Garage Restaurant and Cafe

Took my fiance's jazz loving stepfather here for some music and a new york strip steak. It was his first time in NYC and I wanted to have him leave with a great impression. Garage fit the bill! It was amazing! The food was delicious, the music was great, the portions left us full where we couldnt fit dessert. The staff was friendly and attentive. The atmosphere is purely romantic with dim lighting and candlelight dinner. He still raves about it today!

Pros: Great food, good music

Posted 06/09/06

The food is magnificent, even during restaurant week. We checked out coats and were seated immediately. Our waiter was extremely knowledgable about the specials and service was prompt. We were not rushed through dinner. Great dining experience overall.

Posted 04/27/06

The overall dining experience was very nice. We had a cozy table on the balcony overlooking the restaurant/bar. Enjoyed listing to the live music. The food was delicious. Their specials are the way to go. The regular menu is good as well, but the specials are really good.

Posted 04/19/06

I have been going to this Greenwich Village restaurant for years... I have had many an wonderful meal there,,,and the Jazz has never been better....not only was the apple salad wonderful and refreshing , the garage steak was delicious as well....this evening was made perfect by great service and AMAZING JAZZ...I have always loved Garage,,,and have always highly recommended it.. believe it or not, I think they have gotten better with time...something most places dont do!!!..long live Garage and long live great Greenwich Village Jazz!!!!

Pros: food , jazz, service & atmosphere

Cons: none

Posted 04/13/06

Two of us had dinner on Saturday night. We had a reservation and were seated upstairs promtly right next to another table for two. The people were talking so loud we couldn't have a converstion of our own. The jazz was very good. The dinner average. The staff was efficiant and friendly. There are too many really good restaurants in New York for us to return here, but it was ok.

Pros: jazz

Cons: noisy, average food

Posted 04/04/06

A free 10-man jazz show with a reasonably priced gourmet dinner. What else can you ask for?

Food is terrific.

Pros: Food, Music, Service

Cons: Loud

Posted 04/01/06

Like many people, I love going out to eat, but usually there is SOMETHING that sort of deminishes the experience. But this place really blew me away with great food, ambience, and service. It was just a perfect night, the food was perfectly cooked, served at the perfect time, and the atmosphere was just beautiful.

I think they really stand out with the sea bass, but all their food is delectable. My point being is that if you are up to some good drinks and a delicous meal, this is the place. I had a fabulous night and I cannot wait to go back!

Pros: delicous food, fast service, great atmosphere

Posted 03/31/06

We had brunch here, 3/12/06, would highly recommend this place. Fast, affordable and great Jazz playing the entire time we dined.

Posted 03/13/06

The steak was tender and the salad was so fresh. The presentation was so nice that I couldn't wait to start eating. The ambiance was really romantic, and service was pretty good. I love their penne ala vodka.

The jazz was great. I've never heard such incredible jazz for free! Call me a regular!

Pros: Service, Food, Ambiance

Cons: None

Posted 02/17/06

I went to the garage on a sat. night in january with 10 people every one loved the food and jazz The steak aupiove was great 2 of my friend had the chilean seabass witch was out of this world thats what will get on my next visit

Pros: great food, live jazz, fireplace

Cons: none

Posted 02/13/06

I'm not really into Jazz, but my friend raved about the Red Snapper. When we went, the Red Snapper was not "on special," so, I tried something else, the Chiliean Sea Bass, which is on the regualr menu - and, Oh My Goodness, it was amazing!!! My boyfriend had the Grilled Sirloin with Pocini Mushroom Sauce, and all throughout the meal he wouldn't shut up about how awesome the steak is.
And I dealt with the jazz music - it's worth going for just the food.

Pros: Food, fireplace, confortable

Cons: none

Posted 02/13/06

This fun happenign resatuarnt,,,was a great tiem from the get go.....the jazz was wonderfull and the atmaosphere was very welcoming....the barstaff was really great...i really cant find anything bad to say about this place....cant wait to try the jazz brunch

Pros: jazz, food, atmosphere

Posted 11/25/05

Stumbled upon Garage on a Saturday night while walking through the Village. We were looking for a casual spot with good food, atmosphere and live music.....also able to accomodate a group of 6 without waiting forever. Lo & behold, Garage fit every aspect of what we were looking for. The staff was attentive without being bothersome. The food was served fresh and hot. The music was excellent and the atmosphere was really cool. Also seems like a nice place to hang after work, perhaps next time.

Posted 11/03/05

What a letdown. This place shuttled us in & out like some chain operation. Our food was mysteriously served 4mins after we ordered it.....my wife swears her chicken was reheated, rather than freshly grilled. The jazz was quite good, but didn't make this a romantic setting...there was just too much of a "process" at work by the staff to maximize food receipts in the course of the night. The process was so tight we were on our way 40mins after sitting down.....thankfully. The food is nothing to write home about.

Cons: Food

Posted 10/23/05

This place is wonderful, it's one of my favorite restaurants in New York City. The food is always great, and when they have the live Jazz performers, it's just amazing. They have great bartenders/barmaids. The drinks are always good and the service is wonderful. Honestly this place is great. It has gotten a little more expensive these days, but definitely affordable. So, if you enjoy great Performers in Jazz and you like great food and desserts this is the place! Their Creme Brulee is AMAZING!

Pros: Great Food, Great Live Jazz, Beautiful Ambience

Cons: Crowded

Posted 09/23/05

We walked into Garage and loved the atmosphere immediately. We were greeted by a young lady who was very pleasant and striking. She seated us at a table with a view of the band and the incredible stone fireplace. Our server, Suzette greeted us as soon as we sat down and we had our drinks within 5 minutes. How rare is this on a Saturday night at a busy restaurant. The food is excellent with many dishes to choose from and desserts were yummy but we could have used a few more selections.
We will definately return.

Pros: Service, Great Food, Fireplace

Cons: limited desserts

Posted 08/23/05

my date and i went in there just for the music and drinks, but would up having an appetizer of coconut shrim and a caeser salad. little expensive for the portions, but still good anyway. drinks were ok, nothing extraordinary about the. ambiance of the place is very nice. but most importantly, the music was fabulous. the live jazz bad was well worth the visit. i'd go back to try dinner, but would go just to sit at the bar and listen to the band. service wasn't that good. either from be shorthanded or just bad service

Pros: nice set up, jazz band

Cons: average service, little pricey

Posted 07/03/05

The place was good. Pretty uninspired on the whole as far as food and wine, but a great space and ambience.

Pros: good location

Cons: uninspired food

Posted 06/30/05

Comfortable ambience, talented musicians, and enticing food - all combined to make an excellent brunch experience. The place itself has high, wood-beamed ceilings, brick walls, and a pleasant acoustic layout. The trio of jazz musicians showed a feel for the genre while also playing at the right volume level: loud enough to enjoy it, not so loud that diners needed to shout to hear each other. The banquettes & booths on the tiered & upper levels are particularly cozy, though sitting at a table along the balcony provides a great birds-eye view of the whole place. As for the food, the vanilla bean soaked french toast is mouthwatering, though for something more savory the benedict mignon really hits the spot. The dessert sampler is a great idea for groups - and at just $4 per person, it's more than reasonable and would be a great accompaniment with some good coffee.

Pros: Service, Music, Diverse Menu

Cons: None

Posted 05/08/05

my husband and i were in the mood to relax and have a good meal. thats exactly what we got. the ambience was cozy and romantic. the lights were dimly lit and the fireplace was on. the light jazz in the background(live)was perfect.we had the blue cheese salad which was to die for, it had green apples, pecans, cranberries, and a honey white wine vinagerette dressing. for dinner i had the chicken stuffed with feta, spinach, and pine nuts which was DELICIOUS!!!! my husband had the filet grilled which was good, not great. for drinks, my husband had martinis which were exactly to his liking, i stuck to the red wine good selection and price.for dessert we had apple cobbler with gelato which was so amazing. its a little pricey but worth the good time and food.we will be back!

Pros: ambience, food, music

Cons: pricey

Posted 03/20/05

Was just at the Garage last weekend with my wife and another couple. Great service at the Bar and a friendly staff. Music that evening was outstanding and no cover! We ended up staying for a couple hours on a Friday, and the place was lively, not dead at all.

Dinner was great. Everything is a-la-carte, so you end up paying a little more, but for New York, it is not out of line. I would go back in a second, and plan on doing so my next time in NYC.

Pros: reasonable, good food, good service

Posted 03/03/05

For many years I have visited Garage during my annual visit from London UK, I have always dined at least once at Garage during my stay and intend to continue the practice! My next visit will be in April 2005.

Interestingly, I was recommended Garage by an English colleague and I noticed that a major UK Sunday Newspaper also recommended the establishment in Jan 2005!

The food quality, ambiance and service are excellent.

Pros: Food, Ambiance, Service

Posted 02/11/05

I love going on Monday nights to listen to the big band. You can't beat value for money listening to 10 to 15 pro musicians for the price of a few beers - especially as there aren't so many 'big bands' around these days.

Pros: music, ambiance, service

Posted 07/28/04

The outdoor seating on 7th Ave offered a great area to watch the west village crowd stroll by. Good service, food and live jazz, too.

Posted 06/24/04

went there on friday night with my boyfriend. they have live jazz music with no cover charge or minimum order.
my bf's steak was cooked to perfection!
our waiter was very friendly and attentive.
great for date.

Posted 02/21/04

I recently went on a date and we dined at Garage. In my mind, this is the perfect date spot. It's cozy and very intimate without being too romantically suggestive. The live jazz band was great and offered a subtle distraction from the lulls in the conversation. Our waiter was very knowledgable of the menu and made food suggestions based on our tastes (and he was right on). Garage is an incredible value for a fun night out.

Pros: Atmosphere, Music, Value

Posted 10/09/03

Went to this place for the first time about 3 years ago.. went back recently and I must say the food has declined since then. The chicken is overcooked and dry, the coconut shrimp was way overcooked as well. I'd give this place another chance if the cook doesn't fall asleep while cooking my food....The bar is awesome though.

Posted 04/08/03

The food here is great and the service is greater. Not to mention the ambience. I liked the overall setting A LOT and it was only improved by the fact that our waiter was pleasant and attentive even though we only ordered entrees (no drinks, no appetizers, no coffee). AWESOME

Pros: food, atmosphere

Posted 03/27/03

Marianne is the best bartender I have ever met. She makes the best Margaritas this side of Tiajuana - you will not be disappointed! And the live jazz is excellent...

Posted 12/30/02

I have lived in the west village for 14 years and only discovered this place a few months ago. What a find! Great service, food AND atmosphere. Highly recommended!

Pros: inexpensive, service, atmosphere

Cons: location, parking

Posted 12/26/02

We sat outside and the ambience was perfect -- there was music playing inside that we could hear, but it didn't outdue our own conversation. The food was very good all around -- the asian spring rolls are a great appetizer. The filet was very good as was the seafood scampi. Steer away from the parmesan fries (they use powdered parmesan), their house wine selections, and mixed drinks (there's no alcohol in them!!!) -- stick with beer or a straight up martini and eat till your heart's content:)

Pros: great ambience, yummy food, service and music

Cons: house wine, parmesan fries, weak mixed drinks

Posted 10/11/02

I go to this place everytime I'm in NYC. The food is great. Try the Philly steak sandwich with filet mignon. Or the coconut shrimp. And the salad is great!
Best place to sit is upstairs near the fireplace but with a view of the Jazz bands on weekends.
Great place to sit outside and drink cocktails and people watch during the summer.

Pros: Food, Location, Atmosphere

Posted 09/30/02

This is one great place for brunch! The vanilla bean soaked french toast is the best. The weekends offer great live jazz! Also a fun place for people watching!

Posted 08/19/02

I've heard many good things about the brunch here so my friend and I decided to go. We got a seat outside--the overall atmosphere is nice...and so is the mimosa...but that's where it ends! Our waiter took our drink orders and never came back! About a half hour later another server came out and walked around to ask people if they had ordered...I got her attention and we ordered the omlettes--i asked for mine to be cooked extra ...then our 1st server comes over about 10 minutes later to take our order (Uh?!). About 15 minutes later our food comes--I taste is the brunch potatoes...not too bad...but the omlette...yuck! Can we say extra runny?!!! I could have had a better one at a diner for half the price! Anyway, if you go to Sunday brunch don't expect the best service and you might want to try the "lunch" items...

Posted 06/12/02