Perfect for pre theater dinner with fantastic starters, salads, pasta and mains. And they know how to grill asparagus! Plus we saw Christopher Melone!!! Don't miss the rigatoni. I'll be back! read more

Absolutely the worst dining experience in NYC. Ordered the grilled sardines and they were so fishy you could smell them across the room. The roasted baby artichokes were tough and tasteless. The pasta with meat sauce was over salted. Go somewhere else! read more

I can not imagine worst service in a restaurant. While they have been around a long time and are always busy pre theatre, management either has a "don't care " attitude or last night was really an off night. It really didn't matter that the food was well prepared; the poor, inattentive service colored our dining experience. We ordered a bottle of wine{one of the more expensive ones), and when it was brought the waiter just left it on the table. We thought he was letting it air, but no he never returned to pour the wine, or refill our glasses Bread plates were brought for some of us and not others. When asked for additional plates they never came. We asked for a check with our deserts, and waited and waited. It was very stressful as we didn't want to miss our curtain. Management know that it is very busy pre theatre and should be on top of things. Our experience was totally negative. read more

I came across this place many years ago and recently went back. Liver and onions all the way! While in the city I ate all over town and this was the highlight. They took a last minute reservation on a Saturday evening and sat us next to Woody Allen. read more

NEVER AGAIN !!! Almost as long as we've been attending Toy Fair in NYC in February, one night has been set aside for Liver & Onions at ORSO. This year, the food was as good as ever, but the service (lack of) has me thinking that this is the last year for ORSO. Waitress was sullen and surly. She could not have been any less attentive, or any more dismissive. Too many great restaurants in NYC to bother with this one again. read more

Consistently good this is the best of Broadway. Great service delicious pasta. 10 stars!

I had the butternut squash ravioli, with fresh parmigiano, which came with white bean dip and fresh bread. The house open red wine was sharp but adequate. The wait staff are all very attentive and professional. They also seemed to me to be of very high intelligence, which I asked about. It turns out many are working actors who say the working conditions at the restaurant are excellent and there is very little turnover. I looked back in the kitchen and the Latin American staff doing the work were in high spirits. The price was a little high (maitre d' tip and coat check tip expected), but the food quality was excellent, and the atmosphere given that it's below ground, was very cosy. I'd definitely recommend to my friends.. read more

Wish I could eat there again tonight. Wish I had the recipe for their sausage ragout, cream, fennel, parmesan. I cook pasta for my husband at least twice a week and make a very good bolognese, but this ragout was superb. Creamy and rich, but not overly so, with layers of flavors that I never figured out, although I ate most of the third my husband didn't -- and ate it AFTER I finished my own order of tuna tartare and grilled asparagus, both tasty, although needing salt. I don't know what the chef does with the fennel in the ragout to mellow it so. We arrived after the theater and without recommendations were seated immediately. It's a small place, but not dark or tight or loud. A table of four men near us were sports-related, perhaps agents, from the bit of conversation we picked up and their logo wear. Another table was of five middle-aged women carrying the playbill from Bette Midler's Hello Dolly! One wore a chartreuse wool sheath dress decorated on the left shoulder with a large gold broach, and all looked to be regulars at their Park Avenue aesthetician. We were very comfortable and the service was very good, if not quite as personable as some old school Italian restaurants are. I can also recommend the 10-year port and the affogato. Go there and enjoy. read more

Another top Italian , I've coming here for many years and its still good . Probably the best on this restaurant packed block .

Ehhh. Have to agree with the guy who said you should automatically subtract 0.75 stars from every restaurant in the theatre district because they get reviewed by excited tourists just happy to be in New York. Our service was OK until 8pm sharp; then our waiter left and we had to get adopted by a new guy. Then it went downhill fast. Just wasn't a great experience. read more

Orso, great service, great food, great location pre or post Broadway, nice decor. Best part about Orso is they have appetizer portions of their entrees for dinner. Sometimes after a drink and a nice appetizer you just don't want a full size entree slowing you down, well the smaller entrees are a very nice sized portion that totally fills you up. Oh and the deserts are really good too, the tartufo was a very pleasant surprise. read more

My mom and I had just finished an awful dinner a few doors up the street and decided to treat ourselves to some yummy after-dinner treats here. We had 30 minutes to kill before theater so we went in for dessert and cappuccinos. As soon as we saw profiteroles on the menu, we knew what we wanted. They were fantastic in every sense, if not maybe just a little on the small side. The pastry was puffed and light, and the gelato inside was a subtle coconut flavor. They had poured warm caramel and chocolate sauce over the top, which pretty much perfected the dish. Our cappuccinos came in cute mugs that fit perfectly in our palms and we enjoyed the extra frothy top quite a bit. The clientele was obviously of a much higher class than the tourist trap we mistakenly ate our dinner at. Oh well, lesson learned. Next time we will definitely come here to enjoy our dinner AND our dessert. read more

I took my mom out for lunch before a Wednesday matinee at the theater. Restaurant is convenient to many theaters. Service was excellent and food was very good, with plentiful portions. I had the pan fried skate wing, which was very tasty and prepared perfectly. Mom had the calves liver which was good, but a little disappointing -- many small pieces rather than a thicket cut. All in all very good food, but not quite 5 stars. Make a reservation. read more

Excellent food great service and romantic place!! We started with very nice surprise with escargots (Lumache in Brodetto) cooked in the way we do in my hometown in France !.. Then the pizza were simply awesome!.. They also have a great house wine , very good quality/ price. read more

Came here before our Play on a Thursday night and All I can say is WOW! The food was FABULOUS and service was good. There are 2 medium size dining rooms with the bathrooms down the flight of stairs (small bit clean). When I arrived they wanted to sit us at a table next to the kitchen but I refused to sit at that table for 2 because I did not want to hear the clanging of the dishes and watch the staff run in/out of the kitchen as I ate, so we took another table that was not right up to the kitchen. I ordered the Pasta dish called Casarecce that is grilled eggplant, tomato basil, ricotta salta. This pasta is made fresh on the premises daily according to our waiter and let me say this dish was delicious! My friend ordered the Grilled Skirt Steak gorgonzola soft polenta, broccoli rabe, salsa oreganta and she thought this dish was delicious - the meat was like butter she said when you cut through each piece. We didn't feel rushed out because they wanted to turn over the tables. This is a Must Go To if you are ever going the the theater. read more

I went to Orso before going to see a Broadway show. It was recommended to me by a friend... unfortunately I was not that impressed. The bread basket was on the stale side and it was presented with a pretty tasteless spread. We had pizza and fried calamari as an appetizer. The calamari was overcooked and the pizza was OK. My main dish was sausage and pasta which was pretty gross. The taste was just awful. My friend had a NY strip steak.. she said it was pretty decent... that is the only reason this place got 2 stars. read more

I found this place on accident in 2016. I thought this was a Japanese restaurant which obviously it was not. My first trip left a memorable experience as it was the best meal I had in NYC over the week I was there. I do not care for red sauce but the flavors with the pasta dish (which had red sauce) were phenomenal. I went back last week during another trip to New York and again, great meal. The flavors were great and actually make dishes I ordinarily would not like at other restaurants excellent. Everyone here was extremely friendly and my girlfriend (who is a picky eater) approved after enjoying her meal as well. read more

This is when 3.5 stars is really needed!!! We went to this restaurant before seeing the Lion King because of the good things we had read here on yelp as well as its fantastic location. It is so close to all the theaters because it is on a cute little street called restaurant row. The menu here changes daily.. which sounds great and fresh but I had read the menu online and had already decided what I had wanted...which we found out was not on the menu that night :( bummer. The food is very good, small portions though. I ordered a large portion of some garden grilled pasta and could not imagine what a half portion would look like!!! EEK We also ordered a half bottle of wine, which I love when restaurants do! The pitcher that they use makes the wine spill and drip everywhere. At the end of our meal our table cloth looked like a war zone. Another gripe that I had for this place is that the food and service did not over compensate for the really lacking decor. The walls are a weird shade of yellow and greenish, the artwork makes no sense and the bar is really cluttered and nondescript. Overall, expensive, weird decor, good food, small portions, good service. read more

Surprisingly YUMMY!!! I found this place on Yelp last minute, me and two of my friends made our way over. When we got there it was loud and seemed small and congested. We were seated at a small round table in the corner, and kind of tight as there was a large party next to us. Let say I was worried... Then the waiter came over..super nice..I asked for Pinot Nior and he said they did not pinot nior..now I was double worried. He offered a simple wine, same price range and brought over the bottle. It was delicious...then the food...AMAZING!!! MUST get the artichoke appetizer...MUST! From apps to pastas to desert to friendly service, this was a great find and I will def be back! read more

A special treat indeed. There is nothing like this place. You can eat like a king or a waif and be satisfied either way. The service is impeccable and the wine list is sumptuous. It can be difficult to get a table if you're trying to eat before the theater so be prepared to make a reservation. My husband and I come here on our anniversaries and sometimes, if I'm really lucky, my birthday. I recommend the thin, crispy, pizza bread - ALL of them ; P They change the menu so you will experience different things if you go multiple times, but you should opt for the full experience - appetizers, small pasta portion, and a main. And don't skip out on the deserts and coffee, either. While I'm at it their selection of digestifs will leave you reeling. SO GOOD! If you ARE going to the theater afterwards make sure you leave yourself enough time. It is a very popular place so don't expect the staff to take responsibility for that alone. This isn't Olive Garden - there's attention to detail that you won't find in many places these days. And most of the people who eat here are New Yorkers who have been eating here for years - if you're lucky you might actually see one or two of them - it's an institution! Save your pennies, though. It's worth every last one of them... read more

If you love Calfs liver, you would love theirs, it's lightly floured with crispy onions and some bacon, delicious! Wish they served whole wheat or multi-grain bread. Complimentary bean dip. Didn't care for pear and beet salad. read more

Orso - Calf's liver with bacon and crispy onions! Delicious and generous! - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Went there for dinner this evening with my wife and son. Restaurant décor and ambiance were nice, though it was pretty noisy. The service was prompt and friendly (and water glasses were kept full). However, things weren't so great on the food side. Nothing terrible; just ok. A basket of crusty bread was provided along with some white bean-based spread. The bread was good, but the spread was just ok; I would have been happier with simple olive oil. No bread plates were provided (not forgotten, they just don't use them), so crusty bread crumbs end up all over the table cloth. Would've preferred the plate, thank you. For dinner I had the stuffed quail. Having read some great reviews, I was looking forward to it. It was nicely prepared and presented, but it was absolutely bland. just nothing there. Might as well have had a chicken breast. My son had the margherita pizza - he described it as largely flavorless. (My wife tried it and agreed.) Worth mentioning that last night my son ordered a pizza from room service here at our hotel, the Times Square Doubletree. He thought the hotel's pizza was better. (I didn't try either so can't really comment.) It is worth noting that he is 14 - so consider his review in the appropriate light. My wife had the halibut. She thought it was good. Too many great restaurants in town to risk giving it another shot, especially when quite a few reviews echo my experience. read more

I dream of Orso bocconcini pizza and martinis!! Everything on the menu is excellent; fresh, authentic, and tasteful. But my mind returns again and again to the bocconcini pizza and dirty martini with Italian vermouth. Heaven!! read more

Yum Yum Yum.. I came here for a pre-theatre dinner. It was absolutely wonderful. Waitor was a little slow, but that's only because there was a full house. I had the salmon and it was perfectly cook. It was flakey and tender. The Mozzeralla/Tomato Salad was soooo fresh, i thought i was in Italy! GO HERE! read more

Stopped in without a reservation. Very nice to seat me. Staff was helpful, nice...not particularly attentive as in a five star. Never once asked how the meal was. But, food is the real issue. Good Italian. Lacks the presentation, flavor combos of a five star. Wine list was very limited, especially for by-the-glass. I'm used to five star restaurants, and Orso was acceptable for my very high standards. read more

Yum. There are not many great restaurants in Time Square, but this is definitely one of them. Delicious. Very authentic Italian.

I went to Orso for dinner after a show with my parents. I desperately tried to find a good (italicize "good") restaurant in midtown that would appeal to my rather conservative yet foodie mother. Just jumping on in-- we started dinner with pan fried artichokes. They were awesome. AWESOME. I love artichokes and I ADORE these artichokes. My mother had a pasta dish that was out of this world, my father and I both had the swordfish, which was also delicious, but was not the star of the show, and my boyfriend had the pork. All in all, you must go with anything pasta there. read more

My family and I (party of 6) went to Orso for dinner on a Wednesday night. We shared a lot of appetizers and entrees. The best was the Margarita pizza. The salmon was delicious, but did not have a good presentation. I wasn't that impressed by anything else, and did not enjoy the pappardelle bolognese. It's one of my favorite dishes at Italian restaurants, but this one wasn't very flavorful. It is efficiently run, and our reservation was smooth. Our waiter was GREAT, and the staff let us be as we spent a long time lingering/chatting. read more

Great food and exceptional service. The wine was dangerously good and the food, oh my god the food was so good. And what sent us over the edge was the desserts. The chocolate hazelnut cake was my fav but the tiramisu was a close second. If you have the opportunity I highly recommend going. read more

Nice spot looks kind of asian in decor but it's 100% italian. They greeted us at the door and seemed very nice. The waiter was just okay seemed to be going through the motions.. I ordered the lamb shank and it was okay.. My boss has a pasta dish which was okay.. Couple of glasses of wine were okay.. Picking up on a theme here? I was disappointed in the experience. I just expected from such a highly touted place. read more

Great service. The gnocchi was tasty and everything was quite enjoyable. Tough to find, but pretty cool location.

We didn't have to wait for a party of 3 at 6:30 PM on a Friday night. I had the Rucola as well as the Pappardelle Alla Bolognese, which both were quite tasty. Salad was nice and light! However, I do love arugula salad so I might be biased. The bolognese was very flavorful and tasty! But the portion was slightly tiny for an italian restaurant. It's in my neighborhood so I think I'll be back sometime. read more

Dropping it a star. The staff was still friendly and accommodating, but the food took a step down. My wife ordered the pasta bolognese. She said it lacked flavor and/or seasoning. The pizza that we ordered again was ok, the crust was not cooked well. My pasta dish luckily for me was superb! But all in all we felt this place was not as impressive as the first time we dined there. Still a quality place in a great spot in the theater district. read more

One of the better places in an area with a lot of restaurants. They get a lot of pre-theater diners, last time we went the place cleared out right before showtime. read more

Love this joint! Great food! Great Atmosphere! Great place to meet friends after a show and have a bite!

We made a pre-theater reservation last week, party of 8, five of whom were children between the ages of 7 and 14. We were graciously welcomed despite the youth invasion, which I was concerned about. The menu was perfect, the food was delicious. A lot of variety to taste and pass around, and the pizza was a great option for the kids. Our waiter offered to have the pizza made more "kid friendly" which we did for one of the pizzas, but it turned out they loved the fra diavolo one best. The wine selection was nice, and served in a very low key manner. I was thrilled with our experience, and will go back again without a doubt. read more

After seeing a show we were looking on yelp for a good dinner spot in the theater district. Orso lived up to its good reviews. This place was SO good. I had Wine, pizza and a salad and it was delicious. The service and staff we so attentive and friendly. It was so cozy, I could have drank wine in here all night. I would absolutely recommend this place. read more

This place is cute and delicious! It is a bit pricey but the food was worth it. I had the duck and it was so juicy and flavorful, my mom and Aunt got the mushroom pasta which was also great! read more

Went to dinner here before a show and it was wonderful. Our waitress was amazing and food was very tasty. A great way to start the night!

Overrated is an understatement. The menu is neither refreshingly creative nor comfortably classic. It's just boring, and the food mirrors this accordingly. The arugula salad swims in an overbearing and synthetically tangy tasting dressing that leaves the poor rocket defenseless. The Bucatini was the only pleasant surprise of the meal, having a decent texture and a sauce that was blessedly not too salty or heavy. The lamb was unremarkable, and again, just boring. The Pizze Margherita was the definite low point: limp, soggy, greasy, and a waste of perfectly tasty basil. My biggest beef is the price, which is as much or more than a handful of truly excellent places in the city. Spend that money on a cab downtown and get further away from the "Oh jeez, this is even better than the Olive Garden!" district. read more