Pepolino Restaurant
“We finished dinner with the ricotta cheesecake and were very happy with our entire dining experience at Pepolino.”
“Definitely recommend this place to anyone seeking creative, reasonably-priced Italian in Tribeca, especially if it's late.”
“I also had the rabbit and fettuccine which was good but could have used a little bit more acid for my taste.”
Pepolino Restaurant
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Accepts Apple Pay: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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Peopling is a throwback to the cramped NYC restaurants of the 1990's where a little bit of old style NYC service reigns, i.e. a little attitude. I had the mussels for appetizers that were de-shelled and very tasty, and the cache e pepe which was a far cry from the dish served in Roma, Italia. Others at my table had better dishes so I need to give this place another chance. True I was not very impressed, but I need to try some other dishes here to be fair!
I'll get it out of the way first: I probably won't come back here. It's wayyyy too expensive and the portions are tiny. But everything that I did eat was really good, so they have that going for them. If you're not hungry and don't have a budget, definitely hit them up!
We started with the octopus. It was really solid. Pretty great, actually, but unfortunately there were only three small pieces. Standard fancy place portions.
Then we got the Pesto fusilli with ricotta, and it was delicious! It really looked exactly like the pictures you'll see online. (Killed that metaphor).
My dish was the "something I couldn't pronounce but the waiter said I was good at pronouncing it." With veal. So that was good too! The noodles were pretty good for both pastas but again the portions were disappointingly small.
Anyway, really good, good date place, but really pricey and you need to eat something before and after so you're not hungry. 3.5 stars!
I loveeee coming here especially after happy hour since I work close by. The pasta is so hearty and delicious – can't go wrong with any of them. Food and service that makes you feel good. The place can easily go unnoticed if you're walking by, but when you walk in, you feel like you're entering someone's home for dinner. There's also an upstairs for additional seating.
Despite the fact that I had worked a brief walk away from Pepolino for three years, it wasn't until a friend of mine suggested it as a venue for dinner that I stumbled across this Italian gem in TriBeCa. The restaurant was first opened in 1999, the culmination of hard work by two Italian chefs who took their rich cultural backgrounds from Florence and Naples and successfully embedded it in New York City. Set up in the style of a rustic trattoria, the orange-hued venue was surprisingly bustling on a Tuesday evening, so we were grateful that we'd made reservations in advance.
A small note to begin with: the bread here is excellent and ever-flowing. We consumed several rounds of sourdough and one that was in the style of pizza blanca since, as any diligent eater will inform you, the Italians are masters in the realm of carbohydrates. Thankfully, we started off with a dish that made full use of the bread: the Polenta. It's a deceptive plate as it consists of a small portion of polenta topped off with a few slices of shaved black truffles. Dig in, however, and it's utterly smooth and luscious, highlighted with shredded spinach and a generous serving of cream. We wiped the entire bowl clean with our slices of bread – and I'd recommend you do the same as well.
And the pasta? My basic Spaghettoni Pomodoro was excellent, a dish that utilized the slightly thicker cousin of spaghetti and tossed it in an acidic and robust tomato sauce with fresh basil leaves. The pasta was at just the right level of al dente – chewy, toothsome, but not undercooked – and the simple preparation truly allowed the individual ingredients to shine. The portion was just right as well; suitable for a shared appetizer, but substantial enough to act as a main.
While the restaurant was clearly busy that evening, our servers did a good job of refilling our glasses of water and bringing us seemingly endless baskets of bread. It might not be the best space for an intimate conversation, but it's certainly one where you'll find excellent Italian cuisine.
I recently had a wonderful meal with two friends at Pepolino. We started with an antipasto of cheese and cured meat, and then the three of us had the three special of the day: fresh tagliatelle with ragu sauce, farro risotto with seafood, and ricotta/spinach ravioli with ragu sauce.
Everything was delicious. The service is a bit slow but it's ok. It kind makes you think you are in Italy!
I would suggest this family Italian trattoria to many. It's cute, on three levels, with a great staff.
Roaming around the city on a Friday night, hungry, and stomach yearning for food – we stumbled upon this charming Italian spot. We never caught the name on the way in the door but asked to be seated after checking out the menu.
We were seated immediately in their outdoor sidewalk area as requested. Outside the seating area is sectioned off from the bustling streets of NYC by plants which adds to their authentic Italian feel. We loved the decor of hanging lights throughout the patio and small wooden chairs and tables, topped with doilies.
We had the pleasure of having Argo as our waiter, he was magnificent, one of those waiters you'll remember for such polite, charming service. He joked and laughed with us and was very knowledgeable about the dishes and popular opinions when we asked for suggestions.
We ordered the special entree, which was linguini with shrimp, a hint of lemon zest, and cream, it was just the right amount of richness, fresh, and delicious ($24). The portions are a good size for one person, not so much recommended for splitting in case you and your guest are light eaters like us.
For dessert we had the flourless light chocolate cake ($12). Now the menu doesn't state this but it's an espresso slice of moist yummy cake. Argo explained to us that several shots of espresso are added to the flourless batter, it is made fresh every morning, baked for about 40min, and left to cool down. Needless to say, those espressos got me; I was up and alert for the next few hours lol.
The service was spot on, the food was fresh and homemade, the quality and overall experience is worth the price. Running at about $30 per person, I would say this place is worth it. I'm glad we wandered in here, the best places are always found when you're not looking for anything in particular 🙂
What an amazing dining experience! The service was terrific, the atmosphere was great, the food was amazing!
The pasta with lemon zest and cream was delicious. The mussels in butter were terrific. The shrimp were totally delicious. The panna cotta was nothing like we have ever had eaten. The wines were terrific as were the mixed drinks.
Totally loved this restaurant!
Exquisite.
To start, very friendly service. They sat us with our little dog in a semi covered outdoor seating area with hanging tea lights and subdued overhead lights. Comfortable, semi outdoor service with table linens
They started us with crispy Italian bread , focaccia which was delicate and –a miracle–Not Oily! Instead of olive oil or butter, they served a cute little tomato flan…a fantastic flavor bomb.
We then had the pappardelle with tomato, pecorino, and thyme. Intense flavor, great balance. Also fettuccine with boar and juniper berry ragu…delicious, intense umami happening here.
Portions were small but clearly the focus is on the quality of the flavors. If you have time to savor, this is a great place.
Also, good wine menu with average prices. Also a full bar.