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Alto

Critics' Pick

11 E. 53rd St., New York, NY 10022
nr. Fifth Ave. See Map | Subway Directions Hopstop Popup
212-308-1099 Send to Phone

Critics' Rating: Price Range: $$$-$$$$
Reader Rating:
9.3 out of 10

8 Reviews | Write a Review
Cuisine: Italian

Photo by Mark Peterson

Map

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Official Website

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Hours

Mon-Thu, noon-2:30pm and 5:30pm-10:30pm; Fri, noon-2:30pm and 5pm-11:30pm; Sat, 5pm-11:30pm; Sun, closed

Nearby Subway Stops

6 at 51st St.; E, V at Fifth Ave.-53rd St.; E, V at Lexington Ave.-53rd St.

Prices

$32-$42

Payment Methods

American Express, MasterCard, Visa

Special Features

Business Lunch
Dine at the Bar
Hot Spot
Lunch
Notable Chef
Private Dining/Party Space
Prix-Fixe
Special Occasion
Online Reservation

Alcohol

Full Bar

Reservations

Recommended

Make a Reservation with opentable.com

Profile

At Alto, Scott Conant's urbane, sophisticated, somewhat calculated new establishment in midtown, the L'Impero hand follows the script of the aspiring four-star chef with a practiced acolyte’s zeal. The tone is elevated to such a refined, even high-strung, degree that you might have a difficult time knowing the food is Italian. The restaurant is located behind a small courtyard, discreetly tucked behind the Thomas Pink store on Madison Avenue. The rooms, which are neatly designed to give a sense of intimacy as well as loft, are filled with wait staff gliding to and fro in a practiced, choreographed way. Once seated, diners are strafed relentlessly by waiters proffering bottles of spa water and baskets of artisanal bread. The area for which Alto is named is known for hearty Aryan food like pork dishes and lots of dumplings, although it's doubtful you’d encounter anything there quite as rarified as Conant’s porcini-and-Swiss-chard ravioli. Other dumplings appear on the excellent pasta section of the menu. These inventive Italianate flourishes are more muted in the entrée section of the menu. Among the fish dishes, the pike and the crunchy-skinned Japanese sea bass were very good. — Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld

Prix-Fixe Menu

Three-course espresso lunch, $30; four-course dinner, $75

Tasting Menu
Seven-course seasonal dinner, $115

Reader Ratings

9.3

Make way for Mr. White

NoachB from 07046 | Posted on 10/29/07

Overall Reader Rating: 10 (Highly Recommended)


Food:	10
Service:	10

Décor:	10

Value:	10

I used to frequent Alto before Mr. White took the helm. WOW. The food was STUPENDOUS. BETTER THAN EVER BEFORE. BRAVO to Alto!!! There is soulful elegance to every dish I tried. The menu is so diverse - a plentitude of offerings...Read More

Mammamia!

hungryjacq from 11215 | Posted on 1/3/07

Overall Reader Rating: 7 (Recommended)


Food:	8
Service:	8

Décor:	9

Value:	7

You've got to be looking for this place to find it, but it's well worth the quest. Great menu with full complement of pasta, seafood and meat. Excellent wine list. Opt for a private room if your party is...Read More