OPTO

I was sad when Periyali closed but this new Mediterranean spot that took the location is actually a step up. We only had a bunch of starters and every dish was perfection. Started with a unique dill infused vodka Martini. The Jerusalem bagel with labneh starter is beyond delicious. The gem lettuce salad is spectacular. The octopus is as good as any octopus dish I've ever had. Yellowtail tartar is bright and flavorful. Lemon cake dessert was irresistible. I can't wait to go back.

I genuinely had the best time here. The food was amazing. We got the ricotta dip and octopus to share, LOVED the fact that the dip came with a bagel to dip it in. We then shared the lobster pasta and lamb as mains, the pasta blew me away, absolutely delicious, the lamb was soft and packed with flavor, mint sauce was a nice touch. We finished with the chocolate mousse, HOLY. One of the best mousse desserts I’ve had. It was perfect, not too sweet, tasted like dark chocolate and the cream on top balanced it perfectly. Overall, my family and I had an amazing dinner and I genuinely want to come back with everyone I know.

Feel confident in saying this is the worlds best gluten free fried calamari. The dips also had gluten free pita and the tomato sauce on the durade was incredible. Service was slow, cocktail menu just okay and it was quite hot inside the restaurant which takes it down to 4 stars but a great food menu that shines if you’re looking for gluten free options.

The atmosphere was genuinely lovely — cozy vibe and nice decor that made it feel like a great spot for a night out. The service was also excellent — the staff were warm, attentive, and truly did their best to make us feel welcome. Unfortunately, the food was a major letdown. The octopus was completely burnt — it was blackened to the point of being inedible, tasting only of charcoal. It was honestly disappointing, especially considering how excited we were to try it. Also it was paired with creamy mashed potatoes, which tasted like mayo. The drinks were okay, nothing memorable but decent. Another small thing — it was pretty warm inside, which made the overall experience a bit uncomfortable. I appreciate the kind service and atmosphere, but I wouldn’t come back for the food. I hope the kitchen improves because the staff and space definitely deserve better dishes to match.

Service was truly fantastic. Everyone from front of house to the servers were incredibly attentive, kind, and just so genuinely nice! Cherry on top was that the food was really good. The tuna carpaccio melted in our mouths and the pastas were absolutely delicious. The interiors decor and atmosphere was on point without being pretentious. Would highly recommend.

Went on a Saturday and really impressed. The grilled octopus was the best I’ve had, and the Greek salad was amazingly fresh with delicious tomatoes and cucumbers. The ricotta and labne dips were amazing, I did prefer the labne. Dinner wise the lamb chops were amazing and the lemon pasta was so tasty. The brazino was so light and flavorful, but the lamb chops were slightly better if you have to pick one. We tried the carrots and the potatoes as sides and both were great but the carrots were so tasty and refreshing. Dessert wise I like the cake the most, although the cookies were good too. Ambiance was nice, good music, nice layout, good lighting. And I’ve never had better service in NYC. Do yourself a favor and try this place.

Really enjoyable dining experience. Everything we ordered was very tasty. My favorite was the tomato pasta and the chocolate mousse dessert is a must. I definitely wanna go back and try the other items on the menu.

WOW. Hands down one of the top if not the top restaurants I’ve been to in 2025 in NYC as a local. we had Michael as our server. Ordered Taramosalata, lemon pasta, red snapper and carrots. Star of the show was the lemon pasta and taramosalata/charred sourdough bread. Cannot wait to come back to try the Branzino and rest of the menu. Ambiance was great as well. So glad we gave it a try.

Opto is everything you want a NYC restaurant in 2025 to be. Service that makes you feel welcome, cared for, and part of the family. Food that is approachable, yet innovative with deliciously balanced flavors of salt, fat, and acid. An ambiance that is refined, warm, and comforting. Highlights for me are the $45 caviar service at the bar only (best deal in ny for caviar), the taramasalata, and octopus. Not to mention one of the best Negronis I've ever had. Chef Alex is an amazingly talented chef, curating a constantly rotating menu of top notch dishes that are well worth the money. The bar team is top notch- shout out to Kevin especially, who showed us that hospitality still exists in 2025. The team here truly cares about hospitality and their guests. They treat them respectfully, engage with those interested in what they do, and they overall treat you like friends and family. I will continue to make Opto one of my regular spots and I hope you do too

It's been a while since we've been wowed by a Manhattan restaurant. Lots of big production and mediocrity. Opto has only been around since January and deserves the attention! Firstly, the space is cozy yet roomy enough for gathering friends or date nights. The friendly and snappy staff have purpose when serving customers. Very well trained on execution. Every single dish was a surprise that landed unique balances of flavor. We had the Norwegian yellowtail tartare (a bright Mediterranean taste that didn't overpower the delicious yellowtail), sunchoke salad, Spanish octopus (tender and the accompanying potatoes were so good!) and finished with the Rocky Mountain lamb and straciatella cavatelli (perfectly al dente). Our only suggestion was more light at the table to let the beautiful food speak in person and on my iPhone! And yes, it's on the expensive side, but the food was excellent. We'll be back.

I have to say, the food was excellent- but have a few reasons as to why it's not a 5 star restaurant for me. First, it's very expensive. Extremely so. I don't think Opto has a Michelin star, and I don't think the prices are justifiable. Second, the acoustics are horrible. We sat down at 6:15- could still hear the music which I thought was somewhat too loud, but by around 7, the conversations from the other tables were so loud, I couldn't hear what my friend was saying to me. Lastly, the set up of tables in the back corner- very poor. Where we were sat, I was literally 3 inches from another diner's chair. I asked to be moved to the next two top that was vacant and was told no. We were told we could move our table a few inches closer to the vacant table which we did. Then every single time a server, busier, or anyone else came to the table on our side, my chair was kicked . EVERY SINGLE TIME. Either the staff is very clumsy or there is one table too many in this section. Very annoying and took away from the experience. The food/ I had the lemon cocktail/ was good, not great, we shared the sun choke appetizer which was great, the grilled octopus- which was very thick so a little hard to chew but tasty- and it came with a delicious potato salad, the pesto pasta which was very good, and a very expensive Red Snapper that came with clams. I think the price of the snapper was ridiculous. Great food and service, bad pricing, acoustics and design.

Opto is a great new add to the area! A little pricy but the food is definitely worth the cost. Everything we ordered was packed with flavor and left us licking the plate clean. We ordered the whipped ricotta, octopus, and limone pasta. The octopus was served over a potato salad which was delicious and paired very well with it. I am not usually one to order pasta but the limone was very good and cooked to perfection! I would recommend you order a few items to share with others so you can try more items on the menu. All of the food we ordered was plenty for 2 people!

Love what they did with the space. This restaurant is so cozy inside and has Mediterranean vibes. The food was in the vein of Sicilian. Whipped ricotta was mediocre but the half chicken and octopus were great. Bar area is cute.

I came with some friends for dinner and got a few plates to share: calamari (good and better without the sauce), whipped ricotta (probably my favorite), gem lettuce salad (refreshing) and the macaroni al pomodoro (the pasta was too hard - not al dente). Overall a nice place but very pricey. Service was attentive. The restaurant is very cute inside.

I loved it! First off it's super cute in there, which is always a plus. But the food was also top notch. The filet had an amazing char to it and was perfectly cooked. I think I preferred the lemon pasta over the pomodoro (sauce was great, but I expected it to be hollow - it had quite a bite to it). They also have matches! I wanna try their choco mousse next time

Wow. Some of the best food I've had in a while. The limone tagliatelle was incredible, definitely a must order The octopus was so close to the one I've had in Porto. Perfectly cooked and the potatoes underneath were DELICIOUS. Lemony and perfectly garlicky. The chocolate mousse was divine, I would order this over the torte for sure

Came here for dinner on a Saturday night and was easy to make a reservation for 4 day of! The staff are so kind and attentive and the inside is beautifully decorated. The restaurant was pretty packed but not too noisy at all. We started with the ricotta and labneh dips which were both amazing. Over the two I preferred the ricotta but both were delicious. We also got the oysters which were super fresh and the octopus. The potatoes in the octopus dish were incredible but the dish overall was quite salty so I would not necessarily recommend. We also got the gem lettuce salad which is a must! It's perfectly crunchy and the dressing pairs perfectly. For our mains we got two pasta dishes, the pomodoro and lemon tagliatelle which were both delicious! The pomodoro was perfectly chewy and the lemon tagliatelle was light and refreshing (my favorite of the two). To end we had to try the dark chocolate mousse and it is phenomenal. It's rich but not too sweet and I am still thinking about it to this day! Great food and incredible service!

A bit of the Mediterranean in Flatiron. A menu with significant Greek and Italian influences. Restaurant is located on the basement level and requires stair to access. I started with one of their house cocktails which was a spin on a gin and tonic. For the second and third rounds I switched over to a Dirty Gin Martini. They rang my drink up as a Dorothy Parker, so I don't know what to make of that. Cocktails were pricey but good. We shared a bunch of appetizers as starters. We had toasted sourdough with whipped ricotta, a Montreal style bagel with labneh, fried calamari, and the grilled summer squash with manouri cheese. The fried calamari was a hit. The medium thickness breading that was generously seasoned with a pepper based blend. Super crispy Sam's it was the first plate cleared. For the main course, we shared three pastas. We decided to honor the Italian flag by ordering a red, white, and green sauce. The red sauce was a light pomodoro with a thick udon like noodle. It was cakey and doughy with a big chew to it. The white sauce was a creamy lemon sauce with taglioini - essentially a fancy fettuccine Alfredo. A nostalgic item and another hit at the tables. Green sauce was a pesto with a long thin pasta called trenette. It was served with potatoes, green beans, and pine nuts giving it a home style feel. Service was attentive. Atmosphere was dim and had an intimate Mediterranean cave like ambiance. Pacing of the food was good. There were gendered restrooms.

Lovely ambiance with attentive service- dim with candle light! The "i like nonsense" yogurt cocktail was refreshing. The salad was a bit overdressed, and octopus too salty with heavy mayo tasting potato, but everything else was good, including the chocolate mousse, sheep ricotta and tagliolini limone pasta. Honestly pasta was too small a portion for being $30, it was good but not mind blowing. Would recommend for a date without the octopus and salad dishes.

We had the greatest time at Opto. The host was so friendly and inviting. The service was impeccable, across the board. Our drinks were so damn good and the manager even came over and walked us through the thoughts in making them. Michael, our server, gave us thoughtful recommendations and he was spot on, let alone checking in on us repeatedly. To top it all off, the food was spectacular. Our mezzo was great, the yellowtail tartare was one of our favorites but thr lamb chop stole the show. I wish this restaurant was near our home as we would be there once a week.

We stopped in for a nightcap and can't wait to go back for a meal. We sat at their sleek bar and received excellent service, including a sweet treat to taste. Excellent Manhattan.

Dinner for two. Excellent service in every way. Attentive but not overbearing, with relevant questions for us and suggestions for us as well. Servers, other staff great. Literally every staff person had a smile on his/her face and was super-friendly. Maitre D' was so friendly and helpful. Came over to check on us a couple of times. We appreciated that attention and help with selecting wine. The food was absolutely delicious. Prices appear a bit higher than average, but the portions are substantial so we felt our dinner was actually a good deal. Music at a reasonable level. Not quiet and not loud. Easy to talk. Old-school dance music, which was a surprise but also was very fun, since it was not what we hear at every other restaurant. Somewhat dark inside, lights were fairly low. That was fine. Seats were very comfortable - nicely cushioned - which pleased us. Tables are typical NYC-close to your neighbors so that was fine also. Food came out quickly, was plated nicely, looked superb and tasted excellent. We were thrilled. Taramasalata and we got a Simit in addition to the grilled bread. We added salt to to the tarama, which we like to do with "dips". We loved the Simit and the grilled bread, both were so good. This was a great dish. Fried calamari, comes with a side of somewhat spicy amba. This was a great dish. Grilled half chicken was cooked perfectly with a terrific jus. Wow this was extraordinary. So moist and easy to cut. Had saved a bit of the grilled bread, so used that with the jus and that was awesome. Tagliolini with Amalfi Lemon. Plenty of lemon flavor, plenty of parmesan flavor. Background of butter. This was a terrific dish. Pasta cooked just al dente. Full of flavor. Chocolate mousse for dessert. This was amazing. Every dish was pretty large. Every dish obviously made with pride, and with great care. We were, ummm, well-fed. 100000% going to return. Loved it.

This is a newer pricier Mediterranean restaurant located in the same space as Periyali which was there for 40 years. The inside has a classy ambience and would be nice for a date and the service was professional though perhaps a bit slow which was especially the case with ordering. The prices match the ambience being on the relatively high end but the dishes are mostly pretty shareable and we overall had a good time. To drink, I had one of their many excellent sounding cocktails which was the "Truth Is Rarely Pure" for $19 which is one of their spritzes with Japanese whiskey, Aperitivo Nonino, and prosecco with the cocktails on the menu ranging from I believe $16 to $22 or so which is the usual for a nicer spot. While I'm not usually the hugest fan of drinks with prosecco or other sparkling wines, this worked here with the drink having a nice mix of bitterness and sweetness with a slight bite at the end from the whiskey and I would recommend it for those who like negronis. Another person had a glass of Basque wine (the rosé) which they enjoyed. The only appetizer we started with was the Whipped Sheep's Milk Ricotta for $18 with chestnut honey and grilled bread. The ricotta had a nice soft texture and the pieces of bread had a mix of softness and hardness with some being perhaps grilled a bit too long. There was definitely a bit of sweetness from the honey though I think the dish itself was missing something extra such as either salt or perhaps an herb as the flavor was a bit one note. It was fine though overall our least favorite of the dishes. We otherwise got two larger plates. The smaller of the two was the excellent Macaroni Di Bussa Al Pomodoro for $32 with Vesuvius tomato, basil, and pecorino Sardo. The pasta had a nice texture to it being chewy but not too much so. The dish had a good kick to it with some saltiness (presumably from the pecorino) and there was a hint of spice from the tomato sauce which was a nice touch. This was a very tasty pasta dish and I would recommend it and it would make an excellent solo main dish. Much larger and much higher priced was the Rocky Mountain Lamb Chops for $85 with black garlic, ras el hanout, and mint chermoula which we ordered two of. The price might leave you a bit wide-eyed but it was actually worth it as the four lamb chops on the plate were massive being I would say 1.5 times the size of usual lamb chops. The lamb was cooked a perfect medium rare as requested with them being very tender with a slight chew to them. The dish had a light sweetness, some warming spices, and a bit of sourness from the chermoula with none of this overpowering the excellent quality chops. I would recommend this for a group and I think two people could split this easily with the last lamb chop being easy enough to cut in half as long as a person doesn't mind getting the bone. We didn't bother with dessert though we were tempted by the mousse. The restaurant is pricey but it's good quality and the portion sizes make up for the price point at least for most dishes that we ordered. If I could give a 4.5 I would but I can't so I'll bump it up as it's an early review.

Opto is a newer Mediterranean spot from chef Tubero; their menu changes often, as it's a seasonal menu. We came here for an early dinner with some dear friends, staring off with: +Periyali's Domades +Taramosalata - served with grilled bread +Whipped Sheep's Milk Ricotta - drizzled with chestnut honey and served with grilled bread +and, Green Market Fritto Misto - with charred jalapeno tzatziki and lemon For our mains, we tried: +the Trenette al Pesto Genovese - with potatoes, green beans, and Spanish pine nuts +Canary Islands Branzino +Herb Crusted Ribeye +Spiced Lentils +Wild Mushrooms +and, Bloomsdale Spinach Service was friendly, and the restaurant space is bright and cheery, with nicely printed seating, plants, and nice lighting fixtures. Making online reservations was a seamless process! +friendly service +making reservations is a seamless process

Hosted a group of six at Opto and they sat us at a fabulous round table. Pastas and desserts were the stars, especially recommend the Pesto Genovese, Lemon Butter Pasta, Lemon Torte and Chocolate Mousse. Octopus also deserves a mention. Didn't love the lamb chops (tasted overcooked?) or the whipped ricotta (stiff competition in NYC). Menu is setup well for sharing. Overall, I'd recommend if looking for a spot in the neighborhood, but wouldn't go out of my way to come back.

Stunning decor, great ambiance and superb customer service. I loved their drinks and the apps and the chocolate mousse dessert is a must order item. But the mains were meh at best (I was a little disappointed). You should order the whipped ricotta and the octopus. I'd skip the tuna carpaccio and thought the spicy lobster spaghetti was just alright. The burger special for the night was also a little underwhelming. If I do return, it will only be for apps and that chocolate mousse dessert!

The service was impeccable, everyone was so nice and friendly and came by the table frequently ensuring we didn't need anything. Not to mention the food was amazing, some of the best pasta I've had. I will definitely be going back!

This spot is incredible. The restaurant opened 3 months ago and my girlfriend had already been twice when she brought me here last week. Really cool ambiance - its a big space but feels small. Not just the space but also the fact that the owner (alex) makes a point to be present and get to know the guests. I am moving around the corner in about a month and plan to come back frequently.

Fabulous friendly professional service. Great vibes. Yummy food. The lemon risotto was phenomenal. Will return. Highly recommend! For celiacs: Almost everything is or can be made gluten free and it's amazing. The gluten free pita was the best gluten free bread I've ever eaten (and I've tried a lot).

Loved our meal here - started with the whipped ricotta and grilled GF bread, which was absolutely delicious. Also had their version of a margarita (I asked for a splash of Mezcal and they obliged), also very tasty. We shared the roast chicken, Trenette al Pesto Genovese, and Tagliolini al Amalfi Limone (they do risotto for GF folks for the pastas, which was great), all were great. Service was totally on point. Beautiful decor and vibe, with tables up front and another room in back. We will definitely return!

Really good food, nice service, and a lovely vibe. The lobster pasta was particularly great.

The food at OPTO is phenomenal--especially the gluten-free pita with ricotta and honey (a must), grilled octopus, limone risotto, tuna crudo, and gem salad. As someone with a gluten intolerance and a member of my party with celiac, I felt completely safe and impressed by the quality and care in every dish. That said, we had an 8:15 PM reservation and weren't seated until after 9, which threw off our plans. Service was kind but overwhelmed--water alone took 15 minutes after sitting down. Worth it for the food, but the wait and stretched-thin service were frustrating.

Had a celebratory dinner here and happy to have found such a wonderful local place. The food was delicious and service was excellent. The many different cocktails we tried were delicious Our server was so friendly and helpful as half of our group was vegetarian. He guided us well on what to order and every item was a hit. We will definitely be back.

Best new restaurant in town. The Canary Islands branzino was to die for, as was the salt crusted whole turbot.