Lilia
Italian Restaurant and Café$$$$
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
The experts at Eater and Gothamist recommend this place
"It started with delicious mozzarella, then the mafaldini."(21 Tips)
"Best pastas were the lamb ragu and malfadini"(15 Tips)
"Cacio e Pepe fritelles are excellent to start."(9 Tips)
"Fantastic vibes and even better orange olive oil cake 🍰"(10 Tips)
187 Tips and reviewsFilter:
- mafaldini
- good for dates
- malfadini
- trendy
- olive oil cake
- (15 more)
Sort:
- Popular
- Recent
Nicky MJune 22, 2017Get the amarone by the liter. Cacio e Pepe arancini, spicy rigatoni, and save room for dessert. The olive oil cake and crostini are always amazing.
Kristina RudicApril 11, 2017This place is divine. Share as much stuff as you can, especially the prosciutto or mozzarella! And definitely try these two dishes:
Lauren AtkinsMay 26, 2018Must try the mouth-watering, house-made focaccia and ramp butter. The ricotta gnocchi were also perfect...little fluffy pillows of potato flour seasoned just right.
MichelleAugust 16, 2017Beautiful Italian food. We had a booking but still had to wait 10-15 mins, so this wasn't pleasant. But the food was great
- amazing pastas - agnolotti, mafaldini, and gnocchi are must orders - but don't ignore the rest of the menu, particularly the fish.
İpek A.July 29, 2016One of the best italian food in Williamsburg area. Good selection of wine, delicious pastas and appetizers.
Marie La RueAugust 4, 2023Excellent scallops. Nice wine selection. They are aware of the hype and act accordingly. Not sure if this is worth the reservation hassle.
Rachel PortApril 5, 2019Mafaldini had too much peppercorn, though it certainly is instagrammable, the blowfish tails were good but tiny, artichoke was meh, mozzarella pretty good... the only thing I LOVED was the fritelle.
Kinjil MathurApril 26, 2016Chef Missy Robbins cooks in the open kitchen front and center. So Pro tip: do not get sat in the back room. It's cold and you miss all the action
LukeMarch 25, 2016The cacio e pepe fritelle is amazing. Eat it with your hands. The starters generally overshadowed our mains, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Mehdi NahroDecember 8, 2018Good ambiance. We sat at the bar and ordered: the clams, the sardines toast, the mozzarella toast, Mafaldini and the Agnoloti. The food was very average IMO and hyped up. I had higher expectations.
Ben GaspariniAugust 16, 2016Nice upscale spot with unique food and drink items alike. I want to try the swordfish next time.
Iván Ciriaco-UsecheNovember 27, 2021I tried some mozzarella and prosciutto as a first course, then some fried squash and pastas a main course (they were just average). At the end we enjoyed some gelatto with olive oil and sea salt.
J FoxMay 7, 2016Highly recommend splitting a few pastas as they are so flavorful eating one yourself could be overkill. Cacio e Pepe balls FTW. Will be back
Shindy CDecember 9, 2016Beautiful décor, attentive and knowledgeable wait staff, decent food, but more importantly: Joy Division, Blur, The Breeders, Jane's Addiction on the playlist? What year is this OMFG ❤️😍
Melissa RosenthalMay 9, 2016Order the clams, crispy fish, artichoke and basically every pasta. You can't go wrong here.
Rahil BeraniJune 10, 2016They do have seasonal dishes, but doesn't matter because all is amazing! Fresh Mozz garlic bread and Cacio e pepe are a must!- Samir MenonJuly 7, 2017Amazing food. Amongst the best in NYC. Highly recommend the Mafaldini, Rigatoni, and Fettucine. The Mafaldini is a must-try!
Nina HarcusDecember 18, 2017Sheeps milk cheese filled agnolotti, saffron, dried tomato, honey. Just do it. I think I died and went to heaven eating this dish.
katie 🍔September 21, 2019arrived at 4:55pm on a sunny saturday and there were already 40 people in line. plenty of space for walkins but go earlier on weekend or risk a 2h wait (wait it out at exley a couple blocks away).
Andrei KryssovMay 31, 2017Bring a friend and share the Sardines, Agnolotti (photo), and the Malfadini. Cures all pasta cravings.
KatJanuary 30, 2019absolutely beautiful! everything we tried was amazing! especially blown away by the clams and ravioli! worth the money
Rock RainesSeptember 8, 2019Pastas and fish are the move here. The agnolotti is incredible but was disappointed in gnocchi. Blowfish tails were delightful but lamb steak was nothing special. Great wine list
Sydney MJanuary 24, 2019Worth the wait and the insane reservations. The thing to get here is pasta and bread. Portions of pasta are larger than expected
Incredible food, especially the homemade pastas. Loved the vibe and the energy. Super fresh, super cool.
Tal AtlasSeptember 5, 2016Had Clams, Rigatoni Davola, and the black bass. All were delicious. Unfortunately the service wasn't great and the cocktails weren't very good either. Every piece of food was very tasty though.
Ronald CattrysseJune 11, 2017This is hands down the best Italian in New York. They add a twist to Italian food and the result is astonishing.
Suraj SavaliaMay 1, 2016Agnolotti, Fritelle and drinks are not to be missed. Snag a spot at the bar, everyone is super friendly here.
Brittany L.February 7, 2016Delicious! Not to miss: scallops, cacio e pepe frittelle, & hazelnut chocolate soft served gelato
Lee HoffmanJanuary 26, 2020Malfadini, agnolotti and focaccia are incredible. Olive oil cake is amazing as well.
EaterJuly 18, 2017Cacio e pepe frittelle, grilled clams, and malfadini are all wins. Note: Over one year in and Lilia is still one of the hardest Brooklyn tables to snag.
Adam RiceApril 10, 2016Food was amazing, service was below average. Highly recommend the pastas and olive oil cake.
P. D.February 9, 2018Delivers on most of the hype. And the good and friendly service does the rest. Easy to over eat here on so much deliciousness.
ShahNovember 13, 2016The spicy lamb sausage fettuccine is legitimately one of the best plates of food I've ever had.- Rem KoningApril 19, 2018Set menu is amazing. Greens. Pasta. Meat. Antipasti. Get a group not 10 and have at it.
Leah HammerschlagFebruary 19, 2016The broccoli pesto gnocchi is wonderful. Pass on the diavola. Definitely get the Cacio E Pepe fritelle.
Marcie TranAugust 5, 2019Tough to get a reservation, but if you show up when they open it's not hard to get a couple seats at the bar or on the patio
Rodolphe Ködderitzsch ⚡️August 3, 2019Best spot for a spritz, some olives and prosciutto outside, restaurant food is 👌
Gregory FisherMay 13, 2019Focaccia special is a must order (as are the grilled ramps if they’re in season).
Sung CNovember 18, 2016Pastas!!! Definitely the real thing. Also, a killer wine selection. Can't go wrong.
The sea bass or pappardelle for main. Cauliflower and mozzarella bread to start. Gamay for everything.
Jared ReynoldsApril 30, 2022Cacio e Pepe fried creation and scallops were great - gnocchi was an iconic fail 😫
Literally any pasta will be stellar, as will be any sort of seasonal focaccia or toast. Grilled clams, veal with hot peppers and basil, soft serve gelato, I could go on...
595 Photos
Foursquare © 2025 Lovingly made in NYC, CHI, SEA & LA
Open until 9:30 PM (Show more)
- Mon–Thu
- 5:00 PM–9:30 PM
- Fri–Sun
- 4:00 PM–9:30 PM
(718) 576-3095
View menu on https://www.lilianewyork.com/menu
Features
Reservations
Yes
Credit Cards
Yes
Wi-Fi
No
Outdoor Seating
Yes
Food & Drink
Menus
Brunch, Dinner, Happy Hour
Drinks
Wine, Full Bar, Cocktails
See More
You might also like
- 8.5
"Very impressive. Amazing pastas. Gorgeous light at sunset."
P. D. - 8.0
"Great spot tucked away in an up and coming area of South Williamsburg. Fresh mozzarella and homemade meatballs were outstanding. The short rib is done with a red sauce, offering a nice flair."
Chris Thompson - 7.5
"Artichoke was lit"
Nick Pappageorge
Places people like to go after Lilia
- 9.2
"One of the best speakeasies in Williamsburg! Lots of savory cocktails 🍸🍹. In addition, they also serve delicious snacks and a range of fresh oysters from west coast to east coast"
Stephanie Zhong - 8.9
"The views of Manhattan are amazing, but the deco & cocktails are well worth the trip. Nice staff too."
Marie Porras - 8.3
"Great roof patio. Great drinks. Great living room vibes."
Elysia Mann
Appears on 3,222 lists
The Absolute Best Pasta in New York City
Created by Foursquare Swarm
25 items • 303 followers
17 NYC Restaurants To Try in 2017
Created by Foursquare Swarm
17 items • 462 followers
The 38 Essential New York Restaurants, Winter 2017
Created by Eater
38 items • 6,852 followers
