16 showing · 197 on the list
Banh Mi Saigon
Little Italy is also the edge of Chinatown, and this Grand Street counter proves it — crackling baguettes, under $10, perpetual line of people who work nearby. Real neighborhood lunch.
Order: #1 grilled pork banh mi, extra spicy. Daytime only — they close around 6pm and sell out of baguettes before that on Saturdays.
Verified open Jul 2026 (Yelp). Daytime hours only (~8am-6pm); closed Mondays per recent listings — call 212-941-1541 to confirm
198 Grand St (btwn Mulberry & Mott) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Cafe Habana
The Prince/Elizabeth corner luncheonette that's anchored Nolita since 1998 — cramped, loud, and the grilled corn is still one of downtown's defining cheap thrills.
Order: Grilled corn with cotija and lime (two ears, trust me) plus the Cuban sandwich. To-go window next door skips the wait.
Verified open Aug 2026 (Yelp Aug 2026 + OpenTable 2026)
17 Prince St (at Elizabeth St) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Caffe Palermo
Baby John the 'Cannoli King' has been filling shells on Mulberry since 1973 — the Ferrara rivalry is real and half the neighborhood takes his side.
Order: The classic cannoli, filled while you watch. Grab a sidewalk table with an espresso and let Mulberry Street happen.
Verified open Jul 2026 (Yelp + official site caffepalermo.com). Closed Tuesdays · editor: The self-crowned 'Cannoli King' is a Mulberry Street tourist-line stop; the cannoli don't justify the wait and no local makes the
148 Mulberry St (btwn Grand & Hester) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Caffe Roma
The quiet one: 1891 pasticceria with tin ceilings and zero renovation urges. Where old-timers actually sit — the anti-tourist-trap cannoli stop.
Order: Cannoli and an espresso at a marble table; the ricotta cheesecake is the insider move.
Verified open 2026 (Yelp Jul 2026; hours confirmed Apr 2026). Closed Tue-Wed; limited hours
385 Broome St (at Mulberry St) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Despana
Spanish imports shop on Broome with a sandwich counter in back — since 1971, and the bocadillos are one of the area's best-value lunches nobody talks about.
Order: Chorizo and manchego bocadillo on ciabatta with a drizzle of their olive oil; tapas service Friday and Saturday nights.
Verified open Aug 2026 (Yelp Aug 2026 + despananyc.com). Closed Mondays; counter closes 6pm most days
408 Broome St (btwn Lafayette & Cleveland Pl) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Emilio's Ballato
Since 1956, and the one old-school red-sauce room that never became a caricature. Emilio Vitolo holds the door himself; celebrities eat here because the food is actually good.
Order: Chicken parm or the veal Emilio, start with the burrata. No reservations by phone for nobodies — show up early or eat late.
Verified open Aug 2026 (Yelp Aug 2026 + official site). Walk-in-heavy; expect a wait at prime time
55 E Houston St (btwn Mott & Mulberry) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Ferrara Bakery & Cafe
Fifth-generation family bakery on the same Grand Street corner since 1892 — the institution even cynical locals won't knock. Espresso and pastry in the cafe, or shells to go.
Order: Cannoli — ask for them filled to order so the shell stays crisp. Sfogliatelle if it's morning and they're warm.
Verified open Aug 2026 (Yelp Aug 2026 + official site ferraranyc.com, daily from 9am)
195 Grand St (at Mulberry St) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Lombardi's
America's first licensed pizzeria (1905), coal oven still burning. Yes, it's on the tourist circuit — but the char on a fresh margherita out of that oven is real, and locals still concede it.
Order: The original margherita, whole pies only (no slices), add fresh basil. Cash only — there's an ATM inside.
Verified open Aug 2026 (Yelp Aug 2026 + OpenTable). Cash only, whole pies only, no reservations for small parties · editor: Trades on the 'America's first pizzeria' plaque; long tourist lines for merely decent coal-oven
32 Spring St (at Mott St) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Parm
Major Food Group's casual counter — Italian-American deli classics executed with restaurant precision. The chicken parm hero is the neighborhood's best lunch under $25.
Order: Chicken parm on a roll (hero if you're starving), side of broccoli rabe. Save room for the ice cream cake.
Verified open Aug 2026 (official site parmitalian.com, daily 11am-10pm)
248 Mulberry St (btwn Prince & Spring) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Pasquale Jones
Wood-fired pies and a serious wine program on the Kenmare corner — the grown-up counterweight to the slice joints. The clam pie is a legitimate NYC dish, not a gimmick.
Order: The littleneck clam pizza with a glass from the by-the-glass list. Pizza omakase at the chef's counter if you want the full ride.
Verified open Aug 2026 (official site + OpenTable 2026; Yelp Jul 2026)
187 Mulberry St (at Kenmare St) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Prince Street Pizza
The pepperoni square that launched a thousand imitators — crispy-edged Sicilian slice with cupped, charred pepperoni pooling spicy oil. Line moves fast; there's nowhere to sit.
Order: The Spicy Spring square. One slice is a meal. Go off-hours — open until 3-5am most nights.
Verified open Aug 2026 (official site + Yelp Jul 2026; open late, until 5am Thu-Sat)
27 Prince St (btwn Mott & Elizabeth) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Puglia
Communal tables, live singers, and red sauce since 1919 — loud, unpretentious, and one of the few Hester Street originals still standing. It's a party, not a quiet dinner.
Order: Rigatoni alla vodka or the veal francese, and lean into the sing-along — that's the product.
Verified open 2026 (Yelp Jun 2026 + official site). Closed Mon-Tue; opens 4pm midweek
189 Hester St (btwn Mulberry & Mott) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Rubirosa
The Nolita spot locals actually defend — Staten Island pizza lineage (Joe & Pat's family) with a razor-thin crust nobody else in the neighborhood matches. Gets mobbed, but it earned it.
Order: The vodka pie, thin crust. Half-vodka/half-fresh-mozzarella if you can't commit. Walk-in seats at the bar move faster than the Resy line.
Verified open Aug 2026 (official site rubirosanyc.com, open daily 11am-11pm)
235 Mulberry St (btwn Prince & Spring) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Tacombi
The original Fonda Nolita location — tacos served out of a VW bus parked inside an old garage on Elizabeth. Now a chain, but this one still feels like the reason it became one.
Order: Al pastor and the crispy fish tacos, corn esquites on the side. Three tacos is a meal.
Verified open Aug 2026 (Yelp Aug 2026 + OpenTable; daily 11am-11pm)
267 Elizabeth St (btwn Prince & E Houston) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Torrisi Bar & Ristorante
Rich Torrisi cooking Italian-American through a fine-dining lens in the Puck Building — Michelin-starred, and the rare splurge that honors the neighborhood instead of gentrifying past it.
Order: The tortellini and anything from the antipasti list; the devil's chicken is the sleeper. Book Resy well ahead; the bar takes walk-ins.
Verified open Aug 2026 (Michelin Guide + 50 Best 2026 list). NOTE: moved from 250 Mulberry — current address is 275 Mulberry
275 Mulberry St (at Jersey St, Puck Building) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07
Vincent's
The Original Vincent's, corner of Mott and Hester since 1904 — the last real clam bar in Little Italy. The proprietary hot sauce recipe is over a century old and locals still argue about medium vs. hot.
Order: Fried calamari or scungilli in Vincent's sauce, medium heat (hot is a dare). Get bread for mopping.
Verified open Aug 2026 (Yelp Aug 2026 + originalvincents.nyc)
119 Mott St (at Hester St) · map
added 2026-08-07 · verified 2026-08-07