Otway plays a lot of different roles on its quiet corner in Clinton Hill. In the mornings, it’s one of the most popular spots in the neighborhood to grab an iced coffee and a fresh pastry (if there’s coffee cake available, snag a piece). At night, it’s one of the better casual date options in the area, where you can usually walk in and still get a table at 8pm on a weeknight. It’s also somewhere that, pre-pandemic, would wheel a little meat and cheese cart around the dining room for you to pick out a nice stilton or some saucisson from. While the cart isn’t currently on call, Otway is still a pleasant place to catch up with a friend and drink a few glasses of wine over a crudo and some steak frites–either in the dining room or on their sidewalk patio. Nothing here is going to make you utter the words “wow” or “I think I need a moment,” but there are enough dishes to keep things interesting. And that’s a role few other nearby spots can play.