By Gus Saltonstall
An Upper West Side restaurant was recently named among the 100 best pasta places in the United States by Yelp.
In honor of the upcoming National Pasta Day on October 17, the crowd-sourced review and recommendation platform published its first-ever list of the best pasta spots in the country.
The Upper West Side eatery that earned a spot on the ranking?
Arco Cafe at 886 Amsterdam Avenue, between West 103rd and 104th streets. It was ranked as the 39th best pasta place in the country for 2026.
The Upper West Side eatery describes itself as a Sardinian restaurant with a focus on homemade pasta and freshly baked focaccia.
“Everything begins with the dough. Every morning, our kitchen makes pasta from scratch — malloreddus, fregula, ravioli — using the same techniques passed down through Sardinian families for generations,” reads an about section on the restaurant’s website. “There are no shortcuts. No pre-made bases. No frozen anything.”
Arco Cafe, which opened on the Upper West Side in 2014, currently offers 11 pasta dishes on its menu, including Pappardelle ai Funghi Porcini with mushrooms and cream sauce and Bigoli Uova e Pancetta with pancetta, egg yolk, parmesan, and pecorino. You can also order nine homemade pastas from the restaurant to take home to cook yourself.
“We never did it for the recognition. We did it for the people around the table,” Arco Cafe wrote on its Instagram in response to the inclusion in the Yelp ranking. “So if we’re on this list today, it’s because of you, every guest, every review, every evening spent with us.”
Yelp created the rankings by narrowing down the best-reviewed restaurants across the nation in the “pasta” category through a combination of the number of reviews and overall rating. No more than 10 restaurants were included per state.
“We tapped our Yelp community to help build Yelp’s inaugural Top 100 Pasta Places list reflecting the authentic experiences of users nationwide,” Tara Lewis, a Yelp trend expert and vice president, told Food & Wine.
Let us know in the comments your favorite pasta place on the Upper West Side.
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Wonderful, thank you.
Wow, thanks, should go there!
It would be nice if they offered pasta not made from wheat which are very good, lower in calorie and carbs, good for diabetes, and a just plain healthier choice.
They do offer a gluten-free pasta option for all of their pasta dishes.
It’s called a salad. Every restaurant offers some.
Salad is not an alternative to pasta which numerous people actually know is made from wheat!! However there exist alternatives that look, taste very similar to, and are prepared and served just like pasta. I guess you didn’t know that!
The best pasta is made with wheat, Molly
Also the least healthy. That is what Molly was tryin to point out.
Just go somewhere else. Leave this alone for Gods sake-
Molly is entitled to her opinion, with which I agree. Pasta made with wheat is the least healthy of all pasta. She has a right to point that out.
Least healthy for who? If someone is gluten intolerant then it is a no-no for them but not the rest of the world.
Also – calorie-heavy and healthy are 2 different things. Just consume an appropriate amount.
We love Arco. But shhh, the secret is now out!
Pomodoro on Columbus.
Good pasta coupled with good service and price.
Darn. Now the whole city knows about Arco!
There are other NYC restaurants rated higher on the list
Alas…It was just a matter of time until the word got out. It is absolutely the best. Also one can actually have a conversation there since the music is turned way down. No one is ever rushed. They serve all day. For those of you who are reluctant to travel above 96th Street, here’s your chance.
The “whole city” does not read the WSR…so you’re safe.
Well the “whole city” doesn’t know what they’re missing not reading the WSR 😉
I have not been there in a while, but I remember the pasta being made perfectly al dente. Nothing to say about the tomato sauce and the bolognese that came with another dish I ordered.
Who?
Polpette 71, Columbus and 71st.
I *LOVE* dining at Arco. Every dish is fresh and delicious, and the staff is friendly and provides great service. Recommend the foccacia and the homemade pasta. And for desserts, the traditional seadas!
Arco is on of our favorite restaurants, and we go often. They treat their “regulars” like family.
I must admit that the dish in the photo looks absolutely Yumbo!
Bella Luna also UWS at 88th and Columbus
Bella Luna was my long-time favorite for casual Italian comfort food, but it seems to have gone downhill recently. I took an out-of-town guest there for a 7:30 dinner, having talked the place up. We were treated to huge, sloppy portions of leaden lasagna and watery (undrained?) pasta. Service was brusque and forgetful. The table next to ours was populated by two young couples who ignored their three cranky toddlers who should have been in bed by then, not rubbing spaghetti in each others’ hair. I was embarrassed to have suggested the place to my friend and haven’t been back..
Question: How do you cook fresh pasta dough so it’s al dente?