The guys behind the old school steakhouse Delmonico’s are leaning into their Italian side with the opening of Tucci NYC. What started out as an Italian-style fine dining concept has quickly evolved into a trendy modern Italian restaurant. The question now is whether the food lives up to the hype. This is the Tucci NYC review.

Atmosphere

You know they’re putting full effort into Tucci NYC as soon as you walk up to the building. The entire front of the restaurant is covered in lush greenery that gives off an enchanted garden vibe. I’m pretty sure the last restaurant here is responsible for this, but it does make a statement and Tucci stands out.

Two personalities make up the whole of Tucci. When I first walked into the space, the ground-floor dining room was elegantly pleasant, with white tablecloths and a small bar. The dining room was relatively small and intimate. I did wonder what all the hype was about, as it was pretty but didn’t quite convey the buzz that’s been generated by Tucci NYC.

However, you totally get it when you are led down the stairs to the basement, and realize this is where the action really is. The subterranean floor is a cavernous flow of tables and a much larger bar than upstairs. It’s a vibe down there, with attractive parties of larger groups as well as people on date night. Normally restaurants will put their prettiest people right at the front. However, at Tucci’s, the attractive crowd is dining at low-lit tables downstairs.

Food + Beverage

Before I get into the food, a shout out to Tucci NYC’s bartender who makes cocktails like a handle-bar mustached Brooklyn mixologist. Drinks were unexpectedly one of the highlights of the whole experience. We are usually purists when it comes to our espresso martinis. In the Tucci version though, they had just the right amount of foam on top and a sprinkling of chocolate shavings that we made an exception. Normally an Amaretto drink is too sweet for my taste but theirs was balanced with the right amount of sour and finished with an egg white foam. I went for a martini up with a twist for my second drink and it was one of the best I’ve had in the city. I would come back to Tucci just for the cocktails.

Now Onto Dinner

Food is solid and generously portioned at Tucci NYC. On average each starter can serve 3-4 people if you’re doing a tasting. They don’t do the complimentary bread thing here, though apparently they used to. However, it is worth it to order whether you choose the plain and olive focaccia or the sourdough with butter.

A Common Thread Throughout

There is a foundation of ingredients that form a thread through the dishes on the menu. I think it’s actually smart as it probably makes preparation more seamless which reflects in the dining experience. For example, the raw fennel that’s shaved thinly on the tuna carpaccio finds its way braised on the halibut with a caviar sauce. The fried capers on the same tuna dish make their way to the piccata sauce in their natural format of the roasted salmon, both of which rate a solid good.

The Red Sauce that Represents

The most common thread though is the red sauce, which forms the strongest or at least more popular dishes on the menu. A rendition of the sauce is on the Tucci meatballs served in a portion of three. If you eat meat, they are a crowd-pleasing way to start. That same sauce finds its way to the casarecce with hot Italian sausage and morels, which is one of the strongest dishes on the menu. We didn’t order it but the chicken parm found its way to a lot of the tables.

The table next to us ordered the agnolotti with truffle in a corn sauce, which was one of the lighter portions but very filling. They swore by it and I was having food envy but still opted for the more responsible halibut. There were enough easygoing Italian dishes with elevated preparation that we didn’t get to.  I would easily return to try more of the menu with a larger group. My suggestion is actually to family-style several dishes as the food at Tucci NYC works even for picky eaters.

Service

For a New York restaurant that’s turning out to be a trendy hotspot, the service is old-school professional. This isn’t a surprise when you keep in mind that Tucci NYC is the newest venture by old veterans Delmonicos. Waitstaff operates like career servers. The experience is all working like clockwork from the time you order your first drink.

Overall: 7.8/10

I would return with a group of friends again, with no objection at all.

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FAQs

Q: Where is Tucci NYC located?

A: Tucci NYC is located at 643 Broadway, New York, NY 10012.

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

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

Q: What kind of food does Tucci NYC serve?

A: Tucci NYC serves old school Italian food in a trendy yet elegant fine dining environment.