Cafe Gitane is a lovely, little colorful gem with green, red and blue painted walls and one of the tiniest exposed kitchens I’ve yet to see. It’s eclectic with a map of Marrakech on the wall, a Buddah statue in the corner and an old-timey cash register covering up part of the stoves and chefs. The beautiful waitresses wear matching dresses, and you’ll start to go crazy trying to tell them apart. The memorable, fresh food contains multiple options with fruits and vegetables, and the ladies are constantly delivering the popular couscous tower dish to each table. The numerous ingredients in the Smoked Trout Salad with lentils, avocado, goat cheese, dried cranberries, etc. create a bomb-like like explosion in your mouth with mind-blowing flavors. I could eat this salad everyday for the rest of my life and be satisfied. I love Cafe Gitane and envy the other diners who made it very apparent that they were weekend regulars. Add Cafe Gitane to your list of Nolita brunch staples and don’t forget it’s cash only!
***Tip: Additional location is in the Jane Hotel in the West Village.