VILLAGE LANTERN

If you find yourself on Bleecker Street but can't bear the thought of slipping into one of those overcrowded college bars, your best bet is to follow the light of the Village Lantern.

Part Italian restaurant and part laidback watering hole, it attracts a friendly crowd of twentysomething locals with nightly live music, tasty grub and solid drink specials.


It's also airy and immaculate, a very good menu and winelist, and appetizers are a specialty. Flat Screen TV's are placed nicely ... easy to take and enjoy.

The high-backed booths up front are as comfy as can be, and the downstairs lounge is perfect if you're in a 'couch' kind of mood but don't feel like paying $10 for a cocktail. Jazz bands may perform here on weekend afternoons, comedians will step up to the mic downstairs in the evenings, and DJs spin on weekend nights (no cover for women).