Via Emilia

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47 E 21st St (at Between Park Avenue and 5th Avenue)
New York, NY 10003

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(212) 505-3072
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Reviews
( 16 )
( 34 )
( 6 )
( 0 )
( 0 )

Best

Amazing food I usually have my birthday dinner here each year, always a good time. Great service. The wine selection is great, they have a number of Lambruscos, which is rare. ...

Worst

All reviews seem positive

Decent enough 9/8/2006

New location is much nicer than the old one and you get an overall decent meal for the money. I've not had anything here that would make me think specifically of coming back, but if I'm in the neighborhood and hungry for Italian, I'd go back. The borlengo appetizer was particularly good and we liked the lasagna (which is supposedly the signature dish), though it's oddly prepared -- it's a big square but only about an inch thick and there's not quite as much as you'd expect for the price. A bit worrisome was the slow service. The restaurant was not full, but our hurried-looking waitress was often nowhere to be found and the food took about one hour to arrive after ordering. She apologized for how ""incredibly busy"" she was, but I'll reiterate that the restaurant was not even full. God only knows how slow the service is when the place *is* full! more
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Decent enough 9/8/2006

New location is much nicer than the old one and you get an overall decent meal for the money. I've not had anything here that would make me think specifically of coming back, but if I'm in the neighborhood and hungry for Italian, I'd go back. The borlengo appetizer was particularly good and we liked the lasagna (which is supposedly the signature dish), though it's oddly prepared -- it's a big square but only about an inch thick and there's not quite as much as you'd expect for the price. A bit worrisome was the slow service. The restaurant was not full, but our hurried-looking waitress was often nowhere to be found and the food took about one hour to arrive after ordering. She apologized for how "incredibly busy" she was, but I'll reiterate that the restaurant was not even full. God only knows how slow the service is when the place *is* full! more
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Fizzy wine and fabulous lasagna 7/4/2006

VIA EMILIA IS NOT CLOSED! It just moved around the corner to 47 East 21st Street between Broadway and Park Avenue South. To die for: Lasagna, gnocco fritto and several choices of Lambrusco. And a terrific value too. Great for meeting friends for lunch or on a lovely summer evening. more
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Fizzy wine and fabulous lasagna 7/4/2006

VIA EMILIA IS NOT CLOSED! It just moved around the corner to 47 East 21st Street between Broadway and Park Avenue South. To die for: Lasagna, gnocco fritto and several choices of Lambrusco. And a terrific value too. Great for meeting friends for lunch or on a lovely summer evening. more
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An enjoyable evening 2/5/2006

I met a friend at the restaurant Sat. night at 8 p.m. My friend had already been seated and I promptly joined her. We had met each other only recently, so we had gotten into a lengthy conversation before even looking at the menu. The waitress came back a couple of times to check on us (and was not annoyed). Finally, we ordered. I had the chicken tortollini with mushrooms and it was outstanding. Subtle flavors inside and handmade pasta. My friend had the pumpkin tortollini, which was also outstanding. The wine was good. You can carry on a conversation with your party. All-in-all, it was pleasant, enjoyable and a great meal. Would make a nice date place as well. I would go back. more
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An enjoyable evening 2/5/2006

I met a friend at the restaurant Sat. night at 8 p.m. My friend had already been seated and I promptly joined her. We had met each other only recently, so we had gotten into a lengthy conversation before even looking at the menu. The waitress came back a couple of times to check on us (and was not annoyed). Finally, we ordered. I had the chicken tortollini with mushrooms and it was outstanding. Subtle flavors inside and handmade pasta. My friend had the pumpkin tortollini, which was also outstanding. The wine was good. You can carry on a conversation with your party. All-in-all, it was pleasant, enjoyable and a great meal. Would make a nice date place as well. I would go back. more
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Eh 1/28/2006

We only waited a few minutes before we were seated, and the menu looked promising. We were given a bread basket and the bread looked like someone had taken a bite out of it and put it back in, so we passed that over. The appetizer was good - pastry puffs with meat, but the entrees completely lacked flavor. I had the chicken and mushroom tortellini, which had no flavor whatsoever. If you have to add a lot of salt, pepper and grated cheese to a dish then something just isn't right, and that's what I had to do. My date had the ragu with meat sauce, which also had no flavor. It needed garlic, onion, something. We could only stomach half of it and decided to pack it up, knowing we could spice it up in our own kitchen. It was just disappointing all around. Cons: crowded, no reservations more
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Eh 1/28/2006

We only waited a few minutes before we were seated, and the menu looked promising. We were given a bread basket and the bread looked like someone had taken a bite out of it and put it back in, so we passed that over. The appetizer was good - pastry puffs with meat, but the entrees completely lacked flavor. I had the chicken and mushroom tortellini, which had no flavor whatsoever. If you have to add a lot of salt, pepper and grated cheese to a dish then something just isn't right, and that's what I had to do. My date had the ragu with meat sauce, which also had no flavor. It needed garlic, onion, something. We could only stomach half of it and decided to pack it up, knowing we could spice it up in our own kitchen. It was just disappointing all around. Cons: crowded, no reservations more
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If you are in the area . . 7/23/2005

stop by this place. But only if you are in the area. Don't consider this place a gem that is worth travelling to. The service is probably hit or miss - we had sufficient service but the table next to us didn't - they had to keep asking for things. The wine list is small but satisfactory for the type of place it is. We enjoyed our meal (try the gnocco fritto - this would be a 15 dollar antipasti course anywhere else) and we would return. They are known for their tortelloni . . . and for good reason. Stick to the homemade pastas. more
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If you are in the area . . 7/23/2005

stop by this place. But only if you are in the area. Don't consider this place a gem that is worth travelling to. The service is probably hit or miss - we had sufficient service but the table next to us didn't - they had to keep asking for things. The wine list is small but satisfactory for the type of place it is. We enjoyed our meal (try the gnocco fritto - this would be a 15 dollar antipasti course anywhere else) and we would return. They are known for their tortelloni . . . and for good reason. Stick to the homemade pastas. more
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Very good food 10/7/2004

This place has excellent pasta dishes. It's a great, inexpensive choice when you're in the area. Service is a little slow, even though the restaurant is small, so sit back and enjoy your company! Pros: Great food, Reasonable prices Cons: , Slow service more
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Very good food 10/7/2004

This place has excellent pasta dishes. It's a great, inexpensive choice when you're in the area. Service is a little slow, even though the restaurant is small, so sit back and enjoy your company! Pros: Great food, Reasonable prices Cons: , Slow service more
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Ok, I guess... 10/20/2003

This is a "fine" restaurant--nothing was spectaular. Based on reviews, I was expecting it to either be super-cheap with good food (a good value) or typically-priced with fantastic food (an even better value and rare gem). My experience was that it was a combination of those 2 expectations. It's a good restaurant if you are in the Union Square/Gramercy area, but don't make a special trip to get there. PS--You most likely will have to wait, and there is no bar or enclosed waiting area. Pros: Service, good bread Cons: No bar, for those waiting more
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Ok, I guess... 10/20/2003

This is a ""fine"" restaurant--nothing was spectaular. Based on reviews, I was expecting it to either be super-cheap with good food (a good value) or typically-priced with fantastic food (an even better value and rare gem). My experience was that it was a combination of those 2 expectations. It's a good restaurant if you are in the Union Square/Gramercy area, but don't make a special trip to get there. PS--You most likely will have to wait, and there is no bar or enclosed waiting area. Pros: Service, good bread Cons: No bar, for those waiting more
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Go for the lambrusco! 7/28/2003

Via Emilia really deserves the praise it gets for being a gem in the midst of the high profile and high priced restaurants in its neighborhood (not saying that there aren't several restaurants in that grouping worth visiting...). Lambrusco is such a nice treat in the summertime, and, being a cheap wine, it is difficult to find on most wine lists and wine stores in this city. We've never had to wait unreasonably long for dinner, as long as we were realistic in our expectations. The food is solidly good and reasonably priced. The service is smooth but not overly friendly. The space is somewhat noisy because it is unadorned and simple, so sound really reverberates. However, will remain a staple for us and we're never reluctant to bring out-of-town guests. Pros: lambrusco, prices, unpretentious Cons: sometimes a wait, can get noisy more
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Go for the lambrusco! 7/28/2003

Via Emilia really deserves the praise it gets for being a gem in the midst of the high profile and high priced restaurants in its neighborhood (not saying that there aren't several restaurants in that grouping worth visiting...). Lambrusco is such a nice treat in the summertime, and, being a cheap wine, it is difficult to find on most wine lists and wine stores in this city. We've never had to wait unreasonably long for dinner, as long as we were realistic in our expectations. The food is solidly good and reasonably priced. The service is smooth but not overly friendly. The space is somewhat noisy because it is unadorned and simple, so sound really reverberates. However, will remain a staple for us and we're never reluctant to bring out-of-town guests. Pros: lambrusco, prices, unpretentious Cons: sometimes a wait, can get noisy more
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Tortellini done right! 7/14/2003

The bill was less $100 for four us. We all had a glass of wine and shared an appetizer. There is a variety of tortellini and all are fabulous. The wait is kinda crappy but totally worth it. AND they won't seat your party unless you are all present. But go during the week and it won't be as crowded... Pros: tortellini, decent prices, attentive waitstaff Cons: waiting time more
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Tortellini done right! 7/14/2003

The bill was less $100 for four us. We all had a glass of wine and shared an appetizer. There is a variety of tortellini and all are fabulous. The wait is kinda crappy but totally worth it. AND they won't seat your party unless you are all present. But go during the week and it won't be as crowded... Pros: tortellini, decent prices, attentive waitstaff Cons: waiting time more
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Get there early 6/4/2003

There are no reservations, so plan for an early dinner to avoid wait times. Once seated, the place can get a wee bit loud, but waiters are wonderful and will never rush a table, even if there is a line out the door and onto the sidewalk. Pasta is good, specials are usually worth a try. Incredible value. more
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Get there early 6/4/2003

There are no reservations, so plan for an early dinner to avoid wait times. Once seated, the place can get a wee bit loud, but waiters are wonderful and will never rush a table, even if there is a line out the door and onto the sidewalk. Pasta is good, specials are usually worth a try. Incredible value. more
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Menu for Via Emilia


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Additional information
  • Hours: Mon-Thu, noon-3pm and 5pm-11pm; Fri, noon-3pm and 5pm-11:30pm; Sat, 5:30pm-11:30pm; Sun, closed
  • Neighborhoods: Flatiron District, Midtown
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