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Why Rao's Is on Our Top 50 Italian Outside Italy
Rao's, under Frank Pellegrino Jr (third generation)'s direction, is ranked #45 on our Top 50 Italian Restaurants Outside Italy. The regional Italian register: Italian-American (Neapolitan lineage).
The pasta-making method: Fresh extruded plus dried. The signature dish: Lemon chicken, meatballs in red sauce, rigatoni Sunday gravy.
The wine program: Italian-American by-the-bottle; Sicily and Tuscany strong.
The chef pedigree: Most legendary impossible-reservation in NYC. The family lineage: Pellegrino family three-generation East Harlem lineage since 1896.
How to Book Rao's
The booking lead time: Reservations are inherited only; not bookable. Reserve through OpenTable, Resy, or the restaurant's own booking portal where applicable; many of the best Italian restaurants outside Italy require dedicated concierge or hotel-based bookings during peak season.
Order the regional pasta. The kitchen's strongest expression at Rao's is the Lemon chicken Rao's, paired with a producer from the chef's training region.
The dress code: Smart elegant; East Harlem institution dress code. The dinner spend: 200 to 320 USD per person at dinner. The kitchen at Rao's is rated 9/10 for food and 10/10 for ambience in our editorial scoring.
Why Rao's Is Worth the Pilgrimage
"The most legendarily impossible reservation in New York. East Harlem since 1896. The tables are owned by regulars; Frank Sinatra, Mario Cuomo, and four generations of New York establishment have eaten here. There are ten tables; reservations are inherited."
Our editorial scoring places the food at 9/10, ambience at 10/10, and value at 6/10. The Italian-American (Neapolitan lineage) register is structural; the chef lineage and the kitchen's calibration produce the dinner that rewards the booking effort.
View Rao's on Restaurants for Kings →
Related Reading
- Top 50 Italian Restaurants Outside Italy. The full editorial ranking, of which Rao's is #45.
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- New York restaurant guide. The full city directory with all occasions.
- Carbone. Our deep dive on the closest Italian peer in the city.
- Marea. Our deep dive on the closest Italian peer in the city.