On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Join us for Brunch on Sundays at 12:30 pm and enjoy Live Jazz Music
Clinton-Washington Aves (G)
Mon-Thu. 12:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Fri-Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sunday thru Thursday 10% off for Yelpers (cash only). Lunch specials all week for only $12.50, come join us and see what the Yelp is about
Loading...
I'd always thought this spot was out of price range for me. I'd sampled the menu via delivery first. The bruchetta's are absolutely fantastic and the closest to authentic I've yet to have. I ordered it with a baby spinach salad-- surprisingly simple w/feta [I really hate feta so i picked it out], caramelized walnuts [the best surprise ever!] thinly sliced pears, dried cranberries & some sort of balsamic dressing. A perfect combination of flavor & texture.
The first time I'd actually gone Anima I'd taken an old friend for linner [late lunch in our linear thinking circles].
The general decor I assume to be inspired by Rustic Tuscano; as it's clearly an Italian Bistro.
We took a table on the back patio, which is lovely as the summer ends.
It was caterpillar season-- cute little fuzzy's running a muck!
It was fairly empty, well, aside from two guys already drunk in conversation who couldn't help but continually interrupt ours from across the patio and in passing.
We'd ordered a graft of Sangria, I had the bruchetta classica as i recalled being a wonderful choice though this time fancily garnished. And she ordered calamari which I tried and seriously do not recommend, but she loved it..I still don't recommend it.
The service was good-- clearly her flirtatious attitude & mini skirt was driven onto her by tips. We commented out loud on her cuteness & how unnecessary it is to try so hard as I always tip well and she knocked off the Sangria graft price and only charge for 2 drinks. SCORE.
We admired the 'Greasy Spoon' diner prices for clean healthy food.
Moments before a storm blows in and my flight is ready to depart from JFK, Davin and I head to Anima for lunch. Supposedly, it is a great place for drinks with awesome appetizers, but that's word of mouth. We had lunch as the storm dumped gallons of water and we watched veins of lighting touch the rooftops of buildings in Brooklyn.
Some of the charm of the place is the side of the restaurant that opens to the street, which appears to be a common feature of restaurants in this neighborhood, but still noteworthy.
To our table, we had a bottle of water along with a basket of bread accompanied by oil and vinegar. My entre was penne con pollo which was okay but I was annoyed that the pastas was NOT al dente. Nonetheless, the waiters were attentive and I'm going to hope that on a busier day there would be more attention to details.
As my last taste of New York, it was a bittersweet visit, especially as we conducted a brief conversation with the table adjacent to us about the weather. I'm sure I'll return and I hope to have an update on another dinner along with one of those bottles on the wall.
UM NO-
though comming here is a hit or miss some times it is good sometimes it is bad. The music selection is horrible and can be loud at time and makes having a convo very impossible.
The worst thing about this place would have to be the wait time, from the time you sit down to the time the food gets infront of you can be upwords to 45 minute's. As much as i like having bread as an appitazier i do not want to eat it for 45 minutes.
Some of the dishes are less then seasond, as others are overly seasoned. Though the wait staff makes it a nice enviroemtn i would not say, i highly recomand this place.
If you want to get out of here on time bring cash and pay by cash. They do take credit cards though by the time they bring you back the check you want to run out the door beacuse you spent upwards of 2 hours there.
You dont get to enjoy your food much b/c by the time they bring it, you are so hungry you just scarf it down and just want to move on to the next corse or go some where else to relax or eat.
I would say this place should not be on top of ur list but should not be on the buttom as well more like half way down. The price for food is not good, it looks good but taste is a diffrent subject, for that money i want it to taste good and not sit there and wonder where is the salt or spiceses.
Solid food and good service. Two cornerstones of what makes a great establishment. The waitstaff was attentive and unpretentious. We were offered a better wine when the one we ordered wasn't available. Definitely a place I'd return.
I was on a a snack bender with a friend who suggested we stop here. It was a little out of my way being on Myrtle, but I liked the intimately dark lighting and exposed brick of the place. We sat at a table for two a little away from the bar and ordered a couple of dry whites, we were recommended a white that was better than the one we'd wanted. Tick! I was stufffed from the last snack we'd had, but the aroma from the bruschetta he'd ordered made me silence my good sense and take a few bites of plain but effing delicious tomato, garlic and basil topped toast. Tick! The staff were amazingly attentive and anticipated our every want. Tick! My bladder being the size of of a kidney bean and my being semi inebriated meant I needed to use the bathroom three (3) times, and each and every time both rooms were immaculate. Tick!!
Anima, if you weren't so far away I think I'd be paying you rent from now on...
I must say that i WHOLEHEARTEDLY disagree with Ana K and Frankie D. My wife and i ate here on Tuesday night and had an amazing experience.
The service was completely on - attentive and (almost) over bearing. They were there ahead of our requests, offering extra bread - refreshing our water bottle etc - yes the waitress had some trouble with things like "kettle martini up olives in and out" but got it with an explanation...
The food was GREAT (really better than i expected) with a tasty soft buffalo motz in the Caprese - an AMAZING stuffed pork chop and some nice wine, we could not have been happier and will definitely go back...
The MUSIC was seriously one of our favorite things about our evening - being children of the 80s we may have been biased, but seriously - every song had us singing along and talking....odd
Going back tonight for the live music too...
My Valentine was gracious enough to take me here and I'm sorry to say we did not heed the reviews. He had only been here before it had changed ownership and both of us left disappointed.
The ambiance was nice, but although we had a reservation, the host seemed to forget about us and leave us languishing at the bar until we reminded him that we were waiting. The waitress didn't speak English well, which isn't normally a problem, but she seemed to have a hard time with everything we ordered. At the very least, learn the menu phonetically, toots.
They didn't bring us bread until I demanded it. Sheesh!
As for the food - my dining companion had the ribs which were very good. I had the lamb shank which was purported to come with "tomatoes and peas". Imagine my surprise when I was presented with a plate glopped in mushy polenta with my lamb shank plopped in the middle and a canned tomato and pea (and onion! my worst enemy!) sludge dumped on top of it. I was expecting vegetables, not a glorified pasta sauce.
For dessert, I ordered gelato which was refrozen and crunchy. Crunchy! I could be wrong, but I don't think you're supposed to CHEW gelato.
Very disappointing.
My roommates come here all the time, and brought me for the first time the other night. Really loved it. We came for the Dine In Brooklyn deal - for 3 courses at $23, we expected downsized versions of their regular fare. Nope. I started with a ginormous baby arugula salad, with huge chunks of fresh parm. The chicken entree was great - crispy skin, flavorful meat, complete with mashed potatoes and some amaaazing sauteed mushrooms. These mushrooms. Oh yeah. Ohhh yeah.
The tiramisu dessert was far from the best I've had, but tasty nonetheless. Great bottle of wine too, for about $25. On par pricing! I agree with Mo, this is swank for Clinton Hill, the inside is dark and romantic, what can I say, I love candlelight. And the music IS great! Seriously, stop in, I think you'll be surprised.
Went to Anima twice this weekend, once on Friday evening for happy hour, which was 2 for 1. Some friends and I sat at the bar, drank wine and enjoyed the complimentary chips and olives they had out.
Then we came again for dinner on Saturday. For an appetizer we had the eggplant and goat cheese bruschetta, which was amazing. For dinner I had the 3 mushroom fettuccine and my friend had chicken, pepper, and cheese ravioli. I loved the fettuccine, my friend however did not enjoy his ravioli; guess you can't please them all.
The food was reasonably priced. The restaurant atmosphere is very nice and relaxed. Not a lot of people there either time I went. It would be a great place to take a date because the lighting is very dim and romantic.
I will definitely come back again for the happy hour and It would even be a good place to take moms next time she comes in for a visit.
For Myrtle Ave, this place is swanky. The meal was much better than I expected- in both presentation and taste. And our waiter, no, waitress, no waiter, no busboy, waitress, waiter.... okay, so EVERYBODY helped serve us. A little too attentive perhaps. No use in having a classy, barely lit dining corridor if you're going to traffic up and down looking for a water glass that's a centimeter too low.
Forget that I started to complain there.... because the music. Ohhhhh, the music. It was fabulous. It was lush and plush, as all music should be. One of the best music-venue pairings I've ever had the pleasure of being completely absorbed by ('twas a Thursday evening). Way to tighten the sash on Myrtle's quality, Anima!
One of the best restaurants in the neighborhood - we order from here at least twice a week. The dining experience is not bad as long as you don't mind the cheesy music selection.
I loved this place as Il Torchio and I'll settle for what it has become as Anima. I should mention that my boyfriend and I sat at the bar for dinner, so that could make a difference in the service.
We were greeted kindly and were given more than enough food to mow on while we waited to order. Some foccacia right from the oven, olives and salt + pepper chips.
The bartender was a bit flaky and the food took a while to be served but it was worth it. I had the chicken breast, which had a nice crispy brown skin and was juicy and tender on the inside. It came with crispy polenta, roasted potatoes and peppers. I was expecting it to come with mashed potatoes and swiss chard since that is what the menu said but I didn't make a fuss about it. My bf had the Anima Burger, which was a burger with cheddar, pancetta and carmelized onions. I didn't try it but he said is was a decent burger.
I would definitely go back again or perhaps even meet some friends for dinner there but I can't say it would stick out in me head as the first choice.
This place has gone from good to better in my book, because guess what?
They have an AMAZING two-for-one Happy Hour. And not just on bottom shelf garbage.
Perfect way to start your evening: warm bread that they serve with oil and marinated olives, fried calamari, arancini, and two to four glasses of whatever you want (but that'll be half price, of course.)
Yay! Yay! And the people that work there are very nice. This has become my fiance and I's new standby bar.
Really, really liked it! We ordered take out one night (lasagna and calamari...which comes with… Read more »
I was very disappointed to find out that one really wonderful restaurant had been traded for one not quite so good. My beloved Il Torchio is now Anima - and it just isn't the same thing (despite the quirk in Yelp's database that would suggest that it was so).
So, ignore any review here from before July '08.
The outdoors seating is no longer available. The menu is more limited. The fine bottles of Prosecco have been replaced by sweet, lower quality Prosecco. The charming Italian "tapas" are gone. It bewilders me why the original owners sold what had to be a successful business, and why the new owners felt the need to change things for the worse.
To be fair, the food isn't bad, although very uninspired. The service is excellent, and prices are somewhat cheaper. Nonetheless, I probably will not be back.
My father remarried when I was young, and his new bride, Margie, had a maiden name that ended a… Read more »
I just moved to the neighborhood and haven't had a chance to check out too many places, so a comparison will be difficult. My mom came in to visit last night and we went to Anima - our service was great, the food was very good and quite reasonable.
Calamari was perfectly cooked and the caprese salad was one of the better ones I've ever had. We also had lasagna and the fettuccine with mushrooms - both were great and the portions were generous (enough to take home leftovers).
Outdoor seating is available and the decor is charming. I highly recommend this place - quite a few beer choices, nice wine list.
Sign outside says Happy Hour from noon - 8pm, so I'll have to check that out sometime soon!
Il Torchino was way better. Anima is ok, the food is ok, but GOD the music selection is HORRIBLE and its so loud! I couldn't get out of there fast enough.
My fiancé and I had a wonderful dinner here. We were seated next to the sidewalk and the wall was completely open. Great ambiance and the food was delicious. We started with the grilled shrimp and I continued with the all-natural chicken, which was cooked perfectly and accompanied by a wonderful sauce and ratatouille. The potatoes were mashed just right so there was a hint of chunkiness. Since we had originally headed down Myrtle to eat a Maggie Brown's, we headed across the street and had dessert there.
I've seen past reviews mentioning that this place is expensive... that may have been the case before but the prices are extremely reasonable now (almost unbelievably so). The service was a little slow, but I think they wanted us to linger in hopes more people would come in. After our first visit, I can't think of a reason not to return.
I went here for afternoon drinks with my friends in June and we had the best time. We sat in the bar and the bartender came out to serve us. He was very friendly and revealed some great news: that it was 2 for 1 happy hour on everything except bottled beer. We had bloody marys and mimosas which were both delicious. Speaking of delicious, the home made potato chips were complimentary and very tasty (although greasy). The music was also great with a mix of Johnny Cash, Richie Vallens, Beatles. I can't wait to go back to eat a meal!
The place is great for happy hour, the service is good, the food is just ok. The dinner was a bit cold, the ravioli of the day, wasn't that fresh. I like the charming decor and bar area, but if you are looking for flavorful italian food it is not the place. The calamari is decent, the warm bread... but that is about it. I would revisit this place for happy hour.
My husband and I were so excited to discover this place near us - it is a great balance of swanky and relaxed, the food has been great and they have some lovely wines to go with it. Its become a regular for a treat night or special occasion and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it! THe bar is also great!
Looking for cheap ass italian on the new Myrtle? Anima delivers solid food at great prices. With rustic ambiance and dim well places lights, it's fairly romantic so my first trip with a buddy we had to overcompensate by constantly flirting with the tall eastern european server. After arguing with the waiter on whether pork chop could be served medium rare, he won the debate with "it has bacteria that will makes you sick". I chose the hangar steak which was served room temperature, but cooked to medium rare. But at $15 who cares. Similarly the $23 bottle of chianti tasted just like an entry-level bottle should, but at that price you can have 3x. Pastas were seasoned well pesto chicken one and sausage tomato. We wanted chili flakes and they brought them in the little plastic shaker and shook some on like fresh ground pepper (on table btw) and then removed the bottle. They got the job done so I'd say the service is adequate and a bit odd. All in all I'd go back and just specify al dente and continue to explain what cooking to temperature means.
Special Discount for Yelpers!
Neighborhood: Greenwich Village
Fabulous Brunch now served…
Neighborhood: Park Slope
Neighborhood: Windsor Terrace
Category: Pizza
Neighborhood: Clinton Hill
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Clinton Hill
Category: Pizza
Neighborhood: Fort Greene
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Carroll Gardens
Category: Pizza
