New York's Best Italian Food 2008

The crown jewel in Mario Batali’s empire serves over-the-top Italian in a charming, tucked-away West Village spot.

Reviews:

• “Just GREAT all around!! "
• “Good Italian-American (i.e., NOT ITALIAN) food”
• “tough to get in but worth the money”
• “Best Italian Food in New York”
• “Great food & fast service”

Tips: The all-Italian wine list offers many unusual bottles and a few great buys.

Babbo

Batali and his paisanos keep the endless crowds happy at this Roman osteria in Soho.

Reviews:

• “Come Here for the Good Stuff”
• “Super!”
• “sad changes in front of the house”
• “TERRIBLE SERVICE…..!!!!!!!!!!!”
• “Decent food, served by assclowns”

Tips: If you don’t know your “fregola” from your “farro,” consult the menu’s glossary. It’ll also enlighten you with the meaning of “lupa”: she-wolf.

Lupa

A young chef breathes an Italian breath of fresh air into this Soho fine-dining gem.

Reviews:

• “Decadent food, friendly service”
• “Smoking Something?”
• “great food but horrible service”
• “the worse service ever !!!!!!!!!!!!”
• “Best Italian food in New York”

Tips: The extensive wine list is listed on the B.R. Guest website, meaning you can pre-select. Regardless, a knowlegeable sommelier is there to steer your choices. The $65 Spanish Naiades Verdejo is a relatively good deal and a nice match for fish and desserts.

Fiamma or email Fiamma

Mario Batali and Lidia Bastianich team up at this 22,000-square-foot classic high-end Italian restaurant.

Reviews:

• “Poor Excuse!!”
• “Wonderful Room and Excellent Food”
• “Great Customer Service!”
• “TERRIBLE SERVICE…..!!!!!!!!!!!”
• “not bad, not great”

Tips: The tasting menu is $120 and requires the entire table’s participation.

Del Posto

Quaint Italian restaurant turns the simple into the sublime.

Reviews:

• “Great food, service and atmosphere”
• “waste of money”
• “My favorite spot in the Village”
• “Poor Basic Service”
• “Back to (Italian) Basics …”

Tips: The olive oils and other Italian ingredients lining the walls are for sale—turn the menu over for prices. Of note is the 100-year-old balsamic ($500).

Bellavitae

An outstanding Italian wine bar and addictive small plates on a trendy Lower East Side block.

Reviews:

• “Worst Panini I’ve ever had”
• “How is this place popular?”
• “Its Packed For A Reason”
• “Hour and half wait for a panini”
• “Horrible experience! Poor service! Expensive for Average Food!”

Tips: The mark-up on the 350-plus Italian-dominated bottle list is remarkably low; the dozens of wines by the glass or quarter-bottle are well-suited to sampling. From northern Italian bubblies to southern Italian rarities, like Ciro’s spicy red Felice San Ducal, are all available at great prices.

’inoteca

This cozy Park Slope trattoria masters the refined flavors of the Veneto.

Reviews:

• “inconsistent food, overly dramatic servers, poorly managed”
• “One of the best, if not THE best, restaurants in Park Slope (and NY in general)”
• “Disappointed!”
• “SOOO worth the wait! and amazing service too!”
• “true Italian in Park Slope”

Tips: Like many neighborhood favorites, Al Di La doesn’t take reservations. So give the hostess your cell number and head to the restaurant’s new wine bar around the corner.

Al Di La Trattoria

Keith McNally plays Caesar, expanding his culinary empire to include a faux-rustic Italian hot spot in the West Village.

Reviews:

• “i love this place!”
• “Terrible Service”
• “Italian delight!”
• “Good Brunch”
• “Timing is everything”

Tips: In addition to a list of more than 200 bottles, there are 20 Italian wines available by the glass, half-carafe or carafe—ask to try a sample first.

Morandi

Local stand-by for unpretentious, moderately priced Italian fare.

Reviews:

• “Simple yet totally delicious…”
• “Cozy spot with good food”
• “My favorite restaurant in New York!”
• “rudest service”
• “Best Italian joint in the city”

Tips: Reservations are only taken for three or more people.

Malatesta Trattoria or email Malatesta Trattoria

Theater District diners get a taste of sophisticated Mexican cooking and naturally colorful margaritas at this upscale cantina.

Reviews:

• “Modern and Comforting”
• “Unlike any other Mexican I’ve tasted "
• “awful eatery!”
• “Great food, great service”
• “great food”

Toloache or email Toloache

Creative and high-flying plates take Italian food to a new level.

Reviews:

• “wait no more please!!!”
• “Great pasta, average entrees.”
• “Food wonderful”
• “Just Ok..”
• “Arrogant, Rude, Overpriced”

Tips: For an inexpensive, well-matched wine from northern Italy, try the 2003 Bonarda Mazzolino ($40). It’s full-bodied and juicy, thanks to the hot European summer of its harvest.

Alto

Rustic Italian dishes get the executive treatment just off Madison Square Park.

Reviews:

• “When do you close?”
• “Love this place!”
• “Divine sidewalk seating, amazing food.”
• “not as great as i remember”
• “bad service”

Tips: A bottle of 2002 Morgan Syrah ($52), with its full-bodied fruitiness, never overpowers the nuanced flavors of the menu.

A Voce

Modern Milan comes to Gramercy, courtesy of the team behind Lupa, ’ino and ’inoteca.

Reviews:

• “sadly, a disappointment”
• “Fancy, but fails to deliver”
• “Nothing like ’inoteca!”
• “Ladies…a place to go on 3rd "
• “Ehh your average trendy hot-spot of the month”

Tips: The mod cocktail list includes the Veneto, a blend of aperitivo aperol, limoncello, lemon juice, honey syrup and chilled prosecco, $13, or choose from the 500-bottle Northern Italian wine list.

Bar Milano

A star-powered team shows the West Village how a rustic neighborhood spot should be done.

Reviews:

• “Terrific rustic Italian, attentive service, Village gem”
• “New York Mag declares dell’anima one of the BEST NEW restaurants for 2008 (BEST OF NEW YORK)”
• “Delicious food!”
• “Excellent in every way!!”
• “AMAZING!”

Tips: Joseph Campanale used to be the sommelier at Babbo, so it’s no surprise the all-Italian wine list here is well-chosen. One of the cheaper wines on the list, which tops out at $220, is the Elena Walch Lagrein ($36), a medium-bodied red that pairs well both with pastas and lighter meat dishes.

Dell’anima

Mario Batali’s casual eatery is a destination for tasty Italian snacks, excellent wines and outstanding gelato.

Reviews:

• “Salty pastas”
• “Burp. Excuse me. I just ate well.”
• “Never do group events here!”
• “Warning: Highly Kinetic , stimulating atmosphere, go for the Wine stay for the food”
• “Great food, lousy service”

Tips: Those lucky enough to snag a stool at the bar should stay put and dine amid the bar’s people-watching bustle.

Otto Enoteca and Pizzeria

The rich, elegant midtown aunt to East Village restaurant Hearth.

Reviews:

• “BAD SERVICE !!!!!!!”
• “Wonderful experience. "
• “nice place, bad service”
• “Great Italian Restaurant”

Tips: Ask the down-to-earth sommelier to help you choose a bottle from the massive wine list, which breaks choices down into regional and seasonal sections. Fifteen varieties are available by the glass, and are available in 3 or 6 oz portions.

Insieme

Reviews:

• “Winning UES Italian”
• “Nice ambience, friendly staff”
• “Best Italian on UES”
• “Perfect summer outdoor dinner experience.”
• “Prices to high !! Service so so .. Food below mediocre!! "

Spigolo

Michael Psilakis and Donatella Arpeia reteam for this semi-sequel to the shuttered, much-lamented Dona.

Reviews:

• “pricy but good food”
• “Good Food & Reasonable Prices”

Mia Dona

Never mind that Anne Burrell was Mario Batali’s right-hand woman on “Iron Chef”: Her Italian fare merits its own buzz.

Reviews:

• “What’s the rush?”
• “What’s with the Chef and the Manager???”
• “Worst Service, cold food.”
• “Management?”
• “What’s all the fuss about?”

Tips: A well-balanced list of Italian wines are available, many by the quartino, and the knowledgeable staff is happy to provide samples.

Centro Vinoteca

Full-bodied Italian fare served up in a storied slice of Tribeca restaurant real estate.

Reviews:

• “Worth the trip downtown and the money. "
• “one of the best…”
• “Great place for a very special occasion.”
• “best italian”
• “Wonderful decor, mediocre food”

Scalini Fedeli

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