Galli: Big Italian Flavour in New York’s Little Italy

I don’t know about you, but after a long day of travelling and exploring I love to treat myself to some authentic Italian food!

My recent trip to New York City was an absolute whirlwind. After booking the trip on a last minute whim, my concrete planning of the two day vacation consisted of booking a restaurant and investing in a map!

My time in New York was spent wandering around the city, finding new, quirky places and streets to explore, while also making sure to hit my must-see’s like the “Heavenly Bodies” exhibition at The MET.

After a day of wandering around, visiting the MoMA and indulging in a drink at the outdoor bar at Rockefeller Plaza, I booked a dinner reservation at Galli restaurant in SoHo. Although I had never been to the restaurant, I had heard about it through the “blogger-sphere” and decided to try it!

The trip to SoHo from Midtown during rush hour was quite an event, spending much longer than expected in those yellow heat-boxes that some like to call taxi’s—the things I do for my love of Italian food and SoHo! 

Upon arriving in SoHo, we chose to wander around the area before heading to the restaurant. To my surprise, the restaurant was located around the corner from Little Italy, making me feel confident in my choice of restaurant. Little Italy is such a cute area of SoHo, with lights stringing from building to building, outdoor patios and yummy treats (gelato!) on almost every corner.

When it was almost time for our reservation, we walked along cobblestone streets from Little Italy to Mercer St., where Galli restaurant is located. Now, upon arriving at Galli, I was a bit confused. The outside of the restaurant looks nothing like you would expect a classic Italian restaurant to look like; a diamond in the rough.

The inside of the restaurant is contemporary, with a traditional flare. With hard wood, rustic floors, matched with modern fixtures and design elements. The restaurant itself is similar to those “hole-in-the-wall” places you tend to find roaming around the city, yet, the back of the restaurant opens to a large open dining area with skylights and brick walls, making it appear more open.

Once we were seated, we glanced at the cocktail menu. The drink menu was extensive and we ordered a cocktail called The Veli, which consisted of cucumber infused gin, green tea syrup, basil and fresh lime (yum!). The only downfall to the cocktail was that it was too small!

After a long day of walking around the city, we chose to begin our meal by trying Galli’s famous spicy calamari. Although it was tasty, it wasn’t my favourite as I didn’t enjoy the sauce as much as I was hoping. For my meal, I chose to indulge in a big bowl of pasta! Going for a simple dish, I ordered the Vodka pasta, which consisted of a penne pasta with prosciutto, shallots and pink sauce. It hit the spot and was exactly what I needed!

Another dinner recommendation is the Chicken Parmesan. Covered in a gooey layer of mozzarella cheese, you can’t go wrong with ordering this off the menu with either a pasta or salad!

Now, since you’ve made it this far, a humorous *disclaimer* about Galli. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, make the mistake of using the downstairs bathroom at the facility. Unfortunately, I was given poor directions on where the bathroom was located and found my way wandering through the basement of the restaurant, through the staff area and kitchen, only to discover that I used the staff bathroom. Let me tell you…that was rough. So, be sure to remain upstairs when attending to your bathroom necessities!

If you are looking for a hip and increasingly popular restaurant in SoHo, stop by Galli for some incredible cocktails and Italian comfort food, all at a reasonable price!

Have you dined at Galli restaurant in SoHo? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below!