Are you looking for the best Italian restaurants in New York City?
The Big Apple is known for its diverse culinary scene, offering a variety of cuisines from all over the world. However, Italian cuisine has always been a favorite among New Yorkers and tourists.
The city has so many excellent Italian dining options that picking one can feel like an impossible task. For this reason, we have compiled a list of the finest Italian restaurants in New York City, serving authentic pastas, pizzas, and other traditional Italian fare. From cozy and traditional family-style trattorias to trendy and upscale eateries, these restaurants have something for everyone.
Whether you’re in the mood for a romantic dinner with a loved one or a family-style feast with friends, these Italian restaurants have got you covered.
10 Best Italian Restaurants in New York City, USA
Let’s dive into the best Italian restaurants in New York City and get ready to indulge in some of the most delicious dishes the city has to offer.
1. Carbone
Address: 181 Thompson St., New York, NY 10003, USA
Carbone’s always-chic ambiance and well-dressed wait staff, who know how to work the room with a little charisma, never fail to impress. Although it has expanded, it is still difficult to get a reservation at this big, bold restaurant that celebrates Italian-American cuisine.
Dinner is the most popular meal, but this NY restaurant is always bustling with customers thanks to its rich history and elegant decor.
The dishes on this menu are all classics from the mid-century era. Start with antipasti like olive oil-drenched mozzarella and crusty garlic bread, then move on to classics like rigatoni alla vodka or spaghetti alla gricia. They also have chicken scarpariello, which offers tender chicken sautéed with garlic, sausage, and hot cherry peppers in a white wine sauce. The blackout cake is as delicious as it sounds easy to make.
2. L’Artusi
Address: 228 West 10th St., New York, NY 10014, USA
A trendy West Village Italian restaurant offering contemporary takes on traditional dishes. The menu features modern Italian cuisine with seasonal ingredients and fresh pasta dishes.
The pasta dishes and wines at this large, friendly restaurant are to die for. Some of the fantastic options are gnocchi with rabbit, chestnut pappardelle, and the pici with lamb neck ragù. Olive oil cake, a rustic Italian classic, is served as a dessert option, along with a variety of house-made gelatos.
The wait for walk-ins can be several hours, and it’s nearly impossible to get a prime reservation at L’Artusi. However, please consider this merely additional proof that it is a good idea to dine here.
3. Marea
Address: 240 Central Park S, New York, NY 10019, USA
As a landmark in New York City and a focal point of Central Park, Marea attracts those who don’t just dream of luxury but who live in it each and every day, with the world’s finest cuisine, service, and ambiance.
This elegant dining room, decked out in Indonesian rosewood, is always packed with influential people. This setting is hard to beat, and the food is tasty in its own right.
The crudo di Alfonsino is a great option to begin your dining experience at Marea, consisting of lightly smoked fish, peach slivers, and a fermented peach vinaigrette. Then, dunk a fork into a bowl of spaghetti smothered in a red sauce and bursting with Manila clams, calamari, garlic, and pepperoncino. A good main course would be roasted lamb loin with a sausage croquette.
You can finish off your meal with the fior di latte gelato and a ring of dark chocolate mousse in a chocolate shortbread crust.
4. Rezdôra
Address: 27 East 20th Street, New York, NY 10003, USA
Chef Stefano Secchi and business partner David Switzer have earned three stars from The New York Times and a Michelin star for their Flatiron District restaurant, Rezdôra.
The restaurant’s name, which translates to “head of household” (typically a nonna who handrolls pasta), is a nod to the fact that the menu focuses on homemade pasta in the style of Emilia-Romagna. Meats and fish cooked in the traditional manner, regional vegetables, and wines from the region of Northern Italy round out the menu.
The warm and welcoming ambiance focuses on excellent food, hospitality, and community. Rezdôra offers a taste of authentic Italian cuisine in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere – highly recommended to anyone visiting or staying in the city.
5. Il Buco
Address: 47 Bond St., New York, NY 10012, USA
Il Buco is a rustic Italian restaurant located in the heart of New York City’s NoHo neighborhood. This restaurant opened in 1994 as an antique shop but now serves hearty and rustic Italian fare.
Although Il Buco’s appetizers are good, the restaurant’s main courses are where the restaurant truly shines. A single serving of the wonderful spaghetti with lobster never seems to be enough! The lamb chops with herb yogurt and the bistecca with salsa rossa are both perfectly cooked and bursting with flavor. But if you can only order one thing, make it the risotto – which is the best in town!
Il Buco is the perfect spot for a special occasion, a romantic date night, or a casual dinner with friends.
6. Barbetta
Address: 321 W 46th St., New York, NY 10036, USA
Barbetta is a culinary time machine that has been whisking taste buds away since 1906.
Found in the vibrant Theatre District, this Italian gem is ready to transport you to the land of Piedmontese cuisine. Here, it is easy to picture yourself indulging in tantalizing house-made agnolotti, savoring every bite of risotto with white truffle, and sinking your teeth into slow-roasted Piedmontese rabbit and polenta. It’s a feast that’s fit for the most discerning palates!
Also prepare to be dazzled by Barbetta’s wine list, which consists of over 1,700 selections that are predominantly Italian. This wine list has earned the prestigious Wine Spectator Award of Excellence.
You can choose to step inside Barbaretta and embrace an atmosphere of elegance or dine al fresco at the expansive garden patio. If you need a more intimate setting, the restaurant has an upper level private dining rooms that are perfect for gatherings big or small, adding a touch of exclusivity to your experience.
So, whether you’re seeking a taste of history, an escape from the ordinary, or simply an enchanting dining adventure, Barbetta is a culinary delight that is ready to tickle your taste buds.
7. L’Amico
Address: 849 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10001, USA
After a long and varied career in the Big Apple, Laurent Tourondel tries his hand at the ever-popular rustico Italian formula at this busy eatery off the Eventi Hotel lobby, located in the Garment District. The results are reliable even though the somewhat loud room can be a trail on busy evenings.
The antipasti, plentiful salads, and freshly-baked Neapolitan-style pies, as well as the many types of ravioli and pasta are all worthy of your attention.
Tourondel’s take on American classics like pizza fired in twin copper-clad wood-burning ovens is just one example of the eclectic menu that comes to life in the open kitchen, which is visible from the dining room and to passersby on Sixth Avenue.
8. Rubirosa Ristorante
Address: 235 Mulberry St., New York, NY 10012, USA
Rubirosa is a neighborhood family-operated Italian-American restaurant and pizzeria located in the heart of Nolita, New York City. The restaurant’s warm and inviting ambiance sets the tone for a relaxing dining experience that feels like a home away from home.
The menu features a range of classic Italian dishes with a modern twist, including thin-crust pizza and handmade pasta. The house specialty is the vodka pizza – a crispy thin-crust pizza topped with tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, and a vodka-infused cream sauce.
Rubirosa also offers an impressive selection of Italian wines, craft beer, and cocktails to pair with your meal.
9. Scampi
Address: 30 W 18th St., New York, NY 10011, USA
Scampi is a cozy Italian restaurant located in the Flatiron District of New York City, known for its delicious seafood and homemade pasta dishes.
Scampi’s menu features a wide range of dishes, from classics like spaghetti with clams and shrimp scampi to more inventive plates like squid ink risotto.
Their wine list is carefully curated to complement the food, and their friendly staff are always happy to make recommendations.
Scampi is a must-visit for anyone looking for authentic Italian cuisine in the heart of NYC.
10. Via Carota
Address: 51 Grove St, New York, NY 10014, USA
The West Village of New York City is home to the Italian restaurant Via Carota. The restaurant’s name comes from a street in Florence, and the decor and food are both genuine representations of the city.
It’s perfect for anything from an afternoon snack to a celebratory dinner for a large group. Vegetables, both cooked and raw, receive a lot of attention: puffy fried squash blossoms in the summer and an extravaganza of chicories in the winter.
And traditional pasta dishes receive the same attention to detail as basic grilled chicken. The svizzerina, a hand-chopped steak cooked just short of medium-rare and served with nothing but a clove of garlic and a sprig of rosemary, is a must-try at New York City’s Via Carota.
The pleasant and knowledgeable staff add to the warm and inviting ambiance, making Via Carota a must-visit destination for lovers of Italian cuisine.