How in the world people give this less than five stars is beyond me. I've been coming here for 20 years... And every time it gets better. John, always makes you feel at home... It's an iconic in New York space downstairs in a basement that you would never expect to be what it is. White tablecloth a very small menu in about 30 specials every night. First of all the truffle cream parpadelle with fresh black shaved truffle is insane, homemade gnocchi, lamb chops, clams oreganatta, Buffalo mozzarella tomato salad, and Vongole - (white clam) all on point. Agogatto and chocolate cake for dessert with homemade biscotti. Incredible blood of Orange martini Negroni and wine by the glass. The thing I dislike the most is that Instagram has discovered this gem and now I have to share it with people. Bring somebody you love here not somebody you like... The best. read more

Scalinatella Restaurant - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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While the food and waiter were very good, we realized after we left that the price they charged us for the veal chop was $10 more than stated on the menu. Also the hostess was rude and incompetent. read more

This is a lovely restaurant for special occasions. It's got white tablecloths and dark walls - classic with big flowers near the entrance. Despite the lively atmosphere, we had no trouble chatting with our friends or hearing the waiter. The staff, especially the captain, are welcoming and knowledgeable about the menu and many specials. Note: you must walk down stairs to enter and up stairs to use the toilet. The meal starts with complimentary bites. On the night we were there, they served seafood salad and grilled zucchini. We ordered the grilled baby Artichokes. They were delicious. I shared an order of chicken scarpiello with my companion and our friends each ordered chicken parm. The scarpiello was delicious and was enough for the two of us, even though it came with only a few slices of sausages and the potatoes were missing. After I pointed out the missing potatoes, they brought us a small plate of potatoes. The chicken parm was very moist. For dessert we ordered tiramasu and strudel. The tiramasu and ice cream that came with the streudel were deliciosi. The house wines and cocktails were excellent. It's no wonder this place was still packed with diners after 8pm. read more

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So first off, it feels like a step back in time. You go down a flight of stairs in a tiny door way and into a speak easy vibe. It's dark and moody and so fun. It's lively and waiters are swinging around topping hot pasta with freshly grated parm. They can make basically anything from scratch. Our waiter was so nice and very knowledgeable. Didn't get a pic of everything but if I was on the chopping block, this would be my last meal request. read more

Scalinatella Restaurant - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

food was great. waiter great. hostess horrible and should be fired. went for early romantic dinner with my wife. restaurant was empty. we were only people there. a family of 4 and an infant came in. hostess seated them on top of us. i said something to her. she lied and said that was how restaurant was configured. i noted the many other tables that would accommodate them. i asked for manager and she lied and said he wasn't there. for this reason alone i would never return there read more

Anything you like they will make Have the grilled octopus Lamb chops Incredible wine list read more

Enjoyed an amazing dinner at Scalinatella. Elegant and intimate, it's a wonderful Italian restaurant with excellent service. We walked in on a Saturday evening and were luckily able to get a table for two. We started with the grilled octopus and the Caesar salad. The octopus was one of the best I've ever had and is a must order. For our mains, we ordered the spaghetti pomodoro and the linguine with clams. Everything we ordered was absolutely delicious. 10/10, an absolute gem! Definitely add this restaurant to your list! read more

Great place. It's way downstairs in a real cozy place. Food and service were amazing read more

Scalinatella Restaurant - Delicious whole clams and baby back ribs - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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Excellent food excellent service very friendly service expensive but worth it chicken parm one of the best in Manhattan pasta dishes are delicious fish sword fish delicious food service A Plus specials are very tasty read more

Had one of the greatest meals ever in this restaurant. The veal ragu was amazing. Phenomenal wine selection. Superb service. My associate had the wild . I highly recommend this restaurant. You will love it! read more

Everything is delicioso! This is NYC's diamond in the rough authentic Italian. The chef, service and intimacy of the location are all 10's but the food is beyond amazing ! The gnocchi was my favorite but I tried near everything, and took home 4 dishes home after dinning here to let my wife try them. We fell in love ! The ambience is just right and I recommend going after sunset for a romantic fun evening ! read more

Beyond wonderful. Every. Single. Time. I've had several business dinners here and it's always a solid experience from the food to the service to the ambience - it's tops through and through. Prices are not for the budget sensitive, but the quality shines through for those that can afford it. read more

Amazing food and service. Authentic Italian. Never disappoints. This is a must if you like classic Italian

That used to be a really great restaurant Now, it's overpriced food, rude waiters, and poor service. read more

This is an exceptional restaurant in every respect. A plus. Food and service is incredible read more

Great ambience. Very cozy seating area. The place is bustling with people. Ambience is quaint. As soon as you sit down, you get fresh bread and olive oil, a zucchini and calamari appetizer. The place is packed to the rim granted it's a very small restaurant. I got the rigatoni which was good but my friend had the special Ravioli with burrata eggplant and zucchini with cherry tomatoes on top which was divine! I don't event like ravioli, the pasta would melt in your mouth! Fun atmosphere. FYI, the place is pricey, two people hit 300$ easily with two entrees, two appetizers read more

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The food is always stellar and the service top notch I've been coming here for 20 years it never disappoints!!

We are here for a business dinner and the place was jammed, but it's a small place. The food was great and the service was excellent. I would definitely eat here again. read more

This is a Wonderful restaurant! Yesterday! I came to dinner here with a friend my first time here. The location of the restaurant is quite interesting. It's all the way downstairs which at one point would have been the basement of a business. It looks like a cave quite cool looking. I think they need to change the ceiling because it has a very old ambience to it but yet the ceiling is very modern . I had the Prosecco, which was good, but I thought the champagne glass was too big . My friend had a couple glasses of wine then I had the Appetizer of Italian zucchini flowers with mozzarella. As my main course, I had fresh mozzarella with peppers and tomato, and my friend had fish . It was crowded. Lots of staff to take care of you. The bathrooms were upstairs and we're fairly clean. The prices are high, but I think the foods pretty good and They also give decent size portions, which I liked . We were the last to leave. No one complained. I wouldn't mind trying this place again. read more

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Food and service was excellent. The staff was extraordinarily welcoming. The atmosphere was great. We went at 6 and the crowd came about 7:30 Perfect! read more

Scalinatella was recommended to us for a nice dinner, and we took our family of kids ages 8-19 plus 2 adults. We had the eggplant, seafood and bread that was preset and adults absolutely loved the eggplant. We loved the ambiance and service, and with 3 teenagers and just one younger (who actually ended up sleeping through the whole meal) it was such a lovely evening for all of us. However, my caution is to either not care about the cost AT ALL or ask details. Because we got no understandable bill at the end and were either way overcharged for a few things or would never have ordered (ex: $69 per person including the sleeping child who didn't eat an appetizer, $15ish gelato pp) See receipt photo. We ordered an appetizer of prosciutto and parm, one glass of wine, one jack and coke, a soda for each kid, and the following entrees: -Shrimp and scallop pasta with olive oil and fresh tomatoes (delicious, would have loved sear on scallops) - this was a special - Ravioli with broccoli Raab and sausage (good but small portion) - kids portion of spaghetti with butter and parm - eggplant parm (not on menu, great flavor but soupy) - fettuccine Alfredo with chicken (not on menu, mixed reviews from the two who got it) The gelato (5) and ricotta cheesecake (1) were delicious. Overall, I'd absolutely return and would just be more cautious and would also ask for explanation of prices because this didn't add up. read more

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Cute hidden spot on the upper east side. Menu changes daily based on specials. Perfect for a date night. Service was great and all dishes came out very hot. Taking 1 star off because the bill didn't make any sense whatsoever when it came. To be perfectly honest, I'd probably go to Tony di Napolis a few blocks away for better quality food at half the price. read more

Start to finish - amazing. The entire staff worked endlessly to make our big group get great service and great food. The food was great. The wine - albeit way too expensive - was perfect. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for a great experience. read more

Had a great time!! Both the service and the food were amazing. Our servers were phenomenal. The lobster salad was delicious and so was the bolognese. Extremely lively restaurant on a Sunday night. I will return every time I travel to NYC. read more

Amazing food and service The waiters were extremely friendly. They gave us many recommendations. The food was well prepared and well presented. The ambience was great. Overall, it was an outstanding experience and we would definitely go back. read more

This was our 6th or 7th dining at this restaurant. The number of visits is an indication how much we like this place, but let me tell you, this restaurant has unsurpassed quality Italian food, outstanding service, very friendly atmosphere, and amazing cocktails. After just one visit, you feel like a member of the family! It never disappoints, and your experiences always make you want to come back. Just like us. read more

Probably one of the best Italian restaurants I've been to since I've lived in New York in the last five years! And that's saying a lot because we just got back from a two week trip to Italy service was excellent! read more

Yummy food. I couldn't decide on the ravioli or the risotto so I got both. I just wish you didn't have to climb those steep stairs to the bathroom when wearing heals, plus going down. Too bad there's no room for outside seating. It's too drab in there but worth it for the food. Pricey but it's the hood. When you can't go to Capri Italy what can you do? Typical service nothing extraordinary. The ice cream didn't seem fresh was my only real complaint. All in all a good meal. read more

Scalinatella Restaurant - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

This is old school Italian They always seem to remember us The food is always spot on, and the service is impeccable Such a cozy feel I can't wait to return! read more

We came here a few times and enjoyed each experience. The staff is on point and friendly. Definitely make reservations because the place is small and they book fast. They have a good selection on their menu, however you want to pay very close attention to their specials. They have many options and you won't be disappointed. We ordered everything from their specials. Their food is fresh, the portion size is just right and everything is absolutely delicious! They give you a small tasting of their zucchini and seafood salad. Appetizers: Fava bean salad Stuffed zucchini flowers: make sure you order enough for the table. Entrees Spaghetti with lobster and cherry tomatoes Red snapper with red sauce, calamari, scallops, shrimp, mussels and clams. Everything was absolutely delicious! We can't wait to come back! read more

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We went back after several years. Two people in my party ordered the branzino as it was strongly recommended by our server. It was bland and needed seasoning. The other entrees were better-especially the pasta vongole. My bigger issue with the branzino was that one fillet was large and nicely done; the other looked like fingers fanned out to make it look larger. When we told the server that was not acceptable, he argued with us and said "they look the same to him." Talk about gaslighting! Eventually they brought us another one but it was a very unpleasant experience. read more

Our waiter was excellent on explaining the dishes and what was available. Gerardo from Veracruz México and his assistants were extremely helpful! read more

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Great Italian food. White table cloth . Great atmosphere . Priced right and great wine list

Amazing authentic NYC eatery! Just the best! Great food and service with ambience galore! read more

Whoever their hostess is TODAY Friday, September 22, 2023 at 3:40pm IS EXTREMELY rude and should probably be taken in for training on how to speak to customers. I asked her to please address me correctly and she used a condescending tone of voice and was beyond rude upon me calling to confirm reservations. I will be attending my reservation this evening regardless of the unprofessional behavior from their hostess because I have been visiting Scalinatella for years and truly consider it a "hidden gem" but employees like her are not good for the business and behave like uneducated savages who don't know how to communicate. This is the hospitality industry not the hostility industry maybe you should suggest to her a change in field. read more

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Generally good Italian food there were some great dishes, and then there were some above average dishes. The slow cooked zucchini was great, the mozzarella was great, the cheesecake was great, and I had a bite or two of ravioli it was great. My own dish was Linguine with Lobster Sauce and Shrimps. The homemade pasta was splendid with great texture, lobster sauce was above average at best and the shrimps were slightly overcooked and I had a bite of the shell, so that was disappointing. With that being said, It was expensive and the food didn't exactly blow my socks off. Just couldn's quite justify with date decor in the basement. Lastly, it was late something zoomed by on the floor, you can judge for yourself what it was. read more

Scalinatella Restaurant - Linguine with lobster sauce and shrimps - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Okay, before you stop reading, listen up!! When we went to the hotel front desk to ask for a good place to eat, they told us this was the place to come. And boy were they right! I ordered rigatoni with asparagus and artichokes. My mom got the spaghetti with tomato sauce, and my dad got Bolognese fettuccine on his dish. The restaurant basically gives you whatever you want! The place is amazing, and we will definitely be back! -Diya Sulaiman a child. read more

Scalinatella Restaurant - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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There are a ton of Italian restaurants in NYC, but there's nothing else like Scalinatella. The space feels like a glamorous, family own Italian place and their delicious Italian food is always perfectly executed. read more

Fabulous! Simply Fabulous in Every Detail! Venue is tiny, cozy and filled with wonderful energy! Staff , All Staff, are friendly and warm. Very welcoming! The food!!!! Not enough words to explain how scrumptious everything was! Cocktails on point! Fresh pastas are to die for and cooked to perfection! Veal Parm on the bone is Amazing! So much to list in a review... all of our dishes were delicious! Desserts!! Authentic Ricotta Cheescake... doesn't look like the traditional, but certainly tastes like it. So pleasantly surprised! ! We are thrilled to have discovered this Italian Restaurant in NYC It's truly The Best! Thanks to Eddie for a spectacular evening! See you again next week! read more

Pro: excellent service, delicious homemade pasta and well cooked proteins Con: downstairs with no windows, but that's sort of the vibe read more