Da Tommaso Ristorante — a traditional Theatre District Italian eatery on 8th Avenue that spent nearly four decades feeding Broadway crowds and neighborhood regulars — has closed permanently.
The curtains have closed at Da Tommaso Ristorante on 8th Avenue between W53/W54th Streets. Photo: Catie Savage
A notice posted on the door delivered the news with theatrical finality: “After 38 years in the Theatre District, the final curtain has fallen. We are now permanently closed. Buona notte.”
Da Tommaso operated at 903 8th Avenue between W53/W54th Streets. A New York Times review from 1988 — when the restaurant was only six weeks old — described a “homey new spot” where word was already spreading among theater-goers thanks to a staff that “could not be warmer.” The review identified Da Tommaso as the creation of three partners: Rosario Carvelli, Paolo Vulaj, and Tommaso Vulaj, all veterans of well-known Italian restaurants of the era.
The Times praised the pastas, the generous portions, and the kind of kitchen that simply wanted guests to leave happy — an early snapshot of what Da Tommaso became for so many people: a place that didn’t chase trends, it just took care of you.
In a farewell message posted to Facebook, Leza and Ljulja Vulaj called Da Tommaso “the soul of our family,” built with “sacrifice, love, and an unbreakable work ethic.” They wrote that their father showed up seven days a week, year after year, pouring his life into every plate served and every guest welcomed.
Da Tommaso Ristorante opened in 1988 with three partners. Photo: Da Tommaso Ristorante Instagram
“Da Tommaso was where holidays were spent, where milestones were celebrated, where exhaustion met purpose,” they wrote, thanking customers for turning a restaurant into an extended family.
The closure also follows a personal loss for the Vulaj family: Tommaso (“Toma”) Vulaj died two years ago, according to the restaurant’s Instagram and an obituary listing.
A sign announcing the closing can be seen on the door of the restaurant. Photo: Catie Savage
Online, the reaction has been immediate and emotional, filled with gratitude and disbelief.
One former bartender, Amanda Vetiver Self, wrote that she started working at Da Tommaso after moving to New York in 2000 — and was welcomed “as if I were their own blood family.”
Da Tommaso Ristorante has closed on 8th Avenue. Illustration: John Donahue/alltherestaurants.com
“I will never forget the love, good times and incredible food that I had there,” she wrote. “I still think about the delicious meals served, and it’s been almost 20 years since I’ve eaten there… Nothing else compares.”
Now, another old-school Theater District dining room has gone dark — and with Café Un Deux Trois also closing earlier this month and Chez Napoléon bidding adieu later this week, it’s another reminder of how quickly Midtown’s classic pre-theatre restaurants are disappearing.