Alessa Cucina & Bar

Alessa Cucina E Bar in Midtown was a great spot for a relaxed night out. We ordered the marinated olives, which came in a generous portion and were well seasoned and delicious. The Fritto Misto, a mix of calamari, shrimp, and zucchini, was lightly battered and served with chili aioli. It was good, though not particularly memorable. We also tried the housemade focaccia; the bread itself was very good, but I wasn’t a fan of the butter it came with. The fries were tasty, but I would have preferred a crispier bite. For drinks, I ordered the Flower Martini made with rosebud-infused vodka, and I would definitely recommend it. It was pretty, flavorful, and strong in a good way. My friend enjoyed her Ravello Spritz. Service was friendly and attentive. We were walk-ins on a Thursday at 10:00pm. They let us know the kitchen would be closing soon, though we were told it closed at 10:20 when it actually closed at 11. They still made sure to check in before last call. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, with plenty of space between tables and a comfortable, spacious layout. It was a great place for girl chat and an easy, relaxed evening.

I’m honestly very disappointed, especially since this restaurant has a 4.7 rating. It started with the hostess. I had a reservation specifically for the dining area, but she seated us in the high-top room instead. When I asked if there was a table available in the dining area, she said no. Meanwhile, there were two empty two-person tables the entire time we were there. If I made a reservation for the dining area, I expect to be seated there. Service was very slow. Our waitress, Pam, was very nice and polite, but the restaurant was packed on a Sunday evening and they only had three waitresses working. Unfortunately, all of our food arrived cold. We were seated next to the pizza station since it’s an open kitchen, and we clearly saw the pizza cook eating mushrooms directly from the container. That was very unprofessional and uncomfortable to witness. The rice balls were probably the best thing we had that night — but even those were cold. The rest of the food was a disaster. The cheeseburger was extremely spicy (I assume from a spicy mayo), and no one informed us that it would be that spicy. Overall, a very bad experience and not what we expected based on the high rating. Very disappointing.

Went for an early dinner with some colleagues on a Thursday evening and the place was absolutely buzzing! Super packed and a little loud by the bar, but thankfully we were seated in the back where conversation was much easier. Bonus points for the happy hour that runs until 8pm—such a win. We shared a few apps and some pizzas for the table, and everything was delicious. Our waiter was an absolute vibe—fun, attentive, and really made the night. The only downside was the cocktails, which tasted more like juice than a proper drink, so I switched to wine after that (definitely the safer bet). Overall, great energy, tasty food, and I’m already looking forward to coming back to try more of the menu.

I had a fantastic time at the restaurant and enjoyed the service and restaurant atmosphere. I took home some leftover pizza. The Bianca pizza was delightful and had roasted garlic pieces underneath the cheese. Unfortunately, halfway through eating the pizza slice I bit into this plastic piece. Thankfully I didn’t come close to swallowing it. I guess, be careful eating the pizzas and chew thoroughly.

Wow. So glad this opened up near my home. Beautiful inside with fantastic misern italian fare. The best drinks in the city. Alexis makes a mean drink. Nice has such knowledge about drinks and food. He gave us a wonderful experience. My birthday was outstanding. The martini parm was fun. Light, interesting and great blue cheese stuffed olives. So fun. The ravello spritz was like itslian lemon candies. Delicious. The expresso martini fantastic. Light n frothy. The clarified ny sour blew my mind. May be the best drink ever. Frito mistook was like naples. The beet salad fantastic and refreshing. The interesting part was the dehydrated squid ink olive oil. Just wanted more, all mixed with the marscapone. The pizza here fantastic. Memorable. The pesto was like moms and the mozzarella tasted farm fresh. The cantalope and prossuto fresh. The coconut Verde drink outrageous. It was a frothy tropical coconut, green juice gone margarita. The chicken park was huge, delicious and seasoned. The best i ever ate out. Fun cheese pull. The broccoli nuggets with fried hot peppers yes please. Good buccatini n clam. (They have gluten free options). The house made tiramisu, with homeade lady fingers and caramel brittle was delicious. Outstanding meal and service.

Got the LUNCH promo for the margherita pizza @ $10 which was very good for the price. Chicken paillard was nicely seasoned as well. Staff was accomodating and attentive. Would go here again.

The salmon was amazing. To be honest, I actually liked the eggplant more than the salmon. I was skeptical when I saw eggplant served with salmon, but it turned out great. The margarita pizza was so fresh and flavorful. My colleague had the chicken mozzarella sandwich she loved it, and he really liked the salad that came with it. A couple of my colleagues had burgers; they said the meat was juicy and spicy, which they really liked, FYI, it comes with chipotle mayo, if you can’t tolerate spice let them know 😬

What an amazing experience my friend and I had at Alessa. The service was outstanding — super attentive and friendly. The place is spacious and beautifully decorated, and the lighting gives the whole evening a very New York vibe. The highlight was definitely the food. The chicken with capers was outstanding! We tried several dishes, but don’t miss the chicken, the branzino, and the pizzas. Highly recommended!

We just had our dinner at Alessa. Anna was our waitress and we concluded: Dinner excellent / service excellent. Reason: I wanted to have a Pizza tono which was not on the menu but I got my Pizza Tono! Specially made with a great taste. Anna arranged the pizza and we all had a great evening.

Thank you to the staff at Alessa for hosting and catering! My company had a little gathering here and we had such a great time thanks to Alessa. The food choices were phenomenal and I wish I had taken more photos. Some highlights for me was their mushroom ricotta toast, prosciutto pizza, and their pistachio cookies. I found myself going back for more of their mushroom ricotta toasts and I hope to find it on the menu when I return here! It was definitely my favorite of the night. The servers were also just so kind and patient and I want to thank them because there were just so many of us and with that comes a lot of different requests. The space is so beautifully decorated too and would make for such cute photos. I can't wait to return!

Really enjoyed a lunch at Alessa. The margherita pizza was one of the best in the city with an outstanding tomato sauce. I also had the mortadella panuozzo, which was delicious. Fresh mortadella and great bread. The service was excellent. I highly recommend this place.

Quality Italian in a tough to find quality area. Big room with spacious seating -!; friendly service. Early Sunday dinner. Ate: Focaccia with cacio Pepe butter Marinated olives Beet salad with marscapone Swordfish plus caponata Rigatoni and short rib Total $114 The cacio & pepe butter is fire but my favorite dish was the beet salad. It had crunchy rye or pumpernickel and it was excellent. Swordfish was generous & delicious The rigatoni short rib while always good lacked the punch of others I've tried. A professional run establishments & we will definitely be back.

Gorgeous interior, no details left unturned from the impressive gold-tiled pizza ovens, right down to the bathrooms. This new establishment is exciting and elegant. So close to Penn, makes for an excellent meeting spot after work. There were a few kinks in our service however the staff was so friendly, willing to go above and beyond, you can tell how passionate and enthusiastic they are. Our server Fernando quickly made up for any issues, between the on-the-house appetizer and "pornstar " shot and his positive nature - all was quickly forgiven. All the dishes were delicious - we all enjoyed our pastas. So many great things to try on the menu especially their pizzas which we will definitely comeback for. It is especially helpful with all of the accommodations on the menu- gluten free options, food labelled accordingly to different diets on the menu. My friend ordered a mocktail etc.

Meeting a cousin, who lives in the Bronx. We went before to the Duke vs Illinois game at MSG. Everything was great especially the service. (Shout out to Valery) The food was excellent except for my appetizer, the Fritto Miso. It was bland and had the wrong batter. The entrées were great. Will visit again.

I visited Alessa after work with some friends, we had tasty cocktails with some great food, the bartenders were pretty friendly and attentive.

What a gem! We stumbled upon this lovely place while looking for some late night pizza. It's just recently opened and has a beautiful ambiance. The staff was friendly and very helpful. But the PIZZA?!?! Rivals some of the best, even in little Italy. It was made Fresh and cooked in a brick oven at the front of the restaurant. We travel around sampling pizza from ALL OVER, and this is crisp, tasty, fresh and flavorful. 5 stars!

AMAZING EVERYTHING OMG... It's very rare that when I try a new restaurant I'm blown away by the flavors instantly. I love when that happens it's literally the reason for trying new locations. I came to Alessa 9/28 with my bestie and we ordered the Bianco Pizza, Frito Miso and Beef Rigatoni & two drinks. I was so blown away I said I need to go back b4 I do my review. I went back 10/10 and that place was exactly like the date. A 10/10‼ i ordeeed the same things I ordered the first visit except the rigatoni since I was alone this time. I was so shocked at why the food is so good. I even ate Calamari. Understand b4 this restaurant I was a strong calamari HATERRRRRRR. Very proud to tell you it's nasty. Now I'm proud to say I'm converted Calamari eater because of Alessa. The restaurant is beautiful inside and even better food. It's perfect for a date night or to enjoy food catching up with an old friend. Whatever the reason please go try their foood. I have been wishing it was in walking distance since the first visit. I want the calamari everyday now because it's so fresh. I asked how is the food so good. Apparently they have a great Chef named Denevin Mirada who was on Chopped. I always wanted to try the food on Chopped now I see he exceeds expectations. The staff was so nice from Gerald to my lovely waitress Cassie. She recommended some great drinks for my solo date it was so appreciated. Wonderful job.

Very spacious restaurant with great ambience and great vibes. Service was very attentive which was awesome. The food was really good, across the pizza, pasta, and the steak Florentine. What prevents a perfect score is I wish the steak was not lukewarm upon arrival to the table, kind of took away from a premium dish. Deduct half star, but still 4.5 round up to 5. Recommend.

We met a friend here for dinner after work . Good location a block from Penn Station and a nice new addition to the dining options here. The service was mixed- they had a little trouble with our order initially but they made everything right including both a mortadella and a burrata starter that we enjoyed (albeit the mortadella is definitely salty) with tasty bread and deliciously creamy cheese. They also seemed really interested in making every customer happy which is definitely not true of all restaurants these days. The ricotta gnudi with blue crab was really creamy, sweet, and delicious. Prices were mostly ok by NYC standards but the non-pasta/pizza entrees were pretty boring. There's some room for improvement here but I definitely think we would come back and try the pizzas.

WOW!!! This new restaurant is incredible. Everything was amazing but you need to get the funghi white pizza. Cocktails were great and awesome atmosphere -- will be back!

Super cute Italian influenced bar with tvs for watching a game. Food was great. Service by Cassie spectacular. Drinks creative and made with love. Definitely a great find. Right by Penn station for when you have a little waiting time. Hasn't been discovered yet so come before it becomes a crowded hot spot!

Great Italian restaurant near Penn Station. There's a lot of tables but if you want a low-top table then I'd recommend making a Resy reservation ahead of time. While my table got a variety of items, I liked the pizza the most. Service was friendly and attentive. I really like the ambiance and vibe of the restaurant, cool postcard when you pay and different colored matchboxes!

This was an unexpected find before heading down to MSG for a concert. We called ahead by about 15-20 minutes on a Saturday and were warmly welcomed. The drinks and food were good. Atmosphere was a bit loud but still able to have a decent conversation.

Friendly staff and candlelight ambiance. The food was modern Italian cuisine. I would definitely come back.

Excellent. Drinks costeria negroni and maraska sour. App burrata and entree branzino. Everything was wonderful. Bar staff helpful with recommendations. Great food, service and ambiance.

Lovely server, very attentive and knowledgeable. Food was good however large arugula side salad attempts to mask how skimpy the sandwiches are for their cost. Very little meat and the chicken breast was dry. Pesto aioli delicious.

This restaurant is absolutely stunning first and foremost. Our server was so knowledgeable about the menu and guided us towards some great cocktails and dishes. The housemade rigatoni was perfectly cooked and the braised short rib was so flavorful. The arancini with eggplant was absolutely amazing and the perfect appetizer to start our meal and the bistecca tagliata was a perfectly cooked medium rare. Can't wait for an excuse to go back for seconds! Highly recommend

The service was wonderful. But we ordered the lobster linguini for 2, and the portion was not even enough for 1. The menu said that the meal was a 1 1/2 lb lobster, but we had 6 small pieces of lobster on top of the pasta. $87 for 6 small chunks of lobster is terrible.

Food was wonderful! The ambiance was fantastic. The service impeccable. Cant wait for our next show in nyc. This is where we are going!!!!!!

Great spot if you're heading to any type of event at MSG. Drinks were incredible Food was incredible Staff was incredible Highly recommend the Rigatoni. Will be returning any time we are headed to MSG.

Highly recommended! 5/5 on food, service , and ambiance! See pictures! a birthday party exceeded expectations! We had a lovely night with great food with very reasonable and affordable price!

I had lunch there and it was excellent. The space is gorgeous and the food is really good, they have freshly made soup that was a delicious starter. I also really liked their mocktails and tried two of them. The food came quickly and the servers were so nice and knowledgeable, and easily accommodated me being gluten free.

Amazing dining experience!!!! Food was delicious, and the service was amazing! I shared the short rib panini and spicy salami pizza, and we let the chef choose dessert for us. The short rib panini really hit the spot for me. I don't remember the names of the dessert, but one was a chocolate skillet cookie with ice cream, and the other was a lavender blue berry mousse. The lavender dessert was to die for, and I will be back ASAP to have it again. Cocktails were delicious as well. 10/10 experience

We went for dinner on a day trip to NY. Food was absolutely amazing!!!! One of NY's finest! Highly recommend the broccolini and pizza!

Wow!!! We stumbled upon this place after a long day of travel for a quick drink before we headed off to our holiday Christmas gathering! Let me tell you the bar staff was amazing Nixon was the best!

Ambiance, service and wood was phenomenal! WI'll be back again. a Also note that it is not that far from Penn Station. Go to the city walk around, get dinner at Alessa! Great place to take clients as well. Enjoy!

Dined there on Oct 28th. Thrilled to have so many high top tables, both near the bar and in the dining room. Our server (Cathy) was attentive, informative, and not intrusive. The food was very well prepared and high quality ingredients. Started with the delicious homemade focaccia and fritto misto...could have eaten that all night. Also shared a Sarda salad. Not a typical green salad by any means, but was a perfect accompaniment to the swordfish, which was cooked perfectly. I'll be back in a couple of weeks with a larger group so we can try more things. A great find near MSG.

Absolutely GORGEOUS inside. Service was excellent and every bite was delish. Definitely give the pizzas a try. Seafood was fresh, bistecca was cooked perfectly. Will definitely be back!