Levante — Restaurant in New York

Levante swung their doors open bursting in to one of the top positions, as one of the best restaurants in Queens! The incredibly friendly, Italian owner makes you feel right at home, actually right at home in Italy. In a charming single swoop he switched from English to Italian to Spanish based on with whom he was speaking. We interacted with three people on the staff -- all incredibly friendly and helpful.

The space itself is tasteful but not overwhelming, it is not huge so I foresee long waits as more people become aware of this treat. The two features that most caught my attention were the beautiful pizza oven roaring away in the back of the restaurant, open to see. The other is the soaring, three story, almost barn-like rustic ceiling. In nicer weather, I look forward to also experiencing the backyard.

Ok ok, let's get to the most important aspect: the food. To start we had the grilled octopus (polpo) with potatoes and a moderately spicy red pepper sauce, the salad with radishes and pepitas, and arancini (cheese-stuffed rice balls). These starters were all good, solid representation of their descriptions. None particularly blew us away. They followed us snacking away on some soft, warm bread served with a fruity, perfect olive oil.

Afterwards we had the margherita pizza with olives added on top. The dough was thin and had a nice chewiness to it and the nice char of the wood fired oven. The mozzarella was in small balls and the tomato sauce was sweet and lightly tart. It was fantastic, hard to resist filling up on it. We ordered the pasta special: a homemade pappardelle with anchovies sauce and salted calamari, flavored with lemon and tarragon. It was excellent. And my personal favorite of the night, the rigatoni tre carne, a ragu of pork ribs, small meatballs, and sausage. The rib meat and meatballs were amazing and plentiful. I'm pretty sure I didn't find any sausage, but perhaps it was in small bits.

We hear their liquor license is in process and it was great seeing a ton of neighbors popping in.

This place is a hit. Looking forward to visiting...

REALLY wish we could give 1/2 Stars so this could be a 4.5. Levante is a love letter to Italy, from Tuscany to Naples. Service is phenomenal! Swift, congenial, attentive and they take initiative. The music is POPPIN, especially if their Hostess Dee Dee is in control. She had us wanting to wear out our welcome with the vibe. The space is quaint so do not plan to campout but feel free to enjoy with family, friends or a special loved one. It is intimate enough for an unpressured 1st date but they will make space for a group of work friends or family. The Focaccia strips are pillowy, seasoned and can be dipped in the spicy Olive Oil dip that only needs a hint of salt to be perfect. Really spicy so be careful but oh, so GOOD! The Cacio e Pepe Arancini are a MUST! Large savory balls of piping hot cheesy goodness, atop a delicious pool of Cacio e Pepe sauce. The Ruchetta is a collection of fresh herbaceous mixed greens (Arugula, Mint, Parsley, Dill, Tarragon and Basil) topped with shaved Fennel, in a light Balsamic dressing. It is a great palate cleanser. The Lattuga is a grilled baby Romaine-esque wedges with Goat Cheese and a supposedly spiced dressing, which was flavorful but, by no means spicy. Delicious nonetheless! The Bufala, Diavola and Quattro Formaggi are standard pie goodness, freshly made in the (possibly imported) oven a few feet from your table. Out night was freezing so you'll warm up REAL QUICK! They have a full bevy of Italian vinos, bottles and glasses, from Reds and Whites to Aperitivos. The Super Tuscan by-the-glass pour was fantastic! If they do not have your preference, their Vino store Enoteca, a few doors down will have. See Sasha, he's a Florencian expert that will help you quench your thirst. Parking SUCKS but WORTH driving around and...

I’ve been to Levante a handful of times and after the service and food tonight I will not be returning. First we ordered the meatballs as an appetizer - they were actually quite tasty but were cold. However, I kept my mouth shut in the hopes that the main course would not disappoint. I ordered the Gnocchetti, which was tasteless, and asked for the Rigatoni instead (after flagging down our inattentive waitress). This was a big mistake as my boyfriend had ordered it and his pasta was very undercooked. Of course, mine also came out undercooked (20 minutes later, as our waitress clearly forgot to put the order in). Throughout the meal, our waitress never bothered to check in with us, that is until I was very clearly done eating the Rigatoni. When she finally asked, I was honest and told her how undercooked/chewy it was. I knew this wasn’t her fault, however she responded by arguing with me about what is considered al dente (mind you, my mother is from Italy). Regardless, I told her that she should have checked in with us after each course (given that there was something wrong with every single dish we ordered) and she proceeded to lie about having checked in with us. She even insinuated that I was trying to get my entree removed from the bill - I had no intention of requesting this as I had eaten a decent amount of it since I was so hungry by this point. I also realized as we were walking out of the restaurant that our waitress never even brought us bread. I’ve never felt so disrespected by a waitress before (especially after such poor service and disappointing food at such a high price point) so I will not be returning. And looking at recent reviews about both the food and the service, I know...