Elephant & Castle

An old-school West Village joint still here and serving great food and laughter after so many Yeats! Their burgers are great, as are the omelets, salads, and... well, everything! You can't go wrong with any choice on the menu. But, if you eat meat, do try the Elephant burger (no, its beef!) at least once in your life! The curry soir cream is amazing!

I have enjoyed every entree that I have eaten here, all the flavors were on point ( Burgers, chicken, salmon). The ice cream sundae was excellent quality ice cream and the whipped cream/hot fudge was fresh. The carrot cake was fresh, moist, the texture was not my preference, overall it was just okay. Our server was top notch: delightful, helpful and patient-I wish I could recall the older gentleman's name. The quaint/intimate atmosphere was enjoyable as well. It's clear this restaurant knows what it is doing, it makes you want to return.

~ Appetizers~ We ordered the calamari which was served with a curry aioli so addictive we wanted to bring a bucket full home; and a plate of marinated shrimp dressed in a vibrant, citrusy vinaigrette that was zesty yet balanced. ~ Mains ~ TRY: The Grilled Shrimp with ginger-lime sauce and the sliced steak with Merlot-ginger sauce. SKIP: The spaghettini served with goat cheese, arugula, olives, capers, sundried tomatoes, and tomato sauce. As tantalizing that this sounded, the dish fell flat and failed to impress; the ingredients felt out of harmony with each other. ~ Dessert ~ TRY: Scarlett O’Hara’s Coffee Cantata – globes of coffee ice cream served with raspberries, hot fudge; this came with an off-puttingly extravagant amount of whipped cream but was delicious overall! SKIP: Vienna Woods – crepe filled with hot fudge, hazelnuts, and whipped cream; a generic crepe that was cloying (too much whipped cream) and one-dimensional. We absolutely loved the ambience of the place, and the cozy, intimate interiors. Note, though, that the dining area is not the most spacious and you might end up rubbing shoulders with other patrons. Will be back to sample more of their menu!

Cozy spot that was surprisingly still very packed even after prime dinner hours. Offerings were classic American dishes, so I opted for the burger, since it seems like you can't go wrong with a burger at one of these places. I got the guacamole burger with a side of fries. Food was served in a very generous portion, the burger was so big I really had to work on getting a clean bite out of it without all the toppings tumbling out. It was interesting that they gave me a knife and fork to eat the burger with too. I also realized partway through my meal that I was supposed to put in ketchup and mustard that the servers brought out into the burger myself. Fries were amazingly crisp, warm, and just what I needed for the evening. Seating was a little squished, so be mindful of that if you're not a fan of getting a little cozy with the diners around you. Overall great food, great staff.

I love this excellent West Village joint. The food is excellent and ambiance is good, but nothing to write home about. The main reason I go there is the friendly staff. 5 of us went there for breakfast and it wasn't prohibitive. Not like West Village real estate!! The omelet was pretty good. I had an avocado toast which was pretty good. Overall the service was good. Not super fast and so it gave us a lot of time to relax and spend a lazy weekend morning over breakfast.