Italianissimo

Food very good. Desserts excellent.

Small, cozy (some might say small) dining area. Staff is wonderful, barely realize they are around. Food is outrageously good AND reasonable . Had strachitelli followed by lemon sole with crusted parmesian coating covered w/tomatoes. Wife had gluten free pasta with garlic under grilled chicken. Looked great and must have been, there was nothing left. The desserts are even better. Half block from the 2nd ave Q line 86 st stop, east to get to.

For the best authentic Italian cuisine, italianissimos stands above the rest! The ambiance & service are second to none!

Ambience is beautiful, very romantic, cosy & candlelit, actually feels like you're in Italy instead of NYC! Service was also very very good, thoughtful, attentive & polite. However, prices were way too much for the quality and the quantity too - portion size was very disappointing and my husband can make better pasta at home than what we had. I don't know where the chef is from but the servers were definitely NOT Italian - I heard them speaking Spanish and the music playing was also Spanish until they changed it to Italian, so I'm guessing this is an Italian restaurant, run by Mexicans. It definitely ruined the authenticity of the restaurant, but explained why the food didn't taste Italian at all - it was almost Olive Garden taste, but with sizes smaller than Europe, and unjustifiable prices. The food came too quickly for any of it to be fresh. Sauces were watery, pasta tasted almost fake. Still, had a lovely evening due to the atmosphere and we were treated very well.

Wonderfully intimate little Italian restaurant tucked away from NYCs upper east sides bustling streets. A true hidden gem offering all the delights of Italy. A plate of pasta, a bottle of Morreti, chocolate mousse and a single shot espresso can make sun shine on the bleakest of days.