Giano Restaurant Review: Homemade Pasta in a Cozy East Village Spot
In the East Village’s heart, Giano is a cozy Italian spot serving delicious homemade pasta dishes.
The staff is very friendly, the food is fresh, and they boast a solid wine list.
Giano is one of our favorite Italian restaurants in NYC! And we don’t say that lightly…
We first found Giano when apartment hunting back in 2021. It was one of the few restaurants offering indoor seating at the time as things reopened after COVID restrictions. We’ve been over a dozen times now!
Be sure to check out Giano (Google Maps listing here), but here’s our full review if you need more convincing. 👇
Note: This article was written by a real live human being, not artificial intelligence. 🥸
Giano NYC Review Podcast Episode
Want to hear more podcasts like this? Head here.
Giano Restaurant Interior & Staff Review
Located near the corner of 7th Street and Avenue A, Giano is a cozy restaurant in the heart of the bustling Tompkins Square Park area.
One thing we absolutely love about Giano is the balance between comfortable and fancy. You can show up in a t-shirt and jeans without any issue, or you can show up before a fancy show dressed to the nines.
Giano’s interior decor has a very similar vibe. When you enter, you’ll find simple and minimal decorations, starting with the espresso and wine bar.
In the warmer months, their outdoor patio is a welcome option to enjoy.
Arguably Giano’s strongest feature is the staff friendliness. We’ve been frequenting Giano for 3+ years now, and we interact with the same staff almost every time.
They will greet you with a smile, make you feel at home, and answer any and all questions you may have!
We have loved every interaction we’ve had at Giano, and you will, too!
Giano Restaurant Food Review
Friendly staff alone won’t keep us coming back to a restaurant, but Giano’s food does!
While the menu isn’t massive, each dish boasts delicious flavors and hearty portions.
Plus, they offer nightly specials, usually 1-2 appetizers and 1-3 entrees. We typically order a special about half the time we go.
We’ve loved damn near every dish we’ve tried, here are some of our favorites. 👇
Appetizers
Most of the appetizers will run in the $12-$20 price range.
We enjoyed the Caprese salad, toasted ravioli, and calamari.
Our favorite is the burrata when they have it on special. It’s fresh, filling, and super flavorful!
Oh, we can’t forget to mention that Giano gives you free bread with olive oil. If you’re not from NYC, know this isn’t very common.
Entrees & Specials
Their main offering is homemade pasta, but Giano also offers a chicken or salmon entree. Most of the pasta and entrees cost between $18 and $25.
Ashley’s favorite dish from Giano is the Tagliatelle alla Bolognese. In her words, “It’s the best meat sauce I’ve ever had.”
It’s made with homemade tagliatelle, grass-fed beef ragout, light tomato sauce, and Parmigiano cheese.
We’ve also tried and loved most of their ravioli dishes. Another favorite is the pesto pasta — phenomenal and very fresh!
My go-to order is the Rigatoni con Salsiccia. There’s something about the truffle oil that really ties the whole dish together.
It’s made with homemade rigatoni, sausage ragout, cream, Parmigiano cheese, and truffle oil.
You truly can’t go wrong, no matter what you order!
Dessert
While we usually go to Ray’s Candy Story nearby for dessert, we have indulged in some of Giano’s tasty desserts.
We absolutely love the tiramisu. It’s rich and flavorful and the perfect way to round out an authentic Italian meal.
On that note, Giano makes a mean after-dinner cappuccino!
We also love their Cheesecake and Tortino di Cioccolato.
This Episode’s You’ll Have to Check It Out Segment – Burp Castle, a Quiet Bar 🤫
Burp Castle is arguably our favorite beer bar in the city. You will not find another bar like it in the city… 👇
It’s near 7th Street and 2nd Ave, less than a 10 minute walk from Giano.
Burp Castle is a beer bar that requires quiet talking. You cannot talk louder than your library voice.
You will be shushed.
When things get loud, the bartender (and most of the patrons) will shush you.
Burp Castle also boasts some of the most unique and delicious beers ever. It’s primarily Belgian beers, with rotating taps and a wide variety, including sweeter fruit beers, classic ales, and stouts.
The murals on the wall are fantastic…
Their website says, “Temple of beer worship. Operated by the Brewist Monks since 1022 a.d.”
And back in the 90’s, the bartenders actually wore monk robes, but no longer unfortunately…
Giano Restaurant Cocktails & Drinks
Giano does not serve hard liquor or cocktails.
However, they have a fantastic wine selection that focuses on Italian wines.
You can also get spritzers and beers.
Ask your server for a recommendation based on your entree, and they’ll pick something that pairs well!
Giano Review in East Village NYC Recap
If you’re looking for a cozy, non-pretentious Italian spot with authentic dishes at a fair price, Giano is it!
If available, try the burrata, indulge in delicious pasta, and don’t skip on a cappuccino and dessert after your meal.
You can find Giano near Tompkins Square Park near 7th Street and Avenue A.
If you go, leave a review to help spread the word, and let us know what you think by commenting on this post!
Devin Stagg
As long-time lovers of New York City we made the plunge to move across the country to NYC in early 2021... with our 3 dogs at the time (RIP Buddy). We consider ourself experts in exploring new restaurants, finding the best-rated bars, and activities actually worth doing. Plus, my Google Maps organizational skills are 2nd to none. 😜
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