What to Order at Lilia

Lilia is Missy Robbins' Williamsburg Italian restaurant, and a decade after it opened, its handmade pastas, especially the sheep's milk cheese agnolotti, are still the reason people build a reservation strategy around a restaurant with no sign out front.

What should you order at Lilia?

Order the agnolotti no matter what else you get, then build the rest of the table around one wood-fired seafood dish and a second pasta.

1. Sheep's milk cheese agnolotti. The Infatuation puts it plainly: "the question isn't whether you should order this, it's how many orders you should get." It comes with saffron and dried tomato in a lightly sweet sauce, and it's the dish most people think of first when they think of Lilia.

2. Mafaldini with pink peppercorn and parmigiano. The Infatuation frames it as the pick for anyone who loves cacio e pepe, a simpler, sharper counterpoint to the richer agnolotti.

3. Grilled clams with Calabrian chili. One of the wood-fired standouts critics keep coming back to, with enough heat to cut through a table full of pasta.

4. Fettuccine with lamb sausage. A heartier pasta option for the table if you want something beyond the lighter agnolotti and mafaldini.

5. Focaccia. The bread course changes with the seasons, showing up as spring onion or roasted leek focaccia depending on when you visit, and it's the standard way to start the meal while the pastas come out.

6. Bagna cauda. A warm anchovy-and-garlic dip served with vegetables, a good savory opener before the pasta arrives.

What should you skip at Lilia?

Skip the Little Gem salad. The Infatuation calls it an "extremely rare skip" for this menu, citing an over-dressed lettuce and breadcrumbs that don't add much texture. Some diners also say the agnolotti's honey-saffron sauce runs too sweet, though that's a minority opinion rather than a critical consensus, and the dish is still the restaurant's clear signature.

How does ordering actually work at Lilia?

The format is a la carte and built for sharing: a table of two or four typically orders across antipasti, two or three pastas, and a wood-fired seafood dish rather than one course per person. The bar and the patio are walk-in only, with no reservation or waitlist system, and multiple sources, including Resy's own coverage of the restaurant, confirm this hasn't changed. Arriving close to the 4pm opening gives you the best shot at a short wait. Waits at peak dinner hours have run anywhere from 30 minutes to two or three hours, so plan a walk-in visit as a flexible option rather than a backup plan for a specific night.

Why has Lilia stayed this hard to book for a decade?

Most restaurants this hard to get into are new. Lilia isn't. It opened in 2016, earned three stars from the New York Times almost immediately, and is still leading critics' lists with the same agnolotti nearly ten years later, per The Infatuation's most recent review. That's unusual staying power in a city where hype restaurants typically cool off within a couple of years. Part of it is Robbins' reputation: she'd already built a following at A Voce before opening Lilia, and the kitchen's consistency since has kept critics and regulars coming back rather than moving on to the next opening. Part of it is Williamsburg itself, which has grown into a real dining destination in its own right rather than a neighborhood diners cross the bridge for on a special occasion. Whatever the mix, the demand hasn't softened, which is exactly why a reservation strategy still matters here in a way it doesn't for most decade-old restaurants.

How much does dinner at Lilia cost?

As of July 2026, there's no single quoted total, so treat this as an estimate built from scattered menu prices rather than a fixed number: a focaccia, one or two antipasti, two pastas, one wood-fired seafood dish, and dessert for two lands somewhere around $150 to $220 before wine. Wine bottles reportedly start around $70, which pushes the total for two with a shared bottle closer to $220 to $300.

Frequently asked questions

Is the walk-in bar actually a reliable way to get in?

It's the most reliable way in without a reservation, since the bar and patio never take reservations or a waitlist. Arrive near the 4pm opening for the shortest wait. Peak weekend dinner hours can mean a two-to-three-hour wait, so it works best if your evening plans are flexible.

How many pastas should a table of two order?

Two pastas plus a shared antipasto and a wood-fired seafood dish is a realistic meal for two people, with the agnolotti as the one non-negotiable order. Add a third pasta if the table is hungrier or wants to try more of the menu.

How hard is it to get a Lilia reservation?

Still hard, a decade in. Reservations run through Resy, releasing roughly four weeks out at 10am, though sources differ on the exact day, so treat it as "about a month ahead" rather than a fixed date. Weekend dinner slots go fast once they post.

Is Lilia still worth it after all these years?

Critics think so. The New York Times' Pete Wells gave Lilia three stars in its opening year and wrote that "pasta made by Ms. Robbins is a direct route to happiness," and The Infatuation's most recent review still leads with the agnolotti as a must-order nearly a decade later.

Lilia's tables move fast once they post on Resy, and the walk-in bar isn't a guarantee on a busy night. Watch the Lilia reservations page on DinnerElite for the drop pattern we're tracking, and set an alert so a table finds you instead of the other way around.