Restaurants
The best Little Italy restaurants in NYC
From bakeries with cannolis & pignoli cookies to stacked Italian sandwiches here’s the best Little Italy restaurants
Out-of-towners and locals get psyched for the annual Feast of San Gennaro and for good reason: the event includes the best spots in Little Italy. Eat at some of the best Italian restaurants in the city, watch colorful parades, catch live music and soak up all the fun of this early fall festival.
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What is the Feast of San Gennaro?
Although the Feast of San Gennaro is a celebration of faith (folks tip their hats to the Patron Saint of Naples, Italy) the festive atmosphere, delicious food and colorful processions are what it’s known for. For 11 days, Little Italy is transformed into a red, white and green bash with special guests, live music and lots of fun.
When is the Feast of San Gennaro?
September 12-22, 2024.
Activities kick off on Thursday, September 12 with the Blessing of the Stands. The Grand Procession Procession begins at 2pm on Saturday, September 14. There's a Solemn High Mass celebrating the patron Saint of Naples on Thursday, September 19 starting at 6pm.
Where is the Feast of San Gennaro?
The Feast of San Gennaro is located along Mulberry Street between Canal and Houston Streets. Festivities are also found along Hester Street between Baxter and Centre Streets, as well as on Grand between Baxter Street and Centre Market Place.
The festival stage is located on the corner of Grand and Mott Streets and features live entertainment each evening.
What does the Feast of San Gennaro celebrate?
Every September since 1926, in honor of the patron saint of Naples, the air in Little Italy becomes thick with the scents of smoky sausage-and-pepper sandos and fried dough. More than a million people come to stroll the strip of vendors, enjoying Italia in the form of crispy cannoli and zeppole. After almost a century of practice, the feast’s merrymakers know how to party with food in hand.
Baccalà dons the sash
You can’t have a festival without a parade—and the Grand Procession is one heck of a parade. Anne Burrell, an upstate New York native and host of Food Network's hit show Worst Cooks in America, will lead the festivities as grand marshal. The procession on September 14 features marching bands, floats, revelers and, most significantly, the statue of San Gennaro.
Pilgrimage home
As Little Italy has grown littler and less Italy-er, many Italian-American families have moved away from the neighborhood, but they still consider this fest a homecoming: You can always expect a massive showing of dedicated Staten Islanders returning to Manhattan to enjoy the provisions and work the stands with flair.
Mangia!
The most important question is also tricky to answer: Which vendor deserves the first bite? Lucy’s Palace, one of the most popular stalls, crafts worth-the-wait sausage-and-pepper sandwiches. Serving cheesy and meat-filled Italian egg rolls, Roll Up is not afraid of deep-frying its delights until super crispy. Alleva Dairy, the oldest cheese shop in the U.S., typically provides eggplant, chicken and meatball parms for you to get your teeth around. Plus, swing by the cannoli king Caffé Palermo, which dishes out fried pastries and a unique almond-spun cheesecake cone.
Eat, for sport
Once you’re stuffed, why not marvel at some real pros as they shovel mountains of food down their throats? Past years have hosted zeppole eating competitions, meatball eating contests and a cannoli eating championship, though we haven't seen details yet about this year's contests.
