Al Di La Trattoria
“The only downside is the wait, but you can enjoy it around the corner in the wine bar, and the wine selection is fantastic.”
“Every dish I have had at Al Di La has been excellent (I have tried some of the more interesting pastas, like beet ravioli.”
“The little chunks of oxtail and cuttlefish stewed in the cuttlefish ink served with warm and creamy polenta is to die for!”
Al Di La Trattoria
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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It was okay. Not sure I'd return given the many other similar options in the area.
-The service was very good. The waiter (the dude with the large gauge earrings) was attentive, and knowledgeable about the menu. He let us hang out for a bit after the meal to enjoy some coffee, when I'm sure he would have loved to flip the table.
– The clams in the Clam Vongole were teeny-tiny. At $19, for a plate of pasta and some dime sized clams, there was little value for the money. The pasta was also a little watery. Nothing special, here.
– The lasagna was tasty – and even better cold the next day. A generous portion. At $22 it was definitely overpriced. $15 would be more on the mark. My buddy was happy with it.
So, eh, it was fine, but I'd rather venture up to Piccoli Trattoria at 14th Street and 6th Avenue and spend the same amount and have a meal that I'm excited about.
Manhattanites, make your way to Brooklyn for this fabulous gem of a place. In the past month, I've had multiple people recommend this spot to me, and I knew I had to make it happen before moving back to the west coast in a few weeks. Luckily, our friend lives right next door so she put our name down in an hour in advance on a Monday night – yes, be prepared to wait long hours for this. But worth every effing penny and minute of waiting.
Wine selection is excellent, we got a bottle of the one of the reds (can't remember which one) but it was lovely and flavorful and light. We started off with their farro salad, tasted so good and refreshing in the hot weather with the mint that came with it, and also their special soup which included ricotta dumplings. Yep, ricotta dumplings – absolute drool.
My sister and I shared the tagliatelle ragu and the tortelli di paselli. Both were incredible and so different, and you can tell that each dish is made with lots of thought and handcrafted properly, not just thrown together. The ragu sauce of the tagliatelle was so good, perfect amount of beef pieces and was a hearty dish. The sauce will really melt in your mouth, it's so addicting. The tortelli came with a cream sauce and peas, and every bite is like a piece of heaven. We also got the side of carrots, which were excellent because they were minty. We were disappointed with the desert, sadly – we got the one that looks like it's a bunch of mini donuts. The chocolate sauce that came with it was a bit underwhelming, I wish it was a little richer.
Nonetheless, Al Di La was fantastic and one of the best Italian meals I've had in awhile.
Came here for a special occasion and it didn't disappoint. I'd suggest making a reservation (new!) because it can get pretty crowded.
The lasagna was amazing, as was the famed squid ink pasta. Bottles of wine are reasonably priced!
Service was also great! Nothing to complain about here.
I've been going here for a couple years now and always end up ordering the squid ink spaghetti or tagliatelle al ragu. Each time I order pasta, I leave there full and satisfied, they always give the right amount of portions. The service is always great too, they have friendly and attentive staff. Perfect place to take out of towners and cute date spot. Also try their coffee, amazing!
Perhaps the best Italian meal I've ever had, and it only took a 40-minute ride on the R and then a 5-minute walk through sub-freezing temperatures. Let's just get it out of the way: The tagliatelle ragu was phenomenal. Kelly Clarkson season 1 of American Idol phenomenal. Like finally sneezing after you thought the itch went away or stepping into a steaming shower or sliding into bed after your first all-nighter – that first bite of tagliatelle needed to be bottled.
Show up at 4:55 on Sunday if you don't want any wait at all. But if you can't stomach such an early dinner, don't show up at 5:30 in the middle of the first shift's meal – be strategic and give the early birds at least an hour to plow through pastas and dessert, because there will always be at least one table that refuses to, you know, savor things. I'm pretty sure the waiter was awfully surprised each time he came to our table to see our plates practically licked clean – or that we were in just some massive hurry.
Speaking of, I never wanted to stop eating my tagliatelle. And I loved the winter special of the chocolate chip bread pudding with vanilla ice cream and sour cherries. And the house bread basket.
NEXT TIME: oh, Park Slope, why are you so far away? On my list are: the faro salad, the swiss chard gnocchi, the ricotta balls, the hangar steak with arugula
You know those people who say their in relationships and when it's good, it's GOOD but when it's bad .. its you know. We'll my relationship with Al Di La is something like that. Although nothing has ever been "bad" per se I have been let down a few times, enough to say that the restaurant is inconsistent.
My most recent trip here for brunch was an off trip. The baked eggs and polenta with egg were tasteless, missing the flavor that I usually get from this cozy, home cooked Italian restaurant. The polenta dish had zero polenta, it was a weird almost soupy consistency that you don't normally find in polenta.
For a first timer, I don't recommend the brunch, definitely do it for dinner.
The menu changes often and I believe their ability to properly flavor food. So definitely stop in. Like i said on good nights, it's really really good and I hope you get to visit then!
I had been wanting to try Al Di for a long time and it being highly recommended by my cousin. After reading the reviews I expected to experience a 2 hour wait, given that we walked in at around 8pm on a Friday but we were sat immediately. The place is pretty small and very intimate, so be prepared to brush elbows with your neighbors and know that they can hear every bit of your conversation. Luckily the food and ambience overruled this nuance.
We started off with a bottle delicious bottle of wine and the grilled asparagus appetizer that came with a soft boiled egg, delicious cheese, lemon, and onion saute. The flavor was amazing and the sauce was great for dipping the house bread in. We then ordered the Tagleatelle Al Ragu and the Spagettii Vongol. Both were super fresh and yummy but the ragu (not shockingly) stole the show. Great portion sizes and wonderful flavor in both dishes. Had we saved room we would have tried a dessert. Great date night spot and will be back!
Al Di La is a shiny gem in Brooklyn. Let the tourist eat in Little Italy. There are lots of good Italian restaurant in Brooklyn.
The first dish, the antipasto, blew my mind. It's cuttlefish with oxtail. This unusual combination was amazing. The flavors woke me up from a daze.
The squid ink pasta with octopus was excellent. I would have preferred a squid ink sauce but the tomato based sauce was clean and refreshing.
Finished my meal with a panna cotta. Not too heavy and the blueberry sauce had a nice tartness. It was the perfect finish to a great dinner experience.
Will RTE next time I'm in NYC.