Ristorante Morini
“If you are a fan of Michael White and want to see what his latest restaurant offers, I highly recommend Ristorante Morini.”
“This beautifully appointed restaurant with excellent service is certainly a find in on the Upper East Side.”
“I especially liked that the clams were already removed from the shells in the clam and spaghetti dish.”
Ristorante Morini
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Dogs Allowed: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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** Summer 2016 Restaurant Week Review **
Ristorante Morini has been on my Restaurant Week list for a while – but like all other Altamarea restaurants, they only offer lunch so I would definitely need to wait for a summer Friday to go.
Their Restaurant Week menu offers 3 options for both appetizers and entrees and 2 options for dessert. There is also a nice selection of wine pairings by the glass available for a $10 supplement.
For our appetizers, we both opted for the Quaglia, or grilled quail with creamy farro and radish and a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar. I quite enjoyed my appetizer – the quail was tender and juicy. The farro was creamy and soaked up the flavors of the balsamic vinegar and quail very well.
For my entrée, I opted to go for the Pork Lion, which features slow-roasted pork loin with a summer peach marmalade and pancetta. I am a sucker for anything with summer peaches so I was instantly drawn in. The pork lion was cooked thoroughly but not tough at all. The peach marmalade and pancetta paired really well together since it was sweet and salty at the same time with each bite.
For dessert, we both decided on the Tiramisu, which was presented in a slice of layers of lady fingers soaked in amaretto and espresso and topped with marscapone mousse. The tiramisu was phenomenal – slightly sweet but mostly bitter and fragrant from the espresso. I wish there was more!
Wow, what a treat! I've been looking forward to coming here for some time, but needed a special occasion (in this case my birthday dinner!!)
The vibe of Morini is really pretty swanky and modern. It's open and spacious and the tables are comfortable spaced out (what a treat in NYC!) The restaurant is 2 floors, with most of the dining on the large 2nd floor. The ambiance makes you feel like you're in for a treat, as does the staff. I was really blown away by the wait staff here; from the busboys clearing plates and filling water, to cleaning up crumbs in between courses (I love that, wish they did it at more places!) The wine sommelier was also by our side when we were perusing and selecting a vino from their vast (and pricey) wine list!
After perusing the menu, my boyfriend and I opted for the special Sunday Supper menu. I figured it would be a great way to try more menu items, at a pretty fair price! It's a set menu, which came with 3 appetizers, 2 entrees and a dessert to share. No thinking involved. I'm not sure if it changes weekly, or stays the same week-to-week.
Either way we were in for a treat! We had the Romana Salad (basic but great dressing!), Fritto Misto (fresh and delicious, and the zucchini was lightly fried to perfection. The lemon aioli was bomb, Burrata (enough said.) just to start! Our entrees were a pasta dish, Rigatoni Carbonara, which was in a light crèma sauce and was delicious, and the Chef's mixed grilled meats which included chicken, steak & lamb! So many meats!
Dessert was heavenly too – Bomboloni, which were sugar coated donuts, fried to perfection with a side of strawberry jam and a whipped cream to top them off. Drool…I could've had all 5 myself!
I immediately recommended this place, specifically the Sunday night deal to my brother, and would come back in a heartbeat! I'm sure everything is tasty here, can't wait to come back and try more.
It's a gorgeous restaurant with some really solid cooking going on and a very courteous waitstaff on hand. The apps are decently portioned for sharing, and the pastas are pastarrific. The mains didn't push any boundaries of creativity, but were still delicious. They also have certain pastas for an insane $10 after 8:30 M-Th, which may be my favorite deal in the city atm.
Beautifully decorated restaurant with solid Italian food. The meatball starter was on point and both of our pasta dishes were delicious. The caramel candy to end the meal was a nice touch, too.
But you know what? I like Osteria Morini better for the atmosphere. Guess the fancy pants setting did not fit my style, but if that's your thing – check this place out!
Best deal in the city for quality pasta in a classy environment. Nearly all of their pasta dishes are available for $10 after 8:30 Monday through Wednesday.
Highlights were:
– spaghetti with clams in white sauce – flavorful with a hint of lemon
– fusilli with pork ragu and pecorino – great texture and taste
– garganelli in bolognese sauce – very hearty
I would pass on the paccheri next time – the dark pasta was stuffed with olive, and the lamb was a little tough. Overall the whole table agreed that the olive and lamb were a strange combo.
The agnolotti was substantial and satisfying but not a standout to me.
Wonderful service in a well-appointed and comfortable space.
This is the place I take friends when I'm trying to have a more upscale dinner but still am trying to eat cheap! M-Thurs the restaurant has a great $10 pasta deal. All three stars are for the ambience; the pasta itself, at least the $10 pasta, is unremarkable. I have tried to tortolloni and spaghetti with meatballs, and both were small portions with forgettable taste. The first time I went we had a hard time finding a vegetarian friendly dish; the second time we went we had a hard time finding a dish with meat! The service is a bit rushed and not at all friendly for an upscale establishment, but the front attendants are stellar.
Awesome Italian joint not overrun by tourists via tripadvisor. Price is in line with the level of quality & ambiance, they have a freaking elevator! My sugar momma lives around the corner so we did the Valentine's day 4-Course Pre-Fixe. F***ING AMAZING. Food itself was great across the board but service was slow at times.
Pro Tip – Don't re-up the bread. bread was too good and I ate too much, too early. Don't make my rookie mistake. Also, dress nicely, everyone there looked good.
This place is awesome! My husband and I went on a Sunday when they had their pre-fixe and you share everything at the table. Right from the beginning you could tell this was going to be a good place…their bread is sooo delicious!!! It's focaccia I believe? So good though. For appetizers, it came with burrata, fritto misto and a salad. We also ordered the foie gras as an additional app. Everything was so delicious. I don't even like foie gras or burrata, but i happily ate them all. The fritto misto was possibly the best fried calamari I've ever had.
For entrees it was the mixed grill and a ravioli with truffle oil. The pasta was so good, I can't really remember the meats very well. Not to say the meats weren't also good. My husband devoured them (included steak, lamb and chicken) and I ate a lot of them too, but that ravioli was to die for.
For dessert we got a couple extra including the torta di cioccolata and the cinnamon donuts. Even though I was so stuffed I couldn't move, the desserts were gone in seconds. Everything here is fantastic including the service. One thing that surprised me atmosphere wise is there were a lot of families. We saw one with 2 small children, but a lot of them seemed to be teenagers and their parents.