While dining on Saturday evening at Via della Pace at 87 E 4th St in New York, we observed a huge rat roaming the restaurant. When pointed out to the owner of the establishment, he said, "What do you expect, this is NYC." and then he made a racial slur.
Zed Star
DESTINATION NIRVANA ! On our first dinner visit here we were hoping to run into a few of the Italian tennis players after their matches at the US Tennis Open. OH WELL ! We didn't see any tennis stars but the food, drinks, service and ambience were beyond sensational. Before we finished our 2 week vacation in New York, NY we knew we had to return here. On Wed, Sept 11th we decided to turn up cold turkey at 5.pm....we couldn't get a reservation. YEAH BABY ! The kind host told us we had a table until 7pm. At this point we had the entire beautiful dining room to ourselves...but not for long. A fun server named Luca soon came by to help us. FIRST UP ! A really nice ice cold beer would be great...I chose the same one as on our first visit. In the meantime our good mate Flavio the colorful food runner brought us a glass carafe of water and 2 glasses. Luca returned with my ice cold Five Boroughs Tiny Juice IPA in a lovely tall glass...it tasted very refreshing. WHOO HOO ! And then Flavio brought us Complimentary Artisan Bread with dipping sauce....many restaurants do not hand out free bread anymore. OH YEAH ! To kick things off we ordered 1 x Suppli Cacio Pepe ( fried rice balls with cheese and black pepper ) Appetizer. We tried the fried rice balls on our first visit....totally delicious. Not to be confused with arancini which we also love. Our rustic Italian artisan bread tasted lovely. ENTREES ! My wife ordered Lasagna Alla Bolognese ( typical lasagna bolognese style ) while I had to have the Pinsa Fichi e Prosciutto ( Roman flat bread with fresh mozzarella, Parma prosciutto and figs ) on the SPECIALS. WHOO HOO ! Out came our Fried Rice Balls appetizer courtesy of Flavio the polite food runner. TOO DELICIOUS FOR WORDS ! In fact we ordered 3 more...one serve of each variety to take back to our apartment. Just after 6pm our entree meals hit the table. My wife loved her well made Lasagna Bolognese heaps but not quite as much as the unforgettable Baked Rigatoni on our first visit. THE BEST FLATBREAD EVER ! My Fig & Prosciutto Roman Flatbread totally nailed it....brown and a bit crispy underneath but delicately bready on top with the prosciutto, figs & fresh mozzarella. When our server Luca checked on us again I ordered another beer...this time a Montauk Easy Riser Belgian White. It came out pretty quick...ice cold in a lovely tall glass and tasted very good. By now the beautiful dining room was virtually packed out. THERE'S TIME ! At 6.25pm we ordered desserts...1 x Tortino al Cioccolato ( chocolate lava cake with vanilla gelato ) and 1 x Gelato ( pistachio-chocolate-vanilla ). I tried this Italian gelato trio on our first visit and it was as good as it gets. Our decadent looking desserts arrived promptly and disappeared almost as fast....Made in Heaven. We paid the bill by credit card and headed for the front door thanking Luca, Flavio and Gabriele along the way. The interesting looking dude behind the bar was Giovanni Bartocci ( the co-owner with his business partner Marco Ventura ). I told Giovanni we loved our 2 dinner visits to their fabulous restaurant. I HAD TO ASK ! Do you identify more with Roman or Italian....the instant reply was Roman with some Italian. Giovanni was born in Rome. HOW GOOD ? As good if not better than any Italian restaurant we have dined in world wide !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Burrata E Crudo, Panna Cotta Via Della Pace, Romana, Get a Bruschetta Romana with Diced Tomatoes Basil and Olive Oil, Spaghetti Carbonara, Rigatoni Alla Carbonara, Tiramisu, Lasagna Via Della Pace, Burrata with Parma Prosciutto, Ravioli D'Aragosta Alla Vodka, Burrata, Gnocchi Tricolore, Steak, Rigatoni Alla Amatriciana, Suppli Cacio E Pepe, Lava Cake, Gelato, Prosciutto, Pasta Carbonara, Fried Olives, Ginger Margherita, Margherita, Carpaccio Di Manzo, Caprese, Lasagna Bolognese, Avocado Shrimp Toast
Seymour Titt
ITALIAN TENNIS STARS ! A few days before we jumped on our flight to New York, NY my wife read an article about an Italian restaurant in the East Village, Manhattan being patronized by many of the Italian tennis players competing at the US Tennis Open. HUGE TENNIS FANS ! And we had fabulous seats for the first men's semi-final on Friday, Sept 6th. The article mentioned Matteo Berrettini, Jannik Sinner, Sara Errani, Jasmine Paolini, Flavio Cobolli, Lucia Bronzetti, Lorenzo Musetti & more. I jumped online to book a dinner reservation but the article had blown the place up....fully booked for the duration of the US Tennis Open. OH WELL ! The very next day after we touched at LaGuardia Airport on Thurs, Sept 4th we decided to turn up here cold turkey soon after opening time...5pm because they stated on their website they take walk-ins. BINGO ! When we arrived out front around 5.30pm we were surprised by the rustic appearance of the exterior. BUT THEN ! When we entered a very sweet hostess named Margherita greeted us warmly beside the ornate full bar where a couple of patrons were dining. A TABLE FOR US ! And yes Margherita said they could accommodate us for dinner and led us through to the magnificent dining room with an amazing glass skylight above. WOW ! No Italian tennis players in sight but what a beautiful setting for dinner. It was now in the 2nd week of the US Tennis Open and most of our fav players had already been knocked out....Medvedev, Alcaraz & Rune. HOWEVER ! The very next day we will be watching the Italian and world number one Jannik Sinner play Jack Draper from Great Britain in the first semi-final at 3pm. WE ASKED ! I asked our charming server Caterina if Sinner had been in....yes was her reply. FIRST UP ! I needed a good ice cold beer preferably a hazy IPA. Soon after a busser named Gabriele brought us complimentary artisan bread & dipping sauce plus glasses of water. The craft beer I chose....the Five Boroughs Tiny Juice IPA arrived in a pretty glass. It tasted very refreshing ! Then Caterina took our dinner order...1 x Suppli al Pomodoro ( fried rice balls with tomato sauce and mozzarella ) Appetizer, our 2 entrees 1 x Rigatoni del Pirata, ( baked rigatoni in a pink rum sauce with sausage & mushroom, topped with mozarella cheese ) and 1 x Gnocchi Tricolore ( basil pesto, cherry tomatoes, fresh bufalo mozzarella ) and 1 x Insalatina ( mixed green salad ) Side.We noticed a steady influx of new diners no doubt with dinner reservations. Very soon our fried rice balls arrived and tasted fabulous...very filling. WHOO HOO ! A few minutes later our entrees hit the table.....they looked great and tasted even better. My wife went nuts over the flavor of her baked rigatoni and I had no complaints about my gnocchi. DESSERT ! We always leave room in our tummies for a sweet finale. My wife ordered the SPECIAL DESSERT - Creme Caramel. I am a sucker for gelato so the Gelato - pistacchio-choccolate-vanilla sounded too good to resist. My wife also ordered an Espresso to enjoy with her dessert. My wife didn't mind her creme caramel....probably not her best choice. On the other hand my gelato trio of pistacchio-choccolate-vanilla tasted out of this world...the chocolate was as dark it gets, the pistacchio actually had little chips of pistachio throughout and the vanilla had something going on too...like rose petals. Having just got back from a 2 week vacation in Italy where we tried heaps of incredible gelatos....this was as good as it gets. So we didn't see any Italian tennis stars but our dinner was super delicious. The next day we watched Jannik Sinner beat Jack Draper in a very exciting semi-final and then on Sunday Sinner beat the American Taylor Fritz in the final. VIVA ITALIA !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Burrata E Crudo, Risotto Del Giorno, Panna Cotta Via Della Pace, Romana, Get a Bruschetta Romana with Diced Tomatoes Basil and Olive Oil, Spaghetti Carbonara, Rigatoni Alla Carbonara, Tiramisu, Lasagna Via Della Pace, Burrata with Parma Prosciutto, Ravioli D'Aragosta Alla Vodka, Burrata, Gnocchi Tricolore, Steak, Rigatoni Alla Amatriciana, Suppli Cacio E Pepe, Gelato, Prosciutto, Pasta Carbonara, Fried Olives, Carpaccio Di Manzo, Caprese
Rotem Basson
Great atmosphere and vibe. However, my caccio e pepe was so salty it was challenging to eat (and I usually add salt to most dishes). Might come back to give other dishes a try but this was a disappointment
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
texang73
Amazing food, good service. Great vibe… highly recommend
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
David
Awesome historical Italian ambience with tasty food and speedy excellent service. Highly recommended.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jerry S
The outside of this spot does not do the experience justice. The inner dining room is cozy and very well decorated to match the Italian theme. The food tasted very good and the wait staff was courteous. Pricing was about what I would expected, I would call it neither outrageous nor a bargain. Its conveniently located next to a theater which makes it a great pre-show dinner option. I definitely would return.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Claire James
We enjoyed our meal here. Food, service, and ambiance were all great.
Via Della Pace has a vibrant atmosphere with delicious authentic Italian food. Service was attentive and helpful.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Simon Chung
Pastas are excellent and authentic Rome style pastas. But the pizzas are not so Roman. The Fiori Di Zucca was over battered and very greasy tasting.
The place is beautiful. The main dining area is the best with the beautiful skylight.
Service was ok. They forgot something I ordered and I had to remind them. Staff is very busy and sometimes it's hard to get their attention.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Jonathan Coleman
I was giving a reading next door at KGB's and went twice on the same day. Once, alone, before the reading--and then as a member of group of five afterward. Very easygoing, warm atmosphere, enhanced by staff who were motivated to please you.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Tapio Niskanen
The Cacia e Pepe with Guanciali at Via Della Pace is hands down one of the best bowls of pasta I’ve ever had. To take such simple ingredients and put them together, like Michelangelo took paint to a ceiling … is truly beyond’s words. I’ve made and ordered this dish a hundred times and have never had one that was on par with this.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Marc
Great vibe and amazing atmosphere. Food doesn’t hit the same mark.
ACTUAL Italian Food!! Unbelievably good!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Italian taste in NYC - Must Try!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
While dining on Saturday evening at Via della Pace at 87 E 4th St in New York, we observed a huge rat roaming the restaurant. When pointed out to the owner of the establishment, he said, "What do you expect, this is NYC." and then he made a racial slur.
DESTINATION NIRVANA ! On our first dinner visit here we were hoping to run into a few of the Italian tennis players after their matches at the US Tennis Open. OH WELL ! We didn't see any tennis stars but the food, drinks, service and ambience were beyond sensational. Before we finished our 2 week vacation in New York, NY we knew we had to return here. On Wed, Sept 11th we decided to turn up cold turkey at 5.pm....we couldn't get a reservation. YEAH BABY ! The kind host told us we had a table until 7pm. At this point we had the entire beautiful dining room to ourselves...but not for long. A fun server named Luca soon came by to help us. FIRST UP ! A really nice ice cold beer would be great...I chose the same one as on our first visit. In the meantime our good mate Flavio the colorful food runner brought us a glass carafe of water and 2 glasses. Luca returned with my ice cold Five Boroughs Tiny Juice IPA in a lovely tall glass...it tasted very refreshing. WHOO HOO ! And then Flavio brought us Complimentary Artisan Bread with dipping sauce....many restaurants do not hand out free bread anymore. OH YEAH ! To kick things off we ordered 1 x Suppli Cacio Pepe ( fried rice balls with cheese and black pepper ) Appetizer. We tried the fried rice balls on our first visit....totally delicious. Not to be confused with arancini which we also love. Our rustic Italian artisan bread tasted lovely. ENTREES ! My wife ordered Lasagna Alla Bolognese ( typical lasagna bolognese style ) while I had to have the Pinsa Fichi e Prosciutto ( Roman flat bread with fresh mozzarella, Parma prosciutto and figs ) on the SPECIALS. WHOO HOO ! Out came our Fried Rice Balls appetizer courtesy of Flavio the polite food runner. TOO DELICIOUS FOR WORDS ! In fact we ordered 3 more...one serve of each variety to take back to our apartment. Just after 6pm our entree meals hit the table. My wife loved her well made Lasagna Bolognese heaps but not quite as much as the unforgettable Baked Rigatoni on our first visit. THE BEST FLATBREAD EVER ! My Fig & Prosciutto Roman Flatbread totally nailed it....brown and a bit crispy underneath but delicately bready on top with the prosciutto, figs & fresh mozzarella. When our server Luca checked on us again I ordered another beer...this time a Montauk Easy Riser Belgian White. It came out pretty quick...ice cold in a lovely tall glass and tasted very good. By now the beautiful dining room was virtually packed out. THERE'S TIME ! At 6.25pm we ordered desserts...1 x Tortino al Cioccolato ( chocolate lava cake with vanilla gelato ) and 1 x Gelato ( pistachio-chocolate-vanilla ). I tried this Italian gelato trio on our first visit and it was as good as it gets. Our decadent looking desserts arrived promptly and disappeared almost as fast....Made in Heaven. We paid the bill by credit card and headed for the front door thanking Luca, Flavio and Gabriele along the way. The interesting looking dude behind the bar was Giovanni Bartocci ( the co-owner with his business partner Marco Ventura ). I told Giovanni we loved our 2 dinner visits to their fabulous restaurant. I HAD TO ASK ! Do you identify more with Roman or Italian....the instant reply was Roman with some Italian. Giovanni was born in Rome. HOW GOOD ? As good if not better than any Italian restaurant we have dined in world wide !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Burrata E Crudo, Panna Cotta Via Della Pace, Romana, Get a Bruschetta Romana with Diced Tomatoes Basil and Olive Oil, Spaghetti Carbonara, Rigatoni Alla Carbonara, Tiramisu, Lasagna Via Della Pace, Burrata with Parma Prosciutto, Ravioli D'Aragosta Alla Vodka, Burrata, Gnocchi Tricolore, Steak, Rigatoni Alla Amatriciana, Suppli Cacio E Pepe, Lava Cake, Gelato, Prosciutto, Pasta Carbonara, Fried Olives, Ginger Margherita, Margherita, Carpaccio Di Manzo, Caprese, Lasagna Bolognese, Avocado Shrimp Toast
ITALIAN TENNIS STARS ! A few days before we jumped on our flight to New York, NY my wife read an article about an Italian restaurant in the East Village, Manhattan being patronized by many of the Italian tennis players competing at the US Tennis Open. HUGE TENNIS FANS ! And we had fabulous seats for the first men's semi-final on Friday, Sept 6th. The article mentioned Matteo Berrettini, Jannik Sinner, Sara Errani, Jasmine Paolini, Flavio Cobolli, Lucia Bronzetti, Lorenzo Musetti & more. I jumped online to book a dinner reservation but the article had blown the place up....fully booked for the duration of the US Tennis Open. OH WELL ! The very next day after we touched at LaGuardia Airport on Thurs, Sept 4th we decided to turn up here cold turkey soon after opening time...5pm because they stated on their website they take walk-ins. BINGO ! When we arrived out front around 5.30pm we were surprised by the rustic appearance of the exterior. BUT THEN ! When we entered a very sweet hostess named Margherita greeted us warmly beside the ornate full bar where a couple of patrons were dining. A TABLE FOR US ! And yes Margherita said they could accommodate us for dinner and led us through to the magnificent dining room with an amazing glass skylight above. WOW ! No Italian tennis players in sight but what a beautiful setting for dinner. It was now in the 2nd week of the US Tennis Open and most of our fav players had already been knocked out....Medvedev, Alcaraz & Rune. HOWEVER ! The very next day we will be watching the Italian and world number one Jannik Sinner play Jack Draper from Great Britain in the first semi-final at 3pm. WE ASKED ! I asked our charming server Caterina if Sinner had been in....yes was her reply. FIRST UP ! I needed a good ice cold beer preferably a hazy IPA. Soon after a busser named Gabriele brought us complimentary artisan bread & dipping sauce plus glasses of water. The craft beer I chose....the Five Boroughs Tiny Juice IPA arrived in a pretty glass. It tasted very refreshing ! Then Caterina took our dinner order...1 x Suppli al Pomodoro ( fried rice balls with tomato sauce and mozzarella ) Appetizer, our 2 entrees 1 x Rigatoni del Pirata, ( baked rigatoni in a pink rum sauce with sausage & mushroom, topped with mozarella cheese ) and 1 x Gnocchi Tricolore ( basil pesto, cherry tomatoes, fresh bufalo mozzarella ) and 1 x Insalatina ( mixed green salad ) Side.We noticed a steady influx of new diners no doubt with dinner reservations. Very soon our fried rice balls arrived and tasted fabulous...very filling. WHOO HOO ! A few minutes later our entrees hit the table.....they looked great and tasted even better. My wife went nuts over the flavor of her baked rigatoni and I had no complaints about my gnocchi. DESSERT ! We always leave room in our tummies for a sweet finale. My wife ordered the SPECIAL DESSERT - Creme Caramel. I am a sucker for gelato so the Gelato - pistacchio-choccolate-vanilla sounded too good to resist. My wife also ordered an Espresso to enjoy with her dessert. My wife didn't mind her creme caramel....probably not her best choice. On the other hand my gelato trio of pistacchio-choccolate-vanilla tasted out of this world...the chocolate was as dark it gets, the pistacchio actually had little chips of pistachio throughout and the vanilla had something going on too...like rose petals. Having just got back from a 2 week vacation in Italy where we tried heaps of incredible gelatos....this was as good as it gets. So we didn't see any Italian tennis stars but our dinner was super delicious. The next day we watched Jannik Sinner beat Jack Draper in a very exciting semi-final and then on Sunday Sinner beat the American Taylor Fritz in the final. VIVA ITALIA !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Burrata E Crudo, Risotto Del Giorno, Panna Cotta Via Della Pace, Romana, Get a Bruschetta Romana with Diced Tomatoes Basil and Olive Oil, Spaghetti Carbonara, Rigatoni Alla Carbonara, Tiramisu, Lasagna Via Della Pace, Burrata with Parma Prosciutto, Ravioli D'Aragosta Alla Vodka, Burrata, Gnocchi Tricolore, Steak, Rigatoni Alla Amatriciana, Suppli Cacio E Pepe, Gelato, Prosciutto, Pasta Carbonara, Fried Olives, Carpaccio Di Manzo, Caprese
Great atmosphere and vibe. However, my caccio e pepe was so salty it was challenging to eat (and I usually add salt to most dishes). Might come back to give other dishes a try but this was a disappointment
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Amazing food, good service. Great vibe… highly recommend
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Awesome historical Italian ambience with tasty food and speedy excellent service. Highly recommended.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The outside of this spot does not do the experience justice. The inner dining room is cozy and very well decorated to match the Italian theme. The food tasted very good and the wait staff was courteous. Pricing was about what I would expected, I would call it neither outrageous nor a bargain. Its conveniently located next to a theater which makes it a great pre-show dinner option. I definitely would return.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We enjoyed our meal here. Food, service, and ambiance were all great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Via Della Pace has a vibrant atmosphere with delicious authentic Italian food. Service was attentive and helpful.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Pastas are excellent and authentic Rome style pastas. But the pizzas are not so Roman. The Fiori Di Zucca was over battered and very greasy tasting.
The place is beautiful. The main dining area is the best with the beautiful skylight.
Service was ok. They forgot something I ordered and I had to remind them. Staff is very busy and sometimes it's hard to get their attention.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
I was giving a reading next door at KGB's and went twice on the same day. Once, alone, before the reading--and then as a member of group of five afterward. Very easygoing, warm atmosphere, enhanced by staff who were motivated to please you.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
The Cacia e Pepe with Guanciali at Via Della Pace is hands down one of the best bowls of pasta I’ve ever had. To take such simple ingredients and put them together, like Michelangelo took paint to a ceiling … is truly beyond’s words. I’ve made and ordered this dish a hundred times and have never had one that was on par with this.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great vibe and amazing atmosphere. Food doesn’t hit the same mark.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
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