Manetta’s Ristorante

I’d like to first state that my wife and I have been going to Manetta’s since 1998 when we came back to New York. When we discovered Mannetta’s I was ecstatic because it was practically experiencing my grand mothers fine Italian home cooked meals. With that said I cannot express how delicious the pizza is until about 3 years ago when they changed the cheese and it seemed as though they also changed the crust. I really couldn’t believe it to the level I actually called them and asked if they changed the sources for their exquisite ingredients. Then about a week later the pies were back and as good as ever. So am writing today to report that the bad ingredients have seemed to come back and I think they are even worse than before! This is why I am giving the rating of only 4 stars where there should be 5. So I hope someone at Mannetta’s will read this so I don’t have to again call them asking if they changed their pizza. Either way I will always love Manetta’s for their impeccable service and almost always authentic Italian cuisine. Bacci i abbracci a tutti!

Amazing! We were here for my cousins graduation and we had so much fun! The atmosphere is great the staff is really nice and the food is delicious… The vodka sauce is the best I have tried and the stuffed mushrooms were really good.

I admit, I really liked Manetta’s.
The first time I got there, on a friday night, I joined the line waiting to be seated. After a few moments I was informed that it was fully booked for the night! The maitre d’ was very apolegetic about it. I really like the more traditional atmosphere — a lot of Italian speaking people around.
I went back on a monday. Learning from my previous experience I called ahead and reserved a table for two. In retrospect this was overkill for a monday night, as there were less people and we just could have walked in.
We were seated in a corner, not the best place, not the worst. Service was quick to take our orders: I ordered a pasta with salmon, my friend ordered a pasta with spicy sauce and prawns. Both were pretty good, taste was on point, the spicy sauce was also nicely seasoned and not too spicy to overthrow all the other flavours. Service did not check up on us once, strange experience in an American restaurant. Not too bad but we ran out of water at a certain point. Price was good, the wine on the expensive side. Complimentary bread was a nice touch, although they served it with butter in plastic cubes — I can imagine a homemade garlic butter looks better and tastes better as well!

Best Italian food in the United States! Loving and welcome atmosphere with Old World Italian flavor. Everything is made fresh and organic each day and there is a plate for every taste!

Classic Italian dishes with creative specials.
We ordered calamari, buffalo mozzarella and baked clams for an appetizer. Veal parm and a steak as the main courses and fettuccini in a roasted red pepper sauce as a side.
The came quickly, the service was great and the place was packed. Our meal itself was O-​K.

Delicious authentic Italian food. We tried a variety of dishes including penne a la vodka with shrimp, fettuccini Alfredo with shrimp, seafood salad all delish. The shrimps are huge, jumbo and the sauces are just right not too heavy or light. Delicious chocolate lava cake as well

Good Italian restaurant. Good delivery service. I’ve eaten here multiple times and also had take-​outs and delivery orders many times. Their pizza is good. Their clam & white wine pasta is great. Probably the best Italian restaurant in Long Island City at the moment.

Came here for dinner and we had some of the best tasting filet mignon in wine sauce we’ve ever had. The staff were attentive (waiter kept pouring out water glasses). We will definitely be coming back for dessert!

Manetta’s is my favorite local spot… its warm, welcoming and the food quality is always consistent.
Consistency is very important when picking a place to eat. My favorite dishes are the burrata and kale, linguine alle vongole and the margherita pizza.
If you go here. make sure to get those dishes especially since many places dont do burrata and kale!!!

Worst dining experience I’ve had in the NYC area.
The ambiance looks like a family owned typical Italian restaurant that was decorated in the 90’s and outdated.
The bread that was given with our meal tasted days old and stale. The olive oil awful.
We ordered two fish specials– the monkfish still had part of it’s membrane attached… leaving it inedible. The other fish was nothing special and could easily be better prepared in one’s own kitchen. We shared a half order of gnocchi which texture was rubbery and the taste of garlic overwhelmed every other taste in the dish.
The Negroni cocktail was poorly made, perhaps it was the bartender’s first night?
The only redeeming factor was the waitress who was very sweet.
I’m completely baffled how this restaurant has received so many positive reviews. An incredibly disappointing experience.

Don’t bother. This place is overpriced and they don’t mind seating you behind the bar. We were seated up against the bar sink which runners were using to refill drinks with ice. It was loud and mildly unpleasant, as the bussers and food runner were having to reach over our table to get glasses etc. There were at least 2 open tables in our section, so we politely asked if we could switch. Our server said no since we were only 2 people and the open tables sat 4. He did not apologize or offer any alternative. Those tables were empty the entire time we were there. The food was very mediocre. Overall it was an unpleasant dining experience. Not worth your money. The food was just okay, but the service sucked.

These are the type of restaurants NYC should be known for — homey, family-​run places with delicious food and A+ service (i.e., friendly, but not overbearing). Manetta’s is a classic Italian restaurant, with a vast menu and a sweet staff. I was blown away with how bustling Manetta’s was Saturday night — the earliest we could get a table for a party of 3 was 8:30pm. That wasn’t an issue though, because the buzz, positive vibes, and revelry all across the restaurant made for a lovely dining experience. In addition to a bottle of red, we started our meal off with baked clams — fresh, with crispy breadcrumbs and just the right amount of garlic — and one of the specials, buffalo mozzarella with artichoke, tomato, and avocado. Both were delicious, but just small enough to not spoil our dinner.
The entrees were spectacular — I ordered the Pollo San Daniele, while my friend got the veal parmesan. Along with well-​seasoned roasted potatoes and sauteed vegetables, the San Daniele featured two chicken breasts topped with asparagus, fontina, and prosciutto, doused in a garlic sauce. It was so good, and a perfect antidote to the winter chills; no one ingredient dominated. The veal parmesan featured a juicy fillet of veal, breaded just right and topped with a robust marinara. I usually judge an Italian restaurant based on its red sauce, and this one definitely passed the test. While I didn’t get to try the pizzas, they also looked really tasty and of good quality.
So what’s the best part? The moderate pricing: with tip, I enjoyed a couple glasses of red, two appetizers (split), and a filling entrée for $ 52. Considering how top-​notch the food is, that’s quite the deal. I cannot recommend Manetta’s enough — a gem in LIC!

Look, Manetta’s isn’t completely perfect, but neither is your «Nona’s» kitchen. Bottom line for me is, they have fantastic, toothsome-​yet-​tender, house made pastas, which shine in dishes like their über-​umami linguine with squid ink, even if the accompanying shrimp seems a tad overdone. When their pizza is at its best, it’s some of the best in the city: think thin but chewy-​crisp crust with just the right amount of cheese (depending on pie). Sometimes it can get a little soggy, but don’t be an arse, it’s still good. Admittedly, the lasagne isn’t fantastic, but there are so many great pasta (and fish! try the salmon) dishes that, who cares? You can make decent lasagne at home with enough meat and cheese.
I think I’ve also had some flour less chocolate cake thing here that blew my mind, but I forgot because I was also partaking of their surprisingly inventive (if sweet-​leaning) cocktails. I love this place,
the best kind of Italian neighborhood joint. I’d put it up against most local Italian institutions. You can always get a reservation, even tho you might wait a bit for it.

My fault. For not getting here any sooner.
This is what I would call a neighbourhood gem but for families that have come here for years it’s the place to go for an incredible delicious dinner.
Sooooo tasty. Great flavors. The black linguini is killer.
Soooo good.
Service was/​is great too. Great happy atmosphere. I want to go back today, tomorrow, and the day after. I really do!
Ah! Tiramisu — just get it

As I’m writing this review, I’m smiling at the beautiful memory of the Truffle oil pizza we had at this restaurant. In my book, truffle oil just makes everything great and this fantastic pizza is no exception. It’s called the Pizza Mona Lisa ($ 16) with Fontina Cheese, Porcini Mushrooms, Arugula, Shaved Parmigiano & Truffle Oil. And it tastes amazing.
The second dish is the Linguine Nere ($ 19) consisting of homemade black linguine and shrimp in a spicy fra diavolo sauce. This was also amazing. The pasta had a nice bite and the sauce was a bit spicy.
For dessert, we had the Amaretto Tiramisu and it was sensational. It was creamy, airy, and a bit crunchy from the sprinkling on the top.
We had a great experience here and will definitely be returning.

Delicious and adorable.
What a great find! Manetta’s was a recommendation from an Italian friend, and surprisingly amazing.
Went after work on a Friday, so there were a lot of kids there… which was fine, they even made it a point to make sure my bf and I weren’t sitting around young loud ones. It was slightly bright in there but Im sure it was because we were eating at 7pm.
Service was attentive and quick, none of the specials really jumped out at me but here is what we got:
Nice sized bread basket to start, very good table olive oil.
The salad with the apples, cherries, etc… I can’t remember the name, but it was really a hit! One salad was enough for two people.
Gnocchi– the sauce it was in was really delicious.
Chicken Parm w/​Spaghetti — I am a cream sauce freak. I asked if they can do a tomato cream sauce instead of the red, and they more then obliged. Spaghetti was fresh, chicken was tasty and the sauce was AMAZING.
Rice Pudding– LOVED.
Tiramisu– Not my fave dessert in general, but my bf loves it and said his HUGE slice was delicious.
Location is great, right off the train… I would highly recommend this for a work night dinner, and I will be back at a more «grown up» time!

One of the best, most authentic Italian restaurants in all of NYC. I live in Manhattan and go out of my way for this place because it’s consistently amazing. They also offer excellent gluten free options and have great cocktails. Highly recommend.

This is my and my family’s go-​to Italian restaurant in Queens for several reasons: they deliver beautifully for special occasions but you can also get away with a more casual dining experience here because the prices are so reasonable. The service has always been attentive and friendly without being overbearing. And the quality of the food has not once wavered.
I tend to only order homemade pasta at Italian restaurants (because if you’re going to splurge on pasta in a restaurant vs making it easily at home — it really should be fresh and homemade, which I don’t routinely bother with at home) and their linguine nere is to die for: the right amount of spicy kick in the red sauce tossed with abundant shrimp and black squid ink linguine.
I’ve not ventured far into their other pasta offerings because this particular dish is so solid and so good every time I have it, though I’ve also enjoyed their gnocchi della casa and trenette al quattro formaggi.

Pizza was exceptional. The mozzarella was delicious. Everyone at the table is raving about their dishes. My first time here so I tried a basic: the lasagna. It was wonderful. This place is good.

Never disappointed & delicious. I have been going to this restaurant since I was a child, it is soo good and the servers are so good!

Went here for a casual business dinner after work on a Tuesday evening. From the service to the bread to the wine to the apps to the main course to the dessert, all aspects of the dinner were superb. In NY, I hold Italian restaurants to a higher standard and this place exceeded those standards. I ordered the fresh mozzarella as an appetizer and the linguini with white clam sauce. Customized my order with diced tomatoes on top of the pasta. The pasta was a nice al dente and the sauce was perfectly done with sautéed garlic and a nice touch of basil.
Reading the positive reviews, I was obliged to have dessert. We decided to split the tartufo which was delish.
All around solid experience and will certainly go back again.

Manetta’s is our absolute favorite local Italian gem in Long Island City. So much so that we had them cater our wedding at the Metropolitan Building! Roseann was such a delight to work with. She’s unbelievably warm, friendly, and understanding and really helped my husband and I create a menu that would be optimal for a large wedding of 130 guests. The food was spectacular! We had a wide range that catered to all taste buds and varying diet restrictions. All of my guests raved over how delicious the food and dessert was, the variety, and how impeccable, professional, and on-​point the service was! I woke up thinking about the lasagna and tiramisu this morning! :)
We feel extremely lucky that Manetta’s, Roseann, and her awesome staff were a part of our wedding day. They truly made our wedding day that much more special, memorable, and magical! Thank you so much! We love you, Manetta’s!!!

This is by far my favorite restaurant in LIC.
There are a few options for Italian in the neighborhood, but this is by far the most «legit». Fair prices (not cheap, not expensive), and ALWAYS consistently good. Friendly staff.
Don’t forget to try the dessert!!!

Authentic homemade pasta and delicious brick oven pizza. I just wish that they were open on Sundays!
Highly recommended.

The pastas really shine here. Their parpadelle, squid ink black pasta with shrimp and linguini with clams were all excellent. (Favorite being the squid ink pasta– that sauce is so spicy and so good!) The noodles were cooked perfectly al dente and had that homemade fresh taste. The sauces were all light, savory and delicious. Portions are perfect. Their calamari was good but nothing special. I prefer very light breading/​thinner batter. Their tiramisu and cheesecake were below average– I would never order those again. Tiramisu was soggy and cheesecake tasted like supermarket cheesecake– not bad, but nothing special.
But the pastas… Would go back for pasta for sure!

I came here with a large group for a friend’s birthday the other night and wasn’t impressed. It looks like it should be a good place… it’s got a nice feel and it was pretty crowded. Service was friendly, but as others have pointed out, it was pretty slow. Someone between old style European service slow and just plain annoying slow.
The bread was a bad sign; I can usually tell how good a place will be from the bread basket and the selection here was only fair at best.
Entrees (it was a large group, so I got to try — or at least hear impressions of — many of them) were only OK. My son said his lasagna didn’t taste like anything; I tried some and indeed it was pretty bland. My Fettuccine Rosse was a bit more flavorful but still not all that great. The seafood dishes got pretty bad reviews as well… and it seemed like pretty much everything needed salt.
I’d still say maybe a solid 3 stars except for an incident that happened early in the evening. A lady at our table ordered a drink that was listed on the menu card as being $ 8 and was overcharged; the waiter said it was coming up as $ 9 on the computer and that there was nothing he could do about it. Really?
On the plus side they were pretty flexible about splitting the tab up between different cards… so not all terrible.

Beautiful restaurant. My friend and I did not have a reservation and was seated within a few minutes. We ordered a pizza and a pasta fish to share. I had a glass of moscato. Food was delicious and service was excellente. Would definitely go back… maybe for a date night.

Crossed this off of both me and my friend’s bookmarks. We sat at a table for two in front of the bar area and it was quite crowded on a chilly Saturday like tonight. Good thing we both looked at the menu beforehand and I decided that we can just shared everything.
My friend picked the pasta… Penne Al Salmone and I picked the pizza… Pizza Alla Vongole. I wasn’t drinking tonight so my friend got a glass of Moscato. When the pizza came, I got a slice and that very first bite… I knew that I made a great choice as I never ate clams on a pizza and it was superbly delicious! Throughout the conversation my palate was bouncing off the roof.
As the pasta came out, I was shocked how small the portion was as our server Jose noted on the ticket that it was a split. My friend took a bite of her pasta and thought there was meat in it as she is a vegetarian. I flagged another server to get Jose for us. He took a tiny piece and broke it down in front of us to ensure us that there’s no meat and the salmon was smoked that’s why the color appeared like pan seared meat… phewww! The penne was cooked the way that we both like not too soft and mushy.
Me and my friend shared a Crème Brulee but the dessert was brought out quickly and cold. Usually the Crème Brulee takes a long time to make and the crème is warm but it still was yummy!
Overall everything was very delicious and a definitely must try so mark it on your bookmarks!

Incredibly well-​prepared traditional and new-​Italian cuisine. Desserts are off the charts. And the service is consistently excellent.
I’m a repeat customer and I have never left disappointed.

Excellent food and service! Try the Chilean sea bass if they have it as special. Asparagus was good too. Flourless truffle dessert and warm apple cake to end with gusto! Ambience: great music to complement the amazing food. Waiters were very attentive and friendly. Fish cooked to perfection. Nice selection at the bar as well. Definitely a place to come back to!

I was really pleasantly impressed with this place! I went to visit a friend in the neighborhood, and she ordered Italian for us from Manetta’s. To be honest, my expectations weren’t high — but I (and the other guests) were blown away by the flavors and texture — delivered in a take-​out box, no less. We had the Penne Al Salmone, Trenette Ai Quattro Formaggi, the baked clams and the calamari. The marinara sauce for the calamari was very flavorful, without being overpowering.

Good food but super slow service. Came here with a large group (14) on a weekday and I’ve never experienced service this slow in my life. It took a hour for our appetizers to arrive and another hour for our main entrees. Also, the restaurant was was not at full capacity either.
It appears that they are short staffed or there are severe issues in either the front or back of the house or both as we did not expect dinner to run close to 3.5 hours.
At least the food was good.

In a neighborhood full of Italian restaurants, Manetta’s is the best. Heck, my wife and I live just down the block from Manducati’s and even in bad weather prefer Manetta’s.
Let me start with the salads which encapsulate why this restaurant is so good. Not only are they made with fresh and tasty ingredients, but they are designed, arranged and presented to be at the peak of culinary interest and taste. How often am I so excited by my appetizer?
But I’m often just as excited by the rest of the menu. Their specials rotate frequently based on the season, what’s fresh, and what they have in, and they always intrigue me. I’m never disappointed when I get a special instead of an «old favorite.»
They do really good things with their soups, wine, pasta (much of which is homemade), and desserts and while I may have had individually better at other places, it is hard to find one place that does them all well.
My one critique is that their service can occasionally be slow or… dismissive? I don’t know, it has only happened a few times and usually it is on point.
Manetta’s has been around for awhile and with good reason. If you’re craving Italian in Long Island City, this is the place to be.

I’ve been living in north brooklyn for 5 years now. There are really great «new» italians here and there all over NYC but when it comes to «old» italians, I have always been extremely disappointed. I tried quite a few places in Brooklyn, the City, further away… never got what I expected from a traditional italian. Most of them gave me the impression that, year after year, they traded a percentage of their quality against a percentage of their margin… ending up in a very poor gastronomic place.
Well, it was may be there, just a few minute from home, at Manetta’s, that I would find something not so disappointing. We went there tonight and had a very good time. I can’t say it’s the best ever italian cuisine I had, but I can say it’s very solid, family style and it was a very good experience with really good service. And it was good to be in a different place than the latest newly open fancy hipster restaurant that tend to be so boring to me now…

The restaurant was very accomodating to a change in my party size as I reserve lunch during the endless blizzard and freeze of winter. The staff was polite and understanding.
The restaurant is well decorated and made me forget for a moment thai I was in long island city. The food came out warm and was quite good. I had better in the city, but its the best italian I had in the area. Gotta put food in perspective of my surroundings here. A bit pricey for lunch but everything italian in the neighborhood is in the low and mid teens. Go to place for Italian. I felt service was a bit slow as it got really packed and crowded. Its really hard to have lunch here within an hour. If you are having lunch during work, you might want to give yourself extra time.
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Came back for lunch on another occasion. Ordered the Linguine Nere. The dish is delicious and flavorful. The meal was on point. Service was fast. Was very impressed.