AMAZING I think this is actually the best food i've had in NYC, better than 4 Charles and Corner Store. The crispy rice things were sooo good and all the pastas were amazing, also the hamachi. Also the service was amazing, we ordered 3 pastas and they brought us 3 sharing plates and served us portions of all 3 pastas. Drinks were great too! read more

Great ambiance. Wait staff are attentive, personable and able to engage in light playful conversation. We had reservations for 8pm and we stayed until midnight and staff were gracious in allowing us to enjoy the space for nearly 4 hours as our party was busy catching up and lost track of time. Pasta is exquisite. Presentation was well arranged. Tempo was on point with the flow of service. A great night. Memorable certainly. Will be back. read more

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We have dined at Marea a number of times over the years and it has become our special treat/special occasion restaurant. The food has never failed to impress and the service is incredibly attentive without being overbearing. Their fish is cooked to perfection and the cocktails are amazing. There is something about the vibe in the main dining room that conveys that this is a special experience. With on or two exceptions, the diners are very well dressed and clearly enjoying a wonderful meal. However, unlike some "dress to impress" restaurants, the food and service IS the reason everyone is there, not just to be seen. There are fewer and fewer of these special places left in Manhattan. read more

I've been many times - always great. Good food, service, wine, ambience. What else is there to say?

Well prepared high end cuisine Attentive service Bright colors and comfy seating Not too noisy Expensive read more

Marea, I just met a grill named Marea...oops wrong review. The first thing that hits you when you walk in is the long Bar with a bar to ceiling wavy Lucite back splash. I wanted to contact the Smithsonian and report finding the Amber Room stolen from Catherine's Palace. You'll also notice the low frequency ambiance of Euro elegance. The Maitre d' knows you even though he's never met you. One look at your shoes and your fingernails and he'll know more about you than your internist. He'll hand you his card and treat you like a Red Carpet regular. If you're eating here, you've arrived and you'll be treated like it even if you "borrowed" your Papa's AMEX Card to do it. Everything you could or should want will be waiting for you when you are seated. The Bread Dude will have stopped by, the small carafe of young cold pressed Olive Oil will be full, the Orchid placed just so, and so will you as an assistant gently lays the napkin across your lap. There are two dining rooms made up like a Suite at the Excelsior with crisp white linens (which will remain white until the Marinara dribbles off your silver Fish Knife), Crystal stemware, custom China and all the accouterments expected by the well to do. There is a private dining room for the really well to do's too. Even the restrooms look like a corner office in a Wall St. law firm. The Decor: Soft lighting. Soft chairs. Everything polished to gleaming by a housekeeper until the medication wore off. The Staff: Top pro's in town who will read the table like a Psychic and anticipate the needs without being asked. Can't decide what sounds best, that's already been selected for you. (A $122 four course taster covers Marea's greatest hits.) The Vibe: Central Parkers, (parked in the center section). Pre-theaters noted in the computer system to be arrivederci'd on time. The Bar: You want it? They will make it. My Fidanzato Sposato (sounded like something prompting a visit to a gastroenterologist) was actually Rye, Cointreau, Falernum, (a Caribbean Orgeat, so now you know), Orange and Soda served tall. A second try was the Amaro Negroni requiring both hands like a first glass of milk as a toddler. The Food: Up and over the upscale Italian Seafood forward favorites you might expect. The Vitello Tonnato was basically something to hang over the edge of a Dirty Martini. A short skewer of Veal Tongue, a marinated Onion sliver, and a sliced Mushroom on a stick and all laying in a Tuna tinged Aioli. This was a far step from the pile of razor thin sliced braised Veal Breast layered with a gorgeous deep creamy Tuna Sauce I am used to and make for a first course during Summer. It was interesting, if a bit disappointing. The Moleche (Tempura'd Soft Shell Crab) with grilled Ramps in a Ramp Puree was solid, although the the soft shell provided a bit of extra chew having been harvested just before it molted. One should not be aware of the shell. It should be a shear cloak for the treasure inside, no? Ask Eric Ripert. See what he thinks. The Ravioli Doppi were bow ties as perfect as displayed in a Madison Ave. Tux rental showroom window. Stuffed with Short Ribs they were served with melted Raclette, Brown Butter Jus, Hazelnuts, and Golden Raisins. This dish would have been at home in a Rifugio perched in the Dolomites. It was a lovely offering as was the Spaccatelli (pasta with Uni...make that Uni lite), well sourced garden fresh Tomatoes, Lump Crab Meat, Basil, and Chilis providing a dreamy wisp of heat on the finish. The high water mark was the Halibut Filet. Two inches thick with a beautiful sear it was paired with Spring Peas, Fiddlehead Ferns, Ramps, and tiny Calamari. This Halibut was the School Class President. It was so good I felt unworthy to be enjoying it as much as I did. (A subject for intervention, I suppose.) If you blink while preparing Halibut it goes from sublime to gym sock. No one here blinked. This fish was dead perfect. Pea leaves freshly plucked were also great casting for a supporting role. Just barely blanched they complimented both fish and pasta. What's for Dessert? And now that I was full as a tick from Bread, Pasta and that fabulous fish I had some Bambolini (Ricotta, Cinnamon Donuts) because almost everyone Yelping had a helping of them. And with good reason. Thumbs up emoji for these. An Amuse Bye Bye came with the check. A mini Tiramisu "Just for you" whispered the server with a smile. Marea, I'm happy to pay ya. read more

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Marea is one of those staples of the NYC dining scene. It has been a couple years since I came the first time and it is going strong even in Covid. I am happy to see that. We sat in the dining room and it has a chic vibe in there without being too fancy. They also have outdoor seating with heat lamps that was packed. The service here is spot on and make the experience even better. They start by giving you some bread. The foccicia is my favorite bread here and is one of the better ones I have had. You can't just eat one portion of it... so good. The wine list has some good stuff of it but I stuck with some red wine by the glass. As for the food we started with the crab salad. It was light and a perfect start to the meal. After that we went with some pasta since that is the star of the show. The gnocchetti with shrimp was nice and had a lot of seafood flavor. The agnolotti was my favorite dish. They were delicate and beautifully done. The fava beans added some texture. So good. For dinner we had the tagliata sirloin steak and it was not our favorite. Very chewy. The turbot fish had good flavor but nothing spectacular. The peas were so fresh and I loved the texture they gave the dish. My advice is... stick with the pasta! For dessert we had the sorbet and the almond crostini. The sorbet was really good and each flavor popped. The creme fraiche strawberry, guava lime, and strawberry lychee were my choices. You could taste every flavor in the sorbet! The almond crostini was also flavorful. So glad to see Marea is doing well even in the face of Covid. It is an iconic nyc restaurant that hopefully will be here for a long time! read more

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Fabulous food, polished service. Beautiful spot. One of our favorite places in NYC. Pricey but worth it!

Dwayne was absolutely fantastic! 10/10! I have been dealing with various issues at eating disorder issues and it felt like this is a place I could return because I was met with kindness and compassion! But Thank you! read more

This is one of the best hidden gems in the city!!! The food is amazing, the service is excellent and the atmosphere is just right! All that said...it is a very busy place that just remains consistently perfect as one of my favorite places to enjoy grilled octopus and red wine braised octopus with homemade pasta!! Try it and you will agree!!! read more

Reservation for two on a Sunday night to celebrate my 40th birthday. Marea had always been on my NYC bucket list, so was excited to kick off the first night of our trip at this 1-star Michelin restaurant on Central Park. Overall, I was very pleased that I picked Marea to celebrate my 40th; food was spectacular but service seemed a bit 'off' for a Michelin-starred restaurant. Food Lineup: Started with Hamachi Crudo - beautiful presentation and incredible flavor *** For appetizer we had the Astice (lobster, burrata, and eggplant) - another winner *** Instead of a meat dish, we opted for two pastas. My wife has a gluten allergy so we substituted the GF pasta in both: -Fusili - Marea's signature dish did not disappoint. Braised octopus with bone marrow that I can still taste today. Spectacular dish *** -Bucatini (lump crab) - this dish would be star of the night at any other Italian restaurant but up against the Fusili it didn't stand a chance ** Tiramisu for dessert was a great way to end the meal Service: For a restaurant of this status, there were several examples where the service seemed subpar. First, the restaurant was notified ahead of time (and also when we were seated) about my wife's gluten allergy, yet that didn't stop the bread service with full-glutened bread. It was only after about 10min (and us asking two waitstaff) that GF bread was brought to the table. Our server was generally "OK" but didn't write down any of our order and he had to return to the table to inquire about our pasta order because he seemingly had forgotten what we wanted. Having waited tables for many years in my younger days, this was always to be avoided (and that was at a fast-casual restaurant). Additionally, he also forgot my post-dinner espresso order and I had to remind him of the order. Aside from the above, the restaurant did recognize the birthdays of both my wife and I which was a nice touch. For those that prefer to bring your own wine, the charge for corkage was $75. We had several nice chats with the somm, although he carried our bottle to the back to open it, whereas I prefer when this is done tableside. $400 (including tax/tip) is not an everyday meal for us, but despite the service issues, I still felt as though we got our money's worth at Marea. Would love to return next time we are in NYC. read more

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Came here for a team work dinner and had a solid meal. Located just at the south side of Central Park (and conveniently around the office and home...), Marea is a high end restaurant with a Michelin star that does its seafood and pastas very well. For our meal, we got a few cocktails and wine for table, split a handful of plates, ordered individual entrees, and finished with a little dessert. Cocktails were pretty good, but the crudo and pastas were most memorable. Crudo was tasty and well put together/presented and the pastas, especially the fusilli with red wine braised octopus and bone marrow, were delicious and hearty with decent amount of seafood per serving. For my entree, I got the aragosta (grilled lobster with mushrooms, castelfranco, and sunchoke) and thought it was good and no complaints there. As for the desserts, the panna cotta and tiramisu were flavorful, light, and a great way to end the meal. read more

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We were just going to have a few drinks after having enjoyed The Benny Green Trio jazz & light dinner in the Dizzy Club at the Lincoln Center but we ended up having a second dinner & more than few drinks ! We did not have a reservation but the host had us sit in the bar area promptly & had such a wonderful time! The bartender, ambiance, food, cocktails, wines, & oh that fresh/delicious oysters & grilled octopus ( polio) were just perfect to enhance the fun evening out with my gorgeous girlfriend! Reservation highly recommended. Check it out ! read more

Marea - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Great experience. The combination of creative Italian fare, impeccable service and attention to detail makes Marea a special dining experience. The fusilli with red wine, octopus and bone marrow is one of the more delicious pasta dishes I've had. Savory, light gravy with a hint of crunch courtesy of the mollica ( toasted crumbs of the insides of the bread). It's a creative and balanced rendition of surf and turf. The duck with foi gras was also phenomenal. A mix of savory and acidic flavors with the foi gras adding a smooth textural element to the dish. The ribeye was straightforward, finished medium and lightly seasoned. The cut was marbled and prime. I usually don't order steak out because it's hard to make an impression. This a was good, not great. Finally, I'm not a dessert aficionado but my lady ordered a tiramisu and it was delicious. Service note- they made a minor mistake and comped us both a glass of wine and the dish they mixed up. Nothing is perfect, but the attentiveness to make things right was first class. read more

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Have always heard the best reviews about Marea, and since COVID, they have set up the most beautiful floral arrangements arching across the street. Sadly the weekend we went there were no florals, but I'm sure it's breathtaking when set up. One thing I was pleasantly surprised about is the food portion. Between 2 people, we ordered the astice and polipo for appetizers, shared the fusili, and finished with the tiramisu. The astice is so refreshing! It is absolutely perfect for a hot day: the lobster with the burrata, though an unexpected pairing, blend harmoniously together. Every bite of it is cool and chilling. The polipo is a grilled octopus with sun-dried tomato, which was brought on at the same time as the fusili pasta (red wine braised octopus, bone marrow). These two were quite similar, so I'd recommend trying a different appetizer or pasta for more variation. Though both have octopus, the polipo was more crunchy as a cold dish, and the octopus in the pasta was a lot more tender in the hot dish. One portion of the fusilli pasta came split into two portions, and it was quite large! You can immediately tell the pasta is homemade - it is chewy and full of "elasticity." Ended with the tiramisu and that was just enough for two people. Not more not less. For a Michelin star restaurant, the pricing was also very affordable for its portions and flavor! read more

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Had a date night here with my girlfriend last night for our anniversary. When walking in we were immediately greeted and wished a happy anniversary by the staff. The restaurant gives off a yacht vibe with wood paneling everywhere. They immediately brought over glasses of complimentary champagne for us which was such a nice touch. We started off with the langoustine tartare over crispy rice which was delicious (but very small portion). For entrees, my girlfriend got their famous fusilli with octopus and bone marrow and I got their casarecce with lump crab meat and uni. Both dishes were delicious and very nice portion size. We opted out of dessert, however, they brought us complimentary sorbet as well. Overall, this is a great restaurant with fantastic service, however, with so many fine dining restaurants in NYC, there are others I prefer over Marea. read more

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Every time I ask someone for a NYC fine dining rec, Marea has always been in the ranks. I went for the first time this weekend and boy, did they not disappoint. The polipo appetizer was cooked to such tender perfection-- a Wonderful compliment to the sauce it sat in. The pastas had the absolute perfect chewing texture, lovely vehicles of the scrumptious sauces they both came in. Followed up with the lobster, which I was blown away by (especially the sunchokes). The desserts were the perfect ending to the meal, not a mistake felt throughout the whole meal. Marea will be on my recommendations list from here on out! read more

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Beautiful restaurant right by Columbus Circle. Very classy, upscale, quiet. The food is excellent. Fresh, tasty, tasteful. Very nice service. read more

Marea - Seafood pasta - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

* More like 4.5 * WOW! Came for dinner after the opera - next time I'll have to come during the daytime to see the CP views. The fusili was delicious, as expected. The squid ink was fantastic as well. Panna cotta was forgettable, so I would skip. My only gripe is the wine list is all expensive bottles - there should be some in-between options. Service was impeccable. Marea is not your traditional Italian restaurant - it outdoes itself on the seafood! read more

Clearly one of the best dining spots in NYC. We were celebrating a promotion and were lucky to snag an outdoor table a few weeks out (they are at 50% indoor dining). Impeccable service. And you came for the food. Their cocktail service is outstanding ($21 - $24 each). Appetizers were crudo di Hamachi and asparagus blanchi. Entrees were Gigli, Fusilli, agnotti, and agnello. Hate to use the term again but "outstanding". Three desserts - tiramisu, panna cotta, and almond crostata - and a few coffees finished a memorable meal. Adding in a $150 Italian red, 5% COVID recovery fee, and tip totalled damages of $750. Well worth it! read more

Abdelouahid was our server and did a wonderful job taking care of our table of 13 people. He was quick and very thorough to make sure we had everything we needed during the entire meal. The food was great and couldn't recommend enough! get the dark chocolate mousse with the lemon topping! read more

Food is okay. Antipasti are pretty good but risotto is plain Understaffed and takes forever to get a server to the table. read more

Marea - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

On May 13,2023 I and my girlfriend visited Marea. We sat at the bar and had three drinks. After a half hour the bartender put the check next to me . Then he proceeded at 5 minute intervals to open the check folder to see if it was paid. This happened 3 times. Shortly after another bartender approached me and said "people are waiting ". I was quite surprised at this rude behavior. I am not a tourist and I have lived in NYC all my life. Of course this behavior made me feel uncomfortable and we left. I have visited many restaurants in NYC and this rudeness has never happened. read more

Had some family visiting and they actually booked a reservation here on their own. It is definitely higher end than I expected, and I was not really dressed to the occasion, but was not given any problems or made to feel out of place. For drinks, I ordered the old fashioned, which was really nothing special, but then again I wasn't given the impression that cocktails are their specialty. For appetizers, we ordered the tartare, seared fois gras, and astice. All amazing, packed with freshness and flavor. The portions are small but we still managed to all get a bite (there were 6 of us). As for the main course, I went with the fusilli, which came with red wine braised octopus. The fusilli really hit the spot and was cooked perfectly al dente, and at ~$40 was a great value for a high end restaurant like this. My brother went all out with the Bistecca 5oz wagyu which was cooked to perfection, and melts in your mouth. Definitely pricey at $85 but if you're going to treat yourself, this is the choice for you. All in all, I thought this restaurant really had great service and food, so I do recommend this for special occasions. read more

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Seriously deserving of 2 Michelin stars IMO One is not enough The room is beautiful The service is exceptional The food is perfection Looking forward to returning and we just left...... read more

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I wouldn't normally leave a negative review during COVID times, but there was a dealbreaker (or two) in there. They very clearly advertise their outdoor seating and heat lamps on social media. Marea had always been on my list of places to eat, so I decided to check it out with a friend on a colder evening, since there's heat lamps available. Made an online reservation and called to confirm that there was heating available. Checking in for our reservation was a bit chaotic and definitely not distanced. There was an area outside which we thought may be the check in area -- nope. Went inside and it was crowded full of people, and it was difficult to know among the disorganized chaos who was next. Do I normally have a problem waiting? Nope. Do I have a problem waiting now? No, as long as they promote adequate distancing, which they did not. I am unclear why they couldn't ask their "stand by" guests to wait outside. After we got seated, we were freezing cold and realized that we didn't have a heat lamp at our table. When we asked for one, we got a cold snub -- "we don't have one for you." There were 4-5 tables that didn't have heat lamps, so good luck if you were seated at one of those tables. Not what was so boldly advertised everywhere. One of the tables also had two heat lamps pointed at it. The food was decent, but it wasn't mind blowing, especially considering the price. The spaghetti with Manila clams was too salty for both our tastes. Thankfully, the pan seared black bass saved our dinner. Although it's less likely that I'll go back, I would get this again if we did. This part isn't the restaurant's fault, but something to be cautious about: two different times, (unmasked) undomiciled people came to our table to ask for money/food. While I feel for them, this is not something I want to experience while eating dinner outdoors. I think the restaurant can do a better job of regulating and blocking certain areas to guests only. Other than the heat lamp issue, service was good. However, I don't think it's right that they advertise this on social media and even tell me over the phone that it's available, when they haven't purchased a heater for each table. That plus the lack of distancing enforcement on check in makes me less comfortable and willing to eat here, especially given the prices. read more

The service at this restaurant was absolutely incredible. From the bartender being very friendly and helpful with wine selection, even suggesting a sommelier, to the wait staff being very familiar with the menu and accommodating to our small adjustments. We ordered numerous appetizers, pasta dishes, and main courses along with dessert. It was quite a bit of food all in all, but it was light enough that none of us felt overly stuffed or heavy at the end. All the staff made us feel welcome and happy to have us dining at their restaurant... a rarity nowadays in New York. Had an excellent bottle Pinot Grigio. Apanina 2020. Yes, the restaurant is quite expensive, but for the service and food quality, it is definitely worth the splurge for a special occasion. read more

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The service was impeccable and the food absolutely incredible. Love a round table for conversation and the noise level was perfect to actually be able to converse. So rare to find all of these things together. Thank you for a perfect experience. read more

What an amazing experience !!! We went there for our anniversary and were treated like royalty. Got free champagne and for food we went with manager recommendations. All dishes tasted amazing . Servers were attentive but not pushy . Overall a night to remember . read more

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I came here for lunch one day after hearing a lot of hype about it from my co-workers. I get that this is supposed to be a nice Italian steakhouse but everything felt overpriced to me. The glasses of wine were around $30 and I thought my glass was decent but not worth $30. I tried the famous octopus fusilli. The octopus was cooked well and the flavors went well together but I felt like I was just eating a bowl of fat which didn't sit well with me. The sauce was way too rich. read more

Best meal I've ever had and absolutely stellar staff. Really liked our waiter. He was very informative and so pleasant to chat with.

tldr; Perfect for a dinner to impress a date or if you want to eat some of the best Italian I've had in the city. Definitely worth a good bang for your buck. Server told us we went light on the food and there is not a lot of pasta but we were all full (but we also got three appetizers to share between four people). My sister booked this for her visit into NYC without knowing it was a Michelin star restaurant! The ambiance, the staff were attentive and quite nice. I wouldn't call anyone warm but it was efficient and we were treated well. While the prices are steep ($40+ for a plate of pasta) I think it's actually affordable compared to what I've paid for other Michelin star restaurants in the past. NOTE: I recommend not eating the bread basket they bring out. I was absolutely starving and ate 3 pieces. You'll be full from the apps and entrees (at least I was overly full). Save the stomach for the wonderful food to come -- although that garlic sauce they brought out with the bread . Orders: - Half a dozen oysters ‍ I'm not a big oysters fan so this really didn't do anything for me - Acciughe ‍ Finely stripped meat on bread - Polipo Octopus, potatoes, veggies, this was so very good. The potatoes and sauce were just so surprisingly delicious. - Fusilli Recommended by our server, with octopus and bone marrow was amazing. The bone marrow just melted in your mouth!! - Casarecce with crab, very lemony and delicious. Felt like the perfect pasta dish for a summer night. - Gnocchetti the shrimp were huge. Was a good bowl! - Bistecca ribeye, maybe we were just incredibly full. The bone marrow sauce was on the sweeter side. A lot of fat on this so if you like that then go for it. The most expensive thing we ordered other than the wine at $85 - Tiramisu so so good. In a cool shape and perfect light dessert to end the night. Bathroom review: Feels like a cool hidden situation. But bathroom is clean, paper towels are nice and thick, I was a fan. Question: If a place gets fancy enough do they ever stop having urinals? read more

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Went there for anniversary dinner - let's just say, from the service, ambiance to food was beyond amazing! Not to forget, best Tiramisu ever!!! read more

Marea is a great spot in midtown right by Central Park. The atmosphere is nice, service is great and the food is amazing. The wine list is phenomenal, you can't go wrong! We've come several times. read more

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Best scallops I have ever eaten in my life. I know this place is acclaimed for their pastas, but I've had better pastas elsewhere...but the scallops are truly to die for. Get the lobster and burrata appetizer. It is unlike anything I have ever tasted and I would go back to Marea just to eat that again. The rosemary bread is phenomenal. They need to bag that up and sell it. TBH, it is pricey but worth it if you want a true NYC Michelin meal...I would just advise to order the scallops over the pasta. My boyfriend and best friend both ordered pastas and while they were satisfied, I could tell that neither of them was having a foodgasm...and if you're gonna spend good money on a meal like that...you should be having a foodgasm. Just sayin' read more

Marea - Capasante. The best scallops I have ever had in my life. (And I have eaten many scallops.) - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Great food, great atmosphere, amazing staff. Try the lobster burrata it is amazing!!! read more

Came during covid and it was everything we imagined. We had a nice table that was seperated by plexiglass and we felt very safe eating here. We ordered the gnochetti, sea bass, sirloin and a salad and it was all amazing Our server was fantastic and very friendly. Perfect place for a date and an excellent meal. read more

Got the octopus dish which was a little over salted but delicious!! Huge portion! The wine list was Devine!! Got a pasta dish full of seafood that was also yummy! The desserts are so good including the sorbet!! Server gave us a few complimentary dishes including lobster ravioli!! Amazing service!! Would definitely recommend and come again!! read more

Marea - Guava lime and watermelon sorbet!! - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

I had a nice dinner here a few nights ago. Solid seafood fare, I particularly enjoyed the clams and the bronzino. The foccia was a surprise hit with the table, I tried to avoid too many carbs in the evening but it was worth the exemption. Service was warm and attentive. Also worth noting was the excellent wine offerings. read more

The food at Marea is well deserving of the Michelin star they have. Had a phenomenal experience here. It's a great spot by Central Park and a solid pick for a fancy work dinner or date night. Came with a group of 8 so we were able to get a bunch of appetizers like the lobster burrata, oysters, tuna and hamachi crudo, and the poached egg dish. The lobster burrata was a favorite! As for the pasta, I went with the fusilli as I had to try the popular pick. It was amazing. The portion and size of the octopus is very generous. It seemed like there was almost as much octopus as pasta, which I'm not complaining about. The pasta itself was also amazing. Perfect texture. We also got the ravioli to share for the table. Fantastic selection of wines as well! read more

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