Even mention New York pizza, and you'll hear opinions from all camps, each person supporting his or her favorite example. While Serafina does make a mean pizza with a cracker-thin crust—it's for their pizza that they're famous—even proponents for other pizza proprietors will fall for the excellent Italian food at this Upper East Side standby. The pasta dishes, especially the penne alla vodka (16.95), are an incredible meal in and of themselves, but the variety of secondi, like the veal “al limone” (26) will make this restaurant a new favorite.

Serafina is an amazing place for parties, family reunions or graduation celebrations, with two huge dining rooms on the second and third floor of this building overlooking Madison Avenue. The giant windows allow you to people watch as you enjoy your meal.

If you decide to go to Serafina at dinner, be sure to reserve: as this restaurant has been around for more than ten years, locals and people from around the city alike know that it's the place to be.