Eataly, NYC

One of the goals during my recent New York City trip was to visit Eataly. I’ve been intrigued by the whole Eataly concept since it was built. It claims to be the largest Italian market place in the world, and at 50,000 square feet, I believe it must be.

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The famous names behind Eataly include Mario Batali, Lidia Bastianich, and her son Joe Bastianich. (I’m not sure about Mario any longer…)

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Eataly sells everything Italian. There is a bakery, a cheese shop, a fish department, an area for charcuterie, a pasta department, and so forth. Intermingled among the shops are various restaurants – some set up for full dining, others cafés, take-out stops, and areas for tastings.

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Oh, and a fresh pasta shop of course.

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The toughest apart about Eataly for us was figuring out how to get in to Eataly. We had the right address, but never found an obvious entrance. So we walked through a shop that sells everything Nutella – the Nutella Bar.

So yes, I had to have a Nutella crepe and an espresso. It was still morning, after all!

Eventually we discovered a customer information booth of sorts, and were handed a map, which helped immensely. We walked around, for the sole purpose of picking up some items I can’t get where I live, but my husband suggested I get them online. That’s how much he dislikes shopping of any kind.

I was especially intrigued by this pasta, which I can only describe as embossed pendants. I will be buying these online!

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Eventually we managed to get hungry and chose Manzo for lunch.

We began with toasted bread, prosciutto and stracciatella. Stracciatella, if you’re not aware, (I wasn’t), is the inside of burrata. So it was like sweet, lumpy cream drizzled with a little olive oil. And their prosciutto was the meatiest, smokiest prosciutto we’ve ever experienced. At that point we should have asked for the bill.

But no, we both do love to eat, and so far we were definitely excited and impressed.

My husband ordered pappardelle with wild boar sauce, and because I’ve never eaten them, I ordered pasta with ramps.

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My pasta was incredible, but because the ramps were blended in a “sauce” that included asparagus, I couldn’t really tell what they were like on their own. Nonetheless, a fabulous dish. And our lunch was made more perfect with wines chosen by our attentive and knowledgeable waitress.

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Overall, Eataly was a wonderful experience, even though I left with no groceries. But you can indeed go to Eataly online and shop. There is also a calendar of events like tastings and classes if you happen to live in NYC or are visiting.

One note – While at Eataly, I had actually planned on eating lunch at Birreria, a glassed-in restaurant on the rooftop of Eataly, but it happened to be closed for renovation. It’s now re-opened and named Sabbia, serving “coastal fare.” I would still like to go there, if nothing else for the views. But I bet the food is top-notch, after our Manzo experience!

By Published On: May 20th, 201663 Comments on Eataly, NYC

About the Author: Chef Mimi

As a self-taught home cook, with many years in the culinary profession, I am passionate about all things food-related. Especially eating!

63 Comments

  1. Sabine May 20, 2016 at 7:04 AM - Reply

    That sounds like a piece of Italian heaven to me! And a Nutella bar as an entrance, that´s tempting, too. I might have got stuck there – but no, I wouldn´t have wanted to miss all the deliciousness waiting on the inside!

    • chef mimi May 20, 2016 at 7:06 AM - Reply

      We were quite lucky to have foun this entrance in to EItaly! I still don’t know if there’s a main entrance!

      • Sabine May 20, 2016 at 7:07 AM

        Who cares ;-) I guess it´s the best entrance!

  2. Debbie Spivey May 20, 2016 at 7:05 AM - Reply

    Oh Mimi! We experienced Eataly in Chicago, but from what I understand they are pretty much the same… It is probably the greatest culinary experiences I have ever had. It is a foodie paradise. I’m so glad you were able to experience it too. Thanks for sharing. I need to visit NYC!

    • chef mimi May 20, 2016 at 7:07 AM - Reply

      It’s pretty amazing, isn’t it?!! I want to go back without my husband and spend the whole day! He’s a good sport but I don’t ever want to “push” it with him!

      • Debbie Spivey May 20, 2016 at 7:09 AM

        LOL! Yes, sometimes you have to do what ya gotta do… ;) Have a great weekend!

  3. White House Red Door May 20, 2016 at 7:21 AM - Reply

    Great write up and experience! So much to see and taste… so little time. 😉

  4. Kiki May 20, 2016 at 7:35 AM - Reply

    Wow, I’m really envious! I’d heard from friends about Eataly and would love to see it one day.

    • chef mimi May 20, 2016 at 7:51 AM - Reply

      It’s really impressive and well done. Of course, it should be with the Bastianich and Batali folks behind it!

  5. Travel Gourmet May 20, 2016 at 7:48 AM - Reply

    That sounds amazing! All that Italy packaged up into one area :)

    • chef mimi May 20, 2016 at 7:51 AM - Reply

      It was really fun! I want to go back to really shop, and check out all of the restaurants!

  6. cookinginsens May 20, 2016 at 8:24 AM - Reply

    We chose Honesdale, PA instead of New York City. Fools :D

  7. the drunken cyclist May 20, 2016 at 8:35 AM - Reply

    Did I know you were going to be in NYC? I am only two hours away and I am up there all the time! Rats!

    • chef mimi May 20, 2016 at 8:39 AM - Reply

      Oh no! Dammit. I never even thought about the proximity of Penn to NY. When are you moving to Texas?

  8. Nadia May 20, 2016 at 8:39 AM - Reply

    That sounds like the ultimate foodie experience. I could get lost in there for days.

    • chef mimi May 20, 2016 at 8:41 AM - Reply

      It was pretty incredible. Can’t wait to go back and at least spend one whole day there!

  9. Tasty Eats Ronit Penso May 20, 2016 at 10:15 AM - Reply

    one of my favorite places in Manhattan. :)

  10. emmarippee May 20, 2016 at 11:34 AM - Reply

    cool pics!

    On Fri, May 20, 2016 at 8:01 AM, the chef mimi blog wrote:

    > chef mimi posted: “One of the goals during my recent New York City trip > was to visit Eataly. I’ve been intrigued by the whole Eataly concept since > it was built. It claims to be the largest Italian market place in the > world, and at 50,000 square feet, I believe it must be. ” >

  11. StefanGourmet May 20, 2016 at 11:39 AM - Reply

    Looks and sounds great, Mimi! I have been to Eataly in Bologna and will be going there in Milan in July. The Italian version is not as large by far, though.

    • chef mimi May 20, 2016 at 4:25 PM - Reply

      I guess for America everything has to be bigger! The story of how it began is so interesting!

  12. ace1it May 20, 2016 at 12:05 PM - Reply

    Wow! I had no idea something like that was there! I need to hang out with you! Thanks for sharing this!

    • chef mimi May 20, 2016 at 4:28 PM - Reply

      I don’t remember how long it’s been around, but there’s also one in Chicago, if you’re ever there…

  13. anotherfoodieblogger May 20, 2016 at 1:24 PM - Reply

    Oh wow, what a way cool experience! I can’t believe your hubby wants you to buy that stuff online, as you’ll have to pay shipping won’t you? If you bought it right then and there you could have packed it home! (That’s the frugalness in me saying that, lol!)

    • chef mimi May 20, 2016 at 4:26 PM - Reply

      Over $30. the shipping is free, unless you’ve purchased produce, so that’s a good deal! I did bring an extra large suitcase just for that purpose!

      • anotherfoodieblogger May 20, 2016 at 4:31 PM

        That’s not bad at all, and I bet it would be easy-peasy to spend $30 at that place!

  14. Linda May 20, 2016 at 2:10 PM - Reply

    Love this post!! I am a huge fan of Eataly!! lovely, lovely, lovely!!! :)

    • chef mimi May 20, 2016 at 4:26 PM - Reply

      I am too, now! What fun!

      • Linda May 20, 2016 at 4:41 PM

        Wish I could go there today! It’s so beautiful in NYC (I heard from my hubby who just happens to be there today) :)

  15. Anna May 20, 2016 at 4:19 PM - Reply

    Such a lovely post! I would dearly love to visit Eataly — I’d probably want to stay for a week! ;)

    • chef mimi May 20, 2016 at 4:27 PM - Reply

      You definitely could, and then you could eat at a different restaurant for each meal!!!

      • Anna May 20, 2016 at 4:36 PM

        Sounds perfect! Maybe two weeks so I could visit each restaurant twice! ;)

  16. Marisa's Italian Kitchen May 20, 2016 at 5:46 PM - Reply

    Mimi, I do believe that I would have tried everything from the Nutella bar!!! My husband would have had to drag me out of there! Thanks for the sneak preview inside :)

    • chef mimi May 20, 2016 at 6:21 PM - Reply

      Hahahaha! It was quite lucky that the Nutella Bar’s door was the one we decided to try!

  17. Cocoa & Lavender May 22, 2016 at 8:58 AM - Reply

    We are headed to NYC in a month, and Eataly has been on our list since the day the trip was decided. I can’t wait to go and take my time in every section… My one visit there was pretty rushed.

    • chef mimi May 22, 2016 at 9:14 AM - Reply

      I completely understand. Mine was too. And if I were you, I would get the map and do a little research. There are just so many restaurants/bars to chose from, and I’m not sure I actually saw all of Eataly itself. But I would recommend Manzo if you want that kind of dining experience. The glassed-in rooftop restaurant would be fabulous, too.

  18. sippitysup May 23, 2016 at 11:21 AM - Reply

    OMG. Why doesn’t LA have something like this? We have a lot of great Italian markets, cheese shops, bakeries, restaurants, etc, but nothing that rivals the one stop shopping of this place. Thanks for the intro. GREG

    • chef mimi May 23, 2016 at 3:23 PM - Reply

      It really is a fabulous concept! And so many restaurants besides the one-stop shopping.

  19. The Gourmet Gourmand May 23, 2016 at 11:54 AM - Reply

    I might have ordered 10 tubs of nutella… ;)

  20. Francesca May 23, 2016 at 6:14 PM - Reply

    Isn’t it wonderful! We try to eat and shop there as much as we could. We love it!

    • chef mimi May 24, 2016 at 7:33 AM - Reply

      I’m so jealous! Did you ever go to Birreria?

      • Francesca May 24, 2016 at 7:47 AM

        The rooftop restaurant? Not yet. I read it about it but I don’t drink during the day and I feel the experience wouldn’t be the same without tasting their beers. I made a point to go there for a very late afternoon meal/dinner.

  21. Gerlinde de Broekert May 23, 2016 at 11:04 PM - Reply

    The next time I am in New York I am going to visit this place. Thanks for the tip.

    • chef mimi May 24, 2016 at 7:34 AM - Reply

      If you love everything Italian, you must go!

  22. cheri May 24, 2016 at 8:08 PM - Reply

    Hi Mimi, my husband dislikes shopping too, but I do believe he would love this place. He is half Italian, (his mom) and she can make most anything from a bag of flour. Your pasta dish sounds amazing.

    • chef mimi May 25, 2016 at 7:04 AM - Reply

      well, my husband loved it, but I knew he wouldn’t love it for 6 or 7 hours! He’s pretty patient, but I never want to push it. We went to Kalustyans as well, and he actually found those products even more fascinating! But Eataly was a blast.

    • Gerlinde de Broekert September 2, 2016 at 5:17 PM - Reply

      Hi. Mimi, thanks for this wonderful tip. We are in New York and just came back from a visit at Eataly. I didn’t finish reading this post and missed the rooftop restaurant 😒. We had a huge agenda for our first day in New York. Anyway, I had a lovely charred octopus salad downstairs.

      • chef mimi September 2, 2016 at 5:24 PM

        Ohhhh, one of my favorite things to have when I leave town! Glad you had a good time!

  23. bitsandbreadcrumbs May 25, 2016 at 9:30 AM - Reply

    I wish they would open one of these in Atlanta. I keep reading about bloggers going to it and it looks like a place I would get lost in for days, lol!

    • chef mimi May 25, 2016 at 1:29 PM - Reply

      Absolutely! Im surprised there’s not one in LA, san Fran, Portland or Seattle!

  24. Moya May 25, 2016 at 11:40 AM - Reply

    Oh my… could spend hours in a place like this :)

  25. karalynholland May 25, 2016 at 1:16 PM - Reply

    I need this store in my backyard so I can visit it every day. Nutella crepe and an espresso??? Yes, please! :)

    • chef mimi May 25, 2016 at 1:27 PM - Reply

      Or at least on the same street! It was pretty incredible!

  26. camparigirl May 28, 2016 at 5:35 PM - Reply

    I have been to Eataly in NY twice already and I am always a bit overwhelmed by the crowds (and the prices) but it is a fabulous place. If you are ever in Rome, you should visit the one there. It’s in an odd part of town, but not hard to reach, and gigantic! One is opening here in LA soon, also courtesy of Mario Batali.

    • chef mimi May 28, 2016 at 8:18 PM - Reply

      Oh, that’s great! I was wondering why there wasn’t one in LA! Fortunately when we went it was early and there were no crowds!

  27. Hi Mimi, found your post and had to comment, I am a huge fan of Eataly. Of course, Eataly in Rome, my city ;-) . (I have a post on my blog about it). My family shops there constantly and whenever I’m in Rome I go there as much as I can, to eat and to shop. Their selection is the greatest, freshest, high quality, the best every Italian Region has to offer. Loved to see how the NYC one looked like, a bit different from the one in Rome, but still beautiful! Glad you liked it!

    • chef mimi June 14, 2016 at 10:31 AM - Reply

      I would rather shop in the Eataly in Rome! But it was a fantastic experience. I need to go back by myself so I can spend the whole day there!

  28. Josette@thebrookcook September 12, 2016 at 2:10 PM - Reply

    LOVE this. I’m going to use it as a guide on my next visit there! :)

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