Gene's — Restaurant in New York

Slightly worn around the edges, Gene's is a quintessential West Village Italian restaurant: the menu is solid and good, filled with staple items that have come directly from a Italian mother's cookbook; the wait staff have been working there for years, and some even for decades; and the clientele are all regulars. They return over and over simply because of the first two items listed. It's comfortable, inviting, and very dependable.

I've tried a number of items on the menu and have found them all to be perfectly good. Not outstanding, but never a bad serving. Any specific changes that I or any in my party have ever asked for have always been made, even to the specials of the day.

My recommendation is that you come here, at least a couple times to sit in different parts of the dining room to experience the smooth and practiced staff, watch the clientele (and occasionally you'll see a celebrity or two!). But most importantly, there are so many things that even though they aren't extraordinary, they are very good and very satisfying.

Try the French Onion or Stracciatella soup to start. I like the Lasagna (it has beef in it), and my wife likes the Eggplant Parmesan. And, if you're a fan of salads, ask for the house salad to be chopped, but to please add onions (and out the dressing in the side so it...

This place is an old anachronism or how dining in NYC used to be. In those days fine dining was either french, italian or some version of. The waiters still wear wonderfully handsome uniforms they bring a relish tray to the table b4 you order, its very old school. The majority of the patrons are from the surrounding neighborhood and they've been coming here for years, everything feels comfortable and familar. I've been coming here with my mom for over ten years and I'm one of the new people. The meal is always nice and my mom very much enjoys it here. I recommend; the Clams Casino, Calamari, or the Shrimp Cocktail to start, then the Veal or Chicken Francess is always a good bet, the fish (filet or Sole) is also very nice. The pasta specials are also great but the side spaghetti is just ok, get the veggies instead as a side dish. You can finish with either a Spumoni, Tartufo, or Cheesecake. Expresso or cappuccino is excellent and available with an after dinner cordial to really hit the spot. Its not cheap nor outrageously expensive but it will feel nostalgic in all the best...

The atmosphere in Gene's is great. The ambiance is cozy, created by effective lighting, old paintings on the wall and a huge mirror. However, on a Friday night by 730pm the bar was full and the restaurant had few empty tables. Service was good. The food varied. The vegetables on the free relish tray were nice and crisp. The bread was delicious. My onion soup was tasty and extremely hot in temperature, making it hard to eat. My companions ordered the dover sole and liked it enormously. However, my veal marsala did not have a hint of marsala in the sauce. The sauce was more like a gravy with mushrooms rather than the sauce one envisions with a marsala dish. The mixed vegetables were okay. The broccoli and green beans were not over cooked but the carrots were a bit too soft for my taste. The baked potato was fine. Good coffee and complimentary anise...