What to Order at L'Artusi

L'Artusi is the West Village Italian restaurant that fills its bar seats by 5:15pm on a weekday, and its menu rewards diners who build the whole order around the pasta section and save room for one famous dessert.

What should you order at L'Artusi?

Order two pastas per pair of diners and the olive oil cake, then fill in with a starter. The Infatuation rates L'Artusi an 8.5 and tells readers to prioritize the pastas, and the specific dishes below draw the most consistent praise in its review.

1. Spaghetti. The signature. Garlic, chili, butter, chives, breadcrumbs, and a stock made from Parmesan rinds. The Infatuation calls it "quietly decadent" and compares it to "experiencing parm in four dimensions."

2. Mushroom garganelli. Under a snowfall of ricotta salata, the review finds it "densely packed with flavor and as savory as a pâté."

3. Perciatelli nero. The seafood pasta: squid-ink noodles with crab, nori breadcrumbs, and Calabrian chili heat. The review calls the plate gorgeous enough to justify the order on looks alone.

4. Roasted mushrooms. One of the menu's "greatest-hits starters" per The Infatuation: four kinds of mushroom with a fried egg, pickled chilis, and pancetta.

5. Wagyu carpaccio. Horseradish crema and chunky rye breadcrumbs over beef the review describes as looking "like a pink stained glass window."

6. Olive oil cake. The dessert L'Artusi is known for city-wide, moist enough that the restaurant ships it nationally through Goldbelly. Madeira-soaked raisin caramel and whipped crème fraîche finish it.

What should you skip at L'Artusi?

Nothing on the menu draws a true warning, so skipping here means opportunity cost. The roasted chicken and branzino earn praise, but critics frame them as fine mains in a room where the pastas are the point. One exception to know about: the L'Burger, taleggio and chili aioli on a juicy patty, only appears at lunch and brunch, so don't plan a dinner around it.

How does ordering actually work at L'Artusi?

The menu splits into crudo and starters, pastas, mains, and vegetables, and the kitchen paces courses Italian-style. Pastas run appetizer-sized closer to primi than American mains, which is why two people can and should order two of them after a shared starter. Brunch works differently: the bar takes walk-ins, the burger appears, and the room is at its calmest.

How do you get a reservation at L'Artusi?

L'Artusi books through Resy, and prime-time tables in a 100-seat West Village room disappear quickly once a date opens. Book the drop when you can, and put a watch on the date when you can't: cancellations at popular West Village restaurants surface and vanish in minutes. The bar and a handful of walk-in seats absorb some of the overflow if you show up early.

Frequently asked questions

Is L'Artusi expensive?

It sits in the moderate-to-expensive band for West Village Italian: pastas in the twenties and mains in the thirties as of mid-2026, so a two-pasta order keeps the bill friendlier than a steakhouse night.

Does L'Artusi take walk-ins?

Yes, at the bar and chef's counter when seats open, and brunch is the easiest walk-in window. Arriving right at opening gives the best odds.

What is L'Artusi famous for?

The garlic-and-Parmesan spaghetti and the olive oil cake, which the restaurant ships nationwide through Goldbelly.

Getting the table is the harder half of the plan. DinnerElite tracks when L'Artusi releases reservations and how far ahead it books, and it emails you the moment a cancellation opens up. Start from DinnerElite's L'Artusi page.