Best Of

Best Restaurants In Little Italy, From Pizza To Pasta And More

September 14, 2016 / 6:00 AM EDT / CBS New York

Here are our five favorite spots for authentic Italian cuisine in Little Italy. By Margeau Barnes

Lombardi's Pizza

32 Spring St.
New York, NY
http://www.firstpizza.com
Everyone needs to know about Lombardi's because it was America's first pizzeria. What better place to grab a coal oven slice for the Feast of San Gennaro? Although it tends to be touristy, it never fails to hit the spot. You can't go wrong with any of the pizzas, but our favorites were the white pizza and margherita pizza. If you're extra hungry, make sure to get the garlic bread and marinara dip appetizer to start.

Parm

248 Mulberry St.
New York, NY
http://www.parmnyc.com" ]

We're not sure what we love more, the environment at Parm or the food. It looks like a classic, small American diner inside until you realize that it serves entirely authentic Italian food. What better combination than that? We recommend any of the parm dishes on a hero or roll (chicken, eggplant, meatball). If you have a sweet tooth, make sure not to leave without ordering the homemade icecream cake.

Rubirosa

235 Mulberry
New York, NY
http://www.rubirosanyc.com

Out of all the pizza restaurants in New York City, Rubirosa is the only one we've stumbled upon that serves a tie-dye pizza. This pizza has vodka sauce, tomato sauce, pesto, and mozzarella--they even make it heart shaped from time to time! They don't just kill it in the pizza department though, they have a long list of delicious appetizers as well as pastas. We definitely recommend the rice ball appetizer, you will not be disappointed.

Benito One

174 Mulberry
New York, NY
http://www.benitoone.com
We love Benito One for its traditional, old-school Italian atmosphere. The tables are almost always full so you know it's going to be good. It is also known that the owner, James Bari, likes to stop by all the tables to make sure all the diners are happy. We were impressed by the vodka gnocchi and spaghetti with meatballs. Make sure to leave some room for dessert, because their homemade cannolis will melt in your mouth.

Pellegrino's Italian Restaurant

http://www.littleitalynyc.com/pellegrinos/
Since Pellegrino's opened in the mid-90s, it is considered a newcomer to the Mulberry Street strip. However, the food and romantic ambience are so top quality that you'd think they've been around for much longer. The Linguini alla Sinatra is one of their most raved about dishes, but as you can see in the picture to the right, their Chicken Parmigiana is also on point. Also, if you happen to save room for dessert, make sure to try the tiramisu.