Department of FoodieDepartment of FoodieVIPs fill the dining room of this 10-table Italian icon, where who you know is key to entry.
What to order: Meatballs · Lemon Chicken · Seafood Salad · Clams OreganataFrom Google Maps reviews.
Getting a table at Rao's is harder than closing a deal in Midtown Manhattan. You do not make a reservation you know someone who has a table and they invite you. That is it. No website booking, no OpenTable, no walking in off the street. And once you understand that you understand everything about this place. It is not a restaurant it is a family. The lemon chicken is legendary for a reason simple, perfect, no shortcuts, no reinvention. The meatballs are my grandmother's recipe if my grandmother
I own a concierge and event planning agency, so I quite literally go to all types of incredible restaurants for a living. None can be compared to Rao’s. It’s not only “worth the hype”, but from the second you walk up to the restaurant, you feel the history. The food is obviously unreal, but it’s the experience that will really change you. The Maitre D, Joe, sits down with you and explains the menu to you. It’s so old school and he’s great at helping you order exactly enough food. I still dream a
I am really, fully satisfied with a large meal of less heavy, healthier, and possibly lower gluten Italian durum wheat spaghetti topped with quality marinara sauce. I am even a picky snob as marinara should be ideally on its own a well seasoned and satisfying tomato sauce. The basic marinara sauce they make is superb. I love it and a dried parsley dash makes the dish. I wish to visit the restaurant. I love the pizza sauce on homemade honey whole wheat dough. 🥢🍅 🍕
From the Jun 22, 2026 health inspection. Lower-priority items are listed after the serious ones.
Cold food was held above 41°F, warm enough for bacteria to grow.
Food surfaces are too worn or badly built to be properly cleaned.