The West Village is central, chic, and densely packed with desirable restaurants … most of which require reservations made way, way in advance, or a willingness to wait in a blocks-long line. One spring day, waiting in said line outside Via Carota, I locked eyes with a very haunted-looking Justin Bieber, before he was hustled in by his security. I really, deeply wanted that salad, but I knew, in that moment, I didn’t have what it takes. In the West Village, you can wander in concentric circles, being infinitely, if politely, turned away, like some bourgeois bardo for brunchers. & Son Steakeasy is your salvation.
Tucked into the lower level of a 190-year-old townhouse, & Son has the bones of Old New York, though it’s best understood as a slightly theatrical but faithful historical reenactment, rather than an actual relic. There’s a tiny patio, a moody front dining room, and a narrow bar that’s busy and compressed. If you keep going, the room opens dramatically into a back space with a glass atrium ceiling, deep, oversized leather banquettes, and enough air and elbow room to feel your shoulders drop. You can come in sweaty and frayed, and a few steps later, you’re seated, cooled, and capable of carrying on.
& Son’s fries and martini pairing is perfectly what it is, well executed and mercifully unpretentious. They also offer a full “adult happy meal” on their menu, which, along with the slightly corny Millennial-cringe humor, comes with a thick burger, fries, and their signature Linger Longer cocktail, a creamy cold brew martini that plays the role of a milkshake in the meal’s flavor profile. When the rest of the West Village is impenetrably booked and busy, & Son is friendly and flexible, a place that meets you where you actually are.
