Nonna Dora's Pasta Bar

Tucked away in Kips Bay, Nonna Dora’s Pasta Bar offers something increasingly rare in New York’s Italian dining scene: authenticity you can actually verify. Addolorata “Dora” Marzovilla isn’t a marketing fiction or a sepia-toned photograph on the wall—she’s a real grandmother who arrives each morning to craft fresh pasta before the restaurant opens for dinner. The cozy spot draws crowds who come for the charming story, but they stay because the pasta speaks for itself.

This is a dedicated pasta bar, which means you won’t find large protein mains competing for your attention. Instead, the menu zeroes in on what matters most: bowls of silky, handmade pasta that feel like velvet on the tongue. The prix fixe option offers solid value with an appetizer, pasta, and dessert, but the five-course pasta tasting menu is where you can really explore Nonna’s craft. Skip the standard appetizers and order an extra pasta to share—it’s what the regulars do. The lasagna, whether meat or vegetable, features impossibly thin layers that practically dissolve, while the gnocchi in pesto manages to be creamy without weighing you down.

Looking around the dining room, you’ll notice something unusual: strangers passing plates back and forth, eager to let others try their particular bowl of carbs. The sharing culture here is infectious, born from the simple truth that everything coming out of the kitchen looks incredible. Standouts include the seasonal maccheroncini made with grano arso (burnt flour that adds intriguing bitterness) and the mezzelune with its subtle shrimp and mushroom combination. Don’t skip the negroni menu—it takes up a full page for good reason.

Whether you’re settling in for a solo dinner at the bar or bringing a date for a romantic evening, Nonna Dora’s delivers handmade pasta that rivals any in Manhattan. The ricotta cheesecake makes for a light but satisfying finish. In a city full of restaurants claiming Italian grandmothers behind the scenes, this is one place where nonna actually shows up to work.