Villagio on the Park is one of the newest additions to Central Park South dining scene. This white-tablecloth Italian restaurant offers alfresco dining — weather permitting, of course — with views of the park and incredibly warm hospitality.

I can only report on a few items, because as their guest the management picked what they thought would shine. Most did. And, the friendly staff were quite attentive.

We started with their grilled Portuguese octopus drizzled with lemon and olive oil. Loved the crisp crust on the incredibly tender morsels. That’s not to be missed, but skip the beautifully presented, but very bland mozzarella caprese ($13). Surprisingly the layers of basil and drizzle of basil oil didn’t liven it up.

But don’t miss their signature gondoletta ($19), tender balls of pasta filled with four cheeses and spinach blanketed in a light truffle cream sauce. So delicate they melt in your mouth. Also worth trying is the grilled red snapper that the server filleted after presenting to us. The tender fish came with roasted potatoes and broccoli.

And be sure to leave room for dessert, especially the decadent molten dark chocolate souffle ($11), the Fontana di Cioccolato.

– bonnie

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Villagio on the Park
Midtown West
40 Central Park S,
New York, NY 10019
(212) 369-4000
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