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Category: Italian
Neighborhood: West VillageWe will be open on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. Come join us!
Christopher St (1)
9th Street (PATH)
W 4th St (A, C, E, B, D, F, V)
Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Been here twice, and have had the best italian fod in New York both times. I ordered the Tagliolini fruti de mare and it was plated beautifully, large plump shrimp and calmari against a backdrop of black pasta and red sauce is incredibly inviting.
The bread was nice and crusty and my fiance's penne alla vodka was equally good. An excellent wine selection simply adds to the experience
A couple of friends and I were walking around the area, looking for a airy, open place with wine and pasta. We stumbled across this small space and gave it a try because of it's quaint ambiance, good wine list and excellent people watching vantage point.
We ordered a few glasses of white wine - they were all excellent. The food itself was good, hearty, traditional flavors, but nothing to rave about. The horseradish encrusted salmon was prepared well, although a bit too well done for my tastes. The spaghetti with clams was good, with plenty of clams and a nicely flavored sauce. All the portions were perfect and the pricing was reasonable.
Great service and good food - overall a cute neighborhood bistro to enjoy the summer weather in.
Was here for a mellow brunch. Great burger. Enjoyed the waiter bar tender interaction. Came back a week later for dinner. WAY TOO NOISY with bad music -- MILLI VANILLI. The pasta with marinara was pretty good. I think I'll stick to brunch / lunch.
My husband and I were going to eat down the street but the wait was too long. We stopped here to have some wine and think about where to eat. The menu looked good and the restaurant was lively and comfortable so we just stayed put and ate at the bar. The friendly bartender also added to our evening.
Not only was the food very tasty (ricotta ravioli....YUM), but the portions were perfect. I love not feeling totally stuffed after I eat dinner, especially pasta. It's a great spot to stop for a drink or a bite in the West Village.
If you are looking for a beautiful/romantic, friendly, and moderately-priced (though small & "tightly-seated" ) authentic Italian bistro at a particularly picturesque W. Village corner location, then I Tre Merli may ring your chimes. The deep red walls with tasteful twinkling light accents, glowing curved copper bar, large sparking mirrors and especially the floor-to-celing-windows with a vista onto the W.4th/W.10th cross (that could ONLY happen in the Village!) make this an eye-candy place to meet your girlfriends for drinks or to take a date.
I've been here about 5 times, never had a 'bad' experience (love the pappardelle with lamb). I think I'd have to agree with other reviewers who give the food a solid (but by no means "wow") 3/4 star rating. Rather than the food, my favorite thing about ITM is the ambiance & generally friendly service.
Since I'd like to give others a sense of what's maybe "not so great", I would have to mention the following (in case these are deal-breakers for another Yelper):
* I think the wine bottles range on the higher side (high-$30s to low $50s are where the good-value choices are). C'mon, it's a recession; couldja maybe offer a $30 special?? For example: How can nearby Pasita and Zampa stay in business even though they charge less for wine bottles (hint: higher volume, driven by consumer perception of goodwill)?
* At peak times, no matter HOW much you've just spent on your group's meal, don't be surprised (in this crowded, popular place) to be politely but definitively advised that another group has "reserved your table after you" & are waiting to be seated! This happened to me last night (4 people spent $250 in 2 hours but we were subtly pressured to hasten our departure).
Otherwise, go early (before 6:30PM) to assure the best seats, skip the $52 bottle (Aglianico) in favor of a $38 bottle (Chianti...jeez, isn't Chianti about $10-12 at the corner store?!?), wedge yourself in and relax in this lovely, shining space...until your time is up : ).
I am torn about my rating for i Tre Merli Bistro. Based on the food alone, I am inclined to grant it 4 stars. However, there were other aspects of my dining experience that are pulling my opinion down to 3 stars instead. I decided to opt for the lower of the two and let the reader decide...
Now, let me start at the beginning...This i Tre Merli location (there is a larger spot on West Broadway) lives up to its "Bistro" label with its cozy neighborhood feel. There is a sophisticated and stylish vibe among the international clientele. The bar appears to be crowded by dedicated patrons.
However, here is where the quaintness ends. The dining room is extremely tiny. In order for me to arrive at my seat, I had to climb over another chair, and squeeze between the table and window. I mean, I work out, but I do not expect to have my flexibility challenged when I am at a restaurant. Also, the server was extremely cold and rude, a personality unsuited for the local vibe. Lastly, we were greeted with dry, stale Italian bread. Since bread is a weakness of mine, this put a slight damper on the meal.
Everything started to look up when the food arrived, though. My tender Branzino was served as two large fillets draped over a mound of flavorful sauteed spinach. The fish was in a rich white wine sauce and was garnished with cooked grape tomatoes, capers, and olives. The sauce was a bit salty, but the dish was deliciously simple overall. My brother's Black Pasta was served with crisp shrimp and calamari, all in a spicy marinara sauce. The light, yet seasoned sauce added some flavor to what might otherwise be a standard dish.
These tasty courses can be enjoyed in decently large portions at very affordable prices ranging from $13-$30. I actually had a $10 off coupon that I asked the waitress to apply to the bill. Instead, she told me to just estimate the $10, and she would keep the coupon. Granted, the $10 off was easy to calculate and only neglected the effect on the meger tax, but it was just a weird response. Her condescending attitude did not help matters.
Alas, upon exiting the bistro, my klutzy self tripped over the neighboring table and into the door frame. Is a little comfort too much to ask for?
So, now you see my rating dilemma - 3 or 4 stars...? That is the question...You make the call.
Italian restaurants are a dime a dozen in this city. I'm surprised at the number of five star reviews here. Both the food and service were average. I was there during lunch on a weekday and they weren't busy. When there aren't a ton of other customers in the restaurant you expect attentive service at the very least.
I ordered the Milano panini which was good and the mixed greens on the side was a great bonus. The paninis and salads were priced very reasonably but I though some of the pasta dishes were a bit high for lunch.
The boyfriend and I had brunch there today. I love how open and airy the place was with all the ceiling-to-floor windows opened. My french toast was good, but I think it was a bit too expensive for 2 slices of toast. The bf's salmon panini was simple and delicious, however, incredibly greasy. It was literally dripping olive oil. We both felt that we needed to wash our hands a few times with soap afterward.
Went to I Tre Merli since my fiance and I had a coupon from the NYC Diners Deck. We shared the beef carpaccio with arugula and parmesean cheese, which was very good, and I loved my pasta w/ clams. However my fiance was unimpressed with his entree of pappardelle, due to it's tiny size! One impressive item on the menu was the vanilla ice cream panini w/ nutella... that was delicious!! Another downside was the seating. Since the restaurant is small, our table was smushed in between a booth end and the bar, making it difficult to get up and out when needed.
My family is in town for the weekend and we stumbled across this place for lunch/breakfast today. I am not sure what it would be like at night but it was a charming place for a Friday afternoon. I had a goat cheese and prosciutto omelet that was quite tasty; however, this bistro gets a solid 4 stars for the following reasons:
1) Fantastic potatoes! Really... some of the best I have had. Potatoes are an oft overlooked component of any brunch.
2) They were very accommodating... my mother was hot and wanted the front door closed. No problem.
3) Our waitress smiled a lot. And I liked her smile.
I think I'll try this place for dinner...
This place was fab. Quaint, relaxed, dim lighting, nice servers, and we were not rushed. Food was excellent--would definitely go back.
I Tre Merli is a tiny, unassuming Italian bistro on a quaint corner in the West Village. The food is nothing out-of-this-world, but it's good enough for a stop if you're in the neighborhood and craving Italian. The space is small, but in my opinion that just adds to its charm.
I wish I had better things to say about this cute little bistro. I've been to the main i tre merli restaurant on West Broadway and had wonderful meals there.
Here at the bistro, we started by ordering Caesar salads. Our waitress informed us that they don't have a Caesar on the menu but we could order romaine lettuce with caesar dressing and shaved parmesan and croutons. Am I wrong, or is this the same as a caesar salad?!
Unfortunately, their idea of caesar dressing is a ton of mayo with a hint of lemon juice. Nas-ty!
I had spaghetti vongole (white clam sauce) and this dish was nice. The pasta was al-dente and the clams were abundant and fresh. My friend had the gnocchi which was soft and pillowy in a tasty pesto cream sauce.
So, the pasta is good. The salad, not so much. The waitress - a bit unfriendly. The location? Not bad but they're across from a bus stop so eating with a diesel bus idling loudly in the background takes a bit of the romance out of the place.
io non reccomendo
A splendid cafe that should not be missed on a cool sunny day! We snagged the corner table surrounded by the windows of this quaint Italian cafe. Our cute (I think French) waitress added to the ambiance of this place making us all feel like we were back in Europe. The Pasta with Vodka sauce was one of the best I have ever tasted. The panini's bread was so perfect, I can taste it again just thinking about it. The olive oil with the complimentary bread was to die for. There is also a customizable brunch menu and nice selection of wines and spirits. Even the diet cokes in the little bottles and perfect ice filled glasses were presented with perfection. I can't wait to return!
P.S. This is one of the only restaurants if not THE only that is on the corner of two Streets in NY and not the corner of an Avenue and a Street.
My cousin took me and some friends here for dinner. It was outstanding!
We started with the octopus appetizer, simply the best I've ever had.
As a veteran of many, many sushi bars, I've eaten a lot of tentacles. None compare with this. Truly remarkable.
I had the steak in a spicy aioli sauce and my cousin had the boar pasta.
I cannot fathom a better meal in all of the city. I really want to go back and sample their lunch menu: the paninis look fantastic!
On a recent trip to NYC, my friend who currently lives in Brooklyn took me to this restaurant. I highly recommend it. The food was absolutely delicious. I had the carne asade verde with fries (so yummy). I do agree that it is a very small dining area, but it made it feel more personal. My evening in the Village was amazing. Lovely area and lovely restaurant.
Just renewed my acquaintance with I Tre Merli and it's a gem - had a glass of wine and a plate of tomato and mozzarella salad there on a recent summer evening.
This is a very pleasant place to enjoy appetizers or small plates and wine.
I've passed by I Tre Merli a million times but only ventured in recently. On a warm, sunny Sunday, the little bistro lured my girlfriend and I in with their cozy interior and wide open patio doors. I Tre Merli is the type of neighborhood place where there is rarely a wait for a table and waiters don't mind if you sit and read the paper. A handful of tables near us were just leisurely reading, sipping on coffee and enjoying the fresh air. Though tables are a little cramped and certain corner tables by the open patio doors are more or less cutoff from being serviced by the waitstaff as a result, these seats are the main draw to I Tre Merli. Sunlight pierces every direction of this corner bistro during the daytime which bumps this otherwise two-star place to A-OK. And while the food isn't so memorable (our omelets, though exceptionally large, were a little on the oily side, and I'm pretty sure there was like a pound of feta in my omelet), it is decently priced and coffee is pretty good. This is a solid bistro I would visit for lunch/brunch if I lived nearby, or if the wait at Westville was too long and I was absolutely staaaaarving. Nothing to venture out of the way for though.
I can't comment on the food. Why? Cause I went there for the cocktails! The St. Germain Cocktail is so yummy and tasty and refreshing. I've been twice and only for the drinks. Based on the reviews though I may have to break down and have a delicious meal as well.
For the type of people that I can be loosely grouped to (fun loving lushes), this place is amazing. A good Friday or Saturday night is composed of multiple shots of Patron, free champagne and great Italian app's. Get to the bar, only five or six seats, be friendly and shoot shots with the bartender and you could be in for a great time/night.
I've spent very little here compared to the amount I've taken in. The conversation is great, multi-national drinker speak. Characters are from all walks of life and definitely out for a good time. Quite often I've ended up going to after hours with good group of people I've never known and partying till the sun comes up.
It's a little slice of Euro style eat, drink and be merry. If you could bottle and sell this type of environment you'd have Bloomberg shining your shoes.
good place. very nice waitstaff and bartenders. good food. just a comfortable nice place to have a snack or dinner.
Cozy and cute Italian place in the West Village. The food was excellent and I definitely recommend this place. Large windows and a busy street so you can see and be seen.
Cute space with confused service makes for an okay place for a casual brunch on weekends, particularly on nice days when the windows are opened. The newer West Village outpost of the SoHo staple has great food but hasn't quite gotten it together service- wise. Good burgers, salads and paninis are washed down with lovely wines and bloody marys though so not too shabby.
a charming little spot in the west village. if you can swing it, get the corner table that's surrounded by windows on a sunday afternoon. Its just perfect. They have delicious panini sandwiches, limited, but tasty brunch menu where you can customize your own omelette. They also have a fine selection of wines. mangia, mangia!
Great at night. Wonderful wine (although the cocktails weren't bad either), delicious pasta (the Penne a la Vodka, please), and rich desserts. Love it. Have a nice light dinner and then take a walk around the neighborhood.
Went here with my younger sister who was visiting me in the city for the first time. I wanted to take her someplace in my neighborhood that gave off the character of the village, and this place was perfect. We ordered a bottle of wine at the bar while we aited for a table (about 25 mins on a Sat night w/out reeservations, not bad). Bartender was really cool and conversational. I want to go back just so I can hang with him at the bar! (and get more complimentary limoncello shots). We sat at a small table by the window, which was really lovely when the snow started to fall. Following the advice of my fellow yelpers, I had the penne a la vodka. Un-B. Soo perfect. My sister had a chicken dish, which I found to be a bit plain but she loved it. Had a nice, but somewhat pricey bottle of wine. Really nice little place to go, chat it up with the bartender, have some comforting and reasonably priced Italian, and just to soak up the awesomeness of the West Village
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: West Village
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: West Village
Category: Bars
Neighborhood: West Village
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: West Village
Category: Seafood
From 1996 until 2009, these were my regular local…
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