Borgo, from restaurateur Andrew Tarlow, is a love letter to Italian cuisine, with an ever-changing menu of starters, pastas, and mains that mostly come from the wood-burning oven. The space is architecturally dramatic, with arched entryways and greenery strewn about. There’s also an outdoor garden space where you can pretend you’re in a courtyard in Rome.
If you could capture the ideal ambient noise of a restaurant, it might sound something like Borgo. As the host leads you through the space, you’ll hear joyful conversations, the cracking of the wood-burning oven, and the clinking musical tones of a martini being stirred from a tableside cart. And there’s a wonderful little reveal at the table — the name you’ve reserved under, written in marker as a sweet visual centerpiece.
There’s not a bad table to be found, but groups of four to six would do well in the booths that line the slightly quieter back room, which look out at the open kitchen and allow for easy conversation.
There’s an off-menu pasta pomodoro, which servers will mention if there’s a non-meat eater in your crew. You should ask for it regardless. The light but flavorful tomato sauce is a wonderful foil to richer dishes like the fettuccine or lobster risotto, and shows off what the team can do with the simplest of dishes. Whatever you order, pair it with whatever wine director Lee Campbell recommends.
Longtime Brooklyn restaurateur Andrew Tarlow ventured to Manhattan to open his rustic Italian restaurant in Nomad with a stunning, understated dining room and wood-fired oven. Come here for terrific people watching, warm hospitality, and dishes like chicken liver crostini, chicken marsala with parsnips, and wild boar lasagna.