On Manhattan's opulent Upper East Side, Nello is a modest Italian eatery. Thomas Makkos is the only owner of the restaurant, which was started by restaurateur Nello Balan over 25 years ago. Politicians, diplomats, and A-List artists have all visited the arena since it opened. A collage beside the host station features several of their notable visitors.

It's a nice spot for a supper with friends or family, but not so much for rowdy kids. Families are welcome to dine at Nello, and many do, but the menu may be difficult for little children to understand. Nello is an excellent choice for a special date night with your partner or supper with out-of-town visitors who like people watching.

Every diner in the group will find something to their liking on the broad menu, which is separated into a first course and a major dish. Fresh aromas and vegetables abound in the Tricolore gazpacho, misto terra, and mozzarella di Bufala, while the hard-to-find air-cured beef bresaola and tonno tartare are excellent beginnings for those eager to experience carne and pesce.

Location: 696 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10065

Website: nello.com

Harry Cipriani is located on 59th Street and Fifth Avenue in New York City, near the Sherry Netherland Hotel. This trendy eatery is practically a carbon copy of the original Harry's Bar in Venice. It is bustling with fashionable New Yorkers and visitors from all over the world on a regular basis. The iconic Harry's Bar menu of unique Cipriani specials and classic Italian favorites is available at Harry Cipriani. Whether you're a regular with your own "table" (many customers have lunch or supper at Harry Cipriani every day!) or a first-time visitor, you'll be welcomed with warmth and excitement.

You'd better sidle up to the bar, order the classic cocktail, and dine like a Venetian on classic Italian bar snacks like steak tartare and beef carpaccio. Are you looking for something a little more substantial? Striped fish with lemon and capers or tagliatelle with fresh mushrooms will make guests yearn for a Venetian sunset and beautiful canals among the 5th Avenue towers.

Location: 781 5th Ave, New York, NY 10022

Website: www.cipriani.com

The wood-burning pizza oven at Altesi's Spring Street Downtown location is a genuine Italian touch not found in many NYC restaurants. A slice of pizza paradise is created by combining the restaurant's proprietary flour blend, which is meant to burn on the edges while yielding gently in the centre, with traditional Italian pizza combinations including Margherita and Pizza al Carciofi. Hand-cut noodles are included in the spaghetti al Chitarra and squid-ink dyed tagiolini with shrimp in a spicy tomato sauce at the restaurant.

The charmingly modern and refined Altesi Ristorante, conveniently located just off Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side, offers a menu of Tuscan-inspired meals. Altesi serves breakfast, lunch, and supper and features an enclosed garden with outside seating. Altesi is a hidden treasure in the area that is a must-visit for anybody looking for sophisticated and authentic Italian cuisine.

Location: 26 E 64th St, New York, NY 10065

Website: https://www.altesirestaurant.com

The elegant Lincoln Center, with its reflecting pool and Henry Moore sculpture, serves as the setting for Lincoln Ristorante, one of New York City's top Italian restaurants. The Negroni, a famous Italian cocktail, now has its own menu at Lincoln, where guests may construct their own personalized Italian concoction using a selection of spirits, vermouths, and bitters. Given its location, the restaurant also provides a pre-theater supper meal with a two- or three-course menu with Italian favorites like Pasta e Fagioli, crudo di trota, cavolini di Bruxelles, and a sweet affogato finish.

As a result, the restaurant's interior is one-of-a-kind. With the concierge on the left, an elevator, and a stairway down in front of you, the entry seems like a condo lobby. The seating is disjointedly divided into three areas–apparently to make room for the see-through kitchen. The bar, which is located between the main dining area and the kitchen, is perhaps the nicest space. There is enough space to accommodate many groups of visitors at once, thanks to the comfy couches.

Location: 142 W 65th St, New York, NY 10023

Website: www.lincolnristorante.com

Il Mulino, which means "mill" in Italian, is a restaurant in Manhattan that takes its inspiration from the rough and pastoral area of Abruzzo, east of Rome. Bread, wine, cheese, and pasta are all staples of Abruzzese cuisine, and Il Mulino's menu reflects them all. Spaghettini alla carbonara blends parmesan cheese, pancetta, and strong pasta to create a dish that offers a sense of the area on a single plate.

Il Mulino New York emphasizes original Abruzzese preparations while serving perfectly created meals with exceptional service. Their restaurants have consistently ranked among the best in New York's premium dining scene for more than three decades. Downtown/Greenwich Village and Uptown/Madison Avenue are two of its destination destinations. Il Mulino is the parent company of Trattoria Il Mulino in Gramercy-Flatiron and Il Mulino Prime in SoHo. In the Il Mulino New York tradition, you should pay them a visit in Midtown for innovative Italian food, distinctive drinks, and uncompromising service.

Location: 37 E 60th St, New York, NY 10022

Website: https://www.ilmulino.com/uptown

Antonucci's on the Upper East Side is one of the top Italian restaurants in New York for guests looking for a genuine experience where the locals eat. Warm, attentive service and simple cuisine provide the impression of dining at a dear friend's home. To begin your meal, serve fried zucchini flowers, crispy sweetbreads, cod mousse, and roasted bone marrow to a rapt audience. Don't overlook bucatini all' Amatriciana, one of Italy's most famous sauces that aren't widely available outside of the boot.

The Upper East Side isn't known for its cutting-edge eateries, but it is a neighborhood that excels at the classics. Antonucci, on East 81st Street, a few steps from the Met, is no exception, with a bright, welcoming atmosphere enclosed by pink-painted walls and surreal artwork. Although the clientele is primarily dressy, casual drop-ins will feel at ease. There's a wine to match every dish (not surprisingly, most are Italian varietals). From veal osso bucco with saffron risotto to wonderfully crisp chicken Milanese with arugula, tomato, and Parmesan, the menu features Northern Italian comfort cuisine. Save space for dessert, which is a velvety buttermilk panna cotta with amaretto-soaked berries.

Location: 170 E 81st St, New York, NY 10028

Website: antonuccicafe81.com

San Pietro is a family-owned and operated restaurant in Salerno that aims to carry on the Bruno family's culinary heritage. The recipes here are tried-and-true Salerno classics, with proprietor Gerardo Bruno refusing to change or adapt the meals that are so dear to his family. Scialatielli con melenzane, for example, is a Salerno-style handmade pasta dish prepared with eggplant, burrata, tomato, and basil. San Pietro is the closest thing NYC offers to true Italian cuisine short of a plane ticket to Italy.

This establishment is laid-back and fun, making it ideal for date night, supper with friends, and a variety of other occasions. San Pietro is most renowned for its thin-crust pizzas, but the restaurant is much more than that. They also serve superb small plates, pasta, and entrees. You should, however, order at least one pizza (go vodka sauce). Also, make a reservation or expect to wait a long time if you don't.

Location: 18 E 54th St, New York, NY 10022

Website: www.sanpietroristorantenyc.com

In Manhattan, Masseria Dei Vini just opened at 9th Avenue and 58th Street. Pino Coladonato, the chef/co-owner, also owns La Masseria on W. 48th St. and La Masseria in East Greenwich, RI. The restaurant serves recipes from Chef Coladonato's native Puglia, where the center of each major functioning farm is a Masseria—a farm or country house. Vintage agricultural implements, as well as enormous black and white images of Puglia's countryside and historic monuments, are placed in contemporary, sculptural groupings.

The DOP designation has been awarded to Masseria del Vini's pizzas, indicating that the authentic ingredients are guaranteed by the Italian government. This is as near as diners can get to eating pizza beneath the shadow of Mount Vesuvius. Traditional meats like rabbit and calf liver are rarely found on the menus of NYC's greatest Italian restaurants, yet both are available at Masseria del Vini.

Location: 887 9th Ave, New York, NY 10019

Website: masseriadeivini.com

Neighborhood taverna Locanda Verde, located in trendy TriBeCa, is a bright and open space inside the Greenwich Hotel. Translating to "green inn", its location at the hotel is aptly named. The buzzy atmosphere hits you the moment you come into this Tribeca room, which appears to be always packed—but never cramped, thanks to its lofty ceilings and abundant natural light. People come here for both the excitement and the food, which was created by chef Andrew Carmellini. With a large mix of New Yorkers and visitors staying at the adjacent, extremely elegant Greenwich Hotel, it's a lively scene.

The Alpino, a tequila gimlet pumped up with lime and two distinct herbal liqueurs, is one of the excellent, creative drinks on the menu. On a hot day, though, you can't go wrong with a bottle of Santa Lucia Franciacorta Rosé. First and first, make the sheep's milk ricotta with herbs and sea salt. The characteristic crostini is simple yet delicious (it comes with grilled bread drizzled with olive oil). It's perfect with a substantial pasta (squid ink linguine is a favorite) or the wood-fired garlic chicken for two.

Location: 377 Greenwich St, New York, NY 10013

Website: www.locandaverdenyc.com

Toscana 49 is a tranquil and elegant escape from the hustle of the city, located in the heart of midtown Manhattan's east side, a stone's throw from New York City's top hotels and Grand Central Station. They provide traditional Italian cuisine as well as fresh handmade pasta produced daily in their kitchen using time-honored methods. Their friendly staff can help you select wines from their vast wine list, introduce you to their daily specials, which use the freshest ingredients available from local markets or create the ideal drink.

Restaurants may provide a respite from the outer world, and Toscana 49 delivers just that. Leave the hectic city streets behind as you enter the restaurant's cream-colored décor. Start with the crostone di fegatini de pollo, a toasted Tuscan bread with chicken liver and sage, and then a slice of Parma ham with melon. You're ready to explore the courses, which include red snapper, grilled baby squid, and veal scaloppini after you can no longer imagine traffic, people, and loud noises. The limoncello will feel miles away from the center of one of the world's busiest cities by the time it arrives at the table after dinner.

Location: 143 E 49th St, New York, NY 10017

Website: www.toscana49.com

Sfoglia is a rustic trattoria with exposed brick walls and a chandelier-lit dining area, located on an inconspicuous stretch of the Upper East Side. A comfortable, romantic, yet relaxing environment is created by farm tables warmed with votives and fresh flowers. Inside this lovely setting, you'll discover warm hospitality and fresh, seasonal Italian food inspired by local ingredients that changes on a regular basis.

Sfoglia is a beautiful, rustic, brick-walled trattoria on the Upper East Side with flower-lined farmhouse tables that are ideal for a romantic night or a small get-together. Sfoglia is a term that refers to a type of handmade egg pasta that makes up a significant percentage of the menu. Sfoglia's name is reflected in its pappardelle alla Bolognese, tiny pansotti ravioli, and shell-shaped conchiglie. Prepare to put your mobile phone and other electronic devices in your pocket or handbag, as the restaurant asks that no gadgets be used at the tables so that customers can focus on their conversations.

Location: 1402 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10128

Website: www.sfogliarestaurant.com

Leuca is a large Italian restaurant led by a well-known chef, located on the ground level of a highly modern Williamsburg hotel that resembles a space station, and it may be thought of in two ways. The first is to conceive of it as just that: a large Italian restaurant managed by a man who owns a number of well-known Manhattan restaurants, housed in a structure that appears to belong in Midtown or Chelsea.

Leuca, a bright corner spot in Williamsburg, serves Southern Italian food. Diners may dunk and dip this crusty bread into a range of cheese or vegetable-based spreads, starting with "la scarpetts" — Southern Italian dips served with pane Siciliano. They specialize in wood-fired pizzas, and they have a clam pie that rivals the best in New Haven. The wood-fired barbecue also serves Vesuvius hanger steak and a delicious crispy suckling pig to enjoy.

Location: 111 N 12th St, Brooklyn, NY 11249

Website: www.leuca.com