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We ate here last night with some friends, who had been going there for twenty years. I was skeptical as I think of that area as geared to tourists. Unfortunately, I found the food mediocre: the pasta special I had, pumpkin ravioli with walnuts, was very chewy ( I don't have a problem with al dente pasta, but this was NOT al dente,) and the walnuts were in large chunks which made the texture somewhat disturbing. The food was also extremely salty, so that all one could taste in the dish was walnuts and salt. The waitstaff was attentive---too much so. The waiter had a habit of standing by our table while we were deep in discussion, mutely and frantically gesticulating in order to get our attention. He even suggested we order before a large table put their order in, and kept coming back to get the order. It made us feel rushed and uncomfortable. I got the feeling that the waitstaff was used to dealing with tourists and that the waiters were insensitive to individual customers' needs (like being left in peace for a couple of minutes.) In all, adequate, not great.

This review is LONG overdue! If you remember the lyrics to "Billy Joel's - Scenes From An Italian Restaurant" , then it puts you in the mood and paints a image of Trattoria Spaghetto! The space has been there for over 30+ years (was a luncheonette and then a restaurant - owner bought building and restaurant, smart move). We have been going here as a family for years! They say never judge a book by its cover; yes there are some plastic red/white checkered table clothes (being replaced, with cloth - hey for me as long as they wiped the tablecloths clean after each dinner, I have no problem with them), which when I first brought my wife here years ago she said "This can't be good" - she took that back after dinner. One of the traps of Little Italy (which is how I told her about this place) is that practically every restaurant down there serves the entrees a la carte with pasta an EXTRA side dish. That is not the case here, every dish comes with a choice of salad or pasta, marinara sauce or meat sauce, ALL at no extra charge! There is always a basket of bread on the table along with olive oil for coating if wanted. I see by some reviews here, some people are surprised and amazed that they got "free bread" (LOL!). The Manager is a good friend of ours and has been there for years. The staff new or old are all a great bunch of accommodating guys. The house wine is one of the best in the City and is all we drink when there by the crafe. The food has always been consistently good throughout all the years and very reasonably priced. We have had many holiday dinners (Christmas eve and New Years Eve dinners there and this past May we did my first birthday dinner party there) there. We have still not tried everything on the menu after all these years as I normally get a different dish each time. Our "staples" are normally: Chicken Alla Romana (me) , Chicken Parmigiana (both) and Penne Siciliana (her).

In decor, atmosphere and menu this is an "old school" Italian restaurant. They have the traditional red and white checkered table cloths. It felt a little dark inside to me but they had outside seating as well.Bandonion music would absolutely fit in here! The pasta was a perfect al dente. The seafood was all fresh and not over cooked. The portions were sufficient without being huge and the prices were very reasonable.The staff was very polite and attentive. My only complaint is that they don't take credit cards. They have an ATM right inside the restaurant but the maximum amount of a withdrawal transaction allowed is only $100. Thats probably sufficient for three not extremely hungry people but anything more complicated than that will have you using the cash machine twice and at a fee of $1.99 per transaction you end up paying about $4 to get your cash when a bank ATM would either be free or at most $3.

Have been going to this restaurant for many years. The portions were large and delicious. We ordered lasagna and a salad. The salad was good and we waited and waited for the lasagna. When it finally came out, it was less than half the size and not nearly as good as in the past. When we told the waiter, he said he would tell the boss. When we asked if they changed the bread, they said just for today. We will not go back. They changed the bread and portion size of food.

ok, so I should say I am italian and I am picky about italian food. But the food my boyfriend and I ate at this plae is not good. I had spaghetti with clams that were clearly out of a can - how do I know? No shells and they were gummy and flavourless. My boyfriend had linguini with old shrimp. Did not taste good, and they were swimming in grease. The place looks nice but don't let it fool you...it's just a tourist trap.

I live in Arizona, and go to NYC twice a year, and stay for a week or so, and always, always go here to eat, like to sit outside, and go at least twice when I am there. The food is always great, served hot, very fresh. The bread they serve is fantastic too. Service is friendly and speedy.

Atmosphere, service, food outstanding. Seating a little cramped, but well worth the visit.