La Gioconda

You must go here and try the PACCHERI ALLA NORMA. The homemade sauce is incredible and the pasta tastes so fresh! We also had the arugula salad and broccoli rabe on the side and both were very good! Service was very attentive and they have a great selection of wine by the glass. Great place if you happen to be stuck dining in midtown east.

One of my favorite places to eat in NYC. I ordered the fish and pasta special and it was excellent. The pasta tasted fresh and homemade. The wine selection was also decent and not over pricey like the majority of NYC restaurants. Will definetly go to the place again. The manager was very friendly as well!

Absolute garbage. Seriously one of the worst fried chicken cutlets I’ve ever had — rubbery and terrible. The tomato sauce on the gnocchi tastes like it was out of a can. I can only think that any good reviews of this place must have been done by tourists who don’t know any better.

Best gnocchi ever! Absolutely love ordering from here. My girlfriend gets the duck ragu and she rAves about it. Great food and delivery is usually very timely. Comes with delicious bread. Just wish the portions were a little bigger but overall the food is amazing. I highly recommend this place.

I think this place is OK for midtown East but doesn’t really deserve 4 stars compared to Italian places downtown in the villages & SoHo. My group of 5 came in at 8:30 pm on Sunday. It was full but we were the last group of diners to come in.
They were out of bread (!) and we each got ONE tiny piece of bruschetta while we waited. There were two waiters. The kitchen was slow. We ordered food right away because we were hungry and god knows how long appetizers would take.
The food was OK — we were all pretty hungry by the time it came out — but I could tell it was nothing special. Our seafood linguine was decent, the lasagna was probably the best. The potato gnocchi was kind of bland. The Gioconda arugula salad with zesty lemon oil was refreshing though. Portion was smaller than I expected, but I guess it’s OK.
The best part about this place is the atmosphere. But the speed of service & food quality don’t motivate me to come back if I was in the area.

I was pleasantly surprised with this little place. I’ll be honest when I say I wasn’t expecting much. But I was wrong. It is a small, cozy place with about 10 or so tables. We arrived at 5:30 and there was only one other table. By 7:00 the place was full so depending on your time you may want to make a reservation. We were greeted by the owner, who also guided us on the menu by explaining many of the pasta dishes. He’s very nice and definitely takes pride in his place. The pasta was great, especially for the price. Another bonus was the Tiramisu… It is not to be missed. It was extremely light and refreshing, not like others I’ve had. In all, we ordered a coffee, a cappuccino, two pasta dishes, and tiramisu and the bill came out to $ 44. Wow, can’t beat that. I will definitely be returning to try other dishes.

The food was great. Came here with a group of 9 and it was very pleasant. The service was great and this place caters to a true Italian crowd. The portions are «Italian sized» and the pricing is great for Manhattan.
Call for a reservation for a large group since the place is a bit small. The wine is awesome too.

We recently had a dinner party where we rented the entire restaurant on a Friday night and everything was fantastic. For appetizers we sampled the beef carpacio, tomato and mozzarella, and a delightful salad with greens, pear slices, gorgonzola and walnuts. For the pasta dishes and entrees we sampled the lamb ragu, lasagna, paccheri alla norma, chicken bolognese, lamb shank and more. Everything was very fresh and tasty.
Booking the event was a breeze and we really enjoyed working with the manager. Service was impeccable and our guests raved about the delicious food and intimate atmosphere of the space.
I also had visited the restaurant for dinner on a regular evening for dinner about a month ago and everything was equally delicious and enjoyable. I will definitely be back!

Fresh, fantastic food. Lovely atmosphere. Intimate without being crowded. Owner/​Maitre D was most welcoming!

Great small restaurant. Good food and service. I usually dine here alone for lunch. I think I’ve had practically every thing on the menu and I have never had a bad meal or experience
One of the best in the area.

I have been in La Gioconda a couple times and I have to say is the best Italian food in the city! Super delicious! Fabio, the owner, offers an excellent customer service, I have no complain about it. This place is very cozy to have a great time in a lovely atmosphere! This place definitely deserves 5 stars or more!

The finest things in life can be found in smaller packages… and the best Italian diner can be found in a charming little corner called La Gioconda. A fine delicacy, tucked on 53^rd can surprise you with a great selection of Italian wines, expertly crafted antipasti, and succulent entrées.
To start, I wasn’t sure of the which wine to try, so after asking about my taste preferences the manager suggested for me to try Gragniano. WOW! Hit in the nail, loved that wine! I had the Gamberri con Panchetta as an appetizer and it was amaizing; shrimp wrapped in bacon is always a great idea. For an entrée I had the Bocconcini di Pollo ai Fungui and i loved it; juicy chicken breast served with mushrooms in an exquisite sause, with roasted potatoes on the side… BUENISIMO! To top it all off, for dessert I had a warm chocolate crape AND the tiramisu, which was sweet and fresh.
The attention and service was spectacular and the food was exquisitely crafted. Definitely coming back and bringing my mother when she visits!

A little gem in the neighborhood! If you are looking for an amazing italian Dinner La Gioconda is the place to go. Fabio its owner will be there to greet you and make your dinning experience truly unique.
From amazing appetizers like the focaccia with fresh buratta and prosciutto to thier home made fresh Pastas, Veal Saltimbocca among other amazing entres.
They also have amazing dessert. The crêpes and tiramisù are a must!
Also ask for their Gargniano wine or ask them to recomend a wine to pair up woth your meal!

Fantastic restaurant. The owner, Fabio, is extremely friendly and the food is delicious. It has a casual/​cozy wine bar feel, great for a first date or a kickback with some friends. There’s plenty of room and you never feel like you’re fighting to be heard or have your own space. This is easily my favorite spot in Midtown!

I really enjoyed that penne gluten free a la vodka!!! I totally recommend you guys, and also Favio is really nice. I definitely will back to this place for try Something else… The menu looks great.

We were 27 people and had such a classy dinner! I have been in New York City for one year and this is the best high-​quality Italian food I’ve tried so far… The manager treated us like all-​life friends and described us every dish detail by detail. I felt the passion and the dedication that the workers put in the restaurant. We had an yummy dinner with a great wine for a very reasonable price in comparison with an average homemade Italian restaurant in Midtown. The tiramisú as dessert is a must!
All in all, a small place perfect either for a romantic dinner or a group dinner. I will repeat and bring my coworkers to this place again!

Absolutely amazing. I haven’t found good authentic Italian restaurant like this in NY before. The owner is very passionate about his food. Comes out to check on tables. The restaurant is cozy and again, the food and service was amazing.

What a cute and quaint little Italian restaurant with good food and good service! The place can be difficult to spot off the street unless you know where it is. I’ve probably walked past this place 30 or so times and never noticed it among the other restaurants that line 53^rd St. Seating can be tight since the space is so small.
They happily accomodated our party of 8 for lunch with no reservation as we came in before the rush. They have a great lunch special which consists of one starter/​appetizer and one entrée for $ 15. I had the arugula salad with shaved Parmesan and lemon dressing as a starter and the grilled salmon as an entrée. Portions aren’t that big but I left content. My co-​workers surprised me with a birthday tiramisu and the restaurant did not end up charging for dessert which was nice! Also the complimentary bread is nicely served on a wooden board and is delicious. I was pleased with the entire experience and will return.

Very nice, cozy, little place. My wife and I were there on an early weeknight for a light dinner and had a fantastic prix fixe meal of fresh pasta. Soup /​Salad was delicious and fresh as were both the pastas — and you get dessert in the pf too. Very nice, authentic food at a very good price (especially for this neighborhood).
Wine selection by the glass was broad and reasonably priced too. Fresh crusty bread and good black olives were a nice touch.
Unsure about the poor reviews I’ve seen, they seem older and probably from a prior incarnation — Currently I plan to return frequently.

The new management from Italy is bringing a new flair to this restaurant. The special appetizer of the day (grilled shrimp with artichokes) was divine and the tiramisu was probably the freshest I’ve had in a long time. Definitely a place to come back to. The Barbera wine that the host recommended was also excellent.