Carlotto

Carlotto was on my list of restaurants for my last visit to NYC last year, but we never made it in, so I made sure it was on our list of restaurants for our girls' trip to NYC this year. And it did not disappoint!First, everyone from the hostess to our amazing waitress was amazing. The service is attentive, warm, and friendly.The vibe is cozy, comforting, and the noise level was perfect enough for me and my 5 friends to have a lively conversation without yelling across the table, but we never felt like we had to whisper either. It's a really fun vibe here.The wine list is top notch. I love the variety of wines at different price points. We had a delightful and food-friendly Nebbiolo, and a couple of my girlfriends ordered cocktails and mocktails that they enjoyed.Now onto the food. Oh my. I am still dreaming of my Mafaldine Nero - the lobster with squid ink pasta. The pasta was cooked perfectly, there was a nice amount of buttery lobster meat, and the crunchy topping added the right amount of texture to the dish. My friends enjoyed a risotto, the agnolotti (I'm getting that next time!), and the raviolo, which was also executed beautifully. We enjoyed a few sides, too, including focaccia, crispy artichokes, the slow roasted lamb, and the waitress brought us a plate of crispy potatoes. For dessert, the hazelnut croccante is amazing!! All of the dishes were enjoyed with high praise while we were eating, and my friends and I still text each other about craving certain dishes from that dinner. The prices were well priced for the quality and the quantity, especially in NYC and compared to similar restaurants in the city. Highly recommend you make a reservation if you're in the area. I will definitely be back during future trips to NY!

Side note: If you are planning on ordering the prix fixe, make sure everyone is getting it. It's not listed online but the table as a whole had to get it and in order for two other folks in our group not to get it, we had to pull some chicanery and have them as a separate table.Next door to Oceans and apparently related at least according to some other reviews, this is a nice newer Italian spot with a killer deal. There's a 3 course special for $65 consisting of one antipasti, one pasta/risotto/secondi, and one dolce with some courses being very worthy supplements. The lighting is a tad dark but the ambiance is otherwise nice and I could see this being a good date spot. While waiting for the rest of the group, I got a Boulevardier from the cocktail menu with Taconic cabernet cask bourbon, Mulassano bitter, and Marolo Rosso for $20 from the negroni section which was alcohol forward as expected with some bitterness and earthiness but not too much. It was a pretty solid red vermouth negroni and I would probably recommend it. The service was solid giving good recommendations to other folks based on whether they wanted a lighter or heavier meal and the such.For my antipasti, I went with the Slow Roasted Lamb Rib "Presse" with salsa verde, pickled chanterelles, and walnuts which would normally be $25 and is included without any supplemental charge. The lamb was fork tender and quite tasty with the pickled mushrooms adding some nice sourness to help with the richness. The walnuts were a unique extra crunch to the dish while the salsa verde added some good freshness. This didn't taste particularly Italian but it was tasty and I would recommend it. Another person enjoyed the meatballs and someone else loved the burrata appetizer.For my main dish, I went with the Lasagne Al Forno with ragù bolognese, wild mushrooms, béchamel, and mozzarella which is $38 and is a $7 supplement to said prix fixe. The portion size of the ragu was enormous and it was well worth the surcharge. The ragu had a good tomato base with plenty of meat and was a bi thicker/chunkier than expected. The mushrooms added plenty of earthiness and there was also a large amount of cheese. I would have preferred a bit more crisp to the pasta but otherwise no real complaints and for lasagna fans, this would be a must order. Other people got various pastas and the person who got the Mafaldine Nere for $7 extra in particular said the lobster was excellent.My dessert was the Strawberries & Cream Verrina with raspberry sorbet, strawberry granita, Sicilian pistachio, and dacquoise for $14. The dessert was definitely on the sour end and almost too much so and was probably my least favorite course but was still decent. I know someone else got the affogato which looked excellent and someone else paid $5 extra for the Hazelnut Croccante which they liked a lot.For the price point, it's hard to complain. The supplements are worth it and even if you don't get said supplements, the options are varied enough for an excellent meal. Mid 4 for the deal combined with excellent quality. I can see this place staying popular for a long time.

While Carlotto is not yet a Torrisi or L'artusi, it certainly feels like your Wednesday night version of either of those spots with a really lovely Italian menu, some great dishes, a good space, and potentially better service than many other higher end italian spots in NYC. The waiter, runner, and sommelier all introduced themselves to me, treated me so well, and actually had a good time with our table.We didn't get to try everything on the menu, but of what we did have the Crudo was solid - unique taste, not the best Crudo I've ever had, but very good all the same. The Little Gem Caesar was exactly what you would expect. It was good, but not spectacular. The Cinghiale was also pretty good, but again, nothing over the top spectacular. And the Veal Parm was good, but we were getting full, and I don't think quite as good as Emilio Balato's. Desserts however were on the great side, with the tiramisu being my fave!For good italian in Flatiron, this is a good spot...maybe they can grow and become a Torrisi one day, but for now, I'm not going to argue with them.

5/5 for the ambiance. We were seated at the bar and the shelving, lighting and overall experience felt elevated and cozy. Cute spot for a date. Bartenders were wonderful, had great conversation as we waited for our drinks. I had a Cosmopolitan and a Negroni - classic cocktails, well made. Our dessert was the hazelnut croccante. Praline crunch was great texturally with the mousse. Enjoyed the sweet bite! Would come again to try the food.

Pasta was absolutely delicious! The fresh cheese and thick homemade noodles made for some of the beet pasta I have ever had. My entire family enjoyed their meal. The space was somewhat tight but it wasn't too intense, especially for the city. 10/10 homemade pasta!!

4.5 starsI had the pleasure of choosing the destination for our work team's holiday dinner, and I selected Carlotto. The reviews, pictures, and menu all sounded amazing, so we were excited to give it a shot. The restaurant was stunning - dark, sleek, modern, and seductive. It was also extremely packed on that Thursday evening. We were taken to a small corner booth, where we got comfortable and were immediately asked about our water preferences. In fact, we found the service very efficient throughout the experience.We started by ordering some beverages, and I went with the "Paradiso" Margarita, which contained a sweet, tart blend of Absolut vanilla vodka, Chinola passionfruit liqueur, and prosecco for a bit of bubbles. I completely adored it and would definitely rank it up there as one of my favorite cocktails of all time! We also got a few appetizers to share. There were thin slices of garlic toast that were topped with a layer of butter and then a Cantabrian anchovy. There was a bit too much butter for my liking, but it was a really delicious bite regardless. Then came the Heirloom Carrot Salad with creamy Stracciatella, smoked almonds, and sweet golden raisins, which had an excellent blend of flavors, colors, and textures. The crispy baby artichokes had a bright freshness thanks to lemon bagna cauda and mint. They were then heavily covered with shaved pecorino. For my main course, I opted for the Pappardelle with a slow-cooked, wild boar ragu and Parmesan cheese, which was hearty and delicious. After our great, separate entrees, we went back to sharing a few desserts. The Tiramisu was the ideal balance of cream, coffee, and fluffy lady fingers. While I really liked that treat, I found the Hazelnut Croccante to be even better. The dense mound of chocolate-hazelnut mousse had been drizzled with chocolate sauce and topped with a praline crunch and candied cherries; it was decadent, but also light.We were all very impressed with Carlotto, and I mentally congratulated myself on yet another fantastic pick!

3 stars for the incredibly slow service but five stars for the quality of food, value for prix fixe, ambience and decor. Our server took a long time to take our order, give us our check, and collect our payment. All in all, our dinner was 2.5 hours long and I can easily say over 30 minutes of that was just waiting for our server to come to our table... not ideal. Thankfully we were not bound to a certain time frame but it was still annoying to wait so long. Onto the good stuff. The restaurant is beautiful and well decorated. It did remind me of a nice restaurant I went to in Siena with the brick and rounded ceiling. The bathrooms are also modern and they use hand towels which is a nice touch. However, some people don't know how to flush the toilet using the device on the wall so that left some unpleasant surprises...The prix fixe deal (3 courses for $65) is awesome. I loved all my dishes (the heirloom carrot salad, the spaghetti with clams, and the tiramisu). The Phony Negroni spirit-free cocktail was also good! I also noticed they have a happy hour with generous hours so would love to come back for that in the future. There also seemed to be a back room for private parties which looked very nice and intimate.

I really enjoy Carlotto. I've been here for both dinner and happy hour, and the ambiance is perfect--dim, moody, and inviting. Their happy hour menu is excellent with a variety of offerings: * House-Made Focaccia: Thick, fluffy, and drizzled with olive oil--an indulgent starter. * Cantabrian Anchovies & Butter: Salty anchovies on toasted garlic bread. It's an interesting combination, but a little too salty for my taste. I could skip this one. * Tuna Stuffed Pepper: This didn't really impress me and can probably be passed over. * Pinsa Romana: Prosciutto on crisp bread with fresh arugula and a generous amount of Parmesan. A solid and satisfying choice. * Lasagne al Forno: Nicely layered with rich ragù Bolognese. While decent, it didn't quite blow me away. * Mafaldine Nere: My absolute favorite! It came with large chunks of lobster and cherry tomatoes--simply delicious * Hazelnut Croccante: It was very good, but overly sweet.The pasta here is exceptional, and you really can't go wrong with any of their options.

Stumbled in on the fly after shopping at the nearby Union Square Holiday Market. Very intimate and lovely interior. I sat at the bar and enjoyed their prix fixe dinner menu. Delectable octopus appetizer, followed by one of the best mushroom risottos I have ever tried. If you are a fan of mushrooms, this is a must try. The tiramisu was okay, wish the portion had been smaller. The passionfruit vanilla cocktail to start and Chianti wine to finish were great too. Service was excellent.

This place was pretty good! The pasta was cooked perfectly, and the sauce was flavorful. I would've liked a bit more seasoning, but overall, it was a solid meal. The service was attentive, and the atmosphere was cozy. I'd recommend it!