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Ballato's Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
55 E Houston St(between Mulberry St & Greene St)
New York, NY 10012
Neighborhood: Nolita
(212) 274-8881
- Nearest Transit:
-
Bleecker St (4, 6, 6X)
Broadway - Lafayette St (B, D, F, M)
Prince St (N, R)
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
40 reviews for Ballato's Restaurant
Review Highlights
40 reviews in English
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Review from Daniel P.
New York, NY
Nice solid Food in this Old-School Italian stand-by, of which are sadly disappearing in
New York. We lost Gino's on Lexington Avenue about 1 1/2 ago and most recently have lost "Rocco's" on Thompson Street in Greenwich Village, "A SIN."
Check this place out for the good old stuff "Italian-American Style" -
Review from Clayton A.
Manhattan, NY
2/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
I got caught in the NY Times hype and decided to give this place a shot recently.
I do think the food is good, but considering the hype, the reception from the host when we walked in, and the fact that this is NYC, home to countless top-notch Italian restaurants, this place kind of disappointed.
We had the fresh mozzarella appetizer, great tasting cheese, but I nothing so extraordinary as to make this place a standout on its own.
Then came the pasta dishes, I had a fettucine dish and my friend the bolognese. Both were good, but only good. I simply wasn't blown away and when expecting to be, the end result must be a tinge of disappointment. -
Review from Paul C.
Sunnyside, NY
2/22/2012
We came here on Valentine's day and expected to get a canned meal with mediocre service. Boy were we wrong (thankfully)! The service was great and were warmly greeted, not like some other restaurants where they act like you're doing them a favor by paying to eat there!
The food was just mouthwatering! The Grilled octopus was one of the best I've ever tasted. The home made bread, pasta basically everything.. great!!
The only downside of giving this review is that I don't want this place to become too popular. I still want to be able to get a table! -
Review from Stephen C.
New York, NY
5/10/2012
This is a solid 4 star place. It has a good following. I was brought here by a friend. And, it was so good that I bought dinner; need I say more!
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Review from Joy A.
Union City, NJ
4/30/2012
Big fan. The food is great. The service is friendly. The cannoli is out of this world. Went twice in one weekend because I was anxious to try more.
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Review from Jennifer N.
New York, NY
1/26/2012
I first went on day when I really needed a good glass of wine and a good dining experience. It was one of those days. I'll admit the NYT review is what brought my attention to this restaurant, but of course was a little weary suggesting it to my husband and another couple that was meeting us that night. We all enjoyed everything about our meal that first night and have been back subsequent times.
I'm still exploring items on the menu, but it is a very traditional, old school Italian restaurant. The kind that hardly exists anymore and there's a comfort in just being there. I've read other semi-negative reviews of how the staff treats non-regulars and I've never experience this myself and I'm certainly not a regular (yet) here. We've been greeted warmly every time no matter the day or time.
My favorite items on the menu are the mixed sauteed mushrooms and the Petto Di Pollo Alla Emilio. But, my absolute favorite thing is that they still have a traditional cannoli.
I highly recommend going with a loved one or another couple, but any more than that would be too much. It's not a great group place as it's very small. -
Review from Pamela S.
2/26/2012
Great pasta spot. I had the one with the "secret" sauce, which was tomato-based and, if I remember correctly, included pancetta. The appetizer of grilled octopus was fresh and delicious. Nice atmosphere, friendly service. There was no wait for a table on a drizzly Wednesday in February at 9:30pm.
Listed in: New York Italian
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Review from John W.
New York, NY
2/11/2012
My first experience here was excellent, but my second visit to this restaurant was disastrous. It was a Saturday night and we had called during the day to make a reservation only to be told that they would not take reservations for parties of less than 6 (there were only 4 of us). However they said that as were dining at 6:30 it would not be a problem to get a table.
When we went in at 6:25 p.m. we were first asked if we had a reservation, which obviously we did not. We were then told that as there were parties coming in that they had no tables. However it was clear to us that tables for four were obviously vacant. The greeter was quite cold and couldn't care less.
As we stood waiting two women walked in and said they had a reservation for 4 and the waiter seated them.
WTF!!!!
I will never return to this restaurant again. They LIE, and they are ARROGANT!!!
Shameful behavior, Ballto, shameful behavior. -
Review from Emily G.
Flushing, NY
9/9/2011
Two friends and I went to this place on a whim - we were hungry it was there. We entered about 8:40pm on a Thursday night. The place was about 3/4 full.
We sat and we given menus, water and all was fine. A waiter told us the specials and then came back and took our orders - we each ordered one of the "specials" for the evening, 2 pasta dishes and one chicken dish. And then the waiting began.
We had ordered the baked clams to share. They took about 25-30 minutes to arrive, but were tasty enough once they did. And then we waited. And waited. Finally at about 10:05 our entrees came out.
The food was good enough but nothing special or amazing and for a small restaurant that wasn't too busy and that seemed well staffed, the wait was truly unreasonable. My friends and I enjoyed our conversation, so its not like our night was ruined, but we had actually planned on going out for a bit more after our meal, but by the time we left at 10:40, it was just too late considering it was a work night.
Considering the high prices for ok but not spectacular food and the long wait and inadequate service, I cannot recommend this restaurant. This is NYC - there are plenty of places that have just as good if not better food that don't take several hours to serve it. -
Review from Wei K.
1/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
According to the NY times, Ballato's is one of those hidden gems frequented by celebrities. The walls are adorned with photos of the owner with celebrities old and new. It's is a no frills traditional neighborhood restaurant that serves up great Italian food at reasonable prices. The night we went there was a long wait for a table but it was well worth it. I enjoyed the pasta special for the night as well as the veal entree. Most portions are enough to split with another person. I would say this is a good place to try if you're in the area or are in the mood for Italian food.
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Review from Camille G.
New York, NY
12/11/2011
I am devastated that this place got written up in the Times. It's a block away from where my best friend works and it's been our little secret for the best meatball in the city for years.
The review in the Times was probably too glowing. I've had sauces that were over-reduced and too salty and overcooked chicken here at times. So the food isn't thoughtful and perfect, like say Dell'anima. But those meatballs keep me coming back. I was so sad to see that they took them off the regular menu and made them a special. I always call before going now.
If you want old school ambience, this place has it in spades. And they are really lovely to regulars. Hopefully you can make it to that level. Otherwise, maybe try another place. This one is best left to the regulars. -
Review from Scott M.
New York, NY
2/6/2012
I lived across the street for several years and wandered in with a friend at one point. We had a great experience and I returned from time to time. But that was several years ago and the NYTimes article seems to have given them an excuse to expand and sell terrible food to non-locals like other places in Little Italy. My wife and I waited a reasonable 20 minutes for a table on a Friday night, and were taken past the tables and through the kitchen to the backroom which was a charming start, much like dining in the back at Raoul's in Soho where you get the brief feeling of being in the scene from Goodfellas (only shorter as this is NYC and space is at a premium).
The charm ended there as the back room was primilarly for loud groups and the waiters (defnitely not Italian) did not seem to care if we were even there. The view of the bathroom (with a faulty lock) was also not welcome, but every table shared that view. I felt worse for the couple seated next to the bathroom door that had to rearrange their seating to not keep getting bumped by waiters. We ordered a ~$50 bottle of white wine the water opened and left on the table. They did not offer an ice bucket or ever return to refill our glasses.
The $18 caprese we shared was average, with a ball of mozzarella surrounded by grape tomatoes cut in half and some olive oil. Not the best or worst mozzarella but good tomatoes at least and a nice change from sliced tomatoes. My wife ordered pasta bologenese and I settled for ricotta ravioli (my question of whether they had veal marsala was quickly dismissed by the waiter). My ravioli was overcooked and nothing remarkable. I have cooked frozen pasta from DiPalo's at home that was much better. Her pasta was terrible, with a small amount of sauce on top of the bowl of tagliatelle. At least they put a goblet of parmesean in the middle of the table and eventually found us a salt shaker from another table. By the time they asked if we wanted desert our ears were ringing from the noise and we were more than ready to go. Very sad to see a once solid neighborhood restaurant struggle. Maybe they overexpanded and stressed out the kitchen and waitstaff, but at their prices I will have my next pasta at the sublime Scarpetta. -
Review from Vanni P.
Manhattan, NY
12/21/2011
Note: this review is written by an Italian for a would-be Italian restaurant. And the result is: mostly fail. Went here after reading an NYT review. Obviously those guys are clueless, because they hyped this place up so much I thought I was going to get a pass to food heaven by eating here. Not. I ordered basic Italian family-cooked food and they messed up almost everything, including basic stuff like the saltiness of the pasta. wine was average and over-priced. Price to quality ratio is bad. Do yourselves a favor and go to other, better Italian restaurants. and never trust the NYT food critics.
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Review from Siv L.
3/23/2011
Came here with an old friend, his band, and the singer that they perform with who is pretty well-known. Of course then our service was extremely attentive and warm. The dim lights and decor also makes the place feel homey and intimate. I remember the room being filled with laughter throughout most of dinner.
We ended up ordering way too much food and it kept coming and coming.
The antipasto was very good. The caprese salad was good. As an entree, I ordered a pasta with red meat sauce which I thought was just OK -- didn't burst with flavor in my mouth. However the zucchini fries were AMAZING. So yummy.
I would definitely come back here because I had such a great time and the food overall was good -- and the fries may be reason enough to dine here again. -
Review from John P.
Smithtown, NY
12/6/2011
Best kept secret in Manhattan. Always great food, service, and the setting is perfect.
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Review from Joey B.
New York, NY
12/13/2011
i have been a "regular" and ballato's for over two years now and can say that this is hands down the best italian food restaurant in the area.
favorites: stuffed clams, sauteed mushrooms, ziti with meatballs, sausage and pork!
the ambiance is old school, comfortable, and inviting; the staff is friendly and attentive.
the only downside is that ever since they got a write up in the nyt, you need to get there early or expect to wait on a LONG line. -
Review from Jane D.
Santa Monica, CA
10/26/2010
A so-so experience.
The chicken parm was the best part of the meal, a melt in your mouth event. The proscuitto rolls were delish, the fried zucchini very good. The bean escarole soup had little soup, lots of junk in it and too much escarole. The spaghetti and meatballs were nothing special, sadly.
We had a terrible waiter, who brought me the wrong soup, forgot to bring things he was asked for, he didn't know the wine list (or wine, for that matter) and was generally inattentive.
The new room is beautiful, we sat in a lovely corner booth, that was the highlight. -
Review from Ariel S.
Brooklyn, NY
1/21/2011
Ballato's was very tasty, from the salumi and appetizers down to the pasta. The service was also attentive, kind, and quite old school in its delivery.. Apparently the restaurant is also a favorite spot of folks like David Bowie and Billy Joel.. It was also cool to see the owner lounging around, and his kid taking up managerial duties.
My only real criticism is the price point, which is on the high side. -
Review from Chris W.
San Francisco, CA
9/26/2010
Pretty decent wine list, but the food was nothing to write home about both in terms of the variety of the menu, the price, and the quality.
I ordered the tagliatelle, which was really more of a linguine, and it was much less 'done' than al dente. Also, the bread was greasy and the service was not what I would have expected (water glass became empty a couple times).
I wish that I had waited in line for the more popular (and well-regarded) places near Little Italy. I'd recommend you learn from my mistake. -
Review from Andrew F.
New York, NY
9/9/2010
This place is truly a gem. Recommended to me by a client that I trust implicitly, I was eager to find out what Ballato's had in store. The space is a simple rectangle, with a single chandelier in the window hanging over a table of perfectly arranged wine glasses.
We started with three kinds of bread (all delicious) and then got the stuffed clams and caprese salad. Both were excellent.
The waiter (I've never seen a waiter MORE proud / excited about his food) said that I had to have the spaghetti and meatballs, and I figured, what the hell, I'll get a simple dish. It was amazing. Absolutely amazing. The sauce and basil so fresh it really popped. Meatballs were cooked to perfection.
We ordered a bottle of wine and when we finished it he filled up our glasses one more time on the house. Couldn't ask for more of a restaurant. We will be back. -
Review from Philip K.
Portland, OR
4/17/2008
Good, but less stars for being way overpriced.
I had the sausage and broccoli, and that's all you get, sausage links and some good broccoli.
I also had a little of the mozzarella and tomato salad. That was good.
But, again, way overpriced. -
Review from Ron T.
Forest Hills, NY
5/31/2010
Great Southern Italian Food, Intimate Service, and a Great Wine List make this one of my favorites.
Colorado Rack of Lamb, Spaghetti Bolognese, Tiramisu and the Meatballs are some of my favorites.
Ask Emilio for a wine recommendation, he has an extensive collection. -
Review from H. W.
Brooklyn, NY
1/13/2011
The place has a very clubby atmosphere and apparently has been around forever. Most of the customers seemed to be regulars. It seems that if you are a regular you will be welcomed warmly by the owner who holds court at one of the tables. If you are not a regular, you will get a frosty stare and disaffected service. What really did it was the food poisoning that followed the frozen-tv-dinner tasting meal.
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Review from fred r.
Los Angeles, CA
11/17/2010
Superb. I've been here three times now and it's only gotten better. The food is consistently excellent and i've sampled most of the menu. The last time i went in on thurs. night 11/11/10, there was a great vibe and crowd. I'm not sure why but there seems to be a new energy to the place in the past week. Hopefully, that continues. I now prefer Ballato's over Morandi.
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Review from Scott B.
Beverly Hills, CA
11/28/2011
High quality fresh food. Had the basics - green salad which was fresh and crispy with the perfect italian dressing and the absolute best pasta primadoro ever (that spaghetti with tomato sauce). The pasta was cooked perfectly and the sauce was memorable and worth many return trips! This 10 table hideaway is just a gem - the owner hanging out and schmoozing helps too!
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Review from Rick W.
New York, NY
8/8/2010
AVOID OR BE SORRY. On a recent Friday evening at 7:30, with only two other tables of patrons and with at least six wait staff in the room, it took 15 minutes to get a glass of water -- then after getting a waiter to come over, we placed our order only to wait over an hour for what can best be described as 'food I could make better at home'. The restaurant's business model is simple: we'll only see these people once, so make them sit around long enough to buy a second bottle of wine, gouge 'em on the food and spit them out door. The place didn't even have decaf. I give it one star only because yelp! requires it.
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Review from Carolyn H.
Manhattan, NY
3/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
The rigatoni con zucchini was sooooooo delicious!
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Review from Jim R.
Hoboken, NJ
12/19/2009
Had a celebratory dinner here last month with a group from work and found the food, wine and service all very agreeable. The homemade mozzarella and tomato salad, foccacia, fried zucchini and spaghetti pomodoro were delicious. The group entree choices were meat but the kitchen worked up the best swordfish I think I've ever had for me. The cut of fish was superb, very tender and moist with a classic lemon & caper sauce. Oh and everyone else raved about the meat balls.
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Review from Monsieur B.
Washington, DC
2/21/2008
Raphael, amigo, basic Italian fare with perfection? Por favor...
Ok, so you might, like we did, stumble across this place while walking East on Houston, and you might, like we did, be fooled into thinking you found a diamond in the rough. Yes, the place has an "under re[sic]construction" vibe to it. I believe what drew us in ultimately, aside from the vintage chandeliers and rustic wallpaper, was the fact that it was probably the coldest night in manhattan in the past 10 years.
Service was spotty. Bread and olive oil were mediocre. Options were limited; basic not in a "we only serve pizza because we do it the best" or "we're famous for our lasagna so we'll only have a couple other options" - but basic in a every Italian restaurant offering sort of way.
Food was fine, no particular complaints. Entrees were entirely overpriced for their simplicity, and when the bill came we were decidedly over the whole decor.
In short, the restaurant is nothing to seek out for a dinner. Unless, like Raphael, you don't mind spending nearly $100 for a soup, veal entree, and a 2 glasses of wine... and an "under reconstruction" truly wannabe "in the know" hole in the wall on East Houston. If your looking for basic Italian fare, with a warm ambiance, and constant delivery, at half the price, hit up your local Serrafino. -
Review from ifor m.
La Quinta, CA
12/16/2010
Came here in March with my brother when we were freezing to the bone and decided to stop in here because it was the first place we saw.
We were greeted by the owner and felt completely welcome even though it was around 3pm. Emilio and I started talking and discovered that we both had a passion for food. The decor was perfect and what I imagined a NY place should be being my first trip to the big apple and there is always something to look at or someone to talk to.
I had a fantastic plate of spaghetti and left very happy. We even saw Stanley Tucci walk in when we were about to leave, a bit of a surprise.
My friend and I returned to New York in August to visit many restaurants on our list. The last was Emilio's as I was sure that I was not going to be disappointed. And I wasn't.
We came here and it left like Emilio remember who I was, even if he didn't, and welcomed us in. We started out by sampling different breads and olive oils when he pulled out a bottle of olive oil that you couldn't buy here in America but was sent to him by friends in Italy. It was fabulous and that was before our food. We talked for a long time about different things from his customers to private planes. Fun times indeed.
We had wonderful plates of food to fill us up before our flight back to LA.
He even gave us a can of tomatoes to take home with me.
I had a wonderful time and fondly remember this as my favorite restaurant I've ever been to.
I can't wait to return to NY and come back to Emilio's Ballato.
Bravo!! -
Review from K S.
Los Angeles, CA
Updated - 12/13/2011
I've been back several times. Each time the service gets worse - you need to keep flagging someone down to get anything. But now the food seems okay but not stellar. Some of the dishes are lackluster, in fact oddly out of touch with some of the menu. Still, if you stick with the basics, like the pastas, and meatballs, you'll be pleased. Avoid items that seem basic, like the mixed Italian appetizer - a poorly thought out hodgepodge of passable salami, but couldn't they have come up with something other than a couple of balls of mozzarella and sliced red peppers? I know, now I'm saying it's too simple. Bottom line, perhaps the NY Times overzealous comments on this place, more than once, have lead them astray. The curmudgeon owner means well, but perhaps there is a bit of hubris worked into the mix. Take the time to talk to him about the cuisines and you will hear the inflexibility. I guess if things have always worked in the past, why change anything? But something has changed here and not for the better. Also, the timing of our meal was weird. I had to beg to get our main dishes out at 7:30, after my group ordered at 6. We had an 8 PM show and the owner was told upon our arrival, yet nobody saw to it that we ate comfortably and got out on time. I might try them again, but right now I'll go to one of the many others in the area, all within a few blocks on adjacent Mulberry, albeit a tad touristy. I guess I don't come often enough to be a regular. And that's a shame that at these prices you can get shoddy service. If I do go back, I'll try for lunch.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/14/2010
Fell into this place after talking with Colin Quinn and making plans to see his one man show. It's… Read more »
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Review from Ande F.
New York, NY
10/24/2010
Went here for brunch & was very impressed - their lunch menu has very reasonable prices ($10-13) and a good selection of salads, breakfast items, sandwiches and pastas. The food was delicious and the coffee was very good. Not sure why the expansion on Mott isn't usually crowded - I will go back and try dinner there as well
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Review from Lawrence L.
New York, NY
5/3/2010
Until they expand into the Elizabeth Street storefront around the corner, this place has a "hole-in-the-wall" feel with all the accommodations of a full restaurant. Although that portions are a bit small, the food is uncomplicated and delicious. Service is also great because there's probably one waiter for every 1.5 tables.
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Review from L P.
Manchester, MA
4/17/2011
First visit and it was great! Small intimate atmosphere "distressed" walls covered with many pictures of people and places. Very nice. From the outside not much to look at but once inside very comfortable. Food was excellent from the Chilean Sea Bass Piccata to a shrimp and pasta in a spicy marinara sauce.. Very generous servings! Started with the antipasto with fresh mozzarella which was incredible... Will be back
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Review from Mog C.
7/22/2008
This place is right on Houston and is nestled between other places that make you want to keep on walking. BUT if you actually go in, you'll find this tiny place has quite a bit of character. There are napkin drawings on the wall (yes, someone drew with ballpoint pen on napkins and framed them - and it's really quite cool). There's a chandelier. The walls of the tiny restroom are covered in newspaper articles. The waitstaff is old fashioned and dressed representatively so. And while this all sounds weird, it manages to mesh together into a rather charming space. The menu is not extensive by any mean. Portions are small. I did not pick up the check so I don't know what prices are but this is a place that is surprising in that it is so unexpected. Food is much better than most places in Little Italy. And while there are better Italian places in the city, this one is worth checking out just b/c it's different.
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Review from Jamie R.
New York, NY
3/7/2011
I have to start by saying that I used to love this place. The food is very good and I really like the old school atmosphere. Unfortunately, the service has disappointed us so many times recently that we are giving up on Emilio's Ballato (which really pains me, because it had become our go-to Italian spot). As one reviewer said, the owner scowls at you when you are sitting in his restaurant (one would expect at least a hello or welcome). On a recent visit, our waiter told us he was going to charge $8 extra to substitute spaghetti for potatoes and vegetables. Then, the manager/owner and his son were incredibly difficult and unresponsive while we were trying to plan a private party there. We were going to give them a lot of business (in a restaurant that has been almost empty the last few times we've been in there), and they couldn't have been ruder. When we followed-up with them after two unreturned phone calls, they came up with a song and dance and gave us the complete runaround. They really do not understand how to run a business and they have unfortunately lost very good customers due to they way they treated us on several occasions.
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Review from Ally A.
Chicago, IL
8/31/2010
My husband and I ate here over the weekend and loved it. We entered and sat on the Houston side, the "dumpy part" as KS refers to it. This is straight-forward Italian - a few pasta dishes, a few meat dishes, nothing that left us asking "what the heck is that?" Everything was fresh and authentic. We enjoyed the pace of service, but I can see where some might disagree. They don't rush the courses. They also intentionally let us hang out after we finished eating until we were ready (and asked) for the check. It was nice not to have someone hovering, waiting for us to get out so they could turn the table.
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Review from Raphael a.
New York, NY
3/17/2005
ok so you walk into this place that looks like it's under reconstruction. It's a small space, and they use the mirror idea to give the illusion that there's more space then there actually is. The beauty is that there's plenty of room for everyone. It's not crowded but it's always full. And with that, you never wait a long time. It's very basic italian fare, but it's done to perfection. I went with my girlfriend, and she starts with ordering mushrooms as an appetizer. That's all it says on the menu, mushrooms. Jesus, when they came out you couldn't see the waiter's face behind this pile of fungus. It was awesome. Some were roasted, others sauteed, with bread it nearly finished us, if it weren't for the copious amounts of decently tasty house red. Well, my girlfriend orders the linguini with porcini, nice choice for the veggie. I go for the saltimbocca. The prociutto was crisp, the veal tender. The sauce was thick but hardly sticky or bitter. The linguini was in a bowl you could bathe a small dog in, filled with the porcini mushrooms. There were minced, and sliced, all in a very light but hardy tomato sauce. The garlic was apparant but not at all overpowering. The bread was crusty and soft on the inside. Olive oil left tableside allows for dipping while you wait for the cullinary delights. The atmosphere is cavernous, and dark, i think because of the twenty foot ceilings.The way i like my restaurants. Service is never seen but constantly in motion. Huge portions, solid service, idiosincratic ambiance,and all in all not so expensive. The best part is, it's a secret! shhhhhhhhhh.
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Review from Dianne S.
New York, NY
7/28/2010
I love this place! i have been a fan of this neighborhood NOLITA gem for years and it is refreshing to see that is has grown and expanded with it's original, authentic integrity. The food is the real deal with the purest, freshest Italian ingredients and exquisite preparation. Owner, Emilio makes the experience and it is no surprise that this best kept secret in NYC is a favorite amongst celebrities and neighborhooders alike! Simply, the BEST!
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Review from maddeline p.
New York, NY
4/2/2009
little place that looks scary from outside but is ok inside, a bit run down..
it passed the test- the spaghetti pomodoro is very good. overall place is a nice more delicious little italy type place.
