Tello's Ristorante
263 W 19th St
(between 7th Ave & 8th Ave)
New York, NY 10011 (212) 691-8696
- Nearest Transit:
18th St-7th Ave (1)
23rd St-8th Ave (C, E)
14th St-8th Ave (A, C, E, L)
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
70 reviews
Neighborhood: Manhattan/East Village
"A.Mazing. I don't know how people can rag on this place for being simple. Italian food IS simple, and they do it perfectly here. I am…" read more »
10 Reviews for Tello's Ristorante
We only ate here once or twice but it was OK. It does look like Little Italy. Tello, by the way, is the chef at La Belle Vie when it was Trois Canards, I don't know if he still is. They are both owned by the same person, as is Mare and Cuba Cafe.
We're very serious about Italian food, and not everything here is notable, but the porcini tortelli (in a cream sauce) is fantastic. Worth going back for. Nicely priced wine list is a plus.
Having traveled in Italy recently, I'd been a bit hesitant to try a new Italian restaurant (as if that's made me an expert!?), but I checked out Tello and was happy to find some decent food!
FOOD: Over all, I thought the flavors were a bit strong, but the sauces were rich and tasty regardless. The two appetizers - baked clams in butter sauce and fried calamari - were both delicious. We had two kinds of fish - Sole Capri and Red Snapper Napoli - which were both tender and well marinated. Between the two veal entrees, the Veal Saltimboca was more satisfying, while the mozzarella on Veal Salvaggio was a little overwhelming. Finally, the Beef Short Ribs were excellent - soft and juicy! No doubt, it got the most votes from our table.
SETTING: The overall ambiance is lovely! The seating area is a little small and cramped, but warm and cozy with oldies music playing from the jukebox. A perfect, unassuming setting for a date.
SERVICE: Not bad. Generally attentive, and the owner(?) is a friendly guy.
SUM: Didn't really see the hot Italian guys, but that's okay. Our next target is the $12.95 prix fixe weekend brunch!
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BRUNCH update: We really enjoyed our Sunday prix fixe brunch! (Available from 11am to 4pm, Sat & Sun.) You start with a drink - wine, bloody mary, bellini, or mimosa. Then you pick one of the entrees from a long list of options. We had the grilled wild salmon with creamy sauce, duck & turkey sausages and egg, and a grilled chicken salad. All very tasty. BUT, the biggest indulgence was the freshly baked BISCUITS! Crusty on the outside...warm and buttery in the inside.
Our server was incredibly friendly and helpful in selecting our dishes. We're definitely going back!
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I know it's a New York tradition to wait in the longest possible line for Sunday brunch. All the cool kids are doing it. But if you feel like bucking the trend while having marvelous, unconventional brunch options -- and a cocktail! -- then run, don't walk, to Tello's.
Your $12.95 prix-fixe brunch includes a breakfast cocktail; a pair of warm biscuits (hey, get your mind out of the gutter...); and tea or coffee. Brunch is served 11 to 4 and the place was almost empty from 11 to noon.
I had a Bellini, which was very refreshing, cool and peachy and fizzy like Chloe Sevigny. The biscuits were like Marilyn Monroe: steamy and flaky and buttery. Sorry, I just can't stop with the biscuits.... For my entree I got the warm duck salad. Duck salad? At brunch? You're darn right. This was a lovely, rich piece of crispy fried duck, served on a bed of greens: lightly dressed, tangy and slightly sweet. Just like Jessica Biel... jeez, what's wrong with me today? I can't stop! What was in that Bellini?
Uh, bombshell comparisons aside, this is a great little restaurant and I'd love to come back for dinner. But if I sound like this after eating the duck, it's a good thing they serve mussels and not oysters! Highly recommended for a date, but only if you really like them...
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This place is the best undiscovered Italian Restaurant in the city. The atmosphere is relaxed and oh so cozy, the service is top notch and the food is AMAZING!!!
I bring everyone who comes to visit NYC to this place because I need an excuse to go here more often. I've never had a bad experience dining here.
Great for dates, business dinners or just a night out with friends.
Go eat and be merry!!!!
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Lovely brunch for good price ($12.95). The fresh-out-of-the-oven biscuits were wonderful, and the crab cakes benedict are amazing. The mimosas and bellinis are good too! Very friendly service.
Okay, so I didn't have true Italian food here. Okay, so I didn't have *anything* even close to Italian! But, I was in the area for brunch time, and decided to pop in here and try out their $12.95 brunch.
I won't go into all the reasons I super heart brunch so much, but let's just say it's really hard to mess up brunch for me. And Tello's did not accomplish that monstrous feat! They get bonus points for offering a Bellini along with the usual brunch alcoholic delights. They also had a menu that was a bit more lunch-heavy, but that was okay. The homemade biscuits that they bring out are amazing--and it was very hard not to fill up on them! Our smoked duck/turkey sausages were so tasty and filling. Portions were also just right for a meal meant to stand in the place of *two* meals:)
The service was super-nice, and she was really sweet about trying to get the manager to give in and take my Diner's Deck card for lunch. She seemed more upset about it than me, which was really sweet (and ensured a great tip:)). The straight-out-of-a-Di Nero-film setting was a plus as well (though if someone can explain the random, unsigned Richard Gere photo hanging near the front, I'd really appreciate it!).
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OK... don't everyone go at once, this little hole-in-the-wall fills up fast. However, what I am about to say will have you running out the door to Chelsea. Two words... Rigatoni Tello.
That's it.
This was the first Italian restaurant I ventured to after I returned home from living in Firenze... to my surprise, their cuisine/atmosphere/service was very much Italian. I was impressed from the get go.
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I almost don't want to write this review--I love this restaurant and I would hate for it to get too discovered. (My honey brought me to Tello for the first time, and it became our little romantic hangout.) Everything I have tried there has been good, the staff is wonderful (and good lookin'), and it's got a cozy, quiet atmosphere! This is a real neighborhood place right in the heart of Chelsea. I love it! And, here's a little secret (damn, I should shut up!): Tello has one of the best brunches I've had in Manhattan, but the place is never full during the brunching hours. What is wrong with you people???? Wake up! I see you lined up at mediocre diners nearby waiting for a table for Lord knows how long, and right around the corner is Tello, where for $12 flat rate (2006 dollars) you get a selection of big items to choose from--duck salad, eggs benedict, mussels, omelets, etc!--plus a Mimosa, Bloody Mary, or glass of wine, plus coffee all included. It's fabulous. (I am addicted to the poached eggs and beef hash.) Sunday brunch at Tello is one of my favorite things to do. Dinner is just as good--I've had some memorable ones in there! When the weather's nice you can usually get a table outside or near the open veranda doors and watch the passing parade on W 19th near 8th Ave. Meanwhile, the crowd inside is a mix--but mostly New Yorkers--low key and polite--nice. Did I die and go to heaven?
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I am normally skeptical about the quality of italian food in New York - they tend to be more Italian-American than Italian! Tello's is an exception - the food, service and ambience set standards for others to follow. Ask for Greg - he makes the place. And cross your fingers and hope that the lobster linguini is on the specials menu - it is breathtaking!
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