My first thought: as an UWS'er...HOW HAVE I NEVER BEEN HERE!?!? I made a reservation on open table (bonus points, by the way, for being on open table) for an early Saturday night dinner with friends. My reservation was at 6pm. When I arrived at the restaurant I was greeted by the friendly staff and I told them I had reserved a table. The restaurant was pretty empty so they were able to seat us right away (I should mention that we were still waiting on one other person to arrive). We were handed menus and were given ample time to decided what kind of wine we would like. We were not pushed into hurrying any part of this experience - which is always a huge relief. Once our other guest arrived we began to really look over the menu...and EVERYTHING looked so delicious. I'm a sucker for fresh pasta, but the kicker is always "is it really fresh?" I can guarantee this pasta is made in house. All three of us got a pasta dish and they were all perfect. I was bold and actually got the pasta special. Normally, I feel like most restaurants pawn off old food or something when they have specials - but this was really REALLY good. Another bonus: all of the pasta's didn't taste like the same rough molded into different shapes. The dishes had the right flavor and they were the perfect portions. Not long into our meals the restaurant began to fill up. At first I was a little nervous this was the hangout for the older crowd of the UWS and I would be shamed into dining in silence. Thankfully I was wrong! It's nice to find a great restaurant with a cozy ambiance. I could hear the people I was dining with, but it wasn't so quiet you could hear a pin drop. ...not going to lie, the next day I was looking at the menu again to plan my next attack on an amazing italian/Sardinian dish. No shame! read more

Really delicious and great ambience. Super friendly staff. The food is amazing, fresh, and wonderful

After reading the reviews, I decided to go here. The service was friendly, the salad with goat cheese was very, very good and the bathroom, though small, was squeaky clean. And that ends the positive part of this review. There was lipstick on my water glass and a nasty pluck of hair in the seam of the banquette I was sitting on. The pasta had good texture but the so-called meat ragout was stale and had no flavor. A complete waste of my money. So disappointing! read more

An adorable, cozy cafe on the (upper) Upper West Side, Arco is the perfect spot for an enjoyable, lowkey meal with people you actually want to spend time with. I celebrated my friend's birthday here recently and it was a great choice for the evening. There's sidewalk seating, large open windows and a calm, intimate atmosphere. And the pastas are very good, too! It was certainly hard to choose which dish we wanted as they all looked delicious. I enjoyed my [small but not underwhelming portion of] Alisanzas di Sardegna and my friend thought her Tagliolini Cacio e Pepe was tasty as well. Their brunch looks incredible (serious points to anyone who has a separate section dedicated to benedicts) and the lunch special looks like a steal too (if only I were ever near there around lunch time...) Our server was lovely and also helped contribute to the warm environment. The major drawbacks are that the menu is fairly limited/very regionally based, it's a bit inconvenient location-wise if you're not a neighborhood resident, and it's beer/wine only. Few complaints for such a nice little space, though! read more

What a lovely place the food was great and the service also very good. No chance to take any pic of the food but trust me was so so so good . God! The dessert wow! Olive oil cake you have to have it, is delicious read more

Arco Cafe serves one of the best gluten-free pastas I have ever had! My friend and I started off our meal with the Salumi e Formaggi. The appetizer ended up being way too much food to share between the both of us, but it was nevertheless quite delicious! As for our main dish, I got the Fregola (pasta with octopus and mussels in a tomato broth) while my friend got the Branzino (a type of fish, grilled over a bed of broccoli). The first thing I noticed when I ate my dish was just how non-grainy the pasta was- you literally would never be able to tell that it was gluten free. With each bite I took, I found myself being amazed and wanting to ask how it could be that gluten free pasta could actually taste nice and have an appealing texture. The tomato broth was also more than just your typical, simple tomato broth; I can't quite describe it, but it had a certain depth to the flavor that let you taste less of the tomato and more of the mysterious other ingredients. The octopus pieces in there were cooked to perfection (=not chewy) and very tender. One thing I do want to note is that the mussels had quite a bit of sand in them... I ended up not eating 1/2 of the mussels in the dish because of it. So note to chef: please wash the mussels better!! I tried a piece of my friend's Branzio and was pleased by just how perfectly seasoned it was, and how everything simply melted in my mouth. Would also recommend! The service was absolutely superb as well. My friend and I stayed here for over four hours, but no one ever gave us any mean looks, or refused to re-fill our waters with the intention of kicking us out. Last but not least, ambience!! I LOVED the ambience. The soft, slightly jazzy songs (i.e. tracks from the Sound of Music) in the background almost makes you think you're dining in some cozy, restaurant in Italy. I saw individuals come in to enjoy a light meal, and stay to read newspapers or books - might return to do this myself! read more

Loved it!! Perfect food and atmosphere! We had kale salad and caprese salad- delicious! Then pasta with shrimp and mussels which was also great. After, cannelloni with cheese and honey for dessert . Yum Loved the wine too. Can't wait to go back! read more

One of the best restaurants around. The pasta is perfect. You can taste the difference with the homemade pasta. If you like very well seasoned (pepper & cheese) pasta, you have to try the Tagliolini Cacio E Pepe. It seems so simple, but this pasta was so good I almost cried tears of joy. I wanted to swim around in a bowl of it. The Maloreddos Alla Campidanese was also very good, well seasoned. Good wine selection, good HH, nice ambiance, outdoor seating, large enough to accommodate a group, great quality for the price, free glass of wine with Yelp checkin...don't forget! I hope they stick around for a long, long time. Love you, Arco! read more

Nice little place. Found on yelp and chose specifically because they offer gluten free pasta. Others had homemade gnocchi which was amazing texture and flavor, and seafood pasta which was tasty and all ingredients cooked nicely. Small quaint and informal atmosphere. Staff was friendly. Would stop back. read more

Excellent meal. Can't wait to go back. Great specials and also wonderful prices on bottles. Felt super full and didn't drop a load of cash!! Must visit when on the UWS!! read more

We have been so impressed with this place. We started ordering from Arco a few months back and every item we've gotten has been excellent. The delivery is accurate and timely, and the food is above and beyond delicious. We especially love the calamari, ricotta pasta with sausage and broccoli rabe, and the gnocchi. Definitely give Arco a try - you will not be disappointed. The best! read more

Terrific homemade pasta. The lasagna with bechamel sauce was amazing. Linguine Bolognese was delicious. Our appetizer of mussels in tomato broth was outstanding. Service was attentive and Friends. Cocktails are reasonably priced. read more

Excellent. The gnocchi were perfect! Very nice atmosphere and not too crowded. To be tested. read more

Outstanding Italian food and excellent service. All pastas made fresh daily. Came here with friends. Shared many dishes. All very good. Restaurant is small, but cozy. Reccomendation every give it a try. read more

My favorite local Italian restaurant. Me and my partner has been going here since we started dating, and ever since it's our go-to place for any special or non-special occasion. Love their gnocchi. The cheese and salami plate is perfect starter with a bottle of red wine. read more

Amazing authentic Italian! Went here with my boyfriend tonight and we absolutely loved our meals. Amazing service too!!

I had a lovely meal at Arco cafe for restaurant week dinner. The starter is bread served with olive oil, which was tasty. I chose mussels in spicy fresh tomato sauce as my first course. It was delicious. For my second course, I had gnocchi alla montana. It is creamy and has a balanced flavor. I had the house white wine, which was refreshing. I liked how tap water is served in a bottle placed on the table so I could refill my water glass whenever I wanted to, and that made me feel happy. For dessert, I selected the pistachio cream and sponge cake, and it was sooo good! I ordered the house coffee, and it was excellent! I decided to buy their fresh pasta and tomato sauce so I can make dinner the next day with food from this restaurant. I recommend Arco Cafe for a good and satisfying meal. The service is friendly as well. read more

Great place to meet friends. Great Italian food, very friendly staff I really like this place! I enjoyed time here, amazing food and menu!!! Lunch for 12$ Prix fixe is a Great Deal!!!! read more

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There's a living social deal going on right now. Fregola and tagliolini ai frutti di mare are both wonderful. read more

Arco Cafe - Sardinian Near Me - New York, New York

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Went there to celebrate Dominican Mothers Day and the food was great. The staff was friendly and dessert was delicious. Will definitely be coming back. read more

When arrived I was suspicious, the menu has misspellings and the candles are fake (in my experience these are bad signals). The olive oil and balsamic vinegar they give with the house bread are very bad. The main dishes are not too bad, the potato gnocchi is okay and the tomato based sauces are good. Very nice service in general, I'd give them a second chance. read more

We came here for brunch. They have both brunch menu and traditional Italian menu. The brunch menu consists of egg omelets, Benedict, pancakes and French toast. It's fairly priced around $11-14. More amazing, it comes with complimentary mimosa or Bellini. Such great deal. The coffee here is also great. They have reservations on opentable, but not necessarily needed. They also seem to have great fix lunch much for something like $12. Anyways, it's a great place to go for bunch in the neighborhood without much wait. read more

My husband and I were in the mood for Italian so we called it a date night and ventured to Arco Café for an 8:00 meal. Right away, we were impressed by the attractive décor, comfortable and non-crowded atmosphere, and the friendly staff. With a Yelp check-in, we received a free glass of wine. We chose a glass based on the server's recommendation (a dry, red), and it paired perfectly with our meals. They brought Italian olive oil and bread, which was a pleasant surprise. We ordered their salad special-- it was a mouth-watering, complementary combination of mixed greens, pears, candied walnuts, and gorgonzola cheese. It was probably my favorite aspect of the dinner! For our entrees, we ordered Gnocchi Alla Montanara and Tagliolini Al Frutti Di Mare. As for the Gnocchi, the potato pasta was "melt in your mouth" status. The sauce was creamy and the mushrooms added a nice touch. I didn't care much for the diced bacon in this dish (surprisingly) because the meat was tough and chewy. As for the Tagliolini, it came in a bright red sauce that tasted fresh. We were enjoying ourselves so we decided to entertain the idea of dessert. We ended up ordering nutella-filled beignets (French doughnuts) with a strawberry sauce. We enjoyed dessert but could have done without it, too. We will certainly be back, and we look forward to trying Arco's other pasta offerings. read more

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great out-of-the-way brunch spot for uws away frm the crowds. the brunch selection is limited but the pastas are really fresh and amazing. they also offer first mimosa or bellini complimentary. service is a tad slow but overall very friendly and accommodating. altogether a nice enjoyable brunch spot at very reasonable prices. would def rec. read more

Arco Cafe - Sardinian Near Me - New York, New York

Went here for a bday dinner with my rents and it couldn't have been better. Seriously, delicious food. You can tell they use the highest quality ingredients which is a must for Italian/Mediterranean cuisine. I had the gnocchi-like pasta dish with sausage, broccoli rave, olive oil, black pepper, and Parmesan. Delicious! Accompanying parties had a special seared Chilean sea bass and pasta with fish eggs. It was all great, and the appetizers of grilled baby octopus and a antipasti plate were excellent. So pleased with this spot. Service was truly outstanding! read more

My mother's apartment is a few blocks away and we eat here at least one per visit. The food is fabulous and the price fixe lunch during the week is great. Nice selection of wine. Restaurant is small so go early if you can. read more

Superb place. Ambiance first: lovely high ceilings, quiet and chill music, super friendly staff. Food. Got the minestrone soup - light, flavoursome, very fresh vegetables and broth. Main was the seafood pasta (tagliolini w baby scallop, olive, shrimp in light tomato sauce). Very brilliant. The pasta is made on premises. The dish was hot, rich, very fresh and full of flavour. The combination of ingredients excellent. Americans tend to drown their pasta in sauce, but in this case the pasta itself, not the sauce, was center stage. Seafood added some briney flavors, and nice acidity. Could taste the individual ingredients - some chewy, all apparently fresh. It can be said that it was greater than the sum of its parts. Dessert. Semifreddo, which is half-frozen meringue with amaretti biscuits served with strawberry sauce. Totally delicious, crunchy and cold and great. This place just rocks and more people should eat here. One thing: the plate delivery guy kind of messed up a few things. But who cares? It's an honest, modest establishment with excellent, quality food and no pretensions. So give the plate deliverer a break already. (for all the praise I have lavished, I should note that I hear anecdotally that when they get packed the kitchen can't handle it and the quality drops. So, choose your occasion.) read more

Terrific neighborhood Italian. Homemade pastas are delicious. Excellent friendly service.

Great find. I live in upper west side and this is definitely worth the trip. We were 2 couples and each of us were impressed. A must is the fried zucchini and calamari. Pasta selection also amazing. Service people, from Sardinia, very pleasant and friendly. During the week, was quiet and we stayed as long as we wanted and never felt rushed. Two tried some of their special cocktails and really like. We will go back again. read more

You can't believe how good this food is. The dishes have been consistently delicious over the last 12 months. Sardinian roots. Great pastas, and great fish specials. And they have a new outdoor eating area that is the right balance of isolation, fresh air, and infrared warmth (we haven't 'dined inside' in a year). Lately we have also bought and prepared at home at least 6 of their homemade pastas and sauces. Either way you'll love this. read more

Wow. Tried Arco tonight for the first time. Fantastic. Tasty fresh Italian food served in substantial portions. Also ordered some uncooked pasta we will try later in the week. Delivery was very fast and beat the projected delivery time. Order directly on their web site to avoid third party delivery charges. My wife had the gnochi and i had the seafood tagliolini to which i added peas. Also delicious calamari with zucchini. Salad was fine. Lookong forward to going when the restaurant opens. read more

We ate there for the first time last night. Everything was perfect. Service was excellent Pasta cooked to perfection. This place is a winner in every sense and we will be back often. read more

They have really good service including taking out waiting. Food is freshly prepared and nice people! read more

Arco Cafe - Sardinian Near Me - New York, New York

I had an amazing experience here. My boyfriend and I came here and we always talk about how much fun we had here. It was very romantic and delicious. I ordered one of their special pastas that evening, and it was out of this world good. My boyfriend ordered stuffed chicken and mashed potatoes and it was also SO good. The mashed potatoes tasted like my mom made. The dessert, espresso with ice cream and chocolate cake, was to die for. I wanted to lick the plate. I can't wait to come back here! read more

I live right around the corner from this place but had never been until I recently brought my girlfriend. It was amazing. Incredible pasta dishes. Great service. Varied wine selection and a really awesome array of desserts. I loved everything from the food to the environment. Ever since i went I've been telling everyone that it's a must-go on the upper west side. I can't wait to being my girlfriend back. read more

Wow. This place looks modest from the outside, but the food they make inside is phenomenal. The texture of their gnocchi is like puffy clouds. Really happy to have them in the neighborhood. Delivery is also very quick. read more

Really great deal for lunch - $12 prix fixe gave us each a choice of tasty appetizers (including kale salad, bruschetta, mussels, minestrone) and nicely prepared pasta or omelets - all very fresh ingredients - nothing fancy but of good quality. We'd happily return. read more

The three stars are for the cheap prices (for the area) and 1000 points for open table. The atmosphere is nice and the service is very good. But our wine is sour, probably from having the bottle opened for too long. Some of my mussels were not fresh so they created a bad smell in my mouth. The tomato sauce for the paste is good though. I may try again for brunch to make my final decision. read more

Some of the best food on the upper west side. It's also one of my favorite options because it's never too crowded. The service is good. Feels very authentic, Sardinian. My favorite is the gnocchi. It's hard to try other dishes when the gnocchi is so good. But everything else is amazing too. The meat especially is always prepared perfectly. Dessert is also a must here. I'm not a huge chocolate mouse fan but the one I had hear was so different. Soooo goooood read more

Cozy little Italian restaurant. I've only been here for dinner, but have enjoyed it each time. Not a huge menu, but they make their own pasta, and it's quite good. Decent wine selection as well. read more