New York has no shortage of Italian restaurants, some the brainchild of European immigrants and others offerings more modern takes on the cuisine (omakase pasta menu! Negroni jello shots!).
Geographically, the eateries run the gamut as well. While searching for the best Italian restaurants in town, we scoured the streets of Little Italy, took over white tablecloth destinations in SoHo and pulled up chairs at red-checkered joints in Queens. The result? A list of delectable institutions that are sure to please your friends and nonna alike—starting with Roscioli NYC in SoHo, our pick for the best Italian restaurant in town right now.
The only location to exist outside of Rome, this Roscioli follows the creed of the creator: “great ingredients from the deli make for a great meal.” The staff clearly takes the words to heart: the ground-level space functions as part dining room, part delicatessen. There’s just something about eating cheese sliced from “unusual rinds” and noshing on translucent strips of prosciutto, likely cut from the cured hog’s leg that graces the counter. It all feels just right.
Photography courtesy of Borgo| Timballo di Anelletti
Andrew Tarlow’s Borgo easily took spot number two in our ranking. Even though the restaurant turned one just a few months ago, something about Borgo feels like it has been here before. Could it be its location? Where the beloved I Trulli once was? Or is it Tarlow’s ability to warm up the place with flickering candles, a functional fireplace, handsome arches and touches of exposed concrete? Perhaps, it has to do with the focaccia, a borderline life-changing bite cooked inside the on-site wood-fired oven.
The top three list of the best Italian restaurants in New York is rounded out by LaRina Pastificio & Vino in Fort Greene. Chef Silvia Barban clearly knows what makes a good neighborhood restaurant (her Crown Heights spot, Briscola Trattoria, follows suit). At LaRina, the success involves baskets full of freshly baked loaves of sourdough and focaccia, studded with figs in one season, and olives and Italian crusco peppers during the next. Green finds from the markets easily find their way to the table as well, be it endives and orange slices in salads or raviolis that spill with dandelion. Speaking of, Barban’s handling of pasta is also worthy of mention: her spaghetti noodles, which she spins herself and then smokes, are easily one of the best dishes on the menu.
Hungry yet? Here is the full list of the 22 best Italian restaurants in NYC. Buon appetito!
Dining and Cooking