Le Zie Trattoria

“We just randomly saw this place, 0 expectations. But let me tell you. It was the best Italian food we have ever had. My last meal before I die would be their Caesar salad. I wish I can order more. If you love anchovy, this salad is the BOMB. Amazing flavor, fresh ingredients. I’m speechless. Pasta was amazing, but Caesar salad was otherworldly. And funny thing—I don’t even really like salad in general. Service was amazing, ambiance was very nice. We came at 4pm so it was still empty and we sat by the window.”

“Excellent local place on 8th. Very good NY Italian cooking in a lively, family friendly spot. The lamb ragu was excellent, roast chicken perfect, and dessert just right. Staff were all efficient, cheerful, and professional. Great fun. Seemed like a neighborhood crowd, not pretentious at all.”

“Amazing food. Best spaghetti and meatballs in Manhattan was what caught my eye, and heck yeah it didn't disappoint. Pasta was fresh and handmade, cooked perfectly. Wine was great, atmosphere was fun but still cozy. Highly recommend.”

“We were here on vacation trip and were looking for an Italian style restaurant. We found this one on the advice of a different waiter we talked to. We ordered our food and it came out quickly. The food was good and had a good taste. I ordered the chicken parmigiana. The service was excellent. If you are in New York City I highly recommend this restaurant. The reason I gave only 4 stars on the atmosphere is the lighting was a little to dim for my liking. All in all it was a good meal.”

“Warm décor, delicious food, and fabulous staff. They were so sweet and promptly brought us our food. We ordered the fried calamari & zucchini chips to start, chicken parmesano, chicken meatball dish, and truffle mac and cheese. We finished with the tiramisu, Cioccolatissimo, and Crème Brûlée. It's rare to find a place where every dish is enjoyable. The Crème Brûlée was my favorite. It was so smooth! Best tiramisu I've had in quite some time. The flavors and textures were well balanced. This is one of those rare places where every dish was exceptional and we didn't experience a long wait for anything. We also weren't bombarded with plates and overlapping dishes/courses. Every course had impeccable timing and was the perfect temperature. For instance, we just finished the last chip in the starter and table was cleared for the sizzling mac and cheese that we heard making it's way from the kitchen. I appreciate the attention to detail. In other restaurants, I hate waiting too long because I feel like I'm going to be there all night and I can't stand being rushed so staff can flip the table. They made us feel welcome but it seems they understood that we don't live there lol. My favorite part is being allowed to rest our food after this culinary experience! It wasn't difficult to ask for the check and they brought us our bags the moment we stood up without us asking. Reminds me of the quality of service I grew up with experiencing on Mulberry street in the 90s. Comfortable, delicious, genuinely warm/welcoming, and easy going but attentive. I didn't think I'd encounter the quality of service we received in this place. Not that I doubted them specifically! Lol. It's just so rare to have a pleasant experience from beginning to end. The décor definitely adds to that 90s NYC vibe but it's part of its charm. So that's a plus, for me. Nostalgic but not completely outdated. The entire staff collaborated very well together to tend to every table. I was advised to reserve a table but I'm not sure we needed to because we dined early at 6pm. But the reservation didn't hurt. If you eat the way we did, be prepared to spend a pretty penny if you visit with a party of 4+ even if no one drinks. For the quality of food, I find it pretty affordable if your group just gets one dish each because times are hard. In this economy? Sometimes we have to make sacrifices lol. But if you can hack it, try as many dishes as you can possibly afford lol. Great wine selections, also! A huge thank you to the staff at Le Zie for making my mother's 69th birthday dinner a memorable one. I hope to be back soon for the Chicken Liver Pâté Crostini and Yellowfin Tuna Ravioli!”