Stanley Tucci's Favorite Restaurants In New York City

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Stanley Tucci is not only a scene-stealing actor known for hit movies like "The Devil Wears Prada" and "The Hunger Games," but he's also a famous foodie. The star grew up in an Italian-American family, so food has been important to him since childhood. "Everything is centered around food. It was what you talked about before you ate," he told NPR in 2024. "It was what you talked about while you were eating. And it was what you talked about after you ate."

Along with acting in food-centric movies like "Julie & Julia" and "Big Night," Tucci has starred in two nonfiction food and travel series – "Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy," which aired on CNN from 2021 to 2022, and "Tucci in Italy," which premiered on National Geographic in 2025 and featured the absolute best pasta places Tucci ate at in Rome. He's also the author of two cookbooks — "The Tucci Cookbook" and "The Tucci Table: Cooking with Family and Friends" — and two food memoirs, "My Life Through Food" and "What I Ate in a Year." To put it succinctly, the man knows food!

Although he currently lives in London, the actor previously lived in New York City. But despite his NYC ties, the Big Apple is not one of Stanley Tucci's three favorite food cities in the world, though there are still places in the metropolis that he recommends. We combed through various interviews and social media posts to find five of Stanley Tucci's favorite NYC restaurants.

Located on Manhattan's Upper East Side, Scalinatella has been serving Italian food to New Yorkers since 1992. In 2016, the cast of "Big Night" did a group interview with Bon Appetit to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the movie, where Tucci said it's one of his favorite Italian restaurants in the world. "In New York, La Scalinatella is a wonderful restaurant," he said, adding Locanda Locatelli in London as another favorite.

Scalinatella offers a fine-dining Italian menu featuring hand-rolled, house-made pasta and seasonal produce. You'll find traditional dishes like Strozzapreti alla Boscaiola (fusilli with tossed wild mushrooms, artichokes, and garlic) and Vitello Martini (veal with Parmigiano Reggiano). The restaurant is housed in a historic building that one critic compared to "entering a timeless wine cellar." Expect high prices, hard-to-get reservations, and potential celeb sightings, as George and Amal Clooney, Blake Lively, and Jennifer Lopez have all dined there.

Celebs aren't the only fans, of course; the restaurant has a 4.4 average on Google reviews, a 3.8 average on Yelp, and a 4.0 average on Tripadvisor. One Google reviewer raved that the Scalinatella team "set a new level for gastronomic standards," adding, "The food quality and presentation is first class!"

Tucci has also recommended Italian restaurant Il Gattopardo, which is located in Midtown Manhattan on "Millionaire's Row." In a 2024 interview with Stylecaster, Tucci was asked about his favorite restaurant in NYC. He said, "I don't have a favorite. If I had to choose, it would be Il Gattopardo on 54th Street, right near the Museum of Modern Art. I love Il Gattopardo."

Here, diners can expect high-end versions of traditional Italian meals, such as pheasant ravioli and rabbit pappardelle. At the time of writing, entrée prices range from $39 to $210. The Infatuation describes the restaurant's vibe as "a little like a cross between a fancy living room and some kind of embassy."

Reviewers are fans as well; the restaurant has a 4.5 average on Google and a 4.4 average on Tripadvisor. "This is a hidden gem! Food, service and ambiance were incredible," wrote one Google reviewer. "Highly recommend for an intimate fine dining experience."

For a different type of Italian food experience, Tucci is a fan of pizza spot John's of Bleecker Street. The nearly century-old pizzeria is located in Greenwich Village, one of New York's liveliest neighborhoods that also happens to be a foodie paradise. In a 2024 interview with Tasting Table, Tucci said, "I used to love to go to a place on Bleecker Street. John's Pizzeria... And that was always really good because there's a really thin, beautiful crust. I love that." Generally, Tucci said, he keeps his order simple. "I really just like a plain Margherita pizza or something like that."

Founded in 1929, John's of Bleecker Street serves classic pizzas, pastas, sandwiches, and salads. Prices are more affordable than the previous restaurants we've discussed, with pizzas priced in the $22-57 range at the time of writing, depending on size, sauce, and toppings. If you decide to plan a visit, keep in mind that John's sells only whole pizzas, no slices.

Eater named John's of Bleecker Street one of the best pizzerias in New York City, and the restaurant is also a Tripadvisor Traveler's Choice award winner for 2025 with a 4.4 average review. One Tripadvisor reviewer calls it the best pizza in NYC, saying, "The pizza was amazing! Just the right combination of sauce and cheese and a great selection of toppings."

Stanley Tucci has given shout-outs to our next NYC restaurant on his Instagram not once, but twice. 2nd Avenue Deli is a kosher Jewish deli located in Midtown Manhattan, but despite its name, it's actually located on 33rd Street, between 3rd Avenue and Lexington Avenue. The original location was on 2nd Avenue before it relocated in 2008.

In 2024, Tucci praised the deli's food on social media. "Oh my God, it's heavenly," he said. "It's one of the best chicken matzo ball noodle soups I've ever had. It's so delicious," he said in an Instagram Reel shot during his meal in the restaurant. "Look at that [pastrami] — how beautiful all that fat [is]." In 2025, Tucci returned and filmed another Instagram Reel, raving once more about the deli's chicken matzo ball noodle soup.

Even better is the fact that diners can recreate Tucci's meal without emptying their bank accounts. At the time of writing, the chicken matzo ball noodle soup is $13.95, while a hot pastrami sandwich is a bit more on the pricey side at $28.95. The deli is also a hit with reviewers, boasting a 4.4 average on Google and a 4.3 average on Tripadvisor. One Google reviewer called it an "authentic deli experience that you should try at least once."

Stanley Tucci is a fan of cheese, and in a 2024 interview with AFAR, he named two NYC cheese shops as among his favorites in the world. "In New York, you have Murray's Cheese Shop [and] you got Citarella," he said, naming London's Fromagerie and Paris' Le Bon Marché as two more favorites. Tucci also collaborated with Murray's Cheese and San Pellegrino to create a four-tier cheese "cake" available for purchase that same year.

Murray's Cheese's main location is located in Greenwich Village on Bleecker Street (just a block away from John's on Bleecker Street, if you want to have a Tucci-themed day). In addition to award-winning cheeses and a grocery section, the store offers cheese classes and sells mac and cheese on-site, with a small counter available to eat at if you prefer to indulge right away.

Murray's Cheese boasts a 4.6 average rating on Google, a 4.5 average on Tripadvisor, and a 4.2 average on Yelp. One Google reviewer calls it a "must if you're visiting NYC," adding, "One of the OG of cheese shops in the city, very knowledgeable and friendly staff and tons to offer from all budgets on cheese!"

Stanley Tucci was born in Peekskill, New York, and raised in Katonah, New York. He lived in the New York City suburb of Westchester from the '90s to the 2010s before moving to London around 2012; in 2001, the New York Times described him as having "a passion for the city, the kind best practiced by someone who lives in Westchester." 

An avid foodie, Tucci often speaks about meals he's enjoyed around the world. To compile this list of Tucci's favorite restaurants in NYC, we read interviews he participated in with outlets including Bon Appetit, Stylecaster, Tasting Table, and AFAR, along with reviewing the actor's Instagram posts. We further researched the NYC restaurants mentioned and eliminated those that are no longer in operation. Finally, we chose five highly reviewed restaurants, making sure to represent a range of price points and locations within NYC.