da Umberto — Restaurant in New York

My fiancé and I went to da Umberto for our engagement dinner (I proposed the day of the reservation). I wanted to spend quality time with my fiancé at dinner on this special day but felt as if we were rushed unfortunately. I had mentioned that this was our engagement dinner to staff. We ordered drinks and the server asked that we order the full meal at once (appetizer and main course) in case we have a meal that takes a long time to cook (the server mentioned that it could take ~45-60 minutes to make some dishes). That is understandable. I ordered the polipo as an appetizer and the raviolacci and elefante as our main entrée. We ate our appetizer and within two minutes, the main course came out. Of course we had to eat it because we didn't want it to get cold. My fiancé and I were in and out of da Umberto within 75 minutes of our reservation starting. I understand that the restaurant is trying to get people in and out as soon as possible but I didn't expect that on my engagement dinner. Have to mention that the host...

If you want the most authentic Italian experience in NYC, you must come to da Umberto. The food is truly special. The pappardelle with artichoke and leeks were fantastic; you could tell the pasta was made from scratch, and the products were as fresh as any of the best restaurants in Italy.

The appetizers - a cut above the rest. The orto (assorted vegetable platter) were so simple, and so wonderful. Even the beets tasted better than a steak at Peter Luger's!

Finally, the main dishes were OUT of this WORLD. The special chicken alla romana was immeasurable, while the other chicken dish was truly divine. Da Umberto was able to mesh culinary genius, heavenly taste while still adhering to the classic foods of Italian cuisine flawlessly and without much effort.

Finally, a note must be said to Andrea (our waiter) as well as Giuseppe. It is rare to have such charismatic staff to really guide you through a free-flowing influx of wonderful tastes, and make for an overall wonderful night....

I was actually looking for the Mediterranean restaurant next door and stumbled upon da Umberto and I am so glad I did. The decor is simple but welcoming and they have a really great wine selection and menu. I visited on a Sunday evening and opted to sit at the bar.

I was greeted with a warm welcome and smile by one of the servers who answered all of my questions and helped me select an amazing white wine to pair with my entree. Abby was amazing!! She was kind and extremely helpful. I mentioned to her that I recently got braces and she explained each menu item and recommended the softest chicken meal , which happened to be the daily special.

The chicken was flavorful and really tender, they used a balsamic glaze and fresh herbs. Initially I didn't think I would finish it because it was so much but I guess I was hungry lol because I left no crumbs.

I learned from Abby that the restaurant has been around for over 20 years and is a local favorite. I'll...