Noodle Pudding

"This cash-only, no-reservations Italian spot is a local favorite for its affordable classic fare in an exposed-brick space. The menu encompasses a handful of pastas, like fettuccini with shellfish ragu and gnocchi with butter and sage. Meaty mains include sautéed calf’s liver and sliced prime rib; a range of Sicilian options are also scattered throughout, like a rigatoni dish with roasted eggplant, tomatoes, and ricotta. It’s especially pleasing to eat here during warm weather, when the front windows open to the sidewalk." - Alexandra Ilyashov

"Noodle Pudding is a family style Italian restaurant famous for their fresh authentic pastas. With Naples-inspired cuisine, their dishes focus on simplicity rather than sophistication, with a large selection of seafood and local and seasonal ingredients. A few favorites are the Tagliatelle Bolognese and the Rigatoni alla Siciliana. Despite it’s low profile, no sign, no website and no social media, the restaurant has developed a loyal cult-like following, keeping its tables full of regulars since opening in the nineties. The waiters are dressed in crisp whites and most are fluent in Italian. The interior screams *Italian-American* with red and white checkered tablecloths and classic wooden bar. It’s a cozy spot in the winter, and in Summer they open up the front for an al fresco experience. There are no reservations and it’s cash only." - This Also

"Stop by Noodle Pudding on a reasonably warm day, and the big front windows might be open, letting a breeze run through the old-school, Brooklyn Heights dining room. Start your meal with the fritto misto, get some burrata, and order as much pasta as you can handle. The lasagna bolognese is always a good choice, although it’s about as large and dense as a car battery. And that’s only a slight exaggeration. This place is cash-only, they don’t take reservations, and the bar is a wonderful spot for a solo meal." - Willa Moore, Sonal Shah, Neha Talreja, Bryan Kim, Carina Finn Koeppicus

"Carbo-loading is known as a pre-run tactic, but we don’t see why it can’t also be helpful post-run. Rather than question our lack of understanding of the human body, just agree with us, and eat some delicious pasta at Noodle Pudding after your run across the Brooklyn Bridge into Dumbo. This Italian spot is a good low-key date option in case running is a couple’s activity for you, and there’s also a small bar where you can eat a big plate of gnocchi in butter and sage by yourself. Just remember to put some money in your sock - it’s cash-only." - matt tervooren

"Unless you live in Brooklyn Heights, you may never have heard of Noodle Pudding. This place doesn't have a website or a sign, and it's located on a quiet side street where you mostly just find locals. But you really need to eat here. A rarity for NYC, Noodle Pudding is an under-hyped Italian spot that serves great food and isn't especially hard to get into. (It's walk-in only.) The space is charming and old-school, with big windows in front that open up in the summertime. And the bar is a wonderful place to have a martini and a massive serving of lasagna. This restaurant is cash-only, but somehow that only adds to the charm." - Willa Moore, Bryan Kim, Carina Finn Koeppicus, Hannah Albertine