Malatesta Trattoria

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Unfussy and perfect Italian. Great vibes, great price.

🍝 Variety of homemade pastas. I recommend the spinach gnocchi in Gorgonzola.
🥂Fun, intimate, NYC atmosphere. If it’s warm, sit outside!
🍰The tiramisu portions are generous! Most popular item on the dessert menu. The chocolate mousse is also a winner.
🧾Service was slow the night I visited. Maybe they were short staffed. I’m not holding it against them. But don’t expect a fast in-and-out.

Cosy Italian restaurant near the Hudson that offers great value wine carafes and a lot of classic options such as grilled calamari and caprese salads which are decent. Spinach gnocchi is definitely a must order for your first time. Tables are on the smaller side so you may want to manage your orders. Overall good spot to check out!

I've only eaten two amazing true Italian dinners outside of Italy in my life, and this is without a doubt one of them. Mouth watering gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce, nicely cooked mussels, and not-too-obnoxious service. Ragu was better than ones I've sampled in Italy. That was our final meal in New York, and it was certainly memorable. Simple, cozy, and unpretentious - exactly how I prefer my eating experiences.

We love this place. Fun menu, good wine & the food is great. Comfortable, light and airy with lots of windows. Order everything & enjoy .

Fantastic food, wine, and people! The spinach gnocchi were so good, they were gone before I could take a picture!

A fantastic hangout in the West Village. It has a supercozy vibe, great comfort food, a block away from the West side. We always go there afer a walk on the West side promenade. Service is very good, the food is very classic and all very true Romagna food. It makes us always feel Granma cooked for us. They make probably the best flat bread Piadina I have tasted in NYC. We've been there many times both with the kids and with friends. Good choice on the wines too

Beautiful food. Nice relaxed environment. Service was good and a very wonderful evening.

Our favorite Italian place in the village. We use to eat here quite often when we did not have kids. Parking is a bit tricky as most areas in the city.

We came on a busy saturday night and the place was packed, we were informed that wait time was 1 hour ( call ahead of time for reservation) but there was no wait at their outdoor dinning so we opted for that.

The food came right away even with the place overflowing with customers shows that they are competent and always ahead of the curve. Wait staff was helpful in explaining items on the menu and are courteous. The food in my opinion was worth the price, average price of pasta was $16 but the ingredients were fresh and they all taste delicious. We had the Calamari for starters and it was the best! Cooked just right. (Not fried but, more like grilled whole squid) we ordered 2 appetizers 4 Entréés and all came in less than 10 mins. Would definetly recomend this place.

I’ve seen this place for years now and always wanted to go! I’m so thrilled it’s still around. 🙏 The food is delicious and the prices super reasonable for the area. The vibe is that good old NYC vibe that has been lost in lots of places in the village, so I’m double thrilled it’s still around and not super overpriced! Can absolutely recommend and will most definitely return!

Awesome local place with a great small Italian atmosphere. Homemade pasta is delicious and service and house wines are perfect. There’s a great outside area during good weather.

No reservations though but if you go around 6ish it’s easy to get in then.

Had an amazing dinner here. The Tagliatelle al Ragu was very yum and the Crème Brûlée was really tasty. Would highly recommend for a good Italian dinner in manhattan.

Best spinach gnocchi in Gorgonzola sauce EVER. Order that for the table or for yourself but don't leave without it! Don't forget it's CASH ONLY, and expect a wait if it's a weekend evening because there are no reservations for small groups. Go in the spring or summer and sit outside, get a carafe of house wine and an appetizer. Affordable, efficient, kind staff, incredible homemade pastas.

Gets pretty loud because they pack out every inch of the small space.

Update April 2018: Highly recommend the burrata over prosciutto and arugula if it’s on the specials menu. The tagliatelle with beef ragu is also fantastic.

Came in today on a whim. Decided to take myself on a date and I passed up a ton of really cool restaurants on my way here, but I was determined to set out for the address I originally put into my maps. Once I arrived to Malatesta it was incredibly packed. Being as shy as I am I almost walked out, but right before I turned back around someone set me up at a table. I was like “ok, cool.” Seeing as it was super cold out it particularly nice to feel the crowd around me. Not only was it warm but the staff (EVERYONE) was so kind AND THE FOOD WAS DELICIOUS (ordered the pear salad, ravioli, and crème brûlée for dessert).

*Also side note: I was sat at a small table near the entrance and while eating I had a direct view of the hostess with the short bangs ( I swear this is not at all meant to be creepy, tbh I was on IG most of the time). But woah this hostess was ON 👏🏼HER👏🏼GAME👏🏼 …she was constantly marking things on her clipboard, answering phone calls, and greeting people as they came, and rearranging tables…it was so impressive to watch. I feel like she could be a whole event planner.

Anyway, here’s my review nobody asked for.

I’ll for sure be back and bringing friends next time!

-Alicia

I came into the city to come see my wife, and the service from the tall waiter guy really just blessed our trip and made the entire experience with my wife a beautiful time. Would come eat here again because of the service from the waiter alone, I think his name was Kelly. Wonderful service! Definitely go eat there!!

What a gem in NYC, always excellent. You must get the spinach gnocchi and lamb dish, absolutely the best dishes. The food is always consistently excellent and service quick and friendly. Please remember it is cash only

Delicious and affordable Italian restaurant in the west village. Loved the house focaccia bread that was served when we first sat at our table. It was so light and fluffy, and extra good with there olive oil and balsamic. They didn’t have a full bar, but there was a good selection of Italian wines and beers. I ordered the fish special, which came over fennel with a side of asparagus. The presentation, quality, and taste was excellent. The pasta dishes looked amazing. Would definitely recommend Malatesta Trattoria.

Authentic Italian cuisine. Spinach gnocchi is absolute best. The tiramisu and orange coconut pudding are fantastic. The place is cash only. Expect short to moderate long wait. The ambiance and service is top notch. Very close to Christopher street station.

GO HERE. The food is outstanding. The atmosphere is calm and casual with indoor and outdoor seating. The spinach gnocchi is so good I had to close my eyes with every bite. It completely negated the annoyance associated with the restaurant being cash only. 5/5, 10/10 would recommend and will most definitely be back!

This is my favorite spot in New York.
My go to are: bruschetta, calamari and their spinach gnocchi.
They also have great deals for wine and the service is amazing.
Def recommend

While in NYC for 3 nights, we dined at Malatesta Trattoria twice and enjoyed the Cheese Ravioli with Pink Sauce both nights - perfect! Their Desserts were excellent too.