Yup, but the food isn't very good. Maybe I'm just bitter because we've had our last 4 company x-mas parties there and they were terrible, but the food just isn't that great. On the plus side, you'll probably be the only people there, so no one will mind if you get a little rowdy.

Oh really? I have been there twice and it's wasn't too bad. The steak salad was good. It's not the best Italian place in town, but hey, I get points. :)

Baldoria at 50th & 8th is also a great option. Its owned by the Rao's people (which is a famous but impossible to get into restaurant).

http://newyork.citysearch.com/profil.../baldoria.html

Famous ??? I guess you could call it that. Does anyone go there for the food?

themicah might have a different experience than me, but I've found Abboccato to be *very* quiet, and occasionally kind of morbid. The food's good, but it's not a real festive place. On that block, I think Circo might be the better bet.

Accademia di Vino
 

I enjoyed the new Accademia di Vino (the review is towards the bottom of the page) at Third Avenue and 64th Street when I visited several weeks ago. The tuna crudo topped with tuna "prosciutto" was creative and tasty, and the grilled white pizza with mushrooms and truffle oil was fantastic. Steer clear of the Carbonara though, it was over-salted and far too al dente. Great wine list as well. It's new and 'trendy' but once it calms down it will be a nice place.

I'd recommend Rossini's on 38th and Park: http://www.rossinisrestaurant.com/

Old world, Northern Italian - they will make you any Italian dish you want, whether on the menu or not. Old school - captain shows you to your table, heavily accented Italian waiters, a true dining experience.

i second
 

tony's di napoli.

great environment, great food. family style, as mentioned above.

esp with a party of four, you could order an appetizer, a pasta, and an entree.. make sure to ask for their specials! and order a pitcher of their yummy sangria.

(you get opentable points here, too)

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I needed a snapshot reservation last night and rather than try to wade through Yelp, I used this thread to select Circo for dinner.

I'm happy to report it's still a solid choice and easily booked on OpenTable (and you can pay your bill via the app, too). I peeked into Abbroccato on the way to the R Train and noted that it did look a little dark and dead.

If you can get a spot, I'd definitely do Marea. Apparently their lunch menu is pretty well-priced. They also have a fantastic wine list...my favorite bottle of white that I've ever had was thanks to the sommelier there.

Bello's at 56th and 9th (on the Northwest corner) is also really good. They have a fantastic veal chop pounded flat and stuffed with prosciutto and fontina chees, in mushroom sauce. It's a "special", but they always have it.

I'm a fan of Da Tommaso on 8th Avenue between 53rd and 54th. Apparently the late, great Jerry Orbach was as well and dined there regularly.

Another super fun place with outstanding attentive service is Trattoria del Arte, at 57th and 7th. When it gets a little later in evening, they come around with trays of fresh-baked cookies and hand them out. Great and very wide range of antipasti, and they have fantastic thin-crust pizza. The crowd is a combination of tourists and regular local customers, but they treat everyone like a regular.