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Il Violino, New York, NY

Il Violino

4.6 (2015)
$31 to $50
Italian
180 Columbus Avenue, New York, NY 10023

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 28 times today

About this restaurant

  • Neighborhood gem
  • Charming
  • Good for special occasions
Il Violino was established in 1993 by the Mariani family. They are from Villa Santa Maria, a little town in the heart of Italy (Abruzzo) known as La patria dei cuochi (chefs from this town have been executives at the Vatican, the White House, embassies and top restaurants and cruise lines around the world). Il Violino has been one of the original Lincoln Center Italian restaurants and, in these days, one of the few still in operation.
The chef Vincenzo Mariani, formerly the executive chef at Monsignore (one of the top restaurant in New York City in the 70’s and 80’s), leaded the kitchen with his international experience and created an original and innovative Italian menu.
In 2009 the owner, decided to write a new page. The restaurant has been transformed into a Trattoria: a warmer and cozier ambiance, one of those that you can easily find in any small town in Italy.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Tue–Fri 11:00 am–3:45 pm Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00 am–4:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–10:30 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Neighborhood
    Upper West Side
  • Cross street
    West 68th Street
  • Parking details
    None
  • Public transit
    1, 2, 3, B & C trains to 72nd Street, and the 1 train to 66th Street.
  • Additional
    Bar Dining, Beer, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 2,015 people are saying

Il Violino reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Il Violino, a charming Italian restaurant near Lincoln Center, is celebrated for its "excellent food" and "gracious service." Diners praise its "warm atmosphere" and "friendly staff," making it an ideal choice for pre-show dining. With a varied menu and "delicious" homemade pasta, it offers a delightful dining experience.
2,015 Reviews
  1. Phyllis

    San Francisco Bay Area3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 6, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Cooperative for making showtime. Food excellent.

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  2. Demian

    New York City1 review

    5.0

    Dined on June 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great Italian restaurant. Friendly service, warm atmosphere and friendly staff. Recommended 👍

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  3. Juan VIP

    New York City4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 31, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great service. Marcos took good care of our party all the time.

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  4. Audrey VIP

    New York City127 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on May 24, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    We thoroughly enjoyed our meal before going to Lincoln center, the service was great-! Our server was friendly and welcoming!. We enjoyed sharing a Cesar salad as an appetizer and we both had pasta. The linguini vongole was made with plenty of fresh clams and the white sauce was delicious!! The special pasta with tortellini with peas in a pesto sauce was enjoyed thoroughly ! We were out in a timely manner without any rushing.

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  5. Martha

    New York City17 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 23, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We enjoyed our pre-performance lunch. Simple preparation, delicious. Service was excellent.

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  6. Michael Karn

    New York City2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Our meal was fantastic, from the appetizers to desert. The food was delicious, the service excellent and the place had a relaxed atmosphere that my wife and I really enjoyed

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  7. Patti VIP

    New York City5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    We love this restaurant. The food is delicious and not overwhelmed by salt or garlic. The menu is well developed and service has always been excellent.

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  8. David

    Greater Boston5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 16, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our party of four was looking for a special meal following a visit to the Natural History Museum and before seeing a show at the Metropolitan Opera House. Il Violino was in the perfect location to suit our needs and was easily walkable to both locations. On top of that, the food, ambiance, and service were impeccable. We were seated at a large table along the windows and had a wonderful view of the action in the city. We began with the tasty prosciutto and melon appetizer was portioned perfectly for four to share. The entrees (pasta bolognese, salmon with potatoes, pasta primavera, and penne pomodoro) were delicious and swaps (pasta for gnocchi, penne for spaghetti) were easily accommodated. Small details like the offer of freshly grated parmesan, topped off the meals perfectly. We were never rushed, and we even splurged for dessert (very unusual for us) and had the strawberry panna cotta which was well worth the calories! We thoroughly enjoyed our evening at Il Violino.

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  9. Susan

    New York City23 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Good food, good service. Convenient location to shows at Lincoln Center.

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  10. Charlotte VIP

    New York City48 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on May 14, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great neighborhood spot. Very varied menu and excellent service .

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Il Violino offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (212) 873-2500.

Il Violino is rated 4.6 stars by 2015 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. New York City
  4. Manhattan
  5. Upper West Side

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 28 times today
Google Map for Il Violino

180 Columbus Avenue, New York, NY 10023

Additional information

  • Cross street
    West 68th Street
  • Neighborhood
    Upper West Side
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Tue–Fri 11:00 am–3:45 pm Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00 am–4:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–10:30 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    None
  • Public transit
    1, 2, 3, B & C trains to 72nd Street, and the 1 train to 66th Street.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Bar Dining, Beer, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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