Waverly Inn

"A clubby, intimate American restaurant on a West Village side street, the Waverly Inn offers a cozy, fireplace-accented setting for dining on spendy comfort fare. The food is served in curved red booths nestled into two attached townhouses. Classic dishes include grilled octopus, crisp-skinned Scottish salmon, tomahawk rib chop for two, and Waverly’s famous chicken pot pie." - Eater Staff

"Spooky score: ???????????? This classic West Village restaurant in an 1840s brownstone draws celebrities like Robert De Niro, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Taylor Swift. But those aren’t the guests we’re most interested in getting to know. A mural of Village personalities by Edward Sorel takes up an entire wall, and combined with all the mirrors in the candlelit, low-ceilinged space, you quickly get the sense that someone’s watching you. There’s always another face just on the edge of your peripheral vision. A former general manager saw a man wearing a waistcoat and a top hat appear in a mirror at the Waverly, and there was a mysterious fire in the ’90s. Another later fire damaged the famous mural. That one started in the basement—where one server told us she never goes after dark. When we asked any ghosts present to order our drink via Ouija board, we received the letter C—and got a nice, stiff Cosmo." - molly fitzpatrick

"The first thing you’ll notice on the Waverly Inn’s menu is a review of its fare by one Donald J. Trump: ” “Waverly Inn – worst food in city.” The second thing you might notice is the ghost who resides in room 16 – the only room that survived a fire in 1997 that destroyed most of the original inn. The inn, built in 1844 and used as a bordello, has had many strange occurrences like phantom footsteps and doors opening and closing. Witness for yourself over a chicken pot pie and a pint." - Laine Doss

"Swift visited Graydon Carter’s clubby West Village classic a few days ago (and more than once this month, according to a source). Perhaps she’s as enamored with the details as we are, from the Donald Trump quote on the restaurant serving “the worst food in the city” to the Ed Sorel murals. Look for a menu of small plates — burrata, beet salad, cheese plate, oysters, pate — and mains like Amish chicken, Scottish salmon, duck two ways and a cheddar burger with fries." - Melissa McCart

"Being seated at one of the rich red leather banquettes inside the Waverly Inn feels like you’ve gained entry to a secret club, even if the only actual criterion for admission was keeping the notification settings for your reservation app on point. This timeless yet trendy restaurant, cozied up inside a landmark West Village townhouse, is a modern NYC classic, with solid food and an unbeatable atmosphere. Dating back to the 1920s, the restaurant—originally known as Ye Waverly Inn & Garden—reopened in 2006 and assumed a new identity as an exclusive celebrity hangout, drawing big names like Fran Lebowitz, Robert De Niro, and Taylor Swift. What was once a nightly fire-hydrant blast of famous guests may have waned to steady drip over the last two decades, but the Waverly Inn still maintains a discreet no-photographs policy (which is, in our experience, intermittently and unpredictably enforced). photo credit: David A. Lee photo credit: David A. Lee photo credit: David A. Lee The ivy-covered back patio here is beautiful, but the best seats in the house are those that maximize your view of the Edward Sorel mural of Village personalities that stretches along a full wall of the candlelit, low-ceilinged dining room. With any luck, you’ll also find yourself peering over your burger at a very Manhattan character, someone you’re sure you know from somewhere—actor? Broadway producer? hotshot literary agent?—who looks like he could be one of the mural’s caricatures come to life. Food Rundown photo credit: David A. Lee Biscuits The best part of any meal at the Waverly Inn arrives at your table unprompted, and better yet, for free. These soft, moist biscuits are delicious on their own, but even better with a slathering of whipped honey butter. photo credit: David A. Lee Baby Beets & Ricotta These multicolor, jewel-like beets are nearly as sweet as the candied walnuts they’re served with, not to mention juicy and fragrant. Truffle Mac & Cheese While technically a special, this macaroni and cheese, with black truffles shaved onto it tableside, has nevertheless been a Waverly Inn staple for quite some time. Maybe the reason it doesn’t appear on the printed menu is so that the restaurant can maintain plausible deniability about its price—last we checked, it’ll cost you $100. This dish has a devoted following, but we’d skip it. The shavings themselves don’t have much flavor, and there’s an off-putting truffle oil note to the sauce itself. photo credit: David A. Lee The Waverly Cheeseburger The thick, juicy burger is a very solid choice. We especially like the crunchy golden french fries. photo credit: David A. Lee Waverly Chicken Pot Pie This peppery, comforting pot pie tastes like home cooking, and—served in period-appropriate cast iron—probably wouldn’t have felt out of place at the original Ye Waverly Inn. Onion Rings Large, puffy, and golden, with a spicy aioli on the side. Get them." - Molly Fitzpatrick