Maria Pia — Restaurant in New York

I decided to go to Maria Pia not because it was recommend or heard reviews about it, the simple reason was that it was a very cold night and Maria Pia was the closest restaurant to my hotel that could possibly serve cheesecake.

It sits right on West 51st street with 8th ave.

First thing I asked as I walked in was, do you have cheesecake and the gentleman said, "Oh we most certainly do" and thats all I needed to hear.

Remember, I was there only for the cheesecake but ended up ordering a carpaccio as an appetizer and I am so glad I did. It was absolutely delicious and exactly the carpaccio I had been looking for for quite a while.

The restaurant also serves small slices of bread free of charge and they are are very tasty.

I ordered the rigattoni alla buttera and to be honest it wasn’t the best pasta I have ever tried. The sausage in the pasta was very tasty but to me there was just soomething missing.

Now, the best part of this entire trip to Maria Pia was, of course, the cheesecake. The main reason why I was there and let me tell you, I was not disappoointed !

Hands down the best cheesecake I have ever had in my entire life! The top was crusty but the bottom was soft and very tasty. The server mentioned that the cheesecake is made daily with fresh ricotta and the taste surely reflects that!

The service was beyond anything I expected, I felt like royalty here! I didnt have to ask for anything. My water was constantly being refilled, empty plates wouldn't sit on the table for more than two seconds and the fact that they have someone near by with a bowl of parmesan cheese just waiting for someone to need some more cheese sprinkled on their pasta, is beyond amazing! I love cheese!

I would definitely be going back to Maria Pia next time I am...

I was a bit hesitant to try this restaurant at first, but the person I was dining with persuaded me. My reason: it looked a little to empty for a Saturday night. My fears were soon dissuaded, though. For one thing, the dining room filled up pretty quickly after we arrived, for another the food was fantastic.

This restaurant serves Italian food (though I'm not an expert, it seemed authentic to me). Bread was on the table within minutes of our arrival, and water glasses were never empty. The staff was very friendly and quick to do their jobs.

I ordered the Rigatoni Pollo Pazzo (I think it was called) - a pasta with vodka sauce, chicken, and sun-dried tomatoes. The person I was with ordered a pasta in a tomato/meat sauce. Both were fantastic. They were each about $15 a plate, but the portions were decent. Best vodka sauce either of us could remember having. The pastas also came out of the kitchen really quickly, which was nice.

We each ordered dessert - I got the chocolate tart and the person with me got the apple pie. Word of warning: the chocolate "tart" is more like a lava cake...not entirely what I was expecting when I ordered it, but it was still really good.

The restaurant is down a few steps from the sidewalk, but there are large yellow banners above the window, so it is hard to miss.

Located a few blocks away from The Broadway Theater and the theater where the Late Show is filmed (near the top end of Times Square), it is very conveniently located.

I would definitely go again and recommend...

Bruschetta was very bland (this coming from someone who prefers their food on the plainer side). Served on 5 or 6 small pieces of charred bread, topped with a square of melted cheese. All I could taste was the charred bread. The Linguine Alle Vongole was also tasteless, although the clams and linguine were cooked well (not over or under cooked). The sauce was had a light garlic flavor, that was it. The Veal Saltimbocca was gross - chewy and tough, it tasted off...like it wasn't fresh. Like it was made two days ago and reheated. We ordered the chocolate souffle (over-baked, too dry), which was supposed to come with hazelnut gelato. The waitress brought us vanilla instead. When we asked her for the hazelnut one, she then told us the kitchen was out of it. Usually, when you're served a substitute for something, you're told before it is served. I also saw her ignore the couple next to us when they tried to tell her something was wrong with their soup appetizer. She cut them off and asked if they were done, then simply took the full bowl of soup away. Overall, would not recommend. We came here starving and left unsatisfied. Certainly overpriced for...