Best Contemporary Italian Restaurants in Inwood

The food and service was fantastic! Love that Alessandro comes out and welcomes you to his restaurant. You want to feel like a guest in someone’s home when you go out to eat, and you definitely get that experience here. This was my second time here and the first time for my wife. She loved everything! Will be going back soon!

I took two colleagues to Café Mars for a business dinner. The comfortable booth salons with the sensitive and attentive service allowed us to talk freely. The drinks and food were off-the-charts fabulous. They made the business discussions that much more fun and productive. We started with 3 “snacks” … pizza slice anchovies, antipasto bomb and inside-out Chicago beef. All three were flavorful, amazingly creative and wonderfully presented. These bites complimented the cocktails, including the deeply flavored Giardiniera martini. Indeed, since the Giardiniera is a key ingredient in the Chicago beef snack, the match was downright perfect! The chefs and bartenders sure work well together. Our three pastas were equally inspired, including the lemony curls, the Genoa tuna waves, and the more traditional Brooklyn Sunday gravy … but with triangle-shaped penne and meat cubes, instead of balls! A modern pivot! We finished with the deconstructed Philly pork sandwich. The flavors were right out of the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, but the careful execution and beautiful presentation made them pop! It couldn’t have been a better dinner! Thank you, Café Mars!

I Frequent this restaurant quite often. The food is excellent As is the service. The ambience and atmosphere is comfortable and tastefully decorated.  The staff cannot do enough to make sure that your dining experience is a pleasant one. I highly recommend this restaurant for its unique menu and seasonal changes. 

I go to this restaurant quite often and the food is always very good as is the service. The servers are particularly nice and they really make you feel welcome.

Umberto’s of NHP is a classic Italian spot which never loses its charm through the years, providing amazing pizza and service at a reasonable price.