One of my closest friends recommended Arco for a group for my birthday. They were so accommodating when we reduced the group size from 12 to 8. They have home made pasta - and you can buy fresh pasta to take away! Fun cozy Upper West Side Italian food with fantastic menu options, great service, and great food. I highly recommend it for romantic evenings or larger groups. You will not be disappointed in a city full of some of the best Italian food outside of Italy! read more

I live in the area and have walked by this place soooooo many times. It's been on my growing list of places to try. It's also highly rated so I was curious if it really lived up to the ratings. I find restaurant ratings on customer provided scores to be usually extra-high. The service overall was good; I sat at the bar and the bartender provided new glasses for each of the bottled beers I got, even when I was about to re-use a glass for the second drink. The food took awhile to come out but I realized they actually waited to fire up my entree (pasta) after my appetizer (focaccia with cheese meat veggies i.e. almost or basically pizza, except no tomato sauce, but tomatoes instead). It took awhile to cook up the entree even though it was just gnocchi with a cream sauce (pancetta and mushrooms). But this wait was definitely for a good reason. They must have low to medium-heat cooked the hell out of the pancetta. The cured taste was embedded in the cream sauce; a single complex flavor. The texture of the slippery soft but firm mushroom with its inherently light flavor was a great complement to the gnocchi which had a gummy inside and the pancetta which was rich and salty but not too salty. Perfect when you make a bite with all three and the cream sauce. The gnocchi was a bit gummy for me though, it kept getting plastered to my teeth after each bite. The focaccia was cooked well, ending up crispy with a chew in a bite, and it was definitely handmade and fresh tasting light and feeling airy. The place and its atmosphere was very quiet since I went about 45 minutes before close. It's a small restaurant with decent decor of a tiled bar top with wooden stools. It reminded me of Mamma Mia the movie, Italy, and Greece. I would definitely go back. You don't find the care taken to cook food in so many places. If I had to give it a numeral rating out of 5 I would give it a 4.35, but being constrained by stars I have to give it 5 stars; it doesn't deserve 4 stars only which I reserve for solidly good restaurants. Arco Cafe is more like very good, looking at the peak towards excellent. read more

My partner and I stopped here a second time, around 5:30 but forgot to make a reservation. We wound up eating at the small bar again, which was wonderful. Better than navigating through busy tables. We came back because the food and the staff are amazing. The focaccia dishes are what pizza should be: a fluffy charred bread base with tasty toppings. The Focaccia Divina was sublime. The polpette and its sauce also excellent. The wine list (mostly Italian) and cocktails list were long and interesting. We split a Limoncello Crush and the server gave it to us in two mostly full glasses, a nice touch. It's not a red sauce Italian restaurant. I'd guess it's mostly what Italians might eat at home. I especially liked that the owner and other staff stopped by when needed but otherwise left us alone. For us, it's a wonderful place with great food and time to reconnect. The place was busy and noisy with conversations but didn't affect our ability to talk quietly at the bar. Oh, one other thing: we walked up from 79th Street (it's between 103rd and 104th on Amsterdam), got yakking, and walked right past the restaurant. It's not a wide storefront. And I happened to ask a mail man a couple blocks north if he knew where the restaurant was. He didn't know. Luckily my partner had the address (886 Amsterdam). But that sort of stupidity is what makes finding a place like this fun and special: it's a wonderful destination at the end of an adventure. We'll be back, with a reservation if we remember. read more

I can't say enough about this place. The food is consistently great (and authentic), portions are legit and Francesca makes you feel home. This time I can to dinner on a weekday around 6p and I'm glad I made a reservation, because within an hour the place was packed. Fried artichokes: they're like candy... If you're an artichoke lover, you can't skip them. It's a huge plate of goodies. Red focaccia: crunchy, airy, soft, flavorful, sizable... A great option to accompany your main dish. Radiatori with Gorgonzola, walnuts, peas and spicy sausage (a special of the evening): very flavorful and filling... I loved this dish! Pappardelle ai funghi porcini: very solid. There were plenty of porcini mushrooms and the pappardelle were cooked to perfection. Overall, you can't go wrong coming to this place. I still have to find an item on their menu that doesn't deliver. This is easily my favorite Italian in the city these days. Hands down. Get a reservation. read more

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Cute little restaurant in the upper west side that seems family run. Great kind service. They are attentive and treat your meal as a 3 course meal rather than giving everything at once. The food was good. It was home made for sure. The focaccia was the star of the show and airy. It was absolutely delicious. The pasta was also good. I know this is traditional food but wished the sauce had a little bit more kick to it. Overall great place to eat or get Sardinian food for those interested! read more

Arco Cafe - Pi's - Sardinian Near Me - New York, New York

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Was missing home, and some air fried salmon, perched atop a mixture of arugula, smothered in olive oil and balsamic...looked at nearby restaurants and found Arco with a fresh menu, reasonable prices, and a healthy approach. It was well within walking distance, but it was late and I had been working all day. I buckled up, and hit the road. A brief walk later I entered the quaint restaurant sat across the street from the historic Hostelling International - New York City. Hosting youth travelers since 1990, this Victorian Gothic building designed by Richard Morris Hunt in 1883, HI NYC has aimed to foster a greater understanding of the world and its people by providing affordable, sustainable, and educational hostel experiences for youth. Anyways, back to the interior of Arco Cafe - swept with calming decor, the bar hosted and the tables were filled throughout - but pleasantly silent. The calm discussions between coworkers and girlfriends, families and buddies mix in the air like a quiet buzz of connection. The first of two ladies assisting the ensemble of gastronomes greeted me kindly, offering a menu and a glass of water after requesting take away. I selected swiftly knowing what had pulled me here. She explained without pause a fifteen minute prep time. I took the opportunity to run down the block to the nearby wine store to pick up a bottle of my favorite pairing. A quick return trip in twelve minutes, left me with exactly a three minute wait time. Like a Swiss watch. I thanked her and began my snowy journey back from where I ventured via foot. Back in my nomadic home, I opened up my packaging and found three containers. The main container, salmone, kale, red beet sauce. Number two, mashed potatoes. To perfection. Third. A bag. Rolled over as to conserve the warmth emitting from within. Two pieces of soft, nomy, warm, bread. Gone. I couldn't wait. I know I should have. But it was a principle of time. I search for my dinnerware. Which was, nowhere. I looked, everywhere. Could I have left it, somewhere? Oh no, do I dare? I dare. The lid, of which I am not scare, shall be curved into a scoop to consume these amazingly soft whipped earthapples. Thank you earthapples. You hit that spot right where the ventricular hits the atria...you know that feeling? Yeah. Home. Now, swap my arugula for kale; that's it. Game over. Heart comforted. For tonight at least. Tomorrow is a new day. And there are plenty of options on the menu. read more

Arco Cafe - Salmone Takeaway - Sardinian Near Me - New York, New York

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This is a lovely small Sardinian restaurant. When you walk in you are met with a glass case with an assortment of Pasta which will be found in the menu. Some of the types are unique to Sardinia. I had a pasta dish with shrimp. It was scrumptious. I recommend making a reservation. read more

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@arcocafenyc - Sardinian Italian Restaurant * Service - 10/10 super friendly and attentive. * Atmosphere super cute intimate setting. * What we drank: Italian Sin - Aperol, bourbon, prosecco, orange slice. Mirto Royale - Mirto (Sardinian traditional liquor) and Prosecco. * What we ate: Kale Salad - Green Kale, raisins, sliced almonds, cherry tomatoes, lemon dressing. Caeciofi Fritti - Fried artichoke hearts. Focaccia Sarda - Tomato sauce, mozzarella, Fiore Sardo cheese, dry sausage, pecorino. ‍ Gnocchi alla Montanara - Gnocchi with pancetta and mushrooms in cream sauce. Ravioli de Patete e Menta - Homemade ravioli filled with potatoes, fresh mint and Fiore Sardo cheese. * Desserts: Sebada - Fried pastry dough filled with pecorino cheese and lemon, topped with honey and powdered sugar. Tiramisú - Espresso and mascarpone. * Final thoughts We can not wait to go back! Every single bite we took was busting with flavor, authenticity, creativity and we could not stop! We left weighing in an extra 10 lbs and it was completely worth it - not only do they make their pasta FRESH in house, you can buy it to go, and make some fresh delicious pasta at home. 10/10 recommended @arcocafenyc read more

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We went last night without a reservation, it was close to 8 pm. They were happy to accommodate us. We have been wanting to come here for a while, and tonight was perfect. We ordered the fritto misto and foccaica Regina pizza for starters. It was absolutely delicious. Then we tried 3 different pastas. The one with sausage ragu, the carbonara and the pesto. Each one was so fresh and so tasty. We will return very soon to try something else and save room for dessert. Thank you so much for the wonderful service. read more

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I love the simple menu with its home-made Sardinian pasta. The restaurant is like one of those wonder finds in Paris: a neighborhood restaurant with a devoted following. The service is gracious. A lovely place. read more

By itself, the food here merits 5 stars. The pasta is fresh and delicious, and the sauces and doughs used for breads and focaccias are delectable. I'd 100% come back for the food. What could definitely use improvement, or at least you should be aware of going in, is that the service is slowwww. There were only three seated tables in the restaurant, and it took us about 90 minutes from the time we sat down to the time we got the check and left (and we were not just sitting around talking). It seemed like there was only one server for the restaurant, so maybe they are short-staffed, but it certainly felt like a dragged out dining experience. read more

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I heard about this place through my wife's hairdresser who has recently moved his business to West 103 Street. We've been here several times and think it's an incredible find. The pappardelle pasta with cherry tomatoes is as good as it is at Paola's Restaurant which is my favorite Italian Restaurant in NYC. This small place is Sardinian. It has many other wonderful dishes, appetizers and like Phil Rizzuto, I always have to give a shout out to cannoli when it's on the menu. [Holy cow, we miss you Phil. You would have loved this place!] Prices are reasonable and the ambience is relaxed and welcoming. Please don't overrun the place after reading this rave review. We want to be able to return regularly! read more

Wow! What a hidden gem! This is a low key restaurant that serves incredible foccacias and fresh house-made pasta. If you come before 7PM, you can walk in without a reservation (you can book via OpenTable). I came at 5:30 on a Saturday night and there was only one other party at the time, but by 7PM every table was filled. My friend and I shared for focaccia sarda and it was warm, pillowy goodness. The pappardelle ai funghi porcini was incredible, such soft and chewy pasta. I would totally get it again. My only gripe is that the tiramisu was not very good here, it did not wow me, I've had better tiramisus elsewhere. But overall, I would come back here for the amazing foccacia bread and pastas. read more

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Very good food, reasonable prices, imaginative menu. Service gracious and pleasant. Neighborhood is not very inviting.

Excellent flavors, generous portions, the only thing I could ask for would be more vegan options!

a real little gem in a neighborhood without many good options. Food is always fresh and well prepared. service is attentive without being annoying. ambience is quite pleasing. read more

Definitely a hidden gem on the UWS! It's a super cozy and casual spot with very welcoming staff, who remain attentive throughout your meal. The menu has a wide selection of fresh pastas, which are on display as soon as you walk in, and focaccias. There is also a pre-fixe lunch special, including an appetizer and entree, that is definitely worth getting in the afternoon. A few special and main menu items to highlight include: - Pappardelle Primavera: This dish has very complementary flavors, with the cherry tomatoes helping to balance out the thick pasta. The pistachio adds a pleasant crunchy texture. Also, who doesn't love burrata? - Fregula: Has a mild kick to it, but does not overwhelm the garlic and olive oil flavor. There's a generous portion of mushroom and seafood too. - Busa: Seafood and pasta are always cooked perfectly. - Zuppetta di Mare: Always a pleasant appetizer. The tomato sauce is very light and pleasant. It's also great to use for dipping focaccia! Not only does Arco Cafe have delicious food and great service (though a bit slower than you may expect), they also have a loyalty program, so be sure to join and collect those points! If you're doing delivery, order directly from them on their website. read more

Love this place - cozy neighborhood feel, delicious home-made pasta, interesting sauces.

Food and service are superb. An outdoor table on a hot summer evening--not so much. Very skeezy block. Go, enjoy-- but eat inside. read more

5/5 We got the lunch special, which was incredible. Their appetizers were outstanding and the pasta is something we're going to be talking about all week. Service also excellent. Next time, we intend to order the whole menu. Best Sardinian - inspired food we've had in NYC. Don't miss it. read more

This is an excellent Italian restaurant with great food and service. Typical Sardinian fare and fresh homemade pasta with wonderful sauces. Highly recommend this for an intimate and cozy night. Could be the perfect date, night venue or just come with the family. Either way, you won't regret it. read more

A nice Casual, Italian cafe with indoor and outdoor seating. The owners Sardinian roots shine through bringing a piece of the island to Manhattan Valley. On the corner of 103 & Amsterdam, book mark the address, you won't be sorry. Started with Grilled Shrimp on top of the Brussel Sprout Salad. 4 nice sized Shrimp over thinly shaved Brussel Sprouts, almonds and a light lemony dressing. So fresh. All pasta is homemade. I had the Busa with seafood. It was to die for! Shrimp, mussels and Calamari cooked in a delicious Sardinian sauce. Pasta was cooked perfectly. Owners work hard to make sure everything about your meal is perfect and it shows, they don't miss a beat. Fresh pasta is available to buy by the pound. Sauce is available too, by the jar. read more

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Small, intimate tables and seating. The food is concentrated on Ligurian cuisine, and it's excellent. They also sell fresh pasta to go. The focaccia bread is the best I've ever had. The service is well done and the owner checks on you regularly. Great gem of place!!!! read more

This place is an incredible find. They have an entire focaccia LIST? Insane. The focaccia is freshly made all day and comes with various toppings. The one vegan one is the "rossa" one topped with tomato sauce and plenty of garlic. You won't believe how fresh and soft and pillowy it is. They also have great veggie sides. I can't wait to come back to try the homemade pasta that also includes vegan options. read more

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Great cafe the staff is warm and welcoming. The sea bass special was so wonderful. The dessert mocha cake I'd love to eat every day.great place to celeb read more

New York does not disappoint when it comes to finding obscure dishes. After reading about Sardinian dumplings called culurgiones, I proceeded to find out that Arco was the only restaurant in the city making them. So of course a visit was warranted! Ironically, the culurgiones were perhaps not my favorite part of the meal. I am sure they were prepared authentically, but I couldn't help but feel that I should have gone with the butter option to pair with these very potato-y sinkers, rather than tomato sauce. It felt like they deserved a richer sauce. Instead, our favorite was the excellent gnocchi with Gorgonzola and walnuts. Now that truly fulfilled all my desires for an exceedingly rich, cream based sauce. If in the area I would stop by to try some of their other handmade pastas. read more

Arco Cafe - Culurgiones - Sardinian Near Me - New York, New York

Authentique, Sicilian restaurant in the upper west side! The seating is a bit limited, and it is a cozy restaurant, quite quaint. The servers were all very attentive, and they even spoke Italian! I love how on the menu, it is customizable if you want a specific type of pasta, however, was not that creative. I got the traditional pasta. It had broccoli, rabe and meat in it. I think it was really good! I also really enjoyed the small plates and appetizers. They had all the meatballs were delicious. for dessert I tried this cheese and sugar dough thing. I really didn't expect to like it, but I loved the texture. I couldn't finish it, but I really glad that I tried. I will definitely come back. read more

Popped up to the city for the day and knew I had loads of great options for a meal before heading back south. For some reason, I was craving pasta so I went on a search for the best of the best. Arco came up in my search, since they make theirs fresh daily. It's on the upper west side and I was nowhere near there but I went on the journey anyway. It's quaint so I'm glad I got there before the dinner rush. I was greeted instantly by a couple employees and seated soon after. While I knew what I wanted, it still would've been nice to also hear the specials that were told to the surrounding tables before I ordered. Otherwise, the service was awesome - even down to them helping me charge my dying phone. They gave me some delicious bread to munch on while waiting for my meal. I opted for the Ricotta Cavatelli with broccoli rabe and pork sausage in garlic and olive oil sauce. It was delicious. My only regret is not getting another order to-go. I've seen a lot of Italy but have never been to Sardinia. Now I know where to go next! read more

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Ordered delivery for the first time tonight, and can't wait to visit in person! I love that they have the option to pick your own pasta type and sauce, as well as preset entrees. I ordered malloreddos with arrabbiata sauce, which was perfectly simple and fresh, with just enough spice. I also ordered a side of focaccia bread since we'd be eating at home. I very highly recommend, and am looking forward to trying more of the menu (and maybe picking up some fresh pasta to make at home as well). read more

Arco Cafe - Malloreddos and Focaccia Plain - Sardinian Near Me - New York, New York

Went here with a dear friend on Halloween night so we could sit by the windows and watch the trick or treaters stream by. The special pasta that night was a malloreddus shape cacio e pepe, which is about the size of kidney beans. They make all their pasta and focaccia in house, and our pasta didn't disappoint. Delicious and creamy and peppery. My friend got a pasta with fresh wild mushrooms in it that was delicious as well, and a Sangiovese from their extensive wine list. Table next to us got one of the focaccias covered in greens and it looked amazing. For dessert we decided to get a pastry that is stuffed with sheep cheese and drizzled with honey, popular in Sardinia. While it was novel, it really was a sweet empanada, so not life changing. The space is small and intimate, and I will definitely go back again. read more

We tried Arco back in July of 24, and liked it! The pasta is homemade and you can taste the difference! The chicken parm was a little soggy, but everything else was delicious. The servers were friendly and quick. read more

An authentically Sardinian restaurant with good friendly service. Specials change frequently. Handmade pasta. Good focaccia. I recommend the Mediterranean Salad and the affogato. Small tables, so it would be nice for a date but isn't best for groups larger than 5 (although they can accommodate larger groups with a reservation. read more

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I was really craving pasta and this came up on my Uber eats. I checked the reviews and was impressed with the high ratings and proceeded to order. The food came neatly packaged and we were surprised with delicious focaccia as well. I ordered the busa pasta with the vodka sauce. The pasta itself was fresh and the sauce was yummy as well. I would have loved just a little more sauce though. My boyfriend ordered the fettuccine with beef and veal ragú sauce. This was also extremely delicious. The extra parmesan was a plentiful portion and also very fresh. I used to work near this place but don't recall seeing it. However I can't wait to venture here in the near future to dine in person and trying something new, fresh and delicious! read more

Arco Cafe - Busa vodka sauce - Sardinian Near Me - New York, New York

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$21 lunch pre fix lunch is awesome, i had the caprese and gnocchi alla montara, very good.

Arco is one of only three Sardinian restaurants in NYC, I believe, and thus something of a treasure that I'd like to support and keep open. With all these glowing reviews, including from Yelp friends whose opinions I trust, I feel like I must've ordered badly at our particular meal. We found the food we tried very middle-of-the-road, but the atmosphere pleasant, the wait staff professional. Starters of caprese salad and a special Brussels sprouts salad with oranges, tomatoes, almonds and shrimp were the weakest part of the meal. I love Brussels sprouts salads passionately -- but these were too coarsely sliced, with a lot of hard, stemmy pieces, and underdressed (little acid or salt or anything else). Shrimp that came atop were impressively large, but neither fresh nor flavorful. Fresh orange segments were the highlight. The caprese salad included a high quality, tender mozzarella, but not-very-ripe tomatoes and dried (not fresh) basil and oregano. We make better versions at home. Our mains included several pastas and branzino. The homemade pastas had a lovely texture and came with a generous amount of accompanying sauce. The Pardner complained that the sausage in the Malloreddos was too mild, but I enjoyed the clearly house made flavor, and the detectable presence of saffron. Conchigli came with three meatballs made with admirably little filler -- but they were tough, dry, and hard -- overcooked. A branzino fillet was fresh enough, but prepared in a very bland way, even with lemon squeezed over top. It was served over well-made broccoli rabe and alongside buttery mashed potatoes, hand mashed to retain some texture. Pastas were, unsurprisingly, a highlight, as were the slender slices of bread generously provided at the start of the meal. Prices are very reasonable for Manhattan. Arco seems like a very nice neighborhood cafe, one I want to try again with more of a focus on Sardinian offerings. Maybe something with bottarga next time! read more

Food service and ambiance were all great, definitely going back to Arco cafe. Highly recommend

The food was amazing- the bread, pasta and desert were excellent. The service was toooooo slowwwwww. The people were very nice. I hope they improve their timing, because the food was amazing!!!! read more

Magnificent and charming, romantic and truly a unique dining experience in which you first pass a quite robust bar, but the noise does not spill over into the dining room, whatsoever. The food was exquisite as was the service and the interactions that Chef/Owner Rocco has with his patrons. He is as sweet as honey and authentic as they come and a wonderful creative chef. We have been fans of Chef Rocco and L'Incontra for 25 years when it was still in Astoria, so this was our first venture at their new Manhattan location where they have been since June 2024. The homemade pasta with pepper and cheese was remarkable. Just beautiful. The salads were delicious. My only disappointment was the stuffed artichoke appetizer was so tiny. I am used to seeing stuffed artichokes the size of softballs or the size of your hand outstretched,so for the price I felt it was not a good value. A wonderful place to go for any occasion, we will surely be back! read more

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We had a relaxed lunch after walking in Central Park. It's unassuming, great fresh pasta, like really great. I had the special pistachio pesto and my partner had a pasta similar to a carbonara. High praise read more

I recently had the pleasure of meeting some of my best friends at Arco Cafe. Two of my friends eat there on a regular basis. It's an authentic Sardinian restaurant; even our waitress was Sardinian - Francesca Fiori. She and her brother Daniele run the place. You can tell she really loves her job. I was so impressed by all the food. Everything was exquisitely prepared. But the real star of the show was the Foccacia Burrata, mortadella and pistachio. I'm not usually a fan of foccacia but this was just heaven on a plate! I could see that some people ordered it as a main dish. So if you want to go someplace to celebrate great friends and delicious food Arco Cafe is the place for you! read more

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