New York City is not like Italy. Italians value la dolce vita, the comparatively slow lifestyle that makes room for savoring life’s small beauties. If you tried to practice this philosophy in Manhattan, you’d probably lose your job, apartment, and health insurance. That said, Italian immigration has shaped the Big Apple in many ways, not least of which is the city’s food scene.
The country’s cuisine is much beloved in New York, and it can embody an astoundingly diverse spectrum of restaurants. Red sauce joints with tuxedoed waiters and chicken Parm, sit-down pizzerias with artisanal cocktails, and industrial-chic pasta places with minimalist menus all fall under the umbrella of New York Italian. I’ve been living here for more than 15 years, which has given me plenty of time to slurp spaghetti in every borough. Along with the help of some fellow dedicated eaters, I’ve compiled a list of the 16 best Italian restaurants the city has to offer.
River Deli
I happened upon this Brooklyn Heights eatery by accident on a chilly night over a decade ago, lured by the promise of lasagna and red wine. River Deli’s dining room is decorated with an old, fraying map of Sardinia, the Italian island whose culinary legacy gave rise to the restaurant’s simple, beautifully executed dishes.
Spinach and ricotta ravioli shimmer under a coating of sage butter and a dusting of Parmesan cheese and thick tagliatelle is served in a heaping pile held together with meaty, savory lamb ragu. Malloreddus, a Sardinian pasta shaped like a long, skinny gnocchi, is chewy and traps tomato sauce in its tiny ridges. The burrata is fresh and milky, cut by the bright acid of cherry tomatoes…