New York City and Italian food are practically a permanent relationship. From handmade pasta and regional specialties to old-school red sauce and Italian-American classics, the city has enough options to make choosing dinner feel like a competitive sport. So, where should you eat Italian food in NYC right now?
Via Carota remains a West Village favorite, delivering the kind of seasonal Italian cooking that makes ordering “just one more pasta” feel less like a decision and more like a responsibility. The MICHELIN Guide highlights its classic osteria atmosphere and shareable dishes.
For something more theatrical, Don Angie puts a creative spin on Italian-American cooking, turning familiar dishes into some seriously Instagram-friendly plates. Its famous lasagna arrives as tightly rolled pinwheels, proving that even lasagna can get a New York makeover.
Torrisi is another downtown destination attracting attention, combining Italian cooking with distinctly New York references. Located on Mulberry Street, it has become a major reservation target for diners looking for an elevated Italian experience.
For handmade pasta lovers, Rezdôra remains a destination for Emilia-Romagna cooking, with house-made pasta at the center of the menu. The MICHELIN Guide specifically highlights dishes including anolini di Parma and gramigna with sausage ragù.
Meanwhile, Ci Siamo brings live-fire cooking, seasonal ingredients and handmade pasta to Manhattan West. Its dramatic dining room and wood-fired cooking make it particularly suited to a night when takeout just isn’t going to cut it.
And then there’s Carbone New York, the Greenwich Village Italian-American institution where dinner comes with plenty of old-school glamour—and, naturally, the legendary spicy rigatoni vodka.
For the best Italian restaurants in NYC, there is no shortage of contenders. The real problem isn’t finding somewhere good.
It’s deciding what kind of pasta you want.
