Il Monello

A hidden jewel near the U.N., Il Monello offers delicious Italian fare in a sophisticated, quiet setting. I visited on a nice September day and enjoyed fresh air wafting in from the open windows. However, I didn't much care for the odiferous smoke emanating from some neighborhood dude's cigar as he paced to and fro outside for over 20 minutes. But that isn't the restaurant's fault so...Il Monello is open daily from noon until closing, with one menu offered for lunch and dinner. I especially recommend the fettucine with veal ragu, a rich and deeply flavorful dish. The tartufo dessert was the best I've ever had, a large globe of chocolate-enrobed gelato studded with cherry pieces. I'd surely return just for that.

Pretty fancy restaurant that's kind of tucked away mid block. I was here for a small party and they accommodated it very nicely. Very nice staff all around. The lay out of the restaurant was small but nice where the tables weren't right next to each other. There's also a bar right by the entrance.The food was delicious. Everything came out a once and everyone enjoyed what they had. I would definitely return on my own again.

The food is pretty good but the drinks and desserts are misleading. The espresso martini tasted like licorice and apparently didn't have any espresso in it. Their pumpkin pie dessert was a total lie. It wasn't pumpkin pie at all. Instead, it was a cheesecake with pumpkin paste on top. Their chocolate lava cake was another lie. It was a "warm" chocolate cake with no molten chocolate inside. Their chocolate moose dessert was pretty good but a chunk of the cake was missing (see attached). The service and atmosphere were pretty nice. I would recommend for big family lunches. They are very accommodating.

Ok just finished at the dental surgeon down the block. I go to get my car and spot this place across the street. I've been a brave boy, so I'm going to reward myself!! So in I go!The Maitr'd tells me to sit anywhere I'd like I find a nice table and my waiter comes right over I recommends a half bottle of Brunello Ah this wine is just so perfect. Ok don't laugh...I go with the familiar pollo parmigiana.It comes and it looks just delicious. Which it is!And a healthy portion.Really perfectly done. This is a delightful experience. The only thing some people wouldn't like being on the street, with passersby gawking at their food. Not me I just smile and wave Especially greeting all the dogs walking by. One especially friendly Enzo a beautiful rust cavapoo So I'm just loving this experience. Vincenzo my waiter is the best!!

Service is great - my waiter and bartender were very nice and gave absolutely great service. Charismatic and friendly I just got wine as I worked from the bar. They also gave me bread and oil. Great wineI went during lunch which was quite empty and I'm having a great time. I'll definitely return. Ambiance is cute. Very very clean , dimmed lighting and smells great inside

My husband and I come here fairly often and we love it. The food is always incredibly delicious and the service is always perfect. We've never had something here that we didn't like. Truly I can't say enough good things about it.

This place just wow . Had someone take us here for a large group graduation dinner. The ambience is beautiful . The music is light and romantic and the seating is cozy quiet and very elegant . I can't remember the name of the red wine we got but it was absolutely delicious .We got quite a few of the starters . I got the Il Monello salad which had arugula goat cheeseshaved pears, grapes, toasted almond flakes, with a delicious lemon truffle dressing. I absolutely recommend getting this . My friend tried the wedge salad which was also quite good. The mozzarella and tomato was on point . They got the calamari and the carpaccio de manzo which I didn't try. We got a dozen of the east coast oysters on the half shell and they were absolutely perfect. For the mains I got their dover sole which came with a beautiful lemon white wine sauce and capers . But the star of the show was probably the filet mignon which came with this absolutely amazingly delicious peppercorn sauce which I still have dreams about . I'd go back just to try that amazing sauce . I wish I knew what was in it. It's so good. Their dessert although with a lot of choices was quite basic. I tried their tiramisu which was good and quite boozy. But their lava cake was better . I wish I had ordered their crème brûlée instead . I also tried a sip of their homemade lemoncello which was one of the best I've tasted . All in all I would most defn get the Il Monello salad , the oysters, the steak with the sauce and the lemoncello . You have to try these items .

What a great experience for our party of six enjoying the delicious classic Italian cuisine on the blistering cold Saturday night. Excellent service greeted by the gracious host & friendly coat check staff. Intimate ambiance, humming sound of 60s music , & our friendly & delightful server. His wine recommendations were excellent, attention to details were just perfect enhancing our dining experience to the fullest. We giggled & laughed whenever he cracked jokes in his delightfully accented Italian-English. The timing of the service was a piece of art , so effective & seemingly effortless. A true gem to enjoy the classic Italian cuisine . Highly recommend.

We were searching for something new to eat in the neighborhood, and found a Post article about this restaurant's history, and how a young man emigrated to the U.S., became a busboy at this restaurant (at its former location on 76th), and eventually took over when the previous owner returned. The restaurant closed back in 2008 because of rent hikes, but just resurrected at this new location! What an inspiring story!They're still ironing out some kinks in the new space, but everyone is suuuper friendly and helpful. We had a chance to meet with and chat with both owners. Down to earth, grateful and gracious, and salt-of-the-earth people. Even the hosttess made a point to introduce us to the owner of the article fame before we left (we had chatted with the other partner when we arrived).The food was delicious. Flat out, without exaggeration, the best orrechiete we've ever had. My ravioli were delicious as well, and all the pasta were perfectly cooked.My one point of pause (and only thing keeping me from giving a full 5-star review) was the wine list. It wasn't published online, so we had no idea what their offerings were, so we brought a bottle just in case. When we saw the printed list, it was fair, but nothing to write home (or to yelp) about. We were told that they'll spruce up the list and add to the collection and cellar as they're able. In the meantime, we figured we might as well open the bottle we brought, since it was going to be more enjoyable than most of the offerings on the list. What do y'all think is reasonable corkage? $25? $30? I typically balk and frown when it gets up to $35 and $40. But never have ao seen a place that charges $50 for corkage. Oof. The thought behind that? "We want to discourage people from bringing their own wine and to drink the wine on our list." OK, well, maybe you lean in that direction once you have a more palatable list.We'll definitely be back, and hopefully, the wine list will have grown (and/or) the corkage becomes more reasonable. Once one of those happens, I'll happily revise my review and add that last star.

Excellent neighborhood place! I live around the block and pass it often but haven't given it a try till recently. The food was wonderful. I had branzino that was seasoned and cooked to perfection. The asparagus were fabulous as well. My daughter ordered orecchiette with sausage and loved hers as well. The service was impeccable and the ambiance is what I love, dimly lit, white tablecloths and sparkling glassware. I am returning this weekend with my husband and both of us are looking forward to it.