#CulinaryCourant #PaolasCafe Paola's As a Brand Established 1983 and The Cafe Started in 2020 by Son of Paola Bottero of Rome, Italy and New York Stefano Marracino and Family 1361 Lexington Avenue Between East 90th and 91st Streets #UpperEastSide #Manhattan #NewYork
Founder Paola Bottero from her 2011 review when she earned Peachy's Picks status
She was with all of us in spirit showing us from heaven she is no one-trick pony with her second restaurant!
Say cheers in her memory and raise a glass! We love the American Cabernet.
Say yes please to the Branzino:
No, it's not a restaurant birth announcement but it IS a restaurant new to Peachy Deegan!
Started in 2020, Paola's Cafe is a sibling to Peachy's Pick Since 2011, Paola's, most recently featured earlier this year. We have said it once and we'll say it again: what do the best do? They get better! And sometimes they multiply, and this second location is also on Manhattan's storied absolutely gorgeous best part of town, of course, the Upper East Side. If you aren't eating baby artichokes, you should be and these are the best we have had anywhere in 2026:
As always, pictures are unedited
Peachy Deegan and Owner Stefano Marracino, Paola's Son
Ricardo Cazales presents the superstar Baby Artichokes
It would not have occurred to us to even order this smashing dish but we are glad we were encouraged because these little beauties are culinary divinities ready to meet you. As always, pictures are unedited and the truth is Stefano, Ricardo and everyone at Paola's Cafe is just this talented. Peachy always knows what she wants to order and occasionally takes suggestions but is rarely impressed with suggestions. We were impressed with this suggestion.
Green salads including the beet salad and absolutely triumphant Caesar are winners to start with and the depth of the pasta selection is also commanding, including the hot number below with green beans, Peachy's personal favorite vegetable. Also, they heed directions and for Ms. Pretty Picky I Don't Care for Goat Cheese asked for it to be left off and they complied with hospitality. However, if you adore goat cheese we are confident that Paola's Cafe does that well too.
From the Branzino to the beloved Chicken Parm, Paola's Cafe also excels in entrees and stay tuned readers because we are under the impression that the hit parade is just starting at this Lexington Avenue hotspot! Stay tuned.
Don't miss the chocolate desserts, necessary elements in life including the Tiramisu and the Gelato di Tartufo!
Paola’s Cafe (and the related Paola’s Restaurant) is a long-running Italian restaurant brand on New York City’s Upper East Side, founded in 1983 by chef Paola Bottero.
paolasrestaurant.com
Paola Bottero, born in Rome, immigrated to the United States as a teenager. Her father, Alessandro, had come to New York in the 1960s to play violin with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; the family settled in the city. After marrying and having sons, she entered the restaurant business in her mid-30s, influenced by her younger brother’s success with a restaurant (65 Irving Place). She trained with a Roman restaurant family in New York and opened the first Paola’s with their support.
chewingthefat.us.com
It began as a small, family-operated spot (initially associated with locations in the Yorkville area, such as near East 84th/85th Street and First Avenue). The restaurant has moved several times within the Upper East Side while remaining a neighborhood fixture known for authentic Italian family recipes, homemade pastas, and a warm, community-oriented atmosphere. Key later locations included 1295 Madison Avenue (in Carnegie Hill, associated with a move around 2009 into the Hotel Wales area) and 1361 Lexington Avenue.
newyorker.com
In a recent chapter (around early 2026), Paola’s Restaurant returned to Carnegie Hill at 1302 Madison Avenue (between East 92nd and 93rd Streets), across from a prior site, in a reimagined space. The previous Lexington Avenue location at 1361 Lexington Avenue (between East 90th and 91st Streets) continues as the more casual Paola’s Cafe, serving the same classic Italian recipes with house-made pasta and seasonal ingredients in a neighborhood-friendly setting.
paolasrestaurant.com
Paola Bottero passed away on March 29, 2025, at age 79. The business continues under her sons Stefano Marracino and Daniel Marracino (along with partners including longtime staff/family members such as Ramon Alvarracin, Executive Chef Alejandro Perez, and granddaughter Zola Marracino), preserving her recipes and vision of community through food.
legacy.com
Paola’s has been praised as an Upper East Side mainstay for its traditional Roman-inspired Italian cooking, consistency, and role as a local gathering place for over four decades. Note that a separate venue called Paola’s Osteria (at 1246 Madison Avenue) has operated under different ownership.This history centers on the well-documented New York establishments matching “Paola’s Cafe.” Other places with similar names (e.g., in other cities or countries) exist but do not share this specific lineage.
