One of my favorites. The food is consistently excellent and all of the servers are so kind and attentive. Love that they swap out your martini glass for a new cold one frequently. Highly recommend the martinis, spinach and artichoke dip and the chicken sandwich. Also, do not skip dessert! The key lime pie is divine!

My dad and I had a daddy-daughter dinner here last night, and once again Hillstone proved why it’s my absolute favorite restaurant in New York City — honestly, my favorite chain period. The experience is flawless every single time. We both ordered their iconic burgers (the best in the city, hands down), and split a Caesar salad that was perfectly dressed and crisp. For dessert, we shared an ice cream sundae that somehow tasted like childhood and luxury at the same time. Every dish was outstanding — Hillstone never misses. The ambiance is unmatched: warm, elevated, and the kind of place you can actually relax and enjoy a real conversation. And the service? Always exceptional. Polite, attentive, and genuinely kind staff who make you feel like a regular even if it’s your first visit. I love this place more than any other. If you’re looking for consistently delicious food, amazing service, and the coziest vibes in NYC, Hillstone is it. Forever a 10/10.

Ashley Follenweider

Jose was absolutely phenomenal! From the moment we sat down, he placed my napkin on my lap, and I knew we were going to have top tier service throughout. He provided amazing recommendations from wine to starters and entrees and even brought us out limoncello after the dinner. Amazing energy all around. Thank you Jose!

John Cronin

Thoroughly enjoyed the Rucola Salad and the Tortello Cacio e Pepe which was a great recommendation by the waiter, Enzo. The handmade folds of pasta with the wonderful blend of sauce made for a fantastic lunch. A great dining experience with an elegant classic atmosphere. Highly recommend.

Anna S

Great friendly service and outstanding food right from Italy! Pasquale was really helpful with our choices and they turned out to be the best options (for us!). I liked my Fettucine all’Astice a lot. Anastasia welcomed us and took a good care of us during our whole stay in the restaurant.

Mauro

We had a fig daiquiri at the bar, followed by the octopus as an appetizer and then the pizza. Wow!! One of the best pizza in town. Everything was delicious. Very attentive staff. Check this place out if you wanna get a real Italian experience.

Shane “Shaneo”

Pizza and porterhouse (bisteca) stars of the show. Nice wine list. Don’t sleep on the asparagus as a side dish

A.L. Harris

Had such a nice lunch here. Brought my son and his friend and we walked in and were seated immediately. Service was above excellent. Everyone was friendly, helpful and nice. Food was excellent. Wood burning oven pizza was so good. Pasta was fresh and cooked al dente and every bite was devoured. If you’re looking for that special place that serves good food and has good service, look no further.

+4

Rachel Tam

Easily the best Italian restaurant in NYC. The food is amazing, service is excellent. You can’t go wrong with any dishes from this place. I and my friends had a fantastic evening here.

Celia Pérez Díaz

Audace is hands down one of the best restaurants we’ve tried in NYC. Every dish is packed with flavor, made with top quality ingredients that are clearly chosen with care. If you’re after real Southern Italian food with a creative twist, this is the spot. The vibe is elegant but comfortable and José went above and beyond to make sure we had an amazing night. And seriously, the cannolis taste like they came straight from Italy! I’ve been dreaming about them since I tried! Can’t wait to be back and try the rest of their menu.

Kasia Sz

A truly authentic Italian restaurant - the food was absolutely amazing, and the service was incredibly kind. It was my dad’s birthday, and they surprised him with a small cake and a candle - such a thoughtful gesture, thank you so much! The atmosphere was cozy and inviting. During our stay in New York, this was the only place where we enjoyed genuinely high-quality food. You can really tell that the restaurant is run with passion and heart. I only regret not trying the pizza - it looked incredible! We had already eaten so much delicious food that we simply didn’t have any room left, but I’ll definitely come back for it next time - it looked absolutely amazing!

elina borovskaya

I had a great experience at Audace with friends- everything was on point. Audace offers a beautiful ambiance for a memorable night out. The space is elegant, the food is delicious, and the service is attentive. Highly recommend!

stephanie felix

I love this Italian restaurant. The Tortello Cacio & Pepe Stile Napoletano in a pepper cream with beef jus was incredible and the tortino di nocciola was absolutely amazing. Everyone was so nice and welcoming and Jose was an attentive and patient server.

Chantel Winkler

Audace exceeded every expectation. From the warm welcome to the attentive service, the team made the entire evening feel special. The food was authentic, beautifully presented, and full of flavor—the pasta was perfectly balanced, and the bread basket alone deserves praise. The ambiance is elegant yet intimate, making it ideal for date night or a celebratory dinner. Easily one of the best Italian dining experiences I’ve had in New York.

Christian Sanchez

This Italian restaurant serves some of the best pasta in Manhattan! If you live in the city or are visiting town, I highly recommend you stop by! Their service, from their wait staff to their bartenders are all exceptional. Jay, Francesco, Mario, Marcello, compliments to all of you and thank you so much for your hospitality! Definitely 10/10 and look forward to eating their delicious food time and time again! :-)

Layne King

This restaurant was amazing!!!! Our family of four stayed at Hotel Giraffe and on our last night, dined at the connected restaurant, Audace. The food was amazing and the service was impeccable! Hands down best meal we had in NYC. Not one to miss

Monica Marinelli

My experience at this restaurant was positive. I went for dinner and tried fried calamari as an appetizer, very good and crunchy. As a first course I ordered a risotto with porcini mushrooms and truffle, it was very tasty. The food quality is good and the service is very professional and focus to the needs of the customer. The location is very charming, with a very relaxing atmosphere. Recommended for romantic dinners or special occasions. I will definitely be back!

Carla Cosma

Our experience at Audace was unmatched. The venue is welcoming, with a soft, elegant, and tranquil atmosphere. The staff is made up of young, well-prepared, enterprising individuals, all with a smile. Our dinner turned out to be authentically Italian. The menu is just the right amount of varied, offering the chance to choose different dishes, typical of the tradition, that make you feel at home. We were pleasantly surprised by the warmth and kindness of every single staff member. We can only recommend Audace as one of the top Italian restaurants in NY, and we can't wait to return.

Hillstone is a gem. The food is incredible, and the service stands out in the smallest but most meaningful ways. The fact that they serve your martini and then refresh it halfway through to keep it perfectly cold is exactly the kind of thoughtful detail that makes the experience feel elevated. It’s the ideal spot if you want a great drink, great food, and a reliably good ambience. The only downside is the chaos around reservations and wait times. The hype has made it almost impossible to book, which takes away from the ease and authenticity the restaurant used to have. I just wish it were more accessible to the people who love it most, because when you finally get in, the experience truly delivers. Overall, Hillstone is exceptional. They just need to find a better system for reservations so more guests can actually enjoy it.

Deviled eggs was quite good actually. French dip wasn't particularly special. A bit bland and wasn't hot. You get the oily brioche and some flavor from the horseradish sauce and the 3 pieces of cilantro. My main course was served before my appetizer odlly enough, so I set my main aside until my appetizer arrived and I had finished it.

AMAZING vibes, pretty good food, and questionable service. the noise level was like perfect and i would come back for the atmosphere tbh. the food was decent but the portions are not generous but what can you expect : ). the thai tuna roll and the noodle salad were really good, and the pressed sushi was ok at best. we also got the sashimi was was decent, the bell pepper which i would not get again, and the artichoke dip. it took us a while just go get water from the waiter and i felt like he was clearing the food before we were done eating. at the end we split the check (we were a group of 4) and they swiped one of our cards twice and didn’t swipe another one at all which seemed rarely careless and idt i’ve ever seen that happen also apparently this is THE murray hill date spot.

After the Harry Potter exhibit we decided to have lunch here. There was a very short wait for bar seating, unfortunately the dining room was reservation only. We were able to get drinks and appetizers at the high top tables, the server was quick to get us our drinks and put our appetizers in. Within 10 minutes we had a spot at the bar and the bartender, Tommy I believe was the name, was very kind, attentive and professional. The food came out and was spaced decently. We ordered way more than we could eat, but everything we ordered was delicious. The deviled eggs were some of the best I’ve ever had, and the chicken sandwich was juicy and rich and the kale salad was cool and crisp. Would love to try this spot for dinner next.

Okay so I went here yesterday and “fancy TGI Fridays” really fits. The atmosphere is fairly dim and somewhat intimate but also corporate feeling. Service was very professional and when they missed my partner’s drink they ended up giving it to him on the house. The marg is really good. No fancy flavors but super smooth and well mixed. The food we ate was nothing super out the box but done really well. We had Osaka sushi, spinach and artichoke, Dutch chicken and ribs. My only complaint is the place is pricy (damn you nyc prices) and they did not give nearly enough chips for spinach and artichoke dip but I would certainly go back

Prashant Vasudevan

Margherita pizza was decent. Service was great. The center of the pizza was somewhat soupy and the crust was very doughy. This is sometimes an issue with Neapolitan style pizza. The wine was great. Good experience.

Juan Diaz

From the moment you enter, you are invited into a secret space of flavors that transport you to the great Italian tradition. A calm and harmonious space, like the magnificent taste of its incredible pastas, creates the sensation of enjoying a unique, romantic experience of flavors. The pasta is delicious, and the staff are welcoming, kind and very friendly. I highly recommend it!

+1

*This review is written by someone who is not a big meat eater. * I came here for lunch with my husband on Labor Day with gorgeous weather outside at around 1:30pm with no reservation. This restaurant is localized branding of the national Houston’s chain. It is believed that one of the reasons they changed the name locally to avoid calorie posted regulations in NY that impact restaurants with multiple locations. It is almost impossible to get a reservation here during peak hours which I think is wild for a place that is a chain restaurant. They open reservations 30 days in advance of the date you wish to dine. When we walked in, we were told only seats at the bar were available on a first come basis. We opted for the bar and ended up waiting about 20 minutes. Especially in New York City, I don’t eat meat (exception fish and seafood) very often for a variety of reasons. I NEVER eat poultry (knowingly). This menu is very meat forward. I was excited to try to the spinach and artichoke dip but even that contains chicken stock. The food that I did find to enjoy was good. All people eating other meat dishes seemed very happy. The decor and vibe of the restaurant feels like suburbs upscale. All of the servers were very nice and professional. I likely would seek out another meal at this restaurant especially given the meat forward menu and high prices. If someone had a reservation and invited me to attend, I wouldn’t protest but wouldn’t look forward to it. I wouldn’t wait to be seated ever again.

Myrna Kayal

Nice space. Good service. The food was not good. We enjoyed the burrata appetizer, but the entrees were pretty flavorless. I had the fettucine with lobster. It lacked any depth of flavor in the sauce and the pasta tasted like it was cooked in unsalted water. My wife had the chicken parmigiana style. The chicken was chewy and the sauce had a sweetness to it that tasted like pizza sauce. Just not good.

Jason Kim

Had pizza, vongole pasta, and chicken. Pizza was pretty good Pasta was really salty (and I usually like salty stuff) Chicken was overcooked. Service was polite but was either really slow or they forgot. Took 45min to get cocktails after ordering despite it not being busy for dinner. Saw bartender just cleaning so maybe forgot. Was offered bread basket but never received (prob forgot). We spilled drink on one of our plates and asked to have it replaced. They took it but didnt come back with another plate until we had to ask after food came out. Seems like they realized they messed up generally - offered free dessert. Had the lemon cake - was average. Resto located in basement with kind of low ceilings and no windows. Cant say it felt particularly “nice” Prob a pass for me, especially given pricing as well on the slightly expensive side.

After living in the neighborhood for 13 years, I finally gave in and tried Hillstone, against my better judgment. Its reputation as a glorified suburban chain in the heart of NYC has always kept me away—why choose Hillstone when the city is bursting with fantastic, unique restaurants? Seriously, who craves artichoke spinach dip, something you could just as easily find at Chili’s, when you’re in New York? The experience was even worse than expected. My family eats out regularly, and our kids are well-behaved; we’ve never been asked to leave or even had a single complaint about them in any restaurant, anywhere in the world. But at Hillstone, the staff seemed almost eager to exclude us. Upon arrival, my youngest daughter made some sounds, and after she had waited quietly for about twenty minutes, we were met with rudeness and were actually asked to leave. Apparently, Hillstone’s idea of hospitality is to treat families like a nuisance and make them feel unwelcome. If you’re looking for a genuine, family-friendly dining experience in NYC, skip Hillstone. With so many excellent restaurants around, there’s absolutely no reason to settle for a chain that can’t even get the basics of decent service right. The only thing memorable about our visit was how quickly we wanted to leave.

I am writing this review to detail the less than hospitable experience I received at Hillstone on Nov. 26, 2025. I reached out to several times via email to the company directly and even left a message through their website to avoid leaving a bad review however, all of my attempts when unacknowledged and unanswered. Not the hospitality I'm used to from Hillstone. At 4:50pm, I walked into Hillstone on Park Ave South and was greeted by the Hostess. I asked for a seat at the bar for 1. She informed me there was a wait but that I was “next to be seated”. She took my name and number and told me that I would receive a text when a seat was available. At 4:55pm I received a text letting me know that I was added to the waitlist. I went to the restroom, returned to the lobby, took a seat and I waited. The lobby was empty when I arrived, however, as I waited more people began to come. As time passed I noticed 2 ladies who had come in after me got seated at the bar after just a brief wait. At first I thought nothing of it but then when another party of 2 that had also come in after me, AND after the other 2 ladies got sat, I went to the hostess to inquire about my wait. She replied… “Those were parties of 2, you’re the next party of 1 to be sat.” I was confused. Excuse me??? Two separate parties came after me and both were sat before me because they were “parties of 2”??? I didn’t understand this process/policy so I asked for clarification. Again she reiterated the “Party of 2” vs. “Party of 1” as if there are 2 separate waitlists. When I reminded the hostess that she told me I was next to be seated she tried to clarify that she said I was the “next party of 1” to be seated! Additionally, I asked the hostess for her name just for the purposes of this review and she told me that she does “not give her name out for security purposes”. A quality hospitality establishment like Hillstone and they don’t give names… For “security reasons”. Unheard of. Did I feel like a threat to her because I didn't look like the other guests that were there to dine? For over 20 years I’ve been patronizing Hillstone restaurants. It is mine and my family's favorite restaurant. We even went every year for Mother’s Day to the one in LI and had the same amazing server until they closed. In recent years, 53rd and Lex became the go to for me and my mother while she was receiving chemotherapy at Memorial Sloan Kettering around the corner. My mother has passed on since the 53rd street location closed and now there’s only Park Ave South. To say it is impossible to get a reservation there now is an understatement and forget about a walk in… Great for business, not so great for regulars who might just want to stop in. Even the bar has turned into a “waitlist” if you don't get there by 4pm. I don’t live in the city so after work I traveled from Jamaica, Queens about 1 hour and 20mins away, to go to Hillstone. Being at Hillstone, a place I used to share with my mother on the eve of a holiday that is no longer the same without her was all I wanted. It was early so getting a seat at the bar shouldn’t have been too hard. Sadly, Hillstone’s Bar Waitlist Policy made a “Party of 1” feel even more lonely and ostracized for not having anyone to share the evening with because now, I had to wait even longer to eat because I was alone. My hope with this review is that no other “Party of 1” ever has to experience what I did and that guests are seated at the bar in the order that they arrive. And if that is the policy, two separate waitlists, then that needs to be communicated to the guest upon arrival. On a positive note, 8/15/25, I was dining at the bar for lunch and TOMEE was my bartender and I just want to say that she is amazing… The epitome of service and hospitality. As a solo diner most times, I’m never really looking to engage with the bartender, I just need them to anticipate, acknowledge, and be attentive without being intrusive and she was all of that and then some while being extremely busy. Full email and details not able to fit due to character limits.