When we imagine the ideal Sunday dinner Arthur & Sons will forever come to mind.
The West Village spot that serves up heaping plates of pasta and stacks of eggplant piled high alongside heavy pours of wine and espresso martinis is casual, fun, homey and somehow very hip with its black and white checked floors and nostalgic posters lining the walls.
The restaurant, which bills itself as an eatery that “pays homage to the NYC Italian-American scene” with “old school” cuisine lives up to its self-description.
Arthur & Sons opened last June under Joe Isidori, who has earned Michelin Star recognition and co-founded and formerly co-owned Black Tap Craft Burgers & Beers. Isidori also formerly owned Arthur on Smith, which closed in 2013.
“We want our diners to experience the same old school nostalgia of New York Italian food that I grew up eating and making in my family’s restaurants – the red sauce classics, the drinks, the vibe and ambience – and I think we’re checking all the boxes,” Isidori commented to Hotels Above Par.
Since its opening, the restaurant has had a transformation in terms of audience evolving from a sizzling social-media friendly ticket to a more consistent flow, per Isidori.
“While we’re still crazy-busy, now we feel like a real neighborhood restaurant that has found its groove and rhythm. Hopefully, this means we’re here to stay,” he said, adding that “maybe” his son could run the restaurant in a couple decades.
That “old-school”-“red sauce”-centric vibe that Arthur & Sons upholds stems from the legacy of Isidori’s childhood in the 1990s with some menu items that resemble what the chef ate and cooked growing up at home and others that are newer. Isidori is a third-generation New York City chef. His family has run and owned restaurants across multiple boroughs since 1954, according to his website.
The menu features dozens of options that sound so delectable that selecting a meal was more difficult than anticipated.
For appetizers the Creamy Burrata with Baby Arugula & Roasted Tomato was a standout choice, a king among the many variations of burrata dishes that live styled on restaurant starter menus with a notable mention for the Baked Clams Oreganata (which this writer could not eat due to gluten). And the Spicy Rigatoni alla Vodka — which can be made gluten free — will live rent free in our brains for years to come. The Gnocchi Sugo di Carne is a rich treat and a restaurant specialty featuring 24-hour slow braised pork over gnocchi with ricotta and the Macaroni alla Tartufo came highly recommended and will be on our list to try during our next visit along with the lemon cream sauce focused Fusilli alla Limone.
Don’t skip dessert at Arthur & Sons. The Mocha Cioccolato is a heaping pile of oat-milk based ice cream that was literally a dream and comes with a crumbled cookie (on the side, given a gluten intolerance).
Arthur & Sons will keep us coming back given its easy, welcoming environment, seemingly endless menu staples and seasonal specials. Plus, the portions were large enough to have a second meal for the next day’s lunch. We can see how it could become a New York must-visit for residents and out-of-towners.
Top Takeaways
Location: West Village, New York City
Cuisine: Italian
Price Point: $$
Takes Reservations: Yes – Resy
The vibe: Casual, home style old school New York City Italian with some twists.
Our favorite thing on the menu: We love a spicy rigatoni no matter where we go — but Arthur & Sons’ Spicy Rigatoni alla Vodka had a little extra kick, thanks to the homemade calabrian chili, and it was absolutely dreamy.
The attire based on the vibe: Casual
Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner: Lunch and dinner: Sunday – Thursday 12:00 pm–11:00 pm; Friday – Saturday 12:00 pm – 12:00 am
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