King Umberto — Restaurant in Town of Hempstead

Where do I begin? The food is authentic, the portions are generous, the prices are competitive, the service is friendly and professional, and the atmosphere is expertly engineered to factor in all of the elements necessary to create the ultimate dining experience.

My first visit to this fine restaurant was as a guest at a bridal shower. I was impressed with the organization of the menu which offered several entree choices; but being a shower, I really wasn’t expecting much. My introduction to the culinary expertise of the executive chefs of King Umberto was my first ever taste of fried capellini. Initially I thought they were rice balls, and so wasn’t expecting much because they are rarely made well; but after my first bite I was in love. They were fried to perfection without being greasy; the outer crust was crispy and not chewy as some fried coatings often turn out. Next was the creamy, white, perfectly seasoned cheese and then the ultimate surprise of little macaronis...oh my. I could have eaten a dozen but I restrained myself and enjoyed some of the other appetizers being served including the fried clams, mozzarella & roasted pepper drizzled with balsamic glaze, and the calamari. The calamari deserves special mention for being perfectly cooked to a surprising, tasty tenderness.

For my main course I ordered the eggplant parmigiana and I have never before experienced this dish so expertly prepared: paper thin slices, tender, layered with mozzarella and marinara like mama made.

In order for the food, as amazing as it is, to take the spotlight, a good restaurant must pay special attention not just to the atmosphere, but also to the servers who can make or break a dining experience. Since this first visit was a party, the atmosphere was more or less controlled by the hosts; but the servers were present throughout the meal attending to all guests’ needs without skipping a beat.

The party was typical, but the food made it exceptional. So of course I had to go back to experience King Umberto’s in a proper dining experience. This time I ordered gnocchi with a vodka sauce. As expected, the food was perfectly prepared and the service was still beyond compare. Our server, Santos, was friendly and professional, and very attentive.

All in all King Umberto’s of Elmont is a remarkable old world Italian restaurant with excellent food and service. One little thing impressed me: because it was Mother’s Day all the women in the restaurant received a free gift of appreciation. Not a carnation, not a rose, but an old-school gift of appreciation which you never see anymore: an actual functioning, useful gift of an umbrella. And it was raining so how...

Took my family of four to dinner last night at King Umberto's expecting an amazing dining experience.  BOY, were we disappointed! Although the room was beautifully decorated for Christmas and the waiters were prompt and attentive, the food, of all things, was where King Umberto's failed, big time.  We started with two appetizers, baked clams and a pot of mussels pepate.  The clams were flavorful but surprisingly tiny.  The mussels, on the other hand, had no flavor whatsoever.  We tried stirring the pot and laddeling the broth over the mussels, but even the broth had no flavor so it made no difference. My son ordered veal marsala, his favorite dish. When it arrived, it came with the smallest side of pasta I've ever seen.  We were all in disbelief. How could the kitchen staff serve such a miniscule portion of pasta to a customer? They should be embarrassed. My son said the marsala sauce was nothing more than gravy with mushrooms.  The chef must have forgotten, veal marsala requires real marsala wine in the mix. My wife had the Italian classic, linguini with clams.  Upon arrival it looked fantastic, with a heaping mound of clams over pasta.  After nearly 15 minutes of pulling clams out of their shell, she finally got around to eating. While tasty and garlicky, she said she'd had better, and it didn't help that her dish was by now, cold.  My double stuffed pork chop with cavatelli on the side and my daughter's cavatelli in a white bolognese sauce, both from the Specials Menu, were good, but not at all "special."  In the end, our check came to just over $200 which struck me as quite hefty given that we did not have wine, soda, or dessert. I wouldn't have minded had King Umberto's provided an outstanding meal and dining experience, but we left shaking our heads in wonder.

One last thought, upon arrival, I approached the front desk and checked in with the hostess. We were right on time for our reservation. Normally, the hostess at a fine restaurant will greet her customers in a friendly and welcoming manner. Not this one. For whatever reason, she never broke a smile and coldly directed us to wait off to the side. Maybe she was having a bad day, I don't know, that's really not my problem. She should have done her best to greet us warmly and make us...

Update: their margerita slice is the best - better taste than umbertos of new Hyde park. Some items umbertos of new Hyde park does better but some items I would say they do better. The regular slices are good when you are not that hungry but other food items are great options like the margerita slices for $4.87 each which tastes pretty good and fulfills your appetite.

Yes they sell the lowest cost of regular slice at $3.50, the problem or benefit? It is a thin slice with not much cheese and very soft. If you are hungry it will not really fill your stomach. Spend $1 dollar more at Martino’s of Elmont at $4.50 plus tax and you will feel like you ate 2 slices. The cheese is also thicker and the dough is thicker as well. So while Umbertos may seem cheaper it is not. It tastes good though but will not fulfill your hunger in my opinion nor provide as much nutritional value. I am not an employee or owner or friend or related to Martino’s just being honest. I have not tried anything else at Martino’s. The cheesecake is good. The brownie sundae is good. The mozzarella salad is good. The gelato is excellent and would suggest they open their own gelato only section but their problem. The red wine selection is good. The actual atmosphere is high end. I would recommend they try to open a catering hall - probably the whole block. People need a good Italian ice cream store here if you ask me. Going to Franklin square can be a bit of a drive and their gelato has down hill. The slice at umbertos is good if you are looking to lose weight. They can create a slice for women and slice for men. Or adults vs kids or diet va regular slice - they should also try vegan cheese. But their business, they probably know best. The gelato is quite expensive though - $15 bucks, they will sell more if they open a separate store next to them for gelato only if you ask me. All about marketing to specific niches… they do sometimes throw in a free slice. So depends what you want. Martino’s is more quiet so maybe if that what you want fine. Umbertos patio side can have too...