Ulivo

Cute neighborhood mom and pop type Italian spot. Casual warm vibes with homemade pastas and standard fare but made with care. It’s not super fancy so resys are easy. it’s comfort food and reasonably priced. Verdict: will return for quiet family style dinners.

Had dinner at Ulivo on a trip to NYC for Spring Break. Definitely glad we made a reservation ahead of time as the place was packed upon arrival. The restaurant is dark but lively. The service was quick and food came out hot and timely. We had wine, the spaghetti pomodoro and a squash ravioli that was the special. The food was phenomenal and the service great. The atmosphere is a little loud and lively -- we had trouble hearing each other and having a conversation so just a heads up if you prefer a more intimate/quiet type of place. But the pasta is delightful and we very much enjoyed the food.

We ordered the Sea Bass, pasta, fingerling potatoes, the gem salad, and the artichoke & avocado appetizer. Very tasty—everything! The service was efficient, attentive, impeccable. The only negative was that tge tables were small and it was so loud we couldn’t have a conversation. Would return again for good Italian food.

This is a great restaurant to entertain important guests visiting New York. It is an excellent place to meet the standards of those who have been to high-end restaurants in Europe or overseas, as well as gourmet enthusiasts. I was happy to leave a good impression on the guests with the luxurious atmosphere and taste. Although it was a bit pricier than nearby restaurants, the portion size was much larger than a single serving, making it ideal for sharing. You can enjoy authentic Italian cuisine reminiscent of what you tasted in Italy.

This was a peaceful retreat from the unusual heat of the day. The food was delicious, the servers attentive and overall a relaxing experience

I have a delightful experience at this genuine Italian restaurant near 28th St. The blend of a clean, modern vibe with elements of the original building structure really enhanced the decor. The cozy bar near the waiting area at an extra touch to the overall experience. They have a small wine cellar with many selections. You can tell that every dish from the appetizer to the main course is made fresh in the open kitchen. My favorite was the calamari, which had a perfect fresh crunch (runner up was the meatballs). To finish of the meal, the sorbet and the cannoli was the perfect touch. The service was excellent from the beginning to the end. Overall great family dinner at the Ulivo.

Delicious Italian! Everything that I’ve ordered here is on point, I enjoyed every single bite from the complimentary Italian bread, appetizers, salad, main course, dessert and drink. Definitely recommend this place for whoever is looking for the original Italian cuisine and you will be amazed!! Thumbs up.

The cocktails were awesome, the Nut-groni was a particular favorite! Came here with a group of friends and sat in the window lounge. Service and mixology were great! We enjoyed the atmosphere immensely!

Came in by myself 45 minutes before closing, I asked if they could seat me or if they were gonna close soon and the guy reassured me that it was fine. I wasn't expecting bread service so that was a nice surprise while I waited for my food and drink (which I didn't have to wait for long at all!) -- Loved the attentiveness of the guy refilling my water and the rest of the staff were very kind as well! As far as the decor/ambiance, I love low lighting and this place was very cozy feeling and super clean, I loved it and will be back.

Food (1 of 2 stars): I ordered the cannelloni for a main and it was really good! I wish there was a bit more, volume wise, but for the amount you do get in the dish, it was packed with flavor! Forgot to mention, but we got the zucchini appetizer and were pleasantly surprised by that! Service (2 of 2 stars): Multiple servers/employees came up to us and kept checking in on us and getting us water. They were all super helpful and I never had a moment where I felt like I was looking for a waiter when my table needed something. Our server was also helpful giving us recommendations when ordering. Food came out quick and courses had a good cadence between each! Ambiance (1 of 1 star): I really like the ambiance of the restaurant; it wasn't too dark or too loud which are things I don't like from other restaurants. I'd definitely come back here. There's lots of other things on the menu that I would like to try!

Came here for Friday night dinner with a friend, such a cute romantic spot. The host was super welcoming and everyone was just so nice. The gnocchi was so soft and pillowy and the sauce was so rich. The martini was perfect, great ratio of vodka and brine and the perfect amount of olives. Def recommend for date night!

The staff is very accommodating to food allergies. The food is very good. I ate a menu made for our large group. The dishes were traditional real Italian, not Italian-American. The restaurant can get very busy during dinner service but the staff is very attentive. The ambiance is low light with candles on the tables, dark wood. Clean restrooms.

We booked a table for three here on Christmas Eve early in the evening and came into quarter filled restaurant. The host also ended up as our waitress, but she was excellent. We had a fried burrata appetizer, which had slightly too much dough on it, but it was excellent. We had the Gnocchi, the oxtail tagliatelle and the squid ink pasta. The oxtail and gnocchi were incredible. The pasta was perfectly cooked and the sauce excellent. The squid ink pasta was quite undercooked, but the sauce was good enough to keep eating. The staff, that seemed short at least one server, stuck there on Christmas Eve somehow managed to juggle an incredible amount of people, but that made the meal last longer than we wanted. We will visit again, not on a holiday, to see how it goes. I would recommend eating here.

I went at a slower time on 09/28/2024 and had such a great time by myself. The pasta was amazing and I know this is such a basic thing to love but the BREAD!!! Gahhh so good! The service was prompt and I was very happy with the entire experience. I just wish I would have went at a slightly busier time so that I could embrace people enjoying the atmosphere and really get the entire experience. Overall.. 8.5/10.

Food 7/10 An underrated gem located in NoMad with homemade pastas and refreshing drinks. I ordered the spicy sausage pasta, which was just okay, but my friend's vongole was delicious. Massive portions, but I couldn't finish and didn't particularly want to finish it, even as leftovers. The mezcal cocktail was pretty good though. Atmosphere 8/10 Very dark inside, and also quite loud. Bustling with activity. Tables were spread a good distance apart from each other. Cute bathroom. Service 8/10 Solid service, nothing wrong.

We walked in here for dinner on a Sunday, and loved both the pizza and pasta (pic attached)! Then we went across the street to the Portrait Bar, which was another gem!

It's not an Italian restaurant ,they think if they put Italian names on it and it's Italian. All pizzas and pastas do not have meat. They don't know how to cook we ordered 5 different pastas: 1st was undercooked, 2nd too salty and 3rd too dry, the last two were fine but not amazing. It's too expensive for shitty food with no meat on it. Service was bad, waiter just took our order and most of the time busser was taking care of us and he gave us wrong food because waitress didn't mention who ordered what. Looks nice but food and environment not worth the money at all.

Really cute Italian place on 28th! Stopped in on a Sunday night without a reservation and didn't have a wait. Got the artichokes with avocado and pistachios to start along with octopus carpaccio for a second app. For mains we got the cannelloni short rib ragu and the linguine with clams. I wanted to try the pasta with tuna but they were out. Everything was very delicious and portions were generous for a really decent price point! Service was quick and staff was very helpful!

The best authentic Italian restaurant in NY. For the value, you can't beat it. Felt like something you would find in the old country. Small and intimate. Great date spot. Leave your wife at home and take the gf here!

Great experience and dining time for my team while visiting NYC! Since we were a party of 8, the restaurant policy requires a card on file for parties of 6+ to ensure a cancellation fee of $15 per guest. Our reservation was set at 7:30 pm Tuesday night, and we were sat immediately when our party was fully assembled. The vibes were lively, fun, and great. The only issue was that our waitress disappeared for 10-15 minutes and another waiter took our menus to "restart the service" though we ordered appetizers and but no orders to kitchen for pasta nor drinks. We decided to go family style and we were quite full after the appetizers of fried eggplant, bread, pizzas and more. We ended up sharing 1 pasta between 4 people. The food was tasty, good portions, and traditional Italian with class.

I haven't been here since pre-COVID, so I was happy that the place still exists! The prices have, understandably, gone up to the point where dinner here is reserved for a celebration or extra-special treat, but the service, food, and ambiance are still exactly what they used to be.

Nice little Italian restaurant in Nomad! Servers were all very nice, my water was constantly refilled. I tried the Busiate con Pesto alla Trapanese ($25) - I have never had an almond pesto before, so I was very interested in trying this-don't expect your typical basil pesto! This is slightly more tomato based with crushed almonds. The pasta shape itself was also unique, I have never had pasta like this. My friend got the pork chop special ($50). Good Italian spot, I would be back if I were in the area!

I've been searching for good battarga in the city and happened to come across this restaurant in my neighborhood. I can't believe I haven't gone here sooner as it was amazing, and the service was great. Such a warm and cozy restaurant with amazing options. We got the calamari, olives, margherita pizza, and Pici alla Bottarga di Muggine di Cabras (battarga pasta). Will definitely be back!

As a devoted bucatini fan, I had the most delicious meal here. Maybe I was starving after hours of shopping but I inhaled my plate of pasta with some friends.

This week, starting tonight and for four days only, a chef from Bari is at Ulivo and is serving spaghetti all'assassina. Spaghetti is not boiled in water but is made in a pan with sauce and a little water added. The result is crunchy semi-burnt pasta that is a bit spicy. The menu was totally Pugliese. We started with a small piece of focaccia covered with buratta cheese. then we had puree of fave with chicory. Then, the pasta. For dessert there was a pastry with gelato in the center. Everything was very good. The water glasses were never empty and neither were the wine glasses. We were seated in the back and could watch the kitchen,but the room was large and had many tables. The front was dark wood, but our table was plain unpainted wood. Go. The food is very good. I want to go back whether the chef from Bari is there or not.

I came here randomly while I was here for polo classic. I came here without any reservation on a Saturday night in like may. It was off the late night like after 9 and I was able to be seated right away. I picked this place because it's close to my hotel and I wanted good pasta and this had good reviews. Well I was very happy with my visit! I loved the bread, service was great, food was fresh and I was very happy. The service was good with us being in aid attention to. The ambiance was grown, dim lighting and just a grown feel. I would come back again.

Hidden gem off Broadway in Nomad. We left feeling that this place should be so much more popular than it is. Highly recommend the margherita pizza. Up there with the best in the city. Both pasta dishes were incredible. The ravioli special was buttery, and the truffle was just enough not to overpower the dish. The bottarga pasta dish was so garlicky and delicious - I didn't want it to end. The service was top-notch as well. We walked in on a Tuesday evening. Will definitely be back to try more. Cute, date night vibe

Second time at Ulivo. It was more amazing than my first incredible dinner there. The waitress explained several questions I had about items on the menu and recommended for me to have the fettuccine. Apparently it's a special, but I know it would get me to return just for this dish. And especially for the amazing service. I avise that you go soon to taste the fettuccine while it's available and of course for the remarkable waitress.

Great place we made a later reservation and they took there time with us and didn't make us feel rushed. This was our last dinner in NYC for our vacation. Servers were all kind and friendly. The bartender even brought me the bottle of the wine I was drinking so I could take a picture of it.

This place is great. Pastas were amazing. Specially the truffled ravioli special and the pappardelle. The ambiance is great and romantic--perfect date night spot. Service was attentive and quick. Would highly recommend!

Ate here for the first time. Excellent service. Would consider trying again until I found my favorite dish(es.) Reading other's reviews, it seems the menu hasn't changed in some time, including "the specials." That ravioli sauce is straight butter -- I dipped bread in it. The atmosphere gives italian family comfort slash speak easy glamour though understated on both and neither of these.

Not much on the menu at Ulivo will surprise you-- they serve a really standard menu of Italian classics, like salad, pizza, pasta, and antipasti. Sometimes, that's exactly what you want, like a nice bowl of comforting pasta, a glass of aperol spritz, and some good conversation, which is why I found myself at Ulivo one recent evening. Reservations were not needed as the dining room sat mostly empty on the night I visited. The space was beautifully decorated, and in the empty space in this prime location already had me suspecting the food was probably pretty lackluster, which turned out to be true. I was dining with someone who is Italian and likes to judge a restaurant by their most basic dishes, so we ordered a margherita pizza and pappardelle fresche con brasato di coda alla vaccinara (oxtail ragu), and a basic, arugula, parmesan salad. Sometimes basic dishes will taste amazing if the kitchen knows what they're doing, but everything we had lacked any punchy flavor, so much so that we left food on the table-- a rarity for me. I did enjoy the wine selection and my aperol spritz was pretty solid. I'd come here for a drink and maybe an appetizer but would save a full meal for elsewhere.

Ambiance and fresh pasta, great spot. Very cozy and intimate with lovely service and easy to get a table

Delicious meatballs. Nice place for lunch. Great selection of wines. I would go back. A bit off the beaten path which is nice.

Super cozy-hipster-shabby modern Italian eatery - perfect for a nice, sit down lunch. I ordered the Prix Fixe (it was a Sunday) lunch, which had solid choices available at only $30. What a deal! I started with the mozzarella and prosciutto - a large portion for a set menu; very impressed. My wife has an absolutely light and delicious arugula salad dressed with lemon and thin Parmesan slices. Yum! I had a unique, creative, and delicious pesto, made with almonds; different but excellent - and another huge prix fixe portion. My wife's amatriciana was well made and full of flavor. Impossible to finish it was so much! Top notch service and perfect pacing. Finish your meal with a nice Italian espresso, and face the day.

I stumbled across this place while in town on business. To my surprise it was outstanding food. Authentic and tasteful direct from Italy. Fabulous desserts.

Amazing Italian dishes! I am usually a person who is not a fan of Italian food because I've always thought the palette is limited but Ulivo changed that for me. This is one of my go-to restaurants and I find it amazing especially the service. It is usually difficult to find good service while you're dining alone but June the floor manager has always led her team by example. I ordered the fried Zucchini & Fried shrimp, and quite frankly this is my favorite vegetable because the taste and texture resembles potato chips lol. The shrimp was interesting almost looked like popcorn, this dish was an appetizer but I'd recommend it for small bites. I paired this with a dry white which was perfect. To finish off my stay, I went with the Salame di Ciccolato & Cannoli, hats off to Chef Emmanuel. I've never make it to dessert but I'm glad I did today. You all know I love a great interior design. I've always been a bar seater here but decided to change that up. I love the combination of family style leather seats & textured cement ceilings meshed with a modern wooden approach. There's a corner booth/seat that I wish I sat in but now that I know that'll be my next request.

This was a date night planned by my husband so to say I was impressed is an understatement! The atmosphere is super relaxing & inviting. We ordered the arugula salad, cheese ravioli, truffle ravioli (summer special), and enjoyed the house bread (yes, free). The salad was simple yet refreshing, which is exactly what I'm going for before I have pasta (especially when I'm also eating it with the aforementioned free bread). It was a pretty good size, perfect for us to split. The cheese ravioli was good & I would enjoy it at any restaurant but the truffle ravioli....*chef's kiss*. If this item is still available when you visit, I couldn't recommend it more. I would also like to call attention to how attentive their staff was. My husband & I are those people that drink a TON of water so when I say that our cups were never empty, I was incredibly impressed. Super great experience! They have indoor & outdoor seating available. We did not make a reservation & easily walked in at 6:30pm on a Friday night. They did ask if we had one though so they're available if you want to plan ahead!

This restaurant had what I needed: open late, close to my hotel, and excellent Italian food. The pappardelle pasta was made perfectly. They told me their pasta is homemade. Delicious. I sat by the bar which was cozy with an attentive bartender. He made two different bourbon-based drinks for me which were excellent. I would come back when in the area again.

Super classy very Italian place. The restaurant is very big and the food was excellent! Ulivo makes you feel fancy while paying very decent prices. The waitress was super nice and helpful. The perfect place to go for lunch. My friend and I spent a few hours here catching up and it was just amazing. Definitely going again.

Delicious Italian food, perfectly al dente noodles, very kind, attentive staff. We were walk ins for an early dinner tuesday just before 6pm and got seated right away. Overall amazing experience and would definitely return.

Great place! Nice ! Small bar Great service And delicious food ! I'll come back next time for main course!

We came here and were immediately seated without a reservation on Saturday evening. Our server was good and attentive. The ravioli special was excellent and it was the best of our three entrees. The margherita pizza was very good as well. The branzino was tasty but overcooked. Thumbs up for the side of potatoes. Enjoyed the cannoli, we wouldn't order the Italian cake again.

We were a group of 11. The ambience was ambient. Creating a warm vibe and cozy atmosphere. Their breads were a little dry but their balaamic vinegrette with lentils was amazing. We also ordered Margerita Pizza, the sauce was really good but the crust was a little thick and doughy. Their pesto pasta was one of the best i have ever had. Right amount of pesto, with right amount of nut and pasta were al dante. The raviolli was great but the sauce was ok. It looked like it was not cooked andstraight out of the can. We also ordered tiramisu which was as expected

3.5 stars for a chill but classy vibe, decent food, and pleasant service at this Italian spot between Flatiron and Koreatown. We arrived around 9m on a Friday, which in the new New York is apparently now a late dinner rather than a normal weekend dinner time. The dining room emptied out over the next hour with only three other tables then occupied. A decent wine list brought a too sweet sparkling rosé. For an appetizer, we tried one of the specials: burrata wrapped in pizza dough and then fried up and served with a pomodoro sauce. Thankfully, it was not over fried like a state fair food monstrosity. It tasted just fine, but a bit more bland than I had expected. That same blandness was also the taste of my ricotta ravioli entree with pomodoro sauce. Almost all of the pasta is made in house and this was good pasta, but not great. However, the tomato sauce was oddly watery and not as flavor forward as I prefer. The rigatoni with veal ragu across the table got a thumbs up from my better half. The service was pleasant but a bit too chill at times, where we still hadn't been asked what entrees we wanted even though the appetizer was on the table, as were the menus, and we had begun to eat. All in all, a pleasant spot but no real sublime moments to make it memorable.

Cozy and comfortable Italian spot. The inside is beautiful and perfect for a date night. The service was really good, our hostess made really good recommendations. The menu has many different options suiting any type of dietary restrictions. We started the night with: funghetti fried mixed mushrooms, fresh herbs, truffle oil - this was delicious and simple with each bite packed with flavor! pomodoro, bufala e basilico buffalo mozzarella, tomatoes, basil - I am a sucker for a good caprese and this did not disappoint For our pasta course we ordered the following : busiate con pesto alla trapanese pesto made with almonds, fresh tomato, basil and garlic - the pasta was flavorful and al dente ravioli ai formaggi freschi con fonduta di pomodori: stuffed with fresh cheese, topped with tomato sauce - this was delicious and not too heavy spaghettoni chitarra al pomodorino e basilico fresh cherry tomato sauce, garlic and basil We finished off our meal with the Tiramisu. Everything was delicious and freshly made. Very quaint local spot in the neighborhood!

Very impressed with the menu specials and the prosciutto pizza was quite good. Pasta was nothing exceptional but overall great Italian spot

I've been coming to this place since 4 months ago and is amazing. The food is fabulous home made pasta, super fresh. It just feel like a taste of Italy in Manhattan. The cocktails are also AMAZING we set at the Bar and the Bartender (Juan) gave as almost a mixologist lesson. We are going to come back, for sure!

Food was a 4/5. Quite good! Peroni is a large glass and good atmosphere. Definitely get the tiramisu! It took absurdly long for us to get our check but overall a good dining experience

This place was a pleasant surprise as it was within walking distance to our hotel on 8th and 28th. We came for lunch on a Sunday and there was no one inside. I loved it! Food was very good: *Pasta: pappardelle fresche con brasato di coda alla vaccinara ($22, 4 stars) - BRAISED OXTAIL RAGU!! Can you tell I'm excited?! I'm a huge fan of hearty and meaty pasta, and this is it! The pasta is al dente, and the meat sauce very flavorful. This will be even more perfect for a cold or rainy day. *Antipasti: + Highly recommend: Polipetto alla purea di nduja e fave fresche ($20, 5 stars) - DA BEST fried baby octopus I've ever had! I'm pretty sure the octopus was cooked first cuz it was very tender inside but crispy outside. +salsiccia e fagioli all'uccelletto $16 - 3.5 stars - fatty sausage on top of braised cannellini beans. Service was decent, the waiters were both Italians.

Solid 4 stars: food is authentic and tasty; pizza is very good. i didn't enjoy the tiramisu' at all (although there are much worse ones out there..) but the cannoli were tasty, if tiny. I found the service topnotch -making up for the rather inflated prices for the pastas/desserts ($30&$15 respectively). I would say give it a try if you want a nice Italian meal!

Full disclosure- we had limited time before the set at The Jazz Gallery (nearby) and tried three other restaurants, which all had lengthy waitlists, so we were thrilled to stumble upon this authentic Italian restaurant. We were easily accommodated at the bar, weexplained that we didn't have much time and both the bartender and manager were friendly, informative and fast. We started with martinis and red wine. Fresh bread and a flavorful lentil olive oil spread came out quickly. We started with buffalo mozzarella basil salad, followed by the braised tuna belly with olives and capers- which were both delicious. We also tried a medley of small fried plates that were quite tasty. Would definitely return.

Really great ambiance for date night or catch up with friends, quick service to begin with but then service got slow after eating which was unfortunate. Got the malloreddus alla campidanese (AKA sweet and spicy sausage ragú) and thought the noodles were a little overcooked/too soft, but I really liked the meat and sauce! We got the tiramisu and it was really delicious.

***Friendly service, Delicious food, Concerns with COVID safety*** I came here with a friend for outdoor dining. It's a narrow street so there really isn't a "six feet distance" from one table to the next. However, aside from that, the food was delicious and the bread dipping sauce was absolutely spectacular. Our waitress was great and very accommodating.

Came early on a weekday and the indoor dining was quiet and didn't have to worry about spacing. The meal was memorable one. The Ravioli was delicious stiffed with eppplant and finished off with a butter cream sauce. The Oxtail Ragu was next level with freshly made pasta. Finish off with Tiramisu. A house specialty. Light fluffy and full of flavor

This is my absolute favorite restaurant in Manhattan. The food is always fantastic and no matter what I order I am always delighted with my meal! Servers are also great and always efficient, happy and polite. The manager she is very friendly and nice ! Can't wait to return!!! Their cocktail is so good!!! Must try!!

What a treat! I know there is a lot of goof Italian food in NYC, but for the price, Ulivo really stands out! We got the pasta Perciatelli Amatriciana and pizza Regina Margherita. The pasta was very good, oily in the right ways, rich and gamey from the guanciale, and well seasoned. The pizza is one of my favorites to date. This comes entirely down to personal preference, but it's like this pizza was made just for me: I love a pizza with a little crunch, a little flop, and just the right amount of salty acidic tomato sauce. Ulivo. Delivered. To ME this is the best pizza around, with delicious strands of buffalo mozz on top (again, my fave). I highly recommend giving it a try, and again, for the price it's good value too! Staff and atmosphere we're also very lovely and warm :)