If style is everything, then Sant Ambroeus has it all. This Italian restorante is located in the West Village of Manhattan.
After I left a girlfriend’s engagement party on Perry Street, I noticed that the street was practically silent at 10PM, except for a small, enchanting place called Sant Ambroeus (259 West 4th Street, New York, NY 10014).
A gentleman greeted me at the door with a neighborly smile. “Hello,” he said.
“Hello,” I replied. As I entered, two quests were leaving, shaking hands with the tan gentleman. I heard them say, “Goodnight, Enzo.”
I sat at the marble cream counter on a red leather bar stool. Patrons were seated in velvet and leather booths, or at smaller tables. A spellbinding chandelier was suspended from the ceiling, smooth jazz music played, and an energized wait staff dressed in pink polo shirts and black pants tended to the clientele. The bartender, picturesque in pink, said, “Hi, may I take your order?”
“Yes,” I replied. “I think I’ll have a cappuccino”
“Certainly,” she said.
Ten seconds later, my creamy cappuccino appeared in a pink and white porcelain cup and saucer. I sipped, smiled, and mumbled, “Delicious.”
Sant Ambroeus is a welcoming place, a fine neighborhood place, and an aesthetically pleasing café. It is open until 11PM, and has two other locations: 1000 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10021, and 30 Main Street, Southampton, NY 11968.
Catch it if you can at www.santambroeus.com