This restaurant is located a couple of doors down from the New York Comedy Club in the East Village. My friend and I needed to grab a meal before the show started. Neighbors highly recommended VDP. This small, cozy neighborhood tavern is like nothing I've experienced in New York. Be prepared to be transported to Italy. The place was bustling on a Friday night. The conversation--especially at the bar--was mostly in Italian. While I understood very little of what was being said, it was all loud, friendly and happy. Regular patrons walked right up to the bar where they are greeted warmly in Italian by the bartender. Most people dining there for the first time, were asked if they made reservations. We hadn't, but the staff made it work anyway. We were seated at a high table near the front door where we could see much of the activity including the large screened TVs which were streaming the qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup. The owners' enthusiasm for professional sports is resounding. Italian sports jerseys and sports memorabilia decorate the walls. What to eat? I ordered lasagna but it wasn't like anything I had before. It was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. At the bottom of the custom-made VDP pasta bowl, I found a cute message in Italian."Bona ve' ?" or "Good view?" It was, indeed! My friend ordered the famous meatballs with a side of spaghetti. He chased it with a Moretti Italian lager (now owned by Heineken). I had a non-alcoholic beer that was surprisingly good by the Athletic Brewing Company. This place is a gem filled with welcoming vibes. The meals were so great we'd be delighted to come back for more. read more

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Came here looking for an unpretentious Italian restaurant in NYC and loved it. Looking for classic Italian dishes and not having to make reservations four months in advance. Just walked in on a Sunday night post-marathon and were seated in a cool romantic back room. You would never have noticed it hidden behind the sports bar in the front ( saw some Packers memorabilia as well as Marco Bellinelli jerseys, but was in this back room that just felt homey. There were some people on dates as well as influencers etc. The food was great. Just had classic bruschetta romana, insalata, caccio e pepe and their tiramisu. All was just as you expected and although tiramisu is tiramisu, this was one of the best tiramisu's I've had. Water and bread are served with dinner. As I was stuffed from hotdogs at popcorn at the football game earlier in the day, this meal was a nice change of pace. read more

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We had a wonderful waiter and a great meal. The ambience was warm and inviting and we were able to sit in a nice corner in a very comfortable dining room. The food was delicious and fresh. The service was very attentive. The drinks were delicious. We will be back. Thank you for a great experience. We celebrated two birthdays at once and everyone enjoyed themselves. read more

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Great experience! The inside is really cool with a giant ceiling window, and the staff was really nice. Appetizers were both good - we did the Fiori di Zucca (fried zucchini flowers) which were good but felt like it was missing a dipping sauce. We also got the Suppli Cacio e Pepe (rice balls) and felt they also were missing a sauce? The pasta for dinner was fresh and the martinis were enjoyable. read more

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A favorite italian spot in the city! never a huge crowd so walk in's fairly doable, always beautiful in the backroom, and service is always extremely attentive. Loved it so much I brought all my coworkers here for a work event. The food is very fresh and delicious with a great selection of wines to taste. They're also extremely accommodating with allergies and helpful. read more

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Having flown in for a quick weekend trip to see friends, every meal in NYC feels like it carries significant opportunity cost - but I remind myself what a privilege it is to spend time in the city, and even more so to support a local business. After a bit of back-and-forth our group of 8 settled on Via Della Pace in East Village, and despite the short notice on a Saturday evening, they kindly accommodated us in the beautiful back room. After settling in and perusing the menu, we split two delicious bottles of wine from the summer specials and ordered a few starters to share. Their fried foods are excellently crisp - I enjoyed both the decadent stuffed zucchini flowers topped with anchovies and the earthy, hearty mushroom suppli (similar to arancini, but different in size and filling). We also sampled the rich, savory meatballs in tomato sauce and the fresh, summery Romana bruschette - you can almost imagine you're dining on a Roman terrace! Along with these starters came several plates of crusty, fresh-baked bread with olive oil - I had to limit myself to one piece to save room for my main, haha. With more sips of wine and conversation, our pastas eventually arrived - I ordered the classic spaghetti carbonara, which expertly balanced creamy, meaty, crispy, and bouncy textures on a single plate. Many of my friends ordered the baked rigatoni del pirata, which will please anyone who enjoys vodka sauce, sausage, and/or cheese; just be careful not to burn your mouth when it first comes out! We did have one substituted order (which is no big deal, it happens) but the kitchen and server were very gracious about correcting it, with the understanding it would take a bit of time to remake it from scratch. I appreciate the slower pace of dining here, as it really gives you time to taste the food and wine, enjoy your company, and soak in the atmosphere of a classic trattoria. The staff are personable and patient - they didn't mind that we took a bit of extra time to decide on our orders or to finalize the bill. And in our day and age, it feels surprisingly refreshing to have a relaxed restaurant experience that doesn't have you feeling like you're shoveling down food and then pushed out the door. I'm hopeful to return on a future NYC trip to try another of their tasty pastas (and save room for dessert!) read more

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Wow, the food is very delicious with generous portions and the service is great! We ordered the rigatoni all'amatriciana and the spaghetti alla gricia pasta and they were very similar to the ones I had at Trastevere in Rome! They have also created a very authentic Roman restaurant vibe!! Highly recommend when in NYC!! read more

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We had a reservation for four and were sat promptly. The tables are a bit close to each other so it's tight but it gave a very homey feel. Service was great as we were handed menus quickly, asked about drinks, suggestions, and our waters were always filled. We ordered a few dishes, starting with the mushroom rice balls and pomodoro and mozzarella rice balls. I thought these were ok compared to arancini. I think the crust was a bit thick and the filling wasn't hot enough (maybe they weren't warmed through fully?) Onto the entrees, we ordered the chicken Milanese (sorry forgot to take a photo), lasagna, rigatoni pirata, and spaghetti carbonara. Most of us thought the Milanese was the star with the rigatoni pirata being a close second. I'm thinking the freshness of the salad that the dish came with complimented the heavy pasta dishes really well. The chicken was also very crispy. The lasagna and carbonara were solid, but we would say it's pretty standard for NYC. read more

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My friends and I went for a birthday dinner on a busy weeknight. One of my friends had loved the old place. This was our first time in the new location. It was really warm in the backroom, but after I said something, they adjusted the temperature. Friendly wait staff. We ordered the bruscette with smoked mozzarella to start. It was excellent. I could have had another. We each ordered pasta for entrees. Two of us had the special with salmon. They liked their dishes. I was somewhat underwhelmed. It needed a lot more to make it taste like anything. I had indicated in the reservation that it was for a birthday. It some extra coordination and reminders, but the staff did a lovely job. Three of them sang happy birthday and brought a Tiramisu for my friend in addition to the dessert we ordered. I'm glad VDP recovered from the fire and is doing so well. read more

Food was very good and well-priced. Cacio e pepe has a very strong cheese flavor. You definitely need a red sauce pasta to balance it out. Lots of good vegetarian options. Very warm and inviting ambiance. Service was okay. We had a reservation, but they were running late so they sat us at an uncomfortable bar table and didn't really make it up to us. We were served by Giovanni the GOAT himself, which added a star-factor! Definitely need to come back. read more

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I was here about a year and a half ago and I'm surprised I haven't been back. My friend and I very such enjoyed our dinner and it was surprisingly inexpensive given how much we ordered. We eat had an appetizer - my friend had the fiori de zucca (stuffed fried squash flowers) and i had the suppli cacio e pepe (like arancini). As mains, I had the lasagna and my friend had the rigatoni al pomodoro. We shared a bottle of prosecco and both had ice cream for dessert. Remarkably, our bill came to just $129 including everything (and from the look at the on line menu now it doesn't look as if prices have gone up appreciably. (I think maybe the lasagna is a dollar more.) The atmosphere was enjoyable and the service was good. We were going to a show afterwards and got out in plenty of time. I guess I'm not in this neighborhood all that often, but if I were, this would be a natural choice for dinner. read more

My partner made a Valentines Day reservation for Via Della Pace in the East Village after reading a NYT article about how this is where the Italian pro tennis players eat here during the US Open. The food was amazing, service was friendly and accommodating, and ambiance felt like you were in Rome! The carbonara, with crispy guanciale and spaghetti, was some of my favorite in the city. The rigatoni del pirata was also delicious with its pink rum sauce and oozing baked mozzarella. I liked the chew and consistency of their pasta, you could tell it was homemade and high quality. For our secondi we shared the rib eye steak. It was pretty fatty and salty, especially with the shaved parm on top. If I could do it again, I would probably just do pastas. Finished it off with chocolate lava cake with vanilla gelato and tiramisu. Chefs kiss! read more

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LOVE this place. Staff is always so friendly. Food is delicious. Prices are reasonable. Keep coming back. read more

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Had dinner Sat night at 5pm, because we had theatre tickets next door at 7, We had decent dinner, and as we were putting coats on, the server said to us" we really need the table, its Sat night in NYC". I was suprised, we had coats on, they wanted us to leave table and put coats on elsewhere. I get it, but I have never been rushed out of a table after only an hour and half. Cozy romantic room, but disappointed at service. read more

We happened upon this restaurant in a search for a new place on a Saturday night. We are so happy that we found it. Great vibe at the bar where we ate that night. The food was delicious. The bar crowd was interesting and friendly. We will return. read more

Must visit! The food was amazing and so was the atmosphere. Very lively, felt like what I imagine it'd be like in Italy. Giovanni, the owner, is a character! read more

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My wife and I have been customers for years. The food is generally good, but our experience today was dreadful for what is supposed to be a hospitality business . We canceled our reservation yesterday (and received a confirmation text) because of the snowstorm. A man from the restaurant called my wife and started yelling at her for missing the reservation. She politely asked him to stop yelling and listen because she had a record of the text message thanking her. The man continued to yell and said that he would bill us for not showing up. What kind of hospitality business treats long time customers like this? read more

Second visit: Food/drinks really delicious, but it's still *insanely* loud in the back room, WITH earplugs. Exhausting. Service basically non-existent once you order up front. So wasn't able to ask for anything else past that. read more

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With a rave review in the New York Times about Italian tennis players eating here during the US Open, we were lucky to get a table, even on Labor Day Weekend. It's common to find players, families, coaches, etc "at what has become the Italian players' cafeteria and lounge each year during the U.S. Open." Three of us shared a generously sized salad, Abruzesse bruschetta (with smoked mozzarella), Rigatoni al Brucio (reminiscent of puttanesca), Gnocchi Tricolore (pesto) and tiramisu. I was in awe of the salad dressing and pasta sauces bursting with flavor without feeling the slightest bit heavy. Our server was spot on with recommendations and was not demeaning of our lightweight ordering. Many restaurants in NYC are worthy of returning to, but Via Della Pace is one of the rare eateries I also look forward to introducing others to. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/27/nyregion/usopen-tennis-italy.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb read more

I could care less about a Ny times write up stating how many of the tennis world fine here. What I do care about is the fact that the food, staff and ambiance makes you feel like your home. The space is dark, very close and very "village like " The wait team are fri and highly efficient, greeting us just moments after we sat. The tables are spaced very tight but it lends to a cozy atmosphere The tuna tartare with Avacado is some of the best I've ever had. Very fresh, chopped very small so as not to be chewy The chicken Milanese was crisp yet tender and covered with perfectly seasoned arugula salad. My friend had a beautiful rigatoni dish which was perfectly Al dente I'm excited to go back to sample other dishes a giant thumbs up read more

Via Della Pace - Chicken Milanese covered with lemon seasoned Arugula salad - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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Great decor especially with the skylight room and gives the old-school Italian vibes. Service was excellent here, they were attentive and able to make solid recommendations. My friends and I started with the caprese and the mozzarella tasted extremely fresh. We also got the cacio e pepe rice balls which had the perfect crunch to it. The pasta's texture was chewy and had a pink sauce that was not too heavy. read more

Via Della Pace - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

It's not easy to find pasta alla gricia (a Roman classic) in New York. Before this last trip I uncovered this restaurant that showed it on the menu, so I visited the other day. The bartender, hostess and the waitress were speaking Italian, which I took as a good sign. A dish of fresh spaghetti with abundant pecorino & pepper and way more guanciale than you would get in Rome, more than I use when I make it at home. In short, excellent! Paired with a glass of montepulciano it was an outstanding meal for reasonable price. Reminded me of Taverna Boccaccio by Piazza Barberini in Roma. read more

Via Della Pace - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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Service was good. Cozy restaurant. Meatball apps were good. Margherita flatbread were mainly cheese and needed a little more tomato sauce to a balance the flavors. Cacio E Pepe was very salty and cheesy. Portion size are on the smaller side. read more

Nice Italian experience with fun decorations and Italian speaking waiters. Enjoyed the wine (Chianti was light). Pinsa was gold - I think it was the sauce...which means I recommend sticking to the red sauces here. I don't think the all white plates were as well received by the party. I wouldn't try and fit a young kid here, at least for dinner. read more

Small, lively Italian spot with a small but attentive staff. Food is decent, not sure id return but not bad at all! read more

Via Della Pace - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

One of the worst dining experiences of my life. I went to Via Della Pace expecting a cozy Italian meal, instead I got a rat. An actual rat scurried across the floor of the garden dining area in the restaurant during our meal. This was a real, live rodent running through the dining area while people were eating. When we brought it to the attention of the staff, they claimed, "that's New York." But what really blew my mind was the reaction of the owner. Rather than apologize or acknowledge the seriousness of the situation, he completely dismissed our concern, suggesting it "happens in the city" and that it was not his responsibility or problem. Following this, he asked where we were from in a racially charged tone. And as the conversation ended, he told us to "f*** off." There are plenty of Italian spots in the city that take hygiene, and their customers, seriously. This is not one of them. There was zero accountability, and that is what makes this unacceptable. If a restaurant can't keep its dining area free of rats, and worse, doesn't seem to care, that's a place I'll never step foot in again. Avoid at all costs. read more

Food was great but... service was absolutely terrible. we were rushed then asked to leave before we were done so they could make room for another party IF you dare go, do NOT get seated by windows as they are drafty Owners should keep back of the house & fire all in front of the house read more

Our meal was perfect. 10/10. Service was fast and attentive (without being over the top). Our table of 4 started with a bottle of Chianti, the suppli di sancio al pomodoro (mozzarella and red sauce fried rice balls) and the bruschette Romana. 2 of us ordered the spaghetti cacio e pepe and 2 of us ordered the baked rigatoni del pirata. We will be dreaming of these pasta dishes for some time! We finished the evening by splitting the apple strudel special and the trio of gelato. Unbelievable meal. $200 total plus tip. read more

Via Della Pace - Trio of gelato - 1 scoop of each pistachio, chocolate, and vanilla - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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Pasta, good. Burrata, good. Everything else? A very bad time. Host- unhelpful, borderline rude. Waiter- nowhere to be found for 20 minutes after seating. Want a romantic experience? Make sure you explicitly say it in your reservation or else they will unceremoniously place you in the sports bar section filled with plastic surgery freak Trump supporters and children up past their bedtime. If you ask to be reseated, be ready to be gaslit. Had a ton of happy memories at the old location which now will be ended by this very sad experience. Yikes, no thank you. read more

I loved it here! I live near by and go to their store, have always wanted to try and so glad I did! The staff was very nice and attentive. It's super lively w great music, dark but warmly lit. Perfect for dinner or just grabbing a drink! We started with the special smoked salmon and arancini. I wish I had a pic of the arancini, it was SO good. They are very large and when you cut into them, they are the perfect amount of cheesy, risotto-y rice, & mushroom (the flavor we got). Honestly best arancini I've ever had I got the pomodoro w burrata and my bf got alla gricia. both were amazing! I was craving tomato sauce and it hit the spot. alla gricia was super salty and umami and the guanciale was perfectly crispy 10/10 will be back very soon read more

Via Della Pace - Spaghetti alla Gricia - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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My worst experience in five decades of New York dining. We were having a nice meal with out-of-town guests when we were ordered to give up our table even though our wine glasses were still full. Manager was extremely rude. Never, ever coming back. read more

Gets pretty busy in a Friday night. The back room is beautiful with the sky light and murals on the ceiling. It's loud with all the chatter but really feels authentic. The portion sizes are small but that keeps the prices low. I was disappointed by the rigatoni because there was almost no mushroom nor sausage which was the main draw of the dish.... There was like a few loose bits of ground meat and maybe two mushroom slices in the whole dish. read more

this is my favorite italian restaurant to go to... amazing food, nice ambiance, great wines!

Appetizers were amazing & cacio e Pepe was pretty good. The carbonara only had a bacon flavor, nothing too special- would try other pastas. The back room is loud but so beautiful with the sky light!! read more

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Really old-school, mom/pop type of Italian joint in east village. It does taste like home-cooking in the comfort food type of way. Flatbread/pizza and pastas were done well, prices reasonable but it's that homey food/vibe that really makes the place stand-out. Food: 7/10 Value: 8/10 Service: 6/10 Vibe: 7/10 read more

Via Della Pace - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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probably one of the best restaurants i've been to in a long time. This restaurant has that true New York charm as it's an intimate environment and fast paced. The service was so great. Hostess was so kind helping us get a table, servers were all patient and friendly and the bartender was very cool. Food was a 10/10. I recommend the Cacio Pepe rice balls ! Insane. Will be coming back once a week. I'm obsessed. read more

I had the lobster ravioli and a sweet wine, they were absolutely great. I am very critical of vodka sauces when I order dishes, as I make it from scratch myself, but this place hit it on the head! I was nearly licking my plate by the end! Highly recommend this gem! read more

Via Della Pace - Ravioli di Aragosta - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

The workers at this place were so SWEET! We had a large party of 8 people for my birthday, so finding a place to make reservations at was pretty difficult. VPD had an opening and we didn't need to order family style. Everyone needed to be present for us to be seated, but we were placed in the skylight room. The lighting set a nice ambiance. The server picked up that it was my birthday and brought out a dessert for me. They also blew into a blow horn with sirens and it was super fun and made me feel special. The whole room sang happy birthday to me. Food came out quick and was all pretty reasonably priced. read more

Came here for my husband's birthday. It was an early dinner so we were the first at the restaurant and they let us pick where we wanted to sit. We opted in for the garden and it was very romantic and cute! I ordered the painkiller which was delicious! we asked our server tips on wine and he was very knowledgeable. We ordered the rice balls to start which was good. We ordered carbonara and the pasta specials, the lobster ravioli. The pasta were kinda small portions so we ordered the gnocchi pesto after the first two pastas. The pastas were all pretty good though! After dinner, I ordered the espresso martini which was great. Would come back again for another date night. read more

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Great atmosphere, great food. My favorite dish is the gnocchi tricolore. I'm a vegetarian, but my husband who is not thinks they have the best carbonara in the city. Giovanni, the owner, is hilarious and gregarious and is a joy behind the bar. When the restaurant gets really crowded, he gets out a megaphone to make announcements. Also a fun place to watch sports. I'm a big tennis fan, but if you go during the US Open the place will be packed. Go and watch some Italian football - you'll have a good time with actual Italian people. I think it's kind of an Italian ex-pat spot, and since I speak Italian, I enjoy the ambience that hearing the Italian language creates. read more