Arturo's Restaurants

(212) 677-3820

106 W Houston St
New York, NY 10012 40.7274 -74.0003

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Neighborhoods: SoHo, Downtown

Years in business

Established in 1957

Price:

$$

Last updated 8.06.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Discover, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

People Watching, Group Dining, Live Music, Food Delivery

Cuisine:

Pizza, Italian

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Arturo's Restaurants

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

The Scene – Weekends bring bedlam to Arturo's, as crowds surge in, packing three deep near the bar, sucking down Budweisers while waiting for tables to open up. Comfort is decidedly not a factor in the Arturo's experience--once patrons escape the bottleneck near the bar, they're shoehorned into a miniscule dining room. The laughably overpriced melange of paint-by-numbers fruit still lifes that adorns the walls is the stuff of legend--regulars claim never to have seen a single one sell. – – The Food – Generously-sized brick-oven pies, with properly smoky thin…

Editor's Tips

One of New York's Best:
Despite the crowds and the waits, this Houston Street spot is nominated for best pizza in New York on the basis of its cheese-and-mozzarella pie alone.
While You Wait:
Head around the corner and grab a seat at the bar at Lupa for a quartino of Italian red wine.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. “The food, the service and the ambience of the restaurant is incredible.”
  2. “Theres also live music, which can be loud if your sitting right next to it, but its not so bad and it goes with the whole ambience fo the place.”
  3. “The pizza here is really great, and I even love the cheesy atmosphere (no pun intended) in the dining room, but maybe it's the presence of the heavily packed bar but I always feel as though when I go I am being gawked at as something of an outsider.”
  4. “The place is crowded and a little cramped, but has a nice atmosphere.”
  5. “The pizza is delicious and the atmosphere is something that you would expect from the olden days.”
  6. “Colourful characters, great ambience, terrific food.”
  7. “Kind of cramped place, but it is kind of homey and cozy, which is how you shoudl feel while eatin so, thats cool.”
  8. “All in all I liked the atmosphere, loved the food but the service sucked.”
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. “My favorite pizza when you want to sit somewhere or when you want a pie.”
drinks
50.0% positive
  1. “The pizza here is really great, and I even love the cheesy atmosphere (no pun intended) in the dining room, but maybe it's the presence of the heavily packed bar but I always feel as though when I go I am being gawked at as something of an outsider.”
  2. “They also have delicious seafood: raw clams and steamed mussels in a savory garlic and wine sauce.”
  3. “Pizza, cold beer, live music and pasta.”
  4. “Or waiter looked like a patron off of a bar stool in the front ( oh yes they have a full bar, always a pro) Jeans, messy hair, baseball cap, th ewhole nine, he forgot abou us like 4 times, another girl had to take our app's.”
food quality
93.05999755859375% positive
  1. “get cravings for this unique coal oven pizza.”
  2. “This was our first coal-oven pizza and it was delicious: Crispy, great cheese, and just the right amount of sauce.”
  3. “greatly enjoyed the people watching, thought the staff was great and the peperoni and the mushroom pizzas did not dissapoint.”
  4. “All in all I liked the atmosphere, loved the food but the service sucked.”
  5. “It's a super casual place, but food is good.”
  6. “simply love their crispy brick oven pizza with all the toppings.”
  7. “The pizza is delicious and the atmosphere is something that you would expect from the olden days.”
  8. “always end up there and enjoy my meal, but I don't know, last time I went everyone was looking at my friends and I as though we had descretaed their sacred stomping ground with our presence.”
  9. “The food was excellent.”
  10. “Too many other good pizza places in the west village for this, sorry.”
  11. “On a recent hot late afternoon we sat outside and enjoyed a great 'regular' pizza.”
  12. “The food, the service and the ambience of the restaurant is incredible.”
  13. “The staff was great and they had live jazz (Thursday night), so I was really excited about the food.”
  14. “An authentic experience”
  15. “Great pizza, godd jazz and italian kindness.”
  16. “Great food, bad service”
  17. “My favorite pizza when you want to sit somewhere or when you want a pie.”
  18. “Colourful characters, great ambience, terrific food.”
  19. “The Chef is what I call an over achiever, the specials are far more delicious then what you might expect to find at a "Pizza Bar”
  20. “This is one of my favorite old-school Italian spots in the city, especially for the coal oven pizza.”
  21. “Now each time I come to NYC I insist we go to this place - it's the best pizza in town and the best pizza I know!”
  22. “The garlic bread with the maranara dipping sause was yummy too!”
  23. “By far, the best pizza in the city.”
  24. “Pizza, cold beer, live music and pasta.”
  25. “am a pizza conasieur and this is by far the best pizza.”
  26. “have tried all the "best pizza" in the city.”
  27. “All in all though a good pizza.”
  28. “The pizza here is really great, and I even love the cheesy atmosphere (no pun intended) in the dining room, but maybe it's the presence of the heavily packed bar but I always feel as though when I go I am being gawked at as something of an outsider.”
  29. “The arugula salad with fresh Parmesan was amazing, so my excited grew even more as the pizza was on its way.”
  30. “Mid-westerners find the pizza too smoky, europeans want more cheese, but New Yorkers love its authentic coal-over flavor, crispy crust and savory sauce.”
  31. “They also have delicious seafood: raw clams and steamed mussels in a savory garlic and wine sauce.”
  32. “Atmosphere was cool(seedly feel) and the pizza was pretty good(nothing amazing).”
  33. “Although the Pizza is very good the real values are the sandwiches, salads and Clams Arturo.”
  34. “The food was delicious though, I am always very iffy abot ordering maccaroni, but it was sooooo good, we had some pizza ( yuckkkkk, very chewy-if you want good pizza go to brooklyn) but the voka sauce was out of this world!”
  35. “great thin crust coal oven pizza”
  36. “Unfortunately the food is not that great.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “This is the best local Italian place in NY.”
  2. “Arturo's - great local place”
service
71.20999813079834% positive
  1. “greatly enjoyed the people watching, thought the staff was great and the peperoni and the mushroom pizzas did not dissapoint.”
  2. “The food, the service and the ambience of the restaurant is incredible.”
  3. “Or waiter looked like a patron off of a bar stool in the front ( oh yes they have a full bar, always a pro) Jeans, messy hair, baseball cap, th ewhole nine, he forgot abou us like 4 times, another girl had to take our app's.”
  4. “Great food, bad service”
  5. “Jimmy, who is more of a host then waiter, is by far the last great waiter in NYC.”
  6. “The staff was great and they had live jazz (Thursday night), so I was really excited about the food.”
  7. “Great staff good service even when crowded.”
  8. “Meet neighborhood people, hang out, hear onf of the best jazz piano players in all of NY (Harry Whitiker) and meet the friendly staff.”
  9. “Delivery and in-restaurant service are usually pretty slow, but it can't be beat if you've got some time and you're looking for a taste of good old-fashioned, old-school NY.”
  10. “All in all I liked the atmosphere, loved the food but the service sucked.”
  11. “The service was slow and the waiter definitely gave the impression that this he really hated his job.”
value
50.0% positive
  1. “Although the Pizza is very good the real values are the sandwiches, salads and Clams Arturo.”
  2. “The apps are just terrible piles of cheap ingredients, oily cheese and iceberg lettuce.”
wait time
44.43999767303467% positive
  1. “The crust is so good you will remember the taste for a long time.”
  2. “The service was slow and the waiter definitely gave the impression that this he really hated his job.”
  3. “Delivery and in-restaurant service are usually pretty slow, but it can't be beat if you've got some time and you're looking for a taste of good old-fashioned, old-school NY.”
4 Star Rating: Recommended

09/30/10

Great pizza

by CSMobileUser4 at Citysearch

I retuned to this restaurant time adtr time...great mussles n pizza..the sauce is to die for...I get mad whn I have to use the restroom because its only one..bit keep goin back..the food is delicious...

2 Star Rating: Below Average

08/23/10

nice pizza

by Janine V at Citysearch

Great pizza place. That's it.

Pros:

-pizza is really good( the big one is really huge what makes it more delicious!)

-live music

-lot's of tables

Cons:

-it's a little bit pricey...

-the waitress were awkward...no forms and the lady had a long hair laying all over her shoulders...hey,you are not on a cat walk!...

-the restroom is strange..why would they need a bath there???

4 Star Rating: Recommended

01/30/10

I like this place!

by peanutmoore at Citysearch

overall, I love this place and I go there a lot. It's a super casual place, but food is good....I'm always happy with my meal (even if the service is a little spotty sometimes). The piano player is a nice touch, too!

Reasonable prices.

  • Pros: food is yummy, get a seat near the window
  • Cons: service is sometimes a little lacking
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

09/27/09

Welcome Home!

by TheKid at Citysearch

This is the greeting you will generally receive when walking into this excellent example of old-New York family style italian dining. The Chef is what I call an over achiever, the specials are far more delicious then what you might expect to find at a "Pizza Bar". Although the Pizza is very good the real values are the sandwiches, salads and Clams Arturo. THEN THERE IS THE JAZZ! With no cover charge! It is simply the best in NYC. The Harry Whitaker Trio is usually in session and always has special artists sitting in. The waiters sing as well. Jimmy, who is more of a host then waiter, is by far the last great waiter in NYC. He remembers your particulars, comps and deserves the highest tips you can pay. As mentioned by others, you can also eat at the bar. Tony your bartender, who looks like Al Pacino, fills all drink orders. He also takes bar food orders and closes out every cash receipt himself, without a hitch. The crowd literally varies in age from the ancient to the very young, but the patrons are generally the 30-somethings and the NYU hip. Every local NYC celeb knows about this place and occasionally as well as inconspicuously drops in. Did I mention the KITCHEN IS OPEN LATE and they DELIVER! Arturo recently left us but Here's to Arturo’s forever!!

From: TheKid!

  • Pros: Good Food Good Jazz
  • Cons: Often crowded
1 Star Rating: Poor

07/28/09

Never Again. Awful.

by somanystars at Citysearch

This used to be my "Cheers," but never before have I allowed myself to be treated so poorly, with such disrespect, by restaurant staff who so overtly (and so tactlessly) insist that I bring in new patrons. I was once a regular, but I will never be back. If you want real jazz music, go to a real jazz venue. If you want real pizza, go to a real pizza place. This restaurant is neither one of the above--and it doesn't appreciate its regulars.

  • Pros: average pizza, live music, BUT...
  • Cons: rude staff, long lines

The Details on Arturo's Restaurants

Place Categories:

  • best crispy brick oven pizza
  • incredible food
  • great thin crust
  • bad inrestaurant service
  • nice cheesy atmosphere
  • great staff
  • nice thin
  • incredible ambience
  • authentic savory sauce
  • nice dinner
  • fave arturo
  • incredible service
  • not so bad goes
  • worst nyc dining
  • great cheese
  • enjoy meal
  • love new yorkers
  • great italian kindness
  • favorite oldschool italian spots
  • delicious seafood
  • authentic crispy crust
  • good living
  • like local place
  • bad experience
  • amazing nothing