Giulietta

Occupying a massive 11,300-square-foot footprint at the base of the MetLife Building, Giulietta brings a high-volume Italian concept to the corner of Vanderbilt Avenue. The restaurant is an ambitious project from the group behind La Pecora Bianca, designed to move hundreds of covers a day while maintaining a polished, coastal atmosphere. The space is vast, shifting from a bright, bustling lunch venue for office workers to a dimly lit, high-decibel dining room at night. An extensive outdoor garden wraps around the building, offering a rare amount of open-air seating just steps from the exits of Grand Central Terminal. The kitchen produces all pasta in-house, structuring the menu around dishes meant to be passed around the table. You will see servers navigating the crowded floor with large-format platters, such as two-pound roasted lobsters served over spaghetti or boards of chicken Milanese. Smaller starters like whipped ricotta toast with truffle honey and fried artichokes are standard orders here, alongside pizzas topped with mascarpone and black truffle. The cocktail list leans into the theme with spicy limoncello margaritas and other riffs on Italian classics. Given the sheer size of the venue and the dedicated sharing sections of the menu, the dining room is frequently packed with large groups and team dinners, absorbing the Midtown commuter rush with a practiced, steady rhythm.