There are dozens, if not hundreds of Italian cafes in New York. With so many fabulous ones strewn throughout the city, it would be virtually impossible to choose the best. La Lanterna, however, is markedly different because of its very romantic appeal. Located on Macdougal Street just a hop, skip, and a jump from other noteworthy Italian cafes such as Cafe Reggio and Cafe Dante, La Lanterna's Greenwich Village neighborhood is almost a second Little Italy. La Lanterna consists of two dimly-lit levels decorated in a dozy fashion, and with its close proximity to the NYU Law School, there is something in this small cafe that stirs visions of an intellectual and scholarly past. During the cold New York winters, a fireplace is ablaze on the lower level, as couples romancing one another and students reading the likes of Nietzsche and Beckett can be seen sipping their espressos while attempting to thaw out. Because it is less visible than many neighboring cafes, at La Lanterna you can avoid the crowds that so often invade Greenwich Village while enjoying a private moment with your companion. --Romantic New York

You feel you’ve been “whisked away from the hustle and bustle” at this “cozy” Village Italian supplying “quality” pizzas, pastas and desserts that don’t “break the bank”; “working fireplaces”, a “tranquil” enclosed garden and “cool” live jazz add up to the “perfect date place.”--Zagat 2009

"Nothing beats the ambiance of this romantic Village Italian, a paradise on rainy nights thanks to it's roaring fireplaces, live jazz and covered garden..." --Zagat 2008

"by night a dark, sexy, nexus for cuddling up with someone special" --Zagat 2005

" This intimate Village coffeehouse oozes old world charm thanks to a fireplace that's as warming as the rich cream on the espresso..." --Zagat 2003

" Be prepared to snuggle up because this Village coffee house
  screams romance" --Zagat 2001

"The coziest café in Gotham." --Zagat 1998