The best private dining options in the West Village

This intimate restaurant in an early 19th-century carriage house will whisk you away to a villa in the Italian countryside. Vines, fairy lights, and florals decorate both the indoor dining room and the courtyard, and exposed brick and wooden detailing add a touch of New York charm.

The husband and wife owners of Palma specialize in elevated Italian cuisine, with a menu that highlights original recipes and cultural favorites. Start with antipasti like 30-month-aged prosciutto and figs or crispy Arancini bites, and then indulge in fresh pasta for the main course. Vegetarian and vegan options are also available, and they have an original gluten-free pasta recipe. A full bar houses a diverse selection of Italian spirits and wines – and what better way to enjoy an Aperol Spritz than an Italian villa?

Private dining can take place in any of the multiple private rooms. The romantic main courtyard garden holds up to 40 guests, and is open all year round, enclosed and heated in the winter and open-air in the summer. The ground floor space, the carriage house’s original kitchen, holds 16 guests, and the library on the second floor holds 22. The streetside garden spills out into the neighborhood and can accommodate 16 guests. From April to November, the terrace is available to book for 10 guests, ideal for a summertime soirée.

The husband-and-wife duo behind Pizza Loves Emily (or just Emily, its endearing nickname) have quickly turned their New American pizzeria into a Brooklyn neighborhood staple. Their West Village location brings their signature hospitality and wood-fired pizza into Manhattan, occupying a charming corner building on Bedford and Downing. The interior is understated and classic, with dark wood floors and furnishings, but the pizza is the star of the show.

Emily offers a mashed-up menu of their Williamsburg and Clinton Hill specials, so you can choose between thin-crust and Detroit-style pizzas. They’re woodfired in an inherited oven that’s believed to be over a hundred years old, topped with handmade mozzarella. Unique toppings include honey, pistachio, and truffle sottocenere. They don’t just serve pizza, either: the Emmy burger was praised as one of the best burgers in NYC (a hard feat for a pizza restaurant). Pair your meal with wine or seasonal cocktails, which have names like “Emotional Damage” and “Kick in the Falls”.

The entire restaurant is available for a full buyout of up to 100. You can also book the semi-private space for a 30-person meal, or dine family-style in the private wine cellar with 10 guests.

You may have passed this adorable brick townhouse and thought, “Wish I lived there!” But you wouldn’t be able to, because it’s a restaurant. The dedicated patrons of Bobo would be very upset. Despite its quintessential New York exterior, the interior is elegantly French, with brasserie chairs and lantern lighting adding Parisian flair. Copper pans, restored fireplaces, and antique fixtures line the walls.

Bobo is renowned for hosting events, with multiple private dining spaces available within the venue. The main dining room and bar holds 50 seated guests, the garden holds 30, and you can book the full venue for 150 standing guests and 80 seated, which includes the buyout-exclusive first floor Den. Dedicated event menus are available, with multi-course set meals for brunch and dinner. A list of preferred vendors include bakeries, photographers, florals, and decor.

The menu has cultural staples like coq au vin and tarte tatin, as well as oysters and French onion soup. And, predictably, each dish can be paired with a wine from an extensive list – straight from France, obviously.

In such a trendsetting neighborhood (with insane rent prices), it’s rare to find a restaurant that’s been around as long as Market Table has. Opening in 2007, this farm-to-table was on the organic changing menu train before all the California chefs made their way East. Inspired by the Chef’s childhood on his family farm in Maryland, dishes are based on seasonal availability and harvest. The interior may seem simple, but the neighborhood serves as a backdrop – the corner building and floor-to-ceiling windows make it a great people-watching spot.

Market Table offers full-scale event production, custom decor, floral arrangements, and entertainment. Private dining can take place in the main dining room for 50 seated guests, the heated streetside space for 40, or the intimate 20-person wine cellar, which is lit by candlelight and has its own bathroom and bar.

The changing menu means these guys really get creative. At the time of writing, dinner highlights include codfish with salsa verde, faroe island salmon with pomegranate, and apple purée. The cocktails are fresh and floral, with lavender, orange blossom, and cardamom rose. It’ll impress even the toughest of critics, which means it's a safe place to bring your parents when they’re in town.

Yes, you read that right. The butcher’s daughter is a vegetarian. We’re in a new age, people. But if you’ve ever had a brief phase where you went vegetarian (except for drunk McDonald’s chicken nuggets and pepperoni on pizza) you know The Butcher’s Daughter, which serves plant-forward dishes made from conscious ingredients. The interior offers a breath of California slow living in the chaos of Manhattan, with rattan baskets, natural light, and plants all around.

The 600 sq ft private dining room expands to the outdoor terrace for a maximum of 25 people, or you can rent the full venue for 70 seated guests. The menu offers all-day breakfast, highlighting acai bowls and avocado toast (duh), or you can get entrees like mushroom carbonara and coconut curry in the evening. Cocktails are $10 during happy hour, and are unique in flavor: “Dillusions of Grandeur” has vodka, honey, lemon, and dill.

And if you’re wondering, don’t worry – we’ve been told the butcher and his daughter are on good terms. No beef there.