Wild Cherry

Tucked behind the stage door of the historic Cherry Lane Theatre, Wild Cherry is Lee Hanson and Riad Nasr's ode to old-school American supper clubs, all raw-bar shellfish, retro red-sauce touches, and a horseshoe bar built for lingering.

The chefs behind Frenchette, Le Rock, and Le Veau d'Or traded French bistro polish for something looser and more theatrical, opening a 45-seat room tucked into the West Village's oldest continuously running Off-Broadway house, now under A24's stewardship. The menu moves from oysters and tuna crudo to frog legs Kiev, kielbasa and kraut, and a Denver-cut steak dinner for two, while James Beard-nominated wine director Jorge Riera stocks the list with hard-to-find French bottles. Come for a show, or don't; either way, the horseshoe bar and a shared Scorpion Bowl are reason enough to linger past curtain.

Best for: Pre- or post-theater dinner, date night, and groups chasing a lively, retro-glam supper club mood