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Torrisi

New York

Little Italy? No. This is BIG Italy

'Italian', in inverted commas: Torrisi may officially be an Italian restaurant – but it's simultaneously as New York as can be, drawing inspiration from the city's abundance of red-sauce joints, Jewish delis, Chinatown restaurants and West Indian patty shops to create a menu that could only possibly make sense in the Big Apple. A tangle of apparent contradictions, it's playful yet precise, traditional yet modern, showy yet stylish; so it's no surprise that it has food lovers clamouring to come and judge it for themselves.

Putting on the ritz: Housed inside the iconic Puck Building on Mulberry Street in the city's trendy Nolita neighbourhood, this opulent eatery (from the Major Food Group that brought you Carbone, Sadelle's and Dirty French, among others) isn't shy about making a statement. All vaulted ceilings, geometric marble floors, aquamarine velvet booths and overflowing flower arrangements, its extravagance somehow serves to make its dishes seem even more inviting.

Must-try dishes: Speciality starters include Don's scungilli toast – marinated scungilli (conch) prepared by chef Don Grazio DeMonico, served on toasted bread – and cucumbers New Yorkese, an Italian American-inspired riff on deli pickles. In the mood for pasta? Plump for the cavatelli with spicy Jamaican beef ragu. Or the chicken alla griglia, with its super crispy skin and juicy meat, is also always a hit. For dessert, you can't go wrong with Torrisi's unique take on affogato, made with layers of vanilla ice cream, fudge sauce and mascarpone cream topped with coffee granita.

A hot ticket: Unsurprisingly, given the restaurant's immense popularity, it can be tricky to get a table – they're released 30 days in advance, and the best time slots tend to get snapped up quickly. For those willing to try their luck, a limited number of bar seats are held for walk-ins each evening, where the full menu is available (perhaps save for a few specials).

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