Maiella

Wow! The views are unreal! The food is top notch along with the service.

I don’t know where to begin. This restaurant has it all and it’s very rare to find one that does. From the scenic views of Manhattan’s skyline, iconic Pepsi Cola sign and sitting on the East River watching amazing Sunsets of Reds and Oranges in the sky you forget for a moment you are in Long Island City, and think you’re on vacation.
The restaurant itself is magnificent, and styled beautifully. The hostesses that greet you are so pleasant and sincere and actually welcome you in, you feel as those you have just arrived at a best friends house. Walking to your table you see through ceiling to floor glass windows that showcase the gorgeous Empire State Building and my favorite the Chrysler Building.
Everyone that works here is genuinely happy to be here… You get that Disney vibe.
Everything here is top shelve, no expense has been spared. Very delicious specialty drinks from the bar… I enjoyed the Monte Bianco, it’s like an old fashion, Italian style. Wild boar meatballs with porcini mushroom sauce… Outstanding, Burrata with Prosciutto… Delicious, Short Ribs over Risotto… Dangerously amazing, Veal Chop Limone. so tender, knife not needed. We ended with homemade strawberry gelato and Italian cheesecake and as we finished we realized this was a magical night of dining and incredible service from a new restaurant we found on Unilocal and have already made future reservations to bring back friends and family to share this very special place called Maiella. Shout out to Chef Paul for coming out to meet us, so we could tell you how amazing our night was and how delicious your menu is. Ciao

I went here two weeks ago on a date. Seems everyone was celebrating their birthday here. Where we were seated, we didn’t have a good view of anything on the water. This place is basically manhattan prices in queens. It is a large place and was crowded on a Friday night. Food was just ok, nothing so wonderful about it. We ordered the grilled octopus which was the worst I’ve ever had. I also ordered the Maiella cocktail, which was delicious but wish it was presented better. For main course I had the branzino which was good and my date had the veal raviolli which he didn’t really like. For dessert I had their semifreddo which was delicious and the best part of my meal. My date had the raspberry gelato –which was just that, raspberry gelato. Dinner was almost $ 300 for ok food.

Staff inexperienced and on the move furiously. Not relaxing at all. Fish was cold. Blueberry risotto very good.

Thanks to Douglas our waiter for that night (22/​Jan/​2016)
I appreciate the amazing service and the fantastic details that was delivery to my table !!! I can’t find a better word to describe other then PERFECTION!
This was my greatest experience in a restaurant in the past 2 years, trust me I do eat out a lot !
The service, ambience, and food is perfect !
Can’t wait to go back !
A special thanks to Douglas for the extra miles that he ran for bringing to my table a special desert with a special message (it was a special night for me) for the occasion, the best part was that I was caught by a real surprise. I am still amazed by all of it.

Came here for a birthday dinner. It was my second time coming. I would frequent this restaurant more if i lived in the neighborhood. It has always beat my expectations. The cheese platter goes so well with the wine. The waiter was knowledgeable and was able to help with the selection. The million dollar view set a very relaxing view and the location is perfect for a nice walk after a fulfilling experience.

So for my first time try this place I gotta keep it straight up.
It is the BOMB. Flavors are so high. But the portions aren’t to much or to little. Table spacing was great and the staff was super friendly. I had a duck with gooseberries and I was like «how come I never had gooseberries b4?» and the owner sent over a complimentary gelato thingy w/​hazelnuts. I ain’t jay-​Z. I will most definitely, absolutely, without a doubt be back sooner than later.

Very good Italian food. A modern take on classic Italian food in a trendy setting with amazing view of skyline. Everything I ate was prepared perfect. Maitre d was very welcoming, he introduced himself and checked up on us during our meal. My only complaint was Maiella charging $ 7 for valet parking. When spending $ 300 for dinner for 2 I felt it was tacky to charge for valet in Queens. It’s not the money it’s the principle.

Decided to try this Italian restaurant with my family since the chef from trattoria le incontro (which happens to be one of my favorite restaurants in NY) was opening his place. The results were mixed unfortunately and here is the breakdown:
1) Wild boar meatballs with porcini mushroom sauce. This was by far the best dish of the night. Meatballs were juicy and delicious while the mushroom sauce was tasty and decadent with a touch of truffle oil. 5 stars
2) Calamari– nothing special. Marinara was ok. 3 stars.
3) Stinco de Maile. The pork shank was fine but what was clearly disappointing was the gnocchi which was store bought and not fresh. On top of that they were undercooked chewy and gummy. The sauce was tasty but a bit on the salty side. A disappointment for a $ 30 dish. 2 stars.
4) Ambiance: 4 stars it’s a very nice restaurant but the noise level was very high.
5) Service: 5 stars– waiter was excellent and attentive.
6) Positives: meatballs, service, filet minon and veal rAvioli, good selection of wines
7) Negatives: Small portions, gnocchi (really no excuse for that), overpriced for what you get.
I give it around 3 ½ stars overall
Not sure if I would come here again on my next trip to Ny. Maybe I would for a happy hour and get the meatball dish for an appetizer.

I’m so bummed to be writing my first negative Unilocal review.
I just finished dinner for NYE at Maiella. My husband and I live in the neighborhood and were excited to reserve our spot for the (quite expensive) Prix Fixe meal.
We arrived early to take advantage of a few drinks at the bar before our 9:30 reservation. After the hostess approached us for the third time, «We have your table ready!!! Can we please seat you?» we finally agreed — around 8:30pm — to take our table.
Each meal was removed *literally* as I was placing my fork down for my final bite. Midway through my conversation — discussing what 2016 might bring — I noticed my husband looking very distraught. The waiter had just dropped a bill on our table. My husband admitted, «I’m sorry, I can’t concentrate on this conversation — I’ve been getting the evil/​impatient eye from all the waiters.» I laughed, but mid-​laugh, an annoyed waiter interrupted, «Are you done yet, madam?» ready to snatch my not-​yet-​finished cheesecake.
We paid our bill — gratuity included, well over $ 300 for our prix fixe meal, I might add — and within 5 minutes of getting our receipt, another waiter came over and announced, «I’m sorry, I’m going to have to ask you to leave. We need to turn over our tables.»
I looked longingly at my full (full!!!) glass of wine as he took it away.
On our way out, the waiter decided to approach us – AGAIN — to ask us, impatiently, how our meal was. My husband responded tersely, «Well, we didn’t get to finish our last drink, could we have a refund on that?» The waiter’s mood turned sour, he scoffed, and responded haughtily, «Your bill has already been paid, sir, I can’t do that. You had PLENTY of time to finish your meal.»
To be clear: We had a 9:30pm reservation. We were kicked out at exactly 10:00pm, after spending well over $ 350.
Cheers to 2016 — and never again returning to Maiella. ;)

Exquisite food with a very cozy atmosphere. The service was outstanding and extremely friendly. If I could give more stars I would in a heartbeat. Hands down the best restaurant in the surrounding area. Exceptional

Amazing food, price, service and the view is spectacular.
It’s all amazing. Love the Chef but he can’t wait tables.
I just wish the waiter’s would write the order down.
2^nd time in a row same issue and I go often.
At the table and at the bar. The food that I ordered was not placed correctly or not even placed.
Appetizer before dinner not after.
It’s simple… it’s basic.
When this happens please don’t make me feel as if it’s my fault when I ask to not charge me.

Went last night with my wife and hit the trifecta.
Excellent ambiance… excellent food… excellent service.
Ambiance– elegant and lively and not stuffy. Awesome view of the city.
Food– Great selection. Salads. Split a pasta. Venison special was on point. Vitello limone was outstanding.
Service– extremely attentive without feeling overbearing. They treated us like we «knew someone».
The prices are a little high but it’s worth every penny. Great for a special night out.

This place rocks! Outstanding food and service. Loud, vibrant atmosphere. General Manager was very helpful and friendly. Dishes were out of this world. Can’t wrong with the homemade pastas.
AND they have valet parking, so helpful in LIC.
I can’t wait to go back!

Had a HORRIBLE experience at this restaurant, right from the very beginning :(
We had made a reservation earlier that day (Friday ¹⁰⁄₂₆) for a table at 9:30 pm. When we arrived, the hostess curtly told us that the table was not ready. Time went on and ultimately, we were made to wait for OVER HALF AN HOUR without any information from the hostess. I actually went over twice to ask her how long it would take because we could have just gone elsewhere in that time. First, she said the table is still not ready. The second time she GLARED at me and said they are preparing it right now. I don’t get why she was talking to customers this way. She (or any of the hostesses for that matter) did not think it important to let us know how long we would be waiting or to even apologize for the delay! At this point, we really wish we had left but were starving and, after finally getting our table, decided to stick it through.
We ordered the smoked tuna from the crudo section as an appetizer. This was really good, but the waiter didn’t really let us enjoy it. He came with the plate and doled it out as if we were children at a school cafeteria. There were two extra pieces and he was like «Who wants it?» I just ushered for him to put it anywhere — I couldn’t believe what was happening. Also, I had my bag hung on my chair and the servers kept knocking it over (no apology — they just kept doing it and I had to keep adjusting my bag the whole time). It really seems like the staff was out to get us!
Our food didn’t take too long to arrive (although it was 11:00 at this point and we had reserved for 9:30). We ordered the mushroom risotto, veal parmigiana, organic panko crusted chicken, mushroom chicken, and a lobster salad. The lobster salad, although beautifully presented, was a tiny portion and I am upset that the waiter did not mention this to us while taking our order (he let us know that there would be spaghetti on the side of the veal but not this? Ridiculous).
Even though the lobster salad was beautifully presented, everything else definitely was NOT. My panko chicken was hidden under arugula leaves and for a moment I thought I had received a salad. The chicken didn’t have much flavor and the breading fell apart with the slightest touch. The mushroom chicken and veal parmigiana were alright, nothing special. The risotto, although plentiful and tasty, really looked unappetizing. It really looked like they threw some sort of goop onto a plate. I had thought the food would make up for the horrible experience but it only made it worse.
This is my first one star review, so clearly this experience must have been particularly horrific. The 4.5 star Unilocal rating for this place had really given me high expectations and I was truly looking forward to this dinner. Also, there are some really great pictures of their desserts and I was excited to try them! However, by the end of our meal, we had no appetite left and just wanted to get out of here. Please save your money but more importantly your time and go ELSEWHERE :(

Went here for dinner yesterday. and was blown away. The food here was amazing, waiters kept coming by to change plates and utensils.
Started off with the Burrata and the Lobster salad which were both amazing. For main course had the lobster pasta and the special of the day striped bass with broccoli.
The drinks were totally on point (Saronno Sour!!) and deff worth a try.

My husband and I visited on a Saturday night a couple of weeks ago. We tried to book a table in advance but were advised as it was Saturday night they were booked up, but we could return later as a walk in.
As we returned later, I personally felt the host to be quite unwelcoming, I felt like we were looked up & down and assessed. We were advised the only table available would be in the bar area and would be a 30 minute wait. So we took our seat at the bar. We could see there were already 2 available tables in the bar area and they remained empty for the next 30 minutes until we were seated at one of them.
Our server was a young lady who was very friendly. We found the prices to be quite high in comparison to other LIC establishments. For example, one risotto on the menu is $ 30! As we were seated in the bar area we had a view of the street, whereas in the main part of the restaurant you get a view of the NY skyline.
I ordered the chicken Milanese and my husband ordered a pasta dish. The food came out in a reasonable time. First impressions were how small my husbands pasta dish was. I got a much larger portion with my Milanese, but in my opinion the food was quite average. It was nice, but nothing special.
We decided to order a dessert to share (Nutella pizza), after we confirmed that if we couldn’t finish it, that we could box it and take it home. The dessert pizza is priced at $ 14. After a few slices we asked for it to be boxed & were given a ticket like a coat check ticket.
Once we were finished and paid up, we collected our leftover pizza — or so we thought… Although the ticket matched the one we were given, we were given the wrong food! But we didn’t realize until we had got home, by which point it was too late. We were given a pasta dish instead of our pizza. We were quite miffed, as after spending $ 14 on a dessert, which we wouldn’t normally do, we didn’t even get to eat it!!!
I did email the restaurant to advise and received a short email in response to say next time we visit the restaurant we will be compensated. The thing is, the prices are so high that we would only be spending more money to possibly get another pizza?! And I’m not sure the food is worth the prices to return, compared to other LIC options, so I’ll probably just take the hit.
Ultimately this place is shiny and new with great views, so they are going to ride that wave, but I would advise trying out nearby Blend on the Water instead.

I attended a friend’s birthday here, and left disappointed. The prices are outrageously high here for what you get in return. I live in Manhattan so perhaps I’m comparing unfairly. I’m unsure of the long lines and crowd on a Saturday evening.
We were seated at 5 and stayed until 830 or so, but we’re told we ‘could stay as long as we want’ but later were told that there are a lot of people waiting. Mind you, our cards just had been taken to process. We weren’t just sitting there after we paid.
Let’s discuss the weird bathrooms– individual bathrooms to wait for and why not have stalls in one big space so we can accommodate more? Wine list– too pricey, lowest price for a red was $ 49.
Food. The tomato side and bread were delicious. The family style gave you a piece of mozzarella (where’s more?), eggplant, and calamari. You can choose the salad or pasta for the next– I got both as a vegetarian. Pasta was cooked well. Salad was a plain salad with drenched balsamic. Drenched. Main was another pasta, mediocre, and a friend’s salmon was terribly cooked. Dessert was our brought in cupcakes but the included choices weren’t served.
For feel, this place gets a 2. The food, service, and overall experience lacked way too much. Total was $ 93– overpriced location for sure.

Atypical, creative, fresh and light Italian food. Although they have a small section of «traditional» Italian items such as Parmigiana, this food goes way beyond the typical sauce joint dishes.
This is the perfect spot for a first date or a party if you’re looking to impress. It’s clean, new and very luxe feeling. Like Manhattan, only better! And the food is delicious.
Start with the Burrata– it’s creamy, salty, tangy, gooey, meaty– literally everything you ever want in a dish. We split it 5 ways but I would recommend splitting it 2 or 3 ways. It was the highlight of the meal for me. I could probably eat and entire one myself.
The focaccia bread basket they serve is also delicious– even if you’re on a diet, just eat a piece! It’s worth it dipped in the high quality olive oil on the table.
We also ordered the baked clams appetizer which were delicious (6 in an order) and the sardines with white beans appetizer (4 sardines). The sardines were good and not overly fishy or salty. However they do have small bones in them so it takes some maneuvering. You can apparently eat the bones since they are so tiny but I’m not a big fan of ingesting bones.
I had the Pollo Organico which is panko crusted chicken (like a chicken cutlet) topped with a lemon sauce, an arugula salad and little melon balls. I loved it. The bitter arugula, the tart lemon, the sweet melon, all blended nicely on top of the chicken. I also tried the Pollo Quatro Funghi (four mushroom chicken) and it was superb. Light and savory. It wasn’t overly filling which was a good thing. You don’t feel gross after eating it!
Many Italian restaurants serve you massive plates of pasta and chicken heaped with sauce and melted cheese but less is truly more at Maiella. Every dish is well-​balanced and the portions are what they should be.
The service is worth noting as well. We had a cadre of servers wait on us– someone who read the specials, took our order, fixed our napkins, cleared our table, brought us bread, poured our water, etc. It was kind of fun and made you feel special. The service is spot on and efficient and everyone was pretty friendly too! They all talked to us about our food, offered suggestions, laughed at our jokes, etc. It was a genuinely pleasant experience due to the high level of service we received. They even brought a scoop of gelato for my moms birthday with a candle (we had only casually mentioned her birthday, we didn’t specifically request a dessert but they were so super kind to bring it anyway! It was delicious by the way!)
I literally cannot wait to go back! I wish I made more money because I would eat here weekly if I could. It’s pricey so save up for that special occasion– it’s totally worth it!

Rocco executive chef and proprietor of L’Incontro hit another homerun with this Long Island City newbie. Plenty of familiar faces both run and dine at Maiella most notably Tommy and Danielle (formerly of Sapori D’Ischia, Uncle Jacks and L’Incontro).
This is a destination spot and people pack in on a Saturday, which happened to be when I last visited. The food was great but the restaurant was bustling with activity – too much for my taste. Nevertheless the food was great and the staff – while overwhelmed – made time to be pleasant. Not an easy task to do when every table was demanding immediate attention. I’d suggest you swing by early in the week to really enjoy the culinary alchemy.
Ordinarily I don’t gravitate towards veal because of my pseudo-​ethical treatment of animals leanings. Yet on my last two visits it was all about the veal and a great bottle of Pasqua Amarone. Too big of a wine for veal but it is so delicious that I didn’t mind violating oenophile conventions.
The first time around I had the veal porterhouse in a masala and mushroom sauce. Last night I had the veal limonata. Trying to judge which one was better is tantamount in difficulty to choosing between who is hotter Adriana Lima and MIla Kunis? But if I must pick one dish under duress I would gravitate towards the veal porterhouse. Both times I started with the beef carpaccio arugula salad with aged parmigiana cheese and truffle aioli dressing. On my second visit my wandering fork found its way to my fellow diner’s impeccable risotto tempting me to immediately cease my low-​carb intake and seize her plate. In order to shed some poundage I skipped dessert but my eyes were nevertheless fixated on the mouth watering tartufos and panna cotta zipping by me on trays en route to other tables. C’est la vie…
There’s a reason I swung by twice last week and that’s because I didn’t have time to stop by more often. Need I say more?