Lusardi's

I believe the front house person and the majority of the staff are Italian, so good starting point. We had the shrimp and butter beans appetizer, seafood pasta, special of the day which was branzino in white wine sauce. All was well-seasoned and just tasted great. The pistachio tart for dessert was chef kiss. The staff was attentive without being annoying. Cozy atmosphere. Dimly lit. I would definitely come back here.

The best! Delicious! Our favorite! We love Lusardi’s and come here not just to eat dinner but to celebrate all of life’s moments. We choose Lusardi’s over every restaurant in NYC. Every time we are welcomed so warmly. We love Luis, our favorite waiter, he is so funny and makes your dinner one to remember. All of the food is amazing but I especially love the grouper and poached pear dessert. Their specials are also always fantastic. Thank you for being a little gem in our big city!

Simply the best! They make everything on-site. The staff and food are excellent! The atmosphere is charming. We go here whenever we are in the city, which never disappoints us.

We were very excited to go to Lusardis, as we read positive reviews. What a disappointment! The food is horrible. The pasta is mushy and without flavor. The appetizers were inedible. The prices are inflated and the atmosphere combines stuffiness with arrogance. On top of this, the servers were all rude and uncaring. They all exude a feeling of superiority, while making sure that one feels unwelcome. No one even bothered to check on us, or ask why the meal sat uneaten on our table. We finally left our uneaten food, paid the bill without discount and found another restaurant that understood customer service. I am not one to complain about restaurants, but my advice on this one would be to avoid at all costs.

Well established classic atmosphere with old-school character. Food was good. I had the veal meatballs for appetizer and rabbit stew dish for main. Great group of people. Active owner with Italian roots.

So tasty Our reviews had over 36 million views this year. super Great UES Italian that has been here forever. Loved the meatballs and they had a ton of specials. All of it was awesome. Especially the pastas. The desserts were spectacular as well. Check out the photos to see how great the food was. She loved artichokes and said hers were divine. Check out all of our reviews. If we do not like it we do no review it so all of the ones you see are places that are fantastic. Follow us if you like. We had over 7 million views in 2021 and we thank you for that. We don't get paid, we just love to eat. Be sure to click on "RobH" at the top of this review to see all of them and to follow us if you like good food and shopping

Excellent Italian food that feels like it’s always been here and has never needed to change. Consistently delicious and superb service. Great for a special night out - doesn’t try to be “hip” - is just straight forward and good! Highly recommend the Rigatoni Cipullo, Tortelli In Salsa Tartufata, and the Pollo Tartufato (can you tell we like truffles??). Enjoy!

Che Bello! My wife and I found ourselves around the corner, bewildered, struggling to wrap our minds around the sudden and unexpected loss of our dear aunt. We wandered in and this restaurant, the food, the atmosphere, the people - especially Dino - it all helped to heal our hearts and minds for just a little while. There's no getting around the truly tragic backdrop of our visit, but this restaurant will forever hold a dear place in our hearts. They treated us so wonderfully. If we lived closer, we would be here every week.

Lusardi's is my favorite Italian Restaurant in New York City. Anytime I am in the Upper East Side (UES) of NYC, I will visit Lusardi's for lunch or dinner. It is a good thing the owners did not provide me with their mobile number. I would have them on speed dial to be sure they hold a table for me at a moment notice. Old traditional style Italian fare, served on a busy street on second avenue between East 77th and East 78th street. The restaurant ambience is cozy traditional Italian cuisine. On this visit we shared two pasta's, Paccheri in Salsa Affumicata and Ravioli (porcini and mushrooms in a truffle sauce). Oh, my goodness, those two combo pastas were delicious. Enough said, I should avoid talking about this impressive restaurant because I need my table available when I am in town.

I don't get the hype here. Atmosphere / crowd: -you're stepping back in time a couple of decades, so I can see the allure there. It feels like you're at a place your parents might have taken you when you were kid for a special occasion -minus a few other millennial couples there, you truly are dining with your parents' contemporaries -lights are dim, so it's pleasant enough, but maybe that's because they don't want you to see exactly what they're serving you Food / drink: -The wine is all acceptable -we had the artichokes, tuna special, and tried three pastas, because one had to be sent back -artichokes were very hard to eat -the tuna was drenched in truffle oil. Pretty sure the fish was off, which is likely why we both aren't feeling great today -the pasta was...fine...at best. I sent the rigatoni back because it tasted like sour Mac n cheese. The ravioli was edible and the bolognese was definitely made with reheated ingredients -minus the sour / masking ingredients listed, the lack of salt on our food was strange. Even the bread was meh -we both felt terrible after eating here Service: -fine. Not great. Glad they could exchange one dish. Manager could not care less about you. -not cheap. Not expensive. Not worth the frustration if you're looking to wind down on a Friday night 2/5. We won't return. Skip it. Uva next door is on-par.

Lusardi's sets itself apart from all of the great Italian options. We selected a nice table outside to enjoy the weather and bustle of the city for people watching. The food is outstanding, of course; but, the service was out of this world and made us feel like family. Icing on the cake was complimentary glasses of champagne to help us celebrate my wife's birthday.

Classic upper East side Italian food. Good service excellent salmon. The crowd is mostly local and enjoying coming there often.

Lusardi's never disappoints. The food, the service and the atmosphere make for the perfect dining experience. Last night we dined on Dover Sole, Veal Milanese, Caprese Buffalo, and Fettuccini Bolognese Vicello. Each serving was so scrumptious. From the moment one walks into this establishment until one leaves, you experience graciousness, efficiency and warmth.

The service was 10/10. The workers were welcoming and extremely nice! I was seated right when I got there. I never cleaned a plate of Cacio e Pepe before until Lusardi's! It was so delicious. I also had the hazelnut mousse which I devoured. Big fan of this place. Can't wait to come again!

Small neighborhood Italian restaurant with a big reservation write in book. Reminded me of the restaurant in Moonstruck. Great veal dishes. Loved the intimacy, the old school sensibility and dishes made with love. Romantic lighting.

Favorite place in NYC to go to !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! always the best food in NYC :)

Food consistently excellent. Atmosphere and service good. Dependable And writing now to get to Yelp's silly minimum.

The food and the service are outstanding. We also love that it is old NYC. My favorite is the veal.

This was our first trip to Lusardi's in the Yelp era. Hard to explain why it took so long- we have visited Lusardi's and Moscato in Westchester and Uva and Due in Manhattan. We finally made it back to ground zero of this mini diaspora. We had high expectations, but they were met. The dining room was handsome. The staff were amazing. The hosts, waiters and support staff were all charming. And attentive. The wine list was varied. We had a solid bottle of their least expensive Barolo. We were started off with bread. We shared the insalata Bianca, the eggplant and baked artichokes. They were all excellent. I had the lasagna special. It was delicious and very satisfying. We also ordered terrific chicken martini and a rich ravioli with cream and truffle sauce. The cacio e Pepe was solid. The food was accompanied by an awesome side of zucchini. We took our time and were too full for dessert. I would say that prices are a bit higher than some competitors but lower than others. The quality of the food and service are worth it. Lusardi's will go into our rotation.

Well established classic atmosphere with old-school character. Food was good. I had the veal meatballs for appetizer and rabbit stew dish for main. Great group of people. Active owner with Italian roots.

Always an outstanding evening when dining at Lusardi's. The service is outstanding and the food is delicious.

To sum up, mediocre "Italian" food. - Caccio e Pepe: very little caccio cheese in the mix, mostly the fresh pasta boiled water taste, and then strangely there were zucchini in this pasta ??? - Lamb chop: soaked in a weird pale red sauce, mostly starch, not a reduction. Side with mashed whatever green mesh and veggies, looked like straight out of a cafeteria - utensil and goblets were not cleans but sitting on this white-tablecloth setting "restaurant"

I think I will dream of the food at Lusardi's for the rest of my life. That was some of the best Italian I've had!!! The gnocchi especially was to die for. Pillowy and light, just how I like gnocchi. But the sauce was creamy, deliciously flavored, not overly salty. Inside ambiance is perfect for dinner and catching up. Not too loud. Neat, organized, old school, feels upscale. I took off a star because the service was so-so. The waiter never even gave us his name. Didn't spend much time with us. Waited a long time to order. Overall I would absolutely go back. You should definitely go!!!!

Very disappointed. I picked Lucardis for a celebration dinner. Maybe it was a bad night for the restaurant but with the exception of the shrimp, all of the other dishes were mediocre and my duck was bad . Another particularly bad choice was the lobster bisque which had No lobster flavor nor any evidence of a lobster.

Fantastic meal at a very reasonable price. Took a potential client and service staff very accommodating and friendly. Restaurant was pretty full but able to seat us before the time of our actual reservation. Solid choice for authentic Italian in upper east side.

Personally really wanted to like this restaurant - was excited to have found an old world-vibed Northern Italian restaurant. However, the dishes were just not what I expected but unfair to say "didn't meet it" either. The flavours were just different that I had anticipated and not quite for me. 1/ Linguine All' Ammiraglia - The seafood were definitely super fresh; the sauce somehow just didn't compliment the pasta well and lacked flavour. 2/ Fegatini Al Balsamico 3/ Tagliolini Cacio Pepe - Was not a fan of the zucchini twist 4/ Panna Cotta Di Castagne - Texture was way off; rather than t being silky smooth and just firm, with a gentle wobble - it was dense and mushy (definitely due to Chestnut) The service was impeccable though - our waiter was attentive and just had a bit of charm to him!

Good food, service. Tablecloths. Napkins. Waiters who know the food. Excellent appetizers, entrees.Relaxed service but attentive. Fine food, wines.

Always good food here. It may be the old fashioned Italian place, but there is a reason it has been there for a while. Some dishes are worth opening a restaurant around them.

I read about Lusardi's on /r/FoodNYC, and my friend and I decided to go one day to get our carb fix. We weren't disappointed. The people on FoodNYC made it seem like a "I've never had better Italian in my life!"-type place. I'm not sure it was quite up there, but if you're looking for something miles better than your canola oil-laden "spaghetti" from 2nd Avenue, Lusardi's isn't a bad bet. While urinating in the bathroom, I saw a framed article from FORBES featuring Lusardi's in a "Places to Eat" in-set. Right next to it, there's a letter from scion Steve Forbes, the editor, to the Lusardis (who own Lusardi's). Not sure how I felt about that. As editor, you're supposed to be critically distant from the businesses you review, and this seemed a little too chummy to me.

not only was the food fabulous - flavorful - and authentic but the service was amazing. great family style ambience, classy and memorable. will be back!

Planned out my wife's 30th birthday dinner here honestly because it was on the Michelin guide and it did not disappoint. Everything was fantastic and comparable if not better than what we had in Italy last fall. We started with a nice salad with truffle oil, truffle cheese, walnuts and pear. Then I got the Vitello Martini and she got the rigatoni with sausage. Both were incredible. I would say if you get the Vitello be sure to split it with someone else and get another entree because it's very rich and filling and I couldn't finish it myself. The rigatoni had such a fun and unique flavor, I was very surprised by how it tasted. Delicious.

One of my most favorite places on the UES. The food is amazing the staff is awesome and the patrons are some of the who's who in NYC Wheather your an UES local or just visiting NYC you have to go to Lusardi's

Simply the best Italian Restraunt in the U.S. ! My family is from the Parma area of Italy and eating at Lusardi's is like being back in Italy, worth every penny!

Ok so Happened to stumble upon this place after my phone died at Central park. The thing that attracted me to this restaurant was the outdoor garden they are going with white table cloths and the perfect amount of soft orchestral music wafting through the open doors onto 2nd Ave. The moment we were seated we were greeted by an enthusiastic passionate server called ankit / AK. He's single-handedly elevated the entire meal experience to Michelin levels, making this restaurant my new Italian favorite on the upper Eastside. I later found out that it is owned by the same people as UVa, Which I also had the pleasure of dining at a few months ago but I don't remember any of the dishes being quite as unique there. I'll start with the guazetto - light fresh tomato white wine sauce: acidic and fresh perfectly complimenting the weather and light evening breeze on this late August New York summer night. Next : the vongole spaghetti: I never thought I would ever like clams but this dish recommendation from Akey literally change that perception forever. The sauce was the signature white wine garlicy with hot peppers added in : it literally blew my mind and and by the end of it I was literally sipping the sauce even after the spaghetti was long gone. We have cracked the code: Italian food with a kick, ladies and gentlemen! And finally the star of the show - *drumroll* the John Dory- a fish like no other. This was almond crusted and served with sautéed spinach on a bed of lemon martini sauce. This dish reminded me of my other favorite dish in Manhattan which is the special Amish chicken at nomad. Now Nomad restaurant being in a hotel lobby has sadly shut down for now, along with a number of its other Michelin starred counterparts that are similarly housed. So in this climate it was refreshing to have a favorite go to with outdoor seating and excellent service and ambience even given the circumstances. Lastly the desert did not disappoint and we ended up going with the pistachio torte even though I will definitely be back next time for the tartufo! One of my favorite dining experiences in a while in the city and one of those rare places that I would actually look forward to going to twice, if not more

First visit, really impressed w/the variety of Northern Italian pasta dishes on the menu. Decided on the Ravioli stuffed with buffalo ricotta and Fava beans in a cherry tomato sauce. It was a delight! Service - attentive and suggestive Ambiance - Chase on the Mike singing traditional Italian favorites

One of my favorite Italian restaurants in NYC . We always visit when we come to the city Great food, great service, excellent ambiance

Old time Italian place. For the price, I felt the food did not meet expectations. Got the veal tenderloin wrapped prosciutto and did not see any prosciutto and veal was a little dry. Friend got the rabbit and it came messy looking and he said it was dry and had bones. Other pasta dishes were ok. For the price of the entrees, I would expect more. Service was excellent, though. Nice atmosphere.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable experience. The decor is lovely, upscale, and intimate. There are a lot of wait staff and the service was excellent. There is plenty of movement all the time, so don't expect a quiet romantic atmosphere. It all seems to move like a well oiled machine. My water glass was always full. I started with the lobster bisque and it had small pieces of crab on top. It was delicious and nice and hot as it should be. My lovely companion had the Insalata Bianca and found it delicious. I am not at all a hearts of palm guy, but the flavor of the dressing mixed with everything and the fresh cheese was absolutely delicious. It had a very light taste to it which I really liked and so did she. We were looking around the restaurant and found a lot of people ordered it. For my main course, I had the Tagliatelle Integrali. Everything tasted fresh and the pasta was just right and the sauce was delicious. Not at all spicy, and I was able to savor the fresh tomato and garlic. My beautiful day I had the Branzino and she thought it was terrific. The desserts looked predictable and we chose to skip it. I certainly recommend a visit here, there are several other items on the menu that I would like to try.

A true gem. Lusardi's is welcoming, intimate, filled with friendly and knowledgeable staff but most importantly, creates impeccable food each and every time. Their wine list is extensive and the specials reflect seasonal ingredients. Whether you go with your significant other, family or friends, you will not be disappointed!

Good food and great service. Feels like old NY I'm here in the best way. Will keep coming back.

My friends and I showed up for our Sat night reservation and were promptly seated at a large table on the sidewalk by the restaurant entrance. In addition to the sidewalk tables, there were covered tables that lined the street, all complete with linen tablecloths and fake candles to set the mood. We were seated at a large round table big enough to accommodate all of us, instead of at multiple smaller tables lined up. Service was speedy and friendly, and the food and drinks were delicious. We started with the complimentary bread basket with olive oil, which was so delicious. I had a glass of rose ($15) and the paccheri in salsa affumicata (pasta with eggplant, tomatoes, and mozz, $25). Very tasty, but even better than my entree were the 3 desserts we ordered to share: lemon creme brulee, pistachio tart, and chocolate cake.

Lusardi's has been an UES favorite of our family for 30+ years. Meraviglioso!

Food was top notch! Service even better. I just hate Yelp forcing additional characters!!

I had such a wonderful experience here, though I just stopped in for a drink. They were very crowded, but the owner/manager (?) accommodated our group of 3 at a table, even though we were only going to drink. EVERYONE was so friendly!! I did end up ordering the caprese, which was outstanding! Very, very nice place!

Came to Lusardi's for dinner and had a wonderful evening out. We were warmly greeted by one of the waiters and then seated at a great corner table. Order the lump crabmeat cocktail to start and when we mixed it with the greens below and added some of the sauce that accompanied it, it was like a party in my mouth! Ordered the whole wheat pasta with pancetta, peas, and mushrooms in a light tomato sauce that was so delicious I cleaned the plate dry! Paired it with an amazingly smooth Cabernet that had me feeling great. For the main we had a chicken dish in a beautifully done truffle sauce with Brussels sprouts on the side. And for dessert we had the tiramisu which was WOW! Side note, while ordering at the beginning of the meal I went to order another main and the waiter suggested to see how we feel after the first main course and boy was he right. Turned out he was right because after the main course we were stuffed. But there's always room for dessert, right?! The food was phenomenal, the waiter was absolutely incredible being friendly, attentive and very welcoming. Couldn't have been happier we chose Lusardi's!

Lusardi's is one of the legendary, old-school Italian restaurants of the Upper East Side. The food is as good as anywhere in Italy. The wonderful, seamless staff always treats you like family, and the ambience is like a glorious fireplace on a cold day. Love it here!

Sooooo disappointed. We live in the area and had been wanting to go for years. Finally made it out last night and the experience fell short of our expectations. The food was very, very good, but the service was terrible. I'm not sure if they were just having a bad night, but from the minute we sat down things were off. It took a long time to get the menu, and when we did the waiter immediately wanted to take our order. I asked if they had a drink menu - honestly just to buy a few minutes to look at the menu and the waiter was super dismissive of my request. Felt super rushed and weird but okay. We order, and the appetizer comes out on time, cool. But the entrees took foreverrrrrrr. My husband ordered the veal, which was pretty good, and I got the gnocchi. I don't understand why it took so long, but again, okay. Finally the food arrives and I asked for cheese. Again, nothing arrives for ten minutes. Finally, we flag down a waiter, and bring some of these issues to his attention politely. 5 minutes later cheese arrives, but he basically dumps it on my plate, obviously quite stressed, and even continued grating when I told him to stop. The bill came and they didn't offer anything to make up for any of the issues, except for an unasked-for side of zucchini they randomly sent over with the entrees. We give restaurants a lot of grace, and I hate complaining at the table, but I couldn't *not* in this case. The whole vibe was weird and it's unfortunate, as we had been wanting to try this to hopefully bring family to in the future. Bummer.

This place was the perfect spot for a fancy date night. Great wine, authentic Italian food and a cozy dining area. The staff was very friendly, always attentive without pressuring us. The truffled goat cheese salad was one of the highlights of the night, and I will be thinking about the poached pear dessert with cinnamon ice cream for a long time!

Very very nice ambience here!! Classy interior, cozy but not too crowded, and I love how it's not too noisy so you can actually chat with your friends over dinner! Food is very decent. The grilled calamari was really good. The lemon sole was quite salty though. The tiramisu was a perfect ending!!

Excellent service and good food. Enjoyed the outdoor seating. My neighborhood has ALOT of Italian restaurants, this is one on the list for a return visit. The gnocchi was delicious. I took 1 star off because the crème brûlée was disappointing.

Came here for lunch, don't know how we didn't find this place earlier and we live right around the corner! We actually tried the Lusardi's up at Westchester first, they're no longer affiliated but apparently this is the original location. Food was excellent. You cannot go wrong with any of their pastas, but hands down their veal stuffed ravioli was the best. My husband also loved his lamb chops. Sure to start spending lots of money here... loved it so much!

Best Italian restaurant on the upper east side, no doubt about it! Beautiful decor, pleasant staff and absolutely delicious pasta and fish dishes with a great ambiance and vibe!

One of my family's favorite local restuarant in the UES. Excellent homemade pasta. Great service by the wait staff and the hosts are always attentive to all the diners. We've only sat outside because of COVID. We've had all the pasta dishes and have never been disappointed. I love the ragu dish. I can't ever seem to order anything else. Wait I lie, I've had the gnoochi and love it too.

The Tortelli In Salsa Tartufata was delicious! The pasta was perfect and the filling was fresh and flavorful! We enjoyed a bottle of wine with dinner that was recommended to us. The Torta Al Pistacchio was good but I only had one bite because my daughter didn't want to share it. The staff was working hard and did a great job. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone that enjoys quality food. The price reflects the quality. If you're dining on a budget and looking for a quick bite this place would not be for you. It was a slow and savory experience.

The food was without taste , didn't know what we were eating, we order pasta with truffles , the pasta was sticky until we mixed it with the truffle sauce . We order antipasto , was very mediocre , the fish had no taste and the chicken too , we didn't know what we were eating . Service was terrible ! And after $600. Tab I wouldn't go back . Absolutely won't suggest .

Perfect neighborhood staple and great Italian food. Service is always awesome. Will always order from here and hold special events here too.

Came here to celebrate birthdays with three of my friends . Food was phenomenal, staff was attentive . One of my friends wanted a steak that wasn't on the menu and they were able to accommodate and prepare a lovely steak . I had the rack of lamb medium well and which was cooked to perfection . The Black Truffle Antipasto was so delicious !! Definitely will make time to return again !!