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Lavagna - NYC, New York, NY

Lavagna - NYC

4.9
4.9
1896 Reviews
$31 to $50
Italian
545 E.5th St., New York, NY 10009

Make a reservation

2 people
11:00 PM
Booked 18 times today

About this restaurant

  • Charming
  • Good for groups
  • Neighborhood gem
Lavagna opened its doors on February 1st 1999.The restaurant offers casual Italian trattoria fare at moderate prices. The vibe is candlelit, cozy, with an old wood burning oven, exposed brick walls, a pressed tin ceiling and a small wine bar where one can dine also. A wall of French doors swing open in the warmer weather to a seasonal sidewalk cafe of 20 seats.
The kitchen concept is to create dishes traditionally Italian, emphasizing fresh, seasonal ingredients and product of the highest quality.
The menu highlights include homemade pastas, a wood oven roasted fish for two, roast pork chop, baby rack of lamb and of course the rigatoni with sweet and spicy sausage that has become a classic over the years.
The wine list has been a yearly recipient of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since 2002 and it focuses on hard to find wines from regional Italy along with other international selections.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 12:00 pm–3:30 pm Dinner Tue–Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive chef
    Baldo Merlin
  • Private party facilities
    Lavagna restaurant offers several options for private dining. Our space is available daily for daytime private dining for 20 to 50 guests; Noon to 4pm. We also offer seating up to 24 guests Sunday through Thursday evenings in our dining room. Full room buyout options are also available any night.
  • Neighborhood
    East Village
  • Cross street
    Between Avenue A and Avenue B
  • Parking details
    The closest public lot is located at 167 Essex Street and the corner of Houston, near Katz's Deli. It is a five block walk to the restaurant and we recommend the lot for parking during the weekends as street parking can be scarce.
  • Public transit
    By Subway:F train to Second Ave stop6 train to Astor Place
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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What 1,896 people are saying

Lavagna - NYC 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

4.9
4.9 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.9Service
  • 4.8Ambience
  • 4.8Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Manhattan

    Best Value

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Lavagna in NYC offers "superior and consistent food" with an "unpretentious warm neighborhood ambiance." It's praised for its "fantastic wine selection," "incredibly helpful staff," and "authentic Italian food." Diners love the "cozy" atmosphere and "great value," often calling it a "neighborhood gem" and a "true NYC hidden gem."

1,896 Reviews
  1. Melissa VIP

    New York City9 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was delicious and our service was above and beyond wonderful! We will be back

    Is this helpful?

  2. Samuel

    Greater Boston4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Always superior and consistent food. The best price-performance restaurant in NYC. And a fantastic selection of very good wine where even the cheapest selections are excellent.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Karine

    New York City10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 11, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Always high-quality cuisine, unpretentious warm neighborhood ambiance. Delicious offerings. It got too loud as the room filled up, so we were pleased to have dined early. The best downtown Italian imo.

    Is this helpful?

  4. OpenTable Diner

    New York City1 review

    5.0

    Dined on April 5, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    First trying this restaurant and an immediate new favorite. Incredibly helpful staff, wonderful ambiance, great food - couldn’t recommend it more

    Is this helpful?

  5. Mack VIP

    New York City26 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 29, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Shhh. Tell no one! Lavagna is the often sought, seldom found neighborhood restaurant!! Warm, quiet ambiance—lovely not fancy. Delicious, hearty, ample Italian food even for very allergic people. Superb wine list for every budget. Unobtrusive, friendly, fully aware and informed staff. Moderate, at this quality a bargain, prices, in the heart of the East Village. I don’t want it to get too hot, so please tell no one!

    Is this helpful?

  6. OpenTable Diner

    New York City1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 16, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food! Good service. Great experience. We Highly recommend this restaurant.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Casey

    Vancouver1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Was a great dining experience! Food was wonderful and service was excellent. Highly recommend

    Is this helpful?

  8. Robert VIP

    New York City14 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 9, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Terrific service and food. Wonderful meal. Highly recommended. Looking forward to returning.

    Is this helpful?

  9. EricM

    New York City1 review

    4.0

    Dined on March 8, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    For cozy neighborhood Italian, you could do a LOT worse. There’s a reason this place has been around forever, and is busy almost every night. No fail date night spot!

    Is this helpful?

  10. James

    New York City62 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 24, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    A delicious Alphabet City mainstay and well worth the detour. The pastas are generous and incredibly flavorful. Same goes for the apps and mains and desserts.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Lavagna - NYC offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (212) 979-1005.

Lavagna - NYC is rated 4.9 stars by 1896 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. East Village

Make a reservation

2 people
11:00 PM
Booked 18 times today
Google Map for Lavagna - NYC

545 E.5th St., New York, NY 10009

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Between Avenue A and Avenue B
  • Neighborhood
    East Village
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 12:00 pm–3:30 pm Dinner Tue–Sat 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Sun 4:00 pm–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    The closest public lot is located at 167 Essex Street and the corner of Houston, near Katz's Deli. It is a five block walk to the restaurant and we recommend the lot for parking during the weekends as street parking can be scarce.
  • Public transit
    By Subway:F train to Second Ave stop6 train to Astor Place
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Baldo Merlin
  • Additional
    Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
  • Private party facilities
    Lavagna restaurant offers several options for private dining. Our space is available daily for daytime private dining for 20 to 50 guests; Noon to 4pm. We also offer seating up to 24 guests Sunday through Thursday evenings in our dining room. Full room buyout options are also available any night.
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