"On the surface, Kiki’s seems like a great choice for early-in-the-game dates. The problem is, spending 90 minutes making small talk waiting for a table before you have to spend another 90 minutes making small talk eating dinner is probably not your ideal scenario. St Tropez is a West Village wine bar that, like Kiki’s, has shareable small plates, affordable wine, and plenty of people-watching to help smooth lulls in the conversation. But unlike Kiki’s, this place takes reservations." - bryan kim, matt tervooren