Anything with Rocco DiSpirito's name on it is always a must try for me. This bar/ restaurant is nestled on the second floor of a little Boutique hotel and is definitely more restaurant than bar vibes. We made a reservation for lunch on a Sunday at 12 pm, which definitely wasn't necessary. We each had a cocktail that were delish and we started with broccolini and potatoes as apps. I had the papadelle and my husband had the lasagna. Both were phenomenal and would get again! We shared them both. The portions are on the smaller side, we ate every single bite of every thing. Which definitely isn't bad, we were full but not stuffed. Overall- would come back again for a casual, quick, but yummy bite of Italian/ American! read more

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Food and service was amazing. Hope to be back next time I am in the city. Also bought some plates for my wife since it's her name. read more

The food? Excellent. Truly. I went with a group of nine colleagues and the flavors across the board were impressive. The standout for me was the ribeye ...absolutely melted in your mouth. One of the best I've had in a long time. That said, while the food was memorable, the service unfortunately was not. Our server seemed pleasant and well-intentioned, but the experience felt rushed, disorganized, and at times unnecessarily defensive when mistakes were made. There were several order mix-ups throughout the evening, and instead of simply acknowledging the errors, the response was often framed as though members of our table had changed their minds or misunderstood. That happened more than once. One example: two of us ordered the ribeye and were told it came with mashed potatoes, so we added a Caesar salad. When the steak arrived , we saw it came with a lovely discovered arugula salad alongside the potatoes. When we mentioned cancelling the Caesar because of that, the response implied we had simply missed the explanation but we hadn't. He was never communicated. Other small things added up: delayed bread and butter service, a drink order delivered incorrectly, and even the restroom being out of paper towels. Oddly, the attentiveness noticeably increased once it was time to settle the bill even though there was an automatic gratuity already included for a large party. We still had a great time because the company and food carried the evening. But for a restaurant at this level, the service experience needs more consistency, accountability, and training. Great food alone probably isn't enough to bring me back. read more

Bar Rocco - Creamy Potato Puree - American Near Me - New York, New York

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Rocco DiSpirito- a culinary judge on so many tv shows my husband and I watch. My challenge: eat food from thise we see cooking on TV and the judges! So when in NY looking for a dinner spot of course Rocco's hit my radar! Bar Rocco is nestled away on the 2nd floor of the Kimpton downtown. First off. That's tells you something right there. KIMPTONS ARE LEGIT. Bar Rocco takes reservations. The staff immediately were very friendly. Seated quickly. Negative: seats are squished in. Odd how it wasn't busy but they chose to put my seat against another woman's so if either had to move, so did the other. Our table was wobbly but our server was happy to jump in. It wasn't totally fixed but better than it was. We shared the meatballs and pappardelle genovese. The meatballs basically fell apart they were so soft but the sauce was delicious! Did have a little kick to it. The pappardelle, very fresh pasta and good sauce. Needed a little salt. Overall good choices and just enough for 2! I still want more of that sauce so I do put my trust in judge Rocco!! read more

Bar Rocco - Meatballs - American Near Me - New York, New York

Located on the 2nd floor of the Kimpton Era Midtown hotel, Bar Rocco is the perfect place for a pre-theatre lunch. The location is just a short walk from most plays and is a newer location opened by celebrity Chef Rocco DeSpirito. You may even see him at the bar or checking on his guests. The food presentation and service (by Julia R) was excellent. I would highly recommend the Fish & Chips $28 in a light tempura batter looking like to tasty eggrolls. The potato wedge fries are excellent, but are overly salty. The Sunday sauce lasagna $32 in its own hot casserole dish was off the hook. It had: Two big pieces of tender sausage and high quality ground beef all under homemade layered noddles in a béchamel -mozzarella slightly browned masterpiece. The fresh basil made the dish. Nice tomato sauce - just the right spice. Coffee and espresso were hot and perfect. Montalcino red wine at $15 was excellent. Rolling rock beer in an ice cold glass ($10) hit the spot - although a slightly overpriced domestic. Nice to see Corona n/a beer on the menu. Nearby diners had oysters which looked properly shucked and fresh. Three minor items to consider: the cushioned chairs facing the window are very heavy and hard to move, the space between the tables is narrow causing you to hit the table when you go to window seat. I'm older, but I climbed the three story long stairs to the 2nd floor, but wished I took the elevator before lunch. I didn't see a small sign saying the restaurant was on the 2nd floor. Highly recommended, I can't wait to come back and order from the rest of the menu. read more

Bar Rocco - Delicious Sunday lasagna- nice tender meat in a cheesy sauce - American Near Me - New York, New York

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Had 1:15 rezzies for a rainy Saturday lunch. We were seated right away since it wasn't that busy. Place is nice, staff is friendly and attentive. Located right next to Rockefeller Center. Started with the arancini Nero for appetizer and then shared the lasagna and the pappardelle Genovose. Decent portions, enough to share. Food was a tad bit salty for my taste, but it had good flavors. read more

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We liked Bar Rocco a lot. The food, service and vibe were all very good. All and all it was a good experience. read more

Bar Rocco - American Near Me - New York, New York

Food was absolutely delicious. Staff were all very attentive and kind and say the only reason why I can't give this for five stars is just how expensive the restaurant was and how difficult it was to find it first. The restaurant is with them a hotel in the second floor so very easy to pass. Why but once you're inside, it is absolutely beautiful. Genuinely everything we eat was absolutely delicious. This was definitely experience and if you have the opportunity, I definitely recommend to try this place atleast once. read more

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Everything was great here. Stopped in before prime dinner hours with my 6yo daughter who wanted pasta. They were able to seat us right away and food came out quickly. I ordered the pappardelle for us to share, which they brought out to us on split plates. We also had a Ceasar salad which was actually quite phenomenal with real deal anchovies in there for extra umami. Divine. Had a glass of wine (bc mom needed a glass with a nice dinner). Staff were kind and attentive. Couldn't ask for more for our first night in nyc. read more

Bar Rocco is a brand new restaurant inside the Kimpton Era Hotel. The dining room is attractive, but it is not very busy. I stopped in for lunch with Ashley P. to give it a try. I went with the Pappardelle Genovese, and Ashley the Paccheri with Shrimp. My Pappardelle was good, but nothing spectacular. Ashley liked her pasta but felt that it was undercooked. The bill was fair, and we may give Bar Rocco another try. read more

Bar Rocco - American Near Me - New York, New York

Nice quiet place for lunch out of the Rockefeller Center crowd. The food was delicious. Perfectly cooked pasta.

Bar Rocco over delivered. I am on my way back for dinner tonight, so I can update this later. This is a new restaurant so I was expecting hiccups, but Bar Rocco was very good. Our first meal was a brunch for four. The standouts were the skirt steak and the salmon, although all of the meals were great. The hummus appetizer was unforgettable!! Drinks were great too! read more

Bar Rocco - A sidecar! - American Near Me - New York, New York

My husband and I celebrated our anniversary at Bar Rocco and had such a wonderful meal. As soon as we walked in, we even got to see Rocco DiSpirito greeting a customer, which made the night feel extra special. We started with the Colossal Shrimp Cocktail and Oysters "Rocco-feller," both of which were delicious. For dinner, we had the Sunday Gravy Lasagna and short rib with papardelle, and both were excellent -- rich, flavorful and beautifully prepared. The wine was great, and the Sicilian Lemonade cocktail was a standout. We ended with the Basque cheesecake, which was the perfect finish. Warm service, a lovely atmosphere, truly delicious food and a location so close to Grand Central made it a perfect anniversary dinner. We'll definitely be back! read more

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This is located on the second floor of the new Kimpton Era. Dinner on a Friday night. We had reservations, but plenty of availability for anyone that didn't. Started off with the humus appetizer. It was amazing! My wife had the shrimp salad and was a very good choice. I had a lot of pasta over the last 2 nights so I wasn't planning on more carbs but the lasagna sounded too good to pass up and I'm very glad I didn't. Loaded with very good tasting Italian sausage. Sauce was great. Came in its own (very hot) cast iron pan. I could not have been happier. The head chef is apparently a local celebrity. I know it takes awhile for a new place to gain a ton of reviews but try this place out you will not be disappointed. Prices seem to be reasonable for NYC. read more

I am not sure if I can adequately describe how great our dining experience was at Bar Rocco on my wife's birthday. We've been followers of Chef DiSpirito for over twenty years, and were excited to try his new venture. We were greeted by the manager the moment we stepped off the elevator, and service never missed a step from that point on. We were seated with a nice view of Rockefeller Plaza, and as we started perusing the menu, a male voice started making some suggestions. We looked up to see Chef DiSpirito standing in front of us. We were quite honored he took the time to make our acquaintance, and he really did make some helpful suggestions for our menu choices. We started with cocktails and appetizers, Mama's Meatballs and Oysters Rocco-Feller. The meatballs melt in your mouth, and the oysters were a neat spin on the classic. My wife had the ribeye steak for her entree and is pretty sure it's the best steak she's ever had in a restaurant. I had the sautéed salmon which had an amazing crispy skin on top. For dessert, we chose a Basque cheesecake which was a first for us, and we wonder why we've never had one before. We also had a tiramisu which is our go-to dessert many times, and it did not disappoint. We can't wait to visit again; the only problem I have is how I'm going to make birthdays this epic from now on. Thank you to everyone at Bar Rocco who made this evening so memorable. read more

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Fabulously prepared dishes including classic Italian-American comfort food like lasagne, Mama's meatballs and standards such as a seafood tower and a perfectly fired filet that are way beyond standard. Delicious and off-the-beaten path wine choices by Juan from the still evolving wine list and an excellent cocktail (and mocktail) beverage program. Attentive and warm service, family friendly (if a bit noisy till the pre-dinner crowd departs). Prices are fair for 2026 midtown Rock Center. Look forward to returning but for being open only two weeks the future looks promising for Rocco's latest venture. read more

Shoutout to Craig! He was fabulous and the meal was awesome! Vibes were immaculate and cocktails were lovely as well! Get the lemonade one! read more

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Amazing from Start to finish. Excellent service from Mason our waiter who gave us great recommendations and Rocco himself took the time to come around to our table and say hello. Great atmosphere and nicely laid out dining room We had meatball app, andBurrata app with a Negroni and Dirty Martini. Steak Frites and short rib pappardelle entrees were excellent. Tiramisu dessert completed the meal nicely Great time and would definitely comeback or recommend Thanks for a great dining experience read more

I posted a review before just the experience trying to ask a question. And it's impossible to get up live person on the phone. They use an AI operator that can't answer anything. But I did end up having to go there. So here 's my review once I got there. Very friendly staff service was excellent. The meatballs were good, but they are not the way they used to be at his old restaurant with his mother, making it. Got the Sunday Lasagna. A lot of sausage in there above average definitely. . read more

Food was excellent Ambiance- great vibe Service was great- Thanks Nikki Total experience was a 10 read more

Another EXCELLENT effort by Rocco! Stopped in for a quick look-see then (predictably) got carried away. Sublime raw bar offerings, unforgettable meatballs, delicious bread service with ooh-la-la whipped butter, on-point cocktails, all in a tidy but airy room at the top of a grand staircase, and everything with thoughtfully subtle RDS touches. I shall return, and soon! read more

Food was delicious, atmosphere pleasant and prices quite reasonable considering the quality. Must try the meatballs appetizer - I'm not even so much a meatball fan but these were extraordinary with their sugo and Parmesan to sprinkle. The side of fries with lemony aioli also yum and I ordered the salmon which was nicely flavored and tender. Best meal we had while in town. read more

DON'T BOTHER! My friend and I had dinner at Bar Rocco Monday night, 4/27/26. We were excited to try a new Italian restaurant. The hostess staff was welcoming and took us to a quieter table at our request. (The restaurant was VERY loud.) We shared a starter of Arancini Nero with aioli. The aioli was the only tasty thing we had all night. The arancini were unbelievably salty. My friend then ordered the "Spicy Tuna Tartare" at the waiter's suggestion, and I had the "Oysters Rocco-feller", falling for the cutesy name. The tuna tartare arrived in a large bowl on thick toast (turns out filone is toast--who knew?), studded with what appeared to be salmon roe. It was impossible to eat in a bowl as it required cutting with a fork and knife, so she asked that it be transferred to a plate. It was heavily seasoned to the extent that one could not even taste the tuna. Honestly, it was inedible (I tried it). My oysters, on the other hand, were in a bland green sauce, with none of the promised guanciale in sight. My friend shared our belief that the tuna tartare with the extremely unreceptive female manager. Do not spend $200+ as I did on a horrible meal here! read more

The food and drinks were beautifully presented and delicious, especially the pastas. I highly recommend the meatballs and the tiramisu. The staff is knowledgable and attentive to every detail. Also, it's a great place for pre- and post- theatre; so close to the theatre district. I'll definitely be back. read more

Excellent drinks/Great food - try the meatballs!/friendly, high level service - Chef Rocco is a rockstar!