Trattoria Dell'Arte — Restaurant in New York

The food is a delicious overload of carbs, the gourmet pizzas and pastas are phenomenal because they utilize wonderful cheeses, delicious meats, and everything is made from scratch. Discerning customers will definitely notice the difference. It's like an upscale version of Sunday dinner at Nanna's house. My favorites are their meatball pizza, pesto ravioli, and the house special lasagna.

Try to save room for dessert. The tiramisu and dual-gelato tartufo are definitely worth the extra hour in the gym next week. The lemon cake topped with baked Alaska is such a gigantic slice that you'll forget the Carnegie Deli is closing for good this month.

Pro Tip: They make a delicious and strong Irish coffee here. Which is good because the bar at Carnegie Hall is insanely expensive and a jolt of caffeine should prevent that cheesy pasta food coma from washing over you and have you snoring through the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

This restaurant gets very noisy on the ground floor, but if you're going to Carnegie Hall, or a show nearby, there's definitely nowhere any better for Italian food. If feel like spending an absolute fortune to impress a new date you might consider Porter House, or Del Friscos, for steaks. But if you're ready to talk, laugh, and eat with great upscale food at reasonable prices - come to Trattoria Dell'Arte.

Pro Tips: When they are busy, ask to be seated upstairs for a MUCH quieter dining experience and a faster upstairs service bar that handles less people & gets drinks out much faster. There's less ambiance upstairs, but less headaches also. You won't have trouble flagging down your server while dining on the second floor. And the staff here is friendly, efficient, and helpful.

There are also private rooms downstairs if you feel like booking a big meeting, or private event - like throwing a Carnegie Hall birthday party for a dozen friends.

Although the menu states that the restaurant doesn't serve their gourmet pizzas until after 7:30, always ask them because they will usually make pizzas at that time anyway - especially on week nights.

Many people like to come here after the theater for dessert. I'm more of a drinker so my friends and I tend to hit the bar scene after shows. As such, filling up on food here beforehand is always a strong,...

This was our favorite “go to” restaurant whenever we were in the city for any reason especially a Broadway play. We always ordered the veal chop parmigiana which was the best we ever had. A beautiful veal chop pounded down thin to look like a large pizza with fresh ricotta. But this restaurant also had a fantastic vibe and energy that made you feel welcome as if you were their best customer. We have been going there since 1997 and probably went there 3-4 times a year. Brandon Fay was the manager and he would recognize me in line and then treat me as if I had been there 3-4 times a week! He would pour my wife and I champagne to sip as we waited a few minutes for our table. And he would always grant our request to have Mark as our waiter if he was working that lunch or dinner shift. Mark was a very experienced and fun waiter who knew exactly what vegetables to bring from the appetizer bar to eat with our veal parmigiana. The portions were huge and we always ended up bringing home half the veal chop. We came back after they finally reopened after COVID and the food was still excellent but unfortunately Mark did not return after the shut down. Brandon had already moved on after 20 years before COVID hit to start his own restaurant and appeared on Shark Tank. We just went back again this past Tuesday evening when we were in for a Broadway show and I am very sorry to say it was not nearly as good as in the past. The veal parmigiana had increased from $50 to $60 and that would have been fine but the portion had shrunk substantially. The mixed drinks were now $19 and the house red wine was $23. The veal chop was dried out and not as moist or as good as in the past and my friend ordered the chicken parmigiana and she didn’t like it and gave me a taste and it was over cooked and dried out. The waiter was fine and the service very good but we were so shocked and disappointed that we thought maybe the restaurant had changed ownership. My wife doesn’t want to go back anymore but I am hoping to give this place another try although it is no...

Trattoria Dell'Arte has earned a top spot on my list of all-time worst meals ever. Unfortunately it was also for my 30th birthday dinner. Talk about a memorable celebration...

Charcuterie, 38$ - This was a cruel joke. The meager two slices of prosciutto di parma were overshadowed by an abundance of cheap mortadella and salami, and a so-called "housemade" burrata that wouldn't hold a candle to a $5 Trader Joe's version.

Spaghetti alla Carbonara, 27$ - A dish known for its simplicity and depth, was reduced to a pathetic excuse for itself. A plate of noodles drowning in egg, with a miserly offering of TWO lonely pieces of meat.

The unlisted specials, a grotesque display of culinary greed. Lobster and truffle caviar ravioli, ingredients thrown together like confetti on a birthday cake...

Naive of me, thinking of getting a dessert to celebrate my birthday, I got a tartufo. What we received was literally just a store-tasting ice cream thrown in store-tasting chocolate crumbs - FOR 16 DOLLARS. (accompanied by two waiters singing a cute happy birthday song, so thank you for that!)

I laughed it off during the dinner, shocked that so many people consider this place a go-to for special occasions. I got home and found myself in tears because this was my birthday celebration.

The only saving grace of the entire evening was the service by the hosts and waiters.

I'm baffled by its packed status and the 4.5-star average from 2000 reviews. Someone needs to break the news – this place is ripping people off. Get some new vendors or, at the very least, change the chef. Honestly, I'd have preferred eating at McDonald's in Times Square over this sorry excuse for a dining experience.

Please avoid Trattoria Dell'Arte at all costs. Save your money, your taste buds, and your sanity. There are countless other Italian restaurants in New York City that will treat you with the respect and deliciousness you deserve (Fiaschetteria Pistoia, Song E Napule, Aurora, just...