Rao’s
“You may feel tempted to bolt, but relax, and stay – Frankie Pellegrino will make you an offer you can't refuse.”
“The iconic Italian restaurant in Harlem has been a staple of NYC since its founding in 1896.”
“Frank put on some tunes from the famous jukebox (I will Survive, We are Family, etc..)”
Rao’s
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$$ Price range Above $61
8 reviews
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My son close friend won an auction to dine at this restaurant that only included the luxury to have a reservation. That should give one an idea how hard it is to get a reservation at this restaurant. So it seems possibly that the tables in this small restaurant are pre-reserved by a clientele that Rao's has either rented or has given a lifetime reservation spot. Either way, if you ever have the good fortune to have an invitation to dine at this restaurant, don't miss that date for the experience should be well worthwhile. Yes, there is a Rao's in Vegas and Los Angeles, but NYC Spanish Harlem Rao's is the real deal. The Italian sauces are excellent and the food experience is worthwhile. Be sure to bring a thick wallet if you have the fortunate pleasure to dine here. It will be pricey, but worth it
While this reservation is incredibly difficult to secure, the food and dining experience are unforgettable. My grandfather knew someone who knew people that could get a table, and as a birthday gift brought my family to dine there.
The first thing I was taken aback by was that a waiter came out and started asking what we wanted to eat and spouted Italian options that ran the gamut from seafood salad with lobster, shrimp, crab, and calamari to all sorts of pastas, veal, chicken, meatballs, sausage, clams, a basil and breadcrumb coated fried mozzarella and paired with a simple tomato sauce to create a "caprese" and other dishes I did not recognize or forgot in the deluge of options. They did this in a way that was very charming. Although it was overwhelming to have these options thrown at you rapid fire, it made you feel like they wanted to get to know you as a diner and prepare the meal specifically for you. As we were a party of 7, the spread that they eventually presented was incredible and had all of the above mentioned items.
All of these things were cooked beautifully and you could taste the time and energy that painstakingly went into producing every slow simmered sauce and accompanying item, and the proteins were all succulent.
As someone who is fairly well-versed on food, but certainly not an expert on all available Italian dishes, I would say that if you're open to a wide variety of options to ask what the waiter recommends, or ask other diners what they've enjoyed (if you feel so audacious), as I guarantee it will be unique, made to order, and absolutely delicious.
If you can get a table here cancel any other plans you may have had, this is an experience that simply cannot be replicated elsewhere.
Believe the hype! Yes, it is that hard to get into and yes, all the food is delicious! The atmosphere is very cozy and it seems like everyone knows everyone. There is no menu, they will tell you what they have. The meatballs are my favorite dish! No one makes meatballs like Rao's, not even my mother or grandmother. They are cooked to perfection & just melt in your mouth with every bite. The lemon chicken is also a must try. We have ordered a few dishes and were able to split. The mussels, clams, pasta with broccoli rabe & sausage and lamb chops are all great choices as well. Parking has never been an issue & it is cash only. The staff is very friendly & try to make you feel at home. I can't wait to go back for another meal!
Was super excited to get this exclusive invite to the famous Rao's. There are so many reviews that you can read that will let you know there is no menu, they do not take reservations and plan to leave by rolling out! I will purely grade the food. I do not like seafood salad in general, but must admit it was mighty fresh and tasty. The baked clams had this amazing crust on top that was memorable. The fried mozerella was just okay, wish they served more sauce with it, or offered more. The pasta with sausage and broccoli rabe was incredible. I mean capital Terriffic, a must have. The pene and meatballs were okay. The meatballs were not my preference of consistency, very very fine-the only way I could compare the consistency is to matzah. THE PORK. Oh, sweet lord, the Pork with sweet peppers was spectacular…over the moon spectacular. We also got the lemon chicken which was actually kind of dry:( although the skin was crisp and delicious. Got the asparagus which were heavy in garlic, and nothing special. The dessert was several selections of ice creams, and really cool flavors but I am a sucker for cheesecake which was a ten. I mean melt in your mouth, totally delectable, never forget the moment we met, TEN! Coffee was strong and pretty awesome. I felt the experience was great, the service was good, the food was delicious.
Recently I visited another tough reservation in NYC (I'll write about that later). But now, an oldie, but goodie, when I had my blog:
The most coveted table in the entire city (and maybe the entire world) My colleague John and I had been drooling over and talking about Rao's for years. Rao's is a very old Italian restaurant in my former neighborhood. It was founded in 1896 when 114th Street and Pleasant Ave. used to be known as Italian Harlem. Finally John and I went ahead and set a date to just go there. If you call the restaurant, the message is something along the lines of this (try to read this with a Bronx accent): "Thank you for calling Rao's. All the tables for 2007 are reserved. Thanks, have a good day." (Yes, I realize I said 2007- it might still say that until about 2027.) It is illegal to think about getting a reservation there. They are only opened Monday through Friday. They don't need to be opened on the weekends. They only take cash. Or personal check.
If you talk to anyone who knows anything about food in the city, they will explain to you that there is an elite haute class who "own" each of the ten tables. You have to either know someone or be really wealthy or really famous or all three of those things to get a table at Rao's. The likes of Madonna and Rudy Guilliani and CEO's of companies like Ferrari and a few others are the types who dine there.
But, the one loophole is this: you can sit at the bar. You cannot eat at the bar. But you can drink at the bar. And observe. Precisely our goal. John and I met up around the corner from Rao's. We were dressed to the nines and we are Italian. You have to be. Turn back?
Not a chance. We are walking in. And we are walking in like we BELONG there…The bar was mostly empty. The server looked over at Frank Pellegrino, the owner, questioningly. Frank looked both of us up and down carefully. For a moment he looked perplexed. Finally, "Okay", he nodded. How did I know it was Frank Pellegrino? Because he is a legend in the city. He sometimes breaks into spontaneous song at the restaurant. He has been on Law & Order, and also the Sopranos (quel supris) and I believe several others. John and I made it just at the right time. We were dressed to Frank's satisfaction. 8:15 to be exact. At 8:30 the bar was packed and there was not a seat to be had.
So we gawked. We laughed. We admired the people. There was one guy who looked like he belonged in the Corleone family. We locked eye a few times. The men wore suits of the finest threads. And those buttery soft Italian leather loafers. The women wore leopard print. Four inch stilletos and gold. Lots of gold. There was a jukebox in the corner playing Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra. There were Christmas wreaths with white lights. (This is June.) The bartender is known as Nickie Vest because he owns so many vests. John and I continue to sit at the bar, whisper to each other as we observe the people dining at the restaurant, their clothing, their behavior, their food, their wine. That's when Frank comes up to us. "You two look like you want to eat." Uh oh. Are we busted?
Lo and behold, we were not, in fact busted.
"Well I think we can arrange for you to have a table," Frank smiles.
My jaw dropped. I felt like a little kid who had just been told that she is going to Disney World.
"Oh."
" My."
"God." John mouths to me. We are getting a TABLE. People wait for six years for a table here. People pay $3000 in charity auctions to get a table here. People DON'T get a table here. Frank couldn't have been any sweeter. "Beautiful eyes she has", he told John. I was flattered. And I was hungry. There are no menus. Frank rattled off our choices with the familiarity of a priest officiating a bride and groom's wedding vows. That menu is sacred to him.
The atmosphere of Rao's was somewhere between an Italian wedding reception in my family and the basement of someone's Italian home in New Jersey. We were just missing the Jordan Almonds and/or a boxing bag hanging from the ceiling. We could have been in 1959 and part of "A Bronx Tale" with Chaz Palminteri and I would have believed you. You are transported back in time at this joint. The first six notes "When the moon hits your eye" made John and I both roll our eyes and smile at the same time. It is SO kitschy and SO quintessential Italian. We danced. We laughed. The next thing I knew, I was in a conga line. It was a magical night. It ended with coffee with Frangelico. John and shared the same sentiment: this was an amazing and magical once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
The next day at work I was called in regards to a serious student emergency and I was dealing with this student in peril near John's office. I cannot really disclose the details, but it took awhile and I had to be serious. John asked me if she was going to be okay (she was) and as he observed me in my professional role, he could only think "Yesterday she was in a conga line at Rao's."
Not too long ago, I had the great fortune to dine at Rao's. It is undisputed that Rao's is likely the most difficult restaurant in the free world to get a reservation at. I was lucky enough to be invited by a friend of mine, and boy was I excited.
I had no idea what to expect! I had seen the restaurant on TV, heard about it from friends who had gone, heard about the atmosphere, the food, etc…
The night came upon us and my wife and I arrived at the restaurant and immediately went to the bar to have a cocktail. The vest was there and he was exactly as I had pictured him, what a fun character! He made us some drinks and we surveyed the room which also lived up to my expectations.
The biggest surprise was the food, now maybe it was the atmosphere, or the sheer excitement of dining at the legendary Rao's, but the food was simply AMAZING! Without a doubt the best meatballs I have ever had, the seafood salad is a must have, soft buttery fresh seafood with the lightest marinade. The pastas were great as were the meat dishes. I don't think you can go wrong there. When combined with the top notch "you're dining at my house" service, it simply made for a great evening.
Yes, Rao's lived up to it's reputation, and my high expectations. This place is the real deal, and I highly recommend it to anyone who can get one of their vaunted reservations!
If you live in the NYC area you have probably heard about Raos. You also may know them from their jarred sauce. It's a mystical place with 10 or so reserved tables and it's impossible to get in. I was lucky enough to join a small group for dinner there in January. Overall a fantastic experience, it felt like going into an Italian movie in the 60's. It's a very small place but you walk in and are met with one of the owners sitting at a small bar. You grab and drink and he knew I had never been there. My host was a regular so they launched into hellos. We chatted with him while we grabbed a drink and he was telling stories, other people where chiming in, it was fantastic. It's a noisy place, servers running, people laughing – felt like I was at a family holiday meal. When we got our table the waiter came over (there is only one and think he might have been an owner) pulled up our chair and ran us through the options. Family style we picked a few selections in each category. He got up and left, we toasted and then plates started flying. We got a little of everything, include the meatballs which is the specialty. Everything was fantastic. The staff seems like they have been there forever, everybody knew everybody and lots of laughing and joking. What more to say, food was really good and the atmosphere was an A+++. We had a fantastic night, there was even an actor or two that night that I recognized. If you can ever wangle an invite, make sure you go. Otherwise you ain't getting a table.
first let's say you need to get a reservation to get in here and it might take quite a while.
this is classic old school Italiano food, and you get what you pay for. any dish that you pic is outstanding.