This place is amazing! Decided on this restaurant to celebrate my birthday! Best. Decision. Ever. Ordered an amazing pasta dish, casarecci mangiafridda. Amazing!! Apps were also great. My friend till this day raves about the artichoke appetizer. The Brussels Sprouts were also a hit. Aside from the food, the waiter was attentive & always available & the owner even came by our table to greet us. Vinnie, thank you for your incredible hospitality. You formed part of making my birthday weekend very special. Your place is a gem . Grazie! read more

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Cozy neighborhood restaurant with great food. I had the fiocchi which were great. It's the UES so it's not trendy but it's still cute

I had delicious Lambrusco here...very hard to find on the UES. The pasta was excellent and the fish was cooked to perfection. The space is a little tight but the food is worth it. And, the server did not rush us out! read more

We heard about 83 1/2 through a Groupon. I'm usually cautious of these coupons but based on the Yelp reviews, I figured we would try it. The restaurant is small and the tables are slightly cramped, but overall a cute space. The restaurant was extremely packed. They were over whelmed with the Groupon response which meant very slow service. We began with fresh Bellini's and crusty Italian bread with a delicious dipping sauce. We tried an extra entree of eggs with homemade gnocchi and truffle oil. This dish was different and exquisite. We followed up with the eggs Benedict served with polenta hash-just right. If it wasn't for the service hiccup, it would have been the perfect experience. The server did explain the situation and was very apologetic. Based on the quality ingredients and creative dishes, we will definitely return. read more

83 1/2 - Eggs Benedict - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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We went there on a Friday night date night. The waiters were very nice. However, the tables are almost 1/2 sizes of the other restaurants and as soon as we walked in, our appetite got cut in 1/2 too. Drinks were good. I ordered a seafood pasta special - do not think they had the freshest ingredients. Overall, the highlights were the services and hard working and friendly waiters. read more

We recently were here. Table of 11. Since the service was not so good, and since we were charged more for a scotch than what was shown on the menu, we just double the tax and left a $90 tip. The waiter comes over and says he wants $12 more tip. This was very embarrassing, so to hush him up, we gave an extra $20. I emailed the owner Vincenzo, figuring he would want to know we were being shaken down for nickels by an employee for an over $600 bill, with tip, for in essence pasta, with some drinks. The owner, Vincenzo, calls me and says he was allowed to charge more for the scotch because he hadn't updated his menus. I knew this was not going to end well. Vincenzo then said it is customary to leave a 20% tip for large parties. I told him no mention of a large party tip was on the menu and no tip amount was on the bill, so we didn't have to leave anything, but initially left $90, and then boosted it with the demands from the waiter. With that, Vincenzo said a 20% tip is customary, and then hung up on me. I thought this guy would want to know about our experiences, but instead, he was the one behind all this, including knowingly overcharging us for a drink. There are Italian restaurant owners on the upper east side who would actually appreciate your business. This is not one of them. read more

The food at this neighborhood restaurant is very good and staff is friendly. I have been here over 10 times. The quality and pricing match, you get what you pay for and is worth it. Their product is not something one could easily replicate at home. The pasta is fresh, they are consistent and every course is superb. If you are looking for a delicious Italian meal, you should try 83 1/2. read more

4 stars only because of the experience with our wait staff was not great. If this rating was solely based on the ambiance and quality and flavor of food. I'd give a 5 rating. Great quiet ambiance. Smaller dining area so it's an intimate atmosphere. Great wine selection. We really enjoyed our cheese and meat plate (salumi e formaggio) but wished there was a sweet component (fruit or jam) with the savory. The three main course dishes we ordered did not disappoint: - the salmon was cooked to perfection - fiocchi 4 formaggi (best dish hands down) - ravioli al tartufo For dessert (all 3 were great. Can't go wrong either way): - creme brûlée - tiramisu - gelato With wine, appetizer, main course, and dessert - it'll probably run each person in a group of 4 around $65. Worth it for the quality of food. read more

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Jose was such a great waiter, he is really nice and made me feel like home. Very attentive, helpful and funny. Ordered calamaris and was not the best I had but good, however service was awesome, will definely come back to try other things... dessert was really good ( we had tiramisu) read more

Came here for a celebratory dinner and left very disappointed. While our server was very nice we waited so long for everything. It took over 30 minutes for our bread to be delivered and our drinks. It was then when we ordered the mozzarella appetizer (was not cooked, minimal prep) and it took way too longer to come out. Definitely understand it's busy but another 2 top table was seated next to us way after we were seated and they were able to finish their entire meal before we even got our appetizer... We ordered a medium rare ribeye steak and it came out well done and was mainly fatty, potatoes were under cooked and the spinach was unfortunately raw. Definitely not what I was expecting for the price tag of that steak. The four cheese pear tortellini was very good though so if you take away anything from this review definitely order that!! Again the server was so nice but the meal did not live up to our expectations in the slightest /: read more

83 1/2 - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Good food was a good time would recommend others to try out the food they offer and then you will get a taste of the food

I hosted a surprise birthday party for 17 people on Saturday evening September 17. The staff was wonderful and they made the party of great success. The food was delicious and Daniel and Jose could not have been more gracious. I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough. In addition to having the birthday party there, are you there at least twice a month and the food is always excellent and the service superb. MCB read more

I discovered this gem a few months ago & all I can say is WOW. The food here is unbelievably good. I have ordered take out several times & everything we have tried is so fresh & delicious. Some of our favorites are the linguine with clams (all of their pasta is fresh/homemade) & the eggplant Parmesan ball appetizer. I had never given much thought to Cesar salads before - I've always felt they're the same wherever you go - but even their Cesar salad just knocks it out of the park! There's something about every dish here that is just indescribably better than any I've tried before. Anyone who I've gone with or gotten takeout with completely agrees. If you're looking for fresh, authentic Italian food, look no further!! read more

Food is great and consistent but the service is consistently horrible. Last time we were there was a week again and they were spraying cleaning products which made for an unpleasant meal - this was the 2nd time this happened. read more

I have never written a yelp review before but this restaurant deserves it. We haven't lived in the area long, but 83 1/2 has quickly become our favorite restaurant. The pasta is such high quality and every type we've had is worth ordering (We've tried the spinach gnocchi, vodka, trofie, and bolognese). The eggplant parm app is also great and I couldn't be happier that they're still open. Can't wait to try more things and would 100% recommend to anyone in the UES looking for Italian. Picture taken from my apartment as we did take out! read more

83 1/2 - two plates of food on a table - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

El lugar es pequeño y acogedor, los camareros muy amables y serviciales. Ordené para la entrada unas berenjenas ufff buenísimas y unos fettuccine con hongos y tomates secos en aceite de olivas, estaba súper delicioso, me encantó! por supuesto mi Prosecco a temperatura perfecta para mi gusto. La comida no tardo para llegar a la mesa. read more

We are very longterm patrons of 83 1/2. We love the food, we love the service, we like the decor, we hate!! the air conditioning. We will not return until the AC is brought up to NYC restaurant standards; indoors is too miserable to tolerate, especially when there are so many other good and much more comfortable restaurants in the neighborhood One star reflects that the dining room is unbearable as us read more

Small gem neighborhood restaurant. Food here is always great. Start off with the delicious baked clams oreganata and save some bread for dipping in the sauce. The homemade pasta is on point with a great selection. I enjoy the various linguini offerings. Finally, finish off the meal with probably one of the best expresso martinis in the city. Delicious!! Also, Wednesdays and Thursdays are BYOB. Bring your favorite bottle of wine and enjoy!! read more

This is not only some of the best Italian food I've had in Manhattan, but it is also some of the best service I've had. I love everything about this restaurant and can't recommend it enough. Try the espresso martini, you won't be disappointed! And, Jose, our waiter, is absolutely one of the best. read more

ORIGINAL POST: My experience has been very disappointing here. Every time I try to get take out (since I don't have time to dine in) - they've insinuated that I CAN'T AFFORD the food. The interaction has come with many uncomfortable remarks. On Friday, I was yelled at for asking a simple question - on asking if they treat their typical customer the same way, he told me I was over reacting and creating a scene. Given the recurrent nature of their behavior, it's evident that they actively PROFILE AND DISCRIMINATE against people. I would not recommend that any one goes here, save yourself the misery (go to FELICE!). Such a shame for the chef, since the food is actually really good! EDIT: And for additional context - the OWNER / CHEF told me I was overreacting when I raised it this to him. There's another review below that would concur that the owner is extremely rude - easy to write polite messages online, than actually treat people fairly and with respect! read more

A great meal in a charming setting! We had a wonderful experience at 83 1/2 that reminded me of great meals we had last summer in Sicily. The pork chop was terrific and the Spaghetti Bolognese was hearty and full of meat. It was obvious that the pasta was homemade. Our servers were friendly and attentive. Noticing our fellow diners, we saw that this is truly a neighborhood restaurant that welcomed visitors warmly. We were sorry that Vincenzo was not there. We first learned about this restaurant while standing in line waiting for a ferry in Charleston, South Carolina, and wanted to tell him how much we enjoyed our evening. We looked forward to our visit and enjoyed every bite of it! read more

Being a frequent Italian diner, I have to say that most of the neighborhood Italian spots are run of the mill, nothing too exciting that differentiates one from the next. Which is why 83 1/2 was so refreshing - a cozy neighborhood Italian spot that has menu items that separate itself from the rest. And of course, the quality of the food itself, was top notch - the type of Italian food you expect from some of the more well-known Italian spots in the city. The ambiance and feel of the restaurant was cozy. But this is not what was so great about this meal. It was all about the food. We started with the Burata which was prepared atop a toasted crostini with beautiful heirloom tomatoes. The Burata was perfectly creamy and biting into this perfectly crispy crostini was one of the best bites I've ever had. From there, we had two different pasta dishes - bolognese and a frutti di mare style pasta. The bolognese was as good as it gets - a beautiful, creamy and perfectly seasoned dish with the perfect ratio of sauce to meat. The second pasta was also delicious, on the lighter side, with succulent shrimp and beautiful spinach. To top it all off, we shared a duck dish which took the cake. Two gorgeous duck breasts cooked to perfection. This is when I knew that the chef was real deal. Duck is extremely easy to mess up in many different ways. Too fatty, too gamey, the skin not being prepared properly - any of these can lead to an underwhelming duck dish. But this was one was masterful. The skin was cooked to a crisp perfection, the mean was tender and juicy and the flavors were heavenly. Probably the best duck I've ever eaten in my life. Dessert was a great molten lava chocolate cake with a scoop of pistachio ice cream. All in all, one of the better and more inventive Italian meals I've had. And I work in the hospitality business, with one of our restaurants being a coastal italian restaurant, so I am extremely picky and critical of other Italian restaurants. This one was top notch! If you have the chance, sit at the chef's table and watch him cook. It's a great experience and he's very personable. Must check this gem out! read more

Cute little place, so I was disappointed that the food didn't match the atmosphere. The burrata salad was good, the wine (cabernet sauvignon) was excellent, the chocolate lava cake was good, but my main dish (short rib pasta) was not good. The pasta was too al dente and the dish lacked flavor. My main complaint was with our server, he brought my friend's dessert but completely forgot mine! After we reminded him, he insisted I hadn't ordered dessert, we both insisted that I had and he finally put in the order and brought it. I found this place to be overpriced. Unless you live in the neighborhood, I wouldn't go out of your way to visit, there are better Italian restaurants. read more

I'm back for another review! This place is so great that they deserve a second review! My husband and I have been here several times since our first encounter when we came with a Groupon. This is one of our favorite places on the UES! The ambiance is amazing, the food is incredible, the staff is extremely friendly and knowledgable and the presentation is beautiful. I cannot say enough about this place. I have been here with friends, with parents, on a date and it is just the perfect spot. The food is always unbelievable. I have never eaten anything here that was less than a 100%! Last night we started with the tomato and burrata bruschetta. It was a gorgeous plate, so gorgeous that I had to take a picture of it! The burrata was so creamy and the tomatoes were served warm -- what a nice touch! (See my picture) Next, we ordered 3 servings of the pesto spaghetti with the chicken meatballs. This dish has become a staple when we come here. I love to cook, but I have not been able to accomplish the fluffy-ness that these chicken meatballs have. Eating meatballs mixed with their fresh homemade spaghetti and pesto is truly an experience in itself. This is a must have when you come here -- a real comfort plate. (See my picture) Last we ordered the hot lava cake. It was a hard decision as I LOVE the cremisu (which is a mix of crème brûlée and tiramisu) and the lava cake. We were in a chocolate mood and couldn't handle eating 2 desserts so we went with the lava cake. As I said in my first review this is the BEST lava cake I have ever had (you can see in my picture). The whipped cream is fresh and the cake itself is delicious and it is so gooey. If you are a chocolate lover -- this dessert is for you! After our meal, we were sitting, chatting and finishing up our coffees, when Vincenzo (the owner) came over to inquire about our meal. He was so kind and was genuinely interested in how our food and experience was at 83 1/2. He pulled up a chair and we chatted for a while about food, played restaurant geography in the tri-state area and us praising his restaurant and how much we truly love his place. Chef David also pulled up a chair and joined our conversation. This was such a great part of our meal. We love when we get to meet the masterminds behind a great restaurant! This is a really special place and they are a true example of perfection. I highly recommend stopping in and checking this place out!! read more

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Delicious food every single time! They have a great outdoor dining set up that is covered but not enclosed. The service has definitely been lacking during COVID, but they're doing the best they can. There were only two waiters total for all outdoor patrons each time I've gone. This leads to a very long and leisurely meal even on a weeknight. All in all it's always a good experience...I've tried several appetizers, pastas, and desserts and all are superb. read more

This is one of our favorite go-tos in the neighborhood and isn't unusual for us to go two nights in a row. The service is wonderful - very friendly and accommodating. The food is stand out. Love the veal chop, watermelon salad, paccheri alla vodka and baked clams. You also can't go wrong with any of their specials. Highly recommend for a quality dinner and great atmosphere! read more

Love this gem in the neighborhood. The place is small, but it has an amazing menu and service is great. Love their eggplant parmigiana appetizer, and anything with buffalo mozzarella. We had the bolognese pasta and a pork chop, and finished with a chocolate delight. I will be back. Also, their delivery is good too. read more

Small, friendly neighborhood Italian with great pasta and nice service. Packed to the gills on a Saturday night - glad we had reservations. The branzino would probably have been better without the mushy zucchini crust, but everything was fresh with lots of healthy vegetables. Chocolate lava cake was a great ending. (To add, the prices are pretty reasonable!) read more

Classy. Romantic. Intimate. Warm and friendly staff. Delicious food. There was a special - Brussels sprouts as an appetizer that were amazing! Also, a grilled fish with zucchini that was delicious. Don't forget to end your meal with a shot of limoncello and some tiramisu. read more

83 1/2 - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

We had dinner there on Saturday with our friends that are paranoid of eating inside. Our friends made the reservation and thought they reserved a table outside. Daniel told us that we booked inside and they were fully booked outside. Needless to say I was SO disappointed as I love to introduce my friends to my favorite restaurant. Long story short, Daniel moved a table outside to accommodate us!!! The food is over the top delicious but for me the big seller is the staff is the nicest we have ever experienced in the city and we dine out a lot. BRAVO to 83 1/2!!! You bring such great food and good vibes to everyone who dines there. Planning our next dinner reservation.....I will make it LOL read more

Ordered takeout and they got order wrong - had to wait 20 minutes for them to correct. When we got home they had given us GF pasta in order we did not want it in - so again they had wrong order. read more

We dined at 83 1/2 on a very cold night and our meal could not have been better! Daniel, our server was incredibly accommodating and even offered to plate our two entrees so that we could share. It was a perfect date night right before the holidays, we cannot wait to come back in the new year! Definitely get the Veal Parm! read more

Heard great things about the food but they over book their tables and ignored our reservation time. Disappointing.

I love 83 1/2. It's conveniently located if you live in Yorkville. The space has a romantic, intimate ambiance inside. It is lovely to dine outside in front in the summertime (nice foliage guarding one side, creating a garden feel). Service is great. The servers are friendly and attentive. Also, willing to make changes and accommodations to certain dishes to make them more vegetarian friendly, which we appreciated! The food is great. My absolute favorite is the eggplant parmigiana appetizer. Sometimes I come here just for that, when I am craving it. It is SO GOOD- creamy and buttery smooth and the sauce is incredible. The fiocchi is delicious as well, yummy sage butter sauce. This is one of my faves too. Their red sauce is fantastic. Vodka sauce too. Desserts are good too. Chocolate lava cake is so good. During our most recent, we asked for some vanilla ice cream on the side with it...I recommend doing that! It's delicious with the cake. This is one of my favorites and my go to when I want a nice, warm, delicious meal with a special ambiance. The wines are a bit on the expensive side, but I think the food is not overpriced. read more

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Good place to go on wednesday night because it's BYOB. I recommend the ravioli with truffle. Only 3 stars because I had 2 good experiences and one bad with a really bad fish. I think it's a little overpriced too. Service is very good even if they may be too much in a read more

83 1/2 - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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Do yourself a favor and order from one of the many other Italian restaurants on the Upper East Side that treat their customers with decency. I placed an order at 4:48 pm via ChowNow and received a notification that my food should be delivered around 5:30 p.m. At 5:45 pm, I had not yet received my order, so I called the restaurant to check in. The man who answered the phone told me, "Your food is on the way, dear," and that was that. At 6:00, my food still hadn't arrived, so I called to follow up on my order and still politely I might add. The same man who answered the phone was curt and raised his voice to speak over me before HANGING UP ON ME while I was speaking. When I called back, he clearly let my call go to voicemail. What atrocious customer service. To be clear, I have zero issue with food delivery taking longer than estimated, particularly in wet weather; my issue is entirely with the nasty treatment by the restaurant. Last time ordering from 83 1/2. read more

Ordered take out from this spot because their menu looks amazing and was seriously craving pasta. I got the Ravioli Tartufo and husband got the tortellini funghi porcini. They also threw in bread with oil, balsamic which was a nice touch. But for $50+ total I was sorely disappointed in my meal. As soon as a I took the box of my ravioli out it looked small and over cooked. Took the first bite and was further let down because the ricotta filling was over cooked, the sauce was broken and everything was so overly salted and dry. The tiny raviolis pastas were tough to eat and just a chore to get through. Husbands tortellini was DELICIOUS on the other hand from the sauce to the filling. I wish I had tried something else but ravioli is so safe and delicious I don't quite understand how this happened. But I'm still craving pasta and underwhelmed. read more

Terrible experience...Stay away from this place! Dont waste your money! Came here with friends for dinner as it seemed like a nice neighborhood kinda place but, boy, were we wrong...the food is at best mediocre and over priced. Go somewhere else as there are plenty of good places in the area. However, the WORST part was the service. The waiter was extremely rude and made several comments to us about how we had to order all of our food at once as one person (out of a part of 7) was running 10mins late to dinner. the waiter also, told us that we have to leave after a hour and a half because "other people are waiting.". To add insult to injury, the waiter accused my husband of attempting to hide the credit card receipt that he signed for this $250 meal, that he left on the table but the waiter was too lazy to look for it. Needless to say we'll never come back and will tell all the people we know not to either! read more

We had a reservation around the corner at Felice 83 but when they couldn't accommodate our reservation for outside in a place where would would have been dry if it started raining we walked to 83 1/2. Total serendipity: food was excellent (I had the pasta with duck ragu and my friend had the swordfish) and service was attentive and pleasant. Highly recommend! read more

Looking for Pre-Covid NY? I say this with years of living both downtown and more recently uptown. If you want authentic New York food, service and atmosphere, this is it. How often do you find a low-key, side road Italian ristorante that offers you a wine list that would happily replace anything Batali once aspired to, and then also invites you to BYO with no corkage fee midweek? The pasta is delicious and the portions are Goldilocks level - they don't rob you like most Micheline wannabees with two scoops of trofie and then force you into lackluster desserts. You actually get what you crave (and pay for). Now that I have your attention, you should know that their wine list is unreal. It actually gives you range in both region and price point. Find me another UES Italian joint that has both tinanello and susamaniello. If this distinction is meaningful, then great. if not, order the latter. During a time of global pandemic when nothing in this city makes sense, 83 1/2 makes sense. They are locally owned, locally operated, locally sourced. Two brothers own two solid eateries right next door to each other. They are New York. They are what makes this city what it is. You could sit at home wondering what of New York is still out there or you could walk out your door and embrace what endures wholeheartedly. Either way, these guys deliver both at your home and theirs. P.S. drink the negroni with a straw. read more