Pepe Rosso Social

Reviews

• Jen P.

  star star star star star 1 June 2026

  This is my new favorite Italian place in the city. It's cheap, good, and the service is great. I made a reservation because I thought it'd be packed after work hours for happy hour, but it was pretty empty. It filled up later though!
  Came here with one of my girlfriends and we didn't realize how generous the servings would be, and we ordered way too much.
  
  Ordered the kale caesar, penne vodka, and two things from the specials menu: gnocchi w/ this truffle cream sauce & mussels in white wine sauce. Everything was so good, and even though it took us I think almost 3 hours to finish it all, they didn't kick us out. We even used the check-in for free dessert. We chose the cheesecake and wow, it was a freaking fat slice.
  
  And of course, the wine prices just cannot be beat. $22 for a carafe during happy hour? In NYC? Officially in love.
  Would probably order less next time, but any time I'm craving Italian, this will be my go-to.

• Scott L.

  star star star star star_border 25 May 2026

  This Italian place off the main action of Mulberry Street is a sleeper hit that is both cozy and of good value.
  
  Little Italy gets old fast with tons of tourists and posted menus with $25 spaghetti and meatballs.  
  
  Pepe Social has $10 lunch specials, a good happy hour with $4 beer and wine, and pasta plates starting around $18.  
  
  Staff is friendly and swift.   Happy hour wines are of decent quality and $4 is kind of amazing for Manhattan, yet the place remains quiet during happy hour.  
  
  The home gnocchi was pretty damn good and shareable for two.  
  
  This little cafe isn't fancy and the food is very good as well as reasonably priced.  
  
  If you want to avoid the tourists in little Italy for a laid back meal or want a cheap happy hour downtown - this is a great choice.

• D N.

  star star star star star_border 22 May 2026

  Cozy and intimate Italian restaurant with attentive staff.
  My friends and I went to Pepe Rosso for a get-together. We enjoyed the appetizers and the mains which were traditional cooked Italian dishes.
  Clams were cooked perfectly with delicious sauce, some in our group went for clam dish mains after the appetizer.
  One minor criticism, the burrata wasn't as flavorful due to lack of balsamic.
  I would recommend Pepe Rosso if you want some authentic Italian dishes.

• Meini C.

  star star star star_border star_border 14 May 2026

  Decided to come here for dinner for some authentic Italian food. After trying the lasagna and fried calamari I was sadly disappointed. The dessert was pretty good but I won't be returning.

• Sherry C.

  star star star star star 14 May 2026

  Was in Little Italy looking for some good pasta on Saturday night on a long weekend and we couldn't find seats until we found this place through yelp. At first we were hesitant but then a couple walked out and told us it was amazing so we decided to try it. We were only starting to get hungry so we got the mozzarella tomato basil bruschetta and penne tre porcellini to share between two!! Bruschetta came pretty fast. Tomatoes were super juicy and slightly garlicky and the bruschetta was quite big. Bread was slightly soggy but together it was all amazing. There was free bread with vinegar and olive oil. The pasta was AMAZING!!! Super creamy with prosciutto, pancetta and spicy sausage!!! I love the flavor and how well the meats mix with the creamy sauce. The creamy sauce balance out the saltiness of the meats and the portions were quite decent so overall we loved this place!! Definitely will be coming back to try their other dishes