Locanda Verde

Opened in 2009, Andrew Carmellini’s rustic-Italian Tribeca tavern has turned into something of an all-day downtown institution. In the mornings, a dedicated counter offers pastries and coffee to neighbors and guests of the attached Greenwich Hotel. Business lunchers file in midday, and dinner service calls for dimmer lighting that makes the space — all dark wood and black-leather accents — feel a little more intimate. Meals might start with the famous sheeps’-milk ricotta, squat cylinders of steak “tartara” with hazelnuts and truffles, or an oversize salad of mixed greens, shaved radishes, and goat-cheese vinaigrette. There are bowls of pasta, all made in-house, like al dente spaghetti studded with calamari, shrimp, and preserved tuna, or rounds of paccheri with “Sunday night ragù.” Heaping plates of garlic-roasted chicken and grilled swordfish round out the entrées. You’re not here for culinary ingenuity; you’re here because it’s comfortable and familiar and you know what to expect, and the staff delivers the experience with a level of professionalism and consistency that remains noteworthy.