Cafe Medi

Located on the ground floor of Hotel on Rivington, Café Medi is in the heart of NYC’s Lower East Side. My two girlfriends and I were meandering the village when I had remembered my friend mention the recent open of this new eatery. Hungry for some dinner, we decided to make our way down to check out this fun new spot.

The restaurant isn't hard to miss, with the doors and windows wide open in the summer, Cafe Medi is very welcoming. Upon entering you will notice how the cozy Mediterranean ambiance opens into a warm high-ceiling contemporary eatery with a delicate Mediterranean hand painted mural. We sat in the main dining area, at a table in the middle, and were quickly approached by a very sweet waiter. We ordered some wine and a variety of appetizers including the Heirloom Tomato salad, Roasted King Oyster Mushroom, American Red Snapper Carpaccio and more.

Cafe Medi serves a Northern Mediterranean cuisine both fresh and seasonal. The cuisine is inspired by traditional coastal dishes of Spain, Italy and France. We ordered multiple dishes from the menu to shared - while you can order for yourself, I really recommend ordering a variety of dishes to share as the food here is absolutely savory. Some of the favorite main courses we ordered included the Charred Portugese Octopus, Lamb Tartar and the Branzino (pictured below).

The dishes were truly rich with various flavor, and complemented perfectly with the wine selection. Perfect place for a cozy dinner, and definitely a place to bring your date! After we finished dinner we moved next door for drinks at Jia Lounge tucked away a few steps next door and also a wonderful part of the Hotel on Rivington family.