These Are The 16 Best Italian Restaurants In New York City
New York City is not like Italy. Italians value la dolce vita, the comparatively slow lifestyle that makes room for savoring life's small beauties. If you tried to practice this philosophy in Manhattan, you'd probably lose your job, apartment, and health insurance. That said, Italian immigration has shaped the Big Apple in many ways, not least of which is the city's food scene.
The country's cuisine is much beloved in New York, and it can embody an astoundingly diverse spectrum of restaurants. Red sauce joints with tuxedoed waiters and chicken Parm, sit-down pizzerias with artisanal cocktails, and industrial-chic pasta places with minimalist menus all fall under the umbrella of New York Italian. I've been living here for more than 15 years, which has given me plenty of time to slurp spaghetti in every borough. Along with the help of some fellow dedicated eaters, I've compiled a list of the 16 best Italian restaurants the city has to offer.
River Deli
I happened upon this Brooklyn Heights eatery by accident on a chilly night over a decade ago, lured by the promise of lasagna and red wine. River Deli's dining room is decorated with an old, fraying map of Sardinia, the Italian island whose culinary legacy gave rise to the restaurant's simple, beautifully executed dishes.
Spinach and ricotta ravioli shimmer under a coating of sage butter and a dusting of Parmesan cheese and thick tagliatelle is served in a heaping pile held together with meaty, savory lamb ragu. Malloreddus, a Sardinian pasta shaped like a long, skinny gnocchi, is chewy and traps tomato sauce in its tiny ridges. The burrata is fresh and milky, cut by the bright acid of cherry tomatoes.
The coziness of this restaurant cannot be overstated. The lighting is dim and warm and the massive windows face the tidy brick houses on Joralemon Street.
(718) 254-9200
32 Joralemon St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
John's of 12th Street
A lot has changed in Manhattan's East Village since 1908. But one Italian restaurant has survived urban blight, gentrification, and ever shifting culinary trends: John's of 12th Street. As soon as I glimpse the restaurant's iconic neon sign rounding the corner from 2nd Avenue, I can already taste the chicken parmigiana in all its salty, cheesy glory. It's served alongside a heaping plate of spaghetti cooked al dente and smothered with bright red marinara.
The menu is flush with other classics like fried calamari and shrimp scampi. And unlike the other eateries on this list, John's has a vegan menu sporting the same oily, flavorful intensity of Italian American cuisine without the meat. Eggplant parmigiana is covered with a bubbling layer of vegan cheese instead of mozzarella and spaghetti is served with plant-based meatballs. And compared to some of Manhattan's more refined Italian restaurants, John's prices are still on the reasonable end of the spectrum.
(212) 475-9531
302 E 12th St, New York, NY 10003
Saraghina
A far cry from the outer borough red sauce classics on this list, Saraghina is young professional Brooklyn's answer to Italian cuisine. The atmosphere is inviting and quirky, with mismatched wooden dining tables and chairs hanging from the ceiling. The restaurant has graced Bed-Stuy's Lewis Avenue since 2009, and 17 years is a long time in a borough full of discerning diners.
Saraghina's highlights include its extensive list of pizzas, which range from Italian standbys like margherita to some with more creative toppings like hot coppa and spicy artichokes. And for the herbivores in the room, each pizza can be made with vegan cashew cheese. Also for the vegans: The sauteed greens are gently bitter and dressed with a simple squeeze of lemon juice. Saraghina also offers several twists on the negroni that warm you up from the inside out. The restaurant doesn't take reservations, so plan to arrive early, especially on weekends.
(718) 574-0010
350 Lewis Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11233
Lillo Cucina Italiana
Lillo is not the kind of place where the customer is always right, and that's part of its charm. There are only about a dozen seats at this gem of a restaurant on Henry Street in Cobble Hill. The menu looks like it was designed on Microsoft Word in 2004, and you can taste the purity and innocence in the restaurant's simple, honest cuisine.
Roman classics like cacio e pepe, gricia, and amatriciana smother hot pasta cooked perfectly al dente. The sautéed artichokes are served on a white plate with absolutely no thought for presentation, which, when you taste them hot and salty and a little earthy, is not only forgivable, but charming. If you're planning on going to Lillo, bring cash (no credit cards accepted) and go early. The restaurant keeps odd hours, with the last seating at 8 p.m. on most nights.
(347) 763-0899
331 Henry St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Park Side Restaurant
Few red sauce joints in New York City embody the term "red sauce joint" like Park Side Restaurant in Corona, Queens. Manhattanites might balk at the idea of an hourlong subway ride for a plate of baked clams, but if there's one outer-borough eatery that embodies old school Italian-American cuisine, it's this one.
White tablecloths, free bread, and salty antipasti greet you at Park Side, and give way to dishes like artichokes stuffed with cheese and breadcrumbs and veal Sorrentino topped with eggplant, prosciutto, and melted cheese. The menu also includes wild mushroom risotto, fettucine carbonara, and linguini marechiare made with clams, shrimp, and red sauce. If you want to feel like you're eating like Tony Soprano, make the trip to Queens and get a table at Park Side.
(718) 271-9871
107-01 Corona Ave., Corona, NY 11368
Dominick's
It's hard not to be at least a little bit charmed by Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. The neighborhood is obsessed with its Italian roots in a uniquely American way. And if you're wondering what that means, look no further than Dominick's restaurant. The faded brown awning and beige brick exterior are delightfully unattractive, a dated aesthetic that bodes well for an Italian-American restaurant in this neighborhood.
On Sunday afternoon, this cash-only restaurant is buzzing with families ordering plates of veal parmigiana, which is served under slightly sweet, gently acidic marinara and hot, bubbly mozzarella cheese. It's a massive portion, and if you leave Arthur Avenue with anything less than an uncomfortably full tummy, you have not given yourself the full experience. Skipping the antipasti starter is one of the biggest mistakes you can make at an Italian restaurant, especially at Dominick's, where it's piled high with salty salami, cheese, lettuce, and peppers.
(718) 733-2807
2335 Arthur Ave, Bronx, NY 10458
Torrisi
Torrisi may have an address on Mulberry Street, the same thoroughfare that runs through Manhattan's Little Italy, but it's a world away from the red sauce restaurants down the road. While it pays homage to its Italian-American roots, the execution is pure luxe, and getting a reservation can be a challenge for a layperson. But once you taste the food, you realize why.
The menu is a dialogue between upscale Manhattan dining experience and homey Italian-American comfort food. Highlights include appetizers like cucumber New Yorkese, a plate of the crisp, green veggie sliced thin and served with mustard and garlic. The pastas are also showstoppers; the linguine with "15 pink littleneck clams" offers a briny depth that elevates the red sauce staple to the realm of elegant delicacy. Torrisi also has an extensive selection of amari and grappa — perfect for after dinner aperitifs.
(212) 254-3000
275 Mulberry St, New York, NY 10012
Frankie's 457 Spuntino
Court Street is a corridor of history, and Frankie's 457 Spuntino has become one of the street's Italian anchors — a stable point in the frantic drift of Brooklyn dining. The dining room holds diners in its exposed brick walls, which bring a charming warmth to the dining experience. It's an effortless cool at the intersection of rustic and chic that requires no posturing.
The food is a testament to the power of restraint. You start with the roasted seasonal vegetables, which taste more like themselves than they have any right to, or the creamiest burrata draped in the restaurant's signature Frankies 457 olive oil. Listen to me when I tell you to order the cavatelli with hot sausage and browned sage butter. It is earthy, aromatic, and deeply comforting. The meatballs are plump and studded with pine nuts and the red wine prunes and mascarpone (a classic Italian cheese you need to try) is a dessert that showcases the restaurant's success with simplicity.
(718) 403-0033
457 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Cafe Spaghetti
The simple name of this Italian eatery in Carroll Gardens betrays the fact that it's an upscale restaurant with expert chefs and stylish diners. Tucked away on a sleepy part of Union Street, Cafe Spaghetti pays homage to the neighborhood's history of Italian immigration with its menu, which is replete with dishes like baked clams and eggplant parmigiana. But these are not like the plates you'd get at a classic Italian-American red sauce restaurant.
At first bite, the discerning diner can taste that the ingredients and methods used to make the food at Cafe Spaghetti are elevated, refined. Owner Sal Lomboglia is a Brooklyn-born chef with Neapolitan roots whose aims to create a modern version of a neighborhood Italian restaurant have been met with praise from lovers of heartwarming dishes like spaghetti pomodoro and tiramisu. If you're there for lunch, try the bacon, egg, and fontina sandwich with arugula and cherry pepper, a creamy, piquant Italian twist on the NYC deli staple.
(718) 207-6084
126 Union St, Brooklyn, NY 11231
Bamonte's
Very little has remained constant in the ever-changing landscape of North Brooklyn over the last century. But in Williamsburg, one Italian restaurant anchors the neighborhood to its past: Bamonte's. It's been open since 1900 and the aesthetic looks like it hasn't been updated since the Reagan era. Waiters wearing three piece suits ferry platters of seafood, pasta, and parmigiana under chandeliers lit with electric faux candles, giving you the strange sense that the place is haunted by the soul of a powerful mafioso.
Trends are cyclical, and judging by the fact that Bamonte's is so often packed with eager diners, red sauce is back in vogue. If you find yourself sitting among the white tablecloths of the Balmonte's dining room, be sure to start your dining adventure with perfectly seasoned shrimp cocktail and antipasti. Seafood is the specialty here, and you'd be wise to order the seafood fra diavolo made with shrimp, shellfish, and calamari swimming in a slightly spicy tomato sauce.
(718)-384-8831
32 Withers St, Brooklyn, NY 11211
L'Artusi
For a restaurant to be open for more than 15 years and retain cultural relevance is a fairy tale story in the culinary world, especially in New York City. But slurp up a few noodles at L'Artusi (using your finest manners, of course — this is a nice place) and it all makes sense. While the bi-level space is always buzzing with fashionable West Villagers and out-of-towners alike, the focus remains on the technical execution of everything coming out of the open kitchen.
The head chef at L'Artusi is from Ohio, and while I can scarcely imagine a place culturally further away from Rome or Naples, his take on Italian cuisine is simple and original. Crudos, short ribs, and hanger steak are integral parts of the menu, but pasta is to L'Artusi as sculpture was to Rodin. The spaghetti, for instance, is made with just garlic, chiles, and Parmesan cheese, a trio of ingredients you never thought could offer you the depth and nuance that they do here.
(212) 255-5757
228 W 10th St, New York, NY 10014
Al Di Là Trattoria
In Italian, "al di là" means "beyond," or "on the other side." In Park Slope, it means one of the best Italian restaurants in New York City. This 5th Avenue restaurant embodies the ethos of Park Slope, which is wealth hiding behind a thin veil of coziness and approachability. The small dining room has blue tile floors and a tin ceiling lit by a large chandelier, a combination of old-world Italian meets Brooklyn hip.
The menu leans less red sauce and more trattoria, with highlights including the tagliatelle al ragù, made with fresh pasta cooked perfectly al dente and served in a generous mound covered in a pork and veal red sauce. My favorite pasta, however, is the tortelli di zucca. Perfect ravioli pillows are stuffed with sweet, earthy squash and creamy mascarpone and finished with fresh shavings of salty Parmesan cheese — a testament to the power of simplicity in Italian cooking.
(718) 783-4565
248 5th Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Misi
If you've been paying attention to the NYC dining scene for the last few years, you've heard of Misi. Chef and owner Missy Robbins opened the restaurant across the street from Domino Park in 2018, and getting a reservation has been a challenge ever since. Misi is dedicated to the art of pasta. Peer into the open kitchen and you're met with clouds of steam rising above boiling pots of water, each one in service of creating al dente noodles destined for delicious sauces.
Rigatoni is served with 30 clove pomodoro, which, as you might imagine, is heavy on the garlic, but it's not too sharp. The garlic is mellowed out into a sweet depth that makes you want to drag a piece of bread through its buttery remains. Another dish not to miss is the sheep's milk ricotta filled occhi, finished off with only bottarga and lemon. Speaking of ricotta: If you order only one appetizer, make it the crostini with trumpet mushrooms and whipped ricotta.
(347) 566-3262
329 Kent Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249
Piccante
Unlike some of the sleek, modern, Michelin star contenders on this list, Piccante is a small, soulful spot that brings no pomp to the table. But it does bring big plates and expertly concocted flavors, and its 3rd Avenue address all the way in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, ensures that only locals and dedicated diners make it there.
Typically, I recommend the chicken Parm at an Italian red sauce joint, but I've never had the opportunity to indulge in it because I'm too distracted by the short rib ragu, which is the menu standout. Honey-braised beef is pulled into tender ribbons that cling to wide, homemade pappardelle that's been boiled to firm yet chewy al dente perfection. If you're looking for something fried and crispy — as you should at a red sauce restaurant — either get the calamari or the arancini, the latter of which are perfectly golden and crisp, hiding a center of molten risotto that makes for the ultimate preamble to a carb-heavy evening.
(718) 833-3919
7410 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11209
Gene's
If you want to understand the Greenwich Village that existed before finance bros and TikTok fads, go to Gene's. Standing on West 11th Street since 1919, it's a time capsule with white tablecloths, career waiters in formal wear, and a vibe that suggests nothing has changed since Prohibition. The meal begins with a relic of the past: A free relish tray of crisp crudités alongside a bread basket, a perfect way to cleanse the palate before the heavy hitters make an appearance.
The menu is a playlist of Italian-American greatest hits. If you have any respect for tradition, start with the clams casino. They're garlicky and a little briny, with a topping of crunchy breadcrumbs and crisp bacon. Moving onto mains, it's difficult to contest the supremacy of the veal parmigiana, which is tender, savory, and served with a side of pasta or vegetables that makes the $36 price tag feel like a decent purchase in today's Manhattan. And there are few places where it feels more right to have a chilly martini in your hand — and they're poured generously.
(212) 675-2048
73 W 11th St, New York, NY 10011
Don Cheech
If you think a trip to Staten Island is only for the view from the ferry, Don Cheech is here to change your mind. Leather seats, white tablecloths, chandeliers with faux candles, and a neon sign outside give this place the kind of unironic charm you can only find in the outer boroughs. Located in Rosebank near the Verrazzano-Narrows bridge, this cozy, old-world restaurant embodies Chef Massimo Felici's culinary voyage, which took him from his birthplace in Milan to NYC's Little Italy at a young age.
To start, the stuffed long hots are packed with crumbled sausage and sharp provolone, delivering a slow-burn heat that warms you up for the rest of the meal. You can't ignore the chicken parmigiana here. If you don't order it, you'll likely find yourself mired in regret. It arrives perfectly breaded with mozzarella and a layer of Parmesan bubbling under tomato sauce, served with a side of pasta in spicy vodka sauce.
(929) 392-2652
1271 Bay St, Staten Island, NY 10305
Methodology
For the 15 years that I've lived in New York City, I've slurped more noodles and blown on more hot forkfuls of chicken Parmesan than I can count. I wish I could say I've tried every single Italian restaurant the city has to offer, but I've been to enough to know what makes good Italian. This list comes to you mostly from personal experience, though I've included a few restaurants recommended to me personally by trusted sources — mostly friends who work in the industry.
I aimed to include a range of restaurants — from classic Italian red sauce joints to upscale eateries that serve pasta dishes you've probably never heard of. While ambience and service were considered as factors, most important was (obviously) the quality of the food. Was the pasta firm yet chewy? Did the veal Parm retain its crisp under a bubbly layer of mozzarella? Did my spoon sink effortlessly into the panna cotta to reveal a divine milky simplicity? If you go to any of the restaurants on this list, you'll find a resounding "yes" to all those questions.