My spouse and I visited Eataly Downtown twice on the same
weekend in mid-August 2017. (We were staying across the street [diagonally] at
the Millennium Hilton; see our separate review.) On our first visit, we dined
at the excellent Osteria della Pace (see our separate review), and the next
day, we returned to buy some takeaway pastries at the La Pasticceria e Venchi counter. Previously, we have visited Eataly
locations in NYC’s Flatiron neighborhood and in Boston. Additional US locations
include Chicago and soon-to-be-open Los Angeles, in addition to international
locations in Italy, Monaco, Korea, Japan, Turkey, Brazil, and the UAE. Eataly
Downtown is open daily from 7:00 am until 11:00 pm.
The Downtown location of Eataly covers 40,000+ square feet
of on the third floor of World Trade
Center Tower Four. (It is easiest to access Eataly from Liberty Street, but you
can also make your way there from the Oculus mall/transportation hub.) The Eataly
space includes places to shop and
eat, and the Downtown location seems more spacious, uncluttered, and uncrowded
than its Flatiron sibling. In fact, the Downtown location is so large that it
offers a guest relations desk at the door where you can pick up a map! You can
keep yourself busy at Eataly in many ways: drinking an espresso, buying some
hand-crafted mozzarella cheese or pasta, taking a class at the Foodiversita, or
eating at one of the five restaurants and six take-away counters. Restaurants include Vino e Grano (“Wine and
Grain”), Le Stagioni (“The Seasons"), Osteria della Pace (“Tavern
of Peace”), and La Pizza & La Pasta. The first two restaurants
accept reservations online using the Reserve website, whereas Osteria uses Open
Table; The Pizza & Pasta area offers first-come, first-seated dining. Tip: If you
only want to eat but not shop at Eataly, take the “sensory shortcut” near the
entrance that leads to the rear dining areas by bypassing the shop shelves and
counters . Takeaway areas include I Ravioli, La Focacceria, La Gastronomia, Il Gelato, La Pasticceria e Venchi
(pastries), La Rosticceria (roasted food), I Panini & Le Ciabatte (panini and ciabatta), and Caffe Lavazza (coffee and snacks).
Although the Flatiron location holds a special position as NYC’s first
Eataly, we love the expansive atmosphere of the Downtown location.
