I came here with a few friends for one reason really, the cheese wheel. The wait was descent since we went on a Saturday night. I ordered the cacio e Pepe. The cheese wheel came out with it and it was cool to watch them prepare the pasta. Truthfully the pasta was fine, nothing too special. Clearly I got the experience which was cool. The staff was pleasant and attentive. There's sitting outside which is nice for summer and spring. read more

I came here with the lady a while ago with my scoutmob deal in hand. The service was very good, they were super packed and we came without a reservation, but we still got a table. I understand they were overwhelmed, so I was not upset when the wait was longer then suggested. The waiter recommended a chicken dish over the lamb stating that the chef is perfecting the execution of the lamb. Which I appreciated, I love honesty. The chicken was good, although I wish there was a little more. All in all, since I appreciate honesty so much I will be honest. Without the scoutmob deal I would not come back, simply because it is a bit out of budget for the quality of food. However, the quality is still high and I hope to be back once I get some more chedda. read more

This place definitely wasn't bad (the food was pretty okay), however it lacked ambiance and was freezing cold --- which in the middle of December, is less than ideal. My friend and I had 2 mains (no apps), I had the monk fish... which is usually a favorite menu item of mine, however I found this version a little tough and a less than perfect piece of fish. My friend had the chicken, and she seemed to enjoy it. Maybe we should have went for the pasta? Those looked very yummy at the tables near by... read more

Best Italian food in the East Village in my opinion, and I've seen a lot come and go in my time. Also very nice ambiance and staff.

Came with a girlfriend tonight and we got a glass of wine each and split the arugula and pear salad and cacio e pepe of course. We asked for it to be super cheesey and the guy making it for us in the wheel was super nice. I thought it had a lot of flavor, in fact we agreed that next time we'd ask for pepper on the side as the peppercorns added too much spice. It was about 35 each and we both left very full and happy. read more

I am giving this place 3 stars because I, unlike some other reviewers, found the service to be exceptional and the waitstaff incredibly friendly. A friend and ex-coworker of mine recommended this place. It was very near to a bar we were at pre-dinner and since the friend is from Rome, I felt I had to trust his opinion of Italian food. The bread was good, but the dipping oil very bland. My fiance had the tasting menu and all of his appetizers were pretty dull. I liked the gnocci that came with his main course, but that's about all I can say. I had the strawberry salad on spinach which was fine, but nothing spectacular. For my main course I ordered spaghetti with clams. Maybe I should have opted for a different dish? The spaghetti had a delightful texture, and the sauce it was tossed in was decent, but again, underwhelming. I found the clams weren't consistently well cleaned, which is a big no no for me. Even our tiramisu desert wasn't really worth eating (in my opinion). My fiance liked it alright, but you'd be hard pressed to find a desert that does wrong by him. I doubt I'll be back when there are so many other Italian places in the city to try. read more

My favorite Italian restaurant in the area is closed, so I was glad to find this one. The food is fantastic--everything I got there has been excellent. The pasta is a perfect al dente, and the seasonings are right to my taste. If I have one complaint, it's the service--they are all perfectly nice, but they leave you alone for too long. It's hard to flag down the waitress to get the check. Were it not for that, they'd get five stars. read more

Very cozy space, warm and inviting for a small group of friends (but probably no more than 5 or 6). Ambience/service were solid and the food was pretty good. My braised lamb shank was a hearty portion, very tender but slightly overwhelmed in a thick sauce. Tried a bit of my friend's octopus dish and enjoyed it, but I wouldn't eat a whole plate if it. Salad with orange, beets and goat cheese was fine, no complaints. Warm atmosphere and the fact that I love this neighborhood with its many options pushes this to 4 stars in my book! read more

Came here with a scout mob coupon so my dinner was 50% off. This place is excellent for the value. Food - 3 (pretty mediocre. I should've ordered the pasta that came in a big cheese wheel!) Service - 5 Ambiance - 4 I ordered gnocchi, which was a bit too salty for me and not worth the price. The eggplant parmesan was also just okay. However, because of the service and romantic setting this is a great place to take a date to. read more

The hostess was extremely rude. We were rushed every minute to order the moment we sat down and continued the whole night. I came with 2 friends with a reservation. The waitress was equally as rude. We were told "we need this table" not even in a nice way -- we were only there for not even an hour and 15 minutes and still had wine in our glasses and our food had just been cleared. 2 other tables of 3 which were seated before us were not being pressured to leave. The food was fine but the service made the experience something I wouldn't recommend. Wish I tipped less but they took the check before we even left. read more

I recently dined at Cacio E Pepe and ate their signature dish which was the Cacio e Pepe tossed in a wheel of cheese. I've heard about this restaurant when it was featured on Insider for its wheel of cheese. The pasta itself was delicious, however, I wish the pasta was a bit creamier and they used crushed pepper corns rather than whole ones. Other than that, I enjoyed the pasta noodles as it was perfectly cooked and you can definitely taste that it was handmade. I think the pasta is a bit pricey, but is something that one should definitely experience. read more

They have a nice sidewalk seating area and a backyard patio. I came here for the famous cacio e pepe served in a cheese wheel. It's a nice presentation but I wonder how sanitary that cheese wheel is? The serving size was small. It had a great pepper bite but I only give the pasta a 7. The cheese sauce just wasn't there. The bread is served with a tomato sauce. When it was time to pay the bill, only then we were told that it's cash only or amex. How odd. We gave cash and the waitress had the nerve to ask if we needed change, yes we do. read more

I came here after rave reviews from friends and yelpers, but was extremely disappointed. We came here with a group of ten, and had made reservations, so the size wasn't a problem, it was the service. we ordered appetizers first, both the eggplant Parmesan dish and buffalo mozzarella were delicious, if not a little pricey for their size. We had ordered our main courses at the same time as the apps and then had to wait over an HOUR after finishing the appetizers for our main course to come out. At this point everyone at the table is starving and eating every scrap of bread and olive oil in sight. When the food finally comes out, the signature pasta dish that I ordered that is supposed to be scraped out of the wheel of Romano is plopped down on the table with no wheel in sight. SERIOUSLY! So I am paying $15 for pasta and cheese, no fanfare, nothing special. At least my boyfriend's lasagna was good, or this place would have been awarded 1 star. I wanted to like this place, it was cute and cozy, but inattentive service and so-so food just doesn't do it for me. read more

Read Clayton P.'s review below. Read my mind. The house pasta is fantastic - both the creativity of how it's served, and the density of the homemade noodles. The pecorino and pepper balance each other perfectly - much more zip than your usual pasta dish, even in New York. The scallops are always a sure bet, served in a great pea puree. I was hesitant at first, but totally sold. The wait staff is pretty wine knowledgeable and helpful in picking a bottle that complements your order. Also, the desserts are great. The tiramisu especially. I believe Cacio surpassed Frank as my favorite 'hood Italian restaurant. read more

The power of great service. Our waiter made this entire experience 3 stars, the food itself probably deserves somewhere around 1.5-2 stars. Started with the caprese, decent but nothing special. Bread is dry and not worth eating in my opinion. The gnocchi is probably the worst I've ever had. Melts into a gooey, starchy mess in your mouth, the sauce coating the gelatinous blob into what tastes either under or over cooked, or missing an ingredient. However, the waiter noticed that I didn't eat much of my gnocchi, and brought out some flan, and took the gnocchi off the check. That is fantastic service, especially in NY! Thanks for still making my evening pleasant, even if my taste buds desired a slice of pizza after. I settled for potato chips in my hotel room. read more

The best food people wine ... always a winner. Bring friends and business there all the time cause it's a sure thing.

They don't take credit card besides Amex. The pasta is overly salty. And I even if you make a reservation you will wait 30 mins. Also they rush you out. After less than 10 mins of browsing the menu. The waiter came to take our order. We ordered our drinks and said we would like to start with a salad but had not decided on an entree. The waiter responded.."look at how many people are around you. I need to get your order in now or you won't eat". For the price we paid for dinner I would expect at least semi decent service. Nope, we were treated like peasants. So regret coming here read more

This restaurant was quaint and cute. Didn't come with reservations and they were able to seat us. However, me and my friend both ordered the main dish served in the cheese bowl and the amount of pasta they served was not much especially for the price. This definitely was a great place but I don't feel the need to spend $17 on a limited amount of pasta again. read more

Came here on a snowy Sunday night for a belated Valentine's Day and it did not disappoint. Porchetta was a nice dichotomy of salty and sweet, lamb was tender enough not to need a knife, and the signature Cacio E Pepe was so good it was one of the few times I didn't want protein with my pasta. Wine list was limited but good cheap choices that helped compliment everything. Just expect to enjoy red! Lemoncello at the end was the icing on the cake. I'm fairly new to eating out in NYC, but this place is tops for the few nights I get to go out. Highly recommended! read more

Great service , we were seated right away on a sat nite , food was Delish , reasonable prices on food but bottle of wine was a bit overpriced . We enjoyed feeling like we were back in Rome , Italy. They have a sidewalk seating , inside. And garden seating as well., I of course had to order the Cacio e Pepe , which was prepared at our table . I would definitely go back to try other dishes ! Oh it's only cash or Amex. Btw read more

Cacio E Pepe - Appetizer and cacio e Pepe - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Good but not great. The service was lacking and the wine list was short. It is small and great for catching up with friends....but in the city of a million restaurants, this place is just so-so. To be fair, they do Italian food well. They also serve proper portions, not American portions (aka, two meals in one). They just seem to lack on customer service (slow on water refill and a break in service). read more

Cacio e Pepe's Roman kitchen in the East Village feels as though you have been transported to Italy. The pasta is all homemade, including their signature dish, Cacio e Pepe which is prepared and presented in a giant pecorino cheese wheel. Their menu offers traditional Italian antipastas and salads, as well as mains ranging from baby octopus, grilled salmon, pork ribs and stuffed chicken. For appetizers, be sure to try the sautéed shrimp, served with rosemary, cannellini beans and red pepper flakes. The shrimp is bold in flavor, seasoned well, and cooked until the exterior is a bit crispy. This dish was aromatic, and the rosemary and red pepper flakes created a savory bite. The shrimp was served on top of al dente cannellini beans, that added nice texture and a slightly salty, garlicky taste. The Cacio e Pepe is homemade tonnarelli pasta, cooked simply with pecorino cheese and black peppercorn. This dish is creamy, and luxuriously cheesy, balanced beautifully with a spicy kick from the black pepper (pairs very nicely with a glass of their red wine.) The presentation in the cheese wheel makes this dish even more special, and is served by a friendly waiter who spins the tonnarelli around the wheel before delicately plating it, adding more cheese flavor to your glorious pasta. The stuffed chicken is also a must, cooked with prosciutto, fontina cheese and black truffle sauce, served with roasted potatoes, and broccoli rabe. Cacio e Pepe is a new East Village favorite of mine, great for a post work meal, or weekend treat. Authentic Italian food, reasonable prices, and great friendly service, just like in Italy. There is currently a $30 off Scoutmob deal (including drinks), so take a friend, and keep the signature dish presentation a secret. Your friends will certainly be surprised! read more

Put this one down as "just not what we were looking for" I tried going to Ninth Ward on a date, but it was rather packed. We saw this place next door and seeing that it wasn't nearly a hopping as Ninth Ward we stumbled in. All we really wanted was a drink and maybe something to eat. A friendly hostess invited us in, and suggested the back garden area, which was lovely and romantic. We looked at the menu and started to realize this wasn't exactly what we had signed up for. They only had wine, and the food was pricey. We ordered a bottle of wine (which was really good, but I couldn't have cared less. I would have been fine with a cheap rum and coke) While all the food looked good, we weren't there for dinner, so when our waitress came to ask us what we'd like to eat, she looked more than a little annoyed. I asked to look at a dessert menu. Everything looked okay, but nothing stood out. We ended up sharing a strawberry tiriamisu. Now, let me just say that I am a total purist when it comes to Italian food, and I shame myself and my family for even considering ordering such a monstrosity. Yeah yeah yeah, have an open mind. But for me, tiramisu is made a certain way and you don't mess with it. What came out looked okay, although we clearly got a corner edge because two sides were cut and had that beautiful tiramisu layering going on, and the other two looked like ass. The taste was marginal, and sometimes it felt as if there was a strange after taste. Additionally, BE WARNED!!! There is a good reason we only got one dessert to share because we would have been up shits creek: THEY ONLY TAKE CASH AND AMERICAN EXPRESS. I mean, c'mon.....who does that? We counted our money before ordering the food because the bottle of wine was already $40 and, well, I never carry a lot of cash with me. read more

Had a date nite here with wifey, her sister and Tony. The restaurant has a good, mature vibe to it. Good food, good wine/prosecco, good ambiance ... Everything was A ok. No complaints. The Tonnarelli served out of a big, solid bowl of Parmesan cheese, alone, is good enough reason to come back here. Amazing dish... Everything else is just an added bonus. The place was wall to wall crowded. Service was flawless. Definitely a nice, romantic place to bring your Hunnie to. read more

SOOOO good!! Came here on a Monday night around 6:30 pm for a friend's birthday. We ordered the cacio e Pepe and the gnocchi, both were delicious. Great wine list and appetizers are yummy too. Only drawback was that they only accept cash or Amex. Besides that, really amazing food that is wonderfully prepared - you will want to put it all over social media!! read more

Cacio E Pepe - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Very small and super warm during the winter ! Service was good . The food is decent for the price . The Cacio E Pepe(pasta in a cheese wheel) is good!!! It's not everything I hoped for ... for the price . It was a cool experience being an out of Towner though ! read more

Came here with friends and we tried a few different items after hearing all the hype. Sad to say that the namesake Cacio E Pepe is not very good but also tiny portion for the price. It's about the size of a large orange and definitely not enough for a meal. The bucatini was also disappointing, huge portion but with enormous hunks of fat because it was not rendered down properly. Bread and the sun dried tomato pesto were the only things we really enjoyed. read more

Amazing food and friendly helpful staff. Come here if you want a little slice of Italy. One of my favorite spots to eat.

We loved this restaurant! The back patio is beautiful in the summer, and the food was delicious. They have bread with sun-dried tomato dip, which our family loved. We tried a few dishes and loved it as well!! The owner was so kind and brought us delicious dessert, told us about his business and checked in a few times to make sure we were enjoying the food. Great service and food! read more

the food was great and the service was very prompt and attentive. i would recommend this to many of my friends will be coming back for the lasagna !! read more

This was my first time to this restaurant and it definitely lived up to the hype!! We chose to sit outside in the garden area and the ambiance was very nice. We started with the buratta and Parmesan creme brûlée. The buratta was delicious as expected and the creme brûlée was amazing and such a unique idea for an appetizer. It was my first time trying a savory creme brûlée. I would return just for this appetizer. For the main course we had the Cacio e Pepe of course! It was delicious and the presentation in the cheese wheel was an added bonus! I would definitely eat it again! My husband got the black truffle pasta which was also excellent. We ended with the tiramisu and just as with the other dishes, it was fantastic. Very well done meal overall. We will definitely be back soon! read more

Amazing people and amazing food. Loved it - went in with the office staff and had loads of fun. Would definitely return to have drinks and dinner read more

This place is ok, but nothing to write home about. I will however, write about it on yelp though. The ambiance is very cozy and it can be a great place for a group dinner, but I wouldn't go there with a big group without prior reservations. Foodwise, the cacio e pepe dish is good, very creamy and peppery and the novely of it being served out of a cheesewheel is entertaining. I also tried the cod entree and it was very good. Service here is average...you'll probably have to ask the waiter a few times to get what you want. Overall not a bad place though! read more

top shelf service, THE best pasta and cheese dish (signature meal - it IS that good), and I dream about the Quail Ragu dish. If you appreciate hearty, wild game ragu - this is a must try. Been several times this past winter, each time the service and food was consistently good. The waitresses know their wines and did not try to upsell. Waitress, hostess and everyone in the place provides excellent service. Give it a try. They are a 7+ year survivor in the EV Italian scene. They do it right every time. Try to get a table against the left wall (when you walk in). read more

This review is solely based on food. We were excited to try this place. If I were rating service, I would rate Cacio e Pepe 5 stars because our waiter was friendly and accommodating and also recommended a great bottle of wine. That's why this place gets two stars instead of one. As for the food, I felt like most of the pasta dishes had the potential of being OK but were severely over salted to the point of killing the taste of the food. The shrimp amaretto soup also had potential to be good (even if you overlook the bizarre combination) but there was just too much amaretto. I felt like I was drinking dessert and not soup. The desserts were also underwhelming. The ice cream was super frozen, the cannoli wasn't that fresh and the chocolate mouse was too rich. It's too bad because this place has really nice waitstaff and a charming ambiance. Won't be returning. read more

This restaurant is right around the corner from my apartment. It's my go to Italian restaurant. The atmosphere is charming, the back patio is romantic, and I always feel like home when I'm there. The food is consistently good, as is the service. I recommend this restaurant to anyone who is looking for amazing and reasonably priced home made pasta! read more

Came here on a Sunday for early dinner and didn't have to wait to be seated. This place has been on my list of Italian restaurants to try and I left rather satisfied with the experience. As an appetizer, we decided to try the Scamorza Fonduta con Prosciutto di Parma - basically prosciutto layered over scamorza cheese (tastes like a smoked mozzarella) and baked. It was good because it was melted cheese and prosciutto, but presentation threw us for a loop. We expected it to be a sort of 'dip', but it actually just came on a plate... in my opinion, the best way to eat this would be to cut it up and put it on top of the bread they give you. For the main course, I ordered Lasagnette ai Funghi Porcini con Fonduta di Parmigiano, which was an open-faced lasagna with porcini mushrooms and parmesan cream. The porcini mushrooms were really flavorful and tender, pasta was cooked al dente, and the cream was rich and cheesy. It was really tasty.. definitely liked this twist on lasagna. My friend ordered the popular Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe dish, which is served out of a huge parmesan wheel.. definitely a fun presentation. I liked the pasta, though I thought it was a bit over-salted and the portion was kind of small. Topped it off with two glasses of Sangiovese, and it was a decent Italian meal. Overall, it's a cute, cozy Italian restaurant in the East Village. Good service. Good food, although the menu is not too extensive and it is pricey for the portion size you get. Heads up -- they only take Amex or cash!! read more

Food was good. I remembered their featured dish being a lot better, though. Service was good. Ambiance was alright. For needing a reservation on a Friday night, arrive and the place is empty, interesting. The kicker of the evening was finding out at the end of the meal that the establishment doesn't take VISA or DISCOVER. WHAT PLACE these days doesn't take VISA??? They only take American Express, cash, and noted in the menu, travelers checks. But who really looks in the menu to see if they accept the most accepted card in banking? So make sure you have enough cash or an AmEx. Luckily we had enough cash between the two of us and didn't need to go out into the freezing weather to use an ATM and incur a service fee. Mangia, mangia. read more

The food was great. Fairly well seasoned overall. The classic cacio e pepe was good. We also ordered the salmon and it was delicious. Our server was very polite and helpful. However, the bread they provided us with was stale. They have a brief list of wine options but could benefit from more drink options. read more

This place went above and beyond to make sure we were seated. We had called ahead to make sure there was room and they said to come right in. When we got there it was full but they accommodated us within minutes. We ordered a bottle of wine and some starters which were delicious. The main reason we went was for the pasta in the cheese wheel. It was everything we wanted plus more. It was the first time my family had tried it and they really enjoyed it. I would definitely come back next time I'm in Manhattan! read more