If you ask a New Yorker where to eat pasta, pizza, and cured meats in Manhattan’s Little Italy, they’ll probably just tell you to head to Arthur Avenue instead. We get it. The neighborhood’s reputation as tourist-trap central is not unwarranted, but there is genuinely good Italian food here, provided you know where to look. Whether you’re planning a special occasion meal, visiting for the San Gennaro feast, or just want a solid bite somewhere you’ll be guaranteed to get a table after haggling down the price of your Daddy’s Little Meatball T-shirt, here are our top 13 picks for Italian food in—and around—the current boundaries of Little Italy.
