Cleo

West Village spots tend to lean either toward the scene or the sleepy. Cleo lands somewhere in the middle—casual enough for solo dinners, but polished enough that you don’t feel like you’re eating in someone’s living room. The menu falls under New American, which in practice means a little of everything without leaning too hard on any one coast. You’ll find it at 621 Hudson St New York, NY 10014, a block where the cobblestones give way to pavement and the crowd shifts from tourists to locals who’ve given up on fighting the rent.

Dine-in is available, though the space isn’t built for lingering over multiple courses. Most people order takeout or use the curbside pickup if they’re trying to avoid the sidewalk shuffle. Dinner is the main event, but the vibe stays low-key; no one’s here to perform for the table next to them. If you’re flying solo, the bar stools along the window work as well as any booth. To check availability or place an order ahead, call 212-242-7888—no app required, just the number.

The neighborhood’s idea of casual usually involves a sweater you’ve owned since college and a menu that hasn’t changed since the last mayoral election. Cleo fits the dress code but not the inertia. For directions, the map is here: Hudson Street at Horatio, where the old meatpacking warehouses still cast long shadows after dark.