da Umberto
Chelsea-Hudson Yards, New York City
Restaurant in New York City, United States
Book with PearlThe Read
Dress
Smart Casual
Why go
A Chelsea Italian operating without a published website or online booking, da Umberto rewards regulars willing to call for reservations. Closed Sundays, open for weekday lunch and dinner through Saturday night, it anchors a quieter stretch of the neighborhood where analog logistics filter for repeat guests over first-timers.
About da Umberto
da Umberto is a New York City venue with hours that cover weekday midday and evening service periods, Friday midday and evening service periods, Saturday evening hours, and a Sunday closure. The confirmed schedule is Monday through Thursday from 12–3 PM and 5–10 PM, Friday from 12–3 PM and 5–11 PM, and Saturday from 5–11 PM.
The dress code is smart casual. Beyond those basics, details such as menu style, pricing, seating layout, reservation method, and chef or ownership information are not confirmed in the venue file, so first-time planning should focus on the information that is and confirm anything else directly with the restaurant.
What the Counter Adds
Counter seating, bar seating, seat count, and chef visibility are not confirmed for da Umberto. If a counter seat or solo-friendly setup is important to your visit, treat that as something to verify before you go rather than as a settled feature of the restaurant.
For diners comparing options, Portale is another restaurant to consider alongside da Umberto. The useful distinction on this page is not a menu or format comparison, but the level of confirmed planning information available for da Umberto: hours and dress code are known, while many other operational details are not.
How It Compares
Against Portale, da Umberto can only be compared here on basics rather than unconfirmed cuisine, price, seating, or service format. Da Umberto’s confirmed profile is straightforward: New York City, smart casual dress, Monday through Friday midday hours, Monday through Saturday evening hours, and closed Sunday.
Tall Poppy, Motel Morris, The Hummus & Pita Co., and Vinile Chophouse may be useful reference points for diners considering other named options, but this guide does not verify overlapping menu style, booking process, price tier, or dining-room format for da Umberto. For da Umberto specifically, avoid assuming details that are not confirmed.
For solo diners, groups, and special-occasion planners, the same caveat applies: capacity, bar configuration, private dining, and reservation timing are not documented in the venue data. The reliable planning facts are the hours and smart casual dress code. For a broader look at New York City's restaurant landscape, compare other venues on the specific details that matter to your visit.
Planning details
- Location
- 107 W 17th St, New York, NY 10011
- Reservations
- Book on OpenTable
- Website
- daumbertonyc.com
- Phone
- +12129890303
The take
The Take
The Vibe
Da Umberto reads like a case study in culinary longevity: a white-tablecloth Italian that has quietly anchored Chelsea for decades. The dining room keeps faith with a composed, northern-Italian tradition rather than chasing trend cycles, so the experience feels rooted and steady. Guests encounter formal service and a menu built around classical preparations — the sort of place where continuity is a selling point. Its persistence through neighborhood change lends it a slightly venerable air: familiar, reliable and understatedly authoritative within New York’s continually shifting restaurant landscape.
Best For
This is a restaurant for evening occasions that value refinement and continuity. It suits dinner-focused plans — think date night, business dinners or special occasions — where composed service and a white-tablecloth setting matter. The dining room rewards guests who prefer a considered, traditional Italian meal over fleeting trends; it’s the kind of place parties choose when they want a steady, classic experience rather than novelty. Expect a calm, formal atmosphere that foregrounds the food and service, making it a dependable pick for milestone meals and important conversations.
Ordering Tips
Stick to the house signatures that underscore Da Umberto’s classical stance: the Veal Chop, the homemade pastas and the risotto are highlighted preparations and reliable order choices. Given the restaurant’s roots in northern-Italian fine dining, favor composed, traditional dishes over anything seeking modern reinterpretation. Let the servers guide timing and pacing — the piece emphasizes composed service, so embracing a measured multi-course rhythm will showcase the kitchen’s strengths. If you want to sample the restaurant’s identity in one meal, choose a pasta course and the Veal Chop as anchors.
Venue details
Ambiance
Dimmed lighting, exposed brick, soft ambiance with white tablecloths creating an elegant yet unpretentious old-world Italian feel.
Tags
Vibe
Best For
Experience
Accessibility
At the Table
- Dress Code
- Smart Casual
- Noise Level
- Conversational
- Service Style
- Upscale Casual
- Meal Pacing
- Leisurely
- Capacity
- Small
Signature Dishes
- Veal Chop
- Homemade Pasta
- Risotto
Know before you go
Know Before You Go
- Getting there
- 107 W 17th St, New York, NY 10011
Planning details
Location
Also consider
Also Consider
- Portale, Italian, Italian
- Tall Poppy, Notable alternative
- The Hummus & Pita Co., Notable alternative
- Motel Morris, New American, New American
- Vinile Chophouse, Notable alternative
Restaurant context
Against Portale, da Umberto skews quieter and less digitally integrated, Portale's broader visibility and online presence make it the easier first booking for out-of-towners or spontaneous diners. Motel Morris offers a different format entirely (New American, not Italian), but operates in the same Chelsea footprint with a clearer web trail. For diners weighing Italian options in this part of Manhattan, the decision turns on whether you want a venue you can research online (Portale) or one that rewards persistence and repeat visits.
Tall Poppy and The Hummus & Pita Co. sit in different culinary lanes, but they share the advantage of clearer digital onboarding, if ease of booking matters more than Italian cuisine, either is a simpler path. Vinile Chophouse rounds out the, though without overlapping hours or format data, the takeaway remains: da Umberto's offline posture is its differentiator, not its menu or price tier.
For splurge-worthy Italian with online transparency, look to Portale. For easiest booking in the Chelsea corridor, Tall Poppy or The Hummus & Pita Co. deliver faster confirmation. da Umberto's value lies in its filter: if you're comfortable with phone-based reservations and closed Sundays, the analog model is a feature, not a bug.
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Around this place
Discover more on Pearl
Unlock the full da Umberto guide in Pearl, including awards, comparisons, FAQs, planning details, and nearby places.
Compare da Umberto
| Venue | Location | Cuisine | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| da Umberto | New York City | , | No published awards |
| Portale | New York City | Italian | Star Wine Lists 20262026 OAD Casual in North America Recommended2026 Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence2025 OAD Casual in North America Ranked · #2462025 Michelin Plate2024 OAD Casual in North America Ranked · #2552023 OAD Casual in North America Highly Recommended |
| Tall Poppy | New York City | , | No published awards |
| The Hummus & Pita Co. | New York City | , | No published awards |
| Motel Morris | New York City | New American | 2025 OAD Casual in North America Ranked · #2542024 OAD Casual in North America Ranked · #272 |
| Vinile Chophouse | New York City | , | No published awards |
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How da Umberto New York City compares with similar nearby venues.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a first-timer know about da Umberto?
da Umberto is in New York City. hours are Monday through Thursday from 12–3 PM and 5–10 PM, Friday from 12–3 PM and 5–11 PM, Saturday from 5–11 PM, and closed Sunday. The dress code is smart casual.
