Il Tinello Ristorante

Mario is the best manager/owner/Maitre'D in New York City. I never leave the city until I have dinner at this spendid restaurant. I have been dining at IlTinello since it opened over 15 years ago.\t\nThe atmosphere is quaint, the service splendid and the food rates this as the best Italian Restaurant in NYC.\t\nOrder the antipasta..table side display of fresh vegetables, (Hearts of Palm a must).\t\nI always have them make the Chicken stuffed with spinach and served in a wine sauce. I think he should rename it "Chicken Diann" for I never order off the menu and they know how much I love the way they prepare this chicken dish.\t\nThe Tarramasu is to die for!\t\nEnjoy this great restaurant..make sure you get reservations.\t\n\t\n

I would recommend Il Tinello to everyone. Simply put, this is on my list of Top 5 restaurants in New York City. The decor is old fashioned Italian, the service and food are magnificent to say the least. I have lived in New York City for 10 years and my job enables me to dine out almost daily so I have visited hundreds of restauraunts. I look forward to my experiences at Il Tinello. Francessca and Mario treat everyone like regulars and remembered my drink orders after my first visit. I make it a point to bring out of towners here because I know we will be treated well and the food will be unforgettable. In a town with so many good Italian restaurants, it is difficult to stand out, but Il Tinello is the best. Some of my favorites include the veal chop, veal saltimbocca, lobster or mushroom ravioli, dover sole special, and the special whipped cream and berries desert!

I could not disagree more with the review complaining about the service here. I popped in--totally unexpectedly--after an event at the nearby Paley Center with my teenage son. We normally would not go to a restaurant of this caliber so spontaneously-- on a "non-special" occasion--especially being dressed casually, in jeans-- nor would we ever dine so early (5:30 pm)--we just happened not to have had lunch-- and as we walked down the street, realized we were probably too early for dinner at other places-- and really did not feel like the usual sushi restaurant-- and it was an opportunity-esp. after enjoying a great live program that made my teenager feel--for first time since who knows when--hey, being with the parent is not so bad after all...\t\nWandering in, they gave us a "look" --we had no reservation, were not regulars-- we were shunted to a corner--but we could see--it was a Saturday night, as we left--the place was filling up--and tables had been reserved...the service was VERY solicitous-- the Caesar salad was made tableside-- and I was a little surprised to see raw egg included-- thought those days had gone, along with steak tartare...but it was wonderfully made-- we had simple dishes-- chicken with tomato for him, Dover sole special for me... the glass of wine I asked for did not come immediately-- but the mistake was soon recitified... and staff could not have been more attentive or professional... and everything--from the delightful bruschetta--the tomatoes tasted as if they had been imported from Italy--a perfect tiny sliver of mozzarella... to fruit tart dessert--was simply perfect-- and an example of well trained professionalism--from bus boy to chef-- My son was treated like a perfect gentleman--and he responded in kind-- it was a special occasion, indeed. Our bill was really not more than we might spend at our local neighborhood standby-tho had only 1 glass of wine) for level of service, a bargain! We plan to return!\t\n\t\n