Though technically across the Broome Street border into Nolita, Torrisi feels emblematic of the Italian-American neighborhood. The restaurant is from the people behind Carbone, and while it shares some DNA (impressive design, servers in tuxedos, general pageantry), it’s bigger and more interesting, with inventive dishes (chopped liver with Manischewitz jelly) that are just as good as the classics (spaghetti with lamb amatriciana). If you can’t get a reservation, try the walk-in only bar area.

If you told owner Emilio Sr. his restaurant was in Little Italy—it’s just north, on Houston—he might blacklist you from the (constantly long) line forever. But red sauce is a state of mind, and for a classic New York Italian experience, there’s no better option than this vintage 1956 restaurant. Come with a group and let a server convince you to do things “family style.” That just means taking the dishes and their prices and multiplying both, liberally.

Di Palo's is a long-standing specialty grocer on Grand Street, beloved since 1910 for their impressive selection of Italian meats, cheeses, and other pantry treasures. Right next door, the family's romantically lit wine bar, C. Di Palo, serves some of those same excellent products, as well as panini and off-the-beaten-path wines from more than 20 regions of Italy. The one thing we don't love about this place is that it’s only open Thursday through Sunday.

Parisi Bakery opened in 1903, and once counted Frank Sinatra among its regulars. The man had taste: They make excellent crusty bread here, and even better sandwiches. From cold cuts to meatball parm, just about every Italian deli standard is available—but The Dennis is the sandwich scribbled at the very top of their chalkboard menu for good reason. There's no seating in the small, unflashy storefront, so plan on lugging your hero elsewhere to eat.

Rubirosa, also technically in Nolita, is known for its thin-crust pies and bustling dining room that’s about the width of a subway car. If you need a place for a casual birthday or an impressive group dinner, this restaurant should be near the top of your list. Reservations are scarce, but walk-ins are accepted, and that’s usually how we eat here. Just be aware that the host will probably tell you to come back in two hours (which is better than Torrisi but still).

You go to Pasquale Jones in Nolita for two things: wine and pizza. This Italian restaurant also serves pasta, small plates, and a few proteins cooked in a wood-burning oven—but don’t get distracted. The pizzas are puffy and chewy, with an appropriate amount of char, and the wine list always has interesting options made with Italian varietals that you’ve probably never heard of. It’s no longer difficult to get a table here, but the dining room is as charming as ever. Take advantage.

If you long for a classic Little Italy experience—an old-school Italian joint smack in the middle of the chaos of Mulberry Street—Il Cortile (in operation since 1975) is precisely where you should go. The food at this restaurant with a charming glass-ceilinged atrium is rich, perfectly seasoned, and delicious, especially the luscious fettuccine di parma.

Open since 2022, Pep’s On Grand is a newcomer along the geologic timescale of a neighborhood where multiple restaurants have been operating for more than a century. But there’s no mistaking this modern spot for a classic red-sauce joint: Almost everything in here is sleek and black, from the pizza oven roaring in the corner to the backlit leather banquettes (and even the toilet). But what Pep’s lacks in history, it more than makes up for in very good pizza.

There’s no shortage of gelato in Little Italy, but everything served at Figo Il Gelato Italiano (also in Astoria and Greenwich Village) is especially creamy and vivid. More unique offerings include the Figo—with caramelized figs and a cheesy ricotta complexity—but we can’t resist the classics, like chocolate hazelnut with Ferrero Rocher chunks either. Go ahead and treat yourself to a pistachio cone or a cup of the bright, vegan mango if you need a cold treat in the area.

This spacious, rustic Italian restaurant on the corner of Mulberry and Grand (Gelso is Italian for “mulberry”) is a good option for groups and families, not to mention diners in a rush, who need their food to come out about five minutes after ordering. You’re in store for a solid—if not particularly memorable—meal here, though we’d steer you toward pizza over pasta. The best thing about Gelso & Grand is that it takes advantage of its Little Italy location, with big windows opening to the street.