An acclaimed Italian-American restaurant in NYC's Greenwich Village, known for its upscale dining experience and homage to classic mid-20th century Italian-American eateries.
Rich Torrisi is a co-founder of Major Food Group (MFG), a global culinary powerhouse, alongside Chef Mario Carbone and business partner Jeff Zalaznick.
Insights
ItalianAmericanSteakhouseSeafoodFine diningDinnerFine DiningCocktail Bar
Last updated: 7/12/2026, 4:00:00 AM
Key Information
Carbone, located in NYC's Greenwich Village, is an acclaimed Italian-American restaurant by Mario Carbone, Rich Torrisi, and Jeff Zalaznick. It offers a quintessential New York dining experience, paying homage to the great Italian-American restaurants of the mid-20th century. The ambiance is elegant, comfortable, and unpretentious, designed to transport guests to a bygone era with a lively and classic atmosphere.
Customer Perception
Carbone is widely regarded as a must-try, upscale Italian-American dining experience that lives up to its hype. Customers consistently praise the exceptional service, elegant ambiance, and the delicious, fresh, and flavorful food. Signature dishes like the Spicy Rigatoni Vodka and Mario's Meatballs receive high acclaim. While securing a reservation can be challenging, diners find the memorable experience well worth the effort.
Carbone is part of the Major Food Group, a hospitality company founded by Mario Carbone, Rich Torrisi, and Jeff Zalaznick. The restaurant is known for its immersive dining experience and its unique blend of familiar and bold flavors, which they refer to as 'Carbone Italian'.
Reservations are highly sought after and open one month in advance at 10 AM. It is crucial to plan well in advance, especially for earlier dinner times, as they book up very quickly. Be prepared for a later reservation if not booking far ahead.
If you’re going to splurge on an Italian dinner in New York, make it this one. Carbone masters upscale Italian-American dining with an elegant ambiance and welcoming staff that make the experience just as memorable as the food.
We started with the warm mozzarella, salami, and toasted bread. It was SO good, so we ordered the Prosciutto and Mozzarella. We also went with the Eggplant and Zucchini Scapece.
For our entrees we shared their signature Spicy Rigatoni and Mario’s Meatballs. Everything from start to finish was so fresh, flavorful, and perfect in every way.
To finish, the sweet and addicting Rainbow Cookies. They also surprised us with “Happy Anniversary” gelato, making the day feel extra special.
Carbone is definitely worth the hype—you don’t want to miss this experience if you’re planning a NY trip.
Tip: Reservations open one month in advance at 10am—don’t miss it if you’re trying to plan for a specific date.
I am not sure why this restaurant only get 4.3/5 but If anyone ever gave anything below 5 stars i would highly doubt if they’ve ever ate at any good italian restaurant. Upon walking in the service feel excellent. We feel welcomed by everyone in the restaurant.
Roberto i believe he is the manager I can feel his full passion toward his job, recommending the dishes to everyone and help people out with anything they need.
All dishes are amazing. We ordered carpaccio, bass, two pastas. Carpaccio is soooo good with truffle oil and very fresh ingredients. Bass is also very tender with lemongrass flavor. Pastas are soooo flavorful with the best tenderness.
You can’t miss the tiramisu for dessert. Best creamy/sweetness balance.
If i could give it a 10 out of a 5 I would. Highly recommended in general!!!!
Carbone is one of those classic NYC restaurants that everyone says you have to try, and I'm happy to say it completely lived up to the hype. Getting a reservation is definitely part of the challenge. The earlier dinner times get booked up very quickly, so be prepared for a later reservation unless you plan well in advance.
From the moment we arrived, the service was exceptional. Our table was attended to throughout the meal, and every member of the staff helped make the experience feel special. All seven of us had a wonderful time and shared several dishes, including the meatballs, spicy rigatoni, tortellini, and ribeye. Everything was excellent and made it easy to understand why the restaurant has earned such a strong reputation.
To start, I especially enjoyed the bread, cauliflower, and salami. The rainbow cookies at the end were the perfect finishing touch to an already memorable meal. The atmosphere felt lively, classic, and uniquely New York. Between the food, service, and overall experience, I can confidently say this restaurant lived up to its reputation. I would absolutely love to come back!
Carbone is a restaurant that commits completely to its own vision and doesn't apologize for any of it. The concept is a heightened, dressed-up version of the Italian-American red sauce dining rooms that used to be everywhere in New York and mostly aren't anymore, the kind of place where the waiters wear vintage-style tuxedo jackets and the lighting is tuned low and warm and everything on the table feels deliberate. Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi opened it in 2013 and it has been one of the hardest reservations in the city ever since.
The spicy rigatoni vodka is the dish that made this restaurant famous and it fully earns that reputation. A deeply orange, cream-based sauce with a heat that builds slowly and a richness that coats every tube of pasta, it's the kind of dish that makes you understand why people return specifically for it. The veal parmesan is the classic main that keeps the whole Italian-American premise honest, pounded thin and breaded and sauced in a way that's technically simple and technically perfect. The chicken scarpariello is the other main that regularly comes up as a table favorite, bone-in chicken with sausage, vinegar peppers, and a pan sauce that's bright and fatty in the right balance. The tableside Caesar is a ritual worth participating in if your table size allows, dressed and tossed by your server in a bowl that was probably bigger than your head and tastes exactly like a steakhouse Caesar should. The tiramisu is the dessert that brings the whole meal home, classic and cold and made with care that shows.
Reservations open one month in advance to the day and go extremely fast. There are reportedly walk-in seats at the bar, which is worth attempting on a weeknight.
Had a wonderful experience tonight celebrating my daughter’s 14th birthday who wanted to dine at Carbone and must have their spicy rigatoni pasta which definitely met her expectations and then some.
From the delicious appetizer (Burrata with caviar) to the mains (perfectly cooked lamb chops and 12oz filet mignon) and the cherry on top- delicious tiramisu and black Forrest cake. It was a wonderful evening and a memorable experience for my daughter.
Will absolutely be back for more wonderful memories.
