Unfortunately when you walk in there's a distinct smell of bathroom cleaner. I learned later it's because the bathroom is right next to the kitchen which is open to the restaurant. The service was friendly but spotty. The recommended calzone arrived cold on the inside. The dough was nice but the cheese was cold not melted. The salads had way too much dressing. Overall a mediocre experience, sadly. We were expecting so much more.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 3
Andra Leeke
Lovely decor with a cozy vibe. Good service. The mushroom and sausage papardelle was very good. The menzana eggplant was also good. Fried artichokes were just okay.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Ken S
Excellent food, service, atmosphere. Huge asset for the neighborhood
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alessandra Loffredo
Amazing experience and amazing food, service was slow at first but very busy in there so we understood. Made us feel welcomed regardless and we will definitely come back every chance we get!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Melissa Schwartz-Reed
We made a reservation here for my husband's birthday. The host staff was helpful with our reservation. We booked for 6pm, but we were in the neighborhood a little earlier and they were able to take us before the evening rush. We ordered the calamari and crab cake as an appetizer and everything was fresh and delicious. We also appreciate a true jumbo lump crab cake! We also enjoyed their mocktail menu for those of you who are non drinkers. It's a nice restaurant for adults to be able to enjoy, but good options for children as well as far as spaghetti and pizza. All the food and beverages were well above average. As the evening began to pick up the service for the wait staff was not as attentive as we would typically like. Our server stepped out the side door to smoke Marijuana before the big rush and not only did the cold draft blow into our table, but also the smell of Marijuana. Just not our vibe when at a more upscale dinning experience. Overall a lovely evening and we enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 2
Abraham Reyes
Always the best food in the village!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Louis Avanti
Absolutely excellent in every aspect. Excellent quality perfectly executed. Blows away most Italian restaurants in the area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Marc Basilla
Joined friends here for a reunion dinner and it was chaotic! We waited over 2 hours to get our food. We would have left no tip BUT large parties automatically have the gratuities included. I think that’s a scam if the service is horrendous!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
Katie Mukhina
We were looking for a cozy Italian spot and couldn’t have chosen better. The atmosphere was lovely, the service was friendly, and we were absolutely delighted with the pizza and the complimentary treat from the restaurant. The pasta had an unusual recipe, but we really enjoyed it. Definitely worth recommending!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Arthi N
Rafele is a pretty standard Italian restaurant in the West Village. We came here around 9:30pm on a Saturday night, and the atmosphere was less lively than expected. This also didn’t give a vibe of authenticity, unlike some of the better choices in the neighborhood. They have a decent wine selection and solid menu, but compared to other restaurants in the area, I wasn’t wow’ed. Bread service was a bit meh - didn’t seem super fresh and came with an eggplant cold dip vs olive oil. The arancini and Cacio e Pepe were the standout dishes. Arancini had a lot of flavor and didn’t need any sauce. Cacio e Pepe tasted authentic with pasta cooked al dente. The Bolognese was pretty underwhelming as it appeared to be more like the lamb pasta dish (meat was stewed and shredded) vs ground in a traditional bolognese and wasn’t very flavorful. If I was hungry and in the area without access to the many other wonderful Italian restaurants in the village, I’d eat here again, but wouldn’t go out of my way to come back.
Our 'go to' restaurant in the West Village. We always sit at the bar and meet wonderful people
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Julia Marchet de Morais
Hosted a private lunch event for 15 people at their cellar room, family style… we had an amazing time!! Excellent service and great quality Italian food. Good wine and privacy. Thank you for the hospitality, I will always recommend Rafele. JM
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cheryl Wagner
We were seated at the Chef's table, where we could see the pasta being made. Everyone at our table enjoyed their food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Marife Quesada
Absolutely love this place! The staff is so friendly and the food is unreal.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alicia Ramos
Rafele is my go-to spot classic Italian comfort food. The pasta is super fresh, the pizza’s got that perfect wood-fired char, and the arancini is unreal. It’s got a warm, welcoming vibe that’s great for date night or dinner with friends. Feels like a quick trip to Naples, without leaving nyc.
Unfortunately when you walk in there's a distinct smell of bathroom cleaner. I learned later it's because the bathroom is right next to the kitchen which is open to the restaurant. The service was friendly but spotty. The recommended calzone arrived cold on the inside. The dough was nice but the cheese was cold not melted. The salads had way too much dressing. Overall a mediocre experience, sadly. We were expecting so much more.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 3
Lovely decor with a cozy vibe. Good service. The mushroom and sausage papardelle was very good. The menzana eggplant was also good. Fried artichokes were just okay.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Excellent food, service, atmosphere. Huge asset for the neighborhood
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing experience and amazing food, service was slow at first but very busy in there so we understood. Made us feel welcomed regardless and we will definitely come back every chance we get!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We made a reservation here for my husband's birthday. The host staff was helpful with our reservation. We booked for 6pm, but we were in the neighborhood a little earlier and they were able to take us before the evening rush. We ordered the calamari and crab cake as an appetizer and everything was fresh and delicious. We also appreciate a true jumbo lump crab cake! We also enjoyed their mocktail menu for those of you who are non drinkers. It's a nice restaurant for adults to be able to enjoy, but good options for children as well as far as spaghetti and pizza. All the food and beverages were well above average. As the evening began to pick up the service for the wait staff was not as attentive as we would typically like. Our server stepped out the side door to smoke Marijuana before the big rush and not only did the cold draft blow into our table, but also the smell of Marijuana. Just not our vibe when at a more upscale dinning experience. Overall a lovely evening and we enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 2
Always the best food in the village!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Absolutely excellent in every aspect.
Excellent quality perfectly executed.
Blows away most Italian restaurants in the area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Joined friends here for a reunion dinner and it was chaotic! We waited over 2 hours to get our food. We would have left no tip BUT large parties automatically have the gratuities included. I think that’s a scam if the service is horrendous!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
We were looking for a cozy Italian spot and couldn’t have chosen better. The atmosphere was lovely, the service was friendly, and we were absolutely delighted with the pizza and the complimentary treat from the restaurant. The pasta had an unusual recipe, but we really enjoyed it. Definitely worth recommending!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rafele is a pretty standard Italian restaurant in the West Village. We came here around 9:30pm on a Saturday night, and the atmosphere was less lively than expected. This also didn’t give a vibe of authenticity, unlike some of the better choices in the neighborhood. They have a decent wine selection and solid menu, but compared to other restaurants in the area, I wasn’t wow’ed. Bread service was a bit meh - didn’t seem super fresh and came with an eggplant cold dip vs olive oil. The arancini and Cacio e Pepe were the standout dishes. Arancini had a lot of flavor and didn’t need any sauce. Cacio e Pepe tasted authentic with pasta cooked al dente. The Bolognese was pretty underwhelming as it appeared to be more like the lamb pasta dish (meat was stewed and shredded) vs ground in a traditional bolognese and wasn’t very flavorful. If I was hungry and in the area without access to the many other wonderful Italian restaurants in the village, I’d eat here again, but wouldn’t go out of my way to come back.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
Our 'go to' restaurant in the West Village. We always sit at the bar and meet wonderful people
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Hosted a private lunch event for 15 people at their cellar room, family style… we had an amazing time!! Excellent service and great quality Italian food. Good wine and privacy. Thank you for the hospitality, I will always recommend Rafele. JM
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We were seated at the Chef's table, where we could see the pasta being made. Everyone at our table enjoyed their food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Absolutely love this place! The staff is so friendly and the food is unreal.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rafele is my go-to spot classic Italian comfort food. The pasta is super fresh, the pizza’s got that perfect wood-fired char, and the arancini is unreal. It’s got a warm, welcoming vibe that’s great for date night or dinner with friends. Feels like a quick trip to Naples, without leaving nyc.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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