Ferns is the sort of place where you bring a date when one of you might get hungry and you’re looking for something a little nicer than a dive bar. It’s in the East Village, and it’s a long room with a bar up front and a semi-secluded area in the back with a couple of tables. They serve a small menu of things like chicken liver mousse and fried shrimp, but we wouldn’t recommend trying to have a full meal here. The space feels a little like a cabin, and you can think of it as a slightly cooler alternative to The Wren or The Penrose.