208 E. 58th St.
Dining Style: Casual Elegant
Cuisine: Italian
Neighborhood: Midtown East
Cross Street: Between 2nd and 3rd Avenues
Entree Price: $21 to $34 (Pasta from $16)
Phone: (212) 750-7766 (212) 750-7766
Hours of Operation:
Lunch: Monday – Friday: 11:45am – 4:00pm
Dinner: Monday – Thursday: 5:00pm – 10:30pm, Friday: 5:00pm – 11:00pm, Saturday: 5:00pm – 12:00am, Sunday: 4:00pm – 9:30pm
Payment Options:
AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Dress Code: Smart Casual
Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
Public Transit: N, R, W, 4, 5, & 6 trains to 59th Street/Lexington Avenue.
Parking: No
Bargains: Prix Fixe Lunch $18. Prix Fixe Dinner $35.
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Review by Nancy Walman
Seven is His Lucky Number
NY ICON NINO SELIMAJ OPENS SEVENTH RESTAURANT, NINO’S 208
Iconic and lively New York restaurateur Nino Selimaj, (Above) is proudly announcing the official opening of his seventh restaurant, Nino’s 208. Located at 208 East 58th Street, Nino’s 208 is on the same block as the first restaurant Nino worked in as a dish washer when he arrived in America.
Nino’s 208 sports a new, contemporary interior design, as well as a modern menu. Housed in the former premises of Ada, the fancified Indian nouvelle restaurant, Nino’s 208 brings the stamp of this excellent restaurant group to East 58th Street at affordable prices. The bi-level design is easy on the eye with its black and white color scheme, which extends to double cloths on the comfortable tables, banquettes and booths. A dramatic winding staircase leads to the second level, which is ideal for private parties.
Service is solicitous and excellent. The host is a seasoned pro, who will guide you through the menu and a vast array of specials. There is an excellent bar and the wine list is well chosen and priced with 19 wines by the glass, starting at just $8 and several pleasant bottles priced under $30. The ever dependable Michele Chiarlo Barbera d’Asti, 2004 is bargain priced at $29 It is loaded with spice and good acidity and opens up in 15 minutes. Heavily weighted in California and Italian options, there are some excellent bottles listed in the “Special Selection” pages for folks willing to spend over $200.
Executive Chef Merlin Tlapa, honed his skills alongside Tyler lorence and Bill Telepan, and brings a fresh spin to rustic cooking. Says Tlapa: “Our Philosophy at Nino’s 208 is to incorporate exotic ingredients not traditionally found in Italian cooking and use them to compliment authentic tastes.”
In the food department, there is a value oriented $35 prix fixe dinner, including appetizer, main course, dessert and coffee. A la carte is also easy on the pocket and the food fresh, light and carefully prepared. A good beginning is a shared Buffalo Mozzarella, Wrapped In Bresaola with sliced beefsteak tomatoes, roasted yellow sweet beets and arugula pesto (Above), Roman Artichokes polenta crouton, chicken liver pâté and shaved parmesan cheese.
Other Other options include Sea Bass Carpaccio on potato blini, accompanied by asparagus, horseradish and sour cream, Chicken Meat Balls in Tomato-Cream Sauce and the best Duck Confit imaginable. A special, it should be a leading player.
Pasta is al dente and well sauced, if a tad over-salted for our taste: Two unusual selections offer Pappardelle with braised short ribs of beef bolognese and Spaghetti with lamb meatballs, mint pesto, Tuscan kale and alio olio. Even the traditional Linguini with White Clam Sauce, gets a lift from Cockles and Broccoli Rabe.
Entree suggestions include Grilled Organic Salmon (Pictured Above), braised greens, white beans and garlic confit or Braised Pork Osso Buco, barley risotto, exotic mushrooms, rosemary and lemon zest. Check out daily specials. We chose a Porterhouse Special for 2, which arrived cut and sizzling as it finished cooking on the platter. The meat was first rate and the grilling superb. Don’t miss the terrific roasted Brussels Sprouts. A huge Veal Chop, braised in Barolo was also wonderful.
All desserts are stylish, including a puckery lemon tart, apricot tart, panna cotta (Above), and chocolate mousse cake. Nino’s 208 is is a very upmarket product, offering surprisingly gentle prices and waiting to be discovered. Go soon and you can be the lucky winner.
The Lovely Bi-Level Dining Room
Perfect For Private Groups

