The Best Italian Restaurants in New York City

New York City and Italian food go hand-in-hand, like spaghetti and meatballs. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Italian immigrants flocked to NYC looking for opportunities in the New World and brought their culinary traditions along with them to neighborhoods that later became Little Italy and Hell's Kitchen. Drawing on ingredients and simple techniques used in the Motherland, dishes such as saltimbocca, braciole, lasagna, cacio e pepe, and pesto sauce became commonplace items on Italian menus for those looking for a taste of home. Today, the best Italian restaurants in NYC draw inspiration from classic dishes while also adding modern, locally sourced touches. But where are the smartest, savviest diners eating out? Welcome to our Tastemaker Lists. We’ve pulled data from thousands of restaurants to find the top spots among OpenTable's most expert, seasoned diners. Impress your friends and family and score a table; we wish we could join you.

The OpenTable Team

12 Restaurants

Updated January 28, 2021

Restaurants:	Nello, Harry Cipriani, Altesi Ristorante…
Price Range:	$$$ - $$$$
Cuisines:	Italian…
Neighborhoods:	Upper East Side…

Nello

$$$$

Italian

Upper East Side

4.5

657 reviews

Say hello to Madison Avenue's Nello, an upscale eatery that is among the best Italian in New York. The extensive menu, divided into a first course and main course, has a variety of options for every diner in the party. Gazpacho tricolore, misto terra, and mozzarella di Bufala are heavy on fresh flavors and vegetables, while the hard-to-find air-cured beef bresaola and tonno tartare are great starters for those looking to sample carne and pesce.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Harry Cipriani

$$$$

Italian

Upper East Side

4.6

1759 reviews

Tracing its roots to Venice, Harry Cipriani's NYC location is an almost exact duplicate of its transatlantic sister, Harry's Bar, home of the Bellini cocktail. Sidle up to the bar, order the classic cocktail, and dine like a Venetian on classic Italian bar snacks like steak tartare and beef carpaccio. In the mood for something more substantial? Striped bass with lemon and capers or tagliatelle with fresh mushrooms will make diners wish for a Venetian sunset and romantic canals among the towering skyscrapers of 5th Avenue.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Altesi Ristorante

$$$$

Italian

Upper East Side

4.6

761 reviews

Altesi's Spring Street Downtown location has an authentic Italian touch not seen in many NYC kitchens — a wood-burning pizza oven. Combining the restaurant's unique blend of flour, designed to char on the edges yet yield gently in the middle, with traditional Italian pizza combinations like Margherita and Pizza al Carciofi, creates a slice of pizza heaven. Pasta is also the restaurant's specialty, with hand-cut noodles featured in the spaghetti al Chitarra and squid-ink dyed tagiolini with shrimp in a spicy tomato sauce.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

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Lincoln Ristorante

$$$$

Italian

Upper West Side

4.6

6059 reviews

Exquisite Lincoln Center, with its reflecting pool, and Henry Moore sculpture, are the backdrop for Lincoln Ristorante, among the best Italian in New York City. The Negroni, a classic Italian cocktail, gets its own menu at Lincoln, where diners can choose from a variety of spirits, vermouths, and bitters to create a custom Italian concoction. Mindful of its location, the restaurant also offers a pre-theater dinner menu where guests can choose a two- or three-course menu with a variety of Italian options such as Pasta e Fagioli, crudo di trota, cavolini di Bruxelles, and a sweet affogato ending.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

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Il Mulino New York - Uptown

$$$$

Italian

Upper East Side

4.5

1841 reviews

Uptown Manhattan's Il Mulino, Italian for "the mill," draws inspiration from the rugged and pastoral region of Abruzzo, east of Rome. Staples of Abruzzese cuisine include bread, wine, cheese, and pasta, with all of these being reflected in Il Mulino's menu. Spaghettini alla carbonara combines parmesan cheese, pancetta, and sturdy pasta to give a sampling of the region's tastes all on one plate.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Antonucci's

$$$$

Italian

Upper East Side

4.0

204 reviews

For diners seeking an authentic experience where the locals like to eat, Antonucci's on the Upper East Side is among the best Italian in New York. Warm, attentive service and unpretentious dishes create a feeling of eating in a good friend's kitchen. Start with fried zucchini blossoms, crispy sweetbreads, cod mousse, and roasted bone marrow to split happily among an eager table. Don't sleep on the bucatini all' Amatriciana, one of Italy's best-known sauces that isn't often seen outside of the boot.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

San Pietro

$$$$

Italian

Midtown East

4.3

500 reviews

Truly a product of the American dream via Salerno, San Pietro is a family-owned and run restaurant that looks to carry on the culinary traditions of the Bruno family. The recipes here are time-tested and true to their Salerno roots, with owner Gerardo Bruno refusing to alter or modify the dishes that are held close to his family's heart. For example, the scialatielli con melenzane is a Salerno-style homemade pasta with eggplant, burrata, tomato, and basil. Short of a plane ticket to Italy, San Pietro is the closest to authentic Italian cuisine that NYC has to offer.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Masseria dei Vini

$$$$

Italian

Midtown West

4.7

2534 reviews

Neapolitan-style pizzas with a world-class wine menu? Si, per favore! Masseria del Vini's pizzas have earned the coveted DOP mark, meaning that its authentic ingredients are guaranteed by the Italian government. This is as close to pizza consumed under the shadow of Mount Vesuvius as diners can get. The best Italian restaurants in NYC don't often carry traditional proteins such as rabbit and calf liver, but you'll find both on the menu at Masseria del Vini.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Locanda Verde

$$$$

Italian

TriBeCa - Downtown

4.7

2422 reviews

Neighborhood taverna Locanda Verde, located in trendy TriBeCa, is a bright and open space inside the Greenwich Hotel. Translating to "green inn," its location at the hotel is aptly named. Locanda Verde offers Italian food with a decidedly urban spin, such as lamb meatball sliders, American burrata, and beetroot carpaccio. Playing on Italian favorites with new ingredients, Locanda Verde's stylish plates fit its stylish setting.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Toscana 49

$$$$

Italian

Midtown East

4.8

1401 reviews

Restaurants can offer an escape from the busy outside world, and Toscana 49, located in Midtown Manhattan, does exactly that. Slide into the restaurant's cream-colored interior and leave behind the busy city streets. Start with the crostone di fegatini de pollo, a chicken liver with sage draped across toasted Tuscan bread, and then grab a slice of Parma ham with melon. Once you can no longer visualize traffic, crowds, and loud noises, you're ready to peruse the entrees, including red snapper, grilled baby squid, and veal scaloppini. By the time the limoncello hits the table after the meal, it will feel miles away from the heart of one of the world's busiest cities.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Sfoglia

$$$$

Italian

Upper East Side

4.8

1783 reviews

A charming, rustic, brick-walled trattoria on the Upper East Side, Sfoglia's flower-lined farmhouse tables are the perfect date-night retreat or cozy get-together location. Sfoglia means "to thumb through," and also represents a style of handmade egg pastas that make up a large portion of the menu. Pappardelle alla Bolognese, delicate pansotti ravioli, and shell-shaped conchiglie all hold true to Sfoglia's name. Also be prepared to leave your cell phones and electronics in your pocket or purse, as the restaurant requests no electronics at the tables so diners can engage in conversation without distractions.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Leuca

$$$$

Italian

Williamsburg

4.6

968 reviews

Inspired by Southern Italian cuisine, Leuca occupies a sunny corner space in Williamsburg. Beginning with "la scarpetts" — Southern Italian dips served with pane Siciliano — diners can dunk and dip this crusty bread into a variety of cheesy or vegetable-based spreads. Wood-fired pizzas are their specialty, and you can grab a clam pie that's as good as one found in New Haven. The wood-fired grill also produces hangar steak Vesuvius, or a decadent crispy suckling pig for the table to share.

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

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The Best Italian Restaurants