La Mela has been delighting people with delicious and generous portions of Italian food for over twenty five years. La Mela is famous as a staple of Mulberry Street in New York's Little Italy. We have a full a la carte menu of mouthwatering dishes and desserts, as well as the family style dining that has made us famous for delicious and plentiful food. Come down, have fun, and make yourself at home. We'll treat you like family. Family we like.
"We where a party of six and we ordered the Family pre fix for $30 a person. We where soooo full. The food was very tatsy esp the pasta dishes, they where full of flavor. I would def go back. We where never rushed. The staff was very attentive and always asked if we where ready for our next course."
Dined on 5/18/2013
Special Features: good for groups, neighborhood gem, great for lunch
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"I could have chosen any restaurant for my graduation dinner for my doctorate but I chose La Mela because the food is excellent, the service is friendly and I enjoy my time there. I find the food to be consistent since my first time there which was over 15 years ago. The atmosphere is homey and casual. The prices are reasonable. The restaurant staff is very accomodating and aims to please.
All of my guests enjoyed their dinner and their time at La Mela. It was the final touch on such a memorable occasion."
Dined on 5/15/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, special occasion
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"Imagine that Saturday Night Live made a parody of Italian restaurants like they did of that Cheeboorger place. Now imagine a parody of *that*. That's La Mela. Pictures of celebrities, red and white plastic tablecloths, a guy who only knows three chords singing Sinatra, the whole bit. They even have a specialty feature for bachelorette parties involving a salami and light bulbs.
Unfortunately, most of the food was terrible. The salad was the star of the show. A basic iceberg lettuce with tomatoes; they pick a nice oil and vinegar though, so it's good. My tortellini came out a bag and was topped with sauce from a jar. The bolognaise was better but not by much.
You'll laugh a lot, though, and it's cheap by Little Italy standards."
Dined on 5/17/2013
Special Features: kid-friendly
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"If you'd like to boost your dining points and not regret a bloated price list or empty restaurant, La Mela has 1000 point reservations many nights and it is always just as much fun! My friend's been going for years and when joining her I started making the reservations to not miss out on those fabulous points.
I especially recommend the mixed pasta - although we drop the ziti for more gnocchi and tortellini (my favorite here! That sauce!)
d"
Dined on 5/08/2013
Special Features: late-night find, special occasion
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"We had a group of eight old friends getting together for a reunion and what better place to be than LaMela. We felt welcomed from the time we entered at 6 until we left at 9:30! We spent the first half hour catching up on each others lives as we hadn't seen each other for 15 years and never did our waiter makes us feel rushed. We ordered & ate leisurely for each course. Our salads were delicious with just the right amount of salt and dressing, the mussels were sweet flavorful, and the pasta and meat courses were done perfectly. I like the portions at LaMela - they don't give you a pound of pasta with each entree like some Italian restaurants do. Of course when we left we all to to "light the salami" to guarantee our return."
Dined on 5/11/2013
Special Features: good for groups, great for outdoor dining, great for brunch, romantic, neighborhood gem, hot spot, great for lunch, special occasion, kid-friendly
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"Wonderful restaurant to experience great food from Italy. Family Style is the way to go!! Antipasta, Pasta, Meat, Dessert course, all enables you to enjoy the total experience. So much FUN.. Great Service."
Dined on 5/04/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"This was the second year in a row that we've chosen LaMela for our pre-ride meal. We love it! The food is delicious, the service second to none and the ambience is fun and energetic. It feels like you are at a family gathering in Nonna's dining room, and Uncle Tony pulls out the guitar. Awesome! My 11 year old daughter told me she loves going to LaMela because she feels "at home". We are also baffled by how many different rooms there are! The place seems to go on and on! We will be back next year for sure."
Dined on 5/04/2013
Special Features: good for groups, neighborhood gem, special occasion, kid-friendly
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"The service was very bad to an extent that spoiled the good food! The waiters do not care as they guarantee 18% gratuity added anyway. I will not go back to this place!"
Dined on 5/04/2013
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"Fantastic experience once again at La Mela. Food is always good, atmosphere festive and the entire experience is relaxing and enjoyable. A favorite for many years..."
Dined on 04/27/2013
2006
Special Features: good for groups, great for outdoor dining, kid-friendly, neighborhood gem, special occasion, hot spot
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"When I checked the reviews of this place I saw they were really good and I decided to book for our party of 9. It was for saturday night so we didn't have much choices, everything was already taken. When we arrived it was very home made and casual. The food is good and the price is cheap. The service I would say fair. It is not a nice place to go on a date or to go out in a city with so many options like Manhattan. If you want to eat good at a cheap price and don't care about the environment, this is the place. If you are looking for a night out I would strongly suggest going somewhere else. I am not returning again!"
Dined on 04/20/2013
2013
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"We love this place and come quite often. Only thing was there were lots of shell bits in the clam pasta. Must be an off night, usually it's not a problem."
Dined on 04/09/2013
2010
Special Features: neighborhood gem
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"Good place, good food. Only complaint is they take pictures of you and charge you $8 per picture without telling you they will charge you. Plus the pictures were blurry.
Other than that, the food was really good and everyone was very friendly and attentive!"
Dined on 04/05/2013
2013
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"I went with a group of 10 and we had a fantastic time! The wine was great, food was delicious and service was on point. Definitely a good spot if you're going with a lot of people."
Dined on 03/30/2013
2012
Special Features: good for groups
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"Decent food. We asked to take the leftovers and they went to box them up and never brought them back. When we asked they said they forgot & discarded them. There were several people around our table we we could never figure out who our waiter was specifically. It took forever to get water but no time to get a bottle of wine. It was ok but I wouldn't go back the next time I visit NYC. Prob will leave out Little Italy & Chinatown all together except for Ferrera - amazing sweets! A must!!!!!"
Dined on 03/29/2013
2013
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"Waiter took our order and didn't come back to check on us even once. Didn't even get a single drink refill or a new bread bowl when ours ran out. Had to flag him down for the check and then still took us 20 minutes to get it. Our first visit to Little Italy - we were not impressed."
Dined on 03/23/2013
2013
Special Features: good for groups, kid-friendly
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"We came here last Nov. on a friend's recommendation. We returned during our next trip to NYC, due the fantastic meal we had the first time. I loved the chicken piccata so much, I ordered it again and was not disappointed! This lovely restaurant will always be on our list of places to go to while in NYC."
Dined on 03/17/2013
2011
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, kid-friendly, neighborhood gem, special occasion
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
Review 26 for La Mela
Overall rating
(Outstanding)5/5
OpenTable Diner
Food
(Outstanding)5/5
Service
(Outstanding)5/5
Ambiance
(Very Good)4/5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Had a great time. Food was really good. Staff was attentive and personable. I appreciated that they flagged down a cab afterwards --- it was snowing pretty hard."
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
Review 27 for La Mela
Overall rating
(Very Good)4/5
OpenTable Diner
Food
(Good)3/5
Service
(Outstanding)5/5
Ambiance
(Good)3/5
Noise Level
Moderate
"Great place to hangout with friends."
Special Features: good for groups, romantic, neighborhood gem
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"I celebrated my birthday dinner with friends at La Mela and I have absolutely no complaints. The food was delicious, the service was excellent, the vibe we got from there was very friendly and the price was not bad at all. I will def be recommending more people to go dine there. Thanks again!"
Dined on 03/09/2013
2010
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, late-night find, romantic, special occasion
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"In the city celebrating a friend's 50th Birthday, we had a wonderful time. The food and service were both superb. We all enjoyed the evening with lots of laughs, very comfortable."
Dined on 03/01/2013
2005
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"We had a family get together that met there at 2pm on a Sunday afternoon. We had a table for 15. The place was great! We talked, ate, laughed, changed seats, took pictures and ate some more delicious food for 4 hours!! The manage Nick and his staff were funny and took great care of us. We never felt rushed or anything and will definitely be back. It was great day reuniting with cousins and La mela was a big part of making the day so enjoyable. I've been to other Little Italy restaurants but La Mela is my favorite. I would highly recommend a visit to La Mela if you want great Italian food, fun atmosphere and a flavor of true Little Italy."
Dined on 03/03/2013
2013
Special Features: good for groups, special occasion, great for lunch
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"Food is amazing and plentiful! Do not expect warm and fuzzy service, but solid and conscientious none the less. Always go to La Mela when we are in the city. Do the family style! It's a delicious adventure!"
Dined on 02/15/2013
2012
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, kid-friendly, neighborhood gem, special occasion
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"Decent and casual spot on Mulberry street, a tipical italian restaurant with family style food and good value as you get a lot for your bucks. Food was tasty and fresh, the location is kind of an every day dining venue."
Dined on 01/27/2013
2011
Special Features: late-night find
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"I have been visting La Mela since the early 90's and always love the atmosphere and food. Great time! I took my boyfriend there for the first time on Saturday, and he loved it as well. We both left there feeling extremely full and satisfied!"
Dined on 01/26/2013
2013
Special Features: good for groups, kid-friendly, late-night find, neighborhood gem
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.
"La Mela is great; the "gem" of Little Italy". We arrived early for our reservation, but were promptly seated. We choose the "fixed price" three course dinner and it exceeded our expectations. Our only complaint is there is just too much food. We carried three bags of leftovers back to our car and we had another meal the next day. Everything is freshly made and delicious. We were amazed that other restaurants in the area were half filled on a Saturday night; La Mela was almost filled to capacity. We would recommend La Mela to everyone."
Dined on 01/26/2013
2008
Special Features: fit for foodies, kid-friendly, neighborhood gem
Share:
0points
0of0voted this as helpful.
Thank you! You have successfully submitted a comment for this review.