Il Corso

I went here last Friday for lunch with my mother and two family friends and I was really delighted by the food. Since it was the middle of the lunch rush, it was pretty noisy. I ordered the ravioli special which had spinach and artichoke and surprisingly swordfish. I try to stick to a vegetarian diet, so when I asked my waiter what the ravioli had it in, he didn’t say the swordfish, just the spinach and artichoke in a white wine sauce (I think) so I was excited to try it. However, I was so hungry so I ate it anyway. The wait wasn’t long, I was just starving.
Otherwise, my glass of sparkling water was never empty and the food was delicious! Very light but impactful flavor and you don’t feel gross after you’re done eating. The lentils and olive oil with bread served before the meal came out was new for me as well.
This place is not cheap! The bill for 4 of us was $ 146. We got two bottles of sparkling water and 4 entrees and thats it so don’t be too shocked when your bill comes. Unless you got money like that and $ 146 is chump change for you.
My FAVORITE part of my dining experience was not only the coat check, but also the fact that the hostess brought this miniature chair next to my table for my purse! I was so happy because I have an expensive bag and i was not keen on putting it on the floor and it didn’t hang on my chair.
I’ll definitely go back here again! (as long as someone else is paying you feel me)

Trying to find a place with good carpaccio. This is it. Great wine! Great atmosphere. Great company!

sooooo loud in here. Yikes — large party seated on the other side of the room but the acoustics are awful in there … Hardly the type of place I thought we were going to from the reviews. Mozz & prosciutto appetizer was good but nothing amazing — the sun dried tomatoes that came with it were a great touch though! Entrees were lasagna — standard, nothing to go out of your way for — and short rib ravioli. Ravioli were under seasoned from a salt perspective but the right balance of truffle to not be nothing BUT truffle. Waiter was nice and attentive with my wine. If you’re in the neighborhood, stop here. If not, I wouldn’t go out of my way. Plenty of other Italian restaurants in NYC.

Very enjoyable dinner. We had Chicken Francese and Chicken Marcel. Both were excellent. Service was excellent.

Cozy place with really good service. Family dinner before enjoying a play on Broadway is a great match here. Food was tasty with creative apps and broad entrée selection. Really liked wine list and specials.

Very nice experience at Il Corso.
First of all, convenient location makes it easy to be found.
Secondly, very nice atmosphere in the restaurant, modern and trendy decorations adds a romantic touch.
Now, it’s about their food. Decent, solid, classic italian pasta, very yummy. We ordered appetizers and main, which include veal, salad, pasta alragu and pasta with lobster (forgot th exact name), to go with the Malbec, amazing combination. Unforgettable gormat experiences.
As desert, we had crème brûlée, tiramisu (of course) and the strawberry pudding, made my husband and I so happily full. :)
Loved it and will definitely go back!

It’s very closed to my office. I went there one day with my friends. I ordered seafood salad which was supposed to be an appetite r. The portion was big so it was enough for me. Great service. My friend said pasta tasted delicious.

Grata food. authentic Italian… I found my spot when I come to NYC, must stop here.

We were directed here by a bartender at Cock & Bull on 45^th. We were looking for some
quality NY Italian without having to get overly dressy or blow a ton of money.
I’m glad we went. It was a Tuesday around 7pm, our last night of our vacation in NYC, and we were sat immediately, no reservation. The restaurant was still busy though. I think we must have gotten there just in time to avoid a wait.
It’s a little small but big enough that there was a 20 top being served next to us.
Service was excellent. The staff was cordial yet fast and efficient.
The food:
Started with the Calamari Dorati (fried calamari)
I loved the flavor of the crust and the dipping sauce. The calamari was fresh but it was a little too al dente. Not horrible or uneatable … just maybe over cooked a smidge. We still ate it all and I really didn’t feel like it was worth making a deal over it. Mainly because the sauce was soooo good.
Main Course:
Costicine Di Bue Al Vino Rosso (Braised boneless beef short ribs, red wine reduction, mashed potatoes)
I really enjoyed this. The short ribs were tender and flavorful. The sauce went very well with the mashed potatoes.
Fettuccine Alla Bolognese (Flat noodle, bolognese beef ragu)
My wife ordered this one. She though it was good. I thought it was fresh and light tasting yet for me a little muted in flavor. I know a Bolognese sauce is supposed to be mild… but after tasting the sauce from the calamari, I wanted more of that flavor.
Overall, I’m glad we went to Il Corso, I would recommend to anyone looking for Italian in the midtown area. Prices were very reasonable for being in NYC and for the quality of the food and service.

Nice little Italian restaurant. Eclectic and expansive menu with a lot of greater specials.
Very good service.
The only quirky thing about it was the disco music playing in the background — uncommon for an Italian restaurant.
We had a nice experience.

How can such a terrific place in NYC have so few reviews? Frankly, I’m rather shocked, especially for an establishment that’s been around for over twenty years!
Yep, Il Corso is a real find.
To be fair, it wasn’t *my* find. I read the effusive review of fellow Unilocaler (and namesake), Melanie B., back in June, and filed it away in the crevice of my brain reserved for things that I want to try in the future. (Or maybe I just bookmarked it.)
As luck would have it, I was planning on taking my mommy to NYC for a mother-​daughter weekend in mid-​September; it was the first reservation I made. I just knew this place would be perfect for our first dinner.
And it was.
It’s kind of small and cozy, and it just oozes charm. If you weren’t specifically looking for it, you just might walk right past it.
But don’t.
We started with bellinis (because when in Rome, right?), that were flawless, and a perfect pick-​me-​up after a long afternoon of walking, shopping, and more walking.
We moved on to a special appetizer of fried zucchini blossoms, stuffed with homemade ricotta and parmegiano reggiano. This is something I don’t come across very often, so how could I not order it? The real question is why did I not order two? The zucchini blossoms were delicately battered and fried, and the two cheeses combined into one oozy, creamy, explosion of deliciousness. If they happen to have this, do not miss it.
My mom had the cacio e pepe, which is fairly common in an Italian restaurant. I make this at home sometimes. This minimalist dish is basically pasta, cheese, and fresh pepper. With so few ingredients, they all need to be the highest quality.
And of course they were.
The «bowl» the pasta came in was a basket of parmegiano reggiano! Let that sink in for a minute.
An edible basket of cheese! What could be more wonderful?!
I opted for something heartier, and chose the pork tenderloin with sauteed wild mushrooms, finished with a marsala glaze, and served with roasted fingerling potatoes. I all but licked the plate clean.
I was secretly hoping they would have one of my favorite Italian desserts on the menu, which is panna cotta. Tiramisu is ubiquitous, but panna cotta, not so much. Glory be! Not only did they have it, but it came with mixed berries and raspberry sauce. I died and went to heaven.
The service is warm. The atmosphere is endearing. The food is superlative; I don’t think you could go wrong with anything on the menu.
Even though I typically make a point to *not* return to a restaurant I’ve already tried when I go on vacation, I will most definitely return to Il Corso next time I’m in Manhattan.

Since this restaurant is in the middle of what I consider to be a ‘dead zone’ when it comes to restaurants, I didn’t expect all too much from Il Corso, save the higher price tag that accompanies dining in this area. This has to be one of the best reasons to not discount this part of Midtown when it comes to choosing your next meal.
As far as service goes, everything is professional and amicable. From the hostess to our server, it was an easy five star experience.
What truly blew me away was how every item ordered was truly enjoyable; the freshness and superb quality of the ingredients used is refreshing. The house-​made mozzarella, cheeses and pastas are so memorable that the sensations will stick with you down the road. The grilled octopus was my favorite, in terms of appetizers, although the buffula was truly in the top 3 I’ve had eve. I went off the rail a bit and strayed from a traditional Italian dish by ordering the hangar steak at a medium; this was a great decision. My wife had the salmon which was absolutely moist, tender and was probably the best salmon dish I’ve tasted in recent memory.
The bill is going to amount to something hefty, especially if you opt for a bottle of wine or two, but this is one higher end restaurant that really deserves more acknowledgement for their commitment to excellence, thus warranting your hard-​earned coin.

Good dining is all in the details: Corso’s house made mozzarella, cherry tomato sauce and pastas, obvious quality ingredients, and impeccable service, make this a place I always want to return to. This little hidden restaurant in Midtown is one of my favorites.
Love their linguini with veal and pork ragú. Yes, judge me for eating veal. I don’t eat it often, but sometimes a girl just can’t stop herself! The short ribs are worth every calorie as well as their prosciutto truffle ravioli. Gnocchi is always my standby, and while I absolutely love theirs, there are so many delicious entrees to choose from, I would be remiss to choose the «safe» option.
Don’t mind the fact that there’s often a long wait and there’s no place to stand; their cherry tomato sauce will make up for it. But don’t cab it home. You’ll want to walk this dinner off.

Found a review of this restaurant in Food Network magazine before our annual trip to NYC. Had a delicious meal here on Christmas Eve, the food was fantastic, the staff very friendly and the prices very reasonable, especially for NYC. Very conveniently located, a short subway ride from our hotel in Herald Square, a terrific find in a city filled with thousands of dining choices.

Excellent food and excellent service. However, if you are going to have some wine and appetizers, be prepared to spend well over $ 100 a person.
We had veal ravioli and a very delicious lobster pasta
It was a very nice restaurant

Very solid Italian restaurant in Midtown — especially good for business lunches. Huge selection of pastas, some good some ok. Also, home-​made mozzarella and burratas that hold their own. I’d recommend for anybody looking for good Italian food around the Midtown area for sure, there aren’t that many options around anyway.

3.5 stars for Il Corso. The service was good, and when we got there at 6pm, there was hardly anyone on that Friday. However, when we left at 8:15 or so, the place was jam-​packed. I ordered the Cavatelli Pugliesi — with broccoli rabe, sweet pork sausage, garlic, olive oil — and that was very good, and apparently homemade pasta. We also shared the brownie for dessert, which came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream — we were not fans of the brownie because literally, every tiny bite had some bits of walnut in it. I don’t want every bite to have nuts, sometimes I just want a brownie with nuts on top.
The service was good, but I wasn’t blown away by the food, and the price point is a bit high for food that I can’t rave about, hence my rating.

Stopped by at noon for lunch with my aunts and sadly we were the only customers during the dining experience. Thank god for Unilocal photos before I decided what to order.
Food: Cavatelli Salsiccia and Special Pasta: Pork Belly Pappardelle with black beans
Wow a bottle of Panna tap water is unbelievable pricey…8 bucks man… shouldn’t water be free either tap vs. sparkling.
Both pasta dishes were superbly delicious but I am in the neighborhood… I might stop by for brunch or dinner!

We had a fantastic meal at Il Corso.
The staff was wonderful and the waiters and hostess all had Italian accents which added to the atmosphere.
We started with salads, they were just greens and a few grape tomatoes. Arugula, baby spinach, frisée, and romaine. Very simply dressed with a little olive oil and lemon. That’s as it should be, too many salads today are loaded with too much stuff and overdressed with a gloppy gooey dressing. This is also the way my Italian step-​father dresses his salads. It was a nice, light start to the meal.
My bolognese was cooked to a perfect al dente. It was delicious, and arrived to the table piping hot.
My wife ordered the special ravioli of the night. Goat cheese and pear filled, with a parmesan cream sauce and topped with walnuts and arugula. She complained that the filling didn’t taste of goat cheese. But it was amazing nonetheless. The cream sauce was especially delicious. I wanted to lick her plate it was so good.
Next time we are in the city we’ll be sure to stop back at Il Corso again for dinner.

I have been here several times with colleagues and friends. I absolutely LOVE this restaurant. It’s a very quaint and cozy restaurant and in a great location from the office.
Atmosphere (⁵⁄₅): Rather small quarters, but makes for a quaint and cozy seating. The restaurant is decorated very eloquent with oil and watercolor paintings provided with suitable seating.
Service (⁵⁄₅): The servers are great. They check up on you, your water and drinks are always filled and they are very attentive.
Food (⁴⁄₅): I have never ordered anything I dislike. The only reason I gave the food four stars is because the food is rather pricey — appetizers are basically as much as the main course. The portion sizes are generous. The preparation is nicely done. Food has always been brought out in a reasonable timeframe. I would recommend ordering the burrata, carpaccio di manzo and carpaccio di tonno for appetizers. Gnocchi alla siciliana or risotto ai pocini for dinner are my favorites. The wine selection is high quality, but not too many options.
If you are looking for authentic quality Italian food, this is the place. You won’t go wrong with this restaurant.