Orso
“By all means if you live or are visiting NYC and are in the Theater District put Orso in you bucket list you wont be disappointed.”
“But oh, sweet food god, their Rigatoni with Tomato Basil Sauce is to-die-for.”
“I'm a New Yorker and choose Orso regularly as our pre or post theatre dinner destination.”
Orso
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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This is a perfect restaurant for a pre-theatre dinner. The food is delicious, the portions are ideal (filling but not overbearing), and the atmosphere is lovely. The restaurant is small but it is quaint, peaceful, and has the most beautiful plates and cups. Seriously though, I plan on buying the same brand for my own kitchen!
As for the actual meal itself, the food is really fantastic. They start you off with some bread and white bean dip, which is incredibly addicting. I challenge you not to get seconds… and thirds. For my main dish, I order the large maltagliata pasta dish. The pasta was well-cooked and the mushrooms really tasty and not overbearing at all. I hate when pasta dishes are too heavy and I feel immobile afterwards; that's not the case here. It's a nice, light pasta dish you will surely enjoy.
Beyond the pasta, I also shared the margherita pizze and that was also delicious, shockingly good even. It may have been the best pizza I've had when dining in at an Italian restaurant. The ingredients were very fresh, the crust was light and crisp, and it had a lovely balance between the cheese and sauce. Definitely a nice option for sharing with the table!
On top of that, the service is great and the coffee is awesome. You can't go wrong with dinner at orso.
I came here post-Motown Musical, which was phenomenal by the way. It is tucked in and was quiet upon our arrival. I am going to have to say that the highlight of my meal were those delicious, pan-seared artichokes aaahhhh oooh babyyyy. The perfect amount and just the right thing to get you warmed up for the meal. I believe I had the trout, which was decent. I also nibbled on a caprese salad and some flat bread pizza.
Hey, you might even have a celeb sighting. Wallace Shawn was a table behind me! (Think Cyrus from Gossip Girl)
After being raved about and recommended to come, I was just a little underwhelmed. There are so many amazing options in the theater district, and I know Orso is one of the top go-to spots for many, and I'm glad I finally made my way. I came here on a quiet Tuesday night at 7pm, just missing the theater goers was probably a wise move.
We started with a bottle of the Pinot Nero which was very, very light. Wouldn't have been my #1 choice, but I went with the table.
I had the Fra Diavlo pizza which was good, but I wasn't a big fan of the crust. It was thin crust but not your typical brick oven pizza. We also had the orecchiette which was great, flavorful with sweet italian sausage and broccoli rabe.
The service was good, nothing outstanding, but our table was able to sit, relax and enjoy without being rushed or pressured. It was an enjoyable meal and I would come back, but would order differently. I think I'd skip the pizza and go for an appetizer instead!
This is a lovely restaurant near my home, and I decided to give it a try on a recent night. I was seated immediately without a reservation after the theater crowd had left, and the service was warm and attentive throughout my experience. I was dressed casually, and I think I would dress up a bit more for future visits.
The wine per glass is on the pricey side at $12-14 per glass, but my Primitivo was outstanding. I chose to try the stuffed quail which turned out to be the right decision and perhaps one of the five best meals I've had in 2012. The quail is stuffed with a sweet sausage and other spices then covered in marsala sauce. Every bite was pure heaven. I was on a no carb diet when I visited, but the flat breads looked incredible.
I stuck to protein on this evening, but there were many other enticing options. If I were visiting town and wanted an upscale meal before the theater, this restaurant would be high on the list.
I think my wife nailed it when she commented on the "Golden Girls" atmosphere. It's an older crowd – no doubt. I would say if you need some good food in this part of this, Orso is a solid option (as long as you prepare yourself for the crowd).
Recommend the Grilled Octopus & Shrimp, Bolognese and Caprese. Only miss was the service. Brutal.
Good food, close quarters atmosphere and top notch service.
I came here with my fiance for Valentine's Day dinner and they had both a regular menu and a Valentine's day pre fixe menu. The only reason why they don't get a five star rating is because the best dishes I had were only on the pre fixe even though in the past I know they had it on their regular menu. I would've liked the choice to have picked a combination of these dishes.
To start, my fiance and I ordered the Carpaccio made with beef, brown butter, sage, parmesan, and grilled asparagus. It was delicious and the beef was so soft and smooth it literally melted in your mouth. We also ordered the Funghi, mushroom with shredded cheese and diced cabbage. The dish was lite but not very flavorful, save the drizzles of vinegar over the plate. I guess the flavors of the mushroom were never really meant to be strong or intense.
For the main we ordered the Parpadelle and the Agnello, lamb chops. These two dishes were delicious, all the way from the way the lamb chops were cooked to the sauce in the Parpadelle. The grilled lamb chops were cooked medium rare and garnished with hazelnut pesto with roasted artichokes on the side. The pesto gave a great oily garlic coating to the lamb. The Parpadelle was cooked with a parmesan oyster mushroom sauce which was paired extremely well with the texture of perfectly cooked pasta. I would like to have both of these dishes again, but knowing it was once on their menu but now no longer stands as a regular menu item, I feel a bit let down and makes me mark Orso a star lower than I would've.
Hopefully, if by chance I come upon this restaurant again and see either one of these on their menu, I will return for another delightful night of dining with my fiance.
One of the last real places that Patrick Bateman used to go to. We had a nice bottle of wine and a bunch of apps before we went to our show. The spread for the bread was also really good.
CALAMARI
grilled Montauk squid arugula, cherry tomato, chickpeas, onion, salmoriglio sauce
CARCIOFINI
pan-fried baby artichokes, hot peper, garlic, Romano cheese
The ambiance of the place is nice, the inside is charming and the dishes are pretty. I came here because I saw the reviews on yelp were up there. Around 5:15 the place was packed but I was the youngest person in there. The crowd is on the older side (maybe because I was there for an early dinner). The Caprese appetizer was my favorite part – the mozzarella cheese was extremely fresh. I got the fra diavolo pizza and it was just okay. I was expecting the sauce to have more spice, it sort of tasted like regular pizza sauce. I liked the thin crust and it wasn't greasy at all. The wait staff was very nice and accommodating.
If I were to go back I'd try the pasta. Overall, there was nothing bad about my experience but there was nothing to make me want to run back here so quickly.