Torrisi
“Rich Torrisi cooks New York's history à la carte under one star in the Puck Building. Set Resy alarms thirty days out.”
About Torrisi
Rich Torrisi's first restaurant on Mulberry Street was a sandwich shop with twenty seats and a tasting menu habit. The 2022 return, a few blocks north in the landmark Puck Building, is Major Food Group's most personal project: a grand vaulted room where the chef argues that New York itself, Jewish, Italian, Chinese, Caribbean, is a cuisine. Michelin gave it a star and has kept it there, and the 2026 lists from the New York Times and North America's 50 Best both seated it high.
The menu is à la carte and reads like the city's immigrant pantry run through a French brigade: tortellini pomodoro light enough to float, cavatelli under a spiced Jamaican beef ragù, an Italian riff on Dover sole Francese, zeppole with prosciutto and pineapple jam. Nightly specials climb the check fast; a truffle pappardelle has passed at $75 a plate. Two people eating fully with wine will clear several hundred dollars, and the affogato at $22 is the mandatory landing.
Getting in is the sport. Reservations release on Resy exactly thirty days ahead at 10am and evaporate within minutes, Dorsia sells some tables against spend minimums, and the long marble bar in the center of the room seats walk ins who arrive before the 5pm open. A uniformed doorman works the Mulberry Street entrance, the coat check will also check your leftovers under a numbered tag, and the house refuses athletic wear at the door. It is theater, and the city has voted for it every night since 2022.
The Room
Vaulted ceilings, a doorman at the Mulberry Street entrance, a long marble bar in the middle of the floor and cured hams in a case by the host stand. The room feels like a civic institution that happens to serve dinner. Dress properly: athletic wear is refused at the door. The bar seats are the city's best walk in ticket; dining rooms run reserved.
Why book it, occasion by occasion
Book the right occasion and Torrisi repays the effort twice over. These are the right ones.
For the out of town guest who thinks they know Italian food
The point of Torrisi for business is that it cannot be replicated in your guest's city: this menu only makes sense on Mulberry Street, and the Puck Building's vaulted room signals seriousness the moment coats are checked. The à la carte format keeps the meal to two civilized hours, the wine list rewards trust, and the food gives a table its conversation. Book the 10am Resy drop exactly thirty days ahead.
For the dinner that needs energy rather than hush
Some negotiations die in silent rooms. Torrisi hums, and the hum is useful: pauses feel natural, the table next to you is celebrating something, and the pacing of shared pastas keeps hands and attention moving. Ask for a corner table in the back room when you book, order the tortellini and the sole for the table, and let the doorman's goodnight put the seal on the evening.
For the anniversary that started in this neighborhood
If your history runs through downtown, this is the room that honors it: Little Italy's main street, cooked by its most decorated son, with the affogato standing in for a cake. The kitchen treats occasion notes on Resy seriously and paces two people generously. Aim for a Monday or Tuesday, when the room softens, and arrive early for a drink at the marble bar before your table.
What to order
À la carte, with specials recited nightly and priced like collectibles. These are the anchors.
- Tortellini pomodoro
The most argued about pasta in the city: featherweight, barely sauced, and the clearest statement of what this kitchen believes.
- Cavatelli with Jamaican beef ragù
The thesis dish. Spiced like the Bronx, rolled like Bologna; order it even if someone at the table thinks they hate spice.
- Dover sole Francese
The Italian American classic given the full fine dining treatment. The right main for two after a pasta course each.
- The affogato, non negotiable
$22, gelato under chocolate and frozen espresso. Skip a savory course before skipping this. Specials tempt; the truffle pasta ran $75 a plate.
Practical
- Address
- 275 Mulberry Street, Puck Building, Nolita
- Reservations
- Resy, 30 days out at 10am · Dorsia carries tables
- Bar
- Walk ins only · arrive before the 5pm open
- Hours
- Dinner Monday to Saturday · lunch Wednesday to Saturday
- Dress
- Dress for the occasion · no athletic wear
- Children
- Adults leaning · no guests under three
- Corkage
- $110 per bottle, up to three
- Prices
- Pastas from the $30s · specials to $75 · affogato $22
Questions diners ask
How do I get a reservation at Torrisi?
Set an alarm: tables release on Resy exactly thirty days ahead at 10am and prime slots go inside a minute. Dorsia carries some inventory with spend minimums. The reliable fallback is the walk in bar that runs through the middle of the room; join the line before the 5pm open and you will usually sit.
How much does dinner at Torrisi cost?
À la carte: pastas run in the $30s and $40s, mains more, the affogato $22, and nightly specials climb steeply, with a truffle pappardelle at $75. Two people ordering fully with a bottle should expect a check of several hundred dollars. Corkage is $110 if you bring your own.
What should I order at Torrisi?
The tortellini pomodoro and the cavatelli with Jamaican beef ragù are the two plates the restaurant will be remembered for; order both and split them. Add the zeppole with prosciutto to start, the Dover sole Francese to share as a main, and finish with the affogato without debate.
Does Torrisi allow children or casual dress?
Neither, really. The restaurant maintains an adults oriented dining room and cannot accommodate guests under three, strollers or high chairs. The dress code asks you to dress for the occasion, and athletic wear is refused at the door. Book the babysitter and wear the good jacket.