This is a very popular old school Italian restaurant in Whitestone. Pasta, potatoes, and veggies that each dinner comes with are all served in little side dishes like they did in the old days. One thing About this place I thought was odd, and I didn't like was that you couldn't get linguini or rigatoni as your side pasta. You had to pick either between spaghetti or penne. My husband and I split the pasta fagioli and my sister had the minestrone soup for our appetizers. WOW the pasta fagioli soup was FANTASTIC! It was one of the best pasta fagioli soups we both ever had! My sister loved the minestrone soup. For dinner we had the red snapper livornese, eggplant parm, and the fried shrimp & calamari. We all loved and raved how good our dinners were all night! The eggplant parm was one of the best we ever had as well! It was so lightly breaded it melted in your mouth. The livornese sauce to the red snapper tasted AMAZING, and fish was so Fresh! This place is no frills in appearance, but the Italian food is authentic and delicious! I highly recommend IL Nocello in Whitestone! read more

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Seems to be a neighborhood staple in Whitestone -- the restaurant was busy for lunch, and there was even a private party going on upstairs. A huge plus is the paid parking lot around the corner with an exit onto 150th St, just a few doors down from the restaurant. Anyone familiar with the area knows street parking can be challenging , so that definitely made things easier. I came here to celebrate a dear friend's milestone birthday, and since she loves Italian food, this was her pick. We started by sharing the fried calamari, which was nicely fried and included both rings and tentacles. Neither of us eat the tentacles, so we pushed those aside. The calamari comes with a choice of mild, medium, or spicy tomato sauce -- we chose medium -- though honestly, I'm happy with just a squeeze of lemon on fried calamari. Each entrée comes with a choice of side dishes, and you can also upgrade both the pasta and sauce options. My friend ordered the Chicken Sorrentino, topped with prosciutto, eggplant, roasted peppers, and melted mozzarella over chicken cutlets. For her side, she upgraded to gnocchi and then upgraded again to Bolognese sauce. I had the Chicken Marsala, which was tender and juicy. Both dishes came with two thin cutlets each, but between the bread, garlic knots, and calamari, we only managed to eat one cutlet apiece and took the rest home. The Marsala sauce was flavorful and tasty. I personally would've loved more mushrooms, but overall it was still very good. I chose roasted potatoes on the side, and from the one bite I managed before getting too full, they were delicious. If you're in the neighborhood -- or even nearby -- this place is definitely worth trying. One thing to note: they only serve beer and wine, no full liquor bar. My Pinot Grigio was decent, and my friend enjoyed a light beer with her meal. read more

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Food was good, garlic knots delicious Service was polite attentive Place was packed and loud but it was Saturday night, definitely not cozy read more

Great neighborhood Italian restaurant! Charming, cozy with great service! The food is a delicious feast for your taste buds! The homestyle Italian cooking is amazing! For an enjoyable afternoon try their special luncheon menu for $20.95. This restaurant is a hidden gem! read more

our company place an Oder for catering and they didn't send us plates and utensils... Un·be·liev·a·ble... When I called the restaurant the man just gave me excuses... he didn't even offer to send us anything....or any apologies. read more

Excellent food....,,, amazing drinks......good services.... Ambience is quite............................................... read more

Wonderful lunch special! 20.95 for an appetizer, entree and dessert. Lots of choices, included different pastas, meat dishes and seafood dishes, The food and service were excellent, as it was not crowded during lunch time. Parking is metered parking. It is a cozy small restaurant and I would suggest making a reservation if you have a large party. read more

Fantastic lunch soups outstanding main course veal pizzaola the lunch menu was great service was right on. Just got back from Italy my friend said he felt like we were still there. read more

Hidden gem in queens.. everything is always delicious. Never a bad meal. Everything is always fresh

Let me start by service being terrible. Wait staff were not pleasant. They seemed annoyed to be there doing their jobs. They rushed us during each course trying to take the dishes away. The ambiance was simple, very loud, and freezing each time the door opened and closed. The food was fresh and mediocre. read more

The food is good! So is the service! It's a good little neighborhood restaurant. I go to this place for a good meal nearby!

BEST CHICKEN PARM IN QUEENS! Wonderfully consistent both dine-in and take-out. Delivered food always arrives piping hot or appropriately chilled; bags and containers are meticulously packed so the hot stays hot and the cold stays cold. Oh and they give you a week's worth of fresh Italian bread as a toss-in YES PLEASE. Chicky Parm, string beans w/garlic, pasta fiorentina , linguini, stuffed artichokes and house salad are our faves. They really know what they are doing. BRAVO! read more

Il Nocello is a hidden gem in Whitestone that serves some of the best Italian food you can get! Everything is so fresh and the service is great and fast. I went here with my parents last night during the hurricane, and it still was pretty crowded despite the bad weather. I got the chicken parm (my all time favorite dish) and this place has some of the best chicken parm you can find... even have some leftovers for lunch today I can't wait! My dad LOVES the veal here and always says how its some of the best he's ever had. Mom got shrimp scampi and loved every bite. Definitely check this place out for dine-in or take-out. Great for large groups and private events! read more

AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL So disappointed!!! The chicken piccata didn't come with capers, very little sauce (even though we asked for more). The clam chowder was VERY watery, with like 3 pieces of clam and tons of potatoes, it had no flavor!!! I can't believe this place has 4.6 stars here. We definitely need better restaurants in Whitestone read more

Thank you Rosando, Willie, Jose and the kitchen for an amazing lunch for 25 people yesterday to celebrate my Mothers memory after the funeral. We have always been huge fans of your restaurant and once again the food and service was first class and we were so pleased. Our guests complimented every dish and everyone that was there are now huge fans of il Nocello and will certainly be back on there own! Thanks so much!!! read more

Excellent food. Waiters and service - mediocre at best. They have zero personality, zero smiles, zero anything = ROBOTS. Also, please serve fresh bread - not stale bread. Decor is old and a bit grimy = time for a makeover. C'mon guys with food so good - so delicious- you need to pick up the pace on everything else. read more

Yum yum yum Came in at 12:30. They open at noon. Excellent service. Delectable delicious food at a very reasonable lunch special price. It did get busier and I realized one of the regular was out for the holiday but the staff hustled. Whenever I'm on this side of NYC this is my favorite place to come to. read more

This is a lovely little restaurant. The food is delicious and the staff very attentive. The owner is gracious and takes pride in his establishment. I highly recommend this restaurant. Reservations are recommended. read more

Years ago, we were there for a party and once for dinner. Recently, we saw they have a $15 lunch, which we chose to pick up and eat at home and it was pretty good. You can't beat the price! read more

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First let me start by saying we say down for 10 minutes before we even got a menu. We literally had to ask for them! When we ordered fried calamari for our appetizer we asked for marina sauce and fra diablo sauce on the side, the waiter brought only marinara we asked for the other one 5 minutes later he comes back with the same marinara on the side and red pepper flakes and I guess that was their version of the fra diablo? Food is ok, service is absolutely horrible. If you see the locals from Whitestone normally get over the top treatment instead we had a very bad experience! Do not recommend everyone else got their food before us, people that came before us got their appetizer and their main course!!! not to play the race card but if you look at the other negative reviews you can clearly see if your not white do not eat here BEWARE !! read more

Il Nocello Ristorante Italiano - "Fra diablo sauce" - Italian Near Me - Whitestone, New York

Not impressed. The food was pretty good but this place is not a moderately priced place and more like $30 a plate. That's totally fine with me but the service absolutely did not match. Their menu prices online are way outdated and showed more of a $13-$17 range and this is not accurate. The servers were poor. They left our table a mess, grabbed things without asking if we were finished (we weren't), forgot my father in laws side sauce, walked off in the middle of questions, never asked during the meal if everything was ok and then after we paid they came back to try to snatch the tip before we had even had a chance to finish our drinks. At these types of restaurants with cloth on the table a proper waiter will generally use a crumb cleaner to quickly sweep off crumbs..and the bread was VERY messy and crusty (but good) so that should have been standard. The staff was just rude and poorly mannered (awful etiquette and need to learn how to properly speak to customers) and I saw other unfortunate customers mention (in their reviews) that race comes into play. I'm white and my husband and in-laws are all Hispanic. Best part is that ALL the staff were Hispanic. I observed MAJOR differences in how other non-minority tables were treated during this visit. What a shame. My husband and I make close to half a million a year and the $200 meal would have been a standard $60 tip from us had they just been decent. I left a small tip but they really didn't even deserve that. My in laws (and it seems many minorities) are apparently used to this racism and classism but I am not and it's disgusting and I won't stand for it. Businesses are struggling post pandemic and people are much tighter on money to spend (in general) so you'd think businesses would be breaking their backs to give good service. It really isn't that hard to be nice and have good manners. We were an easy going party with no special requests and this dining experience fell short. I gave 3 stars because the food was all pretty tasty, however. read more

Wonderful Italian restaurant without having to travel to Arthur Ave. The food and service are excellent and the atmosphere is like a dinner with family! read more

First time at this lovely neighborhood place. Very nice atmosphere and excellent service. The food was delicious, well prepared and presented. read more

This is not a place I would send my friends too. The people are nice, but the food could be better. I have been there twice so far will not be going there a third time! read more

Me and my boyfriend love this place! We literally eat here three times per week. The branzino over spinach with Penne alla vodka is outstanding!! Best Italian food in Whitestone. This restaurant is never a disappointment no matter what you order. read more

Il Nocello Ristorante Italiano - Seafood pasta - Italian Near Me - Whitestone, New York

I'm updating my review because I have been disappointed the last couple of times I've gone there. Food is still very good. HOWEVER parking is impossible and worse than that when we went yesterday there were deliveries coming thru the dining room the entire time and repairs going on in the kitchen. While the service has never been very friendly the two waiters seem to not care at all if you are happy. They have a cheap lunch special for twenty bucks but it's not alot of food but what can you expect for 20.00? We always order from the main menu and the bill is well over 100.00 for two people even without wine! I see some people get breadsticks with the breadbasket. We never do. If the owner is there he talks to others and is friendly but hasn't once even said hello to us. I don't think it's racial. We are white. For all they know we could be Polish, Jewish, Spanish or anything. I just think they have their regular customers that they clearly are attentive to and don't care about the others. Well we've been going there almost a year once or twice a month and it's not changed. I do like the food and off the regular menu the portions are very good. But I really didn't like all the delivery guys and workmen using the one restroom while customers are eating and also waiting to use it. I may go back but not really sure at this point. A smile, a cappuccino on the house would be a nice touch to show you appreciate the business and good tips. I always left 25% tips but this last time I just doubled the tax so it was about 19% and they were lucky to get that much. Disappointed because I do like the food alot! read more

What a delightful surprise in Paul's old nbhd in Whitestone! White tablecloth kind of place. Upscale service. Lobster ravioli with pink sauce with lobster bits - heavenly. Broccoli Rabe was light and perfect. Wine and beer. We will be back. read more

Surprisely very good for a little place in whitestone! The lunch special is fantastic. $14.95 for an app, meal, dessert and drink. (No ETOH included.) Definitely will come back or order take out. The chicken soup was fantastic and like home-made! Linguine with clams was great! Al-dente! And the pork chop was delicious! Try this little gem. read more

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Waiter was not attentive and had to be flagged down multiples for things such as new plates, additional silverware, water, or overall necessities throughout the night. Food was average. Would not recommend! read more

My friends and I went for some fine dining experience. This place was wonderful. Family owned, the staff was very welcoming and friendly. The bus boy and waitress were very knowledgeable on the menu. The coffee was very flavorful. The pasta was the perfect texture and flavor. The ambience was perfect for some chatting and reminiscing. Great place. read more

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It was ok the food nothing to rave about.Ok for a group.I had better eggplant parm at other italian resturants.Not a huge space.

Excellent food great service. Friendly people. The perfect neighborhood restaurant. Ask for the specials.

Lovely local eating spot. Staff attentive and food delicious. The choices are traditional Italian. Can't wait to come back. Wine and beer n hard alcohol served. read more

My daughter and I went for a Saturday night dinner. The food was fresh made and was absolutely delicious! We started off with the cold Antipasto, amazing! Then we had the New England clam chowder, fabulous! We shared the Linguine and clam pasta, The best pasta! And for the grand finale, desert!! The best Canoli and hot chocolate! We both recommend this place! read more

EXCELLENT! Rosando is the owner of this wonderful little Italian restaurant. Being the former chef of Domenick's Restaurant of Arthur Avenue.....Il Nocello Ristorante is a small family restaurant, offering superb quality, at reasonable prices in the heart of Whitestone. Excellent food, excellent service, parking can be a challenge. read more

Good food. A bit overpriced. It's closer to $$$ as most of the entrees are closer to $30 but I guess it because of the snazzy Whitestone neighborhood. read more

EXCELLENT!!!! Fast delivery, EXCELLENT chicken franchese (melts in your mouth)! Excellent Linguine alfredo, mussels marinara, bread, you CANNOT go wrong with this place. Superb Italian food. Better than all others, including the famous Vincent's clam bar. Efficient, friendly workers, thank you so much! read more

Clams were delicious plump fried calamari tender very enjoyable. Looking forward to the next course. read more

Il Nocello Ristorante Italiano - Delicious appetizers fried calamari and baked clams - Italian Near Me - Whitestone, New York

Good quality food, fresh ingredients you can taste. A big hit with my picky Italian family. Pleased even the worst critics. Staff is friendly and accommodating. read more

This place needs a makeover. It has a lot of regulars and Whitestone doesn't have much to offer in the restaurant department, so I see why they are still around. Service is stellar,but that's the only thing that's stellar. Again, very,very mediocre food. Last time I was there, the food was so bland, I had to put a ton of salt. We will still go there just because you can't go to the same restaurant all the time. read more