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Cucina 812 Main Staircase and lobby - Cucina 8 1/2, New York, NY

Cucina 8 1/2

4.5
4.5
710 Reviews
$31 to $50
Italian

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 26 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Good for business meals
  • Charming
ITALIAN DINING, ELEVATED.

Cucina 8½, showcasing refined rustic Italian cuisine, situated in the iconic Solow building at 9 West 57th Street, presents an exquisite dining experience. "Among the offerings is a tableside Caesar salad and Chicken Parmesan"–Thrillist. We offer a captivating menu using the finest ingredients, carefully crafted to honor both local and traditional Italian specialties, boasting a diverse selection of dishes.

One of "12 Outstanding Caesar Salads in NYC" – Eater NYC.

Indulge your appetite in our main dining room, snuggled in a booth or exclusively in one of our five private rooms.

Sip on signature cocktails, like our "Sex and the City" Cosmopolitan or classic Negroni, while listening to live entertainment nightly, sitting by the bar, seated in the lounge or outside at our seasonal sidewalk cafe.

We look forward to serving you soon. BENVENUTI TUTTI !!!

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Contemporary Italian, Comfort Food
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Sat 11:30 am–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (212) 829-0812
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Chef Mike Aiello
  • Catering
    We can cater on and off premise; breakfast, lunch and dinner-24/7.<br />Please reach out to our Events Dept-www.events@cucina812.com
  • Private party facilities
    We have 4 Private Rooms available for any occacion. We can host 1-175 seated guests in the private dining areas, 750 standing for a full restaurant buy out. Our main dining floor can accomodate 175 during regular dinner service.We are available for private dining 7am-4am, 7 days a week.Please reach out to our Events Dept-www.events@cucina812.com
  • Neighbourhood
    Midtown West
  • Cross Street
    Between 5th and 6th Ave on 57Th Street
  • Parking details
    Parking is available at the garage next door.
  • Public transit
    F train to 6th Avenue and 57th Street subway station, E train to 5th Avenue and 53rd Street subway station and N, R or W train to 5th Avenue and 59th Street subway station
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Takeout, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 710 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.2Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Cucina 8 1/2 is a culinary gem in NYC, offering "the best Italian food" with a creative twist. Guests rave about the "delicious food," impeccable service, and a "unique and glamorous ambience." Standouts include the table-side Caesar salad, chicken parmigiana, and exquisite desserts. Perfect for special occasions, this restaurant promises a memorable dining experience.

4,970 Reviews
  1. Matthew

    Phoenix

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Every aspect of the experience was beyond what we wanted. All the other restaurants in New York put us shoulder to shoulder with other people and had a noise level beyond reason. Our server Elizabeth "like the queen" comped numerous drinks just because the first round wasn't right away, which was still a reasonable time, and she gave super attentive service the entire time. Food was absolutely amazing, very impressed by presentation and taste. The best dining experience we had on our new York trip. Would recommend and will come back the next time we come back to New York.

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  2. Leslie

    Dallas

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    Terrible experience- we didn’t even stay to order. We ordered a drink to not be rude.. didn’t make us the right drink. Completely different than what they advertise. Service was terrible - definitely not fine dining. Save your money- go somewhere else l.

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  3. Amanda

    New York City

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    the food was delicious, server was very nice just was very disappointed that we didn’t have our food served table side

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  4. George

    VIP

    Atlantic City

    21 reviews

    4.0

    21 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was excellent—would recommend both the Caesar salad made at the table and the chicken parmigiana. We had a group of 8 for my wife’s birthday. One slip up-we had ordered 4 Caesar salads but the person preparing it at the table only made 3 salads, the wine menu is very limited and I thought a bit overpriced but the wine was good. The restaurant is very open and inviting—did not feel clostraphobic Tables were nicely placed. The restaurant knew that it was my wife’s birthday and made up a greeting for her and she noticed it on the table—a nice touch. Net,net — I would return to the restaurant.

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  5. Michael

    VIP

    New York City

    7 reviews

    3.0

    7 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    Had not been to Cucina post Covid. Used to have the vibe of a very upscale restaurant. Now it's just an open room with tables, very strange. There were 3 of us for lunch, two of the entrees came out in a timely manor, the 3rd (pasta) arrived 15 minutes later, service was horrible. Restaurant was not busy so not sure what the issue could have been.

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  6. John

    Richmond

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 8, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A great place for a celebration. Elizabeth and staff took amazing care of us and made our experience very special.

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  7. Chloe

    Chicago

    2 reviews

    2.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on December 8, 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 2
    Food was good, but portions were small and overpriced. Enjoyed my meal, but would not go again.

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  8. Jane

    Charlotte

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 7, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    We had selected this restaurant to celebrate my husband‘s 70th birthday with out-of-town family. We were very excited about the menu. We really appreciated that there was a special menu created with my husband‘s name on it and the special birthday dessert treat that he got, however, we were totally disappointed with the Caesar salads. The menu indicated that they were made Table side and some of the best in the city. This was not true, and we could probably have gotten a better Caesar salad at a Panera. Also I ordered the spaghetti luminescence with grilled shrimp. The shrimp were served separately and very dry. No infusion of flavor because of this. Our wait staff was somewhat attentive, but also somewhat clumsy in the requests we had.  it is a good venue for a family celebration, but I wish those items I noted would have been better.

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  9. Beth

    San Antonio

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 7, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    My sister celebrated her birthday here and it was perfect! Great atmosphere, close to all the sites and wonderful staff!

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  10. richard

    VIP

    New York City

    200 reviews

    5.0

    200 reviews

    Dined on November 30, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A top notch restaurant with great food and superb service.

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FAQs

Cucina 8 1/2 offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (212) 829-0812.

Cucina 8 1/2 is rated 4.5 stars by 710 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 26 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Cucina 8 1/2

9 West 57th St., New York, NY 10019

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Between 5th and 6th Ave on 57Th Street
  • Neighbourhood
    Midtown West
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Sat 11:30 am–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Italian, Contemporary Italian, Comfort Food
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Parking is available at the garage next door.
  • Public transit
    F train to 6th Avenue and 57th Street subway station, E train to 5th Avenue and 53rd Street subway station and N, R or W train to 5th Avenue and 59th Street subway station
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Chef Mike Aiello
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Takeout, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (212) 829-0812
  • Catering
    We can cater on and off premise; breakfast, lunch and dinner-24/7.<br />Please reach out to our Events Dept-www.events@cucina812.com
  • Private party facilities
    We have 4 Private Rooms available for any occacion. We can host 1-175 seated guests in the private dining areas, 750 standing for a full restaurant buy out. Our main dining floor can accomodate 175 during regular dinner service.We are available for private dining 7am-4am, 7 days a week.Please reach out to our Events Dept-www.events@cucina812.com
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