Honestly, one of the best meals I have ever had anywhere. The food is amazing, and then the incredible service makes it even better. I highly recommend this place!
Laura DeShane Raby-Harris
+5
A great surprise! I was visiting China Town with 8 other women. We were hungry. I pulled up TripAdvisor and looked for restaurants nearby. Forlini's had great reviews. So, we decided to give it a try. The restaurant has an ambiance of times gone by...old world Italy style. The staff were great and the food was, too! Myself and the others that were with me were from East Tennessee. Our accents were quickly noticed by three of the locals that were eating at the restaurant. They recommended different items on the menu to us and thought it was great that we were eating at a locally owned restaurant.
My husband and I were celebrating on our mini honeymoon in NY, and for our last meal we wanted some awesome Italian food. This place was recommended by a friend, and I can say this place is wonderful! The owner greeted us and was so friendly. The servers were all so nice and the food was outstanding. I will say, make sure you are hungry when you come here!! The portions are huge! Pasta, chicken, veggies, meatballs, sausage, wine, and bread was all tasty. Will definitely be back:)
Best restaurant experience of my life. Derek (the owner) and his staff treated my family like his family. This will be the first and last place I go anytime I’m in the city. You will not be disappointed!
My family and i have visited Forlini's 3 times, we found it trying to find parking to shop. The food was exquisite! The lasagna! (my neice who doesn't eat pork even had to try it!) But we met Derek he is especially nice to us. This is the very first place i tried Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey. It took me years to get the correct spelling for this restaurant. I finally found a business card that Derek gave me. So much fun with the older guys and the stories there. See you in April!!
The food here is unbelievable!! The staff was friendly and inviting. The pasta is homemade and is light and tender. It just melts in your mouth. For dessert I highly recommend the cheesecake!!
I can't say enough about this place! The food, the atmosphere, the people, the price, all were perfect! This was our first trip to NY, and Forlini's was a highlight of the trip! Joe and Charlie treated us like guests in their own home. Highly, highly recommended!!!!
I’ve been going there since the 60s as a girl. It’s still a wonderful place, with great food & service. Every time I walk in the doors...I’m home �
Loved it...my favorite place!! We had such an amazing time!! The food is delicious and best service!!!
The service was excellent, the food delicious and plentiful, and they were able to easily accommodate our party of 12. We all had different things. Yet, everything was perfect! The waiter was so helpful and informative about the entrees.
The place was recommended by a friend. The service was great and the food was fabulous. I can’t say enough. Joe was very nice to us. When we come to New York again. We will definitely visit again
Great food, great service. Never disappointed! Joe and Derek are the best. Jack is always entertaining! We’ve been enjoying Forlini’s for many years!
Has been a favorite place of my husband and I. We our third date was here 32 years ago and it’s still absolutely delicious. Went here for lunch had the pasta trio which was so good and the shrimp involtini gamberi which was as wonderful today as it has been for the past 32 years. Can’t wait to go back.
What can I say that has not been said already
Have been going for over 20 years
They are family and treat every one like that if it is 1st or 100th
The food is old school but amazing
If you want real old school Italian then no place else to go
Nothing like great homemade pasta! Forlini's is a must visit for great Italian food. We'll be back for more good Italian food! Thanks for the great service, great food and a great experience.
Ate their a few weeks ago while in NYC on business with co-workers. Derrick was a great host and handpicked 2 meals for people in our party. 5 star quality food! Everyone raved about their meals and other co-workers with us on the trip that went somewhere else to dine went their and were blown away. Thanks again Derrick!
The service was very friendly. The food was really good and authentic. Our host was very interested in us. All the food has been excellent. The sauces are heaven. This time we had the Eggplant Parmigiana, the Calamari and Scungilli Appetizer (squid & conch) and well as the Filet of Sole that was incredible.
We had dinner at Forlini's this past Sunday night to celebrate our starting college in NYC. Paolo waited on us and he was so attentive, friendly and funny! Everyone that works there is so welcoming and we loved how they tease each other...we felt like we were family by the time we left.
We ordered Gnocchi Bolognese, Linguini fra Diavolo with red sauce and Eggplant Parmigiana with prosciutto, cheese and red sauce. All three meals were so incredibly delicious!! We never felt rushed during our meal and we were well looked after. Forlini's is a true, authentic Italian restaurant and we will definitely eat there again the next time we visit NYC! Buon appetito!
Yum. We had your typical Italian fare of spaghetti and meatballs along with fettuccine alfredo and a house special with pasta bolognese with sausage and a meatball. Best we've ever had of each dish. House made pasta, sauces and meat balls and sausage that you could tell were authentic and not out of a can or off a mega food service truck. We will be back! Waiter was awesome and the owner was there pouring water and making sure we were happy with our food. Felt like I was sitting in an Italian family's dining room! And the prices weren't bad either! Great experience!
Always a pleasant time!. My family and I have enjoyed meals here several times. The staff is always quite pleasant and very friendly.
I recently enjoyed the shrimp cocktail (very fresh and tasty sauce).
The linguine with broccoli was also excellent, as usual.
A very good eating experience and the service by Russ who was an army of one in terms of friendly service, conversation and excellent recommendations. Be sure to let him know what you like and he can pick the perfect dish and suggest what you may want to add on the slide. I would recommend to family and friends!!!
Good Italian here. So this is an Italian restaurant South of Canal and not on Mullberry? Yes, isn't that great.
Excellent Italian food here. Fewer tourists and more Italians visit this place. Sounds great to me.
The Crown/Hidden Jewel of Little Italy Restaurants!. Great food great staff! Whether you are there for the 2nd or 222nd time they all make you feel as if you are part of the Forlini family. Joe, Little Joe, Derek are the hosts with the most, while Arlene, Carlo, Charlie. Mike and the rest of the fine staff have you in such a comfort zone, you feel like you are being served at your own home-or better yet at grandma's enjoying her time tested recipes. My favorite over the last 30+ years: Appetizer-Portabella mushrooms, Main course-Involtini DiGamberi*side order of Angel Hair Pasta w/either reg/meat sauce, Dessert-Tortoni w/ Double espresso w/shot of Sambuca *they are authentic as they put the three beans in the 'buca! You will never be disappointed & will always come back! Bon Pro'!, Buon Appetito!
One of the best in the Little Italy area. If you are looking for the old style Italian restaurant which specializes in GOOD Italian cooked food for a reasonable price, this is the place. The sauces are NOT the heavy ragu type but more on the fresh tomato style.
They have all of the dishes expected in a Italian restaurant but It's some of the specials which stand out.
Like last night when a member of the party had the tripe!
She said it reminded her of her mother's
The service is way it should be, attentive, helpful and friendly.
Major fan of Forlini's. Best Italian restaurant in the USA!
Over the past 40 years I have eaten here about 200-250 times
Favorite items?...I have several...but will leave it up to you to order your favorite italian dish, or experiment. Not kidding...you can close your eyes and point to anything in their extensive menu and you will be delighted.
Enjoy.
Old Classic. This place is a great old Italian classic serving up red sauce dishes the way they're ment to be. Favorite dish is the Fruta di mare over linguine witha ton of crushe red pepper, and their fresh desserts are great as well.
Great little Italian restaurant! We've eaten here 3 times on nearly every trip to NYC. The menu is classic northern Italian and quite extensive. Reasonably priced (for NYC). The food is always excellent and the atmosphere is very welcoming. I enjoyed the red sauce - the extra garlic makes it distinctive but is not overwhelming.
Last Italian holdout in Chinatown!. Love the staff and the atmosphere. Arlene is great and the Forlini's really make you feel welcome here. Love the manicotti. The decor is from another time, clearly which makes one nostalgic, almost wistful for that time in history.
Good food, nice portion, great cheesecake. It is off the beaten path
If you want true little Italy, with proper food and a homely environment there is no reason to go elsewhere. We felt like regulars and at home, with a hearty meal and fine tiramisu, cheesecake, and of course some limoncello to help it down.
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I had a veal chop parmigiana and will happily return. It was juicy and delicious, exactly how a perfectly cooked veal should be.
The ambience of this place is brilliant. The staff is just so friendly. They were very sweet and made our dinner memorable. They have a variety of Pastas. They were all very traditional dishes. The place is slightly on the expensive side though. The pastas were brilliant. I just felt it was little bland. But I think that's the way it is. They do have a small selection of desserts. We had the cheesecake and it was good.
The veal cacciatore was a nice lunch special and the tiramisu was a fine dessert. The wood panel interior gave the place a warm comfortable atmosphere as did the attentive service. For those who watched Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, the bar might look familiar.
One of the best Italian restaurants in the world! Absolutely incredible food with real Italian authenticity. Forlini’s is a nostalgic experience - stepping back into a New York gone by. Try the Lasagne or spaghetti bolognese with meat balls. Complimentary bread and bread sticks went so well with the meal. Absolutely love this place!!
Bar Review: this is an awesome little time warp of a bar in a slightly tucked away area. Half the space is a traditional Italian restaurant and the other half is one of the few real 'bars' in Chinatown. There are some TVs showing sports, but the real attraction is the amiable and attentive old-school barmen who keep things moving. Prices are reasonable (~$8 for a tap beer) and space is tight but well designed.
This was the highlight of our entire NYC trip. My husband and I stumbled upon this place by accident, and I am so glad we did. The second we sat down in the booth, I looked at him and said "This is going to be one of those experiences we talk about for the rest of our lives." The food was FANTASTIC, the atmosphere is great, servers were attentive. A very classic, old school Italian feel. Can't wait until we can return to NYC, this is the first place I am going!
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My mother said she wanted to have Italian food for mother's day. This was my first time here; after reading the reviews and pictures I decided to give it a chance. I'm so happy I did. I Took my mother for mother's day I made a reservation maybe a week before. I called while on our way, we were running late due to traffic and they told us they would take care of us once we arrived. They sure did just that! I have no complaints the staff was very nice and attentive we were seated quickly and they gave us fresh bread and butter and water while we waited and ordered. We ordered filet mignon and I had a suggested dish by one of our waiter(so sorry I don't remember his name or the meal I had) but it was delicious and my mother had lasagna and that was amazing as well! We had amaretto sour and a glass of wine each and we really really enjoyed our experience here. We also got cannoli's to go and took what we couldn't manage to eat (they give good portions). The dessert was so good and such a great way to end our night. The men attending to us had great personality and service we felt right at home. Would definitely be coming back for great authentic Italian food. Money well spent in my opinion. Go check it out!
I loved this place! The service was really good, everyone was so attentive and had a great sense of humor! We got the chicken piccata, and the penne with marinera sauce and meatballs. The wine sauce was so tangy, and the chicken was soft creating a perfect combination. The meatballs were fluffy and probably some of the best meatballs I've had. We also tried the cheesecake which was very creamy. They have a bar next door and it was playing salsa which just won me over!
I'm writing this review while in the restaurant. Absolutely delicious pasta dishes. Authentic home made food. Like grandma. Really old school joint in the middle of china town. It's defenetly a New York must visit. Will be coming back for more. Thanks Forlini's, you bring back a lot of memories!!!!!
Out of all the places in little Italy, this place is a MUST. The foods took me back to Italy and were, stuff your face silly, worthy. Decor was leather booths, white table cloths and old photos of paintings, places and family history. Sangria packed a punch, stuffed mushrooms were cooked to perfection, manicotti was amazing! Cheesecake was true authentic cheesecake, not overtly sweet. The lemoncello was a good finish to the meal.
great please to bring the family and friends. Staff was amazing, the owner was so friendly, our waiter was so helpful and kind.
wow, I was delighted with the lasagna, the staff was super attentive, the decoration of the place is super nice. They have a quite old decoration but it combines very well with the place, I loved it !!
This is a wonderful restaurant. Classic new york. Beautiful ambiance. Delicious food. Friendly owner. Good service. I was very happy to dine here with good friends.
One of the best Italian meals I've had, and we come here each time we visit NYC. Not only is the food great but you feel like family.
The owner, or at least some with the chops of an owner took care of me. Service what’s fantastic, food was delicious. You can’t ask for more. The owners personality made this for me he was great.
Old school Italian place that brings you back to days before Instagram and QR codes invaded the restaurant experience. I thoroughly enjoyed the throwback vibes while feeling fancy with the white table cloth. The fettuccine Alfredo was a bit of a letdown though. Basic cream sauce with not much flavor. Bolognese papardelle was okay. In all, a very enjoyable experience at an Italian restaurant just a stone's throw away from the chaotic little Italy.
I love good food. This is good food. So good! Actually GREAT! if I lived in NY I would eat here at least twice a week. Everything we tried was AMAZING. The service is beyond anything I have ever experienced. Everyone who works there loves that you are there and treats you like family. I will return every time I am back in the city. Thank you Joe, Derek and Anthony!! You might see us for a 3rd time before we go home!
The food and service was awesome! We were greeted by Joe the owner, who was waiting for our slightly late family party.
Charlie our waiter was friendly, with great and fast service.
I had the veal parm with a side of pasta, and it was among the best I ever had.
If you get to Little Italy, visit Forlini's for a great meal!
Forlini's is one of the old school Italian restaurants that has never changed. Having lunch there today felt like it could've been the same lunch 5 years ago. And that's just the way I like it. I typically come here every year with clients and it just makes me happy. It's a Little Italy institution and I hope it's there for years to come.
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