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Steps from Sheridan Square, the little sister of Soho’s I Tre Merli offers the best people-watching opportunities in the West Village. Nestled on the tomato-red banquettes or perched at the polished wood and copper bar, patrons can gaze out at the motley milieu and luxuriate in the contrast: Inside the warmly lit orange and red boite, an atmosphere of unhurried conviviality reigns. A bistro with an Italian accent, I Tre Merli offers a selection of salads, from fresh beets and Stilton cheese atop endive to a frisee and lobster salad sharply accented with horseradish; generally competent, if sometimes bland, pastas; and several variants of panini. More substantial entrees include grilled wasabi salmon, breaded chicken breast Milanese, and an excellent steak Pepe Verde, made with a cut more flavorful than you’re likely to find in any steak frites in town. The torta sbrisolona al pistachio, a polenta cake almost the texture of shortbread and filled with honey and pistachio nuts, nods to northern Italy. With a drink and the foot-traffic for entertainment, and the restaurant’s no-rush policy, genial customers can–and do–while away the evening till midnight. — Jessica Branch

Steak pepe verde and herb fries, $18.50; lobster salad, $20

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