6 Best Restaurants in Little Italy, New York City

Little Italy may not be home to any real Italian-seeming restaurant, but this intimate Galician tapas spot readily evokes the spirit of northern Spain and its gastronomic traditions. The kitchen excels at regional seafood dishes like grilled octopus with pimentón (red pepper), and the sea scallops with jamon, served in the shell, but meatier options like the lamb chops are also delicious.

Di Palo's has been an integral part of Little Italy since Savino Di Palo opened a small shop making fresh mozzarella and ricotta in 1910. That store grew into Di Palo's Fine Foods on Grand Street, which sells all manner of gourmet Italian products, and now Savino's great grandchildren have opened this spacious, though rather nondescript wine bar, serving those excellent products paired with lovingly selected Italian wines.

New York’s oldest Italian caffè, open since 1891, pulls espresso and serves homemade gelato, cannoli, and Sicilian pignoli cookies, in a quaint space with pressed-tin ceilings, tiled floors, and heart-shape chairs.

It's hard to choose among the classic Italian desserts displayed in the pastry cases here, but keep in mind that they come in miniature versions so you can try a few. Whatever you opt for—either to take away or to eat in—you can be assured that the recipes have been perfected, as Ferrara has been serving since 1892.

If you've ever imagined that you lived in the French countryside, your dream home would probably look like this rustic counter-serve spot, and if you were lucky, your French maman would turn out baked goods as delicious as what you'll find here. Croissants, cookies, and moist loaf cakes share the display case and there's a short menu of salads, sandwiches, and quiches.

This casual, friendly spot serves up Malaysian staples with pizzaz. Tuck into a hearty roti canai, a crispy pancake served with a luscious curry dipping sauce; satay, chicken skewers accompanied by an addictive peanut sauce; or Panang Asam laksa, a tongue-tingling soup with thick rice noodles and chunks of tender fish in a lemongrass-spiked broth. These are only a few of the hits on an enormous menu.