Lupa
“The bucatini and gnocchi were our favorites, but everything we ordered had amazing flavor.”
“We started off with the escarole salad (with walnuts, red onion & pecorino); he ordered Bavette Cacio & Pepe!!”
“I thought I'd eaten good Italian food before and I always made fun of Mario Batali's croc inspired get-up, but Lupa blew me away.”
Lupa
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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At first I was surprised that there weren't many pictures on Yelp of the food at Lupa.. And then I went to Lupa and it all made sense – everyone is like 50+. But HEY! No judgements here. They beat me to making reservations like 500 times.
Getting a reservation here is hard. Be prompt. Be alert. Stay on opentable.
Anyways.. The food.
Appetizers: We got the truffle and asparagus dish. Honestly, it was off. Like it was decent but I couldn't figure out how someone possibly said "ya, lets put this on the menu!" The dish was served cold so it was basically just cold asparagus with sauce dripped over. Totally disappointing.
Entrees: I ordered the cacio e pepe with light on the pepper since I'm sensitive to spice. DELICIOUS! It reminded me of an upgraded mac and cheese. Perfection. Get this!!!! My boyfriend ordered the casarecce with short rib which was also great. Both could have been a little more al dente but overall good.
The service was great and the atmosphere was very intimate. I'd definitely go back for the pasta, and be more careful with my appetizer selection.
Places where they focus on good food (not amazing buy solid w/ consistency in quality) without cutting corners and relying on other aspects and gimmicks, people will return.
I actually wasn't expecting much when I walked in this place. We first went there only because most Italian restos weren't open at 4pm on Saturday. This place looked like a regular, totally-OK-level neighborhood restaurant in the village. But I noticed their menu had some dishes w/ unusual ingredients and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of food and everything else.
We went back w/ my in-laws, and everyone was very happy. Beets were delicious. Cacio e pepe, sweet pea cappellacci, chitarra w/ razor clams & bottarga were all 'good.' The fish (arctic char) in parchment paper w/ morels was VERY good. Their espresso is good as well. The staff is always very friendly. They're also thorough and helpful – as the other day we told them my mother-in-law had severe honey allergy, and they were happily accommodating. And ppl seem to like the bar as both times we went, the bar was more crowded. Their wine is slightly more than a glass, which is nice.
Not quite a 4 star experience but almost. The food is good (not excellent) and the service is good too. I enjoyed my cocktail, vodka with grapefruit juice, Campari and Moscato (if I'm remembering correctly). It was very refreshing on a warm day. They give you fresh focaccia with olive oil for dipping, plus crostini with some sort of purée on top. The spaghetti pomodoro was a decent portion size and pretty tasty, although it seemed to be missing something. The cacio e pepe asparagus side had good flavor. There were a bit too many thick, woody ends that were difficult to chew though. If you're wanting some Italian food and you're not too picky, this place will do in a pinch.
This is real deal awesome Italian cuisine. Mario Batali, Joe Bastianich, Mark Ladner and Jason Denton are like a powerhouse of food geniuses.
When I went last summer, we got a ton of dishes for the table so I was fortunate to taste test a lot of the menu items. Here are some of the dishes that we ordered:
Must get the prosciutto di parma and cheese plate. The brie and soft cheese were amazing.
Pork shoulder – perfectly cooked and wonderful
Bass- I am not a huge fish person but this was very nice
Hazelnut Ice Cream – yum!
We also had 4 pastas, of which I left up to my colleague to order and can only say that each one was PERFECT. I could eat their pasta everyday of my life.
I hope I go back to NYC soon just to eat here again
A lovely white linen tablecloth Italian restaurant with attentive servers and an adventurous menu. I love the fact that the "definitions" of the food are on the back of the menu (thank you!). Our biggest challenge was deciding what to order so we ordered a lot of everything. The Escarole, Walnut, Red Onion & Pecorino salad was a treat because the escarole was not bitter (first time ever!). The beet salad was so good we had to order another one. The pastas were the right portions, flavors, rich and beautiful. The Bavette Cacio e Pepe was spicy but addictive. Then came the desserts. OH, the desserts. We tried new things – Apician Spiced Dates with Mascarpone and Olive Oil Cake with Espresso Cherries. Paradise on a plate. We ate early so we didn't have a hard time getting a reservation and we sat by a lovely table by the window. I can't wait to go back!
Went to LUPA this past weekend for my birthday dinner with my husband.
I was craving some decent carbonara ever since having it in Rome and was told this was the place to get my fix. We made reservations because we saw the 6 course pasta tasting on their website and that was my plan. My husband isn't so much into pasta but fortunately they have a 6 course roman tasting that was listed on the menu alongside the pasta tasting that was right up his alley.
Only reason I don't give this restaurant 5 stars is because we were told when we went to order one of each of the tastings, that all people at the table have to do the same tasting. Disappointing…. especially because they are both 6 courses and both "tastings" – seems like an unfortunate rule.
Despite that; everything was fantastic. The carbonara is spectacular and so was every other pasta on the pasta tasting menu. I even tried the sweetbreads which was a first for me! And if you like guanciale, it's featured in several of the pasta dishes; perfectly fatty and crisp in all it's gloriousness.
I personally hit a wall at pasta course #5 but brought that course home as leftovers.
Finished off with a creamy lemon sorbet which closed out the meal perfectly.
Love the restaurant – love the romantic lighting but I did question if the romantic lighting in the bathroom is the best choice when sharing restrooms with men who may not have great aim and was confused in general by the music playing during our meal. You would think some low key romantic Italian music would be serenading you while you eat pasta but I was truly stumped with the choice to blast Journey…..
Overall still loved the place and would definitely return.
best pasta i've had in NYC!! cacia e pepe is insanely good as well as the octopus salad. portions are perfect, great value, and overall great vibe, ambiance, service etc. lots of awesome italian wine, our server made a great red recommendation (aglianico).
can't wait to come back!
only thing to be aware of it gets crowded quickly and the space is a bit cramped – or cozy (depending on your outlook). maybe not the best for large groups unless you plan and reserve well in advance.
With so many amazing restaurants in NY, where do you go? How do you choose? If you, like me, are a fan of the Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group's restaurants, then the dilemma is simply deciding which B & B restaurant to visit for dinner.
If you've read my reviews, you'll know I'm a huge fan of Otto in Las Vegas. That said, I definitely wanted to visit Otto in NY, but wanted to try something different. And since we tend to be a casual group, that left out Del Posto & Babbo for this trip (but assuredly we will be back to try them both). After hearing that Lupa has the best Roman-style dishes we eagerly made reservations.
Upon arriving at Lupa, I was delighted with the quaint, welcoming vestibule and friendly hostesses. We were seated on the patio – a perfect outdoor table hidden behind a privacy screen of foliage, separating diners from strolling pedestrians. The very cordial GM, Ray, greeted us with Prosecco (a wonderful way to start a meal!). A generous prosciutto board soon followed, and the gauntlet was thrown with Ray's tongue-in-cheek "Take that, Vegas!". Man, this place is FUN!
Next up, marinated sardines and multi-colored beets with pistachio and ricotta salata (one of my favorite cheeses). The men enjoyed the sardines while us ladies shared the beets. Very refreshing and light!
We eagerly anticipated the next course: Primi. As other reviewers mentioned, the Bavette Cacio e Pepe is a-MAZ-ing! This is a dish that I will dream about… The pasta was perfectly cooked al dente and the strong pepper flavors were balanced with a slight butteriness that I won't forget anytime soon. We also had to try the Ricotta Gnocchi with Sausage & Fennel, and they were perfectly fluffy, tasty little pillows. Francesca was so lovely and has a wonderful palate for wine! Her recommendation was spot-on – just wish I could remember
Our easy-going, friendly waiter with great pronunciation of the Italian dishes (Gavin? Garlin? Sorry…you were great!) recommended the flank steak and I knew the men would want to try the oxtail as soon as they heard "oxtail". Francesca's 2nd recommendation was even better! A 2009 Paolo Bea Montefalco Sagrantino from Umbria was complex and stood up nicely to the proteins.
Wrapping up this incredible meal, we tried several desserts (kudos to the pastry chef!) – the olive oil cake was delectable! Moist without being too wet served with the most beautiful, delicate cream and luscious cherries. I wish I could remember the name of the golden ball of goodness that lay atop of berry compote. It was mouthwatering! Ray was incredibly generous (and so much fun!), as he brought out amaro. My favorite, Nonino, and one I hadn't tried before, D'Arancia Rossa (blood orange) from Sicilia. I love the delicateness of Nonino, but it is sweet. The blood orange amaro was a fun and interesting contrast, and worth seeking out again. And with a flair that only Ray can deliver, we ended a phenomenal meal at Lupa. Thank you for a wonderful experience, and making us feel like family!