Restaurant in New York City, United States
Solid Italian value, skip the splurge elsewhere.

Ci Siamo is Danny Meyer's Italian room inside Manhattan West, ranked #39 on Opinionated About Dining's Casual North America list in 2025. At the $$ price tier with a 700-selection wine list strong in Piedmont and Tuscany, it delivers consistent quality that justifies a booking — particularly for bar counter seating with open-kitchen views. Easy to book and good for both business lunch and date night.
Ci Siamo is one of the better-value Italian restaurants operating in Manhattan right now. At the $$ price tier (expect a two-course meal in the $40–$65 range before drinks), it punches well above its price point: Opinionated About Dining ranked it #39 on the Casual North America list in 2025, up from #73 in 2024 and #108 in 2023 — a consistent upward trajectory that signals the kitchen is operating with real momentum. Chef Hillary Sterling and the Union Square Hospitality Group team have built something that works: a room that fills from the moment doors open, a wine list deep enough to hold serious attention (700 selections, 7,950 bottles in inventory, Piedmont and Tuscany as the clear strengths), and Italian food that earns repeat visits.
The physical setup matters to your decision. The space at 440 W 33rd Street inside the Manhattan West development is anchored by a handsome bar, an open kitchen, large windows, and generous tilework throughout. The bar seating here is worth seeking out specifically: positioned against the open kitchen, it gives you sight lines into the cooking and a more immediate, conversation-friendly experience than the main dining room during peak service. If you are booking a date or a business dinner where atmosphere matters, request the bar counter when you reserve. The room is busy from the start of service , this is not a slow-burn, sparse-seating destination , so bar seating effectively gives you a front-row seat without the formality of a table booking.
The wine program is a genuine asset, not an afterthought. Wine Director Luciane Froz oversees a list priced at the $$ tier, which means you can find bottles well under $100 alongside more serious options. The corkage fee is $35 if you want to bring your own. For Italian food at this price point in New York, that depth of inventory (nearly 8,000 bottles) is unusual. If you care about drinking well with your pasta, this is a better call than most comparably priced Italian rooms in the city.
For special occasions at the $$ price band, Ci Siamo delivers the Union Square Hospitality Group service formula , attentive, professional, not stiff , in a room that reads as celebratory without being fussy. It sits in a development that also draws a business lunch crowd, so the room handles that register equally well. The Saturday and Sunday split service (11:30 am–2:30 pm, then 4:30–10 pm) means weekend dinner requires arriving in the second service window; plan accordingly.
Compared against the Italian field in New York, Ci Siamo sits in a comfortable position. Via Carota is more casual and harder to book; Babbo carries more history but is noisier and less focused on the wine experience; Ai Fiori skews more formal and more expensive. Altro Paradiso is the closest stylistic peer , relaxed, serious about the food, good wine , but Ci Siamo wins on wine list depth. If you want Italian with a serious bottle, this is the room.
For those exploring the wider Italian fine dining world, the format here sits at the opposite end of the spectrum from places like 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana in Hong Kong or cenci in Kyoto , Ci Siamo is approachable, lunch-friendly, and priced for regulars, not special-occasion splurges at the $$$$ tier.
For more of the leading places to eat and drink in the city, see our full New York City restaurants guide, our full New York City bars guide, our full New York City hotels guide, our full New York City wineries guide, and our full New York City experiences guide. If you are planning a broader US dining trip, Pearl also covers Emeril's in New Orleans, Lazy Bear in San Francisco, Alinea in Chicago, Single Thread Farm in Healdsburg, The French Laundry in Napa, and Providence in Los Angeles. Also see Ammazzacaffè for a lower-key Italian option in the city.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ci Siamo | Italian | Opinionated About Dining Casual in North America Ranked #39 (2025); Efficient, busy from the minute doors open and effortlessly likable, this Italian eatery hiding deep inside the Manhattan West development is everything we’ve come to expect—and enjoy—from restaurateur Danny Meyer. The space features a handsome bar, open kitchen, large windows and ample tilework—all of which will feel familiar to those acquainted with the Union Square Hospitality Group.Chef Hillary Sterling's food is equally inviting. The caramelized onion torta is enough to warrant a return, with melting onions packed into a delicate crust, buried under two kinds of pecorino and finished in the wood-burning oven. Generously rich pastas and hearty proteins are designed for sharing. A simple but arresting lemon torta with mascarpone and olive oil closes out the meal.; WINE: Wine Strengths: Piedmont, Tuscany, Italy Pricing: $$ i Wine pricing: Based on the list\'s general markup and high and low price points:$ has many bottles < $50;$$ has a range of pricing;$$$ has many $100+ bottles Corkage Fee: $35 Selections: 700 Inventory: 7,950 CUISINE: Cuisine Types: Italian Pricing: $$ i Cuisine pricing: The cost of a typical two-course meal, not including tip or beverages.$ is < $40;$$ is $40–$65;$$$ is $66+. Meals: Lunch and Dinner STAFF: People Wine Director: Luciane Froz Sommelier: Jad Kamal, Will Aaron, Melissa Carlile-Price, Devin Pittinger, Madeline Maldonado Chef: Hillary Sterling General Manager: Zach Keller Owner: Union Square Hospitality Group; Opinionated About Dining Casual in North America Ranked #73 (2024); Opinionated About Dining Casual in North America Ranked #108 (2023) | Easy | — |
| Le Bernardin | French, Seafood | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Atomix | Modern Korean, Korean | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Eleven Madison Park | French, Vegan | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Masa | Sushi, Japanese | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Per Se | French, Contemporary | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Lunch is the better-value entry point. At the $$ price tier (two courses in the $40–$65 range), the midday service runs Monday through Friday from 11:30am and is typically less competitive to book than prime dinner slots. Dinner offers the same menu and kitchen but more atmosphere from the bar and open kitchen. If your schedule is flexible, a weekday lunch lets you assess the room before committing to a full dinner spend.
Book at least two to three weeks out for dinner, especially Thursday through Saturday. Opinionated About Dining ranked Ci Siamo #39 in Casual North America for 2025, which keeps demand high. Weekday lunches are more forgiving, but same-week availability at dinner is unlikely without flexibility on timing. The restaurant is inside the Manhattan West development at 440 W 33rd St, so note the entrance.
This is a Danny Meyer Union Square Hospitality Group restaurant, so the expectation is presentable but relaxed — clean, put-together casual fits the room. The space features tilework, a handsome bar, and an open kitchen, per OAD's description: it reads polished without being formal. Leave the suit at home, but you'd feel out of place in shorts and trainers.
Yes. The venue has a dedicated bar area, and bar seating is a practical option if you haven't booked ahead or want a shorter, lower-commitment visit. The wine program is a draw here — Wine Director Luciane Froz oversees a 700-selection list with strengths in Piedmont and Tuscany, priced at the $$ tier with a $35 corkage fee. Bar seating also gives you a direct view of the open kitchen.
OAD's write-up calls out the caramelized onion torta specifically — melting onions in a delicate crust, finished in the wood-burning oven with two kinds of pecorino — as reason enough to return. Pastas are described as generously rich and designed for sharing. The lemon torta with mascarpone and olive oil is the dessert to end on. Chef Hillary Sterling's menu is built around the wood-burning oven, so anything coming out of it is the right call.
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