Il Monello — Restaurant in New York

It's rare to have a perfect dining experience these days, but I had such an experience last Friday night. My wife and I came into the city from PA for a date night and I chose dinner at Il Monello. We arrived early, and a little underdressed (hit a spa beforehand), and were treated like family. The hostess was super friendly, immediately took our coats, and brought us to our table in the front room with a wall full of windows looking out at 49th street. My wife ordered an espresso martini and I ordered a glass of their SuperTuscan which was one of the best red wines (and definitely the best SuperTuscan) I ever had. Bread and olive oil were outstanding. We started with fried calamari which was excellent and came with two delicious sauces. We didn't each want a huge salad so we asked to split a Caesar, to which our server (excellent guy, forget his name) immediately said no problem and had the kitchen split it beautifully in the back. The salad was outstanding with super fresh Romaine. That night they had a homemade Bolognese over mushroom ravioli. My wife loves Bolognese and hates mushrooms, so the chef made her a plate of fettuccini Bolognese. I ordered the frutti di mare which was heavy on fresh seafood and light on pasta, exactly as I would have prepared it myself. Portion sizes were exactly right on; we were full but didn't have half of a dinner sitting on the plate afterwards. We skipped dessert so we could bounce around the city and get it somewhere else. All in all, it was an amazing (and delicious) experience and I would highly recommend...

It's not often that I find myself looking for a place to eat in Midtown on the East Side, but I am happy to report that I now have my new go-to.

Il Monello is a small Italian restaurant that feels like a place where if you go once a month, they will still remember what you ordered the last time.

After being redirected down 49th Street because of UN closures, my wife and I glanced at the menu and decided to sit outside on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

When we arrived, there were several tables outside, but most were taken by the time our food arrived. It's popular with the diplomatic core, and as global travelers, I know they know a good thing when they find it.

We ordered the calamari, clams regatta, and carpaccio, which were all delicious. We had a couple of glasses of Sancerre, and everything was perfect.

We plan to return with friends for dinner and sit inside. There is a front room and a back room. Both are lovely, but the back room has no windows, so it is best if you are looking for an intimate experience.

There is a small bar, too, which is strategically separated from the dining room by a small wall.

This little spot is punching way above its weight class, and I can't wait to see what...

We received exceptional service at Il Monello, undoubtedly the best we encountered during our three days in New York City. However, regrettably, that was the only highlight of our experience. The food, unfortunately, left much to be desired, with bland flavors that lacked the culinary expertise one would expect. Frankly, I could prepare a tastier pasta dish myself.

The calamari, in particular, seemed to come from a frozen batch, lacking the freshness and flavor that we anticipated. Additionally, the inclusion of an automatic gratuity left us perplexed. Perhaps it should be labeled as a service charge instead, as we believed gratuity was meant to be based on the quality of service received. This unexpected charge further dampened our...