Right off Seventh Avenue, in the West Village is a hidden gem. Gardënia, a seasonally driven, Mediterranean restaurant that focuses on flavours from Southern Europe, is truly a delightful find.

Gardënia offers a menu that showcases owners, Antonio Pezzella (from Abruzzo) and Vitor Proenca (from Portugal), homemade recipes. Many of these dishes are infused with the flavors of home and what they grew up eating.

Dinner brings a focus on seafood with standout dishes like their “paella” whilst lunch offers lighter bites with more of a global flair. We started with a “Sopa Atzeca” which really hit the spot for the freezing cold winter day we were having. Aside from being really comforting, the sparkle of flavors really awoke my frozen palate and had me ready for more.

The one constant I found in all the dishes I tried at Gardënia was just how fresh everything tasted. I sampled a range of plates from the salmon to the risotto.