Benito One

My fiancé and I come to little Italy often and decided to give Benito one a try. We have never been there but have heard wonderful things. The staff was very nice and accommodating. We sat outside and our waiter came pretty quickly! We ordered bruschetta as our appetizer and it was delicious! Very fresh and tasty. For our entrees we ordered chicken franchise and chicken Parmesan, both were very very good. The sauces were very tasty and full of flavor. Portions were a good size! Definitely one of the best restaurants on mulberry and a must try. I would recommend it and definitely come back again.

Absolutely Delicious! Meat raviolis the absolute greatest. The service is great. Jimmy the Owner was extremely hospitable. My buddy and I had a great time in NY. We played the NYC pop festival, and like common musicians were completely underdressed for a nice place like Benito One. We walked in after a long day, we ask the host if we could be seated, he looks to Jimmy to check for reserved seats, Jimmy looked at us, then looks at the table adjacent to his own party that’s reserved and says, «They can sit here, the people that reserved this table are more than 10 minutes late!» I honestly thought we were gonna get turned away. Thanks, Jimmy! Great music, great ambience, and even better food! Will definitely return and have been recommending to EVERYONE IN LOS ANGELES… EVERYONE!

Fantastic food, and even better service! The prices were great too.
We were sat quickly, the staff were extremely friendly and willing to help.
They kept us refilled on drinks the entire meal.
I would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a little Italy experience.

Place isn’t too big but the food makes up for it. The hubster and I are from Brooklyn so we are used to the red sauce pasta dishes. We were looking for comfort food and found this place. We were seated right away. Given bread and some carrots (almost like pickled carrots but yummy). The entrees were Delish. I asked for penne vodka with chicken, my other half had meatballs with a thick noodle similar to spagetti. The portions are large so if you do have an appetizer or aren’t too hungry you’ll more than likely take food home. They ran out of dessert which wasn’t a big deal for us since there’s tons of options for dessert in the area.

The host is so funny! A really chill guy and you can tell the restaurant has been in his family for years because he seemed to know most of the clientele. The food was really good. I recommend passing on the chicken parmigiano and going straight for the black linguine with seafood.

This was HANDS DOWN the best meal my family and I had while in NYC this week. It’s sometimes a chore for all five of us to agree on a place to eat to accommodate all of our tastes but this place did it! Great food and great service! Definitely recommend.

My husband and I were searching for an authentic and romantic restaurant in little Italy to sit outside. This answered all our requests! From the wine and rice balls to the service and atmosphere we have zero complaints! Thank you Joe for your service and chatting with us about your family!

Loved it! I HATE reviews where people roll into a tourist trap and expect a 5 star dinner and come here to rip them to shreds. Wife and I read Unilocal and picked through the whiners and found a true gem. I got exactly what I expected. A hard working staff that turned classic Italian fare out fast in a great New York Little Italy setting. Good wine, a Coppollla red blend for 31 bones was not NYC crazy. Bread was fresh and my classic Spaghetti and meatballs was just as I had hoped. A good sweet red sauce over a tasty tender pair of meatballs. Only bummer was we didn’t get a salad. We didn’t ask thinking they came with the dinner, would have paid ala carte but didn’t get offered. There went your 5^th star. Thanks fellas for a great night.

My husband and I went to Little Italy to find some pasta to start our day. We know that it can be a tourist trap, but we love the neighborhood.
We chose Benito One because the menu looked great, there wasn’t anyone in front of the restaurant fishing for customers (major turnoff), and the aesthetic looked great.
This place is amazing. It’s still family owned and operated and the food was delicious. I got the gnocchi (comes with a vodka sauce) and white wine mussels. My husband got the stuffed shells and a side of meatballs. We also split a bottle of Chianti ($ 30). Everything was delicious. Next time I will be trying something with the red sauce, the small amount that I got from my husband left me wanting more.
The real star of this restaurant was our waiter Joey. He was attentive, helpful, and super nice. I can’t wait to come back.
If you’re reading this while standing in front of the restaurant, put your phone in your back pocket and go in; you won’t be disappointed.

Came to little Italy and didn’t know where to eat. I saw this place on Unilocal and was instantly intrigued. We didn’t have to wait more than 5 minute to get seated, not to mention the owner of the store was outside and thanked us for being so patient. Immediately I smelled the pasta as soon as we walked in! I ordered the mezza Luna and it was served very hot. It was half moon like pasta with ricotta stuffed inside with a pink sauce. It had a hint of some sort of pepper and it was super delicious. Staff was helpful, and overall was a pleasant dinner!

Came here randomly this Valentine’s Day weekend. It was a freezing night but surprisingly little Italy was packed. I decided to give this one a try because of the Unilocal reviews and the pictures looked good. The place is tiny which makes it great for a cozy eating experience. The waiter asked if we had a reservation which we didn’t but we got lucky enough to grab the last table. The food was decent. An appetizer and two entrees came to 60 which I feel is average for little Italy. I would come back if ever in the area again.

Touristy Italian restaurant…
The place is small and noisy.
The by the glass wine selection is disappointing.
My lasagna was pretty good.
Won’t come back to that restaurant.

That’s was just a really good place to be. Good food. People laughing everywhere. A little pricy for what it is but worth it.
You should stop by.

Mmm yes ! Loved the Décor, the old Italian feel, the service. I took a seat next to the window. It was a nice place to enjoy a glass of wine and my meal. I ordered the baked ziti and my boyfriend ordered the chicken parmigiana… Both delicious. Pair that with a glass of Sangiovese and some Italian music… What more can you ask for. Take a seat by the window if you can to enjoy your meal and people watch.

OK, I admit it — I decided to try Benito One because I saw it in an episode of The Sopranos. I think someone gets shot in there (surprise, surprise). But I’m glad I did pay it a visit because though I’ve been disappointed by a lot of touristy Italian joints on this block, I walked out of Benito One happy.
First of all, they do a good job of creating a cozy, semi-​authentic atmosphere in there, with dim lighting, cozy seating, and kitschy but authentic looking Italian décor. The gruff guy standing outside seemed like he’d be unapproachable but made an effort to seat us right away.
As for the food, you’re not going to get anything super new or gourmet, but if you’re in the mood for simple, traditional Italian American dishes then you won’t be disappointed. At a place like this I typically default to a huge plate of spaghetti and meatballs, because I really can’t think of anything more satisfying to dive into. The meatballs were flavorful and hearty, and the pasta nicely al dente.
My husband got the homemade meat lasagna, which was also tasty, though absolutely drowning in melted cheese (not that I’m complaining). Lactose intolerants beware! The spaghetti was $ 14 and the lasagna $ 15, which isn’t a bargain by any means but I’ve had the same for about $ 3 more at a lower quality place in the same area.
In an effort to feel somewhat healthy, we also had the insalata mista, and were surprised at the high quality and flavor of the tomatoes in there as I usually expect somewhat pale and limp veggies at a place like this. Finished the meal off with a simple cup of coffee and a small slice of cheesecake (pretty sure it’s not house made but it did the trick), and we were nicely satisfied at the end of the meal. Again, straightforward, and maybe not the first place I’d recommend to a food-​obsessed friend, but provided the kind of old-​school Italian comfort food that I was craving.

Peut-​être que j’aurais dû m’abstenir d’aller manger dans Little Italy. Les avis semblaient bons pourtant…
Mon plat de calmars marinés au basilic n’était pas mariné, assaisonnés et servi… avec du persil ! On est très loin de l’Italie !
Dommage car le cadre était chaleureux !

Not only is the food phenomenal, the service was perfect. This restaurant is in the heart of little Italy and definitely felt authentic. The food here was better than some of the food I actually had in Italy.
We started with the fried zucchini which was good, but nothing spectacular. If I came back, I’d probably try something different. The complementary bread was so yummy that we forgot all about the zucchini. It was so fresh and came out nice and hot!
For entrée’s my family had: chef’s special gnocchi with sausage and spinach in oil & garlic, Orecchiette pasta with chicken, broccoli, artichoke hearts, and a breaded veal with cheese on top. I didn’t try the veal, but heard good things about it. The pasta is where this restaurant really shines, the gnocchi was so delicious… we all agreed it was the best we’ve ever tried. You could tell it was handmade and all the flavors complimented each other really well. The orecchiette was equally delicious but heavier with a cream sauce.
If you’re looking for an Italian restaurant in this area, this is a great spot to pick!

When I was a kid, I used to come to Little Italy quite often. I used to come here and also the other Benito II. Since that place closed down, I have been wanting to come back to this area to get familiar with these restaurants.
We came here on a weeknight and there actually was a pretty packed crowd. We ordered the house Chianti and it came in those cool weaved casings just like you see in Italy.
We ordered the fried calamari which was pretty good. The only flaw I had with this appetizer is that it didn’t have the tentacle pieces. For some weird reason, those are my favorites.
Their pasta dishes are huge. I eat a lot, but I was surprised I even finished my entrée. My girlfriend had enough left over that we split hers for lunch the next day. Both entrees were homemade spaghetti’s. I ordered the carbonara and to some it’s a really rich dish, but I love it. The egg, pancetta, and the sauce is just perfection for me.
You get a great and reasonably priced dinner anytime you visit Little Italy. But I would definitely recommend on visiting this establishment first !

I was really shocked of the good Unilocal reviews. The best part of my experience was that we made a reservation for 7 and we were able to secure a table.
Let me be fair. After trying for a while, I realized that I really don’t like Italian– American restaurants. I’m not a huge fan of going out to get pasta. I also don’t like that everything is soaked in marinara.
Nevertheless, I thought this restaurant was not impressing. I had the lamb special which was very greasy. It also had the gnocchi with mushrooms it was OK .
I also need to comment on the atmosphere of the restaurant. I really disliked that the owner was yelling at the waiters at all time. The décor was tacky.
I won’t be coming here again

I usually never dine in Little Italy because most of the places are tourist traps. But when I saw Benito One had such great Unilocal reviews, I decided to give it a shot. It turns out, I should have stuck to my initial instincts.
1. The sangria was overly sweet. It didn’t taste like there was any wine in there. It was just loaded up with sugar.
2. The penne vodka wasn’t horrible but the pasta was a bit overcooked. I like my pasta to have a bite to it but this didn’t. Someone definitely left it in boiling water longer than he/​she should have!
3. The fresh mozzarella, tomato, and roasted peppers appetizer was just not good. The ‘fresh mozzarella’ tasted like mozzarella you can buy at Costco, or maybe even Polly-​o. The roasted peppers were from a jar so they were covered in slimy preservatives. The tomatoes were probably the highlight.
4. The insalata tricolore (arugula, endive & radicchio, with oil and vinegar) was the best thing I ate that night. It was also a really generous portion.
If your best dish is a salad, that isn’t really saying much.

If you want a legitimate Italian ambience, great service, outdoor seating in the heart of Little Italy, this is the place.
I found the pricing to be a little on the pricier side $$ to $$$ for what you get (and I do expect to get heaping bowls of pasta/​sauce).
Wish they give you a better take out bag — the cheap plastic broke apart and oily sauce from our dishes were dripping out on our way home.
The food:
— chicken parm w/​spaghetti — sauce flavorful, enough for two meals, ⁷⁄₁₀. Tastes like a home-​made meal, but not the best I’ve ever had
— caprese salad — mozz/​tomatoes/​basil were all fresh
— linguine w/​red clam sauce — again decent but ⁶⁄₁₀

Wir waren zu viert dort, der kleine Laden war voll, aber man hat uns sehr schnell einen Platz zugewiesen. Das Restaurant ist nicht auf Touristen aus. Einige Restaurants nebenan machen aggressiv Werbung und sprechen die Passanten an. Dieses Restaurant wirbt mit tollem Essen.
Hausgemachte Pasta durchgehend vorzüglich! Wir hatten gefüllte Cannelloni, Lasagne, Mushroom Ravioli und eine weitere hausgemachte Pastaspezialität. Dazu einen Sangiovese als süffigen Begleiter.
Preisleistungsverhältnis: sehr gut. Deutschen wird auch das Trinkgeldgeben leicht gemacht. 20% gratuity werden auf der Rechnung mit ausgewiesen.

Delicioso restaurante em Little Italy! Massa caseira e no ponto certo! Eu pedi o tradicional chicken parmeggiana com pasta! Tava incrivel! Porção é super generosa! Pretendo voltar toda semana para experimentar o carbonara e o veal milanese! Achei meu restaurante italiano com custo beneficio em NY!

Lecker, Freundlich sofort wieder.