Di Palo’s

What a find! A fantastic store with authentic Italian imported food of the highest quality. The clientele were all obviously regulars and the people behind the counter were enthusiastic, friendly, knowledgeable, and very helpful. I can’t wait to come back and discover more.

The absolutely best place for all Italian cheeses and meats as well as regular cold cuts. I can’t neglect to mention the many types of olive oil, pasta, prepared sauces or bread that are offered.
The cooked offerings are just as spectacular. Try the rice balls when they are available, but leave some for me.
The Di Palo family members who work at the store make it worth the wait. What a great group of people!

People were super helpful when I needed to find a specific liquor. Ended up grabbing a couple bottles of wine as well because of the great selection!

Regularly stop in here while in NYC. The prosciutto and fresh handmade mozzarella are my go to. I just wished I lived closer to them.

Went by last Sunday and was surprise that not many were waiting. I grabbed a number and only had 2 people in front of me. I was lucky enough to hae Lou Di Palo help me! I picked up burrata, fresh mozzarella, sesame loaf, sweet and spicy soppressata. I also wanted some prosciutto but was afraid it might be salty. Lou explained higher up the leg the less salty it is and the portion out right now was perfect. He gave me a taste and it was divine. Not salty at all and nice richness to it. Everything we brought was delicious and next time I might just have to wait in the long line when I am in the area for more!

Bought burrata to have with a basil, tomato fettuccini. Let me just say the burrata was so creamy, fresh and lightly seasoned with salt that it was perfect combo to be had with the pasta. Will come back and get more of it!

I have been a loyal and happy Di Palo client for 4 years now.
Best in the city for All cheeses, bread and salumeria.
The real deal. They want you to taste everything for yourself.
Generous samples. Tops for best quality, nicest people.
Sal, Lou, Marie and their staff are all terrific.
Long waits on Saturdays, and before holidays.
Better during the weekday.
Worth the trek.
Laurie Y

What a great place to experience the true taste, smells and sights of Italy!!! We stopped here to check it out and were very pleased. They have tons authentic Italian products straight from Italy including lots of great cuts deli meats and some of the best prosciutto di parma and Parm cheese. If your in the area I highly recomened you make a quick stop in just to check it out!!!

Very attentive service and the highest quality products. The parmigiano reggiano is excellent. I really enjoy the Italian ham. We had the Panella bread that comes pre-​sliced, and is very tasty with a nice texture to it.
The place is family owned, and Lou Di Palo is frequently seen on Public Television, the Travel Channel and Food Network. He is very knowledgeable, especially regarding the cheeses. If you are lucky enough to speak with him when your number is called, you can ask him questions, and he will be more than happy to respond.
The excellence means long lines, especially on weekends. I have not been in here when there wasn’t a wait.
Mangia.

Do Palo’s is so much fun. Take a number at the door. You may have to wait a good while. However, once your number is called, it’s all about you. Take your time. Don’t be shy. This family knows their business. So glad I had the nerve to ask Lou about balsalmic vinegar! So happy they had their fresh ricotta. I also love their meatballs, mixed olives and whatever gets placed freshly made on that high marble counter next to wonderful wheels of hard cheeses.

Living in Lower Manhattan, I’m very cynical about what Little Italy has become — mostly a tourist trap of mediocre restaurants and bad stores now surrounded by ever-​encroaching Chinatown.
However, there are still a handful of shops/​markets that help me overcome my bias — and DiPalo’s tops that list. Family-​owned and run for more than 100 years, it’s a treasure trove of cold cuts, prepared foods and pantry items. They also have a fantastic selection of prepared foods as well — eggplant parmigiana, meatballs, sauce, etc… all very very good. Best of all is the friendly service… I look to go early before it gets overrun by the tourist crowds. There aren’t many left in Little Italy, but I sure am glad they are thriving!

I came here a couple of times and it usually is always packed. The meats, cheese and pastas are fresh and delicious. The customer service is hit and miss. Be sure to grab a number by the entrance to ensure prompt service. May I recommend the sausages, the fresh mozz and the meat/​lobster raviolis. It’s a bit on the expensive side but they have some hard to find brands and products. A definite once in awhile treat.

The Freshest. Everything I had was delicious authentic Italian. As others have mentioned the service isn’t great. You’ll wait quite a while, watching employees chat it up with frequent customers. But dems the breaks.

Nice, friendly service. Prices are not the best (for pasta you can definitely find most of the same brands elsewhere for cheaper), but sometimes there are rare delicacies which cannot be found elsewhere. One of these is risotto rice — and forget about arborio (which you can find at many supermarkets). What real Italians use is carnaroli (while Venetians prefer vialone nano). All of these are very starchy and suitable for making risotto, but arborio is not quite as absorbent as the other two. All three sell for $ 6 for a 1 kg box here, and there are two Italian-​grown brands to choose from.
They also have what appears to be a fairly extensive collection of preserved meats and cheeses, though I have yet to try any of their offerings.

Great and delicious food
Only complaint is there is no cashier and you have to either wait in line to pay or just cut the line and ask to pay
Other than that it is the best

Incredible selection of Classic Italian deli meats. The cheeses are fresh and literally made behind the counter. The whole place is on another level. I cannot recommend it enough. I foresee many more trips into the city just to grab something from here. Line is a little slow but be patient, it’s more than worth the 10 min wait.

Sal is most wonderful. I called ahead to reserve a ring of porchetta in the morning, and came to get it at 5pm. Yessss!!! Super. And then Sal answered all my questions about the cheeses I wanted to buy, and the biscotti, pasta, meatballs, everything. So nice, so patient, and everything was heavenly. They have everything. Truffle oil, olives, crackers to eat with the cheeses, truffle cheese, prosciutto di parma, chicken parm, porchetta, pesto, were just some of the things I bought. I initially ordered the porchetta sandwich but when I came in the lady staff said that they ran out of bread. But while I was browsing around, they found some bread for me and made me my sandwich. Yaayyyyy!!! Happy customer, repeat customer, faithful customer that flies from LA to NYC with solely Di Palo’s on my must do list. Omg love love love!

Di Palo’s may be the last of the old school Italian food shops in Little Italy to keep not only its charm, but also its quality. Far larger than it used to be – including an adjacent wine shop – Di Palo’s has far expanded from being a simple Latticino and deli. You can do all of your Italian grocery shopping here now with pasta, olive oil, coffee, and much more. The deli portion remains the heart of the store though; it’s just a much larger heart now.
Famous for their mozzarella, Di Palo’s doesn’t disappoint. It is freshly made, not too salty, and full of milky goodness. Meat selection is good with the majority of salami being locally made. Sandwiches are good, carried by fresh bread from Parisi (I believe). Bottom line is this is one of the best delis in Manhattan and it’s owned by very nice people (same as before). If you’re looking for what Little Italy used to be, check this out.

They just don’t make places like this anymore. Old New York, place is a Landmark.
If you have a complaint you are dumb and ugly.

Di Palo’s: by far my favorite Italian deli in all of New York and maybe on my list of top 10 places to go in the city. Even before moving to New York, I stumbled upon this place thanks to Unilocal and have been hooked ever since. Their Prosciutto di Parma or Braesaola and Prosciutto Cotto (esp with herbs) are a couple of my default orders whenever I stop by.
Today, I finally got try the Porchetta, and it is probably one of the most amazing things I’ve had in a sandwich. It’s 100% pork belly, stuffed with fresh fennel and some broccoli, seasoned with herbs and I requested 2 slices, diced. This with some greens (I chose arugula) and a spread of their delicious handmade ricotta on a ciabatta roll just made my Sunday. Go. make sure to grab a # from the blue roll as soon as you enter and be prepared for greatness. I’ve gone post-​run craving Di Palo’s for their meats and delicious cheese. Do try their handmade fresh mozzarella and handmade ricotta along with my favorite of their hard cheeses– the Piave. This went very well with the slices of Hunter Sausage I chose.
They also have amazing meatballs that I’ve used for a quick meal and have served to friends for dinner over fresh pasta with homemade marinara sauce. You can also use meat sauce if you prefer. DIY if you have time but their marinara sauce is also great! My only other advice is to to go early, ask for recommendations if you aren’t sure, and be open to trying new meats/​cheeses as you’ll be glad you did. I just moved to the area recently and will be going their during the week much more. Thank you Di Palo’s and a special shout out to Sal and Marie who’ve probably been the ones at the counter that have helped me the most (just random luck of the draw)!

Marco Palo came here many times on his travels from Italy, via China, and never got to eat a damn Porchetta sandwich. And neither did I.
I am not exaggerating when I say I’ve been in here six or seven times. A few times the line was just so long that I had to skip out on it and vow to return another time. Then the few times I did make it all the way to the counter, they were «out of Porchetta», probably because it was late in the day, which is probably why the lines were shorter.
I feel like a regular here now. I think they know me. And yet I’ve never tried their signature piece. One of these days, I will… I really will. And at that point I’ll update this review.
Edit: Received an excellent piece of advice from the owner Lou who told me how to get my hands on a Porchetta even if I can’t get there early enough. Call in the morning and they’ll put it aside for later. Awesome. Due to this excellent feedback I’m raising them to a 4, and then I’ll re-​review it once I get to try it finally, in the next few weeks probably.

If you’ve ever been overly (or even slightly) into meats and/​or cheeses, this is the only place in this city that you have to visit.
I’m kind of thankful that I only discovered this place recently since, well, I have gluttonous tendencies at times. I’ve tried a few of their cheeses (if you’ve got a nice face, they’ll offer you samples of whatever they’re slicing for other customers) and they’re insane tasting. And the pepperoni? My god.
But the biggest winner here? Their burrata. It’s better than any burrata I’ve had at any restaurant in this city. (Do you know what a big statement that is to make?)
How do they get it so creamy on the inside but so sturdy on the outside? I can only assume it’s magic. And it’s under $ 10, which is madness. If you visit me in the next few years, this will be the first stop we make together whether you like it or not.
Best cheese OF LIFE.

Absolutely love Di Palo’s. Made me a sandwich snob starting from a very young age, because this is were my parents bought cold cuts from while i was growing up. YOU try eating NYC public school sandwiches when you’re used to this.
When you grow up, and start to appreciate cheese, this place becomes even better. But my favorite purchase here nowadays is their steak. Their rib eyes are truly great cuts of meat, and are consistently among the most tender that I’ve ever grilled at home myself.

Fantastico! Have not come across a nicer deli than this. Great selection of cured meats and Italian formaggio.
Examples of Salumi’s: Soppressata to Speck Alto-​Adige, Prosciutto from San Daniele & Parma, Salame Abruzzese, Calabrese, Salamini Cacciatori to name a few.
Fromaggio Examples: From Nutty Crucolo, Aged Goat-​Cheeses, Parmigiano Reggiano outside of Parma, Grana Padano, Asiago, Montasio and every Pecorino imaginable. All you would need to add to the list above would be Crostata Di Marmellata or spicy mostarda being a very traditional accompaniment to salumi and cooked meats.
They carry products from all regions of Italy whether it be Northern, Central or Southern. I would take advantage of the quality products found at this store if you reside anywhere near Little Italy.

Amy dug up this place in the course of her usual fine toothed investigation of our vacation spots. Di Palo’s is at face value a fine Italian specialty store – quality ingredients and goods to be bought at reasonable prices for what they are. However, just behind the counter coming out of the oven each day in the early afternoon is the hidden gem of Di Palo’s – the porchetta. Herb stuffed layers of pork, fat, and skin are rolled up and slow roasted for hours to make a porchetta, which the staff makes available only to those in the know.
Ask the staff to throw it on some of their daily fresh baked bread and maybe add a bit of mozzarella – you will pay only for the price of the ingredients – and you will walk out with one of the best sandwiches you have ever had in your life. Savory, soft and juicy pork is contrasted by the snap and crackle of the skin and accented by the wonderful herb blend between the layers of meat. Add in the fresh roll and homemade mozzarella we had on our sandwich, and transcend into pure bliss for the time it takes to eat a sandwich. Guaranteed.

I didnt want to give them 5 stars but I had to. Cuz 10 – 20 stars does not exist.
Grab a blue paper number by the door as you enter.
Shop around…
When they call your number you order the quantity of meats n cheeses and prepared EVERYTHANG IS AUTHENTIC AND DELICIOSO!!! Their family recipes for pastas and porchetta to cutlets are outstanding. The marinated red peppers are deliciously garlicky and the mixed mushrooms are full of truffle flavor… thank you God for my living so friggin close to them!!! Yes!!! Yes!!! Yes!!! They are seriously a food orgasm. Top notch products from Italy and knowleageable family owned biznas. These people are hardworking, super funny and just the best of the best. Thanks Sal, Lou and Marie and everyone there for you being ahhhmazing peops. This place is truly a staple and a gem and I along with my longtime italian friends from naples always love their products. No complaint EVER.

First thing when u get in to the shop is to look no where but the number tag that’s hanging on the shelf right in front of you.
Take your time to shop around and wait for your number to be called!
Burrata is the only thing I tried here and I love it! They are selling it in one whole piece which weighs 1lb.
I would love to try their cured meat some day!

There are lots of ‘Italian’ places in Little Italy — made for tourists, and no actual Italian person would choose to eat at them. Di Palo’s, however, is the real deal. Their shelves are stocked full of Italian goodies like olive oil, lemon cookies, and pasta, but their real stars are their meat and cheese. I have yet to find a better selection of Italian cheeses in NYC!
Tip: make sure to grab a number as soon as you enter. Don’t wander around like a dummy for 15 minutes before realizing that you need a ticket like I did the first time I went. You may be waiting a while at busy times, but once it’s your turn you’ll know why. The service is so thorough and fantastic. They’ll give you samples of the cheeses to help you choose, give you recommendations, and generally treat you like a VIP.
I also loved that they had boxes of their ravioli in the freezer ready to take home and prepare, along with plastic containers of their marinara sauce. It made for such a quick and easy meal at home at a fraction of the price of a plate of ravioli at those less impressive Italian restaurants in the area!

This is the BEST Italian Deli in NYC. Go and be educated in different types of antipastas (meats and cheeses).
Venue (⁵⁄₅) amazing deli with cheese wheels, hanging sausages, and olive oils everywhere. It’s what a deli should look like. Tip: the ticket is (tear one off) next to the door.
Food/​service (⁵⁄₅) fresh and the people here will educate you on what to try. They let you sample and I’ve learned so much more of what I like. My friend has already called me to ask if we can go back.
I will be back next week!

I have friends who whine about good wine. They whine about their red and whine about their white. I’m not one to whine so much about wine. That’s until I went to Di Palo’s.
During this year’s San Genarro Feast, I happened to stumble (Tumble, crawl, fall? It was a long night) into Di Palo’s.
Now this is a wine selection. I know I know. You may have been in your local liquor store’s wine selection and you want to tell me that’s bigger. This is a large wine selection and it’s all grade A quality wine. No cheap stuff. I was highly impressed by the quality of wines they had in the store.
While scoping out what to get, I was invited to the back end of the store where there was a sampling going on. Cured meats, fine cheese and delicious wines. Why can’t all wine stores be like this?
Maybe because they aren’t ran as well, or by such friendly people. The person who invited was the store’s owner, Sammy. (I really hope I spelled his name right) for the next half hour we talked about wine. How it’s made, the ingredients in different types, what distinguishes some from others. I felt like I went from novice wine drinker to expert in no time. And he did this all out of the kindness of his heart. I mean he may have wanted me to buy a bottle or two, but I was happy to do so. I got a bottle of red for my sister and a bottle of white for myself. Great selections.
If you find yourself in little Italy and need to grab something for a special occasion, or if you’re just a wino, come down to Di Palo’s, you’ll be treated right.