Best Girls Night Out Approved Italian Restaurants in Upper West Side (Central)

Osteria Cotta is a brick-walled osteria and wine bar where house-made lasagna, rustic pastas, and a strong by-the-glass list anchor both brunch and dinner. It leans cozy and candlelit upstairs, with a bar that handles dates and small groups sharing plates.

A small, intimate Italian room where the food shines most when you commit to a pasta-forward order and let the kitchen’s restraint do the work. It’s a quieter, date-leaning meal built around a couple of pastas and one clean second course.

Celeste is a tightly packed Italian trattoria where blistered, thin-crust pizzas share table space with pastas, antipasti, and daily specials. Crowded rooms and brisk service are part of the experience, and many locals treat it as a casual date-night option when they want wine and a proper sit-down pie.

Serafina’s 77th Street location is a bright, polished Italian restaurant where lasagna al forno, pizzas, and pastas serve a broad neighborhood crowd. It trades in consistency and convenience more than destination dining, but still delivers reliable plates before shows or casual dates.

Tarallucci e Vino’s Upper West Side outpost doubles as an all-day café and Italian restaurant, with lasagna verde and other pastas joining coffee, pastries, and wine. It’s less about showy dining and more about flexible meals that can be a quick plate or a longer sit-down.