A mixed review for me. The ambiance is killer really perfectly executed but the food didn't measure up. Granted I'm jaded when it comes to Italian food but something was just lacking. People come here I guess to have a sense of opulence but it really just has a great ambiance. Not necessarily worth the coin, small coin but coin nonetheless. read more

Always buzzing scene. Lots of energy but the food is mediocre. Not bad but not very good. Pretty average. Would be great if they could take it up a notch. Cacio de Pepe too much cheese and too rich , over the top. Chicken Milanese average. Very average Italian food for the burbs. Would be great if the quality went up ! read more

Was very disappointed, had a friend who recommended it, but I really didn't enjoy much of the dinner. Had the Octopus and fritto misto for app, octopus was just ok, I have had better in many other places, the fritto misto was good. Had the steak and my wife had the spaghetti & clams. I was so disappointed in the steak, tasted like I was eating at Applebees, not at all what I would expect at this price point, my wife's clams were gritty, obviously were not cleaned enough, which took away a lot of pleasure for her. Had high hopes, but unfortunately was disappointed and probably will not return. read more

Whenever you go to Rafele Rye, you're treated like family. The food is delicious, the decor tasteful, and the staff are always looking for ways to maximize your experience. The management of this restaurant should be proud; it's the "total package". Go here if you want to have a great meal served by people who care about what they do. Raf is a killer chef, and in this kitchen he's surrounded by top talent. Best restaurant in Rye, by far. read more

Worst service ever, they brought the entrees before the appetizers and when the salad came after the entree it was the wrong salad and we were missing 1 entree of 3 and it came when we asked for the check. I will never go there again and I will definitely divert any family and friends away from this garbage can. read more

The service was excellent, the ambiance was fine but very noisy, and the food was delicious. All six of us loved everything we ordered and would definitely return. read more

I dined at Rafele on Friday evening with two friends. We were all anticipating a good dinner and evening out based on some reviews. Our waitress was visibily displaced her annoyance that we were not prepared to order as soon as our glass of wine and cocktails arrived. And repeatedly came to the table with "ready now" The food was a big disappointment.. Salads were fine. Pasta with clam sauce was without any flavor. Meatballs were tough and sauce had a bitter after taste. And the amatriciana sauce was more like a very salty tired ragu. We will definitely not return. read more

My go too place when I'm in the mood for Cacio e Pepe. Sat at the bar last night and thoroughly enjoyed my meal, I had a Brooklyn Old Fashioned with the pasta as well. The drink was a bit too sweet for me but I should have realized that from the ingredients. Great atmosphere and food always. read more

The food was to die for. Great outside dinning on a nice cool evening. Fettuccine Bolognese was to die for along with the melon and prosciutto appetizer. read more

Great food, nice service. The atmosphere was festive and fun! The pizza and salads were delicious. My drink was tasty too. Definitely go back. read more

The service here is atrocious. Disorganized, indifferent, bordering on actively hostile. Food mediocre but the dining experience was among the worst I have ever had. Staff also lacks even basic knowledge of the menu. It will close soon I would expect. Good riddance! read more

Absolutely delicious food! This restaurant is definitely another to add to our favorite restaurants. Staff was super attentive and professional. It was out first time visiting after coming back from the city we had an amazing experience. Broccoli rabe with octopus was superb! read more

Rafele Rye - Italian Near Me - Rye, New York

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Very nice interior. Decent menu. First time there I had the special (was a Saturday night in November) ... a lamb ragu pasta dish. It was very tasty but also quite salty. Today (3/24) I took my parents out. My Italian mother & I ordered a pasta dish that has pork cheek in it. If you don't know what pork cheeks look like just Google it. There was zero pork in this dish. Just pork skin that was basically like chewing thinly sliced rubber. I was going to complain but I chose to write this review in the hopes that the restaurant will not skimp and will actually put pork cheeks in this dish. I'm sure the restaurant will say otherwise but the attached pics prove my point (zero pork ... just thin sliced fat). read more

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Absolutely delicious food, with a matching venue to boot. Service was fantastic and accommodating. read more

Rafele Rye - Fried pizza dough with prosciutto-yum. - Italian Near Me - Rye, New York

Service C, food B-, dining room C, drinks C. Overall bit of a disappointment and would not go back (we had some high expectations). With a long standing reservation we had to wait 15 mins (was packed). In the end got sat in the slightly sub par back room. From the point of the reservation to eating out starter was over an hour. The waitress was nice, but over welmed (not her fault). Beer I was served was flat, I rejected it and the new one was also kind of flat. Food was okay, highlight was the fish soup. Overall it was nice, but wouldn't rush back or particularly recommend. read more

I was really excited to see a new Italian restaurant being placed in rye. Especially considering their mother restaurant was in NYC- however after my first and second visit to this restaurant. I will not be returning back. On my first visit: the wine selections is great. The artichokes were barely decent, the pizza is mediocre and their chicken with spinach entree is a sick joke. The grilled chickens were 2 flat tenderloin that was dry and had a small scoop of spinach and cheese with fried potatoes. When they brought the plate over- I laughed, I should've known at this point this place was a mistake. Yet I still had a sense of hope since they did just open. The wait staff is extremely unprofessional, aggressive and unattentive yet again, this was during their first opening weeks of the restaurant. On my second visit, I decided to give it another try which again was a MISTAKE- the obnoxious waiter brought us our drink and dinner menus. After waiting for about 15 minutes to receive a glass of water and to take our drink orders- the waiter had the audacity to state that they were unable to make the drinks. I find it difficult to understand on why he would bring the drink menu if they weren't able to be made or at least announce it when we sat down. Again, food was horrible as per my first experience. Such a shame- extremely disappointing. I don't expect this place to last very long if they continue on this track. read more

So delicious !!! Great Italian dishes. Awesome spin on some classics. Authentic but also trendy and new. Love the food a lot! Can't remember the name but one appetizer with bread and proaciutto was amazing ! read more

Too uneven. Been there 3 times recently. Twice the food was very good, with minor lapses. Last night 3 of 4 entrees were definitely not up to par for an upscale restaurant. the server was excellent. BUT the food. The pasta diish was way overcooked and dry. Not a lot of seafood. The soup de pesce was really miniscule, lack of a lot of different seafood, not worth 33 dollars. The 4th was the Prime steak advertised as a prime sirloin strip. Very tasting, but a lot of veins, not fat, making it quite chewy and a lot of waste. The arugula salad was perfectly season "melazane" Waiter apologized and he got management to comp a sorbet., Not crowded,so that is not an excuse. Food should be more carefully prepared. Sorry, not coming back. too many other italian restaurnats in the area with more consistent food. read more

The food was delicious, and the staff was so friendly and attentive. We dined outdoors due to COVID, but the heat lamps worked well. I had the carbonara and it was perfectly flavored. The portions are so generous! My husband had the clam pasta and enjoyed it as well (though he preferred the bites of mine he had). We finished with the tiramisu which was perfection, and also a huge slice! Would definitely eat there again next time we're in town. read more

I was amazed at how good this place is. It is true Italian. Even my cocktail was made to perfection. Very pleasant surprise! They also have a great wine menu. A+ read more

Fantastic addition to Rye! The place is gorgeous with an upscale ambiance, and the food is impeccable to match. The chef/owner Rafele was on the premises and personally came over to; which us made our already great experience that much better. Would highly recommend. read more

Rafele Rye - Italian Near Me - Rye, New York

Very much a work in progress. We were excited to try this place after learning about its opening. Unfortunately it did not live up to our expectations. We arrived and were seated at a table wedged in next to the bar. Waiters were side-stepping us throughout the meal. Our place setting consisted of a knife, but no fork. It took about twenty minutes to get our drink order taken. After literally an hour, we were served one of the two appetizers we ordered. It (fried artichokes) was tepid. They told us that they had run out of the other one we had ordered (polpetine). Our entrees arrived about thirty minutes thereafter. The Cacio e Pepe my wife ordered was respectable. The branzino I ordered was served at room temperature. We sent it back. After microwaving the branzino, the dish was returned to us and was somewhat dried out. I can imagine the dish being delicious, if delivered hot originally. The staff was apologetic for the inordinate delays and cold food, and tried to do right by us, but it will be a while before we return. This restaurant has tremendous promise and the decor is beautiful, but they REALLY need to work out the kinks. read more

We we're rushed and hovered over from start to finish. All they cared about was turning the table. An awful experience. We will not return.

We were referred to Rafele by a city friend. First off, the restaurant is beautiful! The service was friendly and on point. I started with the eggplant mozzarella appetizer. It was as good or better (I shouldn't say that out loud) than my grandmothers. Entrees were the special lobster, shrimp ravioli. It was delicious and light. My boyfriend had the clams with scallops. He said it was great, just needed a couple more scallops. We can't wait to go back again. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

I am in awe over some reviews.. the food is inedible? Inattentive service? What restaurant are you people going to because it sure isn't Rafele Rye! I have been here 6 times and have not had an experience even close to these 2 Star-ers. It sounds very off to me & somewhat sabotage like. Anyways! I love love love Rafele ristorante in the city, so when I heard they were opening one in Rye I got so excited! The service is great & the food is even better! The pizzas are awesome & to be honest I cannot even pick what appetizer is my favorite (and yes I have tried them all). I love the steak with the green salsa & all the pastas are PHENOMENAL. Also the cheesecake & tiramisu are so good, it's of to choose. read more

I'm sorry to say that I was very disappointed with the service and the food. We waited for menus and for someone to come take our drink orders. Food review is as follows: Apps: fried artichokes were just ok, meatballs were hard Pasta: gnocchi had no flavor, the "house made spaghetti" with clam tasted like a box of grocery store bought pasta, cacio e pepe had a nice flavor Entrees: zuppa di pesce was good although a bit under seasoned but the seafood was perfectly cooked, Branzino had no flavor My party of 4 decided to skip dessert at the restaurant and walked to the new gelato place down the street which is excellent. Needless to say we will not be returning December 2019 Update: My husband and I recently decided to give this restaurant another try and we were pleasantly surprised at the quality of service and the quality of the food. Everything was delicious. The Zappa di pesce was perfect and I highly recommend the gnocchi. We definitely plan to return! read more

My wife and I just moved to Rye from the city. We came here for dinner last night. Everything was fantastic. The food and cocktails were delicious, and the service was fantastic. Can't wait to return! read more

Food is average but priced for Main Street Rye. We ordered a cheese and meat platter and were surprised that it included cheap-tasting bologna. I am pregnant and ordered a virgin drink that was basically pineapple juice and ginger. They charged me the price of the regular drink - $12 (see photo below) - the same as the wine my husband had. Kind of crazy. I'm definitely not coming back. There are many other better quality Italian restaurants in the area. read more

Rafele Rye - Italian Near Me - Rye, New York

Had two separate visits here and both times had excellent meals. First time we had the arancini which was delicious and probably the best I ever had. I had the spaghetti w vongole, also one of the best i ever had the clams were plentiful and flavored perfectly with garlic & parsley. We also shared the chicken with spinach and mozzarella, also highly recommend. Next visit we had the fettuccine bolognese which was hands down the best I ever had. The sauce was delicious and pasta is all house made which you could tell since it was so good. Then we shared the chicken w arugula endive. I asked for tomatoes to be added and they did, it was so delicious. I Highly recommend this great new welcomed addition to Rye! read more

Have visited multiple times this summer for outdoor dining and the food has always been excellent. Conveniently located right next to a parking lot. read more

Julia is working really hard and doing an amazing job! I was here alone and she was tending to 4 other tables and I never once felt I waited long. The food here is also pretty great, this is my second time and both pasta specials I had were on point! read more

i scheduled an order at 5:45 to be delivered at 8:15. restaurant waited until 7:45 to cancel my order

Have been enjoying Rafele's in Rye for years but last night was especially memorable as the owner, aptly named Rafelle, introduced himself. Lovely guy who explained his background from his home in Napoli. The food is consistently excellent and the service terrific. They will turn the chicken Milanese to veal when they have veal. The octopus is fresh and delicious. Nice wine list. The place was decked out for the holidays beautifully. read more

Fantastic, charming, restaurant that exceeded our high expectations. The quality of food and service was excellent. Delicious wines also!!! A must to go. Impressive, what a sensational place. Highly recommend. Best to try and not to miss Zuppa di Pesce read more

This place is soooooo gorgeous!! The people are great and the food is soooo good.

Nestled along the avenue in Rye most notable for its local housewives' short-lived vanity boutiques sits Rafaele Rye. On a Spring afternoon we found ourselves beckoned by this most welcoming- looking restaurant with high hopes and empty bellies. The first issue was seating. If one was tasked with locating the "best table in the house", they would be hard-pressed in determining just where that might be. As most diners feel best when facing the room with their table snugly against a wall of some sort- here at RR one wall is overtaken by the bar & impressive wine storage cooler, and the opposite wall is mostly adorned with homey tchotchkes. Think blonde wood shelving of differing levels with terra-cotta pots holding flowering plants. It is as if Martha Stewart was suddenly called away from her backyard in Bedford while planting the annual bulbs. A shovel and trowel lie elegantly next to a bag of potting soil, creating its own still-life as Martha trails away for an afternoon aperitif. What remains for seating is an island of floating tables in the center of the room. We watched as each group of diners entered with smiles, then furrowed brows and finally pirouetting in place, eyes searching the corners of the room for refuge but finding none. We ordered "Cacio e Pepe" pasta that my companion found inedible. I was thrilled to order soft-shell crabs over Caesar salad which contained one crab but was fine. The Cod was very good. What wasn't good was the incessant banter of the cooks behind us. The open kitchen idea is a nice one, but not if those working within it need to discuss the basketball game last night in excited detail. "Que juego baloncesto!" is a new phrase we picked up during lunch despite our entreaties to our bored waiter for a bit of quiet. Asking for a manager (we did) was useless as there wasn't one there. Overall we will not return. And as many of the other businesses on Purchase St., this one will most likely go the way of the tiny, beautiful yet pointless boutiques that have peppered the area for decades. read more

Amazing food. Very cool vibe. Went with my buddy sat at the bar tried four or five things one was better then the other. The bartender made really good drinks . I was very impressed with this place. Paul read more

My fiancé and I recently got engaged and Rafeles hosted our small engagement party so we could celebrate, even during these difficult times. They were very professional, accommodating and it's a great ambiance. The food is excellent and overall it was a great experience. Highly recommend! read more

I wrote a review 2 years ago raving about Rafeles! To this day it is still one of my all time favorite restaurants. We love taking friends here! ALL of their food is so so so delicious. The restaurant itself is beautiful too. The staff are wonderful. And it will always hold an extra special place in my heart because my fiancé proposed to me over dinner at Rafeles :) read more

Once you can get past temporary manager - "Christian' - and get seated the staff and - modestly creative menu - can make for a better than passable experience. (Keep in mind my wife and I had returned because of that promise.) For this visit, I arrived at the restaurant at 3 PM, made a reservation for 6 PM, and, because I'm hard of hearing - clinically deaf - specifically requested a quiet table to reduce ambient noise. I wanted to hear my dinner companion. When I arrived, "Christian" brusquely announced he couldn't posssibly seat my wife and I at any of the promised, quieter tables since they were reserved for 4 people. So, he seated us in the aisle where we stared at 5 empty tables for 90 minutes. Being seated next to the wine closet was odd and uncomfortable. As a consequence a much longer meal became a few appetizers. Our waitress, "Donna", was very accomodating, and, noticing I was in some distress, appealed the table location. The message from "Christian" was that the promised tables must be "reserved." Note: it was 6 PM and the establishment was at 20 % capacity. (On another visit to this location the bartender seated us and was engaging and creative with menu suggestions - all seemed to be going well except "Christian" inserted himself in the serving process seeming to need a role in our visit.) **All this isn't a calamity and shouldn't affect your selection of this wanna-be good restaurant. It does announce, however, that this top managment is below novice level and can be an operational distraction. It doesn't bode well when adjustments are always best directed to the wait staff.** read more