Alloro

It’s all about la famiglia at this chic family-owned, family-run Italian restaurant on the Upper East Side cheffed by Bocca’s Salvatore Corea and co-owned with his wife, Gina, who calls the cuisine “creative Italian.” “We were interested in bringing back the idea of a family-run business,” Gina says. “We live in the neighborhood, we raise our kids here.” Even their little daughter is onboard: She gave her stamp of approval to Papa Corea’s fried spaghetti, a bird’s nest of a dish suffused with candied-tomato-and-basil sauce. Other twists on classics: Buffalo mozzarella with tomato tartar and basil sorbet, and “chitarra” pasta with langoustine and fava bean pesto. The restaurant’s decor upends any musty trattoria stereotypes: An emerald-hued lacquered floor sets the stage for bold color blocks of green, white and black, accented by black chandeliers and sconces.

See more: Upper East Side restaurants, Italian restaurants