Cafetal Social Club

Delightful little place! Was recommended by Tommy's Of New York that we just toured with. I had the slice of prosciutto pizza and it was one of the best slices I've ever eaten! We sat outside in beautiful weather, listening to Frank Sinatra as we watched the city go by.

Normally a sign declaring somewhere to be the 'real New York' can seem suspicious or boastful, but this place really delivers. Awesome Italian-American influenced dishes with a friendly, old Lower Manhattan vibe. The sandwiches were fresh and quick to arrive, the prices were reasonable and the overall atmosphere was pleasantly welcoming.

A low key, cozy Italian diner/restaurant that serves classic pizza, pastas, salads, and Italian entrees. It was a little pricey for the menu but still pretty good food. The waiters are all very nice. Would go here again to escape the hustle and bustle of little Italy to enjoy a good italian meal!

Really cool spot to eat, people watch and have a real NY experience. The owner is in and out if the place (Louie) and completely entertains while being the perfect host. He knows everyone who walks by and many locals stopped to both eat and chat. I ordered a linguini with shrimp and clams and a marinara sauce that was delicious (add some chili flakes) and a couple glasses of Pinot grigio. They have a case full of gelato so save room for dessert. My meal with wine (one glass was free) and tea was about $33, but alcohol always pushes the bill up. The service was great and pleasant (the server had a good sense of humor). I will return for the food, wine and gelato but also for the experience.

Best italian in the neighborhood! I had a Caprese salad, Carbonara pasta, Tiramisu, and off course an Espresso. The food is original Italian food, and there is a great Italian atmosphere. Recommended.

I came here for a slice of pizza to-go, so I would say this isn't exactly that type of establishment, more of a sit-down place to hang out for Italian food. The interior was certainly interesting with a lot of history. Grandma slice pretty good with crispy edges and a bready interior,solid ingredients. Overall, this is sit-down place that isn't really for slices, but the grandma slice is more an appetizer for your meal.

Very delicious restaurant with authentic made to order Italian food.

My friend of 40 yrs invited us to go to dinner here tonight! (forgot to take pics)The food was amazing and the service was even better. Great place to stop for a night out or a quick bite to take home. I had rigatoni, broccoli rabe and chicken, i am really picky and it was one of the best i have ever eaten. The pizza was perfectly cooked with fresh mozzarella too! The antipasto was like being at my gramma's house. My friends had linguini and clam, penne vodka, chicken parm and Sunday pasta! No one was disappointed! Almost like you cooked it yourself! Don't pass this one by. It is worth the stop! Bon Appétit!

We came here to grab a quick dinner before we went out with friends. This is a small local Italian restaurant where you can get pizza by the slice or pie, paninis and sandwiches, and also excellent pasta. I got the Penne Vodka and it was the right amount of spicy and came out fresh and hot. My husband tried the Spaghetti Agilo Olio as we've been trying to find a good place in the city that serves it correctly. It was definitely perfectly made. The food was very flavorful and we both enjoyed it. The bread was average, nothing that stuck out about it. We didn't get a chance to try the desserts but the dessert menu looked delicious and worth a try. The service was quick and friendly and the restaurant was clean. It's definitely not fancy but a great local spot and I would definitely go back.

Worst pizza in the the United States. I've lived everywhere from NY, MA, MI, CA, CO. I can say I've never had pizza this bad. They do not serve round pie slices but Sicilian style. I love Sicilian style. Both of our slices were served cold. Very little sauce. Cheese was a solid slab of coldness (despite eating onsite). The cold canned mushrooms were atop the cold cheese. I don't think there was a pizza oven in here despite 50% of the menu being pizza. I think they buy premade/cooked pizza dough and add stuff then toss in a toaster oven. IDK. Either that or they need to train the guy that serves us to warm pizza better. Go to the by the slice place around the corner with the long line instead. Canoli was yummy. Service was polite.

Insanely delicious, great atmosphere, stellar staff, and did I mention delicious pasta? Don't skip on this place!! They made the honorable mentions of my recent NYC food review. You can view it here: https://mise-en-scene.medium.com/taking-a-bite-of-the-big-apple-7914f96e143b

Well this place was definitely social! The owner is a really nice guy with a lot of fun stories to share. This is a great place to stop off and have a glass of wine and enjoy camaraderie after wandering around the shops and sights around the Bowery,

Service was really good but food was marginal. My salad was a little overdressed, Cannoli was a little too sweet and pizza wasn't amazing phenomenal. It was square style pizza just as a reference. It was a solid meal but nothing anything to rave about or recommend to my friends.

Stopped by here on a rainy Saturday afternoon to grab some drinks/food under an awning. Was greeted by the lady working the place by herself and got one of the empty tables for two outside (for the time being during the pandemic). Ordered the Old Fashion Margarita ($10) to drink and a Prosciutto Slice ($4.50) for food. Drink arrives in a few minutes - super strong with a hint of citrus to cut the tequila. Food arrives shortly afterwards - a well portioned square of cheese pizza topped by what looks to be the "bacon-bits" version of prosciutto. Meat on top was overly salty and an afterthought add-on to the pizza - so I removed them off the square and enjoyed the remaining cheese on top. Lady started off attentive then disappears for some time during the middle. Cheese slice and a glass of wine would probably be the best combo here.

This is an amazing place to get together with a buddy sit down and catch up over some good solid food and a beer. That is exactly what we did! The owner Louie is amazing. He is friendly and a great down to earth guy overall. I had the chicken parm with rigatoni. It was great! As well as the rice ball and fried shrimp. The food is top notch and an epic staple in Little Italy! You must GO and see for yourself! Thank you Louie!

I love this place! It's such a quaint homey small Italian cafe that serves salads, appetizers, sandwiches, pizzas and pastas. And on top of that, they also serve some alcohol! This is the most authentic Italian cafe I've gone to in New York so far (aside from all the bigger fancier restaurants) and it didn't disappoint! I ordered their spaghetti carbonara (since it's so hard to come by naturally in other Italian places I go to) and my boyfriend ordered the prosciutto and arugula half pie pizza and both dishes were bursting with authentic Italian flavors!!!! The only thing that sort of disappointed us by half a star would be the fact that the pie didn't actually have prosciutto (not sure why) but Italy was still on the pizza so it was still good! ALSO, THE HOT CHOCOLATE IS AMAZING!!!!! For a small cafe, you'd expect the price to be more on the $10-$15 range but it's actually more of a $17 and up per dish sort of range (well at least from the sets that we ordered). But either way it's worth the pay!

Stumbled on this place while walking around the area. It isnt a fancy restaurant but once you walk in you feel the homey-ness of it. There was a guy working there that may have been the owner who was incredibly nice. He gave us some biscotto instead of bread for our soups. We started with the lentil soup and the pasta fagilio. Both soups were the highlight of the meal. The lentil soup was my favorite. Just the perfect amount of lentils and pasta. The pasta faglio was also well made. I added some cheese to it and it was perfect. We also ordered a half pizza. I thought the pizza sauce was a little bland. The pizza was also better the next day but still not the best pizza I have had. We also ordered the chicken piccata. This was a highlight of the meal as well. It was lemony and buttery. We loved the service and even though it wasnt fancy it was a fun spot. I definitely recommend.

This place was amazing - we came upon it because a family member moved across the street and we saw that it was packed every night. The owner is incredibly nice and the food came out quick - we had the Pasta Fagioli, Gigi Panini, and the Jack Panini. It was probably the bet soup and sandwich I've had in recent memory. I absolutely recommend this place

We stopped here for lunch after taking a tour of the catacombs, nearby. This is the real deal: small, authentic, and family owned. The staff are friendly and attentive. The decor is simple but inviting. Menu is focused but has plenty of options to please everyone. We opted for Cesar salad, a (very large) bowl of lentil soup, and a margherita pizza. Service was fast. The food was hot, fresh, and very tasty. Loved the slightly thicker yet still crunchy pizza crust, which appears to be more Sicilian style than Neapolitan style. Prices are very reasonable. Everyone left full and happy. Highly recommended.

So friggin good that when I leave NY I plan to visit every time I'm back in town. They're so sweet and friendly. The service is great every time and there's no flaw with the food they deliver. We are die hards for their soups and love to grab a drink after work for their happy hour. I highly recommend them for a relaxing after work evening or a date night!!

I got a Red panini and my friend got Tommy's New York pasta and the food was amazing! We just finished the catacombs tour and was recommended this place with the coupon and would definitely recommend hitting the spot!!

First slice of pizza I did not finish in my entire life of 28 years. Just that bad. Bread with the thinnest spread of bland sauce and cheese...like,another (and better) way of saving on ingredients is to not cook something at all? I feel bad for the natural resources and labor that went into creating this absolute flop

This place is out of this world!! Louis is the fabric of New York and his hospitality is unmatched - not to mention the food is next level! Don't snooze on this gem!!

Outdoor seating! After months of only eating in my apartment, it was amazing to see a few tables outside. Went in, grabbed a slice, a beer, and was able to sit down. Great slice, too. Little pricey but definitely worth it.

I love this local gem!! THEY'RE OPEN if you need some genuine, fresh & hot italian food this is the place for you. Perfect place to go during the pandemic because the owners are sure to put a smile on your fave and make you laugh. A true treasure. -Alex

A quaint, homey, family owned, Italian restaurant. The food is delicious and the staff is always so warm and welcoming. I love to order pizza and chicken parmigiana! You can also pop in just for coffee and a sweet. It's right down the street from Old St. Patrick's Cathedral.

I've had their carbonara ($16) twice and both times were absolutely delicious. It's so hard to find an Italian place that is no frills and just great execution. It is a bit pricey for the quantity of food you're getting, but it's extremely cute and the vibe is authentic. (They also do takeout!)

Excellent little cozy Italian restaurant. I stumbled across this place as I was exploring around SOHO. The pizza was perfect and the chicken francese was very tasty. Prices were very reasonable. Atmosphere was very cozy and I felt right at home.

One of my favorite spots in the neighborhood. Great people and delicious food. My go-to is the Yako sandwich (chicken cutlet, red peppers, mozzarella). They also have great pizza. The tomato sauce is amazing. Highly recommend the pepperoni. They're open for take-out!

Amazing service. Amazing soup selection, I had the lentil soup and added a little bit of salt and pepper and it was delicious! The bread that came with it was the best bread I've ever tasted! So fresh! Definitely recommend for a cold winter day. I haven't tried the pasta but I definitely will be returning back when I'm with my partner.

So gooddd. Delicious classic square pizza, perfectly crisp crust. Can't wait to go back and try the other meals too. Refreshing aperol spritz. Friendly, great service. Love this neighborhood spot.

I adore this little gem. If I lived near here, I'd be in everyday. I'd work my way into being invited to sit at the long white table with the family. I'm Sicilian and I'd fit right in.

Chill place and very friendly waiter. We pulled up and saw it, didn't even know if it would be any good and thankfully it was!

Good food, kid friendly and nice staff. Will return to try other items. Good wines aswell.

I have to admit, Cafetal Social Club was definitely terrific. Whatever your in the mood for, they have it. Al Dente Spaghetti Carbonara at Cafetal Social Club is just simply heavenly. Workers are very pleasant. They're attentive, polite and always on their game. Definitely worth checking out.

What a great lunch we had after a candlelight tour of the catacombs under Old St Patrick Cathedral. The family atmosphere and homemade dishes were to die for. Try a soup, entree, pizza, or panini. Everything was delicious.

Absolutely the BEST Italian food we've ever had. And I am Italian and all of my aunts and grandmothers made everything from scratch. My husband had the sausage and bow tie pasta. Oh sweet heaven, whatever they marinate the sausage in, is a gift from God. I had the spaghetti carbonara. Out. Of. This. World!!! Followed it up with tartuffo (pistachio) delicious! I promise you will not be disappointed

Great homey little place. Pizza was yummy tho I wish the crust was thinner. We all had different pasta dishes. All were very fresh and tasty. Carbonara very different as it was made with proscuitto but very good. The wine offerings are so reasonable and the Chianti was excellent. $36 for the bottle! Will come back for a down home meal when we're in the area.

I was suckered inside by the 'housemade gelato' sign, which seems to mean Ciao Bella from the previous incarnation of this space https://www.yelp.com/biz/ciao-bella-new-york-3 judging by some but not all of the ice cream cups. It's the same ol' average product, this time peddled from a seedy place while a creepy dude in a polo lurks over and around you. The strawberry shortcake sample was underwhelming, and the pistachio scoop was fine, albeit small, for the standard $5 (at least no tax). Sad pastry display too... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEXrN8V9r1Y&feature=player_detailpage

A very discreet place in NYC with real Italian food, not fancy useless stuff. Just real, good, discreet. Perfect

My group stopped here for drinks and appetizers and we were so impressed by the calamari and anti pasta plate we decided to come back afterwards for dinner. I had the shrimp oreganata and I can say it was just okay. Wasn't blown away by sauce/seasoning. Tried a bite of a friends Eggplant parmigiana and it was great. Service is very friendly and the location is just great. Definitely will be back to try desserts as we were too full to have some today!

Love the pastas and soups here. Food comes out hot and fresh and a good portion too! The sausage is not tender enough to my liking but I can overlook that because of the delicious pasta texture, cute paintings, and homey decor. It was not crowded for an early Wednesday dinner and that was awesome. Where else can you find good food in the city with peace and quiet to match? If you've left enough room at the end of the meal they serve Eileen's cheesecake :)

Randomly bumped into this place while walking the streets of Little Italy. Although I only had a cappuccino, I liked this place. Sat down and did some work with really good coffee.

Wow!! Taste of Italian home! Fresh ingredients... you can taste the difference from the exquisite coffee, rich balsamic vinegar and oil on the salads. This is the place for fresh Italian made while you wait. And as anything in Europe....you must "Genissen"...take your time and enjoy!! Family owned....support local business!

What a hidden gym! Friend guided us here, and we're so glad he did. I love the family feels this place gives you. And holy smokes! Let me talk about the pasta!!!! AMAZING. Hands down best I've had in years. I was embarrassed to eat every bite, but I couldn't help myself. First stop will be here on our next visit.

The weather this weekend was atrocious; hot and humid on the second week of October. We stumbled upon Cafetal Social Club initially for ice cream as the wait at nearby-ice cream shop Morgensterns was out the door and would've taken forever. We ended up getting seated and enjoying a nice pasta dish, espresso, and taking some gelato to-go. It's a quaint little restaurant. Dimly-lit with good music and the nicest servers. We were in somewhat of a time crunch, but our food came out pretty quickly. We got the spaghetti with Sunday meats. The sausage and meatballs were delicious. Just the pick-me-up we needed.

IF I COULD RATE THIS MORE THAN 5 STARS I WOULD. This is the best restaurant I have EVER been to!!! The hospitality of Cafetal Social Club is absolutely outstanding. The food is AMAZING. I ordered the Penne al Vodka with crusted cutlet and it was delicioussss. The owner and workers were so professional and gave amazing service. We even were given great information on what to do locally and had a nice laugh. So happy with my experience here.

After walking New York City from Central Park to Chinatown/little italy we were exhausted and parched! So, what to do to quench our thirst at noon? Martinis, of course! Sat outside and watched the meager crowd strode by while enjoying the cool afternoon air. Fantastic! The server/ owner/ I don't know , was funny, friendly, and accommodating. While I have no idea what the food is like, the drinks were good and gave us the sustenance we needed to trudge on. Loved it

Delicious pasta, nice and intimate, and really authentic Italian food! I had pasta in a lemon sauce, which was delicious! I wish they had a stronger wine selection, but other than that, a great place!

Unprofessional staff.. nonstop chit chats behind the counter while customers are waiting. worst of all, giving wrong orders to customers. I felt disrespected. Ice cream is soso. nothing special. pricey. place is shabby. Will not return.

Average paninis, nothing special other than how overpriced it is (~$11 with tax) for a roughly 6" toasted sandwich without a lot of meat or condiments. I thought paninis were supposed to be flat pressed but these were just toasted on the outside and looked like a normal sandwich. I ordered the Fat Carmine which was supposed to come with black truffles but I couldn't taste or see any.. maybe it's one of those fancy invisible ingredients that's above my taste grade. Stopped by for carryout with 2 coworkers and it would have been helpful if our sandwiches were labeled. General consensus was a "mehh".

Please don't take this review lightly. As a pasta lover, I'm completely serious when I say that my bow tie pesto is the very best pasta I have ever tasted in my entire life. I was completely blown away. Excellent, prompt service was icing on the cake, but definitely not necessary for a 5-star review as I would have given six stars for the quality of the food alone. As if these accolades aren't enough, the restaurant is quaintly located on Mott St, and features great outdoor seating. Quiet, but not eerily so, it is really an ideal location. The only thing that would stop me from returning many times would be a natural disaster.

Delicious food and amazing service! Everyone that works here is kind and attentive. Love this place! A real gem

We found Cafetal Social Club totally by accident yesterday when we really needed a late afternoon snack. We had the tricolore pizza which was delicious and was just what we wanted. The waiter was very friendly and helpful, I wish every restaurant had staff as nice. Delighted to have found Cafetal, we will certainly be back !

We were rolling out of the restaurant! Amazing food! We ordered the whole pie for the two of us and couldn't finish half. Lou was hilarious and over the top accommodating. Wish I could eat here every night.

Skip Little Italy. Walk a few blocks north to Cafetal Social Club and get real Italian food. We spent 2 weeks in NYC, and ate here 3 times, it was so good. The place is full of local people, old guys from the neighborhood, sitting around eating and chatting with the owner, so you know it is the real deal. Very homey and comfortable. Everything we ate was wonderful: Rice ball (arancina) as big as your head, full of cheese Bowties with sausage and broccoli rabe Sunday gravy (meatballs, sausage, braccioline with pasta, in red sauce) Pasta puttanesca (surprisingly NO tomato...and it was fabulous!) Tuna and arugula salad Pistachio tartufo for dessert (homemade pistachio gelato ball covered dark chocolate, yum!) Go, eat, repeat.

Oh this place was such a nice surprise! When I walked in, I initially thought I accidentally walked into a deli due to the glass encasement at the register, but it was filled with various flavors of sherbet mostly. Small space but a lot of tables. I ordered chicken with red peppers & onions in a balsamic glaze sauce. It's on the menu as chicken and sausage, but I asked for them to hold the sausage. It was so good -I had to keep myself from *shhhh* licking the plate. Yum. The mango sherbet was a nice choice for dessert before leaving.