One of the best meals we've had in the city. My sister and I had a wonderful lunch here following her appointment at Sloan. Everything was delicious and the presentation was beautiful. We were spoiled, they made us feel so special! Can't wait to take my parents here the next time we are in NY! read more

Thank you for a nice evening Raffaele. Traveling in from Boston and enjoying food in NYC is a nice treat. The restaurant is well kept with a small team of service. Raffaele is your typical hard working Italian man who really cares about his food and personal charm. We ordered the duck Pappardelle (a special for the evening) and rigatoni with an eggplant purée, mozzarella and cherry tomatoes. Both were delicious and authentic. Having traveled most regions of Italy, this was a nice trip back down memory lane. Why the one star off, well if Yelp gave you a half stars to utilize we would. That said, I like white table clothes, I don't like paper over the tablecloth - personal preference. The bread basket was just okay. Thank you again! read more

Just enjoyed a wonderful birthday dinner in celebration of our daughter. After we were seated we were quickly introduced to Raffael, who couldn't have been more gracious with our party. After a our conversation Raffael recommended a few appetizers, stuffed calamari, Buffalo burrata, salmon stuffed with ricotta and paccheri. All were delicious and great start to our evening. Our group's entrees covered several items on the menu, taglionini with meatballs, risotto with pumpkin, quail and pollo con carciofi with my wife and I getting 2 surprise items when we left it to Raffael to bring us something. He did not disappoint us with venison chop and chicken dish not on the menu or special for the day. We finished with cappuccino, espresso and desert brought us tiramisu, pistachio cake, and chocolate mouse cake which were all rich and delicious. We will be returning. read more

Friendly attentive service This is a new restaurant that still needs to work out some issues but overall we had a great dining experience The decor is very simple and a little boring. Apps: Tuna tartare with avocado- a little heavy with the citrus but huge portion Scallops with mozzarella- not a fan. Not enough flavor and kind of a strange combo of ingredients. Entrees: Pappardelle with zucchini- aaaaaaaamazing Pasta with bolognese- amazing Their pasta dishes are read more

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Lots of reviews are about the food. But running a restaurant is about the feeling. My experience here left me feeling...well...sad. This was our 2nd trip to this restaurant, but we will not be going back. We literally live steps away, and always want to help our local businesses with good reviews, and with our business. We walked in feeling happy, excited and looking forward to a lovely evening. The restaurant was not full, and we received our first course and wine quickly...our server seemed friendly and read the specials with a smile. After receiving our entrees, the service evaporated...he never appeared again at our table. Not to take a second wine order, not to clear a plate, not to offer dessert, which we actually wanted to order. Ultimately...after a long time sitting with our empty plates, we waved to get someone over to us. Then, we sat at a totally empty table (crumbs and water glasses) while waiting for the check, which they didn't bring. We had to ask for it. At that point, we were basically begging for anything. The entire time, the owner wandered from table to table but seemingly we were invisible. We were not scowling, we hadn't been demanding, so I'm mystified. It honestly seemed like we were being willfully ignored. Like another reviewer says, lasting impressions are everything in this town. The owner had a chance to connect with us, to make his customers want to return, and he chose not to. That's what closes restaurants. read more

Great spot with complimentary bread (which is always a major plus) and great vinegar. It's super cozy and definitely a local's spot for those in the neighborhood! read more

Da Raffaele - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Great Italian food and even better service :) Thank you for the beautiful meal. Came with friends and had a great time. The owner was attentive and gave great recommendations. read more

Went there Tuesday night and it was the best restaurant experience I've had in awhile! Raffaele was wonderful, the ambiance was relaxing, and the food was delicious! I have never finished a pasta meal I've ordered at restaurants before and my plate was CLEAN by the end of dinner!! Amazing food, wine, and ingredients! Grazie, Raffaele! read more

Incredible experience, food service on point. Definitely coming back to try other items. read more

Please dont fall for these reviews. I was disappointed by their inattentive service. My brother was brought the wrong scallop dish with cold and grainy risotto. My pasta dish was passable at best, it was so oily that it coated the inside of my mouth. We tried to get a refill on our waters and couldn't even get the attention of a waiter for 15 minutes. Just a bad experience not worth the price tag. This place would be 5 stars if it had 10-12$ entrees read more

Given all the Italian restaurants with hundreds of reviews -- I was a little nervous to try a place with less information. But I took a leap of faith based on the 80 reviews I saw -- and this place was amazing!!! I am not an adventurous eater most days...I like classics done well. As such I ordered spaghetti and it was delicious. Honestly, I will be thinking about that pasta for a while. Side note: I went 830 on a Wednesday night. Definitely an older crowd...maybe that's why there were less reviews. But don't let that scare you away!!! read more

Delicious food. Excellence service. A must visit for authentic Italian food in New York City. 5 stars for a reason. read more

Da Raffaele - a plate of pasta and a glass of wine - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Stopped in for a late lunch, and WOW! The best chicken parmigiana I have ever had in my life. Super-fresh tomato sauce and fresh mozzarella melted over the top. Generous portion, beautifully presented. Wonderfully intimate, relaxing setting and impeccable service. Not too little, not too much. Was seated right away and offered a beverage. Server (owner?) also brought over some warm Italian bread to enjoy before my mista salad and entree. If you know and appreciate good Italian food, you will love Da Raffaele. Hope to get back here again soon! read more

Da Raffaele - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

The owner of Da Raffaele is wonderful. He's super friendly and attentive and makes everyone at the restaurant feel welcome and well taken care of. That said, I think the owner is the main reason for the glowing yelp reviews. My first bit of feedback for the restaurant is to please list years on the wine list, or alter the price point. I'm happy to pay for good wine but it seems wrong to be ordering expensive bottles with the limited info provided on the wine list. Food wise, everyone at our table really enjoyed our main course. All four of us got different pastas and they were all excellent. Unfortunately our anti pasti and dessert did not live up to the same standards. For anti pasti, we had the burrata and crab cakes. The burrata was ok but the crab cakes were fishy and unpleasant. Our server recommended them so it was definitely a moment of feeling like we'd been recommended the dish the kitchen was trying to get rid off. read more

Da Raffaele is unbelievable. It is nice place. I am very glad that we got Cannoli, this was one of their very best dishes, really flavorful and delicious. The staff members were really great, smiled a lot, felt genuine. Da Raffaele, go and try, you'll love it. read more

We've eaten twice recently at Da Raffaele. The first time, when seating capacity was limited by Covid, we had a superb meal and excellent service. We returned a few weeks later when there were no restrictions on seating and had an even better meal and the same excellent and friendly service. The minestrone was particularly full of flavor and the pasta dishes we had were magnificent. One of us is a vegetarian and was delighted with the variety and tastiness of the vegetarian options on the menu. read more

Da Raffaele is the find of the UES and Midtown East. Located near the UN, this is the kind of restaurant you'd find in Italy and come home raving about. Everything about it is perfect. The food is delicious and authentic as is the room and service. I will now make expeditions to 49th and 1st just to have this experience. Raffaele is the charming chef owner, definitely go into the kitchen and meet him! PS The main courses are sensational, the wine is fairly priced but leave room for dessert. Mama mia and oy vey! read more

Staff was very rude and horrible service, worst Italian restaurant experience we ever had in our neighborhood, would never go again. Don't recommend at all. read more

In a fast-paced place like New York, first impressions can mean everything. Ruin that, and people are already onto something/someone else. Luckily my friend and I had more time than usual as it was a Friday night, and we stayed -- despite the restaurant making us wait over half an hour when we had shown up with a 9pm reservation. Immediately upon arrival, we were told our table wasn't quite ready and ushered toward the bar. I didn't flinch - this happens and I was happy to get a glass of wine as an aperitif. Then, my second glass came, and it had been nearly 40 minutes. I felt as though they had forgotten about us. Only after we gestured to a waiter, likely making some unpleasant facial expressions in the process, did we get seated. Once we sat down, the service was fine and the wine enjoyable enough to get a third round of. For food we ordered the carciofi to share and I had the paccheri for my main course. I would say, based solely on food and drinks, this place easily deserves at least four stars. But the first impression unfortunately led to a deduction. read more

For a quiet, romantic, and delicious experience, do not sleep on this delicious Italian restaurant. My girlfriend and I work in the area and were finally feeling up to doing anything after the day was over and randomly walked into this place. We were feeling adventurous, and decided to share the pennoni, capesante, a bottle of red and a few Italian beers, and it was everything we wanted in a meal and more. Raffaele himself was there to chat with us and check on us which was very pleasant and personable. I am definitely spending date night here more often. read more

I was a little doubtful at first because my husband and I came earlier and the decor is minimal for Italian restaurant. But service is very attentive and professional. Food simple but extraordinary GOOD! Very recommendable establishment! Enjoy:) read more

When it comes to Italian food, well, let's just say that I'm fairly picky. With restaurants, you definitely have different types of Italian. There's the high end, Milanese or Genoese style - fancy and expensive. Then there's your rustic, Tuscan or Campania style - hearty and simple. Finally, there's your "American"-style - pasta and plenty. Da Raffaele though doesn't fit precisely into any one of those styles, but instead takes the best of each and creates a delicious experience with the right amount of food and flavor for a reasonable price, even for midtown Manhattan. The night that I was there with a friend, we started with soup not that it was particularly a soup night, but when I called home to hear that my wife was making pasta fagoli that evening that was what I wanted and they had it. The neat thing about pasta fagoli is that it is one of those dishes that every Italian chef makes their own way. I absolutely love the way my wife makes hers, but never know what to expect when trying it out. Da Raffaele's version was wonderful and completely different. Very soupy, rather than thick, it had greens and thin slices of Italian sausage with the beans and pasta. Still, it had that core taste of pasta fagoli and I would definitely recommend it to anyone. For dinner, we tried the special fish entrees. He had swordfish with a white wine and lemon sauce (chef held the capers and olives for him) and I had tuna over lentils. We also got a side of escarole with beans. My friend finished up his plate and, as a New Englander who knows good fish, noted that his swordfish was done to perfection. My tuna was flawless - chef made sure that it was seared on all sides, but rare (really raw and uncooked) in the interior as you should do a good cut of tuna. Matched with the lentils, it was a combination that I hadn't had before, but would be willing to do again. The greens and beans were sauted just right with a good olive oil and garlic flavor. So, want to have the best of any style of Italian and you are in midtown Manhattan, go to Da Raffaele. read more

Had a family dinner here to celebrate my brother's birthday. He's 6'3", law student, hung like a horse. His girlfriend just dumped him and he's going through it but he'll come out the other side ok. Anyways, he ordered the duck ragu and we all followed suit because we all adore him. Then he made a joke and we all laughed very hard. Duck ragu was quite nice. Get an amaretto, on us. Dessert was tight, ricotta and raspberry and shit, lovely stuff. Misleading olive oil bottle, but we figured it out. Please go here, the food is really good read more

Delicious! The menu was creative, service perfect, and overall experience and food delicious and a delight! Raffaele was kind and hands on. My new favorite Italian in the neighborhood! Worth a visit to Turtle Bay to try! read more

Excellent service! Excellent food. Great conversation with the owner and staff. Clean. Price is average for NYC. read more

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Amazing fresh quality Italian food ! The chef and the waiters are so polite , keep their mask on and are so hospitable ! Even the presentation is immaculate! read more

The most delicious Italian restaurant in the area. Ran by the chef and a local favorite. The food was incredible and the chocolate lava cake was amazing! We loved every moment of our dinner. Such a romantic ambiance great for dates. read more

This place is wonderful! I went here for the first time with my friend last night. We always do Italian together. She was coming from Grand Central, so we wanted to find a place not too far away. The food is excellent! We each had an arugula salad, which was perfect - the right size, fantastic dressing (not overly dressed), just enough stuff in it to make it interesting (fennel and orange). They also gave us some mini stuffed peppers to begin with, which were great - a little bit spicy and delicious. The bread was great too. For entrees, we both had linguini with clams - she had red sauce and I had white. The clams were fresh and plump and delicious. We split a bottle of wine, which was really, really good. For dessert, I had chocolate mousse, which was very tasty, but very, very rich - a little too much after a pasta dinner, but still great. My friend had a crepe which was also great. The staff there is wonderful. Everyone speaks Italian, so it has an authentic feel, but without that staid old school vibe. It felt fresh and modern. The man who waited on us was so nice. I think he was the general manager or something - not sure. He was so sweet. Anyway, it was a beautiful restaurant too. White walls and table cloths - it felt fancy, but not uncomfortable. And there was nice soft music playing and the size of the place was just right - not too big and not too small. There's so much mediocre Italian in this city. It's nice to find something that genuinely really good. And the prices were fairly reasonable too. We'll definitely be back! Bravo! read more

buonissimo After much deliberation with each other and lots of help from the welcoming staff, here's the phenomenal meal my friend and I had together: 1) big ole bottle of delicious wine. The waiter didn't try to upsell us when we asked which was better of two choices, which is a class act! 2) grilled octopus with cannellini beans - this was the most memorable part; honestly I've never had octopus that tasted so heavenly. I need more! 3) Penneloni with cauliflower, sausage, celery, and parmesan sauce. Oh my god... When pasta and cheese mess with your IBS it's only worth having when it's the best of the best. And it was. 4) Swordfish with a tomato based sauce and polenta. My friend had this and loved it. But we think she should've gotten the grilled branzino, which they actually walk out to show you before they grill! I mean maybe we just have to go back for it?! 5) Tiramisu and affogato - okay we didn't need to eat these but after a bottle of wine and such great food we needed some help from the Holy Trinity of alcohol, sugar, and coffee to make it home. And then they gave us limoncello! It got pretty busy but they never made us feel pressured to leave. My Italian friends were all up in my Instagram stories and the waiter who served us chatted with me in Italian before I left and asked if I stayed in Rome (I studied abroad there and in Milan in college). In short, it was a delightful experience and wondrous meal. Made me miss Italy! Thanks for the hospitality and memories, Raffaele! read more

We had a lovely dinner here. The pappardelle and paccheri were delicious, perfectly cooked al dente in large, generous portions. We ended up taking a bit home to save room for dessert (the tartufo that I'm still drooling over), and I'm very much looking forward to eating that tomorrow to cherish this memorable meal once more! The ambience was very sweet; it felt homey and fancy at the same time. In that way, this is a perfect place for both romantic dates and joyous family dinners. The owner is so friendly and welcoming, and the other server was equally kind and attentive. Even with just the two of them, the service was fantastic and comprehensive, and it seemed they were proficient in treating every table in this way. A nice bonus was that they were very generous with their condiments, giving large scoops of cheese, lots of fresh grated pepper, etc. - made us feel very comfortable and welcome. Strange how a small gesture like that can make you feel that way, but it was really a nice touch. The bill was so reasonable too! Overall we had such a great experience. Will definitely back and would wholeheartedly recommend! read more

One of my absolute favorites in the city- a very welcome return for Chef Raffaele! Da Raffaele has been a staple in the area since the 90's when the owner had his first restaurant Raffaele's on 57th Street. Now Raffaele has brought his Napoli-inspired dishes (and overall Italian hospitality) back. From the moment you walk in the restaurant, you feel like family. The staff is attentive, and Raffaele usually gives a small special appetizer to share, along with home-made bread. There are always an array of specials for anyone who likes to continually change it up, but the in-house homemade mozzarella, as well as the meatballs stuffed with mozzarella (aka the Tagliolini) and the Paccheri are divine. No matter what you order, you'll be pleased. Stop on by, whether you're in the neighborhood or not and do not leave without trying the homemade limoncello or orancello. read more

Took my mom out for dinner after a nice day in the city. Like that it's a few blocks from the touristy area, but still close enough to walk back to grand central from. We were greeted immediately by the owner. and started with a bottle of prosecco. Our service was patient and attentive, but still gave us the space to enjoy ourselves. I had the an amazing rigatoni dish with eggplant purée and smoked mozzarella. My mom had a special with tuna meatballs. They were amazing! We ended the night with a few more drinks, followed by cappuccino and an espresso for me. Lovely place, amazing atmosphere. Will definitely be back! read more

Cozy, neighborhood spot that serves tasty Italian cuisine. Tried one special (mozzarella di bufala with pumpkin) and classic pasta (red sauce, meatballs, spaghetti). The pasta was fresh and cooked al dente, the flavors in both dishes were perfectly balanced and delicious. And who knew pumpkin was amazing with cheese?! Bonus: owner is personable and would be seen saying hello to regular diners. Would definitely return to try more dishes! read more

We hosted a birthday celebration at Da Raffaele last night. The food, the service, everything was 5 stars. The owner and chef, Raffaele, made us feel very special and cooked up some seriously delicious authentic Italian food. We started with antipasto (standard Italian meats and cheeses), then these off the menu cakes stuffed with melted cheese and mushrooms were served with lightly fried seaweed bread puffs (so unique and pillowy). For the entree I had the wild salmon and cauliflower. I tasted someone else's chicken. Everything was so fresh, simple and flavorful. We had a very special set menu because of our party size, and I can't wait to go back and eat off the menu too. Raffaele takes pride in his restaurant and cooking, and it really shows. read more

Attracted by the menu, we came for dinner on a Friday evening. We were quite satisfied by the food, wine and ambiance. The service is another matter: the owner and his one server were pleasant but couldn't handle needs of the clientele on a night when most of the tables filled. Two on the floor simply can't offer a level of service to match the level of the food or the prices. Do yourself a service, hire someone else for the floor. Even a bus person would help. That said, we might return but not on a weekend night. read more

This restaurant is amazing!! The wine list is so extraordinary. The food is exquisite. I didn't find a bad thing on the menu. The owner and servers were so sweet and helpful! They took the time to talk to us and ask us about our likes and dislikes. Loved the atmosphere and the food!! Will definitely be coming back! read more

Been here a few times now and it's always been a nice meal. The specials are usually quite good, and I've gotten one every time I've went (osso bucco special was fantastic). The tagliolini with the meatballs was especially nice, as was the fagioli soup. read more

Raffaele is Amazing!!! My friend & I came in & had an Amazing time very friendly, great Atmosphere. Food is yummy, highly recommend.

Nice atmosphere. Very friendly staff. Family owned and run and it definitely has that feeling. The food is just delicious! I had the Cornish Hen, which was just extraordinary, and my wife had the lamb chops, which she absolutely loved. Highly recommend!! read more

Da Raffaele - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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My dad chose this restaurant for a dinner when visiting me in New York City. The owner is such a charming man and they had a good talk on Italian beers and Naples. We enjoyed the food and our time here! read more