With the plethora of high end restaurants in the Chelsea area, we stumbled upon Da Umberto for a friends 30th birthday. The staff was extremely accommodating as we all arrived late taking mass transit from New Jersey. The waiter offered us plenty of recommendations and knew every dish like the back of his hand. The ambience was a mix of old school meets new school Italian and no party felt out of place. We started with some of the traditional antipasti choices- salumi, parmigiano, and vino (lots of it). Most of us skipped a pasta dish as we saved room for dessert. For my entree, I ordered the seared salmon with haricots verts and mostarda sauce. The salmon was seared perfectly as it had a juicy inside with a crispy crust. The haricots verts were extremely fresh and paired well with the fish. The mostarda sauce had just enough acid and tang to complete the dish. Without comprising quality the meal was very affordable which is rare in New York. I would definitely recommended having a birthday party or any celebration event here...bravo! read more

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Our special evening here featured dismissive waiters, a rushed atmosphere and overpriced bland food. We were one of the first customers, and we were shown to a table close to the antipasto bar and the kitchen entrance. What could have been a quiet location turned out to be the gathering place of the dozen or so unoccupied waiters cracking jokes and talking. When we requested butter for the bread the waiter shrugged his shoulders and seemed irritated. The evening's specials were announced too quickly to comprehend, and no prices were given. While our main waiter followed through well with a dietary request, the five or so staff who served us were abrupt and invasive. All this for an overpriced and overdone porkchop? No thanks! read more

We had the beef tartare as an appetizer. For the main course, I ordered the short rib special with polenta and my girlfriend had the mushroom ravioli. We followed it up with the pana cotta for dessert. This was one of the best restaurants I've ever eaten at. That includes some more well known Italian restaurants I've enjoyed like Il Cortile, Il Mulino, Il Buco, Roberto's, Eataly, etc. Everything we had here was outstanding. We both agreed da Umberto is one of the top restaurants we've been to and we can't wait to come back. read more

I really wanted to give them 5 stars because the food was amazing but once I got the bill I felt cheated. The waiter told us what wine to get.... Turns out it was 28 dollars a glass. I don't think it's acceptable to charge that much for one glass of wine and never mention the price or have a wine menu for us to to look at. The market price veal was over 2x more than most of the dinner entrees and the waiter never mentioned that either. read more

This would normally be a 4 star restaurant but I feel that our server decentful. The food, wine, overall service and ambiance were good. We were a large group and the waiter suggested a small pasta sampler for the table - each person would get 1 ravioli, risotto and their special truffle pasta. He said it was a great option for the table if we didnt want the anti pasta, we all agreed and enjoyed the app. When we received our check we were extremely surprised that the appetizer was $570. $135 ($15 per person for the ravioli and risotto) and an additional $435 for the truflle pasta. I don't have an issue paying for good food but for a small sampler of pasta at $60+ per person (which is more than any entree on their menu) the waiter should have mentioned something. It unfortunately was a disappointing ending to what was a great meal. read more

Really disappointed by my meal at da Umberto from this past Friday. The entire experience felt unbelievably rushed, with FOUR different servers constantly asking us if we wanted a drink, needed more wine, decided on the meal, wanted dessert, needed coffee. Over and over. Want to feel like you're being attacked by wolves? Come to da Umberto. And that was just the beginning. As we approached the end of the meal, a never ending annoyance of servers asked us if we were done, despite repeated answers that, "No, we're still working, thanks." Over and over and over. And finally, the check was delivered and we were visited yet again - by the same FOUR servers. "Can I take this? "Can I take this?". Awful. Pushy. Unbelievably rude. The quality of the food in the context of this rude service? Good. But not great. For the price (more to come on this), I would have expected far better quality. Now - let's talk about the prices a bit more. As we were told about the specials - which was a ridiculously long list of dishes (near impossible to remember everything and of course no specials menu anywhere), we were never told their prices. The chicken. The fish. The veal. Yes yes, sounds great. Looking at the menu prices (high $20s to high $30s mostly), we assumed the specials would be slightly more. And thus I ordered the veal special. It's a thinly pounded, 7" round piece of veal with sauce and cheese on it. The bill comes and it's $58. I ask the server about this and he obnoxiously points out that this is the standard price for veal at da Umberto. Oh I see...and thank you SO much for alerting me to the price difference ahead of time. Maybe it was my ignorance around the general cost of a veal entree, but this felt scammy to me. All in all, this was an unpleasant dining experience and I would urge anyone to consider other fine Italian restaurants in the city before submitting yourself to the rudeness that is da Umberto. read more

Food was tasty and delicious. Waiters are professionals. Had great time at our company party handled at this place!

My wife and I came here about a week ago. We were extraordinarily excited - a good friend had raved about it. Unfortunately we left crestfallen. Started off with a soup that was fine, but from there everything was downhill. The waiter didn't check in with us, despite seeming like a nice fellow. We thought it'd be authentic, given the people. but it didn't seem to be. The dishes seemed Americanized, cheapened and fattened. Many seemed unbalanced in nature, unpalatable to our euro tongues. If that sounds pretentious, remember how pretentious this place is. Maybe if you're a fan of American fast food you'll enjoy this restaurant. read more

Quality ingredients, impeccable service in a beautiful venue, da Umberto has been around forever, and with good reason. Enjoy.

This is a super cute little Italian restaurant around 17th street that has amazing fresh pasta and delicious entree as well. We came here for a dinner with wine overflowing the table enjoying the company of coworkers and people we work with for an awesome. We started with an antipasta assortment. This included grilled peppers, sauteed mushrooms, some sort of greens, and grilled octopus. The Grilled Octopus is awesome! Definitely try that if you aren't squeemish about eating tentacles! The next thing we had was 2 types of pasta. One was a bologense sauce and the other was some sort of sausage cream sauce. Both were very good and cooked perfectly. Lastly our entree was the filet mignon was perfectly cooked, deliciously seasoned and it's sides (while the spinach was a bit on the salty side) were good. The sauce they used, i would have again. So when you order a scotch on the rocks - expect your cup to be overflowing with ice...be VERY careful how you order your drink. One ice cube, please. Just as an FYI. i had 3 so the first one was consumed pretty quickly. read more

Great place for either a nice group dinner or date. The venue gives up a pretty intimate vibe but casual enough so that you can can go with friends as well. I actually went as a group of four girls and had a great time! Service was very friendly and the food was good. Highly recommend the cornish hen and the pappardelle pasta! read more

The food and service is amazing. Have been coming to this place since I was in elementary school and seems to be getting better and better. Shared the port house steak with my friend and it was absolutely amazing. Perfectly cooked, charred, and delivered. Besides the steak, the Italian food itself is great. Additionally, it is not busy very often, which is surprising, maybe this review will do the trick. Only pointer, it is expensive but worth it. If you're looking to eat a lot of food, this can be the place, but be willing to spend a decent amount. For two $70 at least. Great food, great atmosphere! read more

Amazing food and service, the meals were cooked to perfection and you could tell the ingredients were of highest quality! The atmosphere was nice, albeit a bit noisy. Of course all this comes at a price.. Be prepared to spend $100 - $200 per person. Definitely one of the best restaurants I've tried in NY. read more

GREAT Italian food is hard to find, even in New York City. But when one comes across an Italian restaurant that isn't a chain and doesn't cater to tourists, where the food is special, and feels authentically Italian, then one must yelp about it. Da Umberto is one of these precious gems that cooks interesting Italian dishes: Herb and Vegetable Stuffed Squid with soft polenta and cannellini beans, A PERFECT, thick cut veal chop with cognac, or the canneloni with meat ragu and spinach, bechamel and parmigiano cheese - which is easily found elsewhere, but never as authentic or savory. These are the dishes we sampled, and all 3 were exceptionally well done. The service is top notch, the restaurant itself is a gorgeous, spacious room with a quaint, comfortable atmosphere - *classy* all the way, but not particularly pretentious. The wine cellar/list is also stellar. So aside from Al Di La, my favorite Italian restaurant in the world, Da Umberto makes my top 5 list of great Italian restaurants, except that it's $$$, and I will have to make my way through sampling the entire menu slowly, but surely. read more

i have very mixed emotions abt this restaurant. I liked the food. I ordered the clam spaghetti with panchetta. For appetizers the fried artichoke. The dessert was good too. Our waiter (Tu*&^) was very interesting... My girlfriend asked for the cocktail list and he said "we have a full bar". Then.. she told him she's in a mood for something "fruity", and he said ok and rushed off to make her a drink. eh... My other girlfriend ordered the Sea Bass but he put in an order for the Branzzino...To be fair someone else in the table did order the Branzzino but my friend who wanted the sea bass specifically said "SEA BASS". Maybe the waiter is just NOT listening...... he apologized when her order came and it was incorrect and did offer to replace it with the correct fish but we all know that sending food back is probably not always a good idea... The branzzino is suppose to be deboned.. she found approx 10 pieces of bones inside and had to eat the fish veryyyyyy slowly... We brought the issue to the waiter's attention. He said if "he deboned" it himself this wouldn't have been an issue. Then he said "you are always complaining" "why?" hahahaha. He said he was kidding and i believe him.. lol Anyway he comped us on two desserts which was very nice of him? I guess all our "complaining" helped?? Prob. not going back- Great ambiance though :) read more

I had an experience at Da Umberto that I thought I should share with everyone. While the food was great and our waiter was attentive and knowledgable, the meal was pretty much ruined by the Maitre D asking us to give up our table. We sat down at 7pm, ordered apps, entree's and wine (there were just two of us) and passed on dessert because we were so full from our meal. At about 8:45 the Maitre D' comes over to our table and politely asks us if we could finish up as there are people waiting in the bar area. Are you kidding me? We still had wine in our glasses and we had just spent $200 on dinner! I'm sorry but that is unacceptable in my book. Meanwhile it did take close to half an hour to get our entrees after they were ordered and the wine did take awhile as well, so the hour and forty five minutes was partly due to them! The bar area wasn't that crowded and we hadn't even been there 2 hours. Meanwhile Governor Patterson (UPDATE: Soon to be Ex Governor) was sitting two tables away and I'm sure he wasn't going to be rushed out of there like we were. It's really too bad because the food was good and I would normally recommend this place but not after that experience. There are plenty of fantastic Italian restaurants in New York, skip this one if you want truly great service. read more

Terrific food and service in the currently necessary al fresco setting which has been very well designed. Highly recommended.

In Da Umberto everyone is treated like family! The service is impeccable and the food is perfect. The level of sophistication in preparation is beyond most NYC restaurants. After eating Italian food here it's near impossible to try another. GO! read more

Ordered the Dover solo special at the bar. It would've been nice to know that this item was $68. A little shady as the bartender sold it really hard. I thought it was a little underhanded as you're usually given a heads up when the specials are read when an item might be on the pricier side. read more

Umberto Closing Comment. I give my experience at Umberto 4 points out of 5, ending the meal flat to the average yelp rating. I came here for a work group dinner on a Thursday Night. The ambiance/setting was perfect for the occasion: upscale yet still comfortable. The meal started out with low volume. Service-er men came in and tried to sell the specials to us... I must say the list of specials seemed awkwardly long... tho in general, the service was very attentive from start to end, and they made an extra effort to make sure the meal went smoothly for our party. Each person ordered an appetizer and main course. After ordering and a few rounds of wine, the volume picked up. The comments on the food seemed to range between average to above average. All the dishes around me looked really good - though since it was a work dinner I decided to try to restrain myself from trying every one's dish like I often do with my close friends. Luckily I was satisfied with my own so didn't find too much trouble keeping my fork and knife on my own plate: I ordered the Caprino for appetizer, a goat cheese & beets salad, and the Cappiuco for my main course, an assortment of seafood in light tomato stew. I would recommend both dishes. One coworker was a buyer of the Nodino, T-bone veal chops, while another was a seller of one of their specials: soft shell crab & asparagus. Toward the end of the meal, they brought over the dessert tray. Most of our group got long the tiramisu, as did I. I personally thought it was just okay - good flavor but wrong texture. I did get a swap with my coworker for a quarter of his chocolate dipped ice cream and that was very good. I would recommend this as a dessert choice, though you may get swayed by the tiramisu - which is presented in a HUGE bowl. At the end of the lovely meal, we pay-ed up then went each our separate ways. Definitely a great dining experience! read more

Da Umberto proves to be one of the tastiest and most memorable Italian restaurants in the city. I highly recommend dining here and sharing every part of the meal for the table. The staff is incredibly attentive, and will ensure that the dining experience fits your ideal. read more

May I kindly say I have noticed several people having the desire to write their place of employment where you work holds no bearing. This is a place for reviews not a personal plug. The reviews of patrons whom find their dish tasteless or lacking flavor are the same people that are substituting or removing key ingredients from their meal. They are prepared a certain way for a reason. It is a thought process, and once you begin dissecting it will not taste the same no matter where you go. You are having dinner at an Italian restaurant not a health food store so go with the flow and enjoy the experience! If not then what is the point of going? Let your hair down and live a little! I have found this diamond two years ago, I now have dinner here 4-5 times a month. They go out of there way to accommodate me if I walk in without a reservation. If we cannot get a table we eat at the bar. The waitstaff in my opinion are the most attentive, warm and accommodating I have ever encountered that I swear they are chefs in training. They are that good. Every time I walk in I am treated as one of their own. It is a wonderful feeling. I highly recommend the Burrata Caprese, Mushroom Ravioli with a light cream sauce and the Dover Sole Monierre. These are my favorites however any dish here is excellent. I never had a bad meal here and I will be returning next week. Buon appetito! read more

To sum up my impression of Da Umberto; not impressed. After hearing rave reviews about this quaint Chelsea restaurant, I was anticipating a warm, authentic meal from Northern Italy, a region I have visited on countless occasions... Perhaps the fault of the restaurant, at least in my opinion, lies in exactly that. Aside from the charming touch of the Italian speaking staff, Da Umberto failed to present itself and its cuisine as that which I have loved time and time again in the place of the restaurant's supposed origin. The service felt rushed and uncomfortable, and while the food was not bad, it was not great either. The portions, understandably small for a fine dining establishment, seemed much too small for their price, especially as they failed to capture the joyful essence and heart of Italian cooking. The appetizers were just okay, and that night's special penne pasta was a pure disappointment. The garlic over-cooked, the portion unsatisfying, and the after-feeling one of disappointment. With so many authentic Italian contenders in the city, it is unlikely I will be making a return. read more

da Umberto - Special penne - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

You fancy huh? This place is one of my boss's favorite spots -so we often get to go here on work lunches! Score. Service: Good, but a bit odd, they ask us for reservations when the place is seriously empty --?? IDK, but do expect at least 1.5hrs for the meal. Not a quick grab and go. More a relaxing place, with great food and quiet atmosphere. Food: This is more of a dinner spot, to me the lunch menu always looks like the dinner menu. Just smaller portions. With that said everything is very very good. Fish of the day: Whole fish, they brought it whole to the table and then de-boned it on the side. This tasted like heaven! It was incredible. Rigatoni --sweet sausage -very flavorful Raviolaci- mushroom heaven, but very small portion (like 6 pieces) Rapini- broccoli rabe --huge side dish, nice garlic flavor Cavoletti -brussel sprouts --perfectly roasted Next time --I hope we go for the meat and cheese plate, and desert --that looked boom.com Great place for: date, quiet dinner/lunch with friends, amazing service. read more

Fresh Tuscan-style fare....check! Huge wine list....check! Non-pretentious, friendly staff....check! Expensive (but well worth the $$$$)....check! I went here for a business lunch with some of my coworkers and everything about this place was exceptional. The food, the service and the wine were incredible. We ordered the antipasto from the antipasti bar that was directly behind our table and we got a couple of nibbles of different things (mozzarella, tomatoes, shrimp scampi, roasted vegetables). Everything was perfectly seasoned and cooked. I got the pasta sampler as a main dish and it was also amazing. The pasta was fresh and cooked al-dente and seasoned well. The waiter recommended a super-Tuscan that was off the wine list, but that he still had one bottle left. This wine was almost perfectly balanced and complemented the meal. All of my coworkers and myself really enjoyed this place. I will defintely be coming back here the next time I find myself in the city. FYI They only accept cash and Amex. read more

Poor dining experience pretty much based on the waiter's service. Food wasn't very good either. The antipasti was the highlight of the meal. The pasta sampler was completely forgettable. I like my pasta al dente but BOTH pastas we got for the table were almost inedible. I will repeat. I like my pasta al dente but this was undercooked by anyone's stamdards. Four of us had main courses as well and there was nothing memorable about. That is not to say it was terrible but nothing to mention. Based on other Yelpers, I was excited to eat here and usually don't expect much. I feel like there are plenty of other places to spend money in the city than here. One good thing is that we had a issue with misinformation from he waiter that was promptly resolved by the manager. This represents their 2nd star. I hate giving reviews like these but I appreciate when fellow Yelpers are honest also. read more

Fantastic, not a complaint about the food or service. Went on a Saturday night in the middle of February and had an excellent experience. I had a pasta dish that was fresh, homemade and delicious. My husband had a risotto with a veal ragu that was to die for. The wait staff knew their menu, were very attentive and friendly. Overall a delightful meal. read more

We live within walking distance of this great restaurant...how lucky can you get?

Came here for dinner And enjoyed every minute Was welcomed with smiles and treated like first class. The food was phenomenal The staff was very attentive and classy , the atmosphere was trendy, and romantic , ld definitely come back! read more

This is a Classic. Best Italian restaurant. I been coming here for 15 years. Is amazing . Service professional with a friendly twist if you ok with it. The way they tell the special is amazing. This servers are committed to the job. BRAVO. The room is warm,modern and the lighting is perfect. Food is delicious. Is for foodies!! DA UMBERTO thank you for always treat us Like family. read more

I have two Italian go-to spots in NYC and this is one of them. Forget the menu and listen to the specials. The specials are normally longer than the actual menu and they are so wonderful. If you are going to go towards the menu and you are a chicken lover, PLEASE get the capricciosa - holy taste buds. If you are feeling pasta and love hearty dishes the rigatoni is FANTASTIC. The service is great, the wine is delicious, everything about this place makes it a five star rating. It is a bit expensive, but 100% worth it if you are looking for an amazing meal. read more

Giving it 5 stars because everyone else I was with really enjoyed their food! It would be great to see some plant based options so that we can come back, thank you! read more

Peculiar place. Their prices seem to be secret unless you demand (or have the courage to wait until the check arrives). We chose the demand route. To start, the server -- not a beginner, not naive -- wouldn't tell us the price of a glass of wine. (There was no wine-by-the-glass list.) We pressed. He left and returned with a written note with prices of several wines. He told us the wine we asked about was $19 and then balled up the note. We took him at his word, despite the attitude. Behind his mask I could tell he wasn't smiling. Nor would he tell us a prices of several of their many specials. I kinda don't like to ask prices, but we pressed. Again he reluctantly went to "go and check." We were not bonding. Nearby a restaurant manager was having a loud conversation exchanging f-bombs. I ordered ravioli. My serving was three pieces. Well, who asks how many ravioli? They were not cooked. $20. I asked them to please cook the ravioli. They did. I consumed them slowly in 3-4 bites. The specials we ordered, lamb chops and a breaded veal cutlet, were $50 also. (All the specials he revealed pricing for were $50.) My lamb, VERY trimmed, altogether 4, maybe 4-1/2 bites. My wife's veal was plated attractively. My dinner consisted of 8-1/2 bites. The final check with gratuity $325+. I figure, for my dinner, we paid 'da Umberto' about $16.50 a bite. Minus three stars for the server's drama and theatrics. Minus two stars for the lack of food. One star awarded under duress. read more

Best food I have ever had during a blizzard. Suckling pig was great and the tiramisu incredible. If I had to fault the restaurant for anything - it is is very dark. Really dark. I wasn't entirely sure what I had on my plate. read more

One of my new favorites in NYC, other than deal posto and scarpetta. The pasta was Devine, the atmosphere was beautiful and the service was exceptional. I'm shocked the server recited all of the specials in specific detail off the top of his head! The special tagliatelle we got tasted like they had just been hand made in the kitchen by my Nonna. The rigatoni were perfectly al dente and the sauce was not to over powering. I love this place and I can't wait until I come back! Great wine selection as well. And the negronis are strong! read more

da Umberto - Special tagliatelle with asparagus and pancetta were my favorite. The rigatoni were fabulous too! - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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Exceptional food and diligent service. The polenta set a wonderful bed for the Funghi's trifoliate mushrooms; salty but delicious. The kitchen separated our secondini for us, which we appreciated. Simple and dreamy ambiance. I will likely be back. read more

Fantastic meal, amazing service and great location and atmosphere. Went with a group of customers and coworkers totaling 9 of us. Each of us splurged a little... The waiter led a group of 3 others that attended to our table. No glass ever went empty until they closed down, allowing us to linger until out car came. He made amazing recommendations, to the point that none of us ever even touched a menu. We tried all the pastas of the day, all were incredible. I had a fish dish that was very good portion and savory, they brought the cooked fish to the table, showed it, and then skinned and boned it right there. Will definitely be returning!! read more

For some reason, I was expecting this place to be corny but it was quite the opposite. Granted the art & photos on the walls are weird but the decor over all is ok.. even a little modern. You'd feel alright bringing a date to this place. It's not like the typical Italian joint that you bring your folks. On to the service and food. It felt like we had at least 3 busboys swooping down on our table the minute we finished our food... which I like. Dirty plates were not allowed to have pride of place on our tabletop! They took the hub's bread plate with the appetizer plate which was a little too soon since he wasn't finished housing the fantastic white and wheat bread basket but we let it go. Our waiter was great. He gave us the giant list of specials, took our orders at a good moment and came to check on us throughout the meal. He seemed genuinely happy to work there. Makes us happy too! Food-wise, nothing disappointed. We had the beef carpaccio, fried ricotta balls wrapped in prosciutto (special), house-made ravioli with mushrooms & ricotta & topped with a creamy almond sauce and my husband got another pasta dish which i can't remember. Let's just say they do pasta! If you're craving a hearty meal, this is the place. read more

Fantastic and popular little place. All food is fresh and amazing. Our table started with the antipasti bar, which came together quickly as waiters from all directions filled our plates with delicious delicacies....vegetables, shrimp, Calimari, meatballs, and other succulent meats. We then split an order of artichoke ravioli in a thick pesto sauce. Very delicious. The only drawback to a poignant pesto sauce was that you couldn't really tell what was inside the ravioli, but we didn't really care. My veal scallopini was tasty and tender, and the Marsala sauce was flavorful. Others at my table had a thin chicken cutlet and another pasta dish that both enjoyed. We also had a side of polenta, which was rich and flavorful. A great restaurant! read more

Friend: She wants Italian. I was going to check out Da Umberto's in Chelsea. My initial thought was, "That sounds like a Mexican food place..." (Sorry, but I'm from the Southwest). Fortunately it wasn't and we came here recently for a small celebration of a friend's birthday. I hadn't heard of the establishment, but seeing as my Italian roommate had suggested it, I figured it would be pretty decent (this coming from someone who when asked where to get the best Italian food in the city, replies "my mom"). The host and waiter were very nice and pleasant; often repeating the specials when we couldn't remember and explaining certain dishes when we had a look of confusion on our faces. We settled on starting with the burrata special and beef carpaccio. I'd never had burrata before and it was quite tastey and soft. The beef carpaccio was also delicious. For my main, I ordered the roast suckling pig and a friend ordered the raviolacci. I don't recall what the others ordered, likely because I was a few glasses of champagne deep and had also been drinking some delicious Belgian beer previously at another establishment. The suckling pig was excellent, so tender and juicy. And the raviolacci definitely lived up to it's description of "mushroom filled pillows of pasta..." Da Umberto's proved to be an excellent choice. Our waiter was jovial, the food was delicious and the ambiance was nice. read more