La Pecora Bianca, the highly popular Italian restaurant in New York known for its delicious handmade pastas and superb dining experience, has opened a new location in the heart of Manhattan’s Theater District and the space is stupendous. This outpost is the brand’s largest restaurant yet—marking a major growth for the eatery in both scale and design. It’s also a game changer that redefines the neighborhood’s food options from generic tourist traps into a destination for elevated and sophisticated dining. Visitors will be wowed by the food, the atmosphere and the value of the Italian cuisine.
Located at 1633 Broadway between West 50th Street and West 51st Street, La Pecora Bianca’s sweeping 300 seat restaurant is just steps away from Broadway’s most iconic theaters, making it the perfect place for pre-and-post theater dinners as well as leisurely late-night cocktails. The new Theater District spot is also ideal for business power lunches or for any group celebrations due to its polished and sleek setting. The interior of the restaurant is expansive, but also inviting, warm, modern and has the vibrancy of Italian coastal port towns. Unlike other restaurants in the area, La Pecora Bianca Theater District is drenched with natural light due to their floor to ceiling windows. There’s also a large beautiful bar canopy that features a chic striped awning. Settling into a seat at the bar here and ordering their well-crafted drinks, you will truly have a resplendent time. Overall, the spot is a breath of fresh air in the district, offering plenty of table space between you and your dining neighbors as well as a huge menu of delectable Italian food.
Courtesy of La Pecora Bianca (Liz Clayman)
The Theater District outpost is La Pecora Bianca’s seventh location in New York City, which includes SoHo, Bryant Park, Nomad, Midtown, the Upper West Side and the Upper East Side. To commemorate the new spot, the restaurant is offering exclusive menu items, such as new Neapolitan-style pizzas, appetizers like Too Much Fried Mozzarella, which is an oversized concoction on the classic Italian staple, and pastas including the delicious Linguine with Jumbo Lump Crab with Bottarga. In addition, they are offering a 3-course, pre-theater prix fixe designed to get you fed, relaxed, and out the door before the curtain rises. For $55, this is one of the best prix fixe options in the area. It includes a choice of pastas, chicken paillard, salmon, meatballs, dessert and more.
The Knockturnal was recently invited for a tasting and we were blown away by the high-quality food. Our favorite was their Neapolitan-style pizza. We tried the sublime Margherita with pomodoro sauce, fior di latte, basil and added pepperoni and mushrooms. The pizza’s soft, floppy center and airy crust was textbook and perfectly executed. It was also soft, tender, and easily foldable to eat. The restaurant has debuted all-new pizzas on its menu, including a Truffle Pizza with mascarpone and parmesan, topped with whipped ricotta. There’s also a Diavola with vodka sauce, pepperoni, red onions, and hot honey, and a Pomodorini Pizza with tomatoes, basil pesto and fior di latte.
For the main entrees, the Chicken Parmesan was absolutely delicious. Their take on the classic was served with al dente rigatoni pasta drenched in delightful vodka sauce and it was flawless. The crispy fried chicken was massive and coated with gooey melted cheese. It was so satisfying and comforting, making it the perfect hearty meal.
Courtesy of La Pecora Bianca (Liz Clayman)
The NY Strip Steak was another winner. Served with rich peppercorn sauce and fries, the meat had premium marbling and an excellent balance of tenderness and robust beefy chew with a juicy finish. We also tried the Faroe Islands Salmon dish that was plated with a mild zucchini puree, confit tomatoes and salsa verde. It was exquisite and had a rich, buttery texture and clean taste that all seafood lovers would enjoy.
As for the pasta, the Tagliatelle Bolognese was excellent and shouldn’t be missed. Their version consisted of a tangy, bright orange colored tomato sauce with slow-braised beef and pork. The meat was flavorful and the overall meat to sauce ratio was balanced. And for the Tagliatelle noodles, the flat ribbons of egg pasta was perfectly cooked. We also recommend ordering the Linguine with Jumbo Lump Crab with Bottarga, which is a luxurious, coastal Italian pasta dish that pairs the sweet, delicate texture of premium crab with the rich, savory umami of bottarga (salted, cured fish roe). The lemon butter sauce made it very sweet, but the garlic and chili gave a sharp, pleasant kick, which elevated the dish.
Lastly, the tiramisu is a must-order for dessert. The classic no-bake Italian dessert featuring layers of espresso and Amaro liqueur-soaked ladyfingers, rich creamy mascarpone filling and dusted with cocoa powder was stellar. La Pecora Bianca’s tiramisu is shareable and features the restaurant’s adorable signature sheep design on top of it. The dish was light, creamy and the perfect way to end a hearty meal.
Courtesy of La Pecora Bianca (Liz Clayman)
To sum things up, La Pecora Bianca’s new spot in the Theater District is worth visiting. If you’re like me, who is always stressing about where to eat before or after a Broadway show, La Pecora Bianca is the answer. Due to amazing food, prix fixe meals and a beautiful setting that is serene and an escape from the neighborhood frenzy, the place is a no-brainer. It will no doubt become a favorite haunt for both theatergoers and even Broadway actors. It’s now my top spot for some good eats and even for al fresco dining. Their 125 outdoor dining seats just debuted within a dramatic 60-foot-long plaza lined with European-style café tables. Make a reservation now, you won’t regret it.
