Extra Virgin

259 W. 4th St. #1, West Village, NY

8.0

map & more

Neighborhood
West Village

Cuisine
American
Mediterranean

Nearby
Le Poisson Rouge

212-691-9359

Official Website

By Chris Stang
August 4, 2009

Extra Virgin is an Immaculate Infatuation approved establishment for two main reasons. First, this place kills when it comes to fish. Extra Virgin subtly and brilliantly incorporates Mediterranean flavors into many of their dishes resulting in unique approaches to typical snooze fests like salmon and halibut. Second, it’s the world’s greatest date spot. If you’re that dude that takes every girl you meet to Tao for dinner followed by a VIP tour of your favorite bars in Murray Hill, it’s time to switch up your approach and get Extra Virgin into rotation. Aforementioned fish entrees, prime West Village location, and an upbeat but intimate room make it the perfect place to go for conversation over a great bottle of wine. The unique nuances of the menu can provide some talking points once you run out of fantasy football stats to impress her with. No reservations are taken, which is actually a good thing – the bar is great and waits usually aren’t crazy. Two tips: if it’s a warm night, try and snag one of the few but fantastic sidewalk tables, and anytime you see a fish entree that incorporates falafel on the menu – order it. No dates? Not to worry, Extra Virgin is a great place for dinner no matter who you’re with. That said, maybe it’s time we started a “singles” section of the website. Stay tuned.

Food Rundown:

Bacon Wrapped Scallops
Perfectly done scallops wrapped in bacon. A pretty standard dish as far as it goes, but these are excellent.

Falafel Crusted Mahi Mahi
As stated above, you want anything that Extra Virgin puts a falafel crust on. I’ve had a few variations on this, and this Mahi benefits from the slightly spicy falafel crunch. Fish prepared this way usually comes with a sweet element on the plate; this one has a red and green grape salad. This is the kind of thing that sets Extra Virgin apart.

Lobster Ravioli
Another standard done well. You won’t find too much out of the ordinary with this lobster ravioli, but you know … if it ain’t broke …

Mushroom Crusted Virgin Chicken
Served with sweet pea risotto, cipollini onions in a light truffle broth, this is quite possibly one of the best chicken dishes on the market. You get a piece of breast and thigh crusted with a breadcrumb/mushroom mix that adds the perfect texture and taste.

French Fries
French fries here come served with a delicious gorgonzola cheese sauce. Regardless of what else is on your table, fries should be ordered.