Zia Maria - Chelsea

My friend and I came here for a Thursday night dinner, and it was super quiet - so great for groups and conversing! We started off with some house bread that was chewy, fresh, and came with a delicious garlic oil.

I ordered the Fettucine and Meatballs, and the pasta was so chewy and delicious, with a super flavorful, tangy sauce. The meatballs had a bouncy texture and an interesting flavor that I wasn't the biggest fan of, but it was still overall appetizing. The portions were good for the price as well! However, I will say the drinks were what stood out the most. My friend ordered the Espresso Martini, and said it was the best espresso martini she's ever had. It was extremely smooth and rich, and had a perfect ratio of alcohol to espresso. She also ordered the Cacio e Pepe which she really enjoyed - it was creamy and rich as well. ADDITIONALLY, her glass broke halfway through our meal, and the waitstaff was super attentive and replaced her drink and pasta. The bartender came to check on us several times as well.

We finished off the dinner with complimentary limoncello shots. I will most definitely be back, not only for the delicious food and drinks, but also for the stellar service!!

Step into Zia Maria in Chelsea, and you're instantly transported to the bustling streets of Little Italy. It's like a culinary magic carpet ride, minus the flying--unless you've had one too many old fashioneds!

Picture this: you're seated, menus in hand, and suddenly struck with indecision. Fear not, because at Zia Maria, the waitstaff are culinary wizards. I mean, who needs a sorting hat when you have a waiter who can divine your perfect dish? So, I took a leap of faith and let our waiter play food genie. Cue the Chicken Parmesan, a masterpiece of handcrafted noodles and chicken so tender it could make a vegan reconsider. When I asked my boyfriend to try the chicken, he stated "I'll be able to eat this in a few years when I don't have teeth." This is a testament to how tender the chicken is.

Meanwhile, my dining companion dared to dance with the devilish Spicy Vodka Pasta. The noodles, a testament to pasta perfection, and that spicy kick? Let's just say it's like a tango in your mouth--fiery yet strangely seductive.

And let's not forget the libations! The old fashioned took a detour from tradition, but boy, was it a detour worth taking. As for my drink, well, it was so refreshing that I promptly forgot its name. Call it amnesia in a glass--a testament to its sheer deliciousness.

In short, Zia Maria isn't just a restaurant; it's a culinary love affair. So, whether you're a foodie, a wanderer, or just someone in search of a darn good meal, do yourself a favor and pay Zia Maria a visit. Your taste buds will thank you, and your heart will leave a little more Italian than when you arrived. Buon appetito!

WONDERFUL!! The food was amazing!! We ordered a ton of food and some dishes were gluten free. My 12 year old cannot have gluten. They make beautiful GF pasta & pizza along with many appetizers that are GF. My daughter couldn't believe the delicious pasta was GF and kept saying "I can't believe this is gluten free mommy"!
I myself ordered the Frutti di Mare and substituted GF pasta - it was outstanding!!!! I never finish a pasta dish and I was nearly licking my bowl!!

We also ordered regular dishes which my family enjoyed. The servers were all so kind and friendly! We live on the UES but will definitely be coming back!!

I came here with friends on an Italian food craving and left satisfied! The portions were large and decently priced by New York standards. Nothing was mind blowing but it wasn't bad either.

We came here on a Sunday night at around 5:30 and it was pretty empty. Service was very quick and we were unintentionally out in less than an hour (we were also hungry and scarfed down our food, which definitely sped up the dinner).

I would come back if I was in the area and wanted pizza and pasta but probably wouldn't seek this place out.

Great Service, great food and greats vibe. Our server Zach, awesome. My daughter and I were hanging in the city and decided to have Italian cuisine for dinner. Everything he recommended was awesome. I had a Bronzino (awesome) my daughter had ravioli, we also order calamari which was awesome. Think we also had some sort of sample that Zach recommended with rice balls... omg the rice balls was something amazing. Oh, how can I forget that Smokey old fashioned cocktail they made for me... wish sit was a little bit stronger but overall. We enjoyed our experience dinning here. Zach definitely made me want to come back for another run when I'm in the neighborhood.

Live, love and laugh.
- Sha

My husband and I travel all around the world and spent about 6 months in Italy. The food was phenomenal, service and ambiance was perfect.

Appetizer - we had the bruschetta, it was perfect.

Entrees - I had the chicken parmigiana - delicious!
Husband had the vodka penne - he said it was the best vodka sauce he's had.

Drinks - espresso martini and aperol spritz was amazing!

Overall 10/10!!

Came here for a reception following a movie screening across the street at SVA Theatre. The pizzas- prosciutto and also pepperoni were really tasty. It paired well with the house red wine. Also loved the meatballs and the Arancini. All of it seemed authentic. The owner and staff were efficient and pleasant.

Cute little Italian place in Chelsea! Quick seating, albeit slightly slow service on a Saturday evening.

I thought the food was pretty good but nothing mind blowing. The chicken of the chicken parm had an amazing flavor but it was slightly dry. The lasagna had a good serving of meat and I enjoyed the sauce flavor, but there wasn't much sauce so it was also a little dry. I enjoyed Toni's pizza, but I can't tell if I actually really enjoyed the pizza or just really love buratta!

After shopping, we stumbled upon this Italian spot for lunch. The lobster ravioli was a delight - tender with a cheesy kick. The chicken parm was rich and flavorful, paired perfectly with red pasta. Don't skip the beet salad for a tasty dose of greens. Highly recommend it if you're in the area!

One of my cousin-in-law (CIL), was moving to Washington DC because her husband got a job down there and she had stuck around to finish out the school year (she's a teacher). But now it was time for her to move so my husband, BIL and BIL's BF decided to take her out. My CIL is not picky and will eat anything. My BIL and BIL's BF are the picky ones, but they really like Italian so this is what they chose.
I had just finished up a Cycle for Survival event at Equinox in Bryant Park. That was a fun event actually - even though I was the only one on my team who went because everyone else was out of town. But digressing...after the event I went down to the area, but I was too early, so I went to a bar to chill and charge my phone.
I got there early, they seated me, and then my CIL came and we ordered some appetizers and drinks. Appetizers we got calamari, because we both like seafood and everyone else doesn't eat seafood. So we got that to start, and we ate it while we were waiting for everyone else. The calamari was good, nice and crispy, and not too greasy or oily. When there rest of the party came, they got meatballs (I think ,or arancini, I don't remember).
For entrees, I think I got the gnocchi bolognese, my husband got the pizza, i think my BIL got the penne (you know he likes the food when he eats the entire thing because he usually doesn't eat all of it), his BF got the chicken parm, and my CIL got the pappardelle with mushrooms. Everything was delicious -- they give such large portions that there was no way I finished my dish (honestly this was back in May so I don't remember if I finished or not haha). And we did not get dessert because we were all way too full.
The service was really great, it wasn't too busy when we went so we could actually have a conversation, and it's a nice neighborhood.
My BIL knows all the good Italian places so he did it again with this place.