Strange and unsettling experience: Three of us decided to check out this small, cute-looking place after work on a Thursday. We walked in and hovered by the door for a minute, but nobody came to seat us. There were several open tables so we shrugged and figured it was a seat yourself kind of place. Two people were working but neither of them came by our table to greet us or offer menus. We waited about 10 min and then started trying to make eye contact, but it was like we were invisible. After 15 min, we stood up and left. The staff didn't seem to notice, though one of them did rush to straighten the chairs at our table as we walked out the door. read more

I don't normally leave reviews but.... Shows up here at 6:45 on a Friday night with my family and it was empty. We walked out and then decided to come back in. Ended up having a delicious meal with great service. We ordered a few appetizers. The special octopus was delicious and we also enjoyed the arugula salad. For kids they were quite accommodating - don't worry we'll make something. Both of my boys were happy with their meals. I ordered the branzino on the menu. It was cooked perfectly, was very yummy and was paired with tomatoes, spinach and potatoes. My husband had the lamb over risotto and loved it. Overall was a very nice, surprising experience and would recommend anyone going here. read more

One of my favorite lunch spots in Manhattan! Great food, accommodating staff and a cozy place. Nice and quiet for a business lunch and across the street from the best cookies in NYC! read more

I didn't want to give this place a bad review but... I got undercooked risotto. I did a pick up order since I was nearby. I ordered Pappardelle with Short Rib Ragout and Braised Lamb Shank over Mushroom Risotto. The pappardelle was just okay. Nothing spectacular. I think I expected more meaty flavor with a short rib ragout since short rib is on the fattier side. The lamb shank on the other hand was lacking flavor. It was tender but lacked the rich lusciousness that comes from a good braise. It lacked sheen from a sauce reducing to a glaze over the meat. Worst of all, it was served over risotto that not only had some mushrooms casually tossed in but was also undercooked. What I wanted in a mushroom risotto is that earthy flavor combining with the savory stock the rice was cooked in. Sorry, but not sorry, at $16 for the Pappardelle and $21 for the Lamb Shank, I'm a little less forgiving. I expected a decent meal at least. read more

Was at there for restaurant wk on Aug 5,2022 with my girlfrienda had veal meatball it was yummy. Very disappointed with the veal scallopini with mushrooms.i never had a tough piece of veal ever & tasteless too Tiramisu was edible. Never going back there . read more

Consistently reliable, authentic Italian cuisine. Good quality ingredients, excellent service and a fair price. The menu offers a wide variety- plenty of traditional red sauce joint offerings, as well as more elevated and special fare. Definitely a midtown gem. We stop there at least once every time we visit our son who lives a few blocks away. read more

Well this was awful!!! Having read the reviews I thought that this could be a tasty neighborhood ristorante. Boy was I wrong! Where to start: the bread was probably from yesterday, the cold cut platter was at best average, and the bruschetta was the highlite. We had the seafood linguini and the sauce was watery and tasteless. The lasagna was a disgrace to Italy, the sauce being from a cheap can. We skipped desert and coffee altogether. Bottomline: Its really sad how a ristorante can be this awful and tasteless. The price was ok, but I wud have rather paid more and have a better taste. Hard to understand why people rated it so high and tells me not to trust into ratings. Best is if you get actual advice... What a shame this ristorante was, still cant get over it. Service was at best average, which I dont care about as long as the food is ok. read more

A great experience with delicious food, cozy atmosphere, and kind staff. I had the penne with eggplant and red sauce. The penne were HUGE. The table bread was served with a delicious hummus like dip, great wine selection, and the crepe dessert is delicious. read more

I really wanted to like this place more as I'm always looking for delicious homey Italian spots under the radar. I had a $13 glass of Chianti reserva (was meh). We had the tuna carpaccio (this was delicious), and then I had the orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe. Sauce was too salty. Pasta was okay but something I could easily make at home myself. BF's veal was chewy; either over cooked or just bad quality meat. Was disappointed in our mains. Seems like a good spot for happy hour and apps but maybe not a full dinner. read more

A sleeper in our neighborhood. The linguine with mussels, calamari and shrimp was sublime. So was the tiramisu. When we told our waiter we'll split our salad, he had it split in the kitchen for us. Our waiter, Johnny, gave us thoughtful service with a smile. He makes the place run - at least on this Saturday night - for he was busy as a beaver working the inside and outside. We'll be back. read more

My roommate and I ordered takeout from here last week and what they delivered us was absolutely ridiculous. We ordered the lamb ragu and had quite a fun time playing "find the lamb," as the dish came with only two small morsels of meat. I can't imagine they would have pulled this had we eaten in the restaurant, because this was a joke. read more

La Gioconda - Absurd to call this a lamb ragu considering the complete absence of lamb in this pasta... - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Unfortunately the manager Fabio is no longer working here and for us he was the spirit of the place . The food is ok but so many other places are just as good . Fabio knew how to make it that extra special and more authentically Italian . read more

We were on a layover from JFK and found this place highly recommended. Very good quality, homemade pasta, homemade sauce, meats were all good. You can definitely taste the quality in the food. Great prices too! Also, they were having a buy 2 glasses of wine and get a tapas free. Great local neighborhood joint! read more

Delicious and cozy spot. Great sense of hospitality and loved all the choices available. Had a special spicy sausage gnocchi of the day, and it did not disappoint. Also got some very delicious grilled vegetables, paired with a full bodied red. I dined alone - a favorite pastime, and found the spot suitable for solos, couples, and small groups. Would definitely come back again. read more

This place reminds me of the way a great relationship feels when the passion starts to fade away. Instead of contemplating your perfect outfit, blow drying your hair, applying a beautiful face of makeup, changing into yet an even more perfect outfit... you just smear on some eye liner, throw your hair in a pony tail, and slip into your comfy jeans. You look presentable, but you're certainly not turning heads tonight. We ordered the gorgonzola asparagus risotto (a special last night) to share as an appetizer and it was freaking awesome. Tangy and creamy, perfectly cooked, and my boyfriend (who seldom tries to understand why a plate does or does not taste good) commented that the asparagus complimented the gorgonzola very nicely. For entrées, we ordered the grilled strip loin steak and the salmon and I swear that neither had any seasoning what-so-ever. It was literally just plain grilled meat. Not even salt and pepper. We also asked for them both medium-rare and them came out medium-well. So, that was a huge disappointment. They did have an excellent tiramisu for dessert, but honestly, that's just not that difficult. The atmosphere is super generic (framed print of the Mona Lisa, faux flowers on the window sills), but I like that it's small without being overcrowded. Service was nice and attentive. I would go back, but only for the pasta dishes. read more

La Gioconda stands out as a midtown Italian restaurant with very reasonable prices, well-prepared food, and an unpretentious atmosphere. Service was attentive but casual -- there are only a few tables. It attracts "regulars" which is a good sign, but as first-timers we received excellent service, too. I met an out-of-town friend and we both chose the prix fixe lunch, which was an excellent value. This small restaurant is up a few stairs from street level, on a block with other small restaurants, and you could easily walk by without noticing it. I found La Gioconda on Yelp when I was looking for a place in the neighborhood and didn't want to spend typical midtown prices. I was not disappointed. read more

La Gioconda is a teeny italian place set back amongst the crappy low rise buildings on smelly ol' 53rd street. Here you'll find efficient, knowledgeable, friendly service in an intimate setting right next to a skeevy porn shop. Yum! The food and the portions are solid, though nothing extraordinary in taste or value. They did have a dinner price fix option which covered three courses for 20 bucks, but of course the dish that grabbed my attention was not on it, so I stuck with a salad and pasta dish off of the regular menu, as did my father. The food here was about equal to than at Luna Piena down the block, but the atmosphere there is much bigger, more bustling and loud. This place is a nice alternative to all the hustle and bustle of midtown. One thing to change? Very soft techno music in the background. Um... read more

PISSED. VERY DISAPPOINTING ;( And it was a 17th birthday dinner for my niece so I Did Not Fuss.. As a yelper mentioned didn't want the hustle/bustle so I figured why not! A Quiet Intimate dinner. Well I ordered 2 ANTIPASTAS, its 3 of us, nephew,niece,self/ we'll share which was ok But ! A toddler would be pissed! 3 Shrimp)-Gamberi Grigliati con Pancetta, 1 Piece Short Rib)-Brasato di Bue al Vino Rosso. REALLYYY! WHAT R WE! SOCIALITES, MODELS, NO Main Course- 1.Veal Shank tender but Salty / Undercooked Risotto. like the server dumped salt on it cause it was on the meat not in the meat/ she wasn't very friendly. 2. Veal was Rank/ tasted gamey, Wanted to Hurl, plus wrong order, Veal with spinach instead of porchini mushrooms. doesn't matter it was AWFUL. 3. Linguine with Seafood was ok I guess, mussels/ calamari we ate as my niece not a fan/ she finished her pasta. Now Desert: Garnishes, DRIED Up Strawberrys/ Basil Tiramisui was Not Fresh/ Tasted Disgusting Crepes in Choc Sauce, Yuck, Soft like Mush,seemed Microwaved. Cream Tart, my niece liked guess cause its part Icecream, Was Frozen, Cold/Hard Both My Neighborhood Pizzerias cook better and I could have gotten better desserts from the Supermarket. It Sucks When You Give Your Money To Be Served/ They Can't Make An effort Because If Thats Your Best You Should Not Be In Business. read more

Fabulous dinner, drinks, and dessert! Great service, especially from Jhonny! I have some food allergies and he was very attentive and proactive to make sure the food I was eating was safe. He was also very patient and helped us select the perfect bottle of wine for dinner. We ordered the gnocchi and the ravioli with brown butter and it was amazing! Restaurant space was intimate but not too loud so we could all carry conversation with no problem. Will definitely be back and I highly recommend this restaurant! read more

I checked out La Gioconda recently with some girlfriends. We started off with salads or appetizers. I had the artichoke salad, which was rather small, but it was tasty. For my entree, I had the tagliolini abruzzesi, which is one of their homemade pastas (like a thick spaghetti noodle). The sauce was yummy, with dried porcini, prosciutto and fresh tomatoes, with little chunks of smoked mozzarella, but there was too much of it for the amount of pasta. I probably left 1/3 of the sauce after finishing the pasta! Overalll, my food was ok, not great, not bad, just ok. For dessert we shared the chocolate crepes, which were rich and chocolatey. Again, nothing that wowed. I would give this 2-1/2 stars, so I have to round up here. My dinner was enjoyable more for the company than for the food itself. read more

Loved this place, came by on Sunday afternoon. For apps we ordered mozzarella and shrimp wrapped with bacon, both items were fresh and delicious. For the main course we had lamb shank with mushroom risotto (meat was very tender and juicy) and tagliatelle with lamb ragu (very tasty, pasta portions are a bit smaller but filling) For desert we had tiramisu, and it was amazing, fresh and def one of the best I ever had. I would definitely recommend this place read more

I booked a table for eight to celebrate a coworkers birthday and the venue choice was a big hit. The wine list is small but with good choices. Food is above average, fresh and well presented, but not as mouthwateringly tasty as at La Giara, it's sister restaurant. Desserts and coffee are satisfying and service is gracious. I'd return if in the neighborhood. read more

Not the best Italian food I've had. Surprisedly, their portions are not big. Therefore, prices are way high for the portions. I am European and we like are foods in large portions. The place is small + doesn't have an Italian feel. I was highly disappointed + I do not think I'll be eating there again. read more

We were running out of time, trying to get to a Comedy Show and were jonesin' for Italian. Hoping to be pleasantly surprised, we stopped by La Gioconda. Cute place, up a few stairs we went into a tiny restaurant. We took a table near an open window. I had the Ravioli Di Ricotta E Spinaci Con Burro E Salvia, Handmade Ravioli with Ricotta and Spinach in a Sage Butter Sauce. Very good, pleasantly surprised. Hubby and Sister each had the Gnocchi All`Amalfitana, Gnocchi with Tomato and Basil sauce. This was just okay. The table bread was truly awesome. The wine list was small, unimpressive but reasonably priced for glass during a quick dinner. In fact, dinner was priced just right too. While cute, the atmosphere that early evening was tired. Just two other tables in the place and it seemed as if they were not having a quick, early dinner like we were. No, these guys were wrapping up, at 6pm to boot. Get my drift? read more

Savory lunch spot in Midtown East. The food is delicious, especially the desserts! In their lunch menu, they have prix fixe options, which let you select an appetizer and an entree. They also have super sized salads (and the salads are really super sized believe me!). The highlights of this culinary expedition was the Insalata di Arugola (with mushrooms and parmesan) which came as the appetizer to the prix fixe option, the supersized Spinach & Salmon Salad (with walnuts and goat cheese), the tiramusu and the dark chocolate crepe. The salmon in the salad was cooked well, but the salmon in the entree was a little too dry. Overall, good food, good prices, and a restaurant in which you can actually hear each other talking! read more

Seafood linguini was so good that my daughter ate mine and had to order another. Service is great, hostess super nice. Highly recommend. read more

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So good! Great service and great food! We started with eggplant Parmesan which was delish! I forgot the names but we had spinach and cheese ravioli in butter and sage sauce and spaghetti (which was cooked perfectly) with mushrooms and smoked mozzarella with two glasses of Pino Grigio which just tied the whole meal together! Then ended with the chocolate flourless cake. A great experience and I definitely will recommend to others. read more

La Gioconda - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

I felt adventurous today so I just walked in. 2 course pris fixe lunch ($14.95). The bread was super fresh and soft w/ a hard crust. The EVOO is of a high caliber, that much I can tell you. I didn't have any pasta, but I had the calamari and the mussels. They were both tasty. The waiter asks if you want freshly ground black pepper with each dish. I don't think calamari should ever be an entree though, even if only for lunch. Roughly a 30-seater. I still prefer Basso56. 3 stars for now. I'd be open to going back for the pasta as the jury is still out on that. Total came out to $20 after everything Pics to be posted soon.... read more

Very nice, cozy, little place. My wife and I were there on an early weeknight for a light dinner and had a fantastic prix fixe meal of fresh pasta. Soup / Salad was delicious and fresh as were both the pastas - and you get dessert in the pf too. Very nice, authentic food at a very good price (especially for this neighborhood). Wine selection by the glass was broad and reasonably priced too. Fresh crusty bread and good black olives were a nice touch. Unsure about the poor reviews I've seen, they seem older and probably from a prior incarnation - Currently I plan to return frequently. read more

Small restaurant tucked away on East 53rd Street in NYC. Never crowded. Dark romantic candlelight ambiance falls short. Way too dark at night. Portions can either be filling and tasteful or lacking in flavor and in portion size. I ordered a rigatoni dish and I left starving. I counted 10 medium sized rigatoni on my plate. My cousin loved the salmon. Salmon is served with small fingerling potatoes and spinach. Nice sized portion. I finished my meal nearly 10 minutes before her. Desserts are limited but they arrive quickly. Very small tables. If your like me and wish to stretch out a bit in a empty restaurant, owner will always move you to a smaller table for 2 even if you are the only couple in the restaurant. Immensely irritating. One waiter on staff, very kind pleasant man. I visit this restaurant every time I'm in NYC for a few reasons: it's within walking distance to Grand Central Station, it's reasonably priced and it's my cousin's favorite restaurant. read more

This was our fifth visit to La Gioconda. We dine there every time we go to Manhattan. The prices and service are great. The food is excellent and we got a complimentary dessert. Plus it is away from the congested tourist-ridden Times Square area, but close by and easy to get to from anywhere in Mid-Town. Go. You'll be glad you did. read more

You're like what is this place and it's very unassuming. Shares the loft with cellos wine bar. Ultimately it's about the food and this place absolutely rocks! For example bacala ravioli are you kidding me? Out of this world ...for appetizer I had the baked calamari....really.....outstanding.... Although next to a wine bar the wine bar is buried. The selection of fine Italian wines is ridiculous. You must visit! Highly recommended from a world traveler not a yelp clown with a thousand car wash recommendations. My recommendations are all top notch experiences period read more

I came to this place last night to haver dinner with my husband. Service is ok and place looks nice. However, the food is a complete different story. I ordered braised short ribs on a wine sauce with risotto (my husband ordered the lamb with risotto). The food tasted it like rotten fish (also it came in like 5-10 min, thus the idea that it was already prepared/frozen). We are not picky people and we pretty much eat anything, but there was not possible way of eating these foods. Both plates were equally gross. We asked for the check to leave and they did not charged us for the food (we did not ask for that, I guess they knew how gross it was). Although we did not pay for the food, this was a horrendous experience that messed up our night. We left hungry and had to find another place to eat. I do not recommend this place at all. read more

Came here the day after Hurricane Sandy with my husband and had a great experience. The atmosphere is very cozy and it feels as if your in your grandmothers house. Although they don't seat many people, we got there at a good time in which we were able to get a table right away. Although we noticed it is a very small staff, they are able to quickly handle every request with punctuality. We ordered the caprazzio as an appetizer, the gnoochi, a veal entree and a bottle of wine. All of them were at great price points and very affordable for NYC. We thought the food was delicious and you could tell that everything was homemade, artfully presented and a great value for your money! Would def come back here again soon! read more

I come here all the time because I love the food and atmosphere. It is very cozy and one of my favorite Italian places to eat for dinner in NY. They have a good wine menu and the food is delicious read more

La Gioconda - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Dined here for the first time tonight. I thought it was good, solid food and would rate it between 3 and 3.5 stars. We were the first ones to arrive and dine until the restaurant started to fill up. The atmosphere was nice--cozy and perhaps a bit dated but comfortable. They might have had about 15 tables so it's not a huge space. The staff (I just saw one waiter and a busboy) were very friendly, pleasant and en pointe with service. After we placed our wine order, we were served bruschetta, olives and bread along with really good olive oil. I thought that was a nice touch since most Italian restaurants just serve bread and butter/olive oil. For main, we decided to go for the 3 course pre-fixe dinner which at $19.95 was a good deal. I chose the grilled calamari for appetizer, penne arrabiata for main and the panna cotta for dessert. My friend chose the red beet and lentil salad for appetizer (large portion), gnocchi for main and the chocolate crepes for dessert. If I had to nitpick, I would say that my calamari, although flavored nicely, was either cooked too much or too little as it was chewy. It was supposed to be on a bed of arugula salad but I think I saw about 3 arugula leaves mixed with some other greens. My main was good although a bit too spicy and the pasta was starchy. The panna cotta was quite good---a bit heavier than I've had at other restaurants but satisfying. My friend seemed to enjoy her selections although she might have had better (and/or worse) gnocchi elsewhere. We were both satisfied with our cheap meal and I would return again but order a la carte. There are better Italian restaurants in NYC but there are certainly worse and La Gioconda was good enough. read more

What a wonderful find! A small, intimate neighborhood spot with great food and a good wine list... I had one of the specials, home-made pappardelle with wild boar and a bit of cream sauce... not too heavy, just right, which paired really well with the Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva that I ordered... very attentive service - I can't recommend them highly enough! read more

When you compare the entire package (food, service, atmosphere, price) for a NYC restaurant, this place gets 5 stars, hands down. Food was great. We ordered some veal dishes & some pasta, everyone at our table raved. Prices were completely reasonable for NYC. Restaurant was a cozy spot , and the service was very friendly. Would 100% go back there again and again. read more

Popped in because of being hungry and needing to get out of the rain shower! Pleasant surprise, pastas were delicious - secundis a bit less. Overall, when in the area: certainly worth your $'s. read more

I think this place is OK for midtown East but doesn't really deserve 4 stars compared to Italian places downtown in the villages & SoHo. My group of 5 came in at 8:30 pm on Sunday. It was full but we were the last group of diners to come in. They were out of bread (!) and we each got ONE tiny piece of bruschetta while we waited. There were two waiters. The kitchen was slow. We ordered food right away because we were hungry and god knows how long appetizers would take. The food was OK - we were all pretty hungry by the time it came out - but I could tell it was nothing special. Our seafood linguine was decent, the lasagna was probably the best. The potato gnocchi was kind of bland. The Gioconda arugula salad with zesty lemon oil was refreshing though. Portion was smaller than I expected, but I guess it's OK. The best part about this place is the atmosphere. But the speed of service & food quality don't motivate me to come back if I was in the area. read more