This NYC Italian Restaurant Takes Diners Back To The Early 1900s

New York City is home to an abundance of Italian restaurants — you can barely walk a block without encountering one, and they run the gamut from hole-in-the-wall mom-and-pops to Michelin-starred outfits. Naturally, with the city being so old, there is also a third breed of these institutions: historic spots, and if Gene's — which made Food Republic's list of the best Italian restaurants in NYC — doesn't fit into that bracket, we don't know which one does. This restaurant is seemingly frozen in time, and it has been serving up old-world fare in Greenwich Village since 1919.

While Gene's has moved once in its over-100-year history (it's 33 years younger than the oldest Italian eatery in the U.S.), it was just down the street, and the eatery has remained mostly unchanged ever since. Everything from the interior, with its wooden bar, white tablecloths, and linoleum floors, to its menu, which still features many of the same dishes from when it originally opened, screams time capsule, in the best way possible.

And its guests are eating it all up. "Great atmosphere ... the staff was the epitome of old world charm missing in most establishments these days," one Google reviewer wrote. Another happy diner on Google echoed that sentiment, calling Gene's "a true old-school New York Italian gem that feels both authentic and inviting."

With a menu whose dishes harken back to the early 20th century, and which has delighted diners for over 100 years, there are a few must-try meals at Gene's. To start off, though, you'll want to give the Clams Casino a try, which features clam meat mixed with salty bacon and peppers, topped with breadcrumbs, piled onto the open shells, and baked (more adventurous eaters will enjoy the raw clams on the half-shell, too).

Moving onto entrees, the Chicken Toscana is a highlight; it takes at least 40 minutes to prepare (you can't hurry perfection), and it comes out tender and rich, awash in a creamy, garlicky sauce that is cooked with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. Another poultry fan favorite is the Chicken Parmigiana, which one Google reviewer wrote was the "best ... in the area[,] or I'd say in the CITY!"

And finally, what dinner is complete without dessert? Customers rave about the decadent chocolate mousse. Adding to its "two thumbs up" reputation is the value: Gene's offers excellent food at even better prices, not just good for New York City, but for anywhere. Entrees range mostly from $30 to $40 (the most expensive meal is the $73 broiled veal chop), and they all include a side of rice, a vegetable or potato, or spaghetti.