I usually avoid celebrity chef restaurants at all costs but i was lured in on a random Monday night by their summer restaurant week menu. I had the marinated tuna filet as an appetizer, the paccheri with broccoli Rabe and sausage as an entree, and a delicious, light-as-air ricotta cheesecake for dessert. The verdict? I enjoyed every bite! This small, intimate restaurant is romantic and cozy. It also has some of THE ABSOLUTE BEST homemade pasta I've ever had. Tender yet still al dente, the tiniest bit chewy, and slippery and silky, not the least gummy. I have raved about this place to everyone I know. I hope it becomes a Manhattan mainstay for many years to come. read more

1. Incredibly friendly staff 2. Possibly the best meatballs I've ever had 3. Huge bowl of homemade kids pasta for only 12 bucks. read more

IG: @mrtravelfoodie I was told that this was a restaurant opened by the great @tomcolicchio from @topchefm6. When my friend came to town, we found a reservation and quickly came to check it out. From the outside, I didn't think too much of the place. It seemed pretty, had great design and looked like many other restaurants of this style. However, once I entered inside, I loved the art on the wall, the intimate dining space and the open kitchen in the back! By now, you know I'm a sucker when it comes to open kitchens. What we ordered: - Bucatini Cacio E Pepe - Paccheri w/ Guanciale, Leeks, and Rapini - Lumache w/ Bolognese and Thyme Let's talk about the Cacio E Pepe... It might look so simple, but my friend said this was the best Cacio e Pepe he's ever had. The texture of the noodles, the flavor of the sauce, the balance of spice, noodle, sauce, savory, and all the elements that come to create this dish made it amazing. I didn't think I would actually enjoy that dish but it was incredibly delicious for such a "simple" dish. Next, the Paccheri was like an explosion of flavors. I don't know how to describe all of it other than I want more. Every bite was just flavor packed, and the ingredients balanced so well to create a very complete pasta dish. Finally, I got the Lumache and this hit me hard when I took that first bite. Initial reaction was am I going to like this? Shortly after, I went into this dish is freaking amazing! The pasta was very Al dents and chewy, so not what I expected, but the bolognese and thyme were so good! This dish is definitely for the meat lover as it had meat flavor with every single bite and after I finished that last bit of pasta, I was left wanting more. Overall, I was incredibly surprised at how well these dishes were crafted. The flavor profile hit every mark that I could ask for in a great pasta dish and the service was also amazing. Highly recommend adding this to your list! Rating: 8.9 read more

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Outstanding menu!!! Every dish was better than the next. The grilled octopus with chick peas was cooked to perfection! Cauliflower and olive focaccia was a great way to begin our meal. Deliciously seasoned with just the right "crunch." One can tell that fresh pasta was in both the ricotta cavatelli and spaghetti..."high five" to the pasta chef!!!! My strip steak was cooked just right....so tender and juicy! Although this is an open kitchen, we were amazed at how quiet the meal prep was. You can see that the chef ( guy with the beard) had complete control of the kitchen. From our table, things moved seamlessly. Service was terrific. The entire dining experience was worth it. read more

This passion project of TOP CHEF judge Tom Collichio, located one door east of his flagship Craft, gets and deserves my best rating and is one of the best values I've ever found. Named for his family's ancestral village in the mountains east of Naples, Vallata features simple regional fare, beautifully prepared. I went twice this past week, once alone, once with a date. Both times I was ably guided by Olympia, who was charming and very informative about the menu. A hallmark of Tom Collichio's restaurants is the exceptional caliber of his staff, in my opinion the best trained, most professional and invested in the industry. William, who bartended that first night, was equally helpful and informative. At their suggestion I had the simple cacio e Pepe and the veal meatballs, both excellent. (And both a total bargain at $21/each) Tom, who cooked that night in the open kitchen, came over and had a brief but thoughtful conversation with me, clinked his wine glass and exited for the evening. 3 nights later I brought someone to share the experience. We shared an outstanding chick pea, calamari, shrimp and octopus salad, and had the skirt steak and braised pork shoulder entrees, both delicious. Every day one can order any pasta dish and a glass of wine for $29. This is a handsome dining room, top notch service, wonderful food and bargain pricing. Go read more

Vallata has always been a solid choice with terrific food. Tonight was a mixed bag. It did not start well. We got to our table, got menus and water. We hadn't been there more than 3 minutes when a server came over, Introduced herself and said " I want to remind you this is an Italian restaurant. Now, what do you want to drink?" We hadn't decided yet so we asked , very politely, if we could have a few minutes. She disappeared and never came back. A server we knew from Craft came over after about five more minutes and took care of us. He was golden. The good: the ramp focaccia, the chickpea salad and the fava salad. More than good, great ( although the menu needs to be clearer about the focaccia. We thought there were four different types. No, it's one type with three additions on the side available. You could wind up spending 11 bucks for two squares of the stuff). Then , the bad and the truly awful. The bad: spaghetti with ramps had so much acid in it that it was inedible. The risotto? Oh dear: Chef ColiccIho excoriates Top Chef contestants for cooking bad risotto. He needs to get home. We got served " cream of rice' with so much tarragon ( whose idea was that)? it was inedible. I'm serious when I write that the risotto might have been the worst dish I've ever had in a restaurant. Now, our server saw our unfinished plates and asked. He WAS very concerned. We didn't want an issue so we told him we weren't very hungry. Then I did tell him the risotto was a disaster. He tried to fix it. He told us his manager told him to serve more wine, and to take the risotto off the bill. Good recovery, but where WAS the manager, and why did this happen anyway? A real shame. we love Vallata. Do better! read more

My fiancé and I came here because we were huge Top Chef/Tom Colicchio fans. We were delighted to actually see Tom at the counter expediting (maybe cooking?) food - we even took some faraway/creepy/stalkerish photos. The food can be described as homey Italian. Overall, almost everything was good but nothing really blew our minds. However for the prices (most entrees were sub $30), we were happy to try out a Chef Tom restaurant (and have an opportunity to see him!) without blowing the bank. - Veal tongue - my favorite dish! It was so tender and rich in flavor. They were very generous with the slices too so it made for a hearty appetizer. The salsa verde on top also brought a bright, acidic pop to the dish and I found myself liking it more and more with each bite. - Meatballs were also really good - it was so savory and tender! The sauce also made each bite so succulent and juicy - one of our other favorites of the night. - Radicchio salad was very fresh and herbalicious - I like the little orange slices and the light citrus and olive oil dressing. Overall I enjoyed it - but would I order this salad again? Probably not. - Cavatelli - probably the most disappointing dish I've eaten in a while. The pasta was almost a little too al dente. It was supposed to be an oxtail cavatelli yet there was almost no oxtail in it other than small ribbons in the sauce. My protein-loving fiance was very disappointed with the lack of protein in this dish ("if I wanted a vegetarian pasta, I would have gone with the cacio e pepe"). I was also not a fan of the giant rosemary that's kind of floating in the middle of the dish (rosemary: good for flavoring but not for chewing or eating). - Braised chicken - it's almost like Mexican shredded chicken. The sauce is a bit subdued after eating the vibrant sauce of the meatballs. The dish was tender and juicy but missing a certain wow factor. My fiance loved it because there was (1) a lot of chicken and (2) the price was only $25 for a protein entree. - Olive oil cake was a simple dessert but it was a good combo with the tart strawberries and sweet whipped cream - satisfying end to the dinner. read more

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The food in this restaurant was outstanding. My family and I also ordered a couple of bottles of wine that also were excellent. Great service read more

I mean, come on. It's Tom Colicchio's restaurant. There's no way it could even be mediocre. It was outstanding of course. The decor lacks a little warmth, especially being right next to Craft, but I'm looking for good food, not interior design help. I love that there's an open kitchen in the restaurant. Staff was awesome. The food was a mix of different and traditional, and I loved every bit of it. read more

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Went here on a whim and it had a very nice ambiance. I got the veal meatballs with grilled bread and the meatballs were quite tender and tasty. While the food was good, I wouldn't say it's anything to write home about. Overall, this restaurant certainly is not bad, however a bit pricy all things considered. read more

Vallata - Veal meatballs with grilled bread - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

I brought my parents during restaurant week. The food and service were excellent. Would highly recommend.

Excellent. Came here to grab a drink the bartender Christian was excellent made great us great drinks. Good vibes and true mixologist and def recommend this place. read more

My fiancé and I went to Vallata for our first time last weekend and WOW!!!!!!! We had SUCH. A great experience!! I'm an atmosphere kind of girl and this place was aDORABLE. It felt romantic and intimate and just good vibes. We were sat in the corner and so we got to watch the whole restaurant in its groove! Christian was our waiter and was amazing. He was SO MUCH FRIGGIN FUN and hilarious. And honestly, Andrew and I did not know what to get so we let Christian order for us: we were not disappointed. Everything tasted SO amazing. The pasta, the meatballs, the artichoke, pork shoulder, dessert! It was a great way to celebrate Andrews bday!!! Christian our waiter kept us laughing all night and was so attentive. Literally, we dropped a napkin and had a new one in seconds. I can't rate this place highly enough. We can't wait to go back!! read more

Truly a gem. The service here is unmatched. We had a reservation and still had to wait maybeeee 10 minutes, if that, which was already no big deal and yet the hostess made sure we were taken care of and gave us a glass of champagne. Everyone who works here is so so so kind and the food is perfection every time. read more

Quite an average meal. Not what you expect from a Tom Colicchio establishment. Service was average - we went during restaurant week and ordered off the prefix menu (go with carte blanche option). the waiter recommended we order family style and recommended food items for us, I though it was funny that his recommendations included two of ever menu item that was a surplus - might be coincidental but yoh could tell the waiter was clearly trying to jack up the bill throughout the meal. Food with not worth the price- pastas were overcooked/saggy, sausage order seemed to be boiled and didnt have a crisp bite thay youd want from italian sausage. If youre looking to dine in Flatiron plenty of better options read more

A hidden gem on 19th Steet. Vallata did not disappoint! The food was delicious and creative; the service was attentive, and the atmosphere is intimate, casual and enjoyable. The cauliflower and sage focaccia was light and tasty start to our meal. We ordered 3 appetizers to share before the pasta and main. All of the appetizers were delicious, but I truly enjoyed the chickpea salad with octopus. Just enough citrus and spice. The ricotta cavatelli with short rib, pine nuts and raisins was my favorite of the pasta selections, followed by a perfectly cooked skirt steak. So many good things to try so sharing is the way to go. It was also fun to watch the delicate orchestration in the open kitchen. I look forward to a return visit soon! read more

The service was perfect--professional, friendly, attentive. The food was a mix--my fellow diners loved the cod and chicken dishes, and apparently the vegan bolognese was amazing. My dish, the campanelle with brussels, pancetta, and sage, was over salted, had a watery sauce, and was just not balanced (too much chewy pancetta and not enough Brussels). Execution needs some supervision. The place is quiet enough for conversation and rustic--very pleasant. read more

I really wanted to love this place but it was lackluster and mediocre. The staff however were friendly and hardworking. Atmosphere- it's a small elongated space, but was neither cosy nor bustling. There was really no atmosphere. It was like eating in a room. Maybe better music/ lighting might help. Staff- excellent, attentive and very friendly. Food- was average. The bruschetta was tasty but not amazing. The cacio e Pepe was good but not great. The affogato was banal. Drinks- the chasing spring cocktail was very good and refreshing. Overall we had a good time but nothing special or noteworthy. We will remember the great staff more than anything else. read more

Always sit at the bar - bartender is fun. Food is always consistent and good. Go with my wife and we split a an appetizer, salad and pasta then generally get our own entree. read more

Talk about DISAPPOINTMENT... Reservations were made for 9:15 pm, but we didn't get seated until 40 minutes later!!! - Front of house staff was kind and attentive. Apologizing and making it known they were on it, so no big deal. I understood enough; shit happens. - Menu was simple enough and exciting to my mental palate; after all, I'd been to other Tom Collichio restaurants like Riverpark (excellent all the way around), so I had good expectations. - Ordered: Cacio e Pepe Paccheri with Guanciale and Peas Veal and Ricotta Meatballs w/Tomato sauce Foccacia. So let me be very clear, flavors were on point, BUT both pasta dishes were quite undercooked!! Under al dente by at least 2-3 minutes!! WTF!!! Amateur night! When asked by the barman (who, BTW, was silly and unprofessional but nice), he offered to remake. However, at that point, we were too famished to wait another 20 minutes, so we ate the stiff pasta. Meatballs - Delicious and on point. Foccacia - umm... Toasted? It's my understanding Foccacia should not be toasted. It's usually soft and yummy with EVOO to be left alone. Bottle of Crafted Bubbles (cava) - Very good and reasonably priced. - Lastly, as the 2 chefs/cooks s had exited the kitchen, the barman only had one dessert to offer: Bombelone... not bad but not great. RATINGS - Front-of-house staff: 4.5 Barman: 2.5 Food: 2 Dessert: 2.5 Drinks: 5 Overall experience: 2.5 Final note - what with all the waiting and undercooked pasta, we remained gracious and friendly, and the GM thanked us for being so. However, not one item was taken off the bill. I also mentioned to a staff person that it seemed the kitchen was so backed up that they seemed to be pushing the food out and lost their QC... They agreed!! "Yes, in fact, I'm sure that's what's going on," they said. One would think at that point, you sort of mention to GM and perhaps handle or undo the disappointing dining experience and make it "right." Right? NOPE. read more

The food was amazing. Was one of the best meals I ever had. For appetizer you must get the focaccia bread. It was so good I wanted to order another plate. The service is on point. The wait staff is so nice. The ambiance is perfect for a date night or group setting. If you are in the area definitely check this place out! read more

Excellent. The food is comfort food cozy and immaculately executed. Cacio and Pepper bucatini were perfect. Pork shoulder in milk broth made me like pork - not a fan usually. The broth was divine. Surprised this place is not mobbed. read more

Spectacular experience. The ambiance. The service. The food! All top notch. One of my favorite meals in NYC. Adriana and Olympia made us feel so at home. Friendly, efficient, exemplary. It was my friend's birthday dinner, and I couldn't have chosen a better place. Congrats Tom Colicchio! I'll be back. read more

A few of my colleagues and I booked dinner reservations at Craft earlier this week, and when I heard that Tom Colicchio would be cooking at Vallata just next door, I jumped at the opportunity to see him behind the counter and watch him cook firsthand. We ordered a variety of dishes to taste, but the asparagus, braised tongue, and hanger steaks were the stand outs of the night. I've never had asparagus prepared in this fashion before and would gladly come back for this dish alone. The tongue was so soft and flavorful that I wouldn't even bat an eye if you told me it was pâte. The hanger steak was also another winner. Since I'm a meat and potatoes girl myself, I generally opt for steak when given the choice, and it was prepared to a perfect medium rare. The braised onions paired with the steak had a nice bite that cut right through the richness. We also ordered cocktails and desserts that didn't disappoint either. Overall, the menu was well thought out and so expertly prepared that we didn't have a single bad bite. The staff was also super accommodating with all my last-minute requests. I'll admit I'm a bit of a superfan who's watched every episode of Top Chef, and they even relayed the message to the Tom. He was so kind to come over and greet the table along with allowing me a picture. Tom was even nicer in person than I could've imagined. Run - don't walk - to Vallata and Craft. read more

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I loved the ambiance of this place, especially the big open kitchen (where Tom Collichio himself was hard at work!) The veggie-forward appetizers were probably the highlight of the dinner. The lamb sausage and pastas were also good, though kept simple. Our service was just OK (it took about 15 minutes for anyone to come take our drink order), but given that it's a brand new restaurant, I'll chalk it up to that. read more

Vallata - Tom! - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Absolutely incredible service! I can not recommend this place enough!!! The staff always goes above and beyond to make every guest feel special. This is one of the few restaurant establishments where my trans, and gender non-conforming siblings feel safe, empowered and respected! This is a huge reason why we will continue to return to support the wonderful food and ambience of the restaurant! Thank you for always greeting my trans sibling with love, respect and class. This was my second time dinning at Vallata! Not only is the cacio e Pepe the best pasta in the city, but we will always return for the incredible service! The staff always goes above and beyond to make every guest feel special. read more

Good Italian food, nice setting, and wonderful service. Cacio e Pepe and cavatelli with braised oxtail and raisins were standouts. Cod was underwhelming, and particularly disappointing since it was only ordered because there was no flank steak. read more

This food here is hit and miss. The prosciutto (Lady Edison ham, nectarines and grilled sourdough) dish was outstanding, as were the veal meatballs with ricotta with and tomato. The halibut, rice ball (amatriciana arancini), and bumboloni were ordinary. The rice ball could have used some cheese inside and more sauce. The wine list was pricy with most bottles over $100 and no good, less expensive wines to be found. read more

My wife and I had the pasta with a glass of wine for $29. The choice of pasta was poor. The portions were extremely small and both our pastas were bland. It was a total rip off. read more

Great ambiance, delicious food and great staff! I highly recommend this restaurant. Went there for restaurant so got a good sense of their food. Everything was delicious! read more

Delicious food. Atmosphere is quiet, good for a calm evening with good food. Oxtail ragu was my favorite.

You can tell that Vallata is still struggling to come together although the right ingredients (pun intended) are there. My first visit was all in all a pleasant experience but, because expectations are high when you're dining at a Tom Colicchio restaurant, I did walk away somewhat disappointed. I arrived at around 6:30pm for a weekday dinner, which is generally prime dinner hour, but after being seated had to wait more than 15 minutes for a server who ultimately never came to serve me. I was served the entire night by bussers, who are perfectly lovely, but couldn't speak to the wine or describe the dishes which may be the reason why I ordered a dish that was a miss: the chickpeas, octopus, squid, and shrimp salad. The chickpeas were simply a bit undercooked, the seafood a bit overcooked, and the entire dish generally a bit under-seasoned. When you're cooking in a minimalist way and relying on the freshness of the ingredients to make a great dish, you really have to get the cooking right otherwise it ends up reminding you of something you can make at home (which was on my mind as I chased chickpeas around my plate). I'm no expert in cooking chickpeas, but understand that there is a proper way to cook them so that flavor penetrates its hard, sizable surface area, and that didn't happen that night. The seafood was in contrast bit mushy. And, generally, the whole dish was texturally strange, unwieldy, and fell flat. That said, the "regional" wine (which, again, the busser couldn't speak to where it came from and didn't know to show me the label even though I was clearly curious) offered as part of the $29 dinner deal (which includes a glass of wine and pasta) was surprisingly good given the price point. That said, again, because bussers aren't as well-versed in good service, I got the bottom of the bottle (where tannins reside) and a pretty stingy pour because they didn't know/think to open up another bottle to top off my glass. It wasn't overly jammy and was a good companion for whatever you pair it with, which I did with the ricotta cavatelli with guanciale, leeks, and raisins. And, that was the dish that pretty much saved the experience because I was pretty irritated at that point. The ricotta cavatelli were cooked just right and, instead of the indulgent but somewhat unctuous way that many Italian chefs use guanciale, here it was also cooked perfectly and delicately combined with bright, not sickly sweet, raisins and something earthier, perhaps cocoa. This dish was a nice balance between contrasts and reminded me of the elements that make a great mole. I'm not sure if I'll be back yet, and certainly not until they have a few more weeks/months to pull together their service and improve on it. I could tell that there were many trainees in the restaurant so it should just be a matter of time for a restaurateur like Colicchio but, until then, Italian cooking is very competitive in NYC. read more

Vallata was such a nice experience! I brought a friend here for her birthday on Friday night and I must have mentioned it when I made the Resy reservation and they printed her name on the menu and had complimentary glasses of champagne waiting for us! It was such a treat. We had the artichokes, the pesto pasta and the cod which were all delicious!! The Focaccia looked amazing too.. would definitely order that next time! At the end of the meal, the bartender suggested a Bambolino dessert which they brought out with a candle and Happy Birthday written in chocolate. It couldn't have been a better experience if I had planned it myself! Great service, great food and ambiance. read more

although the food was absolutely scrumptious and cooked to perfection, i have to rave about the service. as a gender non-conforming person, the staff was so friendly and made me feel very comfortable. i will always recommend this place! thank you vallata! read more

In a word, AMAZING! Not surprised as we expect nothing less from a Tom Colicchio restaurant. The food was fantastic from start to finish from the sinfully delicious potato focaccia, to the ribollita (beans, root vegetable, kale), veal/ricotta meatballs, skirt steak, and cannoli bombolone. The nonino and negroni cocktails were also wonderful. The space is elegant and comfortable, and the staff is peerless, from the manager, John, to the lovely woman who served us---did not get her name-to the glorious Chef Amanda! The restaurant will start serving lunch on March 7th, and Tom will be there for that week. We have already booked our reservation for then. This is not only a neighborhood gem; it is a precious gift to our beloved New York! read more

This is a very pleasant space and I had high hopes. Unfortunately they were not met at lunch today. The salad was ok, if more overwhelmingly bitter than is my taste. But the cacio e pepe was not great. It was somewhat soupy and there was not nearly enough pepper. Worst of all was that the pasta (buccatini) was over cooked, verging on the mushy. For what it's worth, my experiences with this dish have mostly been in Rome and my own kitchen. read more

Loved our meal here. The pasta was fantastic and incredibly original, especially the spaghetti aglio e olio. So fresh and delicious. Great waitstaff too. read more

Can't express how excited we were to eat at a Chef Colicchio pop up where he would be physically in the kitchen. Unfortunately, it ended up to be disappointing. While Chef Tom left 10 min after we sat down, our Negroni cocktails then arrived unshaken and warm with way too much Cointreau, followed by food that was under seasoned. The spaghetti was fine, but needed salt and you could barely taste any Bottarga, if at all. The cacio a Pepe was also needed salt (hard to do with that dish). Ironically, far better pasta can be had at Top Chef alum restaurant LaRina, in Brooklyn. Honestly, the best part of the meal was the salad & the focaccia. Just wanted that meal/experience to be so much better than it was. Oh well. read more

Vallata was pitch perfect. The service by Christian was over the top. We sat at the counter and started with a cocktail followed by a raw artichoke and kale salad. Both were amazing. Then it was cod with garlic and tomato and a hangar steak with cippoline onions and scallions. All were cooked to perfection. The Italian red wine blend recommended by Christian was a perfect compliment. We will definitely be returning for the food, service, overall vibe, lighting and music. read more

My husband and I and another couple finally had the opportunity to dine at Vallata last evening. We were looking forward to it, being huge fans of Tom Colicchio. And we were not in any way disappointed! The service was excellent, and the food outstanding. We each had a different appetizer and entrée, and shared a dessert--every single dish was excellent and rave-worthy. We can't wait to go back. read more