Restaurant Information:

Hours (view all)

Mario Batali's casual eatery is a destination for tasty Italian snacks, excellent wines and outstanding gelato.

The Scene
Bartenders, sporting jeans and button-down shirts, pour quartinos (quarter bottle pours, served in mini-carafes) of Italian wine to the casually dressed crowds waiting, and waiting, for a table. Walls in the dining rooms are painted a warm terra-cotta, subtly encouraging a boisterous noise level.

The Menu
One can, and should, make a meal of the excellent antipasti: roast cauliflower with olives; fresh artichokes; sweet eggplant caponatina; and that excellent prosciutto, which arrives, as it should, at room temperature. Indulge in as much gelato as possible--the olive oil version is brilliant; the chocolate is without peer. But skip the pizzas: Despite being topped with house-cured, buttery prosciutto, pungent Taleggio, tender meatballs and the like, they're simply not very good. The thin crust, first griddled and then broiled to warm the toppings, is acceptable straight out of the kitchen, but becomes tough and unpleasant as it cools.

Editorial Review Citysearch Editors

Get a taste of Mario Batali's famous gelato ($5) at this Washington Square Park cart.