A Guide to My Favorite Italian Restaurants in New York City
Aunt Jake’s
Aunt Jake’s
Neighborhood: Little Italy
Ambiance:
We ordered our meals almost immediately after arriving. It took at least an hour to be served. Please note, we were HUNGRY when we showed up. We were also seated near the door and for some reason, they did not shut it. Imagine being cold and hangry… but finally, after what seemed like decades, our meals arrived.
I ended up eating at both Aunt Jake’s locations and at the second location, we were farther from the door. The atmosphere was buzzing and it was a much better experience. Also, I showed up less hungry, so waiting for the food was not a problem.
Cuisine: Italian
I eat Italian food a lot. My expectations for restaurants are very high. Aunt Jake’s exceeded my expectations. We showed up for our reservation right at 7 pm, both very hungry. We started with the burrata (pictured on the left) and each bite was a little slice of heaven. It was so creamy and tasted amazing with the basil and arugula.
Then, we waited. They were worth the wait. I ordered the shrimp scampi (pictured below) and my friend ordered the Rigatoni + Chicken Bolognese. While I will definitely be going to this restaurant again, I will make sure it is on a warmer day and eat a snack prior to arriving.
Overall Rating: 9/10
Waiting a long time for food can be annoying, but when it came, they delivered. I ate here twice and would keep going back. There are so many options of what to create with their menu.
Bocca
Neighborhood: Gramercy Park
Ambiance:
First of all, the Bocca sign is adorable. The waiter was Italian which is a great sign for a nice Italian restaurant. They have Instagram-worthy pasta here that is mixed inside a wedge of cheese right at your table. It is worth ordering. I will comment that they didn’t serve slow enough for my boomerang, but that is a first world problem if I’ve ever heard one. The ambiance fit a place serving an instagram-famous dish.
Cuisine: Italian
I obviously ordered the meal with the cheese wedge. It was delicious, but the restaurant did not have a super robust menu. The cocktail menu had one cocktail per spirit, so if you didn’t like what was offered, you may be making your own. They also had limited mixers for your cocktails. Overall, it was a nice place but definitely look at the menu first to make sure there is something you want to eat.
Overall Rating: 7/10
While my dish was delicious, there were not a lot of options to choose from. The lack of diversity made it a one-time only dining experience for me.
Cotenna
Neighborhood: West Village
Ambiance:
Do you ever walk past a place 100 times before you actually stop by? This was us and Cotenna. This restaurant sat on our old block and finally, a week before we moved, we got to go. We sat outside and the ambiance was not as nice as it could have been.
Cuisine: Italian
The quality of food was amazing. The food was exquisite, but the portions were a little small. I ordered one of the specials: Truffle Gnocchi. I thought it was divine and I was full after eating my meal.
Overall Rating: 6/10
Overall, it was a great meal and we were very satisfied. Since there are so many Italian restaurants in the city, I am not sure we will ever return.
Da Claudio
Neighborhood: Financial District
Ambiance:
I went there for a friends’ birthday dinner. The ambiance was perfect. We got our table next to the window which had a lot of space between tables. The service was wonderful.
Cuisine: Italian
The drinks were perfect. The menu made it difficult to decide what to order because everything looked so good.
Overall Rating: 9/10
I do not think any of us left feeling disappointed. It was a great meal. I would definitely go again.
Follia
Neighborhood: Gramercy Park
Ambiance:
I must have walked past Follia 100 times before I walked in and after my meal, I was sad I waited for so long. We sat in a corner booth which allowed for a lot of privacy. It is a great date night spot.
Cuisine: Italian
We ordered the prosciutto appetizer, which came with a side of bread for the table. The wine selection was delightful and not too expensive. I ordered the house-made ravioli and my boyfriend ordered the orecchiette. They were both incredible. To top off my boyfriend’s birthday dinner, we ordered the tiramisu.
Overall Rating: 9/10
With every bite, my jeans got tighter, but I couldn’t stop smiling. With this strong review, I had to score this restaurant high. Unfortunately, it has been two years and I do not remember it with that much detail, but I do remember leaving happy.
Malatesta Trattoria
Neighborhood: West Village
Ambiance:
When you walk in, you feel transported to a cute Italian bistro. It was busy and the seats were close together, but we were blessed to be next to a window.
Cuisine: Italian
Let me start by saying the food was delicious. We picked this Italian restaurant over the others because of their homemade pasta and good prices. If you haven’t been, I would suggest you go. It is more of a family restaurant, so I wouldn’t use this as a date night spot. We ordered the Spaghetti Chitarra with tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella as well as the Penne Alla Arrabiata.
For those of you who know me, you know my boyfriend’s favorite Italian dish is Penne Alla Arrabiata so we had high hopes. We were not disappointed. We also ordered the Panna Cotta as dessert and it was so good.
The only disappointment of the night was the portion size. The pasta was relatively cheap, but it left us still feeling hungry. Overall, it was a great dinner and a great spot!
Overall Rating: 7/10
Going to a restaurant and still being hungry when you leave may be one of my biggest pet peeves. Some restaurants trick you by having cheaper prices and the way they can afford that is by cutting the portions down. I would rather pay a few dollars more and leave not only full, but with leftovers.
Novita
Neighborhood: Gramercy Park
Ambiance:
I walked past this restaurant every day on my walk to the subway. Finally, for my birthday we decided to go. Since this is a nicer, more expensive restaurant, it is perfect for a special occasion or birthday. I would also suggest this to anyone trying to plan a really nice date.
Cuisine: Italian
So good. If you like authentic Italian food, this is a great spot for you.
Overall Rating: 9/10
My family and I all ordered different meals and there was not one complaint.
Rafele
Neighborhood: West Village
Ambiance:
Walking down 7th avenue in the West Village, you are going to come across Rafele. They have a huge outdoor patio section and a big inside as well. I went there for my birthday dinner last August while my family was still trying to social distance. We were able to sit at a table off to the side in our own private patio section. It was perfect.
Cuisine: Italian
The menu had a lot of options, making it difficult to decide what to order. It ended up ordering the Pappardelle alla Bolognese. It was very flavorful and pappardelle is one of my favorite types of pasta. I would recommend this spot to a friend and come back.
Overall Rating: 9/10
Flavor and different shapes of pasta are two of the biggest reasons I eat out at Italian restaurants. If I feel like I can recreate your meal at home, I am not a happy customer. With Rafele, they took me on a flavor journey and served one of my favorite shapes of pasta. It was a win in my book.
Rosemary’s
Neighborhood: West Village
Ambiance:
Like a lot of restaurants in Manhattan, they try to optimize their space by having tables close together. At times, it was hard to concentrate on conversation because the people next to us were a little loud. The ambiance changes depending on which table you are seated at. There were some tables in the back that looked much more romantic.
Cuisine: Italian
A few months ago, I reviewed a restaurant called Roey’s. Rosemary’s is owned by the same owner. I would eat here time and time again. Their restaurant week menu had everything you could want, except for meat. The portion sizes were so big that I had to take some home which is really rare for a restaurant week dinner.
Appetizer: Chopped Salada Siciliana with escarole, olives, sun dried tomatoes, crispy chickpeas, artichokes, ricotta salata, and almonds
Main Course: Rigatoni Alla Arrabiatta with burrata, calabrian chili, garlic, and herbs
Dessert: Tiramisu
If you have been reading my reviews, you may have gathered that I am no lover of salad. I like all the components, but most times after I eat one, I am left feeling hungry. All that being said, I can appreciate a great side salad. This salad was one of the best I have ever eaten. It came in a massive bowl and I surprisingly ate the entire thing.
The Rigatoni Alla Arrabiatta was so good and just spicy enough. If you ever get Arrabiatta in Rome, it is the spiciest sauce you can imagine. In America, I have gone to many restaurants where it is not spicy enough. Rosemary’s, like in Goldilocks, got it just right.
Lastly was the tiramisu. My favorite dessert has been donuts for the longest time, but I think in recent years my palette has matured and evolved. Now, it is tiramisu. It was amazing. Again, just the right portion size. Rosemary’s really knows what they are doing.
Overall Rating: 10/10
One of the best restaurant week experiences I have ever had. I enjoyed that they did not shrink their portion sizes and offered a lot of favorites from their menu.
Lastly, we ordered the Shrimp Santorini. There were a lot of interesting items on the menu. I will be returning 🙂
Overall Rating: 9/10
Any place that leaves me wanting more after trying a lot of options from their menu is a great restaurant in my eyes. It was the first Greek experience I had that offered Greek wine which made the experience feel more authentic.
