Since I moved downtown this past summer, I’ve been on a never-ending quest for casual spots to eat, see, and be seen. On a recent journey through lower NYC, fellow luxspot contributor Rob and myself made our way to Via dei Mille on West Broadway. The restaurant, which is named for the most exclusive street in Naples, Italy has a distinctly European flair even though it’s situated in tourist-heavy SoHo. It’s the kind of place that you expect to see Europeans causally lounging at 4pm on a Tuesday afternoon with a glass of wine, a few good friends with swept back hair, and probably a few shopping bags as you sit and wonder why a bunch of good looking people in their early 30’s don’t have jobs.
When Rob and I walked in we were greeted warmly by the staff and sat towards the front of the restaurant which is almost entirely windowed- perfect for people watching. We had a leisurely lunch that started with the most wonderful bread. Normally I don’t eat that much table bread, if any, because it’s a waste of stomach space and calories in general. I’d rather focus on the real deal meal, but in this case, the bread was accompanied by a lentil dish in rich, dark extra virgin olive oil and seasonings. As simple as it sounds, it was delicious. Rob and I found ourselves scooping up the last lentils in the dish, one by one.
We tried a variety of Italian and Italian-inspired dishes on the menu including meatballs, mussels, and panini, but the real menu standout was the grilled octopus. If you’re a fan of octopus, Via dei Mille’s will make you want to keep coming back for more. In the past several years, I’ve only experienced ONE other restaurant that has grilled octopus as tender and flavorful. The tentacles were slightly charred, but somehow not even remotely rubbery.
We were surprised to find that the decor somehow said “crusty upper east side” but the people and music screamed “oh hey, we just got back from St. Tropez and we’re still wearing bikinis under our sweaters and pea coats.” If you’re shopping around SoHo and need a warm-up drink and a delicious snack, Via dei Mille is definitely the spot to sit and relax.
