La Scala
Italian · Little Italy · $$
Italian · Little Italy, New York, NY · $$
They say Rome wasn’t built in a day, and the same can be said for Little Italy, one of New York City’s most quaint, romantic and historic neighborhoods where legends like Robert De Niro and Frank Sinatra spent most of their famous youth. Founded in 1908 by the Davino family Grotta Azzurra was named for the blue grotto on the isle of Capri and designed to evoke the beauty of one of the worlds most famous caves in the world, intensified. Enrico Caruso feasted here after performances, and Sinatra called it his one and only favorite Italian restaurant, making it the site of many a “Rat Pack” evening. Shuttered for six years, Grotta Azzurra has now been stunningly renovated and rebirthed by a descendant renaissance for dining in Little Italy, with multi-talented chef Frank Castellana recreating the finest in Italian Cuisine.
“Initially, my Group and I were just looking for a place to Eat before we went to a bar, but then we realized this place had a separate bar attached. We ended up staying for almost 4 hours and having an incredible time. I believe that bartender name was grease and she was absolutely amazing. The food was also incredible! I would highly recommend this place.”
“Lively ambiance - standing / bar room and tables and booth dining areas. Delicious strong cocktails, great bread and olive oil. Lasagna was a tad salty but big and flavorful!”
“Needed to eat some fresh, homemade pasta. The texture was bouncy. The flavor was rich. The cheese pull was infinite. The service was top notch. And the vibe was absolutely unmatched.”
“After eating here, I cannot imagine finding better Italian cuisine on the American continent. I had the spaghetti carbonara, my wife had penne a la vodka with shrimp, and sis-in-law had lasagna. I was not fully prepared for the excellence of this food. I knew it would be good, but it exceeded all expectations. The restaurant itself was perfect in its decor and feel. The staff all were friendly and we never wanted for anything. Also, get the limoncello!”
“Great place to sit outside and people watch. Angel was a GREAT server and offered good wine suggestions and provided excellent service. Good wine list with reasonable prices. We only had the cheesecake to eat (made inhouse), which was good. The food coming out of the kitchen smelled wonderful. Highly recommended!”
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