Giovanni Rana Pastificio & Cucina

Wow! Best meal I’ve had in a while. I am obsessed with mushrooms and the Truffle Ravioli did not disappoint. It was perfect, a generous portion but not too much, and the flavor was to die for. Also the raddichio goat cheese salad with pomegranate seeds and pecans was fantastic. The tiramisu dessert was scrumptious too. Loved it! Only complaint: the heater fan in the front corner of the dining room was really really loud. We moved tables after being seated because we could barely hear each other. Otherwise, nice restaurant, would definitely go there again.

Rana is a tricky spot to review. I love the location inside the Chelsea Market, the upbeat vibe of the restaurant, very friendly attentive service … The food, however, ranges from the 5-​star cheese and prosciutto plate with melt-​in-​your-​mouth warm bread (it’s like poori) to a very expensive pasta dish of short ribs that was decent but was 90% pasta and 10% meat. For the price, that was offensive to me. I’ll return and probably order more carefully — or just go for drinks and have the appetizer cheese/​prosciutto plate.

Great pasta, super fresh and perfectly cooked. Portions are a good size, and prices are high but not crazy. Would recommend the Parmesan fritters and squid ink pasta with crab in particular. Other diners were a fan of the truffle ravioli. Four stars for relative value and great desserts (tiramisu and lemon tart)

Very nice staff, decent food but you’re paying for the meat packing district ambience. Chocolate ravioli desert is highly overrated.

I’ve found the best pasta on the planet. Yep, it’s here. Just do the following: order ricotta spinach girasoli followed by vanilla bomboloni with capuccino. You will be happy. If you’re not, nothing in life will make you happy. Nothing.
PS: I started this review with 5 stars. For the food. However, the service is 2 stars at best. Annoying. They have waiters, bus people and random staff, it seems, floating about and none of them are particularly attentive. Also, what’s up with random charges for extra sauce that weren’t there before? Frustrating when the food is not complemented by the service.

Sooo I like to order and take away more then eating in because I can order pasta the way I want it at the front, get more for half the price.
Four cheese ravioli with four cheese sauce and chicken is delicious… Like what I imagine heaven to be like.

My Rana Hack: order from the takeaway menu! You’ll spend nearly a HALF of the money that you would dining in. You can get the best plate of homemade pasta of your life for only $ 10 – 12 bucks – seriously can’t get better than that!
I’ve dined in at Rana before, but didn’t feel that it was worth returning due to the «tourist» vibe and pricy plates. Once again, the takeaway menu is the perfect solution. Rana’s takeaway section offers various pasta dishes, focaccia, paninis, baked goods, salads, as well fresh pasta that you can purchase to take home.
My absolute fav: truffle ravioli with butter & parmigiano! I could eat that dish over and over. Plus, it even comes with a complimentary piece of yummy bread.
A takeaway dish of pasta from Rana has definitely become a NECESSITY of my trips to Chelsea Market.

The restaurant had a beautiful rustic décor with hanging pans and Christmas lights wrapped around it on the ceiling.
So I went with one of my best friends from work for restaurant week and of course had the prefixed menu and for entrée I had the polenta ravioli. It was delicious and savory for those who really love having flavor in every bite but it was a bit too oily for me because of the ground sausage. But once the fried egg yolk was popped and you took a bite with the polenta it was heaven. My friend loved it so we switched and i then had calamarata pasta because it was too fishy for her liking.
After the switch we enjoyed our meals allot more however the pasta I had some pieces weren’t fully cooked and still a bit hard but the calamari was cooked perfectly and not chewy or hard but bouncy and delectable!
The appetizer we both agreed tasted amazing and nothing was wrong with it, the salmon was fresh and they gave a good amount for just an appetizer! The bread s perfectly toasted where you can take a buy and everything fell erfectly in your mouth and no mess!
I only have it there stars because the food was good but nothing amazing besides the polenta ravioli which having too much of it can be a bit sickening if your not into oils or too much creamy cheese and service was great!
The dessert was a bust especially the blueberry compote whuch was way too sour
It is great place for catching up with old friends and in a great area with the Chelsea Market right next door. Super convenient to travel to with ACE just a block away!

We placed an OT reservation while within Chelsea Market for a half hour later, yet the folks who walked in at the same time were quoted 60-​minute waits, so FYI. Once we were seated, our waiter didn’t know which course of the ‘3-​course journey’ (the menu isn’t explicit, but fortunately you choose the 3… which is an odd thing to describe as ‘chef’s choice’) we were on, and it took forever to get our check, and multiple other staffers kept bumping into us while we ate… but each of the 3 courses was pretty solid, though we wish they would’ve sequenced differently or at least asked how we wanted them.
The fresh pasta to go was a huge draw (they apparently make 500lbs/​day
, but a real nuisance for everyone entering the place, and a deterrent on every previous visit we’d considered (they’re always handing out samples). Also on NYT hungry city ⁵⁄₁₃ &

Meh.
I had the prosciutto fritters and flat soda. Nothing to write home about.
Not a place I would be running back to.

Food is so fresh and delicious here. Our waitress Mahalet was amazing and so knowledgeable! Everything came out quickly. Got two starters a fried buffalo mozz and cauliflower both so good. I got the truffle ravioli, my gosh i was in heaven. I LOOOVE truffle and this was so truffly and delicious!

Food is good I had the seafood appetizer and truffle ravioli … My drink (mule) was okay-​ish. My server was nice and polite. This place is definitely a $$$ not at $$

On a recommendation, my husband and I went to Rana for a Saturday night dinner. We arrived early but entertained ourselves at the bar. The bartenders were really nice and the specialty cocktails they make are really creative.
Our reservation was at 7, but like I said we arrived early, closer to 6 – 6:15. We had thought we could entertain ourselves in the market for a while, but that went quicker than expected, so we decided to just check in early with the hostess and wait it out at the bar. The hostess said that was fine, and that we could have the next available table. I did notice she didn’t take note of our name or anything, but didn’t think much of it. As it got closer to 7, I decided to follow up with her. Of course, she didn’t recognize or remember me at all, and just said we would be the next table. As I walked back to the bar, she came up behind me to say a table just opened up for us (in that 10 second period of time). Maybe I should have checked in with her sooner? Regardless, I can’t complain. We had a reservation at 7 and we were seated at 7.
The menu was huge with lots to choose from; we decided to do a pasta journey. I really recommend going this route. You have to have full table participation, but it lets you try multiple dishes. We tried the following:
Pork Sausage Ravioli, Rapini, Aglio e olio
Braised Duck Ravioli, Brown Butter, Balsamic, Sage
Specialty Pumpkin Ravioli
All three were AMAZING. Seriously, the food was great. I would really recommend it. We also got a tirimusi dessert which is a must have for my husband at any Italian restaurant.
Really my only complaint was the service. We hardly ever saw our waitress. She essentially took our order, but wasn’t much help in making decisions about the food or wine, and once the order was taken, she never checked back with us. The food wasn’t even delivered by her, but by food runners. If there was a problem with the food, I’m not sure who we would have told. She never came back until the last plate was gone, just to ask about dessert.

My party of 4 had dinner reservations here so waiting for a table wasn’t an issue. I highly recommend making reservations a few days ahead of time. The place has a very rustic vibe to it. Lights are really dim and you’ll notice a lot of people use their phones to light up the menu. If you come in through the Chelsea Market you will walk through a nice display of all the pastas they make in-​house. You can even grab recipe cards and attempt to make a dish or two at home. Food is delicious. You can not go wrong with anything you order. However, if you’re a picky eater and can’t do dairy or meats, the menu is limited but those dishes are still really good. Go with the beet salad as your appetizer. So much flavor and can share with a small group. I went with their Halibut dish since it was one of the few without cheese. Packed with a lot of artichokes and a hefty portion of fish. You definitely get your $$$ worth, and plenty left overs to take home or even share. Our server was great. Very patient with us as we took our time asking about a lot of the menu options.

O Giovanni Rana é um dos meus restaurantes italiano favoritos em NYC, o ambiente é muito bonito (rústico) e gostoso, fora que é muito bem localizado, dentro no Chelsea Market. Tem uma área externa para os dias quentes, mas acho o interior mais aconchegante. Já fui várias vezes, durante o horário do jantar principalmente, e sempre tem muita gente, durante o brunch então, lota facilmente, é bom fazer reserva.
As massas são deliciosas, as pizzas também são boas (dá para dividir entre duas pessoas), todos os pratos que provei até hoje estavam bons, não sei se dei sorte ou se realmente tudo é gostoso. No menu não tem nada abaixo de $ 20, não é super barato mas a qualidade é realmente excelênte. Durante o almoço tem uma área de «take out» com entrada por dentro do Chelsea Market. Se for comer no restaurante mesmo, a entrada oficial é do lado de fora, na rua. Recomendo para todos meus amigos que visitam NYC.

One of the the best squid ravioli I’d tried! The rest of the dish were mediocre. However, the fried cauliflower tasted like potato. Something different to try but will not order it again.
Great spacious ambience.
Overall: 2.4

Muito bom, recomendo o Journey Pasta. Assim vc pode provar de 3 a 5 pratos por um bom preço.

Solid Italian restaurant with fresh hand made pasta.
Food: since most of the pasta options already hover around $ 30, if not more, the Journey of Three Pastas is a good deal ($ 32 per person for three pasta dishes). The portions are obviously smaller than regular pasta dishes, but it’s a good chance to try out different kinds of pasta without being too invested in on type. The complementary bread was nothing special, just plain side bread.
First of the three pastas was the eggplant parmigiana ravioli; would highly recommend. The burrata that sat on top of the ravioli went very well with the sauce. Second was the squid ink linguini; also highly recommended! The pasta was very chewy and they weren’t stingy on the crab meat. Last dish was the lobster mezzaluna with fava beans; this dish was interesting. The lobster flavor was overpowering and the fava beans kinda did its own thing. It felt like eating two separate dishes. Both my companion and I agreed that the fava beans didn’t go too well with the mezzaluna.
Service was quick and they refilled out waters fast. The bathroom should have been cleaner though, it smelled a bit and the hand dryer was broken (and no hand towel options).
Also, I don’t know why this place has two dollar signs, it should definitely have three. If you order a full course it will definitely take you up to ~$ 50 per person.

Located at the front entrance of Chelsea Market. They have both inside seating and sidewalk. Pretty casual and enticing place. We had a light brunch after looking around the Chelsea Market. Of course, Chelsea Market has a lot of eating places though we wanted a sit down restaurant since all of food shops in Chelsea Market are very informal. Service was pretty descent and sensible. Coffee tastes good, not weak tastes. All foods we ordered were moderate portion which is good for us, but probably small portion for most people. Needless to say they were tasty. Especially crispy cauliflower parmesan flavor with avocado based dip was to die for! Although it might be a little pricey, considering the location which means tourist place in Manhattan, very reasonable and acceptable. If we have a opportunity, we will try pasta or pizza next time!

As I crossed through its pasta making area and ventured into the crowded dining and bar area, I spotted what I wanted to learn about: Amaros. Saddling up to the dark bar, I asked the bartenders to take me on a tour. They suggested dinner first as the Amaros are known to be after dinner drinks…
When I venture into unfamiliar culinary venues, I like to have a guide and will ask the server or bartender to show me the way. In this case, the bartenders and a manager took great delight in showing me the magic of the kitchen paired with wines.
Starting with a Faro salad and a unique wine that resembled a blend of Sauv Blanc and Chardonnay, the following plates of pork ravioli with tomatoes cascaded into a beautiful short rib/​tossed lasagna plate with a mushroom sauce. Ably met by a Barbera style wine, I was enjoying the tour.
As the bartender lined up the Amaros, I had the honor of meeting the Chef who told me how the recipes worked.
Working through the Amaros was difficult at first, as they were from another taste, except the last one, which reminded me of B&B. I am glad I got to taste them with the guidance of the genuinely interested bartenders who had a story for each one.
Looking back a day later, I loved the food, service, and the atmosphere I was able to learn about the Italian style magic made here.

CARBONARA RAVIOLI: the meat inside was too mushy. It was like beef paste and the the white sauce was bland. Perhaps tomatoes sauce would be more flavorful, but either way I’m not trying this ravioli again.
RICOTTA AND SPINACH RAVIOLI: the best of the three pastas I tried. Soft pillows of goodness.
SQUID INK PAPPARDELLE: I built my own pasta dish. I picked the squid ink pappardelle and tomato sauce ($ 9). I was really excited about fresh pasta but sadly it was clumped up. The first few bits were delicious but the rest of the pasta stuck together. Such a disappointment.
P. S. take out is not fast.

El lugar muy lindo, dentro del Chelsea Market, a la entrada están todas las pastas en aparador para los que vienen por comida para llevar, al fondo esta el restaurante, decorado con maquinas para hacer pasta. Las pastas muy buenas, la mayoría son con mariscos, tengan en cuenta se se sirven al dente. Los precios son un poco elevados.

Toll gemacht… Werbung ganz einfach!
Man geht in den Chelsea Market und bekommt eine Nudel Kostprobe. Eigentlich nichts Besonderes. Nun gut, man nimmt sie. Aber…
sowas von lecker. Als Sauce: Salbei Butter
Selbst gemachte Nudeln mit einer derart tollen Sauce.
Das war einfach überzeugend. 1 Stunde später sind wir hier essen gegangen. Es war total lecker. Beim Kochen konnten wir zusehen.
Frische pur. Italien in New York… einfach schön !
Besuch im Mai 2015

Food: Good
Service: Very Good
Ambiance: Very Good
We were in Chelsea market on Saturday and decided to stop in for dinner. We were seated in 5 minutes and were looked after by Sam who was outstanding, helpful, social and friendly.
We ordered a few small plates and a few larger items and shared. The beef tartare and the bruschetta were outstanding and the seafood/​calamari kind of dish was well cooked but was flavor less.
The larger dishes we ordered were spicy crab pasta, short rib pasta and rock shrimp.
The spicy crab pasta was a star, but the short rib was cooked perfectly but lacked flavor. The rock shrimp was disappointing because the sauce was light but was way too tomatoey
Overall a good experience as long as you order the right things

Les pâtes sont bonnes le service rapide la déco sympa en revanche les quantités … Il né faut pas être affamé catin est loin de la générosité italienne. Toute fois avec le Chelsea Market on a le choix pour les desserts