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In the early 1900s, almost two million Italians emigrated to the States, and most of them came to New York. By 1930, the city was home to over a million Italian Americans — a rather impressive 17 percent of the city's population. With these immigrants came a culinary influence that remains a deeply ingrained part of the New York City dining scene; a number of the restaurants opened by these original immigrants are still here, and newer spots abide by the high bar their predecessors have set. Which for you, the diner, means no shortage of excellent Italian food available on your doorstep at the touch of a screen, whether you’re seeking an ooey-gooey slice of Sicilian pizza based on a century-old recipe, or an elegant plate of pasta that might as well have been made in Tuscany. Here are the best Italian restaurants in NYC from which to order in.
Fiaschetteria Pistoia
This tiny Tuscan restaurant — which has locations in both the West Village and the East Village — seems like the kind of place that’s too cute to deliver, but blessedly, it does. The pastas are some of your best bets, particularly the pappardelle al ragu, bathed in a bolognese-style meat sauce of slow-cooked beef, and the cacio e pepe, a creamy dream of udon-thick hand-rolled spaghetti, pecorino, and black pepper. Oh, the tiramisu is light as air and seriously excellent.
L&B Spumoni Gardens
Open since 1935, this iconic Italian restaurant in Gravesend is best known for its Sicilian-style Square Pizza. The extra thick, focaccia-like pie, topped only with red sauce and cheese (no extra toppings allowed!), is based on the recipe founder Ludovico Barbati first learned how to make from a baker in a Brooklyn garage after immigrating from Torella Di Lombardi, Italy, in 1917. It is perfect. But don’t miss the other Italian classics on the menu. The ooey-gooey mozzarella sticks and chicken parm hero are also standouts, and the homemade spumoni ice cream is available for delivery by the quart.
Frankies 457 Spuntino
The Franks (a.k.a. owners Frank Castronovo and Frank Falcinelli) are known for salads (simple, acid-forward, textural), house-made pastas, and chill vibes. At this Brooklyn sanctuary, you can ensure all that goodness by ordering the fennel, celery root, and parsley salad; restorative cannellini bean and escarole soup; and the now-famous house-made ricotta-based cavatelli with spicy sausage and sage.
Via Carota
Much has been written about the iconic insalata verde, an inviting green hill of butter lettuce and endive dressed in a delicate shallot-sherry vinaigrette, at this West Village trattoria. But honestly, everything chef-owners Rita Sodi and Jody Williams create is spot on. Simple yet satisfying is the name of the game, and the chefs have a way with homemade pasta and fresh vegetables. Thick strands of cacio e pepe tonnarelli pair nicely with sides of Sicilian-style polpette (little meatballs) made with pine nuts and currants, and broccoli rabe with chiles. Their Tuscan sister restaurant, I Sodi, is just down the street and also delivers.
Cafe Spaghetti
The Brooklyn newcomer, located in the Columbia Waterfront District, has become an instant classic thanks to Sal Lamboglia’s commitment to the basic tenets of the family-owned restaurant: affability, (relative) affordability, and seriously delicious food. The pastas are all wins (don’t miss the classic spaghetti pomodoro); the Chicken Cutlet Milanese Sandwich is a delivery dream (the garlic aioli melds perfectly with the crusty bread on which it's served for the ideal ratio of crispy-gone-soggy); and the big, fluffy, breadcrumb-infused meatballs in sugo are nothing short of perfection.
Al Di La Trattoria
If you’re looking for the best Italian restaurants in Brooklyn, this Park Slope standby, open since 1998, does so right by Italian comfort food that you could easily order a feast, toss out the takeout containers, and tell all your dinner party guests you made it at home (I’ve, um, never done this…). The tagliatelle is a standout, meaty and saucy and just like grandma used to make, as are the pillows of ravioli stuffed with creamy ricotta. But don’t sleep on the perfectly braised greens kissed with garlic, chili, and lemon — a perfect side dish to your carbo load.
Randazzo’s Clam Bar
This fourth-generation neighborhood standby in Sheepshead Bay is famous for both its seafood and its house-made red sauce, and you’d do well to pair the two. The fried calamari is probably the best opportunity for this — golden ribbons of tender breaded squid topped with a mountain of tangy tomato sauce, available at whatever heat level feels right to you. A bowl of the creamy New England-style clam chowder is also a must.
Roberta’s
Roberta’s is the stuff of Brooklyn pizza legend, and for good reason. No matter how long the restaurant has been there, the wood-burning ovens keep churning out perfect char-flecked, thin-crust Neapolitan pies. The Famous Original is a go-to: a shallow sea of oregano-and-chili infused tomato sauce with great blobs of molten mozzarella. But the crowd favorite (and my personal favorite) is the Bee Sting, a spicy-salty dream of soppressata, chili, and honey.
Barano
This Brooklyn restaurant is a culinary tribute to chef Albert Di Meglio’s Italian nonna, so it makes sense that it’s named after her birthplace, Barano d’Ischia. All the pastas are made by hand (get the maccheroni alla vodka). The mozzarella is hand-pulled to order and served warm, and most dishes are kissed by the wood-burning oven or live-fire grill, from the charred-in-all-the-right places ’nduja pizza to the whole roasted branzino.
L’Artusi
Sometimes you only need a tiny bit of help come suppertime, and this West Village contemporary Italian spot’s got your back. Their pasta kit makes dinner a breeze, with a pound of pasta, your choice of ragu, and already grated Pecorino. If you’d like an additional assist, try the fried chickpea-topped Sicilian chopped salad or the roasted chicken with hen of the woods mushrooms and scallions. There’s even a grocery section for specialty Italian imports like olive oil and jarred peppers.
Bar Primi
Chef and restaurateur Andrew Carmellini pulls no punches with his East Village trattoria. The meatballs are stuffed with cheese and covered in a rich, tomato-forward sugo. The chewy campanelle is stained with squid ink and topped with a garlicky crema. The chicken Marsala comes in sandwich form with meaty mushrooms.
Fausto
Half of the experience at Fausto is sommelier Joe Campanale’s mostly Italian wine list. Get curated by-the-glass options, lots of funky oranges and refreshing rosés, and add his wine book to cart if you’d like to brush up on Italian varietals — they’re even available for delivery in 5 oz. serving sizes, as long as you order chef Erin Shambura’s Brooklyn-inflected Italian food to go with. Try one of the terrific rotating salads — like the roasted beet salad tossed in a shallot vinaigrette and crowned with Sicilian pistachios and garlic scapes — and the bone-in pork chops with spring onions. Add on the house-made focaccia and truly any of the pastas, perhaps the tagliatelle bolognese.
La Pecora Bianca
Pasta is the name of the game at this NYC mini-chain, which has expanded quickly throughout the city thanks to its satisfying menu of house-made noodles, formulated with wholegrain wheat flour but all available gluten-free. Try the tagliatelle with its meaty beef and pork bolognese, or go veg with the rigatoni, bathed in a rich vodka sauce and topped with creamy stracciatella.
Rubirosa
This Nolita Italian joint is famous for their brick-oven pizzas — thin-crusted, light on the cheese, and made according to the Pappalardo family’s secret recipe. You can’t go wrong with their most iconic offering: the vodka sauce and pesto-topped Tie-Dye pizza. But the pasta is also excellent, especially the creamy, tomato-y lumache alla vodka, topped with a gentle snowfall of parmigiano.
Faicco’s Italian Specialities
Consider this Italian sandwich shop your hero. Literally. Since 1900, this West Village spot has been crafting hulking sandwiches that are lessons in both architecture and flavor. You can’t go wrong with the Italian (prosciutto, ham, capicola, soppressata), chicken cutlet smothered in pesto, or eggplant Parm.
Il Buco Alimentari e Vineria
Restaurateur Donna Leonard and chef Justin Smillie are a culinary power duo. Through this top rated Noho restaurant, they bring Italy straight to you, with daily-made focaccia fino, fat-rimmed prosciutto di Parma sold by the quarter pound, and meals beyond those provisions. Get the roasted senat chicken with salsa verde and seasonal veggies (charred beans or grilled carrots), crispy artichokes with preserved lemon, and a generous slice of olive oil cake.
Joe’s of Avenue U
This Sicilian spot in Gravesend is so old-school it doesn’t even have a website — but lucky for you, its famous arancini is available for delivery via Doordash. If you haven’t tried this culinary miracle — grapefruit-sized rice balls of chewy rice doused in a thick blanket of tomato sauce and grated mozz — please do so immediately. Pair it with their panelle special: a slab of Sicilian-style chickpea fritter topped with ricotta and mozzarella and served on a toasty sesame seed bun.
