Il Cantinori
Italian restaurant · Greenwich Village ·
Tuscan classics, off-menu specials, espresso martinis, and candlelit dinners
Tuscan classics, off-menu specials, espresso martinis, and candlelit dinners
"A Tuscan East Village restaurant singled out by Carter in a list of noteworthy places; the piece presents it as one of the spots he named when asked about his favorites." - Melissa McCart
"If you’ve ever wondered where to drink an espresso martini in Greenwich Village, look no further than Il Cantinori. Look here, too, for a white tablecloth dinner, which starts with bread and warm red sauce. There’s a long menu of Tuscan classics, but we’d encourage you to order the off-menu specials—like the textbook-perfect chicken parm, and a tri-color pasta sampler. Yes, that's a plate of three pastas for $50, but it’s not like you can get your hands on a pasta sampler any day. Lovers of Il Cantinori tend to here for every special occasion dinner, probably because once you eat here enough, the owner, Frank, will learn your name." - willa moore, will hartman, sonal shah, neha talreja, arden shore
"Il Cantinori has an entire menu of Tuscan food, but the best way to eat here is to order the off-menu specials—like a saucy chicken parm, and a pasta sampler that’s perfect for anyone who often experiences instant order-related regret. The Greenwich Village Italian restaurant—which did in fact make a cameo on Sex and the City—has white tablecloths fit for a family dinner, but enough espresso martini-drinking to also draw a crowd who still caffeinates after 6pm. Keep it in mind for any sort of occasion that warrants spending a lot of money on pasta by candlelight, and channeling your inner Carrie Bradshaw. We’ve found that lovers of Il Cantinori come here on every special occasion—probably because when you eat here enough, the owner (Frank) will learn your name. photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte photo credit: Kate Previte Pause Unmute Food Rundown Free Bread Il Cantinori’s free bread comes with a warm, savory tomato sauce that’s doused in olive oil. Other Italian restaurants should be taking notes. photo credit: Kate Previte Off-Menu Pasta Sampler The questionable: this costs $50. The good: having three different pastas—vodka sauce, pesto, and cacio e pepe—on one plate is straight up a fun way to eat. It’s not big enough to really make any economical sense, but take that last sip of espresso martini and order it anyway. photo credit: Kate Previte Off-Menu Chicken Parmesan Sometimes, the chicken parm is a special. But even when it's not, you can (and should) order it. It’s got that same savory tomato sauce, crispy edges, and a heavy layer of cheese. Off-Menu Veal Scallopini We'd opt for the chicken parm over the veal, but the thinness of this lemony cutlet is a culinary feat you deserve to eat at least once." - Willa Moore
"Sticking to classics, President Joe Biden and his family visited the 40-year-old Il Cantinori in Greenwich Village earlier in the week." - Luke Fortney
"I visited Il Cantinori recently and found a dining room largely unchanged since it opened in 1983 — brick walls, mirrors, sprays of flowers, terracotta floor tiles, white stucco, discreet dining nooks, and a big outdoor table under an overhang that still hosts extended-family gatherings. Run by the same owners (Steve Tzolis, Nicola Kotsoni, and Frank Minieri), it played a role in New York’s shift to Tuscan cooking and was a celebrity hangout in the 1980s (Jennifer Aniston, Richard Gere, Robert Mapplethorpe, Dolly Parton, Salman Rushdie, Tom Cruise, and Sarah Jessica Parker were reported regulars; Andy Warhol and Keith Haring famously rode a motorcycle into the dining room in 1984). Service felt formal (a suited maitre d’ greeting regulars), and we were treated to amuses: a spectacular pappa al pomodoro and a disappointing, commercial-tasting cheese-and-salami offering. Bread and bottled olive oil stamped with the restaurant name were plentiful. Our panzanella ($19) had sweet tomatoes, a sharp basil-forward dressing, and disappointingly few bread gobbets, marred by a large vein of bitter baby arugula; by contrast, the pappardelle alla buttera ($39) was opulent — frilly noodles in a rich tomato-and-cream sauce with ground sausage and peas — and heavenly, easily satisfying two despite the price. The grilled rabbit ($39) was mostly bone and dry, apparently reheated, but dessert — a pale panna cotta with blueberry syrup ($15) split on two plates — was a thoughtful finish. Overall, I found Il Cantinori an excellent, if expensive, place to impress a date or for family gatherings if parents are paying, though truer Tuscan food can be found elsewhere." - Robert Sietsema