Two restaurants that opened in the West Village last month have been named among the best new restaurants in Manhattan.
Cafe Charmant, at 340 Bleecker Street, and El Camarón Peludo, at 20 Cornelia Street (between Bleecker Street and Sixth Avenue), are among five additions to Eater’s October update of its Manhattan heatmap, which mostly features restaurants that have been open for six months or less. They join four other Village restaurants already on the 16-spot list: Mary’s Fish Camp, Graciela, Hommali and Somssi.
Cafe Charmant bills itself as a coastal take on the classic French brasserie, pairing brasserie staples with a seafood-driven menu under executive chef Jake Tyler Brodsky, according to its website. It’s the newest concept from Catch Hospitality Group. Eater notes that Brodsky is an Eleven Madison Park alum and says he adds Caribbean touches to the brasserie standards.
The menu includes oysters at $24.95 for six, a king crab croque topped with caviar for $19.95 each, and an Iberico Milanese with yassa onions for $35.95. Steak frites comes with a choice of a 12-ounce New York strip for $64.95 or an 8-ounce filet mignon for $59.95. The restaurant serves dinner Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m.
El Camarón Peludo, whose name translates to “the hairy shrimp,” comes from chef Giovanni Cervantes and Tania Apolinar, the couple behind Taqueria Ramirez in Greenpoint and Carnitas Ramirez in the East Village. They’re collaborating with Carlos Barrera, a Brooklyn chef who grew up in Mexico City, Eater reported in April. Cervantes was a finalist in this year’s James Beard Awards.
The restaurant is a wine bar first, with a menu rooted in Mexican seafood. Eater’s editors highlighted the sardine tacos and michelada-dressed oysters. Ahead of the opening, Apolinar described a long, narrow space with the bar running the full length of the interior and first-come, first-served seating.
