La Mela

We saw good reviews for this place so we decided to give it a shot. We made reservations 3 hours in advance. Reservations are recommended as there is only about 10 tables inside of the main restaurant. We came inside out of the chilling temps and they sat us under one of the few tables with a heat lamp overhead. As we have our three kids with us, all under 7, this was much appreciated. The bread that first arrives to the table was fresh and the kids powered through their first basket in no time. We ordered the calamari appetizer, spaghetti and meatballs, chicken parmigiana, kid special order penne with butter, and finished off with the tiramisu. Portion sizes are large so come prepared to eat. Calamari was lightly battered and delicious. The 2 large meatballs that come with the spaghetti were moist and flavorful. Chicken parmigiana was the star of the night. It’s probably the best chicken parm that my wife and I have ever had. Tiramisu was devoured rather easily between the 5 of us. Best meal we had during our quick 3 day trip to NYC. Service was quick and attentive. We would definitely eat here again.

Was really excited to try this restaurant. I ordered the fettuccine alfredo and my husband ordered the chicken parmesan with side of fettuccine alfredo. I had the caprese salad and he ordered stuff mushrooms. The salad was ok, the center of the tomatoes were hard, couldn't cut through almost like they were frozen. Mushrooms were good. The fettuccine alfredo was very disappointing. It lacked flavor. It tasted like noodles no alfredo flavor at all. My husband said the chicken parm was good, the chicken breast is on the thin side.

Came here in something like 2010 and met the owner. Been dying to come back again ever since, with the memory of the owner telling us he’d been in a movie. Portions and food were exactly how I remembered it. Huge and delicious! I’d come here again !

Visited this charming little place on recommendation from a friend. Very good service, easy to get a table, and super tasty food with fresh ingredients. The owner came around to check on me and others, and was highly attentive to my needs and making sure I had what I wanted. I will definitely be returning!

I came to this restaurant with my family. The food was so good and the staff were super friendly! The atmosphere was so homey and felt like I was having dinner at a friends house. This place definitely made my Little Italy experience for me! Would come here again if I was in town and will also recommend to anyone I know coming here!

We had the best experience at La Mela. Anna saved us from leaving Little Italy after getting taken advantage of at a different restaurant down the block. The spaghetti and meatballs were fantastic and the caesar salad was crisp! We would definitely come back here next time we're in the city.

Amazing!!! My wife and I stopped in while walking up and down Mulberry looking for a good place to stop. We stumbled upon LaMela and it was amazing! Food was excellent the service was the best and the atmosphere was perfect!!! Highly recommended if you are in Little Italy!

A nice, intimate Italian restaurant serving delicious pasta. They have a private dining area in the rear for larger parties. The service is good, and the staff is very attentive to your needs.

I'm a native New Yorker I can say this is a tradition for my family. La Mela restaurant in Little Italy, New York City La Mela is a well-known Italian restaurant in the Little Italy neighborhood of New York City, located at 167 Mulberry Street. It has been a neighborhood staple since 1985. The restaurant is family-owned and operated, known for its traditional Italian flavors and family-style dining Cuisine: Classic Italian fare, including red-sauce dishes, pasta, chicken and veal parmesan, and seafood linguini. They also offer an à la carte menu. Family-style dining: La Mela is famous for its generous, family-sized portions, suitable for groups and gatherings. They have kid-friendly options and are known for being a family-friendly restaurant. Atmosphere: La Mela offers a warm and welcoming atmosphere with a unique cultural dining experience. It has three dining rooms and is a popular spot for both locals and tourists. Service: Many reviews highlight the attentive and friendly staff, praising their service and time-efficient food placement. Location: Situated on Mulberry Street in the heart of Little Italy, it's easily accessible by various subway lines (6, N, R, D, B, Q, J, F, M) and offers parking options nearby. Hours Sunday-Thursday: 11:30 AM-2 AM Friday-Saturday: 11:30 AM-3 AM Reservations Reservations are accepted and can be made by phone at +1 212-431-9493 or online through their website or OpenTable. It's recommended to book in advance, especially during weekends or peak hours. If you are looking for an authentic, family-friendly Italian dining experience with generous portions in a lively setting, La Mela in Little Italy could be a great choice for you. Just be aware because this place get busy so reservations are a most or come early. You will not be disappointed and order my favorite dish. Penne a la vodka with some grill chicken is delicious so you can thank me later :)

It's hard to know which of these Italian restaurants are legit and which ones are tourist traps. I'd say this one is one of the better ones! Drinks are overpriced, but the food holds up very well and is great for sharing! We loved the veal Parmesean, in particular. Quick, friendly service too.

2 weeks ago me and my fam were downtown and didn't know where to go to eat. Too many choices! We put our trust into the sweetest and funniest Italian redhead in the world- Ms. Anna! She said we would love it and we did- thank you ANNA! The baked clams and 3 different chicken dishes we had were top notch as well as the service. We will 110% be back!

Walking around the city and chose to stop into La Mela. We were seated quickly. Bread and butter was brought to the table. Wish the bread was warm, but it is what it is. We ordered a drink and zucchini for an appetizer. I was excited to get to order the zucchini. One of my favorite apps. We got our drinks and ordered our entrees. Linguine with mussels fra diavlo and chicken parm with linguine. When our entree came, I asked the waiter where our appetizer was. He forgot to put that order in. I was pretty disappointed. That's what I really wanted!! My pasta and mussels were okay. The pasta was actually very good, but the sauce was definitely NOT fra diavlo. Not spicy at all. Not one bit of crushed red pepper in it, but there was a LOT of cloves of garlic. The mussels were gritty, so they were not cleaned very well. I brought most of it home. My husband enjoyed his chicken parm and pasta. Too many choices in the city. We tried, but we won't be back.

While at the San Gennaro Feast, we stopped by here for a sit down dinner as recommended by a friend. They were able to seat us inside right away away from all the craziness of the festival going on. The four of us got the Quattro Coursi for $55 per person. They started us off with some bread and then the Caprese Salad for the first course. The tomato and mozzarella are the thickest cut I have ever seen. Next up was the Hot Antipasti consisting of stuffed mushrooms, sweet roasted peppers, asparagus parmegiana, and spedini alla romano. This was my favorite course as I enjoyed everything on the dish with the exception of the spedini alla romano being just OK. Then we had the Fagmiglia Pasta course where we got to sample the rigatoni marinara, tortellini alfredo, and gnocchi sorrentina. The gnocchi was too mushy and rigatoni too al dente for me, but enjoyed the tortellini. Our last course was the Carne e Pesces including veal franchaise, chicken scarpariello, and shrimp marinara. Not sure if we were too stuffed by this point, but didn't care for this course much as much as I enjoy my proteins. The chicken was nice and crispy while the shrimp were plump pieces, but I couldn't finish the veal. Overall, I did enjoy the family style that gives so much variety to sample. But after all is said and done, it's a bit pricey and I would rather order a la carte instead if I'm ever back. Also, make sure to check if tip is already included on your bill, so you're not double tipping. I wish they were upfront about that.

We had the best experience at La Mela. Anna saved us from leaving Little Italy after getting taken advantage of at a different restaurant down the block. The spaghetti and meatballs were fantastic and the caesar salad was crisp! We would definitely come back here next time we're in the city.

I haven't been to Little Italy in 10 years and not much has changed since then. It was so much fun dining outside with friends. We ordered the La Quattro dinner, which was a four course meal served family style. Totally recommend this. Service may was friendly and attentive.

The veal gnocchi with the coniac sauce is so decadent and a dish not to be missed! Service is standard but nothing to rave about. Last the ambiance is cute and makes it a cozy little date spot.

The best food ever The besr staff ever so friendly and welcoming I go there at least once a week love it

Classic straight to the point Little Italy. Always reliable and staff is friendly and family oriented. Prices are reasonable and not a place to take advantage of people. Continue to support this business.

Delicious family style Italian. Been here before and back again Standouts were: Fried calamari Veal Francese (pasta sauce was flooringly good) Clams orengata Chicken scarpanello Service was family friendly Ambiance is a home style Italian vibe.

My favorite Italian place to eat in little Italy! I have been to nyc over 10 times and we keep going back here! Every other Italian place I have tried just doesn't hit as good as La mela! Make sure to order the French martini it is FIRE! Sit outside if you can , the ambience is really great during a fall evening! The staff as super kind, prices are good, and inside is clean!

Best meal I've had in my entire life. The food has such depth in flavor and clearly uses fresh ingredients. The staff were incredibly friendly and gave wonderful suggestions. The drinks were equally as good. I highly recommend the pomegranate martini. Genuinely incredible. It's evident they take great pride in their food.

La Mela was A-OK. The food was quite standard but didn't really wow me. I had the eggplant parm. The menu features all the basic and some more to be expected from an Italian American restaurant. The location is ideal for the area where there's a ton of competition and other options. The price was fair for the value and the portions. I enjoy dining outside so the benefit is a plus. The server was friendly and attentive.

If your looking for an old world charm of Italian food, this could be right for you. Place is casual with Italian musics and overall good food and service. We were a group of 5 and were easily accommodated. The only thing distracting was a large TV in the restaurant, which seems to be silly. Would say, the show playing on the TV was an Italian show, so a few points there. There are many Italian places in the neighborhood, so you must be good to survive. Worth a stop by.

You can take your time with your meal and drinks, don't be in a rush cuz there is no rush. The food is f'ing awesome. The is the only way to describe the food. The drinks are solid and on point, a person could not be disappointed with this place.

First time I came here in 2021, I was so impressed! We got the tre corsi (three course) meal and our socks were blown off. But in 2023, it was just not hitting, the food was not warm, it was soggy, and overall very unimpressive. The ambiance is giving ~tourist trap~ a bit, but that's kind of fun in its own way. Service is good enough. But honestly, nothing was remarkable enough this time that I'd ever come back.

On a Saturday early morning/lunch venture to my family's yearly visit to the San Gennaro. It was a gloomy day and not all places were open yet so of course my family had me decide in a place to eat as we usually don't do the restaurants but this was something different especially in my dads birthday. I was attracted my the nice $19 lunch menu and how authentic it was as well. Service was very attentive to everything asked and place felt like an authentic Irkutsk restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. We were the first ones to arrive and by the time we left felt full and place was buzzing with people. Hilly recommend for that honey Italian feeling.

This is our go to spot in Little Italy! Amazing food, incredible service, and one of the most iconic spots on NYC. This is the place to be!

Best place in little Italy hands down & the wait staff are the reason we keep coming back. Everyone is so attentive, makes you feel like family. The vodka sauce here is to die for, lot of familiar faces & we have been coming here for years , good to know the staff stick around which must be the owners are doing something right. Benny is the best. Pauli the bartender is awesome and Darren the one server so friendly.

Little Italy in New York City is known for its bustling atmosphere and authentic Italian cuisine, and La Mela captures the essence of this lovely neighborhood. My dining experiences at La Mela always leave me satisfied, and utterly impressed. From the welcoming ambiance to the outstanding flavors, this restaurant truly shines in every aspect. Upon entering the cozy eatery, I was immediately greeted with warm smiles and genuine hospitality from the staff. From the host, to the bartenders and servers, they go above and beyond. Not to mention Butch the Hat! He is an old school Italian classic guy that loves to share stories of history! Make sure to say hello to Butch the Hat! Now, let's dive into the true star of the show: the food. La Mela exceeds expectations with an extensive menu of mouthwatering Italian classics. One dish that triumphed above all was the heavenly and my favorite, Chicken Francaise. Their pasta is perfectly cooked and delectable. Always leaving me craving for more. Pair any dish with a bottle of fine Italian wine from their extensive selection, and you will find yourself in culinary heaven. Oh yeah, not to mention the portions at La Mela are generous. I cannot recommend this restaurant enough. If you're looking for authentic Italian cuisine with a welcoming atmosphere, this is the place!

Great food. Classic ambiance of a Little Italy eatery. Awesome homemade sauce, pasta cooked to perfection. Seafood was fresh and cooked well. Will be back

We had Thanksgiving dinner today at La Mela and it was outstanding! Great service and delicious food! We arrived just after 2pm so we could have had lunch or dinner portions. We opted for dinner so I could share with my daughter. The portions were ginormous and delicious! Everyone was very attentive and we would definitely go back with our next visit to NYC. Happy Thanksgiving!

We enjoyed our meal. Smaller portions and on the pricier side when you compare to portion size. We ordered the spaghetti and the chicken parm. Service was quick and friendly. We tried to use a visa gift card, along with our credit card, and we seemed to confuse them. Instead of running the remaining balance, they just chose to charge the gift card $20

Good and typical Italian restaurant in little Italy area , good and quick service and nice ambiance Not many seats inside but plenty seats are available outside! All the platters met expectations , tasty and flavorful from the chicken parmigiana to the eggplant parmigiana to the chicken franchise and came as expected with generous portion included house salad and bread per each Recommended!

There is no doubt why we always return to La Mela Ristorante every time we travel to NYC from Virginia. ERTI took great care of us with great, friendly, attentive service. BENNY was the picture of Italian hospitality (as usual) treating us like old friends. The food? Amazing! Thanks everyone at La Mela for another spectacular night in Little Italy!

Was visiting from Texas and came here because family recommended it. Food and service was incredible, every thing was amazing and reminded me of my childhood when I visited Italy. The waiter we had gave us the best service possible. I had the Rigatoni Pomodoro with added spiciness and my girlfriend had the Porcini Mushroom Ravioli. You could easily tell everything was made from fresh ingredients and is authentic. It was perfect. Everything we had here was perfect. The Old Fashioned I had was bold and soothing just how it should be. The Pomegranate Martini was also very very good. We also had the Calabrese Salad before our entrees and you can never go wrong with it. Super fresh ingredients, between the mozzarella and tomato it was perfect. And for dessert we had the Tiramisu which came in a shareable portion that left both me and my partner very satisfied and happy. We honestly don't have Italian food this good in Texas so we were blown away. This is one of the best dinning experiences I've had.

A Mulberry Street staple! Family style is the absolute way to go here with the hot anti pasta being the unsung hero in the lineup

Located right on Mulberry in the heart of Little Italy. We stopped after seeing the dishes of people dining outside. They have these nice buildings with heaters, covered to provide more dining in a controlled environment outside. Line was one of the longest we saw around so thought food must be good. Didn't have reservation (party of 2) and were seated fairly quickly. They can accommodate larger groups, saw a party of 10-12 inside. They also offer various price fixe options ranging from $35-$50 pp for variety of food. Large portions, yummy food. Bread with oil, balsalmic and fresh parmesan at table.

Really excellent food! I'm not a tourist, have lived in NY for 20 years and Little Italy restaurants are usually just ... fine... but this one is really a cut above. The chicken parm is excellent and the shrimp oregonata was really incredible. Good wine selection (get the Banfi Chianti) and the service was also excellent. Very old school atmosphere with tablecloths and a TV showing old Italian music videos and such. Would go again, particularly with friends visiting.

We went to 4 different restaurants in little Italy and this was hands down the best one. wow. I will forever remember the taste of this chicken parm until the day I die.

Fantastic experience, Great customer service Great Food ! Best Italian Food experience next to homemade !! Si mangia bene !!!

Incredible food right in the heart of Little Italy. We walked in with a table for 7 and they were so friendly and hospitable, seated us right away with excellent service. Our server Arti was amazing and helped us order an assortment of plates for the table that met everyone's dietary requirements. The gluten free penne vodka was PHENOMENAL. Definitely will be back with friends again.

Walked into La Mela and wasn't so sure. Lighting and ambiance left something to be desired. But the food, my lord, amazing. The tomato sauce is so incredibly addictive. I could have eaten spoonfuls (well I did). Simple and so delicious. The eggplant parm was out of this world. We wanted our side to include linguine and broccoli. I've never had better broccoli and I feel like I cook broccoli damn good. Portions- huge! Food - amazing! Chefs kiss. Service is great too! Best meal!

words cannot describe how GOOD this place is... Im not a huge Italian food fan but WOW... this place is absolutely DELICIOUS. I had this TWO days in a row.. NO REGRETS. Portions are shareable between 2 people. I am not from here but I will litterely fly here for this food. I am not kidding. The service is impeccable. I do not like being bothered while eating and this place did just that. Respectful and absolutely delicious. The Fettuccine with chicken. Wow. Words cannot describe it. So good. I WILL COME BACK TO LITTLE ITALY ALL THE WAY FROM LOS ANGELES FOR THIS PLACE! SO GOOD! Thank you!!!!! Come here for good food. Seriously.

What went well..... Everything: service, food, espresso martini! Ambience is down to earth, warm and always wonderful; people there are somehow friendlier than in other restaurants! Gotta go back.......

To me, more like "la mela marcia". Everything is so average here. Good if you're in the mood for a Mulberry Street experience. I may have had better food at The Olive Garden. Almost down to two stars because the meat plate was horrible and the dessert was freezer burned. But plus one star because their espresso is amazing and the service outstanding. And it looks like they made some incredible cocktails.

If you want clams this is the place, we did this amazing dish. Linguine pasta with clams, I cannot explain how flavorful was this dish! I could taste the pasta and was fresh from scratch which is really nice from a restaurant, great legit italian ambience. Our service was wonderful!

Our favorite hidden gem spot in Little Italy. Service is always meraviglioso, food is always delizioso, and ambience is always rilassante. Adoriamo La Mela!

It felt like Sunday dinner. The red snapper with a side of garlic spinach was heaven. and everyone was so nice. Fantastic!

CIAO BELLLAAAAAA! Yes you reading this... go to La Mela Ristorante now. This place was a recommendation from a friend and now you need to try this amazing place. The staff reel you in with their charm, the food and drinks keep you happy and the reason why you're there and the warm, cozy, intimate vibes keep you coming back. All of the staff were so charming and knowledgeable. They always made sure I was doing well and my glass (water and wine) was always full. The hospitality was spectacular. Please order the caprese salad, the AMAZING penne vodka (THE BEST - Aldente pasta, light sauce, creamy, cheeseyy, mmmmmmmm), 2 glasses of red wine, and I'll meet you there! This place blew me away and I will always make sure I stop here when in NYC. Truly bellaaaaaaa!

La Mela is my absolute favorite spot in Little Italy! I've been coming here for the past four years, and each visit feels like coming home. The service is consistently amazing, and the staff is so eager to accommodate our large parties--they really know how to make you feel welcome. We've had late dinners here, early lunches, and big birthdays. In terms of the food...I can't get enough of the seafood linguini and the angel hair pasta with pesto. They're always happy to take specific requests, even for dishes that aren't on the menu, which is a huge plus! The portions are massive, making it perfect for sharing, and the drink options are great too. VERY inviting, which makes it easy to have some of the best conversations with the staff, and people eating around. Don't forget to check out their daily lunch specials; they're a great deal if you're around the area. If you're in Little Italy and confused about all the options around, I can't recommend La Mela enough. Definitely a gem that keeps bringing me back!

Overall good but sad I wasted my little Italy dinner on this :( Veal Tortellini 8.7/10 this baby cow was great! It was super tender and yummy. Sauce had good flavor just needed to be thicker, like much thicker Caesar Salad 7/10 this bad boy had tooooo much dressing but like it was good dressing so it was acceptable. The best part was the giant cheese shavings on top. Stuffed Mushrooms 6.5/10 the sauce on this was very good. I used like 5 slices of bread to wipe the plate. I make stuff mushrooms at home in my air fryer and they honestly... taste better than these. Still enjoyed them though

I think it's a five star cuz' it's calm there service is good just it takes a little while to get your food but other wise it's good! :) !

This place is around a few other Italian restaurants, we didn't really look up the reviews when we chose it but it had a couple empty tables outside so we had high hopes to be seated and serviced quickly. Our group came from California so we are use to customer service oriented restaurants therefore the lack of it was a bit surprising but I would still come back here again and again because the food was delicious. The gnocchi , chicken marsala, and the tortellini were perfect . Their prices are fair.

Went for lunch on a week day and it was packed as their lunch specials for the price offer a good quantity of food. If my review was service related only, I would have given 5 stars because everyone working here were lovely. Unfortunately the food was simply average. It was very disappointing that the carbonara pasta ($25 or so) was made with heavy cream or something similar instead of the original recipe which is egg, parmesan and bacon. It just didn't taste like Italian carbonara at all. The American carbonara version is ok, but not what we were expecting for the price and from an Italian restaurant in little Italy!! Lol. We also ordered the veal Parmesan from the lunch special and it was ok. I wouldn't say our experience was terrible but I don't think will visit again.

La Mela is a little Italy classic... family run business that has been there in the same location for soooo long! Always delicious, always fun and friendly! It used to be family style meals, sit down, eat and just ask to stop when you are done... they still have that option plus menu... we did the family style and loved it, have done the same about 22 years ago and loved it still the same! It is a fantastic way to end your walk around Chinatown and Little Italy! The house wine was also great! The mozzarella in the acórese salad is like two stories high!

We stumbled on this place on Mulberry Street, saw the nice outdoor seating, and said why not eat here?! We ordered their three course dinner which for the amount of food/quality was a good deal based on NYC standards. The standout of the meal was the caprese salad and they gave you large pieces of mozzarella too! We did the three course dinner and a bottle of Cabernet (it was a bit thin but still decent), and that's not on the waiter either! The best pasta was the red sauce with the rigatoni! Service was good and our waiter was pleasant too!

Surprising good fettuccine alfredo. Fresh pasta with a sauce that's simple but well done.