One of the many pleasures (and, dually, pains) of being a New Yorker is the likely chance of finding yourself at familiar film locations. Among the most notable lies the “Friends” apartment building, located on the corner of Grove Street and Bedford Street in the West Village. Although the show was shot in Los Angeles, the West Village exterior was shown in transition clips throughout all ten seasons of the iconic ‘90s sitcom. 

What offers a far better reason to visit the quaint West Village corner, however, is The Little Owl, a delicate American-Mediterranean restaurant that lives just below the photo-op of the “Friends” building. This past weekend, New School Free Press reporters Layna Williams and Valentina Graziosi secured a spot for Saturday brunch and were met by wonderful service and tasteful menu options. 

While we settled in over coffee, the interior design offered a refined, intimate atmosphere. Because of the subtle decor, what is immediately noticeable is the wonderful ambiance. Wooden bistro tables and benches fill the space, where square-paneled windows reach up the tall ceilings. Despite the small size of the space, it didn’t feel cramped.

To our surprise and ultimate relief, owner Joey Campanaro has not entertained the obvious attraction the retail space gets with any familiar “Friends” references. If not for the huddle of people taking photos across the street, we would have forgotten where we were. 

We began with the beignets, served with raspberry jam and Nutella, which pair perfectly with coffee and are a flirty bite to split with a friend or date. Then came our main dishes; poached eggs and whole wheat pancakes. 

Anything whole wheat typically warrants an unsexy, bland version of whatever food it’s stepped in for. But while the pancakes were not particularly interesting, they defied their expectations. Served with fresh fruit, they were simple pancakes done right — fluffy, not dry and coupled with thin maple syrup. 

The poached eggs had a lot to prove to us as lovers of a classic eggs benedict. The Little Owl’s spin offered biscuits in place of an english muffin, a breakfast patty similar to sausage in place of canadian bacon and added greens. The usual sweet, savory and muted flavors of the dish overlapped each other, creating something entirely different than typical eggs benedict, a sneaky and delightful cousin of the original. Where we may have usually argued “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it,” The Little Owl offered quality that won us over. 

The complete meal, which amounted to just over $25 per person, was only a fraction of the brunch menu offerings. Brunch is served from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday through Saturday.

While it seems more fitting for daylight, given its limited space and casual elegance, the restaurant is known for its pork chop, featured on its dinner menu. We do not doubt that the seemingly tame West Village spot has more good impressions to make. 
If you do choose to indulge, note that seats fill up fast, so be sure to secure your spot through their website in advance.