Italian restaurants in New York City
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A
Babbo
Celebrity chef Mario Batali has multiple restaurants in Manhattan, but everyone has a sneaking suspicion that this two-level split townhouse is his favorite. Whether you order mint love letters, lamb's brain francobolli (small, stuffed ravioli) or pig's foot milanese, you'll find Batali at the top of his innovative, eclectic game. Reservations are in order.
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A Voce
The newest addition to the heavy-hitting lineup of dining options (including the Per Se, the wallet-breaking Masa and the casual Bouchon Bakery) inside this high-rise mall, the light, airy and modern A Voce lets you enjoy sweeping views of Central Park as you sample the high-style, delectable creations of chef Missy Robbins and her capable team. Here, gnocchi gets tossed with zucchini, squash blossoms and mint, while hand-rolled pasta joins brussels sprouts, bacon, Sicilian almonds and whipped sheep’s milk for a creamy, savory rib sticker. Even heartier fare touches on all meats, with veal getting grilled with sunchokes and topped with black-truffles sauce and fish, beef,…
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Il Bagatto
A bustling yet romantic little nook, this spot has thoroughly delicious Italian creations at exceptionally reasonable prices – plus an excellent wine list and a dedicated sommelier who will pour you tastes before you decide (a wonderful oddity in such an affordable and casual dining room). The frazzled yet warm and quirky owners will greet you like old friends – though be prepared to wait a while even if you’ve made a reservation; that’s just the way it works at this laid-back neighborhood spot. Menu items tend toward the sinful side, with highlights that include cheese and spinach ravioli swimming in butter and sage sauce, homemade gnocchi in gorgonzola sauce, and paper-…
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A Voce
A Voce lets you sample the high-style, delectable creations of chef Missy Robbins and her capable team. Here, gnocchi gets tossed with zucchini, squash blossoms and mint, while hand-rolled pasta joins brussels sprouts, bacon, Sicilian almonds and whipped sheep’s milk for a creamy, savory rib-sticker. Even heartier fare touches on all meats, with veal getting grilled with sunchokes and topped with black-truffles sauce and fish, beef, pork and lamb treated to market-fresh pairings and sauces, from baby artichokes to anchovy vinaigrette. The dessert menu is large and sinful, and the wine options total an impressive 850, with a focus on the best of Italy.
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Roberto Restaurant
Just off Arthur Ave (the ‘real’ Little Italy), Roberto has a great reputation; its fans swear, with frightening passion, that it’s New York’s – not just Belmont’s – best Italian restaurant. There’s a no-reservations policy, so as the night wears on, lines congregate by the bar – for hours. It’s well worth it. Ask for the chef’s choice, and Roberto – hilariously festive – comes by and lights up your table with dish after dish of Northern Italian specialties, including swordfish steaks and veal cutlets. In nice weather, sidewalk seating is the way to go.
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Frankies Spuntino
Away from Smith St’s eating ghetto, Frankies is a neighborhood magnet, with local couples and families lining up for a seat in the brick-wall inside or, when weather’s good, in the back garden. There are main dishes – hearty pasta dishes like the cavetelli with hot sausage or pappardelle with braised lamb – but, as a spuntino, it’s more about the snacking. Go family-style by ordering a mix of vegetable antipasti, salads and small plates of cured meats or from the formaggio menu – featuring a dozen different types of cheese.
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Mario’s
Called New York’s ‘real Little Italy, ’ the Belmont area – on the blocks south of Fordham University between Bronx Park (to the east) and Third Ave (to the west) – is clearly marked with ‘Little Italy in the Bronx’ banners. Here you’ll find pizzerias, trattorias, bakeries, fishmongers and butchers with bunnies in the window – many working without breaking into English. The famous scene in The Godfather – where Al Pacino gets the gun from behind ‘the toilet with the chain thing’ and blasts his way into the family business – supposedly takes place at Mario’s.
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Falai
A small and narrow storefront shaped by white tile, open kitchen and clean lines; it didn’t take long for this LES newcomer to attract legions of stylish fans. Iacopo Falai, a former high-end pastry chef, is behind the place, which presents swoon-inducing plates of pasta (cocoa-flavored papardelle, squid ink strands topped with lobster), meats (tender steak medallions, fennel-flavored pork) and seafood (codfish stew). And desserts, of course, are killer. Don’t miss the passion fruit soufflé.
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Sfoglia
A darling of the critics since it opened a few years back, Sfoglia brought its winning combo of fresh seafood and homemade Italian from Nantucket to New York, and its tiny but attractive Upper East Side space is packed every day. Innovative pairings like wild mussels with tomato, garlic, salami and fennel pollen; spinach and ricotta balls cooked in brown butter with preserved lemon; or breaded pork chops with pickled carrots and mustard will have you swooning.
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Focolare
If you’re bent on a Little Italy dinner experience, this relative newcomer is a fine choice. With a cozy interior warmed by a fireplace in winter (and photos of Frank Sinatra and co all around), the kitchen turns out classics in fine style: homemade pasta, cooked al dente, is an excellent base for various red and cream-based sauces; rice balls ooze with cheese; fried calamari zings with flavor.
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Lavagna
Dark wood, flickering candles and a fiery glow from a somewhat open kitchen help make homey Lavagna a late-night hideaway for lovers. But it's laid-back enough to make it appropriate for children, at least in the early hours before the smallish space fills up. Delicious pastas, thin-crust pizzas and a few eclectic mains, such as rabbit ragout, are standard fare.
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Il Buco
This magical nook is a real charmer – it boasts hanging copper pots, kerosene lamps and antique furniture, plus a stunning menu and wine list. Sink your teeth into seasonal and ever-changing highlights like white polenta with braised broccoli rabe and anchovies, homemade pappardelle with a mélange of mushrooms, and a succulent Dijon-crusted lamb chop.
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Da Nico
If you're hell-bent on having a Little Italy dinner, Da Nico is a classic. It's family-run and traditional in feel and the extensive restaurant highlights both northern and southern Italian cuisine that's red-sauce predictable - shrimp, scampi, chicken cacciatore - but delicious.
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Hearth
A staple for finicky, deep-pocketed diners, Hearth boasts a warm, brick-walled interior. The seasonal menu includes specials such as roasted sturgeon with lentils and bacon, zucchini ravioli and rabbit papardelle with fava beans.
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