Orso

The food was good HOWEVER the service was really bad! We came there as tourists and saw that the americans weer being treated totally different then us: they wanted us to leave as soon as possible!
We came in and were being welcomed nicely but when going to the table we saw that americans got free water like usual while we got bottled water we had to pay for. When ordering, the waitress got really unfriendly when she found out we weren’t having starters. By the time we finished, we were asked for a dessert before having cleaned the table properly. When they brought us our coffees two minutes later, they brought us the bill straight away! In the following minutes they looked at us a couple of times to make us understand we had to go even If the place was half empty! Finally when getting our coats, the lady was rude enough to put forward a basket for some money. As If we hadn’t payed enough already for such a poor service!
Too bad the staff is so unmannered and rude towards their paying customers! It’s a disgrace!

Went for dinner with family and friends. All our starters were delicious. We had the artichokes with parmesan cheese and the arugula salad. They were to die for. Then as a main course we had different plates of pasta. All dishes were very tasty! It s a gem in this neighborhood where usually restaurants are pricy and not good. Orso is a great place specially for a pre-​theater dinner! I definitely recommend it!

Came here before our Play on a Thursday night and All I can say is WOW! The food was FABULOUS and service was good.
There are 2 medium size dining rooms with the bathrooms down the flight of stairs (small bit clean). When I arrived they wanted to sit us at a table next to the kitchen but I refused to sit at that table for 2 because I did not want to hear the clanging of the dishes and watch the staff run
in/​out of the kitchen as I ate, so we took another table that was not right up to the kitchen.
I ordered the Pasta dish called Casarecce that is grilled eggplant, tomato basil, ricotta salta. This pasta is made fresh on the premises daily according to our waiter and let me say this dish was delicious!
My friend ordered the Grilled Skirt Steak gorgonzola soft polenta, broccoli rabe, salsa oreganta and she thought this dish was delicious — the meat was like butter she said when you cut through each piece. We didn’t feel rushed out because they wanted to turn over the tables. This is a Must Go To if you are ever going the the theater.

Dined here tonight for an early dinner with my husband and 26 year old daughter following a matinée of a Broadway show. (School of Rock, which was quite entertaining.) Restaurant has a pleasant, warm atmosphere. Ordered the mussels, caprese salad and sautéed artichokes for starters. All were very good. Artichokes were particularly tasty. The buffalo mozzarella in the caprese salad was very creamy and delicious. The red sauce for the mussels was very tasty and we all dipped the wonderful, crusty Italian bread to lap up the sauce. My daughter had the Orso special pizza. She enjoyed it very much. Took a few slices home. A number of people were ordering pizzas. Interesting combinations available. They seemed to be very popular. My husband ordered the pasta bolognese which he really enjoyed. I had the stuffed quail served over farro, which was amazing. I brought one of the quail home with half of the farro. It was a generous entrée. No room for dessert. Very nice wine selection. The house Primitivo was very good and reasonably priced. In fact, the whole meal was well priced considering the restaurant is on Restaurant Row only blocks from the Theater District. Service was prompt and appropriate. Overall a great experience. Will go back for sure. If half stars were available for reviews, I would give it 4 ½ stars. Nice place for dinner before or after a show.

Fantastic meal. Cheese and tomatoes in the Caprese salad were amazing. Mixed salad was perfect – the ingredients were top notch. Satisfying portions. Bolognese ricotta was amazing. Tiramisu – delicious. Espresso – awesome. Bread and special white bean and rosemary spread – I could have eaten two bowls. Had two Cokes too, total bill with 15% tip = $ 84. Pricey? Sure, but not by NY standards! Great value? You betcha. Will be eating there again on this business trip. Cozy atmosphere. Prompt service. No veal on the menu, which is a big plus for me (and I hope it stays that way!!).

If you love Calfs liver, you would love theirs, it’s lightly floured with crispy onions and some bacon, delicious! Wish they served whole wheat or multi-​grain bread. Complimentary bean dip. Didn’t care for pear and beet salad.

We had an excellent pre-​show meal here. We started with the Carciofini (pan fried baby artichokes, garlic, pecorino Romano, lemon), really enjoyed the Pollo (pan roasted free-​range chicken, roasted cauliflower) and Cavoletti (fried Brussels sprouts, lemon), and finished with an amazing chocolate Budino. I would probably skip the Pizze (go to John’s instead) and Gelato. Next time, I’ll probably try the Rigatoni. Great service, too!

Am writing this as I sit here enjoying the peaceful atmosphere and not being rushed out by the waitstaff although I finished eating a while ago. I didn’t have a full meal here; I just was in the area and wanted to sit and enjoy a snack, so I can’t comment on main dishes (although sounds like from other reviews that they have delicious housemade pastas). I walked in around 4:15 and let them know I was just here for coffee & dessert. I was promptly seated (there were only a few people in the restaurant at this hour) & ordered a cappuccino and the apple crostata (based on the waiter’s recommendation, who said all desserts are made in-​house). Cappuccino was delicious & I was glad to find the crostata not dry as is the case in many places (and what’s not to like about apples, walnuts, caramel & flaky pastry topped by vanilla icecream?) and both were served on adorable, very colorful plates. The couple next to me was finishing their meal with a tiramisu & it was their anniversary, so the waiter brought it out with a candle and let them know it was on the house – which I thought was lovely. Good customer service is so important! Here service is attentive & polite, ambiance is pleasant & fairly quiet with soft background music. I’d come here again to try the pasta. Oh just got the bill – under the tip area there’s a space for «captain’s tip»? Interesting — never seen that before!

The ambiance of the place is nice, the inside is charming and the dishes are pretty. I came here because I saw the reviews on Unilocal were up there. Around 5:15 the place was packed but I was the youngest person in there. The crowd is on the older side (maybe because I was there for an early dinner). The Caprese appetizer was my favorite part — the mozzarella cheese was extremely fresh. I got the fra diavolo pizza and it was just okay. I was expecting the sauce to have more spice, it sort of tasted like regular pizza sauce. I liked the thin crust and it wasn’t greasy at all. The wait staff was very nice and accommodating.
If I were to go back I’d try the pasta. Overall, there was nothing bad about my experience but there was nothing to make me want to run back here so quickly.

After being raved about and recommended to come, I was just a little underwhelmed. There are so many amazing options in the theater district, and I know Orso is one of the top go-​to spots for many, and I’m glad I finally made my way. I came here on a quiet Tuesday night at 7pm, just missing the theater goers was probably a wise move.
We started with a bottle of the Pinot Nero which was very, very light. Wouldn’t have been my #1 choice, but I went with the table.
I had the Fra Diavlo pizza which was good, but I wasn’t a big fan of the crust. It was thin crust but not your typical brick oven pizza. We also had the orecchiette which was great, flavorful with sweet italian sausage and broccoli rabe.
The service was good, nothing outstanding, but our table was able to sit, relax and enjoy without being rushed or pressured. It was an enjoyable meal and I would come back, but would order differently. I think I’d skip the pizza and go for an appetizer instead!

Had the pleasure of eating there during restaurant week. The appetizer of mussels was a very generous portion. The sauce was incredibly tasty (I wanted to drink it) and the toasted dipping bread was amazing. My entrée was the hanger steak, beautifully sliced and cooked perfectly medium rare over polenta with broccoli rabe. I would order the same exact dish again. The bread for the table was deliciously crusty and warm.

In town from Chicago — Great service — Good menu, teen friendly. Food was classic Italian — way better than Olive Garden in Times Square

We made reservations (via phone, not online) to dine here after a show on a Tuesday night (our anniversary). They had a table immediately. Orso is a small, tucked-​away, romantic spot. Our meals (orecchiette and salsiccia) were excellent. Service was very good. This restaurant is not touristy at all (I felt silly carrying my plastic cups from our show). This was the best meal we had in New York, and if we return to NYC, will be a ‘must’ for us again.

I was our 8^th Wedding Anniversary and we saw Kinky Boots for the first time. In fact it was our first NYC theater experience. I searched for a place that would be open after our show, walkable and not far from our hotel… stayed at the Marriott Marque and Orso fit the bill.
I made the reservation here on
through OpenTable. Which is great because you don’t have to go to another site. In the special comment section I told the staff we were celebrating our Anniversary.
when we arrived the Outside looked impressive with its front entrance that is done with steps down and beautiful hand railings. As with most NYC establishments space is limited but Orso does a good job with the flow. No bar stools at the bar so it doesn’t get crowed with too many people. Although we were there at 10:45pm so it may be a different story at 8:30pm.
The Manager had our reservation and asked how to say our name which is nice. They sat us promptly but asked if we would like to wait a few minutes there was a cozier table opening up. We decided to stay at the table they sat us at and watch all the lovely people coming in and out.
Service was great! They acknowledged our anniversary… Which meant they read the notes! They brought us a complementary basket of pizza bread to the table. It was very thin and crispy with rosemary and garlic. Very good start to the meal.
Its an Italian Restaurant and so are the wines. I am more familiar with California Wines than anything else but the staff made sure we could pick a favorite from their selection. Just tell them what you like!
I love Red Wine Vinegar Dressing and their house salad was simple and yummy. The greens was very chilled which says its not sitting out in a bowl somewhere in the back of the house. They also brought us some crusty Italian bread and olive oil but on request brought some lovely unsalted butter (which is its own food group in my opinion!).
Dinner for us was simple, a Rigatoni and an Orecchiette with Sweet Italian Sausage Ragu. Orso is making all their own pastas and the menu is updated daily. Dinner was followed by their lovely flourless chocolate cake with raspberry sauce. The kitchen may have lost our dinner ticket because our meals were a little slow in arriving. However, I am still giving 5 stars because they over came it and acknowledged it and made our night even better.
Do try the flourless chocolate cake… it is heaven if you love really dense dark chocolate that leaves you with that bold chocolate sense and none of the crazy sweet after taste.
By all means if you live or are visiting NYC and are in the Theater District put Orso in you bucket list you wont be disappointed.

Good food, close quarters atmosphere and top notch service.
I came here with my fiancé for Valentine’s Day dinner and they had both a regular menu and a Valentine’s day pre fixe menu. The only reason why they don’t get a five star rating is because the best dishes I had were only on the pre fixe even though in the past I know they had it on their regular menu. I would’ve liked the choice to have picked a combination of these dishes.
To start, my fiancé and I ordered the Carpaccio made with beef, brown butter, sage, parmesan, and grilled asparagus. It was delicious and the beef was so soft and smooth it literally melted in your mouth. We also ordered the Funghi, mushroom with shredded cheese and diced cabbage. The dish was lite but not very flavorful, save the drizzles of vinegar over the plate. I guess the flavors of the mushroom were never really meant to be strong or intense.
For the main we ordered the Parpadelle and the Agnello, lamb chops. These two dishes were delicious, all the way from the way the lamb chops were cooked to the sauce in the Parpadelle. The grilled lamb chops were cooked medium rare and garnished with hazelnut pesto with roasted artichokes on the side. The pesto gave a great oily garlic coating to the lamb. The Parpadelle was cooked with a parmesan oyster mushroom sauce which was paired extremely well with the texture of perfectly cooked pasta. I would like to have both of these dishes again, but knowing it was once on their menu but now no longer stands as a regular menu item, I feel a bit let down and makes me mark Orso a star lower than I would’ve.
Hopefully, if by chance I come upon this restaurant again and see either one of these on their menu, I will return for another delightful night of dining with my fiancé.

Maybe you could quibble with a 4 or 4 ½ but I’m sticking with a 5 because I find it hard to believe anyone would leave disappointed.
The place is very comfortable and low key, with friendly attentive service throughout the meal.
The wine list has some nice values (we had the very solid Montepulciano D’Abruzzo for $ 40 — $ 30 would have been more fair but $ 40 isn’t terrible for where the restaurant is).
We shared the calamari and mussels and two pizzas (one with sausage and chopped tomatoes and one fra diavolo style). The calamari were crispy on the outside but tender to chew with two dipping sauces. Mussels were tender in a delicate wine, butter, shallot sauce. The pizzas were pretty unique. Neapolitan in appearance, but with a much firmer, chewier dough and crust. Our table loved them but don’t expect a classic Neapolitan pie.
The bucatini pasta was as good a pasta dish as I’ve had. Nothing extraordinary, just pasta, sauce, onion, pancetta but so very tasty. The rigatoni was excellent, but just a notch below the bucatini.
The salmon with risotto was devoured before I could taste it but I’m assuming it was delicious. The chicken was nicely done for tamer appetites as was the pork chop (could have used a little more salt IMO).
For dessert, we just shared two of the house-​made apple crostatas with vanilla gelato. After a full meal, one order easily feeds two (or even three to be honest).
For six of us with a 20% tip included (a bottle of wine, four apps, six entrees, two desserts, two sodas and four coffees), the meal came out to $ 380 — not a terrible value at all.

This is a perfect restaurant for a pre-​theatre dinner. The food is delicious, the portions are ideal (filling but not overbearing), and the atmosphere is lovely. The restaurant is small but it is quaint, peaceful, and has the most beautiful plates and cups. Seriously though, I plan on buying the same brand for my own kitchen!
As for the actual meal itself, the food is really fantastic. They start you off with some bread and white bean dip, which is incredibly addicting. I challenge you not to get seconds… and thirds. For my main dish, I order the large maltagliata pasta dish. The pasta was well-​cooked and the mushrooms really tasty and not overbearing at all. I hate when pasta dishes are too heavy and I feel immobile afterwards; that’s not the case here. It’s a nice, light pasta dish you will surely enjoy.
Beyond the pasta, I also shared the margherita pizze and that was also delicious, shockingly good even. It may have been the best pizza I’ve had when dining in at an Italian restaurant. The ingredients were very fresh, the crust was light and crisp, and it had a lovely balance between the cheese and sauce. Definitely a nice option for sharing with the table!
On top of that, the service is great and the coffee is awesome. You can’t go wrong with dinner at orso.

One of the last real places that Patrick Bateman used to go to. We had a nice bottle of wine and a bunch of apps before we went to our show. The spread for the bread was also really good.
CALAMARI
grilled Montauk squid arugula, cherry tomato, chickpeas, onion, salmoriglio sauce
CARCIOFINI
pan-​fried baby artichokes, hot peper, garlic, Romano cheese

I came here post-​Motown Musical, which was phenomenal by the way. It is tucked in and was quiet upon our arrival. I am going to have to say that the highlight of my meal were those delicious, pan-​seared artichokes aaahhhh oooh babyyyy. The perfect amount and just the right thing to get you warmed up for the meal. I believe I had the trout, which was decent. I also nibbled on a caprese salad and some flat bread pizza.
Hey, you might even have a celeb sighting. Wallace Shawn was a table behind me! (Think Cyrus from Gossip Girl)

Whoever thinks that Orso is not the best…
Just start with the artichokes, and the crudo and along with it have the fresh verduras and the homemade carta de musica pizza bread next the fresh pasta with burrata and the angel hair and shiitake mushrooms, there’s only one thing left to have to compliment the great lunch… Chocolate lava cake and their homemade
Cherry gelato… Superb Chef Victor!!!