For a quick trip to Provence …
Zimmi’s brings a taste of the South of France to the West Village with a tiny, candlelit dining room that’s intimate with dishes you’re hard pressed to find outside of France. After years in kitchens like the late Flora Bar and Lodi, in 2024, New York-born chef Maxime Pradié struck out on his own. The result is this personal project that’s an homage to the food from his childhood holidays to France while staying with family. This French fare isn’t your typical bistro steak frites or a fussy duck vol-au-vent: Instead, it’s rustic, bountiful, and delicious. While the menu changes daily, think dishes like chickpea pancakes with generous helpings of bottarga and fresh cheese, or airy eggplant fritters served with anchovy aioli, and one of the city’s most perfect roast chickens. Co-owner, Jenni Guizio, oversees the wine list, which is unique in that everything is available by the glass or half bottle, encouraging customers to try something new. Whatever you do, if the vanilla ice cream is on the menu, order it. With its exquisite grey color from having so much vanilla in it, it’s pure unadulterated flavor.
