Found this gem while on vacation. The owner was super nice and accommodating. We had a party of 10 and we were seated immediately and served our meal within 20 mins and it was DELICIOUS.
monica j
really good place to eat in little italy! The pasta is super flavorful, and the desserts are perfectly baked! The space is a bit cramped but the service was great!
JJ Jalomo
After 2 hours, 3 of 9 people still didn't have food. Appetizers took an hour. Food was not good either. Except the carbonara, it was good. Bread was cold.
Jason Ayala
I worked there a couple of decades ago, and boy have things changed. It was a small cafe with emphasis on coffee and desserts for which both were amazing. They would have small plates of food and sandwiches and the pizza was made on top of focaccia bread. The bar was a small stand up that would cater to the late night crowd. How has it changed well they expanded it, the place is more of a restaurant and the bar has its own entrance. The food is good but this used to be the place for desserts and in that department they are lacking.
Chris
I hardly ever take the time to write a review...good or bad, but I felt like my recent experience here warranted one. If you have ever walked down Mulberry St in Little Italy, ever owner is trying to get you into their restaurant. We were "conned" into giving this place a try.....the owner said, "we own the building, we are 35% cheaper than everyone else around", "we have the only Italian chef on the block", "free wine all around", "our food is so good, if you don't like it, you don't have to pay for it", "I'll take care of you...anything you want."
Dan C.
Easily the worst Italian food I have had in NYC. Clams Oregano was overly breaded and made me queasy, Caesar salad sent back, Rigatoni dish drowning in oil, little sausage, Chicken Scarpiello brutal. Beware of the Carnival Barker "Owner" who will tell you how great their food is. Wine wasn't bad!
Mimi M.
Pizza tasted like lunchables. You'll get better slices for a dollar on the street. Just because you make something from scratch doesn't make it good. It's pizza. Even dominos makes their own. Nothing to brag about. We ordered the margarita and they brought out a cheese pizza. No basil, no tomatoes, just cheese and sauce. That's a cheese pizza. The owner is such a scam artist that he thought he could convince me otherwise like I'm a fool but I'm not. It was comical. The ambience of this place tries to trick you into thinking you're eating somewhere nice but you're not. Service was slow even though they were half empty and it's a small place to begin with. Staff everywhere but they'll just avoid eye contact when you look their way. Don't be fooled from the prices they may be $5 cheaper than the rest of the places down the block but you're not saving money when the food isn't good. Spend a lil more somewhere else, it's worth it. If you're on a budget just head to a deli. Food and service was bad but where it got weird is the fact that this place is actually shady. No professionalism whatsoever. Owner almost stopped me on the way out, I paid cash so I thought he might've been worried we were skipping the bill. He said he thought I left something then changed his mind and said never mind. Turns out I did. I came back and he said, I don't know we might've thrown it away, you should've been nicer. I said I was honest and he said sometimes honest isn't nice. You're right it's not. If your food is garbage then you're going to know about it. Don't open a restaurant if you can't handle criticism. I honestly felt like I was on an episode of kitchen nightmares and Gordon Ramsey was going to pop out the back. This place was weird. Avoid unless you're looking to be entertained by how much of a sham it really is because in that case, you will get your moneys worth, believe me. This place isn't forgettable, just regrettable. Save your money. Keep walking.
Kristen G.
Pretty disappointing.... the owner got us in the door. He was hussling hard. Our appetizer was wrong- was missing the roasted red peppers and basil. I would have said something but we didn't notice until after a while. Also, we decided to overlook it with the hopes the dinner was good. It wasn't.... my pasta was drowned in sauce. Look, I like it saucy, but seriously it was so much. My hubby's spaghetti and meatballs.... I'm polish but I think mine is better. The owner got us in the door but i wish we would have walked further. Not worth your time or money.
Andrea Magnifici
Being myself Italian I was very skeptical about this restaurant but the pizza was good. I mean it is not as good as the pizza you find in Italy but it was good. I ordered a Margherita and the dough tasted more like a “focacciaâ€, but nonetheless it was tasty and I expected the worst.
Kevin Patel
Excellent food and service! Freshly made and flavorful pastas!! Best Italian in little Italy!
During San Gennaro Feast, check your bills at Cha Cha's!! 1) They charged my friends $12 EACH for cannolis. They are $3 five feet away! 2) We were ordering Tito's all night at $11 each, later my friend went inside to the bartender to tell him it tasted like soda and asked for more Tito's and he said "We don't have Tito's". She asked what they were pouring and he showed her the well vodka. 3) Two nights ago my friend was charged $10 for a Sangria, last night they charged my other friend $5.50 AFTER we complained about the bill! Never again!!!
SenorJason
Busy spot, but not chaotic. Their feast food is some of the best, the staff is polite, and you can escape to their indoor bar if you need a little break from the heat.
Anita Guijarro Mallard
The most Awesome friendly place to visit ! Our bartender Marc was the best! Thank you for the great time Love this place
Kylie Harris
Great little restaurant. Ate here on recommendation from a friend. Wonderful food and staff. Highly recommend.
Yarelis Lugo
Excellent service, great music and drinks. Regina the Bartender was the best! Thank you for your attention
Found this gem while on vacation. The owner was super nice and accommodating. We had a party of 10 and we were seated immediately and served our meal within 20 mins and it was DELICIOUS.
really good place to eat in little italy! The pasta is super flavorful, and the desserts are perfectly baked! The space is a bit cramped but the service was great!
After 2 hours, 3 of 9 people still didn't have food. Appetizers took an hour. Food was not good either. Except the carbonara, it was good. Bread was cold.
I worked there a couple of decades ago, and boy have things changed. It was a small cafe with emphasis on coffee and desserts for which both were amazing. They would have small plates of food and sandwiches and the pizza was made on top of focaccia bread. The bar was a small stand up that would cater to the late night crowd. How has it changed well they expanded it, the place is more of a restaurant and the bar has its own entrance. The food is good but this used to be the place for desserts and in that department they are lacking.
I hardly ever take the time to write a review...good or bad, but I felt like my recent experience here warranted one. If you have ever walked down Mulberry St in Little Italy, ever owner is trying to get you into their restaurant. We were "conned" into giving this place a try.....the owner said, "we own the building, we are 35% cheaper than everyone else around", "we have the only Italian chef on the block", "free wine all around", "our food is so good, if you don't like it, you don't have to pay for it", "I'll take care of you...anything you want."
Easily the worst Italian food I have had in NYC. Clams Oregano was overly breaded and made me queasy, Caesar salad sent back, Rigatoni dish drowning in oil, little sausage, Chicken Scarpiello brutal. Beware of the Carnival Barker "Owner" who will tell you how great their food is. Wine wasn't bad!
Pizza tasted like lunchables. You'll get better slices for a dollar on the street. Just because you make something from scratch doesn't make it good. It's pizza. Even dominos makes their own. Nothing to brag about. We ordered the margarita and they brought out a cheese pizza. No basil, no tomatoes, just cheese and sauce. That's a cheese pizza. The owner is such a scam artist that he thought he could convince me otherwise like I'm a fool but I'm not. It was comical. The ambience of this place tries to trick you into thinking you're eating somewhere nice but you're not. Service was slow even though they were half empty and it's a small place to begin with. Staff everywhere but they'll just avoid eye contact when you look their way. Don't be fooled from the prices they may be $5 cheaper than the rest of the places down the block but you're not saving money when the food isn't good. Spend a lil more somewhere else, it's worth it. If you're on a budget just head to a deli. Food and service was bad but where it got weird is the fact that this place is actually shady. No professionalism whatsoever. Owner almost stopped me on the way out, I paid cash so I thought he might've been worried we were skipping the bill. He said he thought I left something then changed his mind and said never mind. Turns out I did. I came back and he said, I don't know we might've thrown it away, you should've been nicer. I said I was honest and he said sometimes honest isn't nice. You're right it's not. If your food is garbage then you're going to know about it. Don't open a restaurant if you can't handle criticism. I honestly felt like I was on an episode of kitchen nightmares and Gordon Ramsey was going to pop out the back. This place was weird. Avoid unless you're looking to be entertained by how much of a sham it really is because in that case, you will get your moneys worth, believe me. This place isn't forgettable, just regrettable. Save your money. Keep walking.
Pretty disappointing.... the owner got us in the door. He was hussling hard. Our appetizer was wrong- was missing the roasted red peppers and basil. I would have said something but we didn't notice until after a while. Also, we decided to overlook it with the hopes the dinner was good. It wasn't.... my pasta was drowned in sauce. Look, I like it saucy, but seriously it was so much. My hubby's spaghetti and meatballs.... I'm polish but I think mine is better. The owner got us in the door but i wish we would have walked further. Not worth your time or money.
Being myself Italian I was very skeptical about this restaurant but the pizza was good. I mean it is not as good as the pizza you find in Italy but it was good. I ordered a Margherita and the dough tasted more like a “focacciaâ€, but nonetheless it was tasty and I expected the worst.
Excellent food and service! Freshly made and flavorful pastas!! Best Italian in little Italy!
Restaurantji Recommends
During San Gennaro Feast, check your bills at Cha Cha's!! 1) They charged my friends $12 EACH for cannolis. They are $3 five feet away! 2) We were ordering Tito's all night at $11 each, later my friend went inside to the bartender to tell him it tasted like soda and asked for more Tito's and he said "We don't have Tito's". She asked what they were pouring and he showed her the well vodka. 3) Two nights ago my friend was charged $10 for a Sangria, last night they charged my other friend $5.50 AFTER we complained about the bill! Never again!!!
Busy spot, but not chaotic. Their feast food is some of the best, the staff is polite, and you can escape to their indoor bar if you need a little break from the heat.
The most Awesome friendly place to visit ! Our bartender Marc was the best! Thank you for the great time Love this place
Great little restaurant. Ate here on recommendation from a friend. Wonderful food and staff. Highly recommend.
Excellent service, great music and drinks. Regina the Bartender was the best! Thank you for your attention