Emporio — Restaurant in New York

I’ve been living in Manhattan for the last 10 years and Emporio has become my ALL TIME FAVORITE restaurant in the city. My wife and I frequent this location 2-3 times per month, usually on our sole date night each week and no matter how many times we come, the food always hits, the service is consistently excellent and the experience is spectacular.

By now we’ve tried pretty much everything on the menu and it’s refreshing to see that they keep changing up the specials based on seasonal availability of ingredients. We’ve seen so many delicious additions like lamb loin carpaccio, seared diver scallops, lobster risotto, clam pasta (similar to vongole) and even boar chops. We also noticed certain menu items might get tweaked, for example the crab on the squid ink spaghetti may get switched with shrimp. Or the charred octopus once was switched for jumbo shrimp in garlic and chili. No matter what though, every dish is very well balanced, seasoned perfectly and made with high quality ingredients. I don’t have a gluten intolerance, but it’s worth noting that this restaurant also offers gluten free pizza and pasta.

Appetizers: Our go-to here is the Tuscan Kale salad – now I don’t even like kale, but this salad is shredded and dressed in a delicious blend of pistachio pesto you can barely tell it’s made of kale and brussels. I taste some acid from either mustard or vinegar and it’s finished with pecorino shavings. My wife is obsessed with this dish. We also always get the Charred Octopus which comes with an earthy eggplant puree, made like a hummus and paired with grilled peppers – incredible flavor. I would also recommend the Focaccia & Ricotta, it’s simple but tastes super fresh with a nice drizzle of honey.

Pasta: The Pappardelle Bolognese is second to none in the city. It is hands down my single favorite dish on the menu. The ragu is made with pork and veal and has a deep richness from the fat that complements the light tomato flavor of the sauce. The Spaghetti Squid Ink is probably my second favorite. It has a really pleasant seafood flavor that gets cut by the acidity of the cherry tomatoes and chili. We eat these two pastas often.

Pizza: Emporio’s pizzas are absolutely sublime. They have an open kitchen concept with the oven facing the dining room. I don’t know how they do it, but you get this perfect light char on the outside of the crust and the bottom is crispy without drying out the toppings. Their dough is rolled out super thin, even thinner than your typical NY slice – and the toppings are generous with a narrow crust. This is a Roman-style pizza and is usually what I prefer vs thick doughy pizzas or even Neapolitans. I’m a sucker for sopressata, so the Spicy Sopressata is an obvious winner for me. They also use a very mild mozzarella that doesn’t impart so much cheesiness that it overpowers the ingredients or the sauce.

Mains: While not the same as what you would find at a NY steakhouse, the NY Strip Tagliata is a well-executed dish on its own. It comes with roasted garlic and caramelized onion and is sliced for sharing. I demolish this even after crushing apps, pizza and pasta, it’s that good. The Branzino Fillet was also nice, but a smaller portion than the steak.

Dessert: Finally, I always have room for dessert given my sweet tooth. The Nutella Calzone is a pastry of the gods, just decadent and chocolatey with a chewy dough covering. Meanwhile the Panna Cotta is also excellent if you want to something lighter. And the Tiramisu is the best in the city. Generous portion with soaked lady fingers and mouthfuls of mascarpone and cocoa powder. Yes, I have a major sweet tooth.

All in all, Emporio is an 11 out of 10. It’s the best of the best. I wake up on Mondays looking forward to eating there on the weekend and I dream about gorging on pizza and pasta from my favorite restaurant in NYC. Can’t recommend this...

Located in a neighborhood close to where I live, Emporio is an Italian restaurant that promises a delightful culinary journey. With its rustic charm and cozy ambiance, the restaurant sets the stage for an enjoyable dining experience. However, our recent visit to Emporio left us with mixed feelings, as we encountered both highlights and disappointments throughout the evening.

As we settled into our seats, we eagerly perused the menu and decided to start our meal with the artichokes appetizer. The artichokes were cooked to perfection. The tender heart of the artichokes offered a delightful burst of flavors that set a promising tone for the rest of our meal.

For our main course, we opted for the gluten-free Speck and Mushroom pizza, which sounded enticing on the menu. Regrettably, our anticipation soon turned to frustration as the pizza arrived, only to discover that it was prepared as a regular pizza rather than the gluten-free version we had requested. No one from the staff had informed us of the mistake, and unfortunately, one of our party members, who is allergic to gluten, unknowingly consumed a portion of the pizza. This oversight was highly concerning and could have had severe consequences. However, we appreciated the prompt response from the staff, who promptly removed the pizza from our bill and quickly prepared a new gluten-free pizza within five minutes. We commend their swift action in rectifying the situation, but the initial oversight was a significant letdown.

Moreover, the service at Emporio left something to be desired. Upon our arrival, we encountered an incident where another person's appetizer was placed on our table, where it sat for a notable five minutes before a staff member returned to retrieve it. This lack of attentiveness and coordination was disconcerting, as it disrupted the flow of our dining experience and demonstrated a lack of attention to detail.

On a more positive note, the replacement gluten-free pizza that eventually arrived was delicious. The crust was thin and crispy, and the combination of speck and mushrooms provided a satisfying balance of flavors. The toppings were generously portioned, and the overall taste of the pizza was enjoyable. However, it was disappointing that the original order was mishandled, tarnishing the overall experience.

Despite the setbacks, it is worth mentioning that Emporio's atmosphere and decor exude a cozy and inviting charm. The rustic interior and dim lighting create an intimate setting that is perfect for a night out with friends or a romantic dinner. The restaurant's ambiance is undoubtedly one of its redeeming qualities.

In conclusion, our visit to Emporio was a mixed bag. While the artichokes appetizer was exceptional and the replacement gluten-free pizza was satisfying, the mistakes made with our order and the lackluster service detracted from the overall experience. Emporio has the potential to be an outstanding Italian restaurant in New York City, but improvements in attention to detail and service are crucial to ensuring a truly memorable dining experience for...

this is such a hidden gem in soho! i had never heard of this restaurant but we stumbled across it and it was so cozy inside. i definitely like the back of the restaurant better and i imagine there’s great lighting during the day because of the ceiling. we had a few people serving us which was a little out of the norm for me but they were all so sweet and accommodating. i ordered the rigatoni al norcina which was the best thing on the table all night! i was worried it would be dry based on photos i saw but it wasn’t! there aren’t too many mushrooms but they are very generous with the sausage and there was a fair amount of ricotta (just note if you ask for extra ricotta they charge). my mom ordered the carbonara which was a special. it was pretty good but extremely salty so if it’s offered while you’re there be mindful of that. it is made with a wheat pasta but that didn’t affect the flavor at all. the sauce is very rich which we both enjoyed. we also ordered the tuscan salad which was fantastic, i loved the pesto on there but it wasn’t overpowering!! the broccoli rabe was also amazing but be warned that some bites can be very spicy because of the chili. overall everything here was amazing and the service was great. prices aren’t too bad and i think the portion sizes are fair with the exception of the salad, i would have liked a little more. other than that this was a 10/10 place and i would come back here in a heartbeat!

little update on emporio, we went back last night because we loved it that much and this time around was a little less impressive. personally i wasn’t a fan of the agnolotti, the sauce did not have much flavor. we tried the brussels sprouts which were basic but good, definitely go for the broccoli rabe over the brussels! the squid ink pasta was very good, the sauce absolutely makes it!! the pasta shape wasn’t my favorite because it didn’t pick up the sauce well but i don’t care because i could have drank that sauce if i wasn’t in a restaurant!! still keeping a 5/5 for this place because i think the agnolotti was good quality just not the flavors i thought i would enjoy but our server was very sweet and offered me something...