My teenage (foodie) daughter and I went to Alessa in June 2026. The interior is so fun and interesting, we were excited to have a great dinner. The pizza ovens look like fancy disco balls! Loved it!! We started with the focaccia bread and it was delicious! I had a white pizza and it was inedible. The garlic on it overtook everything. (And I love garlic.) My daughter had the Arribitta pasta and said it had no flavor. This should have been a spicy, flavorful meal. The waiter was kind and asked about our food intake. I shared the feedback and he did offer to remake my pizza. At that point I just wanted to get out of there. I was very disappointed he did not take anything off the bill. We paid over $110 for a meal that we only ate the bread. P.S. They had a DJ playing fun music, but it was just too loud. (We were there early, at 6, not late night when they music should be booming.) read more

Alessa Cucina & Bar - Fun, disco pizza ovens! - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Alessa has been open for about a year and a half. Right next to their sister restaurant Juniper, it's a quick walk from penn station. We started with a pizza it had a crispy bottom and came out piping hot. I enjoyed but standard. Their big pizza oven is located right at the front of the restaurant. For my entree I got the beet carpaccio. I absolutely love beets and I especially love that they make the beets the star of the show. I hate when it's mostly greens with a sprinkling of beets. I opted for grilled chicken with it and the chicken was thinly sliced and tender. The herbed whipped ricotta was generous and the nuts provided a needed crunch. (I only took a photo of the pizza because I dug right into the beets right away) read more

Alessa Cucina & Bar - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

This is one to bookmark to return to being so close to Madison Square Garden and Penn Station! Loves the vibe and decor of the restaurant and space. Walk through the doors and feel the warmth and excitement and be transported into one of the most elevated casual spots to have Happy Hour (it's til 8pm!) and dine on mouth-wateringly delicious Italian fare + the Bomb in cocktails and wine! Hostess took us to the back of the restaurant to sit at a table for four as we made a Resy - but it was only 5pm and we wanted to be up front by the bar area with the high top banquette seats! So, we asked and were moved and it was so much nicer and highly recommended. My friends enjoyed their cosmos and martinis. I had an angels envy old fashioned and with dinner had prosecco. We ordered the Bianca pizza and added the $8 wild funghi and chives and it was SO GOOD! The kale salad with celery root and grapefruit was perfectly dressed. The house made meatballs with homemade ricotta and grilled bread for appetizers were light and perfect for sharing. For protein we chose the semi boneless, lemon caper chicken and it was sublime!! Crispy skin. Juicy chicken and would definitely go back just for that! We headed to the Garden Cup for tennis and now I know where to go for any other MSG events that fits the budget and bill for many appetites! read more

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After a long day of walking, we were craving some good food. Yelp suggested Alessa Cucina and Bar. The restaurant itself looked neat at the greeter at the door was very polite and welcoming. We sat down and ordered a few pizzas. These pizzas were legit. The mozzarella was fresh...not that grated stuff that comes commercially in the bag...but freshly sliced mozzarella. The pizza had the perfect balance of crisp and chewability. It was delicious. The staff were awesome. Our waiter was on his game. He came prepared with suggestions and also kept the drinks topped off. This place is a great place to hang out, take a date, or bring the family. It's not loud, and there is plenty of seating. If you're in the area, this place is a great find! read more

Alessa Cucina & Bar - Cheese pizza - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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We went for happy hour, arrived 4pm and were charged full price. Which we paid and didn't bother with making it an issue. The waitress hurried us to take our order for shots because she said she had to get to her other table and rolled her eyes while leaving because she asked we wanted her to a picture of us and we said "no thank you" and did a selfie out of respect for her time! She constantly rushed us and I can't say I will ever return read more

Alessa Cucina & Bar - Cocktail menu - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

We stumbled upon this beautiful and spacious eatery on our last night in NYC! Our server Thalia was patient and wonderful!! The staff there including the bartender and hostess were outstanding! We ordered the Salmon with broccolini and the creamy risotto!! The salmon was fresh and cooked perfectly! The risotto with the butternut squash was creamy and very flavorful!!! We had the best time here! read more

Alessa Cucina & Bar - Limoncello with grapefruit bitters - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

A solid spot for dinner for date night, work event, or just to catch some sports game at the bar. The interior design on this restaurant is elegant and the light is a bit dimmed to set the said date night mood. Service is fantastic throughout the experience as well. We started off with the Housemade Focaccia ($10), which comes with a cacio e pepe butter. It's their top selling appetizer and it's worth ordering. We also got a Dozen Oysters ($38). For about $3.20 per oyster, may be overpriced, but for those who really insist on getting it, the oysters are fresh. For entree, we ordered the Bucatini (35), which is a littleneck clams pasta dish in a white wine sauce. What really stood out to me was the Bistecca Tagliata ($48) aka a 12 ounce hanger steak. It's pricey, but worth ordering, just make sure it's medium rare. This comes with a side of cooked tomatoes still on its vine. Yeah, don't sleep on these tomatoes either as they're great. read more

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Came here for a before Valentines dinner drink and when we walked in were handed a complimentary glass of proseco. What a nice touch! We sat at the bar. The place is large and lovely. We both ordered a drink and the barstaff were exceptional. We would have loved to have tried the pizza or some apps but we were heading off to dinner. Would definitely come back for drinks and dinner next time! read more

Fantastic Italian spot conveniently located near Penn. We were headed to a concert at MSG and went here for some pre-show eats, and they didn't disappoint! The inside is beautiful, roomy, and the service was great. Waiter was attentive and friendly, and manager came by and spent time chatting with us. For the foods the Bianca white pizza with fungi is a must try. Good portions, and delicious taste. Chicken parm was also really good, although at the price it felt a little skimpy alone on the plate. We got the broccolini as a side, but it would plate nicer if they included some pasta no matter what. The meatballs were good, olives were a nice accompaniment. All in all I highly suggest if you need som nice Italian near Penn! read more

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This was a delicious meal! Highly recommend visiting for dinner. Happy hour at the bar has great prices. Service was great! Conveniently located near public transportation. Ambiance was beautiful. read more

Alessa Cucina & Bar - Salmon and broccolini - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Ratings are a little overstated imho. Nice venue convenient to the Garden and NY Penn. Bar is decent with good happy hour deals. Place was quiet but nice place to meet a friend or date. Food is good, had beet salad and arancini to start. Shares salmon and cavatelli for dinner. Respectable meal and friendly service. read more

Alessa Cucina & Bar - Negroni - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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This neighborhood is admittedly not the best, teeming with vagrants and tourists alike, but the one upside to a truly miserable weather day is that almost no one is out on the streets. I spotted this place on a lunchtime walk a few weeks ago amidst a bunch of depressing sweatshop-esque establishments and had a feeling about it. Last night on a chilly, rainy Thursday, I was able to procure the assistance of my Skipper for a dinner excursion to get a lay of the land right after work. Alessa's biggest selling point is probably the interior space; it is VAST, which is actually very helpful during the dinner rush. It was decently packed in there but it didn't feel remotely claustrophobic because all of the tables are set far apart from one another - not exactly a characteristic of the typical NYC restaurant. We were at a high top table on the opposite side of the room from the bar, and while the acoustics were a LITTLE eh (a few times I had to lean over to hear the Skip), it wasn't too bad. And beyond the spacing, it's very edgy in there with a modern European vibe in certain areas, but also the hint of a mahogany cigar bar situation. Interesting, and I'm not surprised based on the reviews how many networking events take place here as well. It seemed immoral not to hit up the pasta section of the menu (though the pizza ovens in the front look super legit), so I opted for the Rigatoni w/ Short Rib. Very tasty entree. The short ribs were cut up into bite size chunks, which I didn't mind - I'm used to longer/larger hunks, but it probably made me look like less of a savage animal as a I plowed through the meal. Ricotta isn't always my favorite, but I thought it worked here. Decent portion and something I would 100% get again. Italian cocktails are my least favorite on earth (I think they all taste like the bottom of a shoe and I don't understand why the negroni even exists at this point) so I usually go with wine at an establishment like this. I went with a pinot grigio; a little pricey for the size at $18 (definitely a minimal pour too), so hard to justify that as a recommend. There were one or two $16 glasses, but they were more in the Moscato vein, which is not my jam. If you have the desire/option, I'd probably go somewhere else nearby for a cheaper nightcap. The service was okay. Our waitress was nice but in my opinion didn't stop by enough. (The Skipper was more ambivalent about the situation) Towards the end, we were debating a second drink there or going nearby for another one, and asked her to come by in five minutes. She showed up again between 10 and 15 minutes, which in and of itself ended up being a big determining factor in our plans. It's definitely open to interpretation though; the Skipper had the better view and said she was pretty busy with a lot of tables. So your mileage may vary on that. Really liked the atmosphere and pasta - might not get into the weeds with anything else, but arguably what else do you need? read more

Alessa Cucina & Bar - Rigatoni w/ Short Rib. - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

I went art gallery hopping one Thursday night and was craving Italian after an evening of culture and socialization. I found Alessa nearby and decided to sit at the bar for a little solo dinner. I immediately loved the vibe of the restaurant, with wood and gold accents, very spacious dining area, and vibrant bar. The bar seating was comfortable and had purse hooks, which is always appreciated. I ordered an espresso martini and the cavatelli. They were playing a variety of sports games on the TVs over the bar, but I just turned on the NFL football game (Amazon Prime TNF) on my phone. The cavatelli was absolute perfection. The pasta was cooked to the perfect consistency and texture, and there was a plethora of mushrooms that were so juicy and tender. The arugula pesto was a really nice addition to the dish and not overbearing. I ate the entire thing and nearly ordered a second plate to go, it was so good! The bartenders/staff were so friendly and personable. I could tell they really valued connections with all patrons sitting at the bar. Overall, had a lovely dinner at Alessa, and I look forward to coming back soon! read more

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Me and my husband both had a wonderful early dinner here and won't hesitate to come back - the service, food and ambiance were both top notch! the restaurant got crowded at about 6pm with people standing by the bar area due to happy hour and it got a bit loud to have a conversation. Dessert was phenomenal we ordered the tiramisu to share and it looked like a cupcake glazed in chocolate! My beet and goat cheese salad was soo fresh I loved it. I also ordered. My cavatelli pasta with wild mushrooms arugula pesto did not disappoint! I loved that our waitress brought out the dessert menus without us having to ask! read more

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Love coming here for happy hour which is 4-8pm. The cocktails are always delicious and the staff so friendly! Free housemade chips with a happy hour purchase. Beautiful big space. Plenty of room to find a spot! Cheers! read more

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Had the best experience at Alessa! Not only was the food incredible but Juliana our server was the best server ever!!! she was so friendly and down to earth! We had a blast here and will be recommending it to everyone! The place is beautiful as well! read more

Alessa Cucina & Bar - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

10/10 recommend. The focaccia with cacio e pepe butter was fantastic and super original. The arancini with eggplant was also, fantastic. What sold me on trying Alessa was the risotto with butternut squash, pistachios, etc. on the menu and wow did it meet expectations. I had the Fumetto cocktail with mezcal, sweet, but not too much. Our server Camilla was excellent - super friendly and attentive. The interior vibes were perfect for my group's vibe- warm, cozy, energetic, but in a chill way. They have a huge bar that is practically the length of the restaurant. read more

Alessa Cucina & Bar - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Alessa NYC is truly exceptional. This Midtown gem needs to be added to everyone's list. The ambiance is perfect with a warm atmosphere, comfortable volume level, and extremely attentive staff. Every dish I tasted was great, and the highlights of this trip included the housemade focaccia, rigatoni, and diavola pizza. Don't sleep on the drinks or dessert either; make sure to order the Italian chocolate cookie and their Fumetto cocktail. I cannot wait to return soon! read more

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I'm here for a conference and I wanted a fun, beautiful space to have dinner and boy did Alessa deliver. The decor is so beautiful. The staff is friendly. I had the pizza Bianco and it was so good! The roasted garlic, crispy edges of the pizza was delicious. read more

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Went for an early dinner with some colleagues on a Thursday evening and the place was absolutely buzzing! Super packed and a little loud by the bar, but thankfully we were seated in the back where conversation was much easier. Bonus points for the happy hour that runs until 8pm--such a win. We shared a few apps and some pizzas for the table, and everything was delicious. Our waiter was an absolute vibe--fun, attentive, and really made the night. The only downside was the cocktails, which tasted more like juice than a proper drink, so I switched to wine after that (definitely the safer bet). Overall, great energy, tasty food, and I'm already looking forward to coming back to try more of the menu. read more

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I went for a quick lunch and I hate when I look at the dinner menu vs lunch and lunch is minimal in comparison. The options were few but the choices we made were good. The ricotta mushroom pizza did not miss. My companion is vegetarian and she stated she appreciated how many of the dishes were vegetarian. The service was good. I spent $150 with a pasta dish, pizza, 4 mocktails and a soda. Not too bad for a lunch in times square. read more

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Quality Italian in a tough to find quality area. Big room with spacious seating -!; friendly service. Early Sunday dinner. Ate: Focaccia with cacio Pepe butter Marinated olives Beet salad with marscapone Swordfish plus caponata Rigatoni and short rib Total $114 The cacio & pepe butter is fire but my favorite dish was the beet salad. It had crunchy rye or pumpernickel and it was excellent. Swordfish was generous & delicious The rigatoni short rib while always good lacked the punch of others I've tried. A professional run establishments & we will definitely be back. read more

It's a modern and open space. Wonderful bar and attentive service had a dinner with colleagues. The drinks were nicely crafted. Service at the table was attentive with dishes delivered in a timely way and hot. Dishes were bust effectively. Our server checked in frequently. The food was good at the price point. The calamari and meatballs were very tasteful and fresh. The meatballs were a highlight as they were high high quality and very tasty. For dinner, I had a special - chicken sautéed with a piccata like sauce. It was topped with arugula and heirloom tomatoes. It was wonderful and healthy. read more

Alessa Cucina & Bar - Special chicken with lemon & capers - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Had to leave an update after trying the pizza, soooooooo goood! Totally worth going back for. Small thing - their happy hour is only at the bar and not restaurant area. read more

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Came here for a bite and it was delicious. We had a few pizzas to try (meatball, pesto, Margherita) and everyone of them was SO delicious. Service was fast, consistent, and friendly. The place was perfect for date night and even would consider coming with family for a nice, formal dinner. Overall, I had a very positive experience and will certainly be returning. read more

Had an amazing time at the this amazing hidden gem in midtown! We especially loved their cocktails, my favorites were the spritz. The appetizers are great too, loved the calamari and the bread! The pizzas are exquisite and also the pastas! I also loved the lemon chicken. The service was great and they gave amazing recommendations on the dessert options, loved the toffee chocolate mousse, and cookie skillet! The ambiance and vibe were chic and modern. Definitely a must visit! read more

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We came back and tried the pizzas and they were fantastic. The diavolo had both a spicy kick and a little sweetness (hot honey?) to it. Definitely want to have that again! read more

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Delicious food! So flavorful. The focaccia bread is a MUST, and we loved the pizza and al dente pasta too. The vibes and service were also great. Its close proximity to Penn Station makes it a good spot to hit before heading out of the city. Highly recommend! read more

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My boyfriend and I came to NYC for a little holiday getaway weekend and wanted to try somewhere near our hotel. We found Alessa on Resy and were easily able to make a reservation for that night. From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was exactly what we wanted. It was lively and fun, but still cozy enough to relax and actually enjoy the night. The service was exceptional from start to finish. Everyone was warm, attentive, and the pacing was perfect without ever making us feel rushed. And the food, omg. The focaccia with cacio e pepe butter was phenomenal. It sounds simple, but it honestly tasted like something you would expect to win awards. I have never had anything quite like it, and I would go back just for that. For entrées we had the rigatoni and the eggplant Parmigiana, and both were incredible. So much flavor, fresh bright ingredients, and everything cooked perfectly. I'm Italian, so I'm a tough critic, especially with places that put a modern spin on classic dishes. Alessa completely blew me out of the water. Every bite was excellent. We loved the experience from beginning to end, and the price was totally reasonable as well. read more

This was a beautiful restaurant with delicious food. We had the oysters, linguine with clams, and the bianco pizza. Everything was perfectly flavored and portioned. The service was wonderful and they even gave us a complimentary treat because of our occasion. Overall, great atmosphere, friendly staff, and tasty food. read more

We came in here at like 9 or 10 just looking for food after a work happy hour. We got oysters, carpaccio, and burrata. The oysters kinda had a weird taste to them but it's not their fault. Carpaccio was perfect and the burrata is probably the best I've ever had. This place is so close to the moxy and I stay there often. I would definitely come back here. Service and ambience was great too. read more

The was okay. Nothing to write home about. The place is huge & it was completely empty. The food was nothing to write home about! read more

Alessa Cucina & Bar - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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Cute little pizza place. Nice bar area. The menu wasn't that large but it has good pasta and drinks right on 35th ave hidden mid street. They just opened 6 months ago. Definitely a cute little dinner spot. The service was good and prompt. We were seated quickly! And we enjoyed everything we ordered. read more

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Always good. Great service and well made cocktails. Had the margarita pizza which was yummy and fries are always good. A great place to stop before heading home. read more

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Meeting a cousin, who lives in the Bronx. We went before to the Duke vs Illinois game at MSG. Everything was great especially the service. (Shout out to Valery) The food was excellent except for my appetizer, the Fritto Miso. It was bland and had the wrong batter. The entrées were great. Will visit again. read more

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We had a great dinner here on a Saturday evening. It was easy to get a day of reservation. Beautiful space and the setting was perfect for catching up over dinner. As a party of 4, we enjoyed the spritzes, shared the margherita pizza, the chicken parm (with broccolini as a side), and the bolognese. The margherita and chicken parm were great and definitely would order again. Service was kind, fast, attentive. We'd love to come back! read more

Thank you to the staff at Alessa for hosting and catering! My company had a little gathering here and we had such a great time thanks to Alessa. The food choices were phenomenal and I wish I had taken more photos. Some highlights for me was their mushroom ricotta toast, prosciutto pizza, and their pistachio cookies. I found myself going back for more of their mushroom ricotta toasts and I hope to find it on the menu when I return here! It was definitely my favorite of the night. The servers were also just so kind and patient and I want to thank them because there were just so many of us and with that comes a lot of different requests. The space is so beautifully decorated too and would make for such cute photos. I can't wait to return! read more

Wow. So glad this opened up near my home. Beautiful inside with fantastic misern italian fare. The best drinks in the city. Alexis makes a mean drink. Nice has such knowledge about drinks and food. He gave us a wonderful experience. My birthday was outstanding. The martini parm was fun. Light, interesting and great blue cheese stuffed olives. So fun. The ravello spritz was like itslian lemon candies. Delicious. The expresso martini fantastic. Light n frothy. The clarified ny sour blew my mind. May be the best drink ever. Frito mistook was like naples. The beet salad fantastic and refreshing. The interesting part was the dehydrated squid ink olive oil. Just wanted more, all mixed with the marscapone. The pizza here fantastic. Memorable. The pesto was like moms and the mozzarella tasted farm fresh. The cantalope and prossuto fresh. The coconut Verde drink outrageous. It was a frothy tropical coconut, green juice gone margarita. The chicken park was huge, delicious and seasoned. The best i ever ate out. Fun cheese pull. The broccoli nuggets with fried hot peppers yes please. Good buccatini n clam. (They have gluten free options). The house made tiramisu, with homeade lady fingers and caramel brittle was delicious. Outstanding meal and service. read more

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WHO is ranking this place at almost 5 stars? Maybe I went on an off night? Service was very good. Prices reasonable. Nice ambiance. However the food what you'd expect from an eye-talian restaurant in some shitty southern American city. And not the one owned by the guy who moved there and ships the water down from NY. Edible, but just...bad. If you are visiting from North Carolina it's probably alright. Unacceptable for New York where it's nearly impossible to fuck up pizza and pasta. I'm reluctant to give them a bad review because the staff was nice but so appalled at how BAD the food was. If you are actually from here you will be vastly disappointed. read more

I had dinner here last week and I'm still thinking about it. The pizza was phenomenal just like what I had in Naples, Italy. The restaurant is beautiful and has a nice vibe. The staff were helpful. I already reservations to vome back with a group of friends, can't wait to explore more of the menu. read more