Café Gitane

Address: 242 Mott St
Zipcode: 10012
Phone Number: 212.334.9552

Café Gitane’s perennial popularity may well be that behind every Manhattanite is a Francophile who just wants to sport a beret, sip inky espressos, and puff on Gitanes. This languid French-Mediterranean spot is the kind of timeless little bistro where you could imagine Paul Bowles scribbling away, stiff drink in hand. Take your meal at the breezy outdoor tables, where you can enjoy all the eye candy trotting by, or kick back in the intimate dining room oozing with Left Bank charm. The creative Moroccan-style nibbles hit the spot: Scoop up creamy baked Feta with hunks of a crusty baguette; tuck into steaming platters of couscous; sample pungent Gorgonzola paired with walnut, honey, and spicy olives; or sink your teeth into a smoked chicken sandwich with mango on raisin bread. Wash it all down with a hearty Burgundy, crisp Pinot Grigio, or an imported beer, such as the sudsy Belgian Leffe Blonde.