Some people love a daily coffee and a buttery croissant. Others love an aperitivo—the Italian tradition of enjoying drinks and snacks before dinner. Still others love a glass of red wine and an Italian supper. Who says one restaurant can’t have all three? Italian culture is being infused into more and more cafés in New York City, as they begin to transform after dark into sophisticated dinner establishments.
The trend works for a city that is known for never sleeping; while most coffee shops close their doors sometime in the early afternoon, making way for the bars and restaurants to open, there are select cafés expanding their food and drink menu enough to provide patrons a typical Italian meal throughout the day.
Here are three Italian all-day cafés in New York City that you should check out:
AMANO (BROOKLYN)
AMANO Cobble Hill was born in 2023 after three successful years of the namesake’s West Village location. In its opening, AMANO co-founders Marco Meier and Samuel Meyers saw their first opportunity for expansion: serving salads and sandwiches at AMANO Cobble Hill in addition to espresso, cold brew, and pastries. In 2024, a further expansion came to fruition when the pair turned the Cobble Hill location into a full restaurant and bar with dinner service.
Inspired by the idea of making everything “by hand” (a mano), Chef John Creger has pulled from both his culinary experience and his Italian upbringing to curate a dinner menu that highlights local and traditional flavors. The revamped establishment stays true to the ambience of traditional Italian restaurants with soft lighting and intimate seating arrangements, with just 32 table seats and 12 at the bar. AMANO’s menu keeps it classic Italian with a playful twist, serving cocktails like the Tiramisu Martini, pasta dishes like squid ink fettuccine, and hearty meats like the braised beef short ribs. Through AMANO Cobble Hill’s expansion, its founders reinforce the idea of coming together for a meal that oozes Italian culture through both its dining offerings and its warm atmosphere.
TRAVELERS POETS & FRIENDS (MANHATTAN)
Travelers Poets & Friends, a West Village outpost from One More Hospitality Group, the team behind successful Italian restaurants Alice and Osteria 57, opened last spring with caffé service in the morning, lunch options midday, followed by aperitivo offerings and small bites later in the afternoon (with a gourmet market available throughout). Alaluna, a new concept within the spacious Travelers’ environs, adds Italian dining to complete the all-day experience.
The dinner menu of Chef/Partner Riccardo Orfino favors the pescatarian focus found at Alice and Osteria57, including some clever slights to classic meat plates (Salumi di Mare, Tuna Lasagna) with some actual meat options (Lamb, NY Strip) available within the two tasting menus as well as the ala carte selections. Whichever dinner option selected, Alaluna extends the all-day concept at Travelers Poets & Friends well into the night.
CATRIA CUCINA AND BAR (MANHATTAN)
The team behind Catria Cucina and Bar recognized this day-to-night trend prior to opening and established the restaurant accordingly. In December 2024, the establishment opened their Hudson Yards location with hours from 6:30 a.m. through 11:30 p.m. and a service regime that cycles through café-style in the early morning to dinner and bar in the evening. The café and restaurant is bringing the culinary traditions of Italy’s Marche region to Midtown West.
By bringing the Italian countryside to life both in ambience and through food, Catria’s team aims to capture the convivial ways of Italian dining, bringing locals and travelers together for a meal—which works well, given that the restaurant is on the bottom floor of a hotel. Chef Kyle Puchir has created a menu that checks all the typical Italian boxes—various pizzettas for the antipasti course, classic cavatelli as a primi, and pollo potacchio as a secondi, among other dishes. The cocktails add a creative twist with specialties like a Martini di Fritte, a dirty martini with a fried olive garnish. Come early and stay late—Catria will have a menu for you for any meal in between.
