Trattoria Il Mulino
“Stand outs for me were the ricotta meatballs, pasta (I forget the name but it's in the west 3rd favorites section), and ricotta cheesecake.”
“My app of watermelon, basil frisee and burrata was perfection!”
“fans of grilled octopus are in for a treat as the dish has the right amount of char and kitchen magic to make it a constant standout on the menu.”
Trattoria Il Mulino
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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I went here with a couple friends for restaurant week last night and while the decor is the ideal mix between industrial and charming, the service was lackluster. We were given two small starting plates on the house (which was decent); however, I noticed that we never received any bread even though they had a bread basket by the waiter's podium…and isn't that bread basket the whole reason behind going out to eat Italian? The waiter knew very little about the menu and would attempt to serve us drinks that weren't intended for us. That being said, the lobster pappardelle was delicious and the menu even boasted a wine special ($19 for two glasses of wine and one glass of prosecco). Great food but with so many Italian restaurants out there, I'm in no rush to come back here.
Atmosphere- white table cloth, modern Italian, crisp and clean. Friendly and clearly well-trained servers.
Brunch:
Food- burrata is so milky and fresh; Plop it on French toast and you're in for a rich breakfast that is better off shared so as to leave room for other delicious options. Make the sacrifice and move onto their classic meatballs or an omelette.
Drinks- paying one price for unlimited breakfast beverages (mimosa or Bloody Mary) left my husband feeling the effects.
Came here for my cousin's birthday back in June with a big party. We sat towards the back by the beautiful art wall. The decor is chic and elegant. The food was amazing. Staff was very attentive and friendly and accommodating.
Great place!
Keeping in mind that it's restaurant week, I understand that the kitchens are busy and operating at a different capacity that "normal" but was very disappointed with our service, food, and overall experience at Trattoria Il Mulino tonight.
I had to ask the waiter for water after my water glass had been empty for 10 minutes, and everyone at the table had empty glasses as well. (Okay, definitely not a huge deal at all, but just set the bar).
We came for dinner on a Tuesday night (2nd week of NYC RW summer 2016) for 5 people. We ordered drinks and the dinner from prix fix menu. We ordered food around 7:30 (an hour after we arrived, due to a combination of our slow decision-making/talking, and their slow service).
My first course arrived (ricotta meatballs for me, Caesar salad for him), with little fanfare and underwhelming flavors, the meatballs were cooked beautifully and soft with a good amount of juice, however didn't really taste like much. Caesar salad was fine, overdressed in my opinion.
Entree course came around not too much later, I ordered the Veal Milanese – it was a breaded and fried piece of what might be veal, covered in arugula and chopped tomatoes and onions. Flavor again was in indistinguishable. If you have veal on the menu, I expect a beautiful silky soft cut of meat. He ordered the chicken Parmesan, it was chicken (which, by the way, took up the entirety of the plate), covered in an intense amount of cheese. Decent, nothing to write home about.
Dessert took more than 40 minutes to come out. We had ordered dessert at the onset of the meal, because it was prix fix menu- and had to ask 2 times if it was coming out shortly, due to our time element. We didn't leave the restaurant until after 9pm. (For the record, ricotta cheesecake was great, the chocolate cake was actually great, but definitely not made in-house).
Overall- I guess I have high expectations for NYC, if I'm getting Italian, I'm expecting it to be GREAT, not just good. This place was passable at best. It interior decor and atmosphere was amazing though!
Better luck next time, I guess. No-go in my opinion.
Made a last minute reservation for 7 people when our party grew unexpectedly and we couldn't get in to Gramercy Tavern next door. I was hesitant because of some eh reviews but we could not have enjoyed ourselves more. The restaurant is clean and beautiful, server was attentive and friendly and the food was great. Will be back!
"trattoria" typically brings to mind…a simple Italian eatery. i'd say nothing about Trattoria Zillow Mulino is all that simple or designates it as just an "eatery."
i had the good fortune to be taken to Trattoria Il Mulino during a tour of great bars and restaurants throughout my birthday weekend. and Trattoria Il Mulino deserves the adjective of "great" as well.
the layout is spacious. generous space between tables as well as high ceilings provides a welcome relief from the typical cramped lifestyle we endure in the subways, city streets, or even during our morning coffee before workday. however while the restaurant's footprint is large…the space has pockets of coziness that are well-designed from the front to long bar that has seating in front of fiery pizza oven to the back of the space which has a relaxed-formal vibe. the space itself has a modern edge to it, using a lot of whites, black, beige, and lighting to achieve a balance of space, ambience, etc. tbh, the restaurant itself works for many purposes: birthday celebrations, family/friends in town get-togethers, business meals, date night, pre or post theater meals, or even just drinks and a bite. lots of flex here.
PRO TIP; seats at the beautiful bar in view of the pizza oven, a bottle of wine, one of the aromatically-enticing pizzas, would probably make for a perfect date as long as you provide the fun, flirty conversation. try and prove me wrong…you won't.
the food…excellent. part of going to a restaurant is exploring …and there's much to discover and enjoy on this broad dinner menu. i'd recommend the ricotta meatballs: well-spiced, savory, melt in your mouth…and that tomato-basil sauce ties it all together. fans of grilled octopus are in for a treat as the dish has the right amount of char and kitchen magic to make it a constant standout on the menu. spaghettini with crab and the gnocchi, which i both tried, hit all the right tastebuds and buttons…as the dishes are not overly complex (the chef and kitchen team understand that keeping it simple is the way to go) and sate your want of comfort foods with elevated ingredients. as i stalked other tables's choices, i would say the pizza is a must (and will be for me on my next go)
the drinks. boozy and well composed. the signature cocktail list has a lot of breadth to it. cocktails tend to err on the stronger side, so you were warned, lightweights! lol before you order your usual "vodka soda" — take a whirl through some of the more interesting cocktails…like the Gentleman's Vesper or the Double-Cut Old Fashioned…these drinks are not for the tame of heart or stomach…so eat as you drink.
the service is attentive without being stalker-ish. the staff knew the right cues to come to my bday table to take orders, refresh drinks, run through the menu, answer q's, and in general make the night memorable without hovering around too much. there was a small issue with a drink and our waiter swooped in and got a replacement cocktail to the table moments later.
i rarely do this, but i read through some of the other reviews of said restaurant. tbh if you find Trattoria Il Mulino too pricy for the quality of ambience, food, service, etc. then maybe you need to make different choices in life…like make more money. it's not as if this restaurant hides its menu or its prices…it's all on their website and this is a $$$, so bills are going to be higher than your typical restaurant. just sayin'. now is this the most amazing Italian food I have ever had? no that was in the Cinque Terre in Italy…that said, Trattoria Il Mulino has a lot going for it, and that's hard to say about many eateries in NYC.
special occasion or not, treat yourself to a great experience at Trattoria Il Mulino.
drops mic because it's rude to shout in a nice restaurant.
i out.
zzz
Came here the other night for restaurant week and loved everything! My dad and I arrived earlier than my brother so we sat at the bar and each had a glass of delicious rose. When my brother arrived the hostess seated us promptly. Wanting to try as much as possible, we all ordered different appetizers: arugula salad, charred octopus, and spaghetti and meatballs. The arugula salad, although by far the most "boring" appetizer, was delicious: fresh bitter arugula, a light vinaigrette, and wide shavings of parmesan. The spaghetti and meatballs was also great – the meatball was extremely light. The octopus was easily the star appetizer: served warm with potatoes and olives – a fabulous combination.
We also ordered different entrees: the funghi pizza, the mushroom ravioli, and the chicken. I actually thought the chicken was forgettable, but the pizza and ravioli were sublime. The pizza had a very thin crust that was perfectly crisped and charred. It was actually pretty light, as far as pizza goes. When my ravioli arrived, I was a little disappointed to see only 6 or so ravioli, but as soon as I began eating, understood why the portion was small! The ravioli were extremely rich, not in a gross way, but rich enough that the chef clearly understood that a small portion was better. I nearly licked all the truffle cream sauce off my plate – it was amazing!
Dessert was quite forgettable, but the wine, ambiance, and food were very memorable. I would love to come back soon.
Used to go here back in the day regularly with my sister when she still lived at home in NYC. Also close by to our alma mater. A lot of fond memories of good company, laughs and let's not forget the food! From what I do remember, no matter which dish I ordered, I was always in pasta heaven. Need to find my way back to this place.