Elio's
Italian restaurant · Upper East Side
1621 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10028
Highlights
Classic Italian eatery for celebrities & people-watching with lively atmosphere
Classic Italian eatery for celebrities & people-watching with lively atmosphere
"The Upper East Side is its own universe, and Elio’s is a distinct planet with unique customs and a strong gravitational pull. If you have access to a gently used J. Press blazer or Goyard tote, you’ll fit right in. Service at this old-school Italian spot is swift and gruff, not unlike Peter Luger, and most of the regulars (of which there are many) possess the audacity to order off-menu. Keep your ears open for corporate gossip and socialite slander. Tables are so close together, you’re forced to walk sideways. Upper East Siders with hospital wings named after them A classic anecdote from your time at Harvard Business School Chicken parm and a half order of spaghetti pomodoro" - bryan kim, molly fitzpatrick, willa moore, will hartman
"A special occasion spot for Upper East Side regulars since 1981, Elio’s is packed to the brim with 70th birthdays and big family dinners every night. Most of the people here seem to know the host, who also knows their dad—and everyone is ordering off-menu. Rather than trying to prise menu information from the brusque servers, just take stock of what the people around (and very close to) you are eating. It probably includes a giant pile of fried zucchini and platters of glossy veal piccata." - willa moore, will hartman, sonal shah, neha talreja
"This veteran red-sauce destination is a time-worn favorite for a reason. For a taste of an older, more staid white tablecloth version of New York, Elio’s is an evergreen pick." - Melissa McCart
"If you grew up on the UES, it’s possible you came to Elio’s to celebrate your parents’ wedding anniversary when you were eight years old. Of the high-end, old-school Italian places in the neighborhood, this one is perhaps the most festive (it’s also where Gwenyth Paltrow hosted her 40th birthday). So you should expect loud parties crowded around circular tables, and plenty of martinis and plates of off-menu veal parm. Just be sure to make a reservation ahead of time - it gets packed in here (even on weeknights)." - hannah albertine
"Elio’s is an old-school Italian restaurant on the Upper East Side that’s been around since the ‘80s, and the biggest draw here is the high likelihood of seeing someone famous. Yes, this is the same Elio’s where Tom Sellick famously left a $2,020 tip on a $204 meal. They don’t play music and the tables are crammed very close together, which highlights this spot’s best menu offering: eavesdropping. Expect to hear conversations about someone’s agent or someone’s hedge fund while you dig into an order of $30 fried calamari. The food at Elio’s is reliably alright (although the food isn’t really the point here). The salads are pretty good—heavy on greens and light on dressing, if you're into that sort of thing. For mains, stick to one of the many spaghetti dishes, or something appealing from the list of specials. The off-menu chicken parm will get the job done, but it feels like chicken parm-lite. We wish it had more sauce, more cheese, and overall more flavor. Elio’s also makes a good but extremely boozy tiramisu. You’ll easily spend over $200 on a dinner for two, especially if you order drinks, but can you really put a price on feeling like you’re the one of the people Gossip Girl is talking about when she coos “Hey, Upper East Siders?” You can. It’s around the same price as dinner at Elio’s." - Carina Finn
