Malatesta Italian Restaurant
I met an old friend at Malatesta for brunch last weekend and was very impressed. It is a small Italian restaurant in the West Village. I have never been to Italy, but I imagine that this is what the restaurants there are like. It was nothing short of fabulous.
Malatesta is fairly far over on the west side and it is a longish walk from the subway. I think this keeps it more authentic though and trust me, you will need the walk after partaking of their delicious food. I walked in and was the only person in the restaurant. I asked the waiter if they were open and he said I could sit wherever I wished. While I waited for my friend I perused the menu and listened to the waiters and staff converse in actual Italian. That was the first sign that the food would be great.
My friend is Italian and conversed in Italian with the waiter when he came to take our order. We both ordered homemade pastas and the food was fantastic. The staff had no trouble letting us sit and chat after for as long as we wanted. We ordered cocktails and espressos and talked for ages.
Despite the fabulous food and great ambiance, the place remained relatively uncrowded. The large windows open onto the street in nice weather and you can see the river from the restaurant. Malatesta is a hidden jem. I can’t wait to take visitors back and show them a real Italian restaurant!
