A lovely bustling place. I'm happy to be back in Manhattan and visiting places I used to know. Busy but will accommodate you with seating at the bar. Customers and servers are knowledgeable excited and friendly, even if they don't recognize you after so long, which is a huge plus. The food as always is outstanding, but it will cost you. I say worth it. When I dropped in I was extremely over tired and not very hungry, but I knew if I ate I'd have energy to get home, and they could tell I was having trouble choosing. So the bartender was very willing to help me decide, and when I couldn't, he recommended two half orders which was genius. There was a surprise charge for that at the end (brought the pastas up to one half of 42 and one half of 38 so a $4 surcharge for each even though I was not sharing lol surcharges were originally intended for a couple that only ordered one entree but took a whole table). Even so I am happy I tried both. Having lived in Europe and Italy I always like to try a restaurant's standard to see if it done well, so I ordered the Bolognese which tasted delicious both in the restaurant and afterwards as a leftover (I wasn't very hungry lol). This runs about $34 as a full order. The half order was a lovely amount. The sauce was a wonderful color and texture with a fantastic aroma. Clung perfectly to the pasta. And the taste was a lovely surprise. A very good New York style Bolognese. Not overly spiced as many can be. Subtle flavors. You could tell the soffritto was a long slow simmer as it's supposed to be. Brought out the sweetness in the carrots and the onions were simply vanished into the sauce, which is correct and I appreciate. I cannot tell you how many fine dining establishments serve what is equivalent to a chopped salsa on top of your pasta, which tells me they honestly don't know how or have the time to make a proper Bolognese. But Paola's does it right. And I was glad I tried it. The tomato was bright and delightful even though it was slow cooked. Of course a Bolognese is not complete without the meat, and that was very tasty. The restaurant recommended the wild boar pappardelle which had delicious chunks of meat on top. I was hesitant to try this although intrigued by this unusual for New York menu item. I'm not always a fan of guanciale, (the cheek) whether it's in carbonara or not, because it's a usually a little too much fat content for me. And I used to think I preferred pancetta (pork belly). HOWEVER this was a completely different taste. And a delight. I was actually hoping there would be some oxtail or lamb on the pasta menu (a heartier meat) which was part of the reason I could not decide, but the wild boar hit the spot! The small well cooked chunks were just enough to give you something to bite into, but were so tender they almost melted in your mouth. So delicious I must confess I ate all the meat off the top before I even got to the pappardelle, which was perfectly cooked and a wonderful accompaniment for this surprisingly not gamey or heavy while also hearty (how did they do that?) sauce. I also appreciate the fact the cheese was brought separately even though I did not request that be done. Too many places have a tendency to over cheese pastas where cheese doesn't really belong. And so you wind up paying $40 for macaroni and cheese (albeit fancy cheese), which you could make at home. In my day (showing my age) people tasted their dish before piling on the cheese and the pepper. And so I was very grateful that these toppings were brought to me rather than sprinkled on (or in other cases dumped on) by the kitchen. Paola's understands that the flavors in the pasta and the sauces should really be able to speak for themselves, and these flavors sang! I didn't even remember to add any cheese because quite frankly it did not need it. As I sleepily enjoyed my pasta at the end of a long stressful day, the people next to me excitedly chatted about returning to have a wonderful meal, and deciding what to try for the first time or just going with their old favorites. This also speaks volumes to me. I will be back for sure. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to the staff at Paola's! I'm sure they will be very busy for the holiday! And with food like this they deserve to be! If I were in town for the New Year I'd consider spending it with them! read more

Paola's Osteria - A friendly patron holds up the menu so I can see the phone number - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Do not waste your money here. It took forever for us to be seated while the restaurant wasn't busy. Food was substandard, one dish very undercooked. The waiter's response was insolent and discourteous. Service was slow and very poor. read more

Pretty good food, overall, but extraordinarily expensive for what is an unremarkable, run of the mill menu. A salad (without a protein) with a pizza for $100? The clearest sign yet that it is time to redistribute wealth. read more

Been back here several times. Always a nice vibe with great food. Very clean and well managed establishment. Very friendly service.

Way overpriced -- I have lived in the neighborhood for over 20 years, and this is a convenient spot. Unfortunately, it's exorbitantly priced, and the quality is OK but not impressive (not nearly good enough to justify the price). And watch the prices at the bar. They will take every opportunity to upcharge you for the slightest variation in a cocktail or a special request. Plus, the ambience is noisy and mundane. It's loud with echoing off the tile floor and ceiling. Add in a few screaming kids and a birthday for a completely un-relaxing experience. Not a soft, comfy place. There are other better spots in Carnegie Hill. read more

beware that they charge 4% extra for using a credit card, and they figure the tax on that 4% extra charge plus the base amount; and then they figure a 20% tip on that whole amount instead of on the base amount read more

We live in the neighborhood and come here almost every weekend. The food is delicious simple Italian food - fresh ingredients prepared perfectly. The food comes out very quickly, and the waitstaff are very friendly and professional. They decorate for Christmas and always have a welcoming feel. The restaurant itself is a simple Italian feel - you can show up casual or dressed up. It's the best Italian neighborhood spot in the upper east side. Very family friendly as well. read more

My husband and I, New Yorkers for 20+ years, popped into Paola's recently for drinks at the bar (we had a kid to pick up nearby), and, wow, were we bamboozled and over-charged-- the shock of what we paid for how little we got hit us later. I'm sure, as others have noted, there were hidden charges. We were presented with the credit card machine and that's it. Tourists, steer clear. New Yorkers, beware. This place is very dodgy and mediocre and should be avoided. read more

My favorite Italian delivery on the UES! Always fast. Food is always fresh. Delicious.

amazing food and hospitality! get the capricciosa pizza or any of the homemade pastas. extensive selection of wines

Great UES dining in the restaurant or at the bar, good place to go if you are visiting the Met

What a wonderful Italian restaurant this is. I have ate here a few times and its always delicious. I did take out and the chicken Milanese dish was just as tasty as it would be if I were eating at the restaurant. read more

Paola's Osteria - a plate of food - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

This is a tough one. It's a 3 1/2 but I'll bump it up to 4 as more things were good than not. ENTRANCE - there was a hostess that greeted us inside and checked our COVID credentials. You have a choice to sit inside or outside as they took the parking in front and converted it to seating. AMBIANCE - the inside is very nice and modern looking. There are 15+ tables inside with ample spacing apart. They have a cool oven in the back to make pizza - which they make quite a few of. I didn't try their pizza but it seems very popular. WAITER - there was a bit of a rush when we came and I was impressed that the bartender jumped in to take orders etc. MENU - it was lunch time so there were adequate choices across the board. For gluten-free customers they can easily accommodate a pasta swap so no worries. APPETIZERS - the shrimp cocktail was very good. The clams casino was excellent. I had the rice balls that were unusually interesting. They had peas, corn, meat and mozzarella cheese that provided a great bite. Only down side was that they were cooked a little too long so the outside was really super dark brown. ENTREES - the risotto with mushrooms was very good. The pasta and meat sauce was good but not stellar. I had the veal Marsala that was good. The Marsala sauce was light and very flavorful. The only drawback was the veal was a bit stringy. Overall the food was good to very good. SERVICE TIME - there was a little bit of a lunch crowd for Monday. Even so it took a while to get our orders out of the kitchen. CUSTOMER SERVICE - the staff was friendly but couldn't spend much time with you and it must be tough dealing with inside and outside tables. PRICE - this place is a solid $$$$ as the bill for 3 people without drinks, taxes, and before tips was $230 read more

Paola's Osteria - Inside view - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

We accompanied our friends to dinner at one of their go-to neighborhood favorites. The staff were very nice and attentive. Our friend was treated well. Our party of six scored the only round table in this cozy restaurant. We were started off with some bread and olive oil. The wine list had relatively few reasonably priced bottles. We had an OK bottle of Valpolicella Ripasso. The table shared two pizzas (margherita and mushroom, very good), fried calamari (pretty good) and two salads (beet and misto, meh). The main dishes were uneven. My wife's chicken parmesan had a weird, soft texture- as if the breast had been softened. I had the halibut special with broccoli rabe, which was very good. Nice place, but the food was uneven. I thought that chicken parm was impossible to get wrong, but I stand corrected. I would come back for pizza and pasta. There's better Italian food a few blocks south. read more

Noisy. High prices for mediocre food. Dry fish for $50. Food is edible. Service is adequate. Nothing exceptional about Paola's Osteria. Hoping a new restauranteer takes that spot. read more

I recently dined at Paola's. It was fine, nothing amazing. For an Italian restaurant, the wine list (by the glass, at $18+) is frankly mediocre and very limited. The "Insalata Buzzy" (at $20?!) basically included frozen peas and was not particularly flavorful. I could have thrown the salad together myself with random ingredients from my kitchen. The pasta with mushrooms & prosciutto was good - although I am definitely not sure it was worth $30 (+). My issue is this. The restaurant is sneaky and charges an additional 4% credit card fee on every.single.item you consume. I do not remember being informed of this when we arrived. We had to flag down the waitress to ask why, for example, my already-overpriced $18 glass of mediocre wine turned into almost $19 (*before* the obligatory tax & tip). Did they think we just wouldn't notice? So in addition to paying extremely high prices for very mediocre food ($30 pasta?!) & drinks, you are paying : an additional 4% credit card charge + the 9% tax + the 20% tip. Absolutely unbelievable. Wayyy overpriced. Don't bother. read more

Paola Osteria is a family style Italian restaurant. Food are supposed to be shared with family and friends. The salad with avocado, beet and greens are the best salad I had for quite a while. If you are there. You have to order this. You will be amazed by it. Pastas are great like made by grandma. Clams are so fresh and juicy. There is no wrong if you are in the area and like to have Italian Go to this restaurant and enjoy the your meal. read more

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Replying to the verbal attack after posting an honest review, then went to attack my wife smh.. I m French / Italian and know my food way more than you ever will. You def have a murican palet hahah Anyhow.. you keep Deviating the conversation about your frozen meatballs and mini frozen arrancinis. That wasn't the point of this post. It was to warn people YOU ADDED EXTRA $$ to the bill!! The food quality is just the cherry on top of the cake... See below. Please continue to argue.. we barely scratched the surface. I was done with this until my wife told me you thought I was her. Ciao Bambino read more

A nice place, with yummy food, good & quick service, close to Guggenheim Museum and not too far from The Metropolitan. read more

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Brunch is the best. Great value. We also ordered the seafood pasta with lobster. Not worth it for $40. Portion was small. The half lobster is also small. We were surprised looking at the check as every item was more than its price. The check was dropped without any explanation. When asked, the waiter said "we have a new system", which don't explain the price difference. When asked again we were told that's the price is we pay via credit card. They are automatically making the patron pay for the credit card fee! WITHOUT INFORMING THE CUSTOMER!!! I asked, what if I am paying cash? This I'll is not correct. Our waiter then said they would ring another bill. Never heard about such a thing. We suggest they should put this surcharge on the menu, or at least let the customer know. I don't think the will do it. read more

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I had a very nice meal here recently. A friend and I were leaving a museum and wanted a place on the UES where we could walk in for dinner. Paola's helped us out right away and gave us a table. They were friendly, and the service was attentive. I ordered the Pasta Alla Norma with eggplant and really enjoyed it. My friend had a couple of appetizers as her meal and was happy as well. We finished up with dessert, and they offered us complimentary after dinner drinks. Overall, a friendly experience and a good option in the neighborhood! They are offering both indoor and outdoor seating right now. read more

Every bite was wow. From the shrimp cocktail being perfectly fresh and big nice shrimps with delicious cocktail sauce, the the Caesar salad with awesome little breadcrumbs. The apps were perfect. Moving on the entrees we had the eggplant parm which was the star of the show the sauce and taste was to die for. The chicken was so right in every way, subtle yet satisfying. Great balance!!! Lastly we shared the Tartufo which has an exquisite white chocolate outer shell and was the perfect way to complete a 10/10 meal!!! read more

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Super nice people but terrible, disordered service - customer service is pretty nonexistent everywhere, so I don't know why I'm surprised by this place. The bar was empty but it took 15 minutes to get a cocktail. We cancelled the food - which was a joke, as I doubt the kid put the order in in the first place. Martini was good, but meh in general. read more

Pasta was yummy but the margarita pizza was mediocre. It was a bit too oily, so the crust was soggy and falling apart, and also we found the tomato sauce itself to be quite bland. Also, we did not exactly get a taste of the "sweet sausage" in the pasta. However, it did taste quite good. Overall, a decent place to get italian food near a museum such as the Guggenheim, with a nice outdoor space, too. read more

Paola's Osteria - Pasta with beef and sweet sausage - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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My new favorite restaurant on the UES - a lovely outdoor set-up as well as indoor dining in a spacious setting with fresh, delicious food. A classic Italian restaurant with a menu composed of pastas, pizzas, and all the Italian dishes you could want. We decided to split the Misticanza salad with mesclun greens, pears, walnuts, and fresh pecorino topped with a delicious light olive oil dressing. For our main, we split the Linguini with lobster, shrimp, clams, and mussels. The seafood was generous, and fresh, all topped with a light red marinara sauce. The entire meal was nothing short of delicious. I wish we had had time to order one of their desserts, but now it's just an excuse to go back. read more

The food at Paolas is absolutely amazing! The service is also impeccable! The ambiance is perfect! Def recommend!

Cold bread?? Who eats cold bread? And when I say "cold" I do not mean room temperature. I was there for a late lunch when the place was maybe about a third full. My server was so indifferent and unavailable that another waiter and a busboy assisted me with some black pepper and later some olive oil while my server was stationed at the door looking at the streetscape. The bolognese sauce pasta, however, was very good. read more

The food was terrible. Service was fine. Caesar salad was so bland it was embarrassing. Meatballs were nothing to remember. Here's where it gets bad. We ordered a pizza and it came undercooked and the sauce was watery. Literally the sauce and dough slid off the whole pizza it was soggy and disgusting. We sent it back and declined anything else, no problem. The chef decided to come over and tell us the pizza is napoleon style asking us what's wrong and if we wanted an "American" style pizza. We know food, we are in the industry, the chefs presence at the table was absolutely disrespectful and made us feel wrong for not liking what he served. We chose to spare him the details on the rest of his food. We will never ever return. read more

Im not sure where are those 5 stars review came from. The food is like frozen package food and They just heated in the microwave. read more

Paola's Osteria - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Would leave 0 stars if I could. We went here the other night for our anniversary. We were so disappointed... I ordered the special (lamb chops) and was told (the price of specials was not on the menu) was $58. There were 4 chops, very thin, and 2 were overcooked ( I had asked for medium rare) We mentioned to our waitress and she took them back. We waited a good 20 minutes and when they came out they were nearly raw. Plus one of them was missing a big piece, like a v shape in the middle, plus lots of fat. We ate them or took a few bites, figuring we can take them home. Whatever. The bill came and the charge was for $71!!! We were dumbfounded- when we spoke to the manager, he was very blasé, shrugging and saying well that's the cost of lamb chops (71), and they are supposed to be cooked medium rare rare. We said that's what we asked for and they were originally well done, then raw, plus fat. He shrugged. I said on top of that it's a special occasion.... Our anniversary! He shrugged again and said that was the price. The waitress came by and said that she had thought that they were 58, and apologized and eventually they reduced the charge to 58 but honestly, the whole experience was terrible. I won't be going back with that service and food. Oh and it was in a different location from the restaurant of the same name (well it was just Paola's)...owned by a very sweet, friendly woman who we met when we went to the original. Don't be fooled- this place is very different and food, service not the same! read more

It's really sad to see so many paid positive reviews for this indeed mediocre place. We dined here and at another location many times and the level of service always was pretty low, but still tolerable. Today's experience, unfortunately, was really really BAD! We will never return! Today we came in for lunch and the waiter (Marco) was extremely rude and apparently untrained. It seemed like he had never worked at a restaurant before (and had never been to one either). - he would glare or make a smirk when asking something - he never greeted us properly and instead just approached our table and was like "so, are you ready to order?" - he never said a plain "good bye" - he didn't even bring our bill (he sent someone else, while he was joking with other staff members) - my shrimp cocktail was undercooked (very soft), which I disliked. Instead of apologizing (we all know that undercooked/raw food bears health hazards as often times leads to food borne illnesses) he started arguing that the shrimp was cooked properly as if I don't know what shrimp cocktail is and how it should be cooked. He looked angry and careless. Even his way of talking (the speed, the tone, the face movements) was extremely arrogant and aloof - he then took away my shrimp cocktail and pulled aside a waitress (a blond one) and told her about the issue, pointing to the shrimp and laughing, but the woman didn't care and just went on minding her business - he never asked if we needed anything else (utensils, more water etc. -- the basic stuff) and never asked how our food was! Another incident was that the hostess dropped a white out correction tape behind me (it almost hit my head) and pretended it didn't happen and stepped away. I took the white out and put it back and she apologized indifferently. Shocking. 0 out 100 read more

Paola's Osteria - a receipt for a restaurant - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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Stopped in about 3pm midweek to have a bite with my daughter, there was one 2 top seated in the entire restaurant and the hostess asked me to wait for my guest before she would sit me...LOL? so much for hospitality. Ordered the pizza well done but the pizza came out wet and sloppy, no way to pick it up and eat it with our hands. Pizza was flavorless. Once we received the pizza, the server who did not wait on us asked us to pay since he was getting off shift...again where's the hospitality and service? Never presented the check only placed the handheld computer for me to pay. I tried to take the handheld to see what I was being charged for but the server insisted on him holding the terminal. why? Overall, just a bad experience. I guess the owner doesn't care whether or not good service and food is available for their guests. read more

Probably the worst customer service we've experienced in a long time! As a group of five people we wanted to be seated in the outdoor shed. The young female waiter with a long Spanish name (I cannot recall it right now) refused to let us take a "table for 7" despite the majority of the shed being empty at the moment. She told us to seat at a small "table for 4". We explained that we are 5 people including kids and we won't fit in there. The waiter then went inside to speak with the manager and came back with the disturbing response for us to take the small table or leave! The manager did not feel that two families (five new customers) deserve to be seated in a proper way or even deserve his attention. Beware of this inhumane and low-class customer service at the Paola's Osteria restaurant! Obviously, we left in disbelief and brought our business to another Italian restaurant in the neighborhood called Siena Cafe, which was very busy but still provided us with the friendly customer service and great food and wine. read more

The food is amazing! I had the lemon chicken and I could cut it with a fork. The green beans are so good. The bread they bring to the table is so crusty and soft on the inside. Highly recommend! read more

Paola's Osteria - chicken Milanese and Pollo Al Limone - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Ample restaurant, friendly staff, great food and great location. Recommended. Service is friendly and fast. Our greeter and waiters were very helpful and gave great recommendations. Food was fantastic. I tried the Chicken Lemon, very well prepared with two slices of chicken breast and a perfcet marinade. The Prosciutto pizza was also delicious, with a very flavorful Prosciutto sliced thinly. The chicken breast a la Milan was also well prepared. They have limited Italian beer but plenty of wine options. Great location that allows for a somewhat intimate dinning experience with the Italian warmth while you walk in Madison Av after a very satisfying meal. read more

It doesn't get better than the vibes at Paola's! Cozy, casual, and truly excellent food. We showed up on a Saturday evening without a reservation (our bad) but they were friendly and accommodating and found a two top in the bar for us. read more

I'd just describe the place as a neighborhood Italian restaurant with a classic/traditional feel. I came by myself on a weekday afternoon before going to the park & museum. Service was fairly quick and I was seated right away though the restaurant was fairly packed. I had the tagliatelle alla bolognese, which was cooked perfectly (pasta) but nothing special with the sauce. The rating would have been higher had it not been for the price. Compared to the ~$30 paid for the meal, the pasta and overall experience here were just OK. read more

Paola's Osteria - tagliatelle alla bolognese - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Popped in for lunch while vacationing in NYC. Had Proseccos at the bar. I must put in a good word for Mario, an awesome bartender. We were served bread and olive oil from the start. The linguine and clam sauce and arancini (risotto balls with peas, cheese and tomato sauce) were the best I've ever had. I can't wait to go again someday as the pizza looked outstanding. Mario gave us a shot of dessert wine on the house -- what a great lunch. Highly recommend. read more

Paola's Osteria - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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Service 2/10 Food & wine 7/10 The service was non existent for 15 minutes upon arrival besides the busboys who brought bread and water upon our request. We had to flag waiters down from the back, as did the patron sitting next to us. They were folding napkins/ on their phones. The woman next to us ended up leaving after being ignored. Wait staff denied it, engaged in conflict, and told her to "calm down" (we witnessed it and experienced a milder version). Waiter and host staff had a series of excuses why service was slow: shift change, no breaks, time of day, etc. I get it, but not the customer's problem. No one on site handled the situation(s) well and we won't be back. Paola's needs a manager on premises or to cut their prices in half. Not the premium Madison Avenue experience advertised. read more

This is the first time I've been back in two years. Nothing has improved. The food is mediocre at best. Buyer, beware! The menu says they had to see if you charge your meal when you get your bill. The fee is applied. You must speak up and say you are paying cash if in fact you are. Then they takeoff the fee. Almost all of the wait staff are very nice and accommodating. There is one young man who seems to work, mainly outside. He is nasty and condescending, and very full of himself! Anybody over 30 should not even consider sitting where he would be waiting on them! I thought for a while they had gotten rid of him, but I went back today to give it another try and he was there.I ate inside to avoid him . Apparently none of the staff like him. As I said mediocre food. Very expensive. And you must be careful or you will be charged a fee even if you pay cash. Not very honorable. read more