New York City is synonymous with world-class dining. Cuisine from every culture on earth can be found in the nation's largest city, and Italian fare is no exception. Not only is New York home to Little Italy but the Italian influence on the city as a whole is unmistakable. Some of the best Italian restaurants in the entire country can be found in New York.
Owned by celebrity-chef Mario Batali, Babbo isn't just one of the best Italian restaurants in New York, it's one of the best restaurants period. Located in the trendy Greenwich Village section of Manhattan, the menu features classic rustic Italian cuisine that you won't likely find at the more tourist-centric dining options in the heart of Little Italy. Ingredients you wouldn't expect are used in ways most chefs would never think to create dishes that are delicious and complex as much as they are classically Italian. The dining area itself is moderately sized and keeps a comfortable degree of noise and activity. The restaurant isn't meant to seem private and romantic, though a dinner there can certainly be both. But the atmosphere evokes more of a family atmosphere. This carries over into the bar area, where you can wait on a table while enjoying a cocktail or opt to grab a full meal from the bar menu. Should you choose to wait, be warned that it may be awhile. Without a reservation, tables are often nearly impossible to come by on some nights. Prices at Babbo are skewed towards the upscale end, but portions are large and the dishes so original and delicious that the price, and oftentimes the wait, is worth it.
110 Waverly Place
New York, NY 10007
212-777-0303
babbonyc.com
Il Giglio is a small Italian restaurant in New York's West Village. It serves upscale and authentic Italian cooking but is a small, almost quaint and laid-back establishment that harkens back to the family-owned Italian restaurants of the past. Tables are adorned with white linen, and decorations and Italian knick-knacks adorn the walls and furniture. It truly feels as though you're dining in the private home of an Italian family. The food is as authentic as you're likely to find without traveling to Italy. The menu is written completely in Italian, and the dishes are simple and rustic. Complex mixes of ingredients and fusion of various cuisine can't be found at Il Giglio. Instead classic dishes, such as Scampi Fradiavlo and Spaghettini Bolognese, are made with fresh ingredients and as simply as Italians made them hundreds of years ago. The result is superb and among the most authentic Italian meals to be found in New York.
81 Warren Street
New York, NY 10007
212-571-5555
ilgigliorestaurant.com
Trattoria L'incontro is one of the more innovative and new-age of New York's best Italian restaurants. Chef Rocco Sacramone employs the techniques, flavors and recipes of classic authentic Italian cooking by adds his own twist, using modern methods and unique ingredients to create a menu that's both true Italian and unlike anything you'd find at other restaurants. Dishes, such as seared blue marlin, get an Italian flare with the addition of authentic spices and sauce. It's that fusion of authentic old-world cooking and more creative ingredients that make Trattoria L'incontro one of the better Italian meals in New York. The wine list is incredible extensive, offering nearly 300 different bottles to provide a great pairing with any meal. And for those looking for a more low-key and traditional Italian meal, the homemade pasta is some of the best in the city, with all types of noodles from the simple spaghetti to stuffed raviolis freshly made by hand each day.
2176 31st Street
Astoria, NY 11105
718-721-3532
trattorialincontro.com
