(212) 673-3783

86 W 3rd St
New York, NY 10012 40.7298 -73.999

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Neighborhoods: Greenwich Village, Downtown

ilmulino.com

Price:

$$$$

Last updated 1.24.12

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Discover, Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Hidden Find, People Watching, Business Dining, Prix Fixe Menu

Cuisine:

Italian

What People Are Saying About IL Mulino

Featured Review

Allison Austin

Contributor

The Scene – Under a faded awning in the heart of the Village, one of New York's most esteemed Italian restaurants remains as if in a timewarp. It's blindingly dark in the dining room, yet tuxedoed career waiters manage to perform as many tableside theatrics as possible, from whisking Caesar salad dressing from scratch to ceremoniously tearing the foil from a whole bass. It's a loud room, full of portly regulars with loosened ties and pink, wine-drunk cheeks. – – The Food – This is old-school Italian cuisine. Meals begin with assorted antipasti, which are simply brought…

Editor's Tips

Look Good:
Make reservations a month in advance to ensure a table, and then be sure to call and confirm. Expect to wait for a table even with a reservation--the restaurant seems to work on its own schedule.
What to Drink:
The Italian-centric list is full of chiantis and barolos, and the mark-up is pretty steep (an average bottle of chianti will run you $50 to $70).
Know Before You Go:
Prices are listed on the menu, but most diners order the specials, and the price range is quite a bit higher for them. Expect to pay between $40 and $55 for entree specials not listed on the menu.
ambiance
93.75% positive
  1. Everything was perfect---the food, teh atmosphere, and the service!
  2. the plates are enough for two the atmosphere is cozy and charming
  3. But it's fantastic, great atmosphere, great location.
  4. It is very romantic, but it can also be a great place to spend with friends, since you're almost inside of the casino.
  5. Went last night with friends, while the service and ambiance were great the food was not.
  6. Food was spectacular, service was amazing, atmosphere is average but is a must visit!
  7. awful service, decent food, cramped atmosphere
  8. The decor is alright, their food portions is more than enough for two, however this place costs a pretty penny.
dessert
71.4300012588501% positive
  1. The desserts were all very good but nothing to write home about.
  2. The desserts were very rich and savory.
  3. it was the best ravioli ever plump, al dente, stuffed with mushrooms and drowned in a truffle cream sauce.
  4. Between the noise and the bad dinner we passed on desert and left.
  5. We each had an appetizer, pasta dish, entree and desert as well as a few moderately priced bottles of wine ($50 range) each a recommendation - quite good - I recommend the Fettucini Al Fredo as a pasta dish - melted in my mouth.
  6. If you don't wish to miss dessert, order smaller portioned dishes, for one does not leave here feeling skimped.
  7. They ended up giving us a free dessert so after everything, we decided not to make a big fuss about the check.
drinks
95.45000076293945% positive
  1. We couldnt even make it out for drinks in this fabulous Greenwich Village neighborhood because we were so full!
  2. After waiting 45 minutes for our table we then received our exorbitantly priced wine which the waiter then spilt, our Caesar salad was soggy but our main courses were delicious just not worth $55 for veal chop.
  3. Waiters kept whispering to each other and repeatedly coming over to suggest that we order wine.
  4. The wine lists are great, and the Food is amazing!
  5. Be sure to order some wine as they have a huge selection.
  6. We each had an appetizer, pasta dish, entree and desert as well as a few moderately priced bottles of wine ($50 range) each a recommendation - quite good - I recommend the Fettucini Al Fredo as a pasta dish - melted in my mouth.
  7. When we sat down, they kept pressuring us to order wine despite our not wanting to.
  8. My advice - find a great neighborhood Italian spot, order twice as much to drink as you would at Il Mulino for half the price, and laugh all the way home at the poor suckers still waiting to be seated.
  9. If you want a good wine, bring a letter of credit.
  10. We left and went to Blue Hill who sat us immediately and had fantastic service, food, and wine.
  11. If you plan on drinking a decent wine think $150 minimum for wines other restaurants sell for less.
food quality
88.21000099182129% positive
  1. If you're looking for the best Italian food in NYC.
  2. and it may very well have been some of the best food I've eve.
  3. The decor is alright, their food portions is more than enough for two, however this place costs a pretty penny.
  4. The food was the best Italian food I have ever had and it was well worth the price.
  5. The quality of the food is superb; you wont get better Italian.
  6. and have never been to Italy think: it's good food.
  7. Everything was perfect---the food, teh atmosphere, and the service!
  8. While the food is good and portions large, there are at least a dozen neighborhood Italian restaurants in the city with the identical menu at a fraction of the price.
  9. They also feed you a lot of good stuff before you order, like salami, zuchini in garlic oil, garlic bread, cheeze.
  10. The food was a bit better than average overall, but not worth the price, and the horrible service will ensure that I will never return to this restaurant.
  11. By far the best Italian food in NY
  12. For appetizers, we ordered the caprese, or buffalo mozzarella, and we shared a rigatoni dish., Needless to say, we stuffed ourselves, but the food was so amazing that we felt as if we should!
  13. Il Mulino has terrific food!
  14. The food was amazing.
  15. Seafood pasta, fra diablo, is magnificent.
  16. We ordered salads and the ceaser tasted like it had bottled dressing and the chopped salad didn't taste good at all.
  17. Even though it is a bit pricey, this restaurant always delivers great service and delicious food.
  18. Once seated the food was excellent - the porcini mushrroms and the lamb were superb.
  19. This is our favorite "pig out" meal in NY.
  20. Although the food was great, it wasn't worth the headache.
  21. Langoustine risotto, may be the best dish ever invented.
  22. Great food, tight squeeze
  23. That said; if money isn't a factor, go eat the best meal you'll ever have.
  24. The veal is amazing as is all the free food they bring you to start.
  25. it was an expensive meal ($250, no alcohol), so im not sure that its worth a return trip, but i had an awesome time.
  26. The food is mediocre at best.
  27. Anything you order is the freshest, whether it's pasta, veal, seafood, lamb, etc.
  28. To be concise good food but way overpriced.
  29. for the main course, i ordered the snapper (a huge fish in a tomato-based sauce) and he had the rack of lamb.
  30. And they give you more good food between the time you sit down here and the time you order than you can ever get in most places.
  31. The waiter are skilled at switching guests to high priced options of mediocre unimaginative food.
  32. And worst of all, even the still-high quality of most dishes can't balance the sad clientele, which was an inordinate number of rude, loud, aggressive tri-state imports, aspiring to achieve low-class Sopranos schmaltz, and failing even at that.
  33. awful service, decent food, cramped atmosphere
  34. New Yorkers should realize that there are numerous excellent Italian restaurants that have better, more authentic and more contemporary food than what Il Mulino is doing, which is not what they're preparing in Italy today.
  35. The food is wonderful, and it keeps coming and coming.
  36. The food is incredible here.
  37. Absolutely fantastic food!
  38. The service is so poor and the experience is so frustrating, I don't think the best food in the world could make up for it.
  39. Good food.
  40. didn't mind the $55 pricetag nearly as much as I minded being forced to order more food than I wanted.
  41. The food was to die for and the service was wonderful.
  42. once seated, we were served a plethora of antipasti/breads (all tasty, with an especially good spicy crispy zucchini bread).
  43. You try to call to book and there is no way that they pick up the phone, I went in person to book, they have been unpolite and worse the dinner was incredibly expensive and the food was bad.
  44. Anyone who knows Italian food and value won't be impressed or fooled.
  45. it was the best ravioli ever plump, al dente, stuffed with mushrooms and drowned in a truffle cream sauce.
  46. The food was quite good and very plentiful, and the service was attentive and excellent.
  47. This restaurant has decent food, albiet an old style Italian menu.
  48. Went last night with friends, while the service and ambiance were great the food was not.
  49. If you don't wish to miss dessert, order smaller portioned dishes, for one does not leave here feeling skimped.
  50. The food is good, but nothing extraordinary.
  51. good food and service
  52. The service was good and the food was good - but not great.
  53. The ravioli is delicious but very oily and the veal was okay.
  54. Very expensive for such a crowded place with good / not great food.
  55. Although the appetizers supplied by the restaurant were outstanding, generally speaking I was disappointed with the food.
  56. We left and went to Blue Hill who sat us immediately and had fantastic service, food, and wine.
  57. Delectable dining, perfect service and again the most luscious italian meal I have ever had the pleasure of tasting.
  58. The pastas were tasty, but not outstanding.
  59. Food was delicious!
  60. The price was high but like the saying goes you get what you pay for I would recommend this to anyone who likes good Italian food.
  61. huge portions of good italian food
  62. Everything about this place is great- not pretentious, just well-made dishes and good service.
  63. There is outstanding italian food at half the price all over this city.
  64. Once seated, four waiters come by with delicious complimentary dishes like a cold zucchini appetizer, eggplant, appetizer in addition to your standard garlic bread sticks to start.
  65. Starve all day, and pig-out on the best meal anywhere.
  66. We each had an appetizer, pasta dish, entree and desert as well as a few moderately priced bottles of wine ($50 range) each a recommendation - quite good - I recommend the Fettucini Al Fredo as a pasta dish - melted in my mouth.
  67. We have been several times and have loved the food every time.
  68. Great food.
  69. Really good and then they brought the accouterment for the bread, bursting with flavor and then the food, Pappardelle Pasta, Yellow tail carpaccio, and then the Veal Chop, 2" thick tasted so fresh.
  70. Unbelivable food,big portions,crowded,expect to wait even with reservations.
  71. The food was so amazing that it transports you back to New York.
  72. He ordered the rack of lamb special (an ENTIRE rack) and when I asked for an appetizer for my main dish (after we had already shared several appetizers) I was told that I HAD to order an entree.
  73. Dessert are nice but the Grappa is not original italian (and the price is ridiculusly high for the poor quality of the food and the unprofessional service).
  74. Sorbets, like the food are amazing.
  75. The Best True Italian food!
  76. The garlic bread was soaked in rich butter and oil and tasted as though an entire clove of garlic was infused into every piece!
  77. After waiting 45 minutes for our table we then received our exorbitantly priced wine which the waiter then spilt, our Caesar salad was soggy but our main courses were delicious just not worth $55 for veal chop.
  78. hands down, the best Italian food in the city.
  79. this place has hands down the best food in ny
  80. Service was amazing - all kinds of wonderful (free) food to start.
  81. The last time I went I enjoyed the steak although I usually get the spaghetti with clams.
  82. Incredible traditional Italian food, the best in the city.
menu variety
78.5699987411499% positive
  1. Also nothing on the menu seemed creative.
  2. Be sure to order some wine as they have a huge selection.
  3. The waiter are skilled at switching guests to high priced options of mediocre unimaginative food.
  4. While the food is good and portions large, there are at least a dozen neighborhood Italian restaurants in the city with the identical menu at a fraction of the price.
  5. The tasting menu was excellent and I was so full I couldn't even finish my fourth course.
  6. This restaurant has decent food, albiet an old style Italian menu.
  7. The menu is confusing but just tell them what you want and they will make it and believe me, the flavors are the most brilliant and savory that I have ever tasted.
overall
100.0% positive
  1. My favorite NYC restaurant
  2. great dinning experince , the experince starts when you walk in the restaurant to you leave
  3. This has become my favorite restaurant treat!
  4. It is very romantic, but it can also be a great place to spend with friends, since you're almost inside of the casino.
return potential
50.0% positive
  1. Food was good but overall I would never return.
  2. The food was a bit better than average overall, but not worth the price, and the horrible service will ensure that I will never return to this restaurant.
  3. it was an expensive meal ($250, no alcohol), so im not sure that its worth a return trip, but i had an awesome time.
  4. Overall, a great experience and I definitely will go back.
service
70.08999824523926% positive
  1. The horrible service ruined the whole night for us.
  2. Very friendly staff.
  3. good food and service
  4. Everything was perfect---the food, teh atmosphere, and the service!
  5. The maitre'd was quite rude and didn't acknowledge our presence.
  6. The service is so poor and the experience is so frustrating, I don't think the best food in the world could make up for it.
  7. The food was a bit better than average overall, but not worth the price, and the horrible service will ensure that I will never return to this restaurant.
  8. Food was spectacular, service was amazing, atmosphere is average but is a must visit!
  9. The waiter are skilled at switching guests to high priced options of mediocre unimaginative food.
  10. The service can be a little chaotic at times, but the "experience" is unmatched.
  11. Even though it is a bit pricey, this restaurant always delivers great service and delicious food.
  12. The staff was great friendly and funny.
  13. Once seated, four waiters come by with delicious complimentary dishes like a cold zucchini appetizer, eggplant, appetizer in addition to your standard garlic bread sticks to start.
  14. rude staff.
  15. The service was also good.
  16. Menu is a bit difficult to decipher, but the waiters are extremely helpful and will answer any question.
  17. Very expensive but the service is very friendly and knowledgeable.
  18. After waiting 45 minutes for our table we then received our exorbitantly priced wine which the waiter then spilt, our Caesar salad was soggy but our main courses were delicious just not worth $55 for veal chop.
  19. awful service, decent food, cramped atmosphere
  20. There were many rude displays throughout the night.
  21. Went last night with friends, while the service and ambiance were great the food was not.
  22. The personality of the servers (there were probably 4 just for us) was superb!
  23. The place is small, the seats uncomfortable and various unprepared waiters serve you like at a cheap pizzeria place.
  24. Everything about this place is great- not pretentious, just well-made dishes and good service.
  25. For NYC, there are a ton of restaurants that are expensive, amazing, and provide good service.
  26. The waitstaff was very friendly and jovial.
  27. the service was great.
  28. The food was to die for and the service was wonderful.
  29. They have wonderful service, every waiters are
  30. The service here was wonderful.
  31. And worst of all, even the still-high quality of most dishes can't balance the sad clientele, which was an inordinate number of rude, loud, aggressive tri-state imports, aspiring to achieve low-class Sopranos schmaltz, and failing even at that.
  32. The bartender was excellent.
  33. Dessert are nice but the Grappa is not original italian (and the price is ridiculusly high for the poor quality of the food and the unprofessional service).
  34. We left and went to Blue Hill who sat us immediately and had fantastic service, food, and wine.
  35. The service was good and the food was good - but not great.
  36. Delectable dining, perfect service and again the most luscious italian meal I have ever had the pleasure of tasting.
  37. had heard so much about this place and it was a good dinner but I expected much more in flavor, presentation, service and overall italian dining experience.
  38. The service was WONDERFUL!
  39. The food was quite good and very plentiful, and the service was attentive and excellent.
value
75.0% positive
  1. The food was the best Italian food I have ever had and it was well worth the price.
  2. The portions are HUGE and I do mean huge, with one portion serving enough for two so don't snack before you go.
  3. Anyone who knows Italian food and value won't be impressed or fooled.
  4. Try the dover sole, huge veal chop or sea bass.
  5. My advice - find a great neighborhood Italian spot, order twice as much to drink as you would at Il Mulino for half the price, and laugh all the way home at the poor suckers still waiting to be seated.
  6. The decor is alright, their food portions is more than enough for two, however this place costs a pretty penny.
  7. Very expensive but the service is very friendly and knowledgeable.
  8. it was an expensive meal ($250, no alcohol), so im not sure that its worth a return trip, but i had an awesome time.
  9. The portions are just too big.
  10. Even though it is a bit pricey, this restaurant always delivers great service and delicious food.
  11. Be sure to order some wine as they have a huge selection.
  12. for the main course, i ordered the snapper (a huge fish in a tomato-based sauce) and he had the rack of lamb.
  13. The price was high but like the saying goes you get what you pay for I would recommend this to anyone who likes good Italian food.
  14. Dessert are nice but the Grappa is not original italian (and the price is ridiculusly high for the poor quality of the food and the unprofessional service).
  15. There is outstanding italian food at half the price all over this city.
  16. Unbelivable food,big portions,crowded,expect to wait even with reservations.
  17. To be concise good food but way overpriced.
  18. Very expensive for such a crowded place with good / not great food.
  19. That said; if money isn't a factor, go eat the best meal you'll ever have.
  20. While the food is good and portions large, there are at least a dozen neighborhood Italian restaurants in the city with the identical menu at a fraction of the price.
  21. You try to call to book and there is no way that they pick up the phone, I went in person to book, they have been unpolite and worse the dinner was incredibly expensive and the food was bad.
  22. Although the food was great, it wasn't worth the headache.
  23. There are plenty of other top-notch Italians where you don't have to put up with the BS and the ridiculous prices!
  24. Portions are huge, you'll need to take home the leftovers.
  25. The food was a bit better than average overall, but not worth the price, and the horrible service will ensure that I will never return to this restaurant.
  26. After waiting 45 minutes for our table we then received our exorbitantly priced wine which the waiter then spilt, our Caesar salad was soggy but our main courses were delicious just not worth $55 for veal chop.
  27. For NYC, there are a ton of restaurants that are expensive, amazing, and provide good service.
  28. If you're willing to be treated like crap for the opportunity to hand over a few hundred bucks, more power to you.
  29. The place is small, the seats uncomfortable and various unprepared waiters serve you like at a cheap pizzeria place.
  30. huge portions of good italian food
wait time
100.0% positive
  1. After waiting 45 minutes for our table we then received our exorbitantly priced wine which the waiter then spilt, our Caesar salad was soggy but our main courses were delicious just not worth $55 for veal chop.
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

03/02/10

Sublime

by vipertonic at Citysearch

It started with the bread. Really good and then they brought the accouterment for the bread, bursting with flavor and then the food, Pappardelle Pasta, Yellow tail carpaccio, and then the Veal Chop, 2" thick tasted so fresh. You can go in and just order whatever you want and they will make it for you, and they will make it great. They brought complimentary things every now and then. These guys know how to take care of people. Go there to have the experience not just a meal.

  • Pros: Outstanding Service and food.
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

11/07/09

Yankee fans..walk in Bobby Murcer's cleats

by tankjuicemaddog at Citysearch

I went with my son, who"s young enough not to have a recollection of Yankee world series victories, and members of my family, whom I have celebrated with for years!! We went to the parade for # 27!! I had read Bobby Murcer's Yankee for Life biography, and knew that this was his favorite place in the city. Murcer said he was a reluctant New Yorker, not playing baseball, but the size of the city! I have had a dining experience at Il Mulino in the back of my head every since I read the book. It seemed fitting to end the parade with my son and relatives in the presence of ghosts of Yankees past...and in only the Yankee way..Il Mulino did not disappoint. The service was a bit overzealous but always attentive. The lunch was phenomenal and the leftovers were even better! I had a super tuscan house that was out of this world.....and how can you go wrong imagining walking in the footsteps of yankee pinstripes? The prices aren't for the faint of heart. It's a special place in that regard. In my humble culinary opinion, worth it!! Ask for the table for 5 in the back corner...and imagine Bobby!

  • Pros: old world italian, exceptional service
  • Cons: new wallpaper may be needed??
1 Star Rating: Poor

05/14/09

Living on Old rep. and Zagat !

by jsantag643 at Citysearch

wish the one star rating was not required on Citysearch Any REAL foodie would consider this a joke!Food was not as good as a nyc mediocre Italian...never mind a decent one ! Crowded tables I can kinda of get ...thats the deal GV area...however the food needs to warrant that and its not in the hunt !! Staff still in dreamland that the place is good ...will close down in the next coming couple years as the sheep wean down !

  • Pros: feels exclusive
  • Cons: everything else
1 Star Rating: Poor

05/13/09

Extremely Overrated

by RoccoM at Citysearch

Over the last 15 years i use to frequent Il Mulino often. The food was extremely good years ago, but since its been sold a 2 years ago its been a steady decline. I don't mind paying for enjoyable dinning experiences, but the last visit to this restaurant was my last. The food was over salted, greasy, overcooked and frankly offensive. Out of the 6 people at our table, (who are all italian), not one plate was finished, no one ate any of the pasta. The main courses were forgettable as well.

This resturant is nothing more than tourist trap at this point. The bill for 6 people, with 2 bottles of wine was $2600 and for that amount of money it better be higher quality. If your looking for good Italian food in NYC go to Babbo, Del Posto, Scalini Fedili, or Al Di Ala and I promiss you it will be ten times better than Il Mulino.

  • Pros: Private Line for reservations
  • Cons: Overpriced, Crammed, terrible food
1 Star Rating: Poor

10/27/08

May be my worst dining experience in NYC

by rachw1023 at Citysearch

I dined Il Mulino on my birthday with my boyfriend on a Friday evening. We live in Manhattan and eat out at least twice a week. We were so disappointed with both the service and the food at Il Mulino and will not return.

First, we had reservation for 8:30pm and were on time. The reservation was booked 3 weeks prior and w/ the name of a friend, a frequent customer.

While waiting for the table, there was very little space to stand as there were many others in the same boat and a ton of giants plants randomly placed in the entry room so that people have fewer places to stand. My boyfriend wanted to leave after 1/2 hour but I insisted on staying--we got seated at 9:40.

Our waiter was more interested in watched the people come in than us. He shouted out the specials while looking at people walking in. I was expecting more personal interaction with customers.

We ordered 1 Caesar salad to share but when we got the bill, they changed us for 2. We told the waiter and he said no, we had asked for 2. He didn't change the check and we were shocked that he told us that we were wrong.

I decided on one of the specials while my boyfriend decided on the veal from the menu instead of the veal special. When the wrong one arrived (which by the way, was much more expensive), we told the waiter and he responded, "Trust me, you'll like it better." He didn't offer to exchange it and we ended up getting charged for the $60 veal special--plus, the veal wasn't anything special.

We decided we had enough. The maitre d' then came over and was very apologetic for the 1hr wait time--he realized that we had made reservations using our friend?s name, one of his regular customers. They ended up giving us a free dessert so after everything, we decided not to make a big fuss about the check.

Overall, it was so bad that it was funny. For NYC, there are a ton of restaurants that are expensive, amazing, and provide good service. Il Mulino did none of that.

  • Pros: Name recognition, cool area
  • Cons: Service, food, ambiance, all things important

The Details on IL Mulino

Place Categories:

  • good italian food
  • wonderful service
  • best meal
  • order wine
  • mediocre food
  • huge portions
  • incredibly expensive dinner
  • rude staff
  • favorite italian place
  • savory desserts
  • amazing restaurant
  • fantastic atmosphere
  • abundant house appetizers
  • not disappoint il mulino
  • tasty pastas
  • good entree
  • full tasting menu
  • great everything
  • worst dining experience
  • unpleasant dining
  • best italy
  • mediocre nyc
  • delicious dish
  • great italian dining experience
  • jovial waitstaff