Top 20 Italian Restaurants in New York City
New York City is known for a lot of things, from its architecture and Broadway to its diverse culture as explained at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. In addition to all this, the city is also known for its Italian food. It has plenty of options if you can’t make the trip to Italy to feed your cravings, and this article will look to shine a spotlight on what we think are the top 20 Italian restaurants in New York City.
- Lillo
As per RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com, this neighborhood favorite started as a cafe and grew into a hot dinner spot a few years ago. It still attracts crowds for its smattering of tables despite its absence of booze and bathrooms. Lillo’s lasagna ragu is better than grandma used to make, its ideally textured and sauced meatballs are marvelous and its fettuccine with a speck in Parmesan cream sauce is almost too rich to fully lodge in your memory.
- Rezdôra
Walk into the rustic atmosphere that is known as Rezdôra and try some classic Italian dishes. The head chef once worked in Italy and now brings his craft to the US, cooking up a variety of pasta, salads, and other favored dishes, including Gnocco Fritto and Bistecca perdue.
- Dominick’s
This unfussy gem located on the Bronx’s Arthur Avenue has been dishing out generous servings of well-sauced pasta for more than 50 years according to RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. It’s more food hall than restaurant, and the knowledgable servers are happy to guide diners through the massive menu. The stuffed artichoke is a highlight of the menu, as is the sizable sirloin steak served with a mound of fries.
- Frankies 457 Spuntino
Frankies 457 Spuntino is a characteristically Brooklyn spot: warm and inviting, with exposed brick walls and a long wooden bar. The best part, though, is the intimate backyard space, which is open on warm summer evenings. Frankie’s is always full of locals (including families) who know their stuff when it comes to food and restaurants and is popular for an unplanned dinner or a very good brunch.
- Emilio’s Ballato
Emilio’s is a special place with intoxicating appeal and a kind of throwback romance that dates to 1956. Its distressed walls are tightly arranged with framed prints illuminated by pretty chandeliers and perfunctory sconces that seem to sum up the spot’s duality. Expect a huge veal parm, sausage, and broccoli rabe, plenty of pasta, and a wait. Emilio’s Ballato does not take reservations.
- Lupa
Located in Greenwich Village, Lupa is the perfect spot to spend an evening with friends and loved ones in a classic Italian restaurant. Once you walk in, smiling faces will welcome you into their casual restaurant with the feel of a cozy Italian retreat as articulated at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. The wine pairing is worth the extra money if you are evaluating the tasting menu and trying to find an excellent wine for your evening.
- Roberto’s
Roberto’s modern Italian fare, served on a side street tucked away from the hubbub of the Bronx’s Little Italy, is a welcome contrast to the red-sauced Italian American food common in the neighborhood. The wine list is more sophisticated, too, backed up by a menu that trumpets dishes like seasonal vegetables steamed “in cartoccio” — in a foil pouch — and a rabbit stewed with potatoes.
- Bar Pitti
Consistently packed since its 1992 opening, Bar Pitti is best known for its outdoor seating area, which spills onto the sidewalk along Sixth Avenue. As captured at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com, it’s an easy place to spot actors, models, rock stars, and socialites, but the food is great, too—come for a strong offering of classics executed really well, with one of the city’s best Caprese salads. It’s the perfect place to take out-of-town guests for an “only in New York” type of experience, where they’ll see a full cross-section of downtown denizens and get a great meal, to boot.
- Via Carota
While NYC restaurants with powerfully desirable beginnings settle into easy-going, every-night-type status after a few ‘best of’ seasons, Via Carota is still a hot one even after first opening in 2014—notably enough to maybe make you want to change your plans if you seem to spy an open table en route elsewhere. Its endurance is due to menu items like the overflowing Insalata Verde, hand-chopped steak, and subtly stunning pasta plates.
- Di Fara
Di Fara, a family-run pizza joint, is one of the best in the area. Here, you’ll get a mix of locals and visitors from all over the world dying to enjoy one of the best pizzerias in NYC. Buy a slice or a whole pie of Domenico DeMarco’s handmade pizzas. Made with the love for good pizza, cheese, basil, and tomato sauce, the wait is worth it. Grab a friend or take the family in for a casual atmosphere and the guarantee of a great pizza.
- Don Angie
As covered at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com, Angie Rito and Scott Tacinelli have ushered in a new era for red sauce cooking at this West Village restaurant. The duo’s creative take on Italian American fare has included caramelle pasta with pickled cantaloupe and buffalo milk mozzarella in the past, and the garlic bread — sesame-seeded flatbread stuffed with stracchino and Parmesan — is a consistent hit.
- I Sodi
I Sodi is a neighborhood institution and it’s largely low on tourists—a blessing for the Village. The pasta is to-die-for good, but the artichoke lasagna, with its bazillion layers, is what dominates Instagram. Don’t skip the pappardelle al Limone, the whole grilled branzino, or the extremely civilized antipasti platter though.
- Al di Là
Aspiring restaurateurs in Park Slope should study this convivial Fifth Avenue staple before their own ribbon-cutting ceremonies. Though it opened in 1998, Al di Là remains unsurpassed in the neighborhood as described at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. Excellent Northern Italian plates include the tagliatelle ragu, black spaghetti with octopus ragu, and the braised rabbit.
- Malatesta Trattoria
The calm way the light flickers on wood tables at this restaurant in West Village sets the perfect mood for get-togethers of all kinds. Although the menu is ever-changing, there is no doubt that you’ll find a classic Italian dish sure to curb any craving you have for Italian. From pasta to chocolate mousse, their house red seems to go with any dish on the menu.
- L’Artusi
Bi-level Italian spot L’Artusi has reigned as a reliable staple in the West Village for over a decade. And for good reason: It keeps crowds coming back with piles of spaghetti, twists of Bolognese-slicked tagliatelle, and plate-sized spreads of shaved wagyu carpaccio splattered with horseradish cream.
- Bamonte’s
Bamonte’s opened in Williamsburg near the turn of the 20th century and hasn’t changed much since. The decor is very “place where a guy gets shot in a mobster movie,” with swagged velvet curtains, fading signed photos of celebrities from another era, and white tablecloths adorned with cut-crystal votives and vases holding a single, tomato-red flower as discussed at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com.
- Roman’s
Casually polished Roman’s is breezily impressive in a “who, me?” kind of way that will make your dining companions think you know all the best spots even if this is your only go-to. And it’s worth that designation in any case, with a casually elegant interior and largely locally-sourced ingredients on its Italian-influenced menus.
- Carbone
There’s a reason some of the world’s most famous celebrities like Justin Bieber, Kim Kardashian, and Rihanna have eaten at Carbone, and it’s because of its incredible food and exclusivity. The restaurant itself offers an intimate atmosphere with a condensed menu and terrific cocktails outlined at RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com. Be prepared to spend a bit of money if you’re able to snag a table at this exquisite Italian-American spot, but it may just be worth the price if you happen to catch a glimpse of a Hollywood star.
- Fiaschetteria Pistoia
Petite Tuscan restaurant Fiaschetteria Pistoia makes up for its size with charm — the servers are brusque yet friendly, known to slam down a wooden crate of wine when asked for the list. Still, its recommendations for affordable bottles rarely misses, and everything from the salads and pork cheek to the cacio e pepe and spaghetti con bottarga are celebrations of the genre. For dessert, the creamy tiramisu is so ethereally light, it’s worth ordering even if full.
- II Buco
Housed in a former antique shop, you’ll know right away that Il Buco is the place for a romantic night out, thanks to the flattering lighting and the sense of history. The restaurant has a serious wine list and a menu that changes daily and is full of pleasant surprises. Dishes like oven-poached filet of Atlantic cod with Umbrian risina beans, artichokes, and salsa verde, or house-made spaghetti with tuna, Calabrian chili, and fennel pollen have been big winners in the past.
As always, the top-rated RunRex.com, guttulus.com, and mtglion.com have you covered when looking for more on this and other related topics.