Let's start off with the ambiance. It is great for summer days. They have large doors that open up into a patio and giving a beautiful brunch feel of Upper West Side. They are great for brunches and have a special running everyday that can include a pre-fixe menu before 4PM for $12 pp. I would definitely recommend. It's the same as the dinner menu. I had the pasta that was explicitly just cream sauce no onions. I will say that it did seem a bit pre cooked as my food was warm and the noodles were harder then normal. My friend had one that was made of potatoes and I found it to be great just came with a lot of vegetables if you are a veggie lover. Overall I enjoyed the ambience more than the food. Great for dates definitely recommend going here for lunch instead of dinner to save $3 on your pasta. read more

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

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So underrated! I love bringing friends here to be like " look it was here the whole time ! " such a fan. Pastas are house made and you can buy some to bring home as well and in the most fun shapes. I always have great service read more

Arco Café has a very welcoming atmosphere with a staff that are friendly and attentive. The homemade pasta is the best pasta in New York City thus far! I strongly recommend this place. read more

Stumbled upon this place while walking around and oh man Where do I start? The food was amazing!! Why doesn't this place have more reviews is beyond me. we had the zuPPetta di cozze and also the Frutti di Mare, both were absolutely delicious! The price is very reasonable and we also ordered a bottle of Prosecco for only $36! We'll be coming back! read more

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

a superior Italian restaurant and, for me, distinguished not a only by its excellent pasta sauces, but its choice of gluten free pasta. Another very good local Italian, Genarro's unfortunately uses cheap GF pasta. Arco clearly cares about quality for 5heir celiac and gluten intolerant customers. read more

Wonderful restaurant with critically acclaimed Sardinian food, run by a sweet family. Wonderful service and wine list, too.

Delicious! I didn't try the pasta but it looked fresh. Nice atmosphere and good service.

Simple, fresh and delicious. I got the branzino and my husband got the cavatelli with broccoli rabe and sausage (my favorite meal as a child and tasted just like my dad's). Fresh ingredients, not overdone with sauces. Flavor was just right. Just delicious! Oh... and the dessert special. Pear with vanilla ice cream and Nutella. YUM. Don't pass this place up!! read more

Arco Cafe - Dessert special - pear, vanilla ice cream, Nutella - Sardinian Near Me - New York, New York

A cute, casual, Italian-Sardinian cafe in Upper West Side. They have nice, high ceiling, red brick wall, and outdoor seating, serving housemade pasta and other delicious dishes at affordable price. The staff there is very friendly, and provide good service most of the time. We went there on Sunday night with rather large group (with reservation, of course), and they accommodated us with warm greeting and nice big table. We ordered several different pasta dish, which they were all very delicious, the pasta had that nice, homemade pasta texture and firmness, and great flavor. They also have great desserts, so leave some room for a dessert or two! read more

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Ok, I went today for a late lunch. I had the Caserecce all' Arrabbiata. It wasn't as angry as I like, but it did get hotter as I proceeded through it. The pasta was chewy, which I think is probably characteristic of fresh-made pasta, and the sauce was tasty. The espresso was again as good as any in Italy. I would say it's a bit expensive (although probably not for NYC); $20 for pasta and an espresso seems expensive to me but I'm from San Diego. And in the end, I did take about half of it home, so it's two meals. Oh, and I forgot to tell you about the bread! You get two thick slices of heavy-duty bread, with a thick, crispy crust, along with olive oil and balsamic. It's great bread!!! read more

Food was great, service too! Ask for recommendations from the staff! Gem on the UWS.

Such a nice and cozy Italian spot. It's typically the same staff every time we go and they never fail to deliver amazing customer service with a smile. The food is always nice and fresh, having some of my favorite Branzino and Gnocchi in the city. The Affogato is a MUST TRY, so so so yummy. This is a great date spot, but it's also great for families. read more

The linguine with shrimp and butter sauce was delicious. The perfect amount of flavor. Staff was very pleasant. Definitely will dine here again. read more

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

Got delivery, cavetelli w/sausage and broccoli rabe. Outstanding, the pasta was so tender. Got Spaghetti w/ meatballs. Absolutely delicious. Plain foccacia was homemade and out of this world. Would definitely make this my go to for Italian for eat in and take out. read more

Great food and great service. The gnocchi alla montanara was soooo good - must try! The daily special seafood pasta was good too especially those whole octopus. Also liked the desserts. read more

Great cafe the staff is warm and welcoming. The sea bass special was so wonderful. The dessert mocha cake I'd love to eat every day.great place to celebrate read more

Why didn't I know about this place !? An acquaintance recommended this place to me and was pleasantly surprised. DRINKS: Moretti Draught could have been a bit colder. Or at least the glass should have been chilled. It was kind of hot out. Nice wine menu. Loved the Prosecco by the glass, Falanghina and other choices for white. SERVICE: Nice friendly wait staff. When 4 kids & 2 moms next to us dropped a bottle of Balsamico on the floor, Wait staff were super friendly in cleaning up. Service I thought was a bit slow. but it was packed on a Tuesday night. DECOR/ATMOSPHERE: The whole place is made of French doors that open up when it is warm outside. Not sure if I want to go when it is so hot out but hopefully when it is 90 degrees out they will shut the doors and run A/C. FOOD/PRICE: Baby Octopus in red wine & tomato sauce ($12.5) It was delicious with red sauce Cacio e Pepe ($15.5) With homemade pasta.. it was definitely one of the most amazing Cacio e Pepes I have ever had Grilled steak, sausage and chicken, with broccoli rabe, polenta ($26) It was ok. Wish we ordered something a bit more special. But we were hungry so we thought we should go with the meat platter. It was not that big though. DESSERT: Panna cotta with strawberry sauce Cheese bake with drizzled honey I don't have a sweet tooth. But you will regret it if you don't order these. They were part of the special. read more

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Really enjoyed Arco. The food has personality, flavor, soul. Really interesting wine and the dessert was insane. Will be back.

We truly enjoyed our relaxing and delicious family lunch at Arco Cafe. My gnocchi with pancetta and mushrooms was delicious. Everyone enjoyed their meals. The wait staff was friendly and professional. It's a lovely lunch spot! Highly recommend Arco Cafe! read more

ARCO CAFE was very good, something different, Sardinian food, most unusual pasta, many varieties new to me, I had BUSA with sea food, a very thick spaghetti like that Venetian specialty, well presented and delicious. My guest had FREGOLA with Shrimp and she was pleased. Glasses of Sardinian Red, Italian Apple Pie, coffee and tea completed our meal. The restaurant is very simple with a small attentive staff (two ladies when we had late lunch); We were there for food, not decor. I came from the East Side, crossed on 72nd Street to Amsterdam Avenue, bus to 104th Street, returned on Broadway to the 72nd Street Crosstown that brought me home. Some good Italian food in my neighborhood, SAN AMBROEUS and my favorite ANTONUCCI CAFE, but ARCO CAFE food is worthy of many return visits. Jeffrey read more

I hesitate to write about this neighborhood gem cause I never have a problem getting a table and don't want it too crowded! :) But this place deserves all the money it can earn. It's an Italian restaurant, but specifically, Sardinian. The homemade pasta is sublime. I have never had a bad meal here. The seafood, the bread, the olive oil - everything is authentic and fresh. Bonus points for the staff. They are always pleasant and accommodating. Even the wine and cocktails are excellent. Just ask them for a wine recommendation to go with dinner and the staff never steers you wrong. Really an Upper West Side culinary treasure. I have sexy dreams about their pasta with porcini special dish. OMG. read more

The mushroom gnocchi is a must have! It is my favorite! Very nice, cozy and authentic neighborhood restaurant! I would recommend this place to anyone that lives in the area for some excellent Sardinian food! Very cool to have such a wonderful place accessible to the neighborhood. Do not deprive yourself. Eat here! Be happy! read more

Good ambience and their lunch menu is a must try! All pasta is made by hand and you can taste the difference.

I am sorry it took us so long to try this restaurant, so many lost meals. We are now making up for it !!!! We have enjoyed two dinners of homemade pasta, and the most delicious bread. The warm and cozy feeling of being in a neighbourhood spot where the owner greets returning customers warmly. Truly lovely. read more

Just moved into town and was looking for a homey but sophisticated Italian restaurant. This totally hit the spot! Cute, casual, but a little bit upscale, everyone was attentive and kind. Service was fast and the food exceeded my expectations! Not to mention was very reasonably priced, too. Will definitely be coming back! - Danny read more

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I came here with a friend, and oh, what a pleasant surprise--the food in this little place. The ambiance is very basic, the waiters charming and warm, and the food is authentic Italian. The seafood stew is to die for. read more

Bravissimo! I went here for my birthday and have now been three times in the last six weeks, if that's any indication of how highly I regard this delightful restaurant. And my Italian heritage means I've eaten a lot of really great Italian food, both here and in Italy. Arco's food is as authentic as it gets, and though you'll recognize a lot of Italian flavors, there are some ingredients and combinations that you just don't find elsewhere -- and that's where the Sardinian comes in. It's such a rare cuisine to find in the States, and evidently that is to our detriment. The dishes I've had are: Zuppetta di Cozze (Mussels in spicy tomato & Vermentino wine broth), Kale Salad (Kale, raisins almonds & cherry tomatoes with a light lemon vinaigrette), Maloreddos alla Crudaiola (Ridged pasta with fresh vegetables in extra virgin olive oil), Gnocchi alla Montanara (Homemade potato gnocchi with mushrooms & pancetta in a light cream sauce), Maloreddos alla Campidanese (Ridged pasta in a hearty tomato & sweet sausage ragout), Fregola (Oven-toasted​ round pasta with mussels and baby octopus in tomato broth), and the Branzino (Grilled Mediterranean Branzino filet in garlic, lemon & herbs with sauteed broccoli rabe). While it's tough to choose, I would say the standouts are both of the Maloreddos dishes and the Fregola. They were truly outstanding. On top of the food, the ambiance and hospitality are so warm, and the value is exceptional, particularly for brunch. Their delicious cocktails are a steal ($6-7) -- I highly recommend their excellent Negroni. If this place were in most other neighborhoods, it would be difficult to get a table, but its current location means you can have a peaceful, intimate meal without a wait or crowds. It's also child-friendly. I'm already looking forward to my next visit, and I just got back from there less than an hour ago! read more

If you want to get authentic Sardinian food this is best place. You should definitely try Seadas. This is the best Italian desert you can ever have. Their gnocchi, Cacio E Pepe and Fragola are worth a mention. Ishaan Eats read more

Arco cafe does some nice lunch specials, and apparently even has wifi... however, the wifi code is not prominently displayed, so I didn't wind up getting it and therefore using it. What else is there to say about this place? Honestly, there is just so little to eat up here in the upper west side/morningside heights border that I'm tempted to believe this place is great simply by virtue of having no competition. At the same time, there was nothing stand out about my visit to Arco Cafe (around October of last year?), other than the fact that the waitress was very good with refilling my water- she probably did that about five times. I came here for lunch, so there are some lunch deals which applied: basically, it's an appetizer with a main... but I ordered an extra appetizer since I was hungry on this hot, almost autumn day. My first appetizer was the bruschetta, with the extra insalata di campo (basically just the regular salad). Both were good: the bruschetta had quite a lot of tomato on it, and the salad contained quite a lot of greens. Neither had distinct flavor or anything, but whatever. For my main, I got the tagliolini alla carbonara. This is where my waitress failed me: I asked her if the dish contained dairy and she said no. After my dish arrived, it was super obvious that it had both cream and cheese in it, but at this point it was too late. I didn't mind eating it since I'm not like super lactose intolerant or anything, and it probably should have been obvious to me that this dish would have dairy (carbonara, duh), but it still would have been nice to have a waitress slightly more knowledgeable/capable with the english language. Anyway, the dish tasted great. OVerall, I'd come again, if in the area. read more

Good food, attentive service, very clean, comfortable and friendly environment: what more can anyone want from an authentic Italian restaurant run by real Italian people? read more

I was a bit disappointed by this place. Not that many options for Italian food in the neighborhood. Saw this was 4/5 stars so figured sure, let's get some pasta. I found it to be a bit strange that Arco Cafe does not have happy hour considering every other restaurant on Amsterdam has happy hour. I ordered a pasta dish that tasted pretty good...but the portion size was rather small. My friend felt the same way with their dish. Prices were reasonable...but I'd rather pay more for more food. The service was solid. Water constantly refilled. read more

This place is one of my neighborhood staples, great fresh Italian food in a casual atmosphere, doesn't look like much from the outside but I'm always impressed by the flavor and quality when I go in each time. Such a gem! read more

Whether it's takeout or dine-in, Arco always delivers! The pastas are all made in house and you can even purchase them to make at home. The gnocchi rivals all the most expensive spots in the city, seriously just order it already. Just had some but already craving it again. read more

Best homemade pasta in the city. And the lunch specials are amazing. Very cozy atmosphere

Tonight I decided to travel far outside my normal parameters and visit this Italian restaurant up in the far Upper West Side called the Arco Cafe. It actually came up as a recommended place when I typed in Italian food in the Yelp Search Box ahaha. I decided to order a tried and true pasta dish, which is the Pappardelle. The way they do it here is soo rich and meaty, with chunks of pancetta included into the tomato sauce served over the pasta. It was filling and yet surprisingly I also didn't feel like a bloated whale either like I usually do when I have a huge meal LOL. I also ordered the Lemon Olive Oil Cake with a side of vanilla gelato for dessert and a cup of Cappuccino to end the night. read more

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This place provided one of my most beautiful memories in New York and in the past year in fact it was a memory so great that it will remain in my mind for years to come. I cannot speak enough about the hospitality the warmth, and the authenticity of the food and service at this wonderful establishment. To find food that is so well-made and so tied to the culinary traditions of Sardinia in the United States is no easy feat, but is certainly one that is worth the effort. The owners Daniele and Francesca are a power packed duo of culinary prowess, passion, and clear business know how. Francesca lets her brother Daniele handle the cooking and she is right to do so, as he is the kind of guy who will wake up extra early to hand form malloreddus (gnocchetti sardi), and seek out the proper type of pecorino for the Seadas(or sebadas in Nuorese). Our meal started out with pane frattau, which I love the thin warm crisp Sardinian bread that has fed shepherds and an entire island for millennia with excellent olive oil which I could tell was Sardinian, and of course rosemary, next we had Daniele's awesome malloreddus with zucchini in olive oil and garlic with plenty of pecorino on top, pecorino being another of Sardinian famous pungent, nutty, salty and delicious products. To end Daniele gave me and my lovely wife Seadas and espresso on the house, the Seadas we ordered but he comped and the Espresso was just the right gift to accompany the meal. For me of course Sardinia is the region of Italy with the best food, and though I may be biased dine here and you may just have to agree! read more

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Hats, shirts, panties and any other garments off to the chef! This was, simply put, hands down the best g*d damned gnocchi I've ever had. (Gnocchi alla Montanara) I mean, every bite was sending me closer and closer to climax--I kid you not. Every delicious, smooth, potatoey morsel coated in a flavorful cream sauce with mushrooms and pancetta made me appreciate life just a touch more than I already do. Let's rewind a bit. This is a cute, cozy little restaurant in Manhattan Valley with a bar tucked off to the right and some tables outside, in addition to a romantically-lit dining area inside. Nothing fancy. I had this place bookmarked for a while and was dying to give it a try based on the overwhelmingly positive reviews. I tried the fennel salad with grilled shrimp, toasted almonds, mandarin orange and cherry tomatoes---wonderful. It was light and the bitterness and licorice flavor of the fennel (which is not one of my favorite things) was actually complemented beautifully by the sweetness of the tomatoes and orange slices. Shrimp--grilled to perfection and the almonds added a nice difference in texture to the whole thing. Place was pretty empty when my friend and I arrived at 9 PM, so our service was quick and timing was perfect between courses. Our waiter was very friendly and accommodating (particularly when my friend wanted to send her fettuccine back and trade for another dish more her taste). He gave us a list of the specials, was very helpful in making suggestions based on what I was asking...all-around I give the service 5 stars for this dining experience. My friend initially ordered the fettuccine with mushrooms, artichokes and lightly tossed in garlic olive oil. It was meh...not really for us. The noodles themselves (all made fresh in their kitchen) were fantastic in their taste and texture, but I wasn't really in the mood for that flavor profile. Clearly, neither was my friend once she had a bite of my heavenly dish. She quickly asked if she could send hers back and trade for the same thing I had. Now, let's revisit this gnocchi. Food for the gods. Our waiter told us that this was "the best gnocchi" and I must say I wholeheartedly agree with him on that. It was really an experience that I hope everyone's taste buds can one day enjoy. I can't rave enough about this dish. The cream sauce was a tad salty for my taste, but I'm very sensitive to salt in any dish, so maybe the vast majority wouldn't have noticed--my friend thought it was perfect. Overall, a fabulous meal, great staff and I was so full of potato pasta I laughed when he showed me the dessert menu...but then, you know, I had to see if dessert would match up to everything else. It did. I'm not really a semi freddo kinda gal, but this Amaretto delight wasn't even stretching the stomach too far. Not too sweet, very light texture and...I'll be back. If you want phenomenal and fresh pasta; If you're in the area; if you're in prison on Pluto; if your inner fat kid needs to be released: you should definitely give this place some of your time and your money. You won't be disappointed! read more

Arco Cafe - gnocchi alla Montanara...perfection - Sardinian Near Me - New York, New York

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One of my favorite recent dining experiences in NYC. Lovely little restaurant with delicious fresh food. The pasta tasted handmade and good price to value in my opinion. Highly recommend if you want a friendly service experience and delicious food read more

Great homemade pasta and surprisingly delicious dessert. Try the pistachio-ricotta cake - it's really special. As for the pasta, every dish I've tried has been very tasty. The NYC restaurant week dinner menu includes the option to have wine+dessert or take home a pound of fresh pasta. It's a tough choice given that the pasta and dessert are both very good! read more

Just outstanding. What a find! Excellent homemade pastas and breads, delicious and reasonably priced menu and specials, fresh seafood, and wonderful service and vibe. read more