What does it take to earn the top spot on the World’s 50 Best Bars list? A historic room, a clever cocktail menu, a passionate clientele? New York City’s Dante has all that, but the story of how this 104-year-old Italian café went from a quirky neighborhood haunt to a serious drinks destination involves much more—and is a story best served with an ounce of Campari and a garnish of orange peel.
Opened on the West Village’s MacDougal Street in 1915, not far from Little Italy and across the street from a social club that counted Enrico Caruso and Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia as members, Caffé Dante has a rich Italian heritage. Yet the place might have become yet another one of the city’s many classic restaurant casualties had a couple from Australia—Linden Pride and Nathalie Hudson—not stepped in and purchased the establishment in 2016.
Spotted: Al Pacino
Despite celebrity regulars over the years (including Ernest Hemingway, Bob Dylan and Al Pacino), the caffé version of Dante had remained mainly a locals’ spot staffed by Italian and Maltese immigrants through the decades. “It wasn’t a destination,” notes Pride. “It was more of an amenity to the community.” So when Pride and Hudson bought Caffé Dante from its longtime owners—“begging, borrowing and stealing” from family to scrape up funds, Pride says—they faced an initial backlash, as New Yorkers feared that the Aussies would bring flat whites and farm-to-table salads to a fading yet important Italian-American landmark.
Undeterred, Pride and Hudson huddled with bartender and creative director Naren Young and devised a menu of spritzes, Negronis—including variations with mezcal and rye in place of gin, and a chocolate version made with Punt e Mes, crème de cacao and chocolate bitters—and a signature drink, the Garibaldi, featuring fresh orange or pineapple juice topped with Campari over ice. It didn’t take long before in-the-know spirits pros flocked to grab one of the dozen wooden stools at the handsome bar, which is outlined in white subway tiles that alluded to the space’s history. Adding to the appeal was the cozy, European feel of the restaurant and the menu of simple yet satisfying fresh pastas, sourdough flatbreads, salads and seafood. As regulars would attest to, on certain nights—say, when the showcase glass windows offered views of fresh snowfall or a sunset reflecting off nearby buildings—Dante felt like the best bar in the world.
This October, the international World’s 50 Best Bars list announced that its body had voted to confirm this notion—naming Dante to the top spot over legendary haunts like the Connaught in London, and Atlas in Singapore. “It was shocking in an incredible way to be recognized like that,” says Pride. The owner admits that in the first few weeks since the honor, the place has had a hard time balancing its commitment to Dante’s many regulars while also accommodating an influx of newcomers. To help cater to more guests, the team has plans to open a Dante West Village before year’s end—where the bar program will emphasize and experiment with the Martini in a similar way to the flagship’s commitment to Campari cocktails.
The current owners, Pride and Hudson