One person who says he is a "real New Yorker" thinks it is touristy (hmmm)
Luna Piena
Category:
Italian
243 E 53rd St(between 2nd Ave & 3rd Ave)
New York, NY 10022
Neighborhood: Midtown East
(212) 308-8882
- Nearest Transit Station:
-
Lexington Ave./53 St. (E, M)51 St. (4, 6, 6X)59 St. (4, 5, 6, 6X)
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
- $$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
111 reviews for Luna Piena
Review Highlights What's this?
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"I love the fresh buffalo Mozzarella." In 4 reviews -
"I love the salmon and bowtie pasta with pink sauce." In 4 reviews -
"I had the grilled octopus salad which was good." In 3 reviews
Rating Distribution | Trend
110 reviews in English
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Review from Sandy I.
Las Vegas, NVBeen here twice in the last 4 weeks. Both a late weekday lunch. Service both times-was excellent-welcoming and attentive without being overbearing.
I love the complimentary bread and olives and lentils in olive oil. It is a great light appy while waiting for my lunch.
The first time I went I had a dense shell like pasta (almost like small gnocchi but not) with bolognese. Very yummy and tasty and portion size good for anyone hungry. The second time, I wasn't as successful selecting my entrée. I selected a special pasta offered with pancetta and beans in a olive oil and maybe basil (not pesto) based sauce. I didn't really care for it and the pasta which is homemade, was a linguine but it wasn't very tasty, it almost seemed overcooked in a way. I think it was my bad for selecting this dish. I will be more careful during my next visit.
The coffee is very good and they offer complimentary biscotti as a after meal sweet which is perfect for me as I likely do not have room for a full dessert.
With tip-both times was around $30-$35, so not inexpensive but I think worth it, IMO. -
Review from Chris D.
Chicago, ILOff the path & on the mark.
After 2 nights back in NYC (we lived there years ago), we decided to find a quintessential, non-touristy, Italian place in the midtown east area, our old hang out. After wine at Le Bateau Ivre (see Yelp review), we wandered a few blocks up from 51st to this little gem off 2nd Avenue. It was a beautiful night & they have al fresco dining in front. From the minute we walked in, the attentiveness and service was fun & effective. Andrea, our waiter, from straight from Rome, had the accent, an enjoyably frenetic manner and great sense of humor. We felt like regulars the entire time.
While we didn't order much food, Caesar salad & Bucatini, it was all good, as was the wine. Prices were reasonable too. We'll go back hungrier next time! If my wife has her way, we'll be living there again soon too. :0 -
Review from Tom L.
Manhattan, NYI've been going to this fantastic Italian restaurant for many years and have never been let down.
The service is top-notch and the waitstaff are all exceedingly friendly. Keep a lookout for Luigi, the animated proprietor, who is always eager to have a chat and explain the dishes served.
I was raised in an Italian household and have been to Italy numerous times (wish I was joking when I saw the cuisine plays a big factor in my decision), and I can honestly say that Luna Piena absolutely nails it. When I think of authentic Italian, my mind immediately jumps to Luna Piena.
Enjoy! -
Review from Greg L.
Upper East Side, Manhattan, NYI would give a 4 stars for lunch and 2 stars for dinner. Really weird as it seems there is a huge gap between the day service and the night service. Go there for work lunch and never have been disappointed. However, when I went there for dinner, was on of my worst experience in NY, both food and service. Check out the seafood risotto, one of my favorite out there. -
Review from Tara W.
#Corporate
I don't think this place would exist without tourists or corporate reimbursement.
I recently dined on the latter account. Upon entering, you are greeted with a sleek (in the 2000's, maybe) atmosphere. The waiters all speak to you in pseudo-Italian. They are very friendly and kind, though. They asked if we wanted bottled or "NYC tap water." One of my pet peeves is people degrading tap water to upsell you to bottled.
They also suggested an antipasto for the table. It was nicely presented with each individual element pre-plated for us. I guess tourists and businessmen don't know how to share from communal plates. The calamari and Burrata were good, there was some breaded fried thing which was just there, and a weird piece of turkey lunch meat with sauce on it.
There were many specials that night, of which I decided to order the striped bass because it was prepared with artichokes. The fish was tasty but it was served with sides that I can only equate to wedding food- bland and not very thoughtful. Other diners had veal Milanese which somehow differed in preparation from pork chop Milanese (hint- ask for the one with all the arugula).
Overall, it was an inoffensive experience. -
Review from Billy C.
Manhattan, NYLove this place, Great Italian Food, I like the shrimp with white bean salad and grilled Branzino . very simple place -
Review from Corey S.
Manhattan, NYI think I figured out these 5 star reviews for Luna Piena, which puts everything in perspective. When out-of-towners visit NYC, they expect the BIG CITY LIGHTS experience where everything screams NEW YORK, NEW YORK. For those types of people, Luna Piena is perfect: flashing christmas lights along the ceiling, endless menu with every italian food combination known to man, italian pizza shop music playing through the speakers, 1000 waiters catering your table like they mistook you for Brad Pitt...the list goes on.
As a NYC resident who has to deal with the throngs of tourists who sport their brand new Yankees hats and 15 bags from Abercrombie, I appreciate the quant restaurants that focuses on giving me a private dining experience and let their food do all the talking. These restaurants disconnect me from the daily chaos outside and make me believe I'm somewhere far far away (but not too far like Kansas or anywhere else in rural America).
Now that being said, I thought the Luna Piena dishes were all respectable, and while a little pricey, all had decent portions and were definitely tasty. I just feel the restaurant was trying too hard to create this grand italian spectacle, and if it just focused on the food rather than the experience, then I could give this place more credibility.
I feel 3 stars on Yelp (or any site for that matter) is unheard since people who write reviews are usually strongly opinionated one way or another. However, Luna Piena deserves that middle of the road rating because while it excelled in the cuisine, it disappointed in the experience. For some people, this will be the most special dinner of their 5 day vacation, but for someone looking for good food without the song and dance, I'll have to take my empty stomach elsewhere. -
Review from Bradford P.
Troy, ILOn a recent business trip to New Jersey I made my way into the city. My guide for the city, who is also a coworker, suggested Luna Piena Ristorante for dinner. I am so glad she did.
We arrived around 9 p.m. on a Wednesday night. We were immediately greeted and seated. It was a very hard decision but I finally decided on the Rigatoni Norcia. This dish was absolutely delicious. The pasta was cooked perfectly! The sausage was a mixture of hot and sweet. The creamy tomato sauce was very flavorful and robust.
They also offer a variety of Italian beers from which I selected a Birra Moretti. It was an excellent compliment to a great meal.
I would highly recommend this restaurant. Hopefully, I'll be able to bring my wife here someday when we visit. -
Review from Suzie C.
New York, NYSolid Italian lunch- great garden in the back. -
Review from Andrea K.
I thought this place was just ok. I am kind of shocked at how many raves about the food there are.
I ordered the risotto of the day which was a seafood risotto. I expected it to be like what I had in Italy but it wasn't even close. It came with half a lobster which was pretty over cooked and the risotto was kind of al dente. No, no, no!!! It just wasn't very special for being a special that day.
My husband had the rigatoni which came highly recommended by the waiter and that was also just ok.
We've had WAY better in Denver. Maybe it's just what people expect in midtown but we weren't into it. -
Review from Jonathan N.
New Orleans, LAIt's interesting to see such a wide range of reviews for Luna Piena, but I can assure you that the one time I've visited (so far!), everything was excellent.
I actually learned about Luna Piena from the concierge at a hotel where my parents were staying across town. We were looking for a good place in Midtown East and this one was at the top of his list. It's easy to see why.
The atmosphere was elegant and intimate. We sat in the back room close to the waterfall. There was quiet music on, but we could easily converse at a normal speaking volume. I tried one of the specialty cocktails, which was made with Grey Goose pear-infused vodka. Yum!
The Frito Misto appetizer is awesome if you like fried stuff -- calamari, shrimp, zucchini, and mushrooms all mixed together. The lasagna del Mamma tasted truly homemade, though I can assure you that my mom's was never this good. (To be fair, we're Jewish, not Italian, so it's not really our specialty.)
Luna Piena boasts a number of dessert options, from traditional (tiramisu, creme brule) to exotic (poached pear) with sorbets and gelatos in between. You can't miss.
Lots of the complaints I see are about the price, and it's definitely not cheap. But our bill came out to $200, which isn't bad considering we had several appetizers, multiple drinks, and dessert. For $50 per person, you won't find a better Italian meal anywhere else.
Grazie, Luna Piena. -
Review from Daneliz R.
Bronx, NYAte here with the family when they visited from New Hampshire!
We had a nice large table in the back of the restaurant near the waterfall.
Ambiance was nice, wine selection was good & the cocktails where TASTY :)
Everyone at the table ordered something different from the menu & everything was DELICIOUS!
The price was fair, the portions where enough to make you feel STUFFED :) OH & the bread basket.. You should all know I'm a sucker for a good bread basket! lol
I loved that all the staff spoke to us in English & Italian!!! One of the bottles of wine we had ordered was unavailable & they graciously substituted it with a better more expensive bottle.
Ciao Bella :) -
Review from ellen p.
New York, NYI came here last night with the BF and some friends. I had heard wonderful things from our friends about this place. Plus, on a Wednesday night at 7pm, it was filling up quickly-good sign.
We got a table near the back (key), and had 2 appetizers, Frutta del Mar and Buffala and tomatoes. Both were fantastic. We then all ended up with a pasta dish. My boyfriend did gnocchi with a tomato cream sauce, which was to die for. I had the special pasta of the evening-spaghetti with fava beans, bacon, cheese, garlic, and oil-to die for.
We didn't do dessert, but they brought out some delicious biscotti for us. The wine and drinks were great. Overall, solid experience. A bit on the pricy side but they do offer http://restaurant.com coupons!!!
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