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Ralph's Italian Restaurant
Rating Details »
- Nearest Transit:
-
59th St-Columbus Circle (1, A, C, B, D)
50th St-8th Ave (C, E)
57th St-7th Ave (N, Q, R, W)
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
Sponsored Result
Special Offer Nearby
Trattoria Toscana
- Category:
- Italian
- Neighborhood:
- West Village
Sunday thru Thursday 10% off for Yelpers (cash only). Lunch specials all week for only $12.50, come join us and see what the Yelp is about
15 reviews for Ralph's Italian Restaurant
A friend recommended Ralph's to me when I asked if she knew of any places near Terminal 5. My sister, niece (the definition of "picky eater"), and I found this casual Italian eatery to be a perfect stop before our pre-Fab Faux evening.
The food was fresh, delicious and delivered to our tables quickly. The waiters flitted back and forth just as quickly, although there was no pressure to leave. It seemed from the diners around us that Ralph's is a favorite of many "locals" as well.
Ralph's is great. At first, I was skeptical, on the idea of going to an Italian restaurant with a lazy name like "Ralph's" written in Garfield comic font on the awning. But Ralph's food is traditional Italian fare, prepared well and very reasonably priced. The wine is also inexpensive. The service is good, too. What else is there to say? good food, good service and good prices, it won't blow you away, but it is a great neighborhood spot.
I love this place. My mom and I stumbled on it a few months ago when she was visiting me. We were looking for a good, yet inexpensive place to sit down and have a quiet meal. After walking down the street and looking at various menus, we decided that Ralph's menu looked tasty and was priced much more reasonable than other Italian restaurants in the neighborhood. What a great find!! The food we had was absolutely delicious, service was good, etc. The entrees are portioned pretty big and run from about $12-$17.
My boyfriend and I went here last night being in the mood for Italian and were both very satisfied again with our choice to eat here. Food was great (he got veal parm, I got the pollo francaise, we shared calamari), prices were good, and it was a quiet, romantic dinner.
The only thing that always makes me wonder is why this place was so empty!! I've been there for dinner around 5pm and around 9:30pm and both times there was only one other table in the restaurant.
Anyway, I definitely recommend if you're in the neighborhood.
If you and I dined at Ralph's, you better believe I'm going to steal bites from your plate, with or without your consent. I love Italian cuisine and Ralph's is one of the reasons why. This corner restaurant can get busy very quickly, as should any restaurant with such great food.
Gnocci Genovese. How could I fall so deeply in love with a potato? It's unreal here. I'll admit that I'm a creature of strong habits, so I almost always order it on every visit. I've stolen bites from my dinner partner's penne alla vodka and another's penne caprese. Each were delightfully alluring, but could not surpass my gnocci. I haven't visited in a while and I long to break their soft bread with my fingers.
Seating is a little tight, depending on where you sit. I enjoy people watching, so if you walk by Ralph's you'll probably see me seeing you from the window seats. Those tables are a bit close and you'll find yourself trying very hard to block out other dinner patron's inane table chatter. Other than that, you can expect to have a great experience here, be it friendly or romantic.
Ambience: Works. Dim light with paintings on the walls. Fairly clean.
Food:
Appetizer: Caprese Salad - Tomatoes were as firm as apples. Mozzarella wasn't fresh. Bread tasted like it was grocery store private label.
Main course: rigatoni with rabe + hot sausage in garlic oil sauce.
Sausage was primarily gristle. Sauce was watery. Big chunks of uncooked garlic.
Service: Attentive.
Maybe locals have their favorites here + prices are relatively cheap. However, wouldn't recommend it.
Very simple neighborhood go-to.
I ordered the Tortellini Della Nonna. It's a cheese tortellini with prosciutto, mushrooms, peas in a cream sauce. It was light (as light as a cream sauce goes) and just fulfilling enough. The portions aren't huge and they don't drench everything in 1000 calorie sauces. It was a great balance of pasta vs sauce. Very tasty and satisfied my carb craving rightfully so.
A friend got the spaghetti and meatballs which is as simple an italian fare as you can get. Everything tasted homemade and there wasn't anything pretentious or canned about the atmosphere, service, or food.
Not special.
Okay food, if you're in the nabe.
Been here forever.
Ralph's was quite a splendid treat for us as tourists. Being on 9th, it's a little less crowded and busy than the other more downtown restaurants. I had the Chicken Parm (called Pollo Parmigana for some reason), and my gf had the Penne with Vodka Sause. Both meals were filling and reasonably priced. The sause was especially good, and the two pieces of chicken I got were really massive.
We went there around 8 PM on a Tuesday, and the place was not even half full. The candlelight tables make for a romantic diner mood. My only complaint was charging for refills of soda.
OK so I've gone for the big 5 stars so I'd better back it up.
I've been to Ralph's a few times with my wife and with friends and always had a great meal. The food is simple Italian with a good selection of favorites and some more regional dishes. Wine list is big enough to give you a good selection but without making you plow through a dictionary. Staff are all very friendly and the service is quick without being rushed. It can get busy but I've never had a problem getting a table even on Friday and Saturday nights. Combine all this with very reasonable prices, good ambiance and a pretty convenient location and you've got a little gem.
Ralph's is a great find and a favorite of mine for lunch. They have a nice atmosphere, good service and the prices are very good especially the lunch specials at around $10 will leave you feeling full. I have had many different dishes and everything has always been delicious!
Ralph's is a very good neighborhood restaurant. In a neighborhood with plenty of Italian options (Italian restaurants occupy 3 of the four corners of the intersection of 56th and 9th!) Ralph's plays the role of understated quality. The restaurant is not going to blow anyone away but their food is consistently good, the service is always attentive and friendly and their prices are incredibly reasonable. The menu covers all of the favorites and generally doesn't get too adventurous. Overall it is a great choice if you're in the neighborhood and want good Italian food at a reasonable price. There are certainly better places in the city and even in the neighborhood, but it would be tough to find a place that provides such consistent value.
Ralph is the kind of restaurant that Hell's Kitchen needs. Its complete with the charm and bustle that make it a neighborhood gem and a great pre-theater option. The decor is old fashioned yet busy enough during dinner hours to seem like a real bustling place. Beware, Thursday through Sunday can get incredibly busy after 7:00PM so its a good idea to arrive before then as they don't take reservations.
The food was fantastic and it was incredibly reasonable in price. Our waiter was courteous from start to finish and the other guys were great about refills and getting napkins or whatever else. My dining companion and I were stuffed toward the very end, belly full of food and face full of smiles because of a fabulous experience here. It will become an old reliable neighborhood spot in no time.
This restaurant's only saving grace is the staff. Some very nice people work here and that is why I feel bad writing this review. But, I can't help it, mediocre Italian food is useless to me, and probably you too. Everything I tried was a little below average for this city.
I stumbled on Ralph's a while back en route to the ballet at Lincoln Center. My friends and I really enjoyed our meal there and loved that there were so many menu options in the $10ish range. The service is excellent--traditional, courteous and friendly. Reminds me of restaurants I grew up going to. My fave dish is the pasta primavera--I've gone back for it a few times and haven't been disappointed. The same can't be said for a shrimp dish that was special one night--it was way to heavy and just tasted a little off. Stick to the basics here and you'll be very satisfied.
I simply cannot believe that there were no reviews of this inexpensive gem of an Italian restaurant that has been opened for years!! A long time NYC friend took me here before we went to see a preview of the new musical Spring Awakening( it was fantastic!!). We arrived at Ralph's and the place was packed( always a good sign, in my book)! The restaurant is pretty large so there were a few tables available. This is definitely an old school style restaurant. We sat down and a basket of okay tasting bread was served. I picked up the menu and started reading and this is when it all came together. Nice selection of appetizers and salad's( all very reasonably priced). You must be wondering why the 5 stars. How often do you go to a NYC Italian restaurant and see Manicotti on the menu for the ridiculous price of $8.95? And when said Manicotti arrives there are two large pieces stuffed with ricotta cheese and covered in a delicious ragu with melted mozzarella on top? I really don't remember much about the rest of the menu because when I saw Manicotti I was done reading. I have to go back to look at the rest of the menu. I don't even remember the dessert selection. Hell, I don't know if there is one at all! House chardonnay for $6 came in a huge wine glass and there was no need to order another. Service was great! Tables were spread apart to allow for intimate conversation. Go Go Go!!!!
