Il Violino

4.6

1986 Reviews

$31 to $50

Italian

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2 people

27 Feb 2025

20:30

Booked 11 times today

Neighbourhood gem
Good for special occasions
Charming

Il Violino was established in 1993 by the Mariani family. They are from Villa Santa Maria, a little town in the heart of Italy (Abruzzo) known as La patria dei cuochi (chefs from this town have been executives at the Vatican, the White House, embassies and top restaurants and cruise lines around the world). Il Violino has been one of the original Lincoln Center Italian restaurants and, in these days, one of the few still in operation.
The chef Vincenzo Mariani, formerly the executive chef at Monsignore (one of the top restaurant in New York City in the 70’s and 80’s), leaded the kitchen with his international experience and created an original and innovative Italian menu.
In 2009 the owner, decided to write a new page. The restaurant has been transformed into a Trattoria: a warmer and cozier ambiance, one of those that you can easily find in any small town in Italy.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Italian
Hours of Operation
Lunch Tue–Fri 11:00 am–3:45 pm Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00 am–4:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–10:30 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
(212) 873-2500
Website
http://www.ilviolinony.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual

Location
180 Columbus Avenue, New York, NY 10023
Area
Upper West Side
Cross Street
West 68th Street
Parking details
None
Public transit
1, 2, 3, B & C trains to 72nd Street, and the 1 train to 66th Street.
Additional
Bar Dining, Gluten-free Options

What 1,986 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6

4.6 based on recent ratings

4.6Food
4.6Service
4.4Ambience
4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Il Violino impresses with "excellent food and service" and a cozy neighborhood vibe. Conveniently located near Lincoln Center, it's perfect for pre-show dining. Diners praise its "authentic Italian dishes," attentive staff, and "wonderful family feel." While some find it pricey, many laud it as a "favorite spot" for consistent quality.

1,986 Reviews

b
barry
VIP
Washington DC
68 reviews
5.0
68 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food and service was excellent. We will visit again next time we are in NY
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L
Leslie
New York City
29 reviews
5.0
29 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We have eaten here before and we always enjoy it. The food is excellent as is the service. It is convenient to Lincoln Center. We will definitely go back.
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B
Bill
VIP
New York City
17 reviews
3.0
17 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
Our only complaint was sitting in a window seat on a sunny, but very cold day, was like sitting in a sauna. We, and those around us, kept pealing off sweaters, vests, etc and it was still unbearable. Which is unfortunate because it totally distracted the food and service, which was excellent. I couldn’t wait for lunch to be over, just to get into the frigid outside.
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j
jan
VIP
Hawaii
23 reviews
5.0
23 reviews
Dined on 16 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent food and service by this young man! Our second time here and it does not disappoint! Wonderful neighborhood restaurant!
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A
Annette
VIP
New York City
28 reviews
5.0
28 reviews
Dined on 8 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
One of our favorites in this neighborhood! We love their friendly and efficient service, flavorful dishes and all-around consistency.
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M
Michael
New York City
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on 2 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
What a great find! We were so pleased. We had wonderful meal, food was delicious. Service was outstanding. We would defiantly return .
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R
Robert
VIP
Greater Boston
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on 2 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Our dinners were prepared quickly and courteously. We each had different dinners. One of us had the chicken breast & sausage special with seasonal vegetables. I had the regular braised lamb with seasonal vegetables. Our other guest had an excellent seafood linguini. Being a small place, it was a bit noisy but had nice light classical music accompaniment. Prices are a little high for this neighborhood compared to other nearby Italian fine dining but the place was full.
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DS
DS23
VIP
New York City
17 reviews
3.0
17 reviews
Dined on 2 February 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 3
A disappointing experience. It started off well, we received our soup and bread. After that we never saw the waiter again. After 45 minutes, we flagged down a different waiter to find out where my drink was. The drink was finally brought to us. After an hour, we flagged down the different waiter to find out where our food was and he said your server just put the order in (he apologized) we finally received our food which was mediocre at best. Our original waiter never returned. There are so many other better restaurants in the area. Skip this one.
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C
Cathy
New York City
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on 1 February 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Food was delicious! Small place - expected theater crowd - staff very attentive- not rushed on courses but served on our timeline. Would definitely return with or without theater tickets!
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Q
Quan
VIP
New York City
8 reviews
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on 30 January 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Always a wonderful place for dinner. Wait staff is outstanding, food delicious. Restaurant is very clean and comfortable. The experience brings us back often.
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FAQs

Il Violino offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (212) 873-2500.

Il Violino is rated 4.6 stars by 1986 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people

27 Feb 2025

20:30

Booked 11 times today

Order delivery or takeout

180 Columbus Avenue, New York, NY 10023

Additional information

Cross Street
West 68th Street
Area
Upper West Side
Hours of Operation
Lunch Tue–Fri 11:00 am–3:45 pm Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00 am–4:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–10:30 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–11:00 pm Sun 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Italian
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
None
Public transit
1, 2, 3, B & C trains to 72nd Street, and the 1 train to 66th Street.
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Bar Dining, Gluten-free Options

Website
http://www.ilviolinony.com/
Phone number
(212) 873-2500

Il Violino

Make a booking

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

Menu

What 1,986 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Review summary

FAQs

Does Il Violino offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Il Violino restaurant rated?

Is Il Violino currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information