Ristorante Tello

Delicious Italian Food, Fresh Seafood, Outdoor Dining, Lunch, Brunch in Chelsea

(212) 691-8696

198 8th Ave. (20th St)
New York, NY 10011 40.743459 -73.99982

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Neighborhoods: Chelsea, Midtown

chelseadining.com/tello/index…

Price:

$$

Last updated 8.16.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Romantic Dining, Special Occasion Dining, Brunch, Outdoor Dining, Date Spot

Cuisine:

Seafood, Italian

Smoking Permitted:

No

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Ristorante Tello

The Owner

Ristorante Tello

Owner

What a find! Join us for brunch, lunch or dinner at Tello Restaurant in Chelsea. Lit with candles and chandeliers, this cozy place has such a wonderful old-world feel that you may think you've walked onto the set of a Martin Scorsese film. A helpful staff serves up hefty portions (light on price) of well prepared Italian fare. Pasta is cooked al dente every time and the seafood is plentiful and fresh. Our menu consists of everything an Italian food lover could want including Tello's Favorite - Braciole & Gnocchi consisting of rolled beef stuffed prociutto, parmesan, and bread crumbs braised in…

Provided by CityGrid

Read more from the owner

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

Old-World Italian restaurant complete with red-checker tableclothes serves up classic dinner dishes, nightly specials and weekend brunch. Delivery also available.

Editor's Tips

When to Go:
Head over between 11am and 4pm on weekends for prix fixe brunch--which features a lengthy menu and a free drink.
Save Money:
Book your reservation online to receive discounts on your meal.
The Extras:
The restaurant is also available for private parties. Call to inquire.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. “Lovely warm ambiance, great food.”
  2. “The atmosphere looked cozy and not too formal so if our group couldn?”
  3. “its cute cozy and TASTY!”
  4. “The atmosphere is perfect and romantic.”
  5. “People having a good time,laughing,romantic,holding hands,waiters saying good nite to their customers,whats wrong with that?”
  6. “Great atmosphere and fine food and drinks.”
  7. “The restaurant has a very warm, comfortable, friendly ambience and the the wait staff is exceptional, especially Greg.”
  8. “Hungry, cold & in need of a hot meal & a good drink, we were immediately drawn to Tello's inviting warmth & cozy atmosphere.”
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. “The people I dined with all enjoyed their meals, and I LOVED their chocolate mousse.”
  2. “The cheesecake was very good to.”
drinks
68.75% positive
  1. “Great atmosphere and fine food and drinks.”
  2. “The wine was very good to,for a pouring wine by the glass.”
  3. “On Tuesday night, I had the mussels in white wine sauce & garlic as an appetizer - big bowl full of succulent mussels steamed just right.”
  4. “Wines by the glass were good as well, but cocktails were sub-par: a cosmo was overly sweet & a martini far too 'wet'.”
  5. “came into the restaurant on a busy Saturday night and was hit first by 20 minutes wait and the small wine bar was full.”
  6. “the place was full,people waiting at the bar.”
  7. “Hungry, cold & in need of a hot meal & a good drink, we were immediately drawn to Tello's inviting warmth & cozy atmosphere.”
  8. “The bar was busy and the bartender Ryan was great and cute.”
food quality
90.0% positive
  1. “Their dishes are entertaining to your eyes and mouth.”
  2. “The food is excellent!”
  3. “On Tuesday night, I had the mussels in white wine sauce & garlic as an appetizer - big bowl full of succulent mussels steamed just right.”
  4. “must go if you enjoy Italian food.”
  5. “Loved the watercress salad with bleu cheese and toasted walnuts.”
  6. “It was very good,the pasta was cooked aldente the way I like it and the sausage was the best I ever had.”
  7. “The food was outstanding and the service is to rave about.”
  8. “The food is so so good and the staff is lovely.”
  9. “The food and service was better then I would have expected for a less expensive restaurant.”
  10. “The food here is very good with ok sized portions, and not what I've grown to expect from Italian restaurants (I don't remember seeing manacotti or lasagna on the menu).”
  11. “The food is good, with ample servings, but if I had known we'd be seated separetly, I would have made reservations else where.”
  12. “They do a mean penne and meatballs in a delicious, velvety ragout that I have a hard time resisting.”
  13. “it was a delicious meal and we were all in our seats just before the curtains went up!”
  14. “Our dishes - Linguine Di Mare & Chicken Tello - were terrific.”
  15. “The food is good but dinner at a hefty price is meant to be enjoyable.”
  16. “the food was outstandingly good.”
  17. “Not a great start but I had heard great things about Tello's. The Brazilian bartender who greeted us was exceptionally kind and attentive and we had the most delicious cosmo I've ever tried.”
  18. “We were just too pleased and appreciative of all the effort that the restaurant chefs and waiters put in to give us a great meal in the short time we had ?”
  19. “The food was great the shrimp fradivolo was fab and the gnocchi was delicious they were decent in size (not huge which is fine by me).”
  20. “am a huge fan of seafood and fish and their Salmon dish is very delicious.”
  21. “Charming place but the food not as good as Mom's”
  22. “Great atmosphere and fine food and drinks.”
  23. “The garlic bread was crispy and flavorful with out a huge smelly blast of garlic!”
  24. “The table next to us recommended that share because the portions are big(we split two entrees)The food was so good I wish that there was some left over to take home for the next day.”
  25. “Lovely warm ambiance, great food.”
  26. “The food is so amazing.”
  27. “The Italian bread was crusty, soft & fresh, albeit accompanied by rock-hard, cold butter.”
  28. “Hungry, cold & in need of a hot meal & a good drink, we were immediately drawn to Tello's inviting warmth & cozy atmosphere.”
  29. “Affordable, tasty Italian.”
  30. “The food is awesome.”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “The food here is very good with ok sized portions, and not what I've grown to expect from Italian restaurants (I don't remember seeing manacotti or lasagna on the menu).”
  2. “website, menu and online reviews looked good so this was the spot we settled on.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “We were seated next to the door,but the tables next to the doors are the best tables to be because of the blazing fire place.”
  2. “This is one of the best Italian restaurant in Chelsea.”
  3. “Tello's is a great place to take a date.”
  4. “This is our favorite restaurant in the city which we eat out at once a month.”
service
87.5% positive
  1. “The people I dined with all enjoyed their meals, and I LOVED their chocolate mousse.”
  2. “the place was full,people waiting at the bar.”
  3. “The food and service was better then I would have expected for a less expensive restaurant.”
  4. “The restaurant has a very warm, comfortable, friendly ambience and the the wait staff is exceptional, especially Greg.”
  5. “was greeted by a big smile hostess.”
  6. “People having a good time,laughing,romantic,holding hands,waiters saying good nite to their customers,whats wrong with that?”
  7. “The bar was busy and the bartender Ryan was great and cute.”
  8. “When we were ready to leave the waiter came with a big jar of biscotti and said you can t leave until you have one.”
  9. “Not a great start but I had heard great things about Tello's. The Brazilian bartender who greeted us was exceptionally kind and attentive and we had the most delicious cosmo I've ever tried.”
  10. “The food is so so good and the staff is lovely.”
  11. “Greg, our server, was so helpful, especially since we had a large party.”
  12. “The staff was cool and collected and we even joked about how it could be ?”
  13. “Huge portions, great and attentive service, and pretty good prices.”
  14. “The food was outstanding and the service is to rave about.”
  15. “This was an example of amazing service and care.”
  16. “The service is outstanding.”
  17. “brought many people to the restaurant and every time we had great experience.”
  18. “We were just too pleased and appreciative of all the effort that the restaurant chefs and waiters put in to give us a great meal in the short time we had ?”
  19. “Food is always great, very courteous wait staff.”
  20. “Tello has a friendly wait staff & the place just draws you in.”
value
91.66999816894531% positive
  1. “The food here is very good with ok sized portions, and not what I've grown to expect from Italian restaurants (I don't remember seeing manacotti or lasagna on the menu).”
  2. “The table next to us recommended that share because the portions are big(we split two entrees)The food was so good I wish that there was some left over to take home for the next day.”
  3. “Portions are big, prices aren't.”
  4. “The food was great the shrimp fradivolo was fab and the gnocchi was delicious they were decent in size (not huge which is fine by me).”
  5. “am a huge fan of seafood and fish and their Salmon dish is very delicious.”
  6. “The food is good but dinner at a hefty price is meant to be enjoyable.”
  7. “Food was fantastic, inexpensive and portions are huge.”
  8. “and best of all it is super affordable for NYC standards.”
  9. “The garlic bread was crispy and flavorful with out a huge smelly blast of garlic!”
  10. “Huge portions, great and attentive service, and pretty good prices.”
  11. “The prices are very reasonable considering the size of the portions, the quality of the cooking, & the neighborhood.”
  12. “The food and service was better then I would have expected for a less expensive restaurant.”
wait time
0.0% positive
  1. “came into the restaurant on a busy Saturday night and was hit first by 20 minutes wait and the small wine bar was full.”
2 Star Rating: Below Average

11/05/11

Dire Duck

by dainer at Citysearch

A pretty restaurant, but marred by TERRIBLE jarring music blaring (a staff- member's I-pod? Management -get a grip!)

Whatever you do, avoid the duck salad. You get a lump of several-times deep-fried duck leg so hard you can only extract one forkful of edible meat. This is the worst duck confit in New York. If every other restaurant can get this right, what's their excuse? Never again!

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

09/25/11

Easy

by lcchang221 at Citysearch

Such an easy no fuss dining experience. Tell makes you feel like you're part of the family with warm food , huge portions and wine for days! I like to stop in after work for as glass of wine and some pasta. Highly recommended!

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

09/24/11

Hot food in Chelsea

by BruceM at Citysearch

Walking around Chelsea one evening I found Tello's Restaurant. I was single when I went in. I sat at the bar, had a few drinks and some pasta. I met this guy here and we started dating. Thanks Tello.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

09/22/11

YUM!

by maryvasquez88 at Citysearch

Just got done having dinner here with a co-worker. Perfect end to my busy day. Delicious cocktails and enough food that I don't have to make lunch tomorrow! Everything moved like clockwork, we didn't have to wait long at all for anything! Friendly staff as well! Can't wait to go back!

4 Star Rating: Recommended

08/03/11

Feel at home

by crystalgriffith83 at Citysearch

I noticed another review said that a glass of wine was expensive. Have you never dined it the city before? Most places I eat at charge $8 - $14.

Relaxed with a sort of Italian pub feel, I quite enjoyed my meal at Tello. The service was quick, our waiter knew the menu and gave us great recommendations, and the portions were so plentiful that I had leftovers for work the next day. The owner was in and checked on my husband and I to make sure we were enjoying ourselves, he even gave us 2 lemoncello shots on the house! All in all a great staff who made us feel like part of the family and child friendly.

The Details on Ristorante Tello

Place Categories:

  • great italian food
  • romantic atmosphere
  • absolutely wonderful place
  • outstanding service
  • nice dinner
  • favorite italian restaurant
  • inviting tello
  • very good wine
  • pretty good prices
  • cold nite
  • comfortable ambience
  • terrific dishes
  • flavorful garlic bread
  • great bartender ryan
  • very good sausage
  • best pasta
  • cool wait staff
  • great meal
  • cozy cute
  • great experience
  • enjoyed people
  • affordable standards
  • big portions
  • good meatballs
  • great drink

Message from Ristorante Tello

  • Authentic Old-style Italian
  • Big Portions, Intimate Room
  • Lunch, Dinner, Weekend Brunch

What a find! Join us for brunch, lunch or dinner at Tello Restaurant in Chelsea. Lit with candles and chandeliers, this cozy place has such a wonderful old-world feel that you may think you've walked onto the set of a Martin Scorsese film. A helpful staff serves up hefty portions (light on price) of well prepared Italian fare. Pasta is cooked al dente every time and the seafood is plentiful and fresh. Our menu consists of everything an Italian food lover could want including Tello's Favorite - Braciole & Gnocchi consisting of rolled beef stuffed prociutto, parmesan, and bread crumbs braised in a fresh tomato sauce - absolutely delicioso! Stop by on the weekend for brunch and enjoy your choice of a bloody mary, bellini, mimosa or glass of wine and a mouth watering variety of Italian choices. We also offer delivery and accommodations for private parties of up to 70 guests.

Ristorante Tello