This Italian restaurant is located in Greenwich Village. While the area may be known for its rich history and home to the beatnicks in the ’60s, Perla is all class. It definitely has a throwback feel that’s glamorous enough for celebrating a birthday or anniversary.

Now when we say Italian food, we aren’t talking about an Italian American joint with heavy cream sauces and hoards of bread baskets. This isn’t the Olive Garden. Perla is true Italian food, so expect a lot of a seafood and lighter sauces concocted from olive oil or a classic red sauce.

Perla has all of your traditional Italian dishes like chicken alla cacciatora. The oysters on the appetizer menu are raved about on several review sites, even by those who aren’t major fans of Italian food. The beef tartare is paired with parmigiano reggiano and black truffle for melt-in-your-mouth flavor that’s sure to make even a model want another taste. There’s also octopus, soft shell crap and field greens as light appetizers that will ensure you have plenty of room for the entree course.The octopus is braised with tomatoes and eggplant for a tasty starter, but if you want something more basic the field greens are always there. Heads-up: reviewers say the field greens are just that, so don’t expect something innovative done with a bed of lettuce.

Bone marrow has taken off in the world of fine dining and at Perla, it’s served with a New York strip steak and peas for a new spin on an old favorite.The strip steak is loved by many New Yorkers (obviously), but travelers from the steak-centric Midwest also give the strip steak at Perla two thumbs up. The beef tongue is a must-try. We understand if the idea of eating tongue freaks you out, but when it’s done well, it’s as delectable as a juicy steak or burger. Tongue isn’t one of those things you want to try every time it’s on the menu, as bad tongue can be tough, chewy and downright, well…bad. Perla knows how to get it right every time, so if you’re feeling adventurous or are already a fan of this organ – have at it!

Perla isn’t cheap, but it isn’t one of the most expensive restaurants in Manhattan either. Entrees start around $18 and top out under 30 bucks. It’s a casual place by most standards, so there’s no need to dress to impress (unless you’re usually running around in sweatpants like George Costanza). The waitstaff is casual for the most part and you may run into the European dining experience here. That’s the nice way of saying service can be slow. Perla doesn’t take reservations for parties of four or less, so if it’s you and a date, you can expect an average wait time of 30-45 minutes. Sit at the bar, have a drink and peruse the menu to kill time.