It’s nice to see the West Village as relevant as ever, and the next generation of of New Yorkers on the scene. St. Jardim is a new neighborhood staple, taking over the coveted former La Sardine space. This is a first look into the wine bar of the moment that is filled with an eclectic crew from the hood.

Atmosphere

St. Jardim has firmly established itself as a neighborhood staple. There are lines of people both checking in and trying to get a coveted spot at a table or bar. Unlike the days of Sex & The City, the crowd is more Girls. This could have been a cool bar in Brooklyn with the dressed down crowd in $500 sneakers. The dining room itself is simply decorated and doesn’t feel like it’s changed much from the days of Bar Sardine. It is a buzzy place though so it’s clearly a hotspot for the neighborhood and the new generation of the West Village.

Food + Wine

I really wanted to love this place. I can still taste the salmon sushi roll from when La Sardine was in residence. There were a lot of good memories, and therefore, goodwill before I even set foot in St. Jardim. With that established, let’s start with the wine. I have never been a big natural wine fan, and unfortunately, the selection at St. Jardim epitomizes natural wine. Please take that for what it’s worth especially if you’re into this genre of vino.

St. Jardim is supposed to be a natural wine bar, so one would think that there would be an array of small bites. Instead, the menu is more of a traditional dinner setup, and most people are there to eat versus drink wine. However I’m a little perplexed. With all the top food in NYC, respectfully, not sure why anyone would eat at St. Jardim. We only had a few dishes but I’m pretty sure they reflect the rest of the food. The oysters came out as a trio and were really briny. Both my friend and I had to pick out shell from our tiny oysters. They were also oddly extra salty with an umeboshi, which is Japanese a salted plum topping. My reaction was why would one run a perfectly good oyster? If you’re going that route at least pair it with a sweet kumamoto and not a naturally salty East Coast oyster.

Secondly we ordered the shrimp rice, sans the bacon. Thank goodness we didn’t have the saltiness with the bacon, as the rice was so salty it was almost not edible. In my hunger I persevered through, but after the second bite avoided what tasted like mayonnaise drizzled on top. Mayo + rice is officially not a good combination. At that point, although I was starving, I resolved to stop by somewhere after my meeting for a slice. I would not come back here for food or wine, but if needed, I would have a cocktail.

Service

The service at St. Jardim was nice, but not inspired. People are there to do their jobs and make sure you are fed and properly water. It’s all run efficiently and they do a nice job managing the long lines of people who are here for what St. Jardim is shipping.

Overall: 7.2/10

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FAQs

Q: Where is St. Jardim located?

A: St. Jardim is located at 183 W 10th St, New York, NY 10014.

Q: What are the hours of operation of St. Jardim?

A: The hours of operation of St. Jardim are as follows:

Q: What kind of food does St. Jardim serve?

A: St. Jardim serves American inspired food with international influences.