Normally, a new Italian restaurant that isn’t unhinged or doesn’t have a supermodel backer isn’t that newsworthy in NYC. However, every once in a while, a place that has a je ne sais quoi arrives, and it’s the next big thing. Borgo isn’t a bull in a China shop type of arrival. Its superpower is all in the subtlety of the food and the fine details of the ingredients. This is the review of Borgo NYC, a new neighborhood Italian restaurant that makes a lasting impression.

Atmosphere

So this is what it feels like to sit at the grown-ups table. And you know what, we like it, a lot. There aren’t any gimmicks or famous interior designers who created the dining room at Borgo. Instead, Borgo is an elegant Italian restaurant that channels elevated Tuscan countryside vibes. The dining room has both a coziness, with the big wood burning fireplace, and an elevated formality, with the white tablecloths and real candles on each table.

One of the first things we noticed is how much space there was between the tables. Unlike neighborhood Italian joints where you are sitting on top of the next table, you have space to breathe at Borgo. Also, you have space to order everything on the menu, as the big round tables allow you to dine in a civilized manner. As far as the crowd goes, it’s a nice-looking group of diners that represent the melting pot of New York. Like I said at the start, I feel like a grown-up having dinner at Borgo.

Food + Wine

When you’re not resting on gimmicks or a celebrity-driven crowd as your differentiator, you better serve up good food. From my experience at Borgo NYC, they’re dishing out close to excellent eats. As I said at the beginning, the superpower is the subtlety of the preparation and attention to detail of the ingredients. For example, anyone can make a chicory salad. However, not everyone gets that perfect proportion of shaved fennel, walnuts, smattering of shaved cheese and dressing right.

The radish bagna cauda is even better than everyone says it is. The hollowed-out centers of the radish have just the right amount of anchovy goodness with sea salt drizzled on the plate. I never thought I would pontificate about a such a simple radish dish, but Borgo just nailed its preparation. I loved the olive oil and sea salt on the plate so much, I dipped the house focaccia in it. This brings me to the focaccia, which is a riff off Ligurian focaccia, which is like a closed pizza. Borgo’s version is thin, like a cracker, and has once again, just the right amount of melted cheese inside. It takes real talent to take such simple dishes to the level of execution at Borgo.

My other favorite part of the meal was the squash rings, which are fried in a light tempura-like batter. They look like onion rings, but are so much better. The pasta was the only aspect that I found a little underwhelming on the new winter menu. I had wished that the bottarga and clam pasta or the gourmet Chef Boy-r-Dee selections would have made the new menu cut. The pastas are simpler; we had the mushroom ravioli, which was lovely, but didn’t change my life. For our main, we had the Branzino, which tasted like it was made in the wood-burning oven. I would come back for this any day of the week. If you’re looking for top authentic-yet-elevated Italian food, Borgo is your spot.

Service

There was not one bit of pretense or unnecessary maneuvering around silly rules at Borgo NYC. You get a mix of neighborhood warmth but a distinct polish to the service with the team. I wouldn’t try this at home, but I got caught up in extraordinarily bad traffic and was a half hour late for my table. Instead of copping attitude or making me feel like I was lucky to be there (which I was) they sat us without any to-do.

The other aspect of the service is that it was like a beautifully choreographed dance. Multiple team members took orders and brought plates out effortlessly, like you were eating at a someone’s home. That is, of course, if that someone knew how to time and appropriately course out your meal. While I’m putting Borgo NYC in my neighborhood Italian bucket, the service was tiers above a normal mom and pop joint.

Overall: 8.9/10

My favorite new neighborhood Italian restaurant that’s not in my neighborhood.

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FAQs

Q: Where is Borgo NYC located?

A: Borgo NYC is located at 124 E 27th St.

Q: What are the hours of operation of Borgo NYC?

A: The hours of operation of Borgo NYC are as follows:

Q: Do you need reservations for Borgo NYC?

A: Reservations for Borgo NYC are highly recommended, and can be made on Resy. Otherwise, Borgo NYC has a bar that is first come, first served for walk-ins.