and small bar top, it may take a bit for a large party to be seated, but it was just me. I sat at the bar, and was greeted right away with a warm hello and smile. I tried the sunflower and golden beets salad, and it was so flipping delicious! Perfectly dressed, simple and flavorful. It was a little on the smaller side, though. Bigger than a side salad, yet smaller than what would be considered a meal. Everyone working here was hustling their little owl booties off. Cleaning, refilling drinks, clearing plates; all a very efficient bunch. I absolutely loved this place, and definitely recommend stopping by for a tasty bite. read more

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1000000% underwhelming. We passed this place every day this week while in NYC... the city bursting with some of the best restaurant options in the world. One certainly cannot go wrong with an adorable little bistro like the Little Owl, incorrect. The screaming children at the table behind us didn't improve our experience. We stopped in for an appetizer and a drink... The drink menu is quite limited with a mediocre wine menu. The food menu appeared to have good options. The wine was as mediocre as the menu it came from. Decent pour but not the best, especially considering it came from Mendocino. We decided to split the Tuna Tartare. Impressive presentation! Served beautifully. However, it is served Nicoise style and covered in an overwhelming amount of boiled egg. Quite disappointing. Staff were professional and friendly enough. This is about the only positive I could offer for this review sustaining them 2-stars. $60 for 15 minutes, two bland glasses of wine, and a TINY serving of tuna that was extremely overpriced. This was our only NYC fail of the entire week. read more

Little Owl - Tuna Tartare - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

Wanting to order something different this time I got the green beans to split and then I ordered the sea bass on special. The green beans were cooked to perfection. Not mushy & a perfect snap. The fish was cooked well and had good flavor to the sauce. read more

Little Owl - Sea bass - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

Lovely date night spot. Intimate, mood lighting but very cozy. Our waitress was great in suggesting a wine bottle - we got an orange which was delicious. The appetizer of gemelli pasta was served separate for two so that sharing was our own portion - nice detail. Despite being out of Arctic char they substituted with a salmon that was delicious. The chicken was also super juicy and flavorful and a generous serving. A must try. read more

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Cute place under the "friends building". This is my 2nd time eating here & just as great as the first time. Split Chiliqualies & fries. Very small so make reservations. Service was 10/10. read more

Had a lovely dinner at Little Owl this Summer. Despite getting stuck in traffic and being a bit late for our reservation, we were still accommodated and seated within 10 minutes. The restaurant itself is small, intimate and cozy while maintaining an upscale feel aligning with its location on the West Village. We split 3 appetizers and the scallops special entree, which was more than enough food for 2 people. The food was quite good, though potentially a bit pricey for the portion sizes. Overall I would certainly come back next time I'm in the West Village for dinner. read more

Little Owl - Scallops special, zucchini and squash - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

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Food is very good Very impressed. They have two separate rooms separated by a few buildings in between. Nathan was a terrific waiter. We had the eggplant to start and was excellent. My wife had the chicken as i tried the salmon. We were very happy with the service and the food. Was an enjoyable evening. Service terrific and those cooks get busy. Very good. read more

Little owl was so perfect for dinner this weekend! The vibes are so cute and quaint The pork chop was delicious! The service was so fun, quick, and good energy. You gotta check this place out! read more

Christmas week snow...and Greenwich Village looking so beautiful. Especially the exterior of The Little Owl. Our first time and the food was wonderful: egg dishes, beignets, their iconic meatball sliders. Teeny tiny and charming. We were lucky to get in from the waitlist! read more

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Went here for brunch with 3 friends last weekend. A reservation is definitely a must. Service was friendly and quick, we were in and out in 45 minutes. We split the beignets to start which were absolutely delicious. The Denver omelette was flavorful and well prepared. The sauce on top was spicy so be sure to ask for it on the side if you don't like spice. The sangria was delicious, was very hard not to get a second glass. Would definitely come back next time I'm in the area. read more

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Gilbert was an exceptional waiter at the little owl, we decided to opt for the chef's kitchen for a more intimate and quiet atmosphere. The food came out, piping hot and was exceptional. Every single bite was full of flavor, the roasted corn was exceptional with a little bit of heat a nice amount of sweetness and good texture. The show shopper was definitely dessert, the beignets were out of this world. You might wanna just order them first and get it over with. Because you'll be asking for more. read more

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I had a date here at little owl and the service was exceptional! I ordered a mushroom omelette with a side of Cesar salad and he ordered chilaquiles. Ohh my goodness, my mushroom omelette was superb it was probably the best mushroom omelette I have had so far. I ordered Negroni and he ordered a black coffee with milk. There were tourists outside taking pictures of the restaurant/building because it was the apartment building where the show friends was recorded. I would definitely want to come back, honestly maybe order the same mushroom omelette because I love mushrooms and lately my go to brunch order is an omelette. 10/10 restaurant recommendation read more

Little Owl - Interior - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

Little Owl was a great choice for brunch before our matinee on Saturday. The service was great, the food was delicious Highly recommend read more

Food was expensive but had a nice flavor. Steak and chicken were the best plates/ entrees. Meatball sliders and salmon were ok but probably wouldn't order again! read more

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Such a cute restaurant that feels intimate despite being in the Friends apartment! Service was super attentive and seemed to be having fun while working which is always a good sign. Lots of seasonal options that made it hard to choose what to have, but every dish we got was excellent, the standout being the brownie with espresso gelato. 100% will be returning. read more

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Very rich food. cooked with care and friendly cool staff. small spot but nice environment. Expensive but good. Worth a visit if you are looking for a quality meal but on lower west side. read more

Classic brunch spot taking place at a memorable Friends set location. It's quite funny with lots of tourists taking photos of us as we entered into the restaurant. Staff was quite friendly and sat the 3 of us immediately even though we were a little early and the place was popppinggg. We opted for the meatball sliders, poached eggs (really resembled eggs benedict), and the squash. All items were a solid 4/5. Nothing had any issues, but none of the items were astounding. The sliders were juicy-- would've bumped to a 5 if they were a tiny bit more flavorful. The poached eggs were similarly 4/5- solid but nothing too memorable. Same story with the squash, but maybe a 3/5 here as it wasn't super flavorful or unique. Little Owl is an overall solid brunch location, the vibe is cute, friendly staff, and you'll leave your meal knowing that the food isn't going to be bad. Might not be the most memorable, but you'll be overall satisfied. read more

Little Owl - Sliders Poached eggs Squash - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

We were charmed the moment we arrived by the friendliness of the staff and the coziness of the dining room. A tiny bar sits in the corner sending out delicious wine, beer, and other non spirit based libations. (Hint hint). While the tables are small and seating is tight, you quickly forget as the food comes out taking up your attention. Fresh summer dishes with light fish and veggies, like corn and sweet peas, golden beets, and homemade pesto are a perfect flavors for a warm evening in the village. Incredibly delicious and perfectly curated. The desserts did not disappoint either. Thank you to the amazing team at Little Owl! read more

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TL;DR: Delicious food paired with a cozy + intimate vibe as well as impeccable service. Highly recommend, but you need a reservation. Bonus: this is the corner anchor of the FRIENDS apartment building. The Little Owl was an amazing find. For the holidays, you can find Christmas trees and other decor on the exterior and interior, making for a very cozy vibe. Inside, the seating is limited so you need reservations. The service was quick but not rushing you out. The food was executed amazingly well. We tried different dishes over two visits for dinner: lamb ravioli (perfect texture and taste), halibut (flaky with a flavorful mash), lasagne (classic that is well executed), mussels (light flavor but very buttery sauce perfect for dipping bread), and paella (daily fish was Branzino, firm texture of the paella). We appreciated that everything had amazing flavor without being too salty. The portions were also more than generous. For dessert, we tried the Pear Crumble which wasn't too sweet or heavy, but was a large portion with great flavor. read more

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On a scorching hot day in June, we had a resy for two people at 2pm. Upon sitting inside, it felt like an oven so we quickly got a couple of sangrias to quench our thirst and cool us down. We ordered fried calamari, crispy Bell & Evans Chicken, and french fries. Can't go wrong with fried food and chicken right?! Service was a little slow, since it was quite busy. Nothing stood out from the food for me to return again. Cute exterior known for the Friends show. read more

Little Owl - Fried Calamari, Crispy Bell & Evans Chicken, French Fries - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

Where do I even start... I'll be honest, I was a little skeptical walking in. My reservation was at 2 PM and the restaurant closes at 2:30 PM to reset for dinner service. Usually, when you catch a spot right before closing, the quality can slip. But let me tell you--boy, was I wrong. From the moment we sat down, our server Adrian was a sweetheart. She swore every dish I asked about was good. Normally, I take that with a grain of salt--but the chef took that grain of salt and seasoned every single plate to absolute perfection. The steak? Juicy and flawlessly seasoned. The fries? Golden, crisp, and salted just right. The corn? A straight-up 10000/10. The bibb lettuce salad literally melted in my mouth, the eggs were cooked exactly how I like them, and the drinks? Bomb. Special shoutout to Jordan, who was just as amazing and attentive. Between the food and the service, this was hands down an amazing dining experience. I cannot wait to come back for dinner service. You've got a forever customer in me. read more

Little Owl - Steak and fries eggs corn bib salad - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

Great ambiance in the West Village neighborhood of Manhattan. Energetic atmosphere at a June luncheon with daughter. Welcoming maitre d, in a cozy spot apparently near some famous tv show location. "Enemies" or some such show. Tiny bar seats 4 patrons. Cozy, but not cramped. Floor to ceiling windows allowing the June sun to brighten up the space perfectly. Fish tacos and tomato mozzarella salad were excellent. Excellent service. read more

Little Owl - Inside - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

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Never thought I would be able to walk in off the street and grab a table for 1 here. This is FRIENDS royalty. It's the place below where the photo of their apartments are. It is the cutest ever. Inside is a tad noisy but it is small. The staff is so friendly. No memorabilia on the walls of Friends which is nice. I had the daily special of shrimp and grits! Out of this world. So creamy and cheesy. The shrimp perfectly seasoned and the peas had a wonderful crunch. Truly filling. A very intimate setting inside. Please try to visit this restaurant-it's truly worth it - if you can get in. I was lucky. read more

Little Owl - Shrimp and grits with English peas - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

You cannot go wrong at Little Owl. What a wonderful dining experience, hitting all the right notes on ambiance, service and food. The dining room is cozy, with a relaxing Village vibe. The hostess and our waitress Gwen greeted us and served us as if we were friends. The menu offered so many wonderful choices and the ones we did choose were meticulously prepared and presented. Delicious. Dessert was outstanding. I'm sure we'll return again to try other apps, sides, mains and desserts. This kitchen can cook. My only knock, and a small one, is beer and wine only. I would have liked a cocktail before dinner, but in future will cheerfully pass to enjoy Little Owl another time. A++ read more

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We came here for brunch on a Saturday morning. It was so cozy with a great view of the kitchen and a NYC side street. The service was nice and the food was delicious. This is a perfect spot for two people, max group of maybe four. read more

Little Owl - Chilaquiles and Squash - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

We came back for an unannounced return visit. We sat in the other (red) dining room. Bathroom was larger than expected and clean. But the tables are seriously too close together. With big winter coats and even larger neighbors, it was a recipe for disaster. We ordered a bottle of Italian bubbles and it was rancid. So we got a 'skin contact' wine that was not orange and in fact had 'bianco' listed on the bottle. As a translator of Italian into English, I'm well-aware of the nuances of Italian wine-making regions and the like. I was disappointed by the wine selection and by those bottles in particular. The wine was $80 a bottle. I expected more. I would have paid $45 for it, max. Overall, food was pretty decent. The Crispy Bell & Evans Chicken Breast (~$33) was kind of a let-down, worse than last time. The Eggplant Parmigiana (~$19) was nice. The Sesame Green Beans (~$16) didn't make a whole lot of sense as a dish. The oyster sauce was too salty. It was also a mistake to listen to our waitress about the tortelli (~$23), three little pieces and just really forgettable. Mouthfuls of pure grease -- for future reference, the Bibb & Beets Salad is a better option. For dessert we got the Pear Crisp ($14) and Dulce de Leche Brownie ($14). Strong choices. -- n.b. I've listed the website prices above, but I think they are all off by a few dollars: rightfully $21 vs $18, for example. So odd. RECOMMENDED. read more

This place is in the best part of the Village, feels like a neighborhood staple. So cozy and quaint. That being said the food was okay. The dessert gets 5 stars. The ambiance and music get 5 stars. Service was delightful. We would go back. read more

Little Owl - Meatball sliders - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

The Little Owl never disappoints. They excel in all areas: service, space, and food. This time, we ordered a smattering of tasty treats to share. We started with their burrata seasonal special, which came with zucchini and squash in this divine olive, caper, tomato sauce. The sauce was so good, we ordered focaccia bread to be able to soak it all up. Of course, the focaccia bread itself was perfection and came with a fabulous olive tapenade. Next was the eggplant parm and meatball sliders, which are always a winners. The meatballs in particular are tender and have a lovely herby flavor. We also ordered the broccoli and cauliflower dish, which is served over a curry-lime labneh and the gemelli pasta (sausage and zucchini) - both were excellent, but I wouldn't call them "must orders." We closed out with their cinnamon sugar spiced beignets and dulce de leche brownie, which is topped with an espresso gelato. The beignets were fluffy and delicious; I particularly like the raspberry sauce it comes with. The brownie was very good; although, I feel like the espresso gelato steals the show because it's so amazing. Anywho - make reservations and share lots of incredible food with your friends! read more

This review is for weekend brunch. Had a reservation for 2 people and it wasn't too busy to my surprise (was expecting Buvette style lines out the door). Had to try because it's such a NYC classic, but I likely wouldn't wait more than 15-20 minutes for a table. It's your quintessential neighborhood spot: casual, laid back, no frills (in a good way). Inside is pretty small, likely not good for groups larger than 4. There's a decent amount of outdoor seating as well. Service was fine. Food: nothing was bad or "wrong" with the food, but for personal preference I liked some more than others. I ordered: -Gravy Meatball Sliders: the best thing we ordered. I'd come back and get this again. Comes with 3. Essentially Italian meatballs in a red sauce. Very good! -Whole Wheat Pancakes: bit too whole wheat tasting for me. I know it's in the description, but I was hoping for something less "healthy" tasting and more sweet and buttery. (Nothing wrong with them though just a personal preference). -Poached Eggs: overall this was good. I didn't love the greens on it because they were a bitter, but the sausage was really flavorful. Meal felt a little incomplete - felt like it should've come with a small side of potatoes or a small salad on the plate. read more

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Nice place to eat. The staff is 5 stars worth and a major consideration when deciding to eat in the West Village read more

Little Owl - Fella on the right is a server here with a 5-star personality on October 18, 2025. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

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The omelette was super creamy and a perfect ny west vil lunch spot, ambiance was great and the servers were nice. There isn't a ton of space in this restaurant but the high ceilings make it feel spacious. There's a good range of options and this is right where they filmed friends as well read more

How cute is this! Featured: Chilaquiles We also got the home fries and a omelette and all was delicious. Little Owl recently opened a second dining area down the street so we were lucky to walk in without a reservation for Sunday brunch. read more

Little Owl - Featured: Chilaquiles - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

The food was delicious. The seafood (swordfish and halibut) was particularly impressive. The gemelli pasta dish was terrific. I could have ordered a second with a nice fresh piece of bread to mop up the gravy. Desserts are not to be missed, either. The service was helpful and warm. It is one of the best choices in Manhattan to take someone from out of town. It's a quaint street, with a ton of great people watching outside, and it happens to be one of the most Instagrammed places in NYC. read more

Little Owl - Dessert !!! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

Such a cute place with some great unique food options and kind waiters!! Enjoyed my dinner and dessert here

Brioche French toast was moist, properly soaked and flavorful. Not too sweet, well balanced by the stewed berry sauce's tartness. Delicious. Needed a proper French toast. Finally found it. Mushroom omelette was cheesy, decadent and delicious! I don't even like egg and I inhaled this! Green salad was light and fresh, with light dressing, not doused. Orange juice, expensive for quantity but honestly the best I have had in a while- most places make it taste more like the rind and this was all fruit. Mimosa was well balanced. Highly recommend for nyc brunch. read more

Little Owl - Mushroom Omelette - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

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Pretty good but I only got the corn soup haha. The soup was good but it wasn't the best soup of my life and pretty pricey for soup. My friend got the meatball sliders and really enjoyed them! I love all the Little Owls that are around the inside, and obviously the location is super iconic. Make a reservation if you want to go though. On nice days they fill up fast! read more

Small restaurant, so I'd recommend making a reservation before coming! I was able to walk in with 2 people once though, so you'll probably have better luck with small parties. Zucchini and Squash Provençal - pretty good, a little expensive for what is basically a plate of veggies but it helped the other dishes feel less heavy Gravy Meatball Sliders - nicely sized portions and they were pretty generous with the sauce so it was moist snd flavorful Heirloom Tomatoes - again, great to break up the heaviness of the sliders, but pricy for a small bowl Eggplant Parmegiana - tasted just like a lasagna, didn't really get too much eggplant flavor or texture, but I'm not a big fan of eggplant anyways so this worked out Chicken - ordered this last time I came, and ordered it again this time. Meat is so juicy and the skin on top is nice and crispy -- paired perfectly with the potatoes on the bottom! Black Bass Special - a little on the salty side but fish had great crispy skin and went well with the risotto. Service was good overall, our server was attentive and gave us good recommendations! read more

Little Owl - Crispy Bell & Evans Chicken, Eggplant Parmigiana, Black Bass Special - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - New York, New York

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Pretty much an institution in the West Village at this point. Great place to grab both brunch or a casual dinner. Make sure to have reservations since the place is tiny. read more

Cute and tight little squeeze--this cozy itty bitty restaurant provided a quaint evening for Valentine's Day. I love pre-planning my meal, so we were in and out in less than an hour! To start we had the sliders and the eggplant parm, ugh too good! I disassembled the third slider and used the bread to mop up the eggplant parm sauce, it was fantastic. For our entrees I had the crispy Bell & Evan's chicken, the striped bass special over risotto, and the sesame green beans. Perfection. Skip the Valentine's Day dessert special, chocolate covered strawberry cake (just a roll cake) and maybe try the beignets instead. Glad we dropped in for a super quick bite! 'Til next time. read more

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