V & T Pizzeria Reviews

In the 70's, this was a pretty decent place. Now, you really take your chances, especially with delivery. In fact, I would NOT recommend delivery. You have a chance to get a decent meal if you go to the restaurant, put up with the surly service, and tell someone exactly what you desire. Otherwise, they don't really care if you are a satisfied customer. It's not inviting at all, but the V & T really has a loyal following. I'm not sure why, however.

Have been there many time, food tasty, prices reasonable, wait staff very nice. The management, is nasty! Went there recently with my wife, who, when asking for a table was told by Maria, I believe owner's daughter-in-law "this is what we have, if a problem leave". It's a shame this woman puts such a damper on an otherwise ok place. Even the wait staff hate her. I personally am never going back. Its an ok place, but there are a million others without nasty management.

I eat here when I was in college and returned for the great Italian tastes fifty years laster. Better than ever

Excellent food very authentic! The portions were huge so come hungry definetly family style. I had the Veal Parm and it was delicous but the best thing was probably the Pizza my boyfriend had the crust was perfect everything we had was very good and well priced.

This was by far THE BEST PIZZA I've ever eaten...and I've eaten pizza in over a dozen countries over the past 40 years! It was a total surprise. Had just gone to the St. John the Divine Cathedral Sunday service, and it was pouring down with rain. We ducked in the restaurant initially as a way to get out of the cold rain (it was between Christmas and New Year!), and were overwhelmed with the smell. It had a nice, cozy atmosphere. The staff talked in Italian with several of the local customers, but were very cordial to us tourists. Will DEFINITELY go back again!!

I love Italian Food. I went to Columbia University 30 years ago and once I came to this restaurant. The food didn't have any taste back then. So I went back thirty years later when I moved back to the NY area. . It had to have gotten better right? Maybe I went on a bad night 30 years ago. The salad was soggy and meh and the chicken parm with spaghetti were ... well bland. Doesn't this restaurant know about garlic or oregano or thyme or basil? I can't believe people like this place. The blandest sauce in the world.

Went here for lunch with a few co-workers. There was only 1 other table sitting outside so it was not busy. We sat outside. Not only did it take about 15min to get a menu, but the menu was literally tossed on the table and the guy left. That wasn't the most pleasant way to start out. It took an addition 5 min for the waiter to arrive and take out drink orders. He was not very pleasant either. Maybe we caught him on a bad day. We ordered a Margherita pizza which was very good. It was spectacular to the point where I would return here. We got the billed and waited a very long time before my coworker decided to just get up and go find someone to run the card. Long story short the pizza was good but not great. The service was less than bearable. I understand people can have a bad day but damn, in a city with a thousand plus restaurants, I figured customer service would be top 5 on priority list.

Tucked away on Amsterdam Avenue, across the street from St. John's The Divine and just down the street from Columbia University, V&T's is a neighborhood institution. In a city and a world where everyone craves the next new thing, V&T's stands out as an old school classic. The pizzas are made with real, gooey, melty cheese (and lots of it). The crust is great. The beers are cold. The salads are fresh. The sandwiches are toasted and tasty. And the atmosphere is spot-on perfect. V&T's feels like New York. V&T's is New York. I hope it never changes.

Based on my experience, the V&T on 111th and Amsterdam serves some of the best pizza I've eaten. I first went there over 48 years ago on my first date with my wife, and the pizza is as good now as I remember it then. You know that it's good when fire trucks and police cars pull up outside for take-out orders. It has a charming atmosphere and serves a variety of Italian dishes, and is convenient to Columbia U. as well as some of the tourist attractions in Morningside Heights. Service can be somewhat haphazard.

This place is VERY popular --- lots of tables and all were occupied by the time I exited at 7:30 at night. Why? It's a huge menu and the food is consistently good --- it's an old-time Italian restaurant, the kind one might have expected to find in Little Italy or up in The Bronx on Arthur Avenue. The service was a bit slow but not because the waiters were inattentive -- they were just stretched thin; too few waiters compared to the number of diners!

This was my third visit and each time the food is more delicious. I had the eggplant parm and it was extremely tasty. If you're going with a group, split the house salad. Try more food by eating family style. You won't be disappointed. I was with a large party and they split our bill with no problems.

Great, family friendly, old-school Italian restaurant. We were told that the pizza was excellent and it was! The ‘small’ pizza arrived with a thud on our table - it was huge - with the wonder waiter quipping “it’s New York small.” All the food was delicious, the wine was excellent and reasonably priced. This is a great little place. It you’re looking for a genuine New York Italians experience, this is the place to go.

Since the pizza was so good, I gave this place 5 stars despite the less than desireable service. It wasn't busy when visited, so we got immediate seating. Our waiter was an older gentleman, who didn't have the friendliest personality. We drinks ran dry; luckily, they give you water in addition to what you order to drink. The pizza was outstanding! It had an amazing crust! I have thought about it many times since our visit there 8 weeks ago.

A first rate place. Fantastic food and the service is second to none. Great place to visit. The pizza is to die for. Authentic Italian ambiance.

Average italian and pizza, popular with the Columbia University crowd. Old school family owned. Service was great when Joe worked here.

Still my favorite pizza place in New York since college days. Partly nostalgia, partly great and inexpensive pizza, partly waiters who are anywhere from very attentive to don't give a hoot. The pizzas are big, dripping with cheese, and go great with a beer or two.

Real New York Pizza is hard to find away from NYC – especially when a menu says, NY-style. When people visit us from out of town. the V&T is where we take them. When our adult children and their children come to NYC, the V&T is the first place they want to eat, even if they've just gotten off the plane. There's a lot of competition on the West Side with designer pizzas, Italian cuisine, and such (and you can get a fantastic pizza in places in Brooklyn), but for a true New York Pizza, the V&T is our gold standard. We've been eating there for over 50 years. Their prepared meals are also very good; I'm partial to the baked ziti and eggplant parm. A neighborhood and university hangout. St. Luke's Hospital and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine are across the street and up a block or two. And they deliver.

Got a recommendation to eat here by lovely lady at St John Cathedral across the street who said it was her go- to place. Now we know why - family- owned Italian pizzeria plus. We had the cheese stuffed shells and eggplant Parmesan sandwich - $7 and $8 respectively. Great food and a calm place amid the cold. Highly recommended! Great value for Manhattan.

I was searching for a restaurant that Maps was having trouble directing me to... turn left and walk 200m would have steered me directly off a cliff... so gave up and walked back towards my meeting place with 30 minutes to spare. Asked for minestrone that wasn't on the menu and got some great winter warming soup and fabulous bread. Real butter and nice bitter tasting olive oil to choose from. Service was professional and good. I'm wishing I could come back.

Where do I begin. The waiter( an elderly gentleman) brought the salad dressing but never brought our salads. Once the food was served. He was not seen again until we're waived him down to get the check. A request for more napkins was never brought. Water never filled.it was empty except for one other table and now I know why. In all fairness the food( I had spagetti and. Meat sauce, my date had chicken fracaiss which she said oil and garlic instead of marinara, but maranari was brought anyway. ( we didn't see the waiter again so couldn't complain. ) was good.but when the service is this bad it brings down everything else

V&T offers an unpretentious menu of Italian-American favorites in a comfortable family environment. Lunch specials are by far the best deal, though you’ll be hard pressed to spend more than $30 on dinner unless you go for the steak. House sangria by the carafe is tasty and reasonably priced. Pasta can be a little on the over-cooked side, so I wouldn’t personally recommend pasta dishes if you prefer them al dente.

Once again I learned how picking a restaurant on impulse can be disastrous. Walking from visiting a friend nearby and after a stop at St. John the Divine to see the phoenixes installation (AMAZING, by the way), I noticed V & T. My friend said, "this place is famous because it's where Simon & Garfunkel used to eat all the time while writing their song lyrics." That sounded like reason enough to me to eat there. Boy, was that a bad idea. The pizza was just TERRIBLE. There's no other word for it. The crust was so cardboard-like that I have to believe it was pre-made instead of rolled out fresh from fresh dough. We ordered two pizzas. One was at least edible but by no means tasty. The other one (the Margherita) was inedible. No other word for it. Just inedible. The salad was unimaginative and bland.

While I happily ordered their mushroom pizza (very, very good!), I was struck by the huge variety of items on their menu. This is a good old fashioned NY Italian restaurant (complete with checkered table cloths) -- and obviously very popular with locals. It's a fifteen minute walk from my home and yet I had never visited it --- but will definitely return. It was noisier than I like but that's because the place was full of diners. By the way, the service was prompt and caring -- and the prices while not inexpensive were certainly reasonable.

We were here for a group lunch. We had a nice, crisp salad, lightly dressed. The pizzas were the very large New York Style. We had plain cheese, veggie and pepperoni pizzas. Pizza is a very subjective food. If you like very thin crust, foldable New York style pizza with a medium spicy sauce this place is for you.

About the best and lightest bread you will find! Pizza crust is also awesome, almost don't know it's there. Also had the house salad (big) and the fried ravioli appetizer. All great. In the past have had the sphagetti and the baked ziti. Hard to go wrong with any of it. St John the Devine cathedral right across the street so very convenient to place to eat if doing some sight seeing

I can’t believe this place isn’t ranked higher. It must only be because it’s a little out of the way for most tourists, up in Morningside Heights. But so worth it! This is truly a mom and pop Italian restaurant! The food is fantastic and portions are huge! I promise you won’t be able to eat it all! The prices are in line with just about every other restaurant. Approx. $12-18 per entrée. We ordered 5 iced teas, and 5 entrees, (fresh baked bread was included) and including tip, our bill was $90. We didn’t order appetizers or salads and didn’t have room for desert. Plus we all took home left overs. It is right across the street from the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine which is a must see! You cannot even begin to describe how enormous it is. (If you take the Gray Line double decker bus Uptown tour, you can get off at this stop.) Make a point of it to see the Cathedral and then eat at V & T Pizzeria after b/c you’ll be too stuffed to walk. You won’t be disappointed! That’s a promise! (Another side note: There is a Hungarian Bakery next to V & T Pizzeria with wonderful pastries and coffee!)

We had a recommendation from some friends who used to live in New York. Caught the Subway from Mid town. Well worth the trip Great pizza.

We had a group of 25 looking for dinner reservations on a Saturday night. A local suggested we try V&T. They could not have been more accommodating. They were packed but they held tables for us. We ordered six pies for 25 thinking it was just the first round; we had leftovers. The pies are big. The pizza is fantastic. The atmosphere is very nice. If you are looking for pizza V&T is amongst the best. Great pizza and they are customer centric.

Amazing pizza, simply the best in NYC. I've tried them all they are all top notch. Get there early as it get very busy

Across the street from St. John the divine, nice family oriented Italian restaurant. Pasta and lunch special great.

Stopped in after Christmas Eve service at Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Place appeared old yet clean, sort of a typical Italian joint you find everywhere in NYC. My wife got an appetizer portion of baked ziti, and I got an Italian sub. The ziti was penne covered in sauce from a jar with partly burned cheese on top. It was big, but definitely not homemade. I got an Italian sub with very little meat and cheese on a huge hogey roll (best thing about the sandwich). It had a mound of iceberg lettuce, unripe tomatoes, and an entire soggy (almost gooey) red pepper on each half. The Italian Sub at Subways or Jersey Mikes is way better. The waitress was slammed and needed help, but was completely inattentive. My wife never got her water, and my refill on diet coke took 10 minutes and came in a small wine glass. Pitiful. The only reason for not giving this place a Terrible rating was in deference to the huge portions. Bottom line, if you want a huge serving of bad food served by an angry staff......this is your place.

Do not get the house special. Sauce was bland, the peppers were bitter and the eggplant on the pizza was gave it a slimy texture. I never had a pizza I didn't like until today.

It's a very nice place where mostly locals gather, quiet and cosy, with very pleasant waiters who will easily chat you up, if you want to, or just leave alone, if you prefer having a quiet meal. They have daily specials which are quite affordable and offer different varieties of Italian style food - pastas, salads and pizzas. It's been around for over 60 years, so lots of history in there too. Very cool option for an easy, unpretentious lunch.

Great food, great price, great atmosphere

Love the pizza and the gruff waiters, the antipasto salad is old fashioned but aerviceable. Good value for the money. Many other red sauce Italian classics also available

We stopped in after attending the Christmas Eve service across the street from St. John the Divine. It was just before 6:00 so we decided to give it a try. We were lucky that we got in before they got slammed. Our food got to us pretty quick considering how us they were. The waitress let us know it might take a bit but all ordered pasta dishes so the wait was not bad. The only thing I wish had been different was better lettuce than iceberg for the salad. My carbanara was good. My wife had the red sauce or gravy with meatballs and liked. My daughter had the alfredo. It is more of a old school Italian restaurant. The menu is huge and so are the portions. If you are in the Morningside Heights area of the city this is good option. It is not a life changing experience but you will have a solid meal. Our waitress did a good job and they were crazy busy all at once after the service let out.

The restaurant is located across the street from the St. John the Devine cathedral. Lovely to sit on the patio. Several families came in during lunch - seemed to be a popular local restaurant. The spinach ravioli that I had was very good with a red sauce. The pizzas looked delicious and I could see people coming frequently for carry out. The restaurant had a familiar-feeling old world decor with dark paneling and red/white checkered tablecloths. It was Sunday and several families of 7-8 people came in and were seated in another room.

We went there for the second time for dinner rather than pizza (which we did on November 1). It was very good. It seemed like a family owned business. The chicken piccata was very good and the price was as well. You get a large hunk of italian bread. We also had the parmeasan bread appetizer and it was delicious. The wine was good as well. I had a bourbon sour and it was the best one I have had in a long time and actually cheaper than in my home town. I was very impressed with the owner/maitre'd giving small glasses of wine to those waiting at the door. We arrived at 5:30 p.m. on a Friday evening and had no problem getting a seat, but by 6 p.m. both rooms were packed. It might of had something to do with the Winter Solstice Concert across the street. There were couples and families with small children there. Nonetheless, the service was excellent, the food was very good and the drinks were very good....Oh yes, the tiramisu was excellent. We will return if we are in that neighborhood again.

Nice size dining room, substantial portions and very reasonable prices. But the pasta and sauces are mediocre and the pizza is inconsistent-- sometimes delicious, other times (like today) quite unremarkable. We were a group of four in the dining room, which was relatively busy. Problem was-- there was only one waiter to be seen. We had to call him over to get him to take our order, and we saw numerous people around us visibly annoyed at the lack of attention. I had to ask a couple times to get a table setting. Finally someone else (it looked like the bartender) came to help take care of the customers. At the end of the meal our bill was illegible and the prices didn't seem like what we ordered. We asked the waiter and he asked us what we ordered. When we listed it, he apologized and changed it. Had he written it down when he took it, he wouldn't have had the difficulty. Worst, on our way out we saw the same thing happen to another table. Bottom line, it's worth spending a few extra dollars to go somewhere with better food and service.

We've been going to V&T for 20 years, and it's always a pleasure. Love the basics -- cheese pie, mozzarella sticks, calamari, etc. and the service is wonderful. An old-school NYC treasure.

I LOVEd V&T's in the old days at Columbia, and I try to get there once every year or two still - sometimes it is the best pizza ever and sometimes inedible - that is the main problem - you never know which V&*T's you are going to get these days. Hopefully they will become more consistent agin in the future - for now if you get a good pie it is the perfect combination of cheese, sauce, and crust - if not, it will be wet and soggy. Very disappointed this time - hopefully the next will be better.

We were looking for some place to have lunch after touring Columbia University. The place caught our eye, but we continued down the block, and then said "why are we looking any further when this place looked so good" We were so glad we went. The weather was gorgeous enough to eat outside at their informal outdoor tables. We had a great antipasti with a hot loaf of Italian bread, olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and then a fantastic "white pizza" - everything was excellent. Really enjoyed our meal. Found the waiters to be nice. But the food was fresh and really hit the spot. Prices were not bad all things considered, it's New York! Located across the street from St. John the Devine Cathedral.

First visit lunch. Ordered pizza. Very hot and tasty. Plenty of cheese. Had to remove some. Typical NYC pizza. Medium thick crust. Excellent professional service. Nice ambiance. Clean rest rooms. Highly recommend. Well above a pizzeria. Very large and varied menu.

Always have had excellent food here. Staff is friendly. The place even smells tantalizing. I have a friend who calls it her personal kitchen and loves their pasta.

The pizzia that we ordered was very good. We ordered a Med Sausage Pizza and it was plenty for two people. The price was in order with other pizzas in that area. The service was good and the area was clean.

I used to come during my graduate school days and hadn't been back in years. Still excellent food. Very good house salad, eggplant parmagiana sandwich, seafood combo special, yogurt gelato with berries desert. Atmosphere is old-school NY Italian, some of the waiters have been there for years, and it is nice and quiet. Highly recommended!

We had classic NY pizza here after our tour of the church. Have to admit it was a bit overdone in the middle but the sauce was tasty. Would give it another try. Reasonably priced

I had a takeout order. Pizza was nice and delicious. Wasn't crispy. Still, all in all it was a nice pizza. Staff was courteous.

Have been coming here for 30 years. Great pizza in a casual atmosphere. You can't go wrong. Great pasta also. Very good value.

A very pleasant, attentive and welcoming staff serves up some of the tastefully prepared Italian cuisine I have ever eaten. This is a "must visit" eatery whose ambience speaks Italian.

Talk about longevity! I have seen three sets of family owners over many years- the waitstaff is "real New York" and I've known some of them for 20 years or more. The Italian food is good, honest Italian-American. Portions are generous, and everything is moderately priced. The pizza is especially good and filling. The restaurant is a favorite of the Columbia University community, but is also a mainstay of a neighborhood that went from good to bad to good over the years. I enjoy seeing the cops and firemen who come in, they are always welcomed.

Mmmmm the best restaruant Lasagna I can say I ever had. I had an excellent time here, and wish it would have been closer to where I was staying so that I could have had more off the menu. Atmosphere was just as great as the food..

V & T Pizzeria is a great Italian restaurant in Morningside Heights. I usually hesitate to order more serious dishes at a pizzeria, but I'm glad my friend convinced me to get the Chicken Francese a little while back. It was great! I've probably eaten here a dozen times in the last year as I am in the area on business quite often. The pizza is good and always consistent, but the Italian specialty dishes deliver as well! Two thumbs up!

Fabulous delicious food, fabulous neighborhood atmosphere, fabulous friendly service. reasonable and inexpensive.

I was a V&T several times recently while my wife was in the hospital. It was great every time. I had sit down dinners as well as care packages back to my wife in her hospital room. I'll definitely be back when in the neighborhood.

V&T was a solid and simple choice for us on our recent visit to the Columbia campus. My wife and I each ordered personal pizzas (they were too big to finish off at a sitting so they came in handy at the hotel later that day). The service was fast and efficient but not very warm. The food was very good. Some reviewers have mentioned inconsistency (that may have to do with who's on duty in the kitchen) but we certainly lucked out. It's not fancy but it's good.

The food was average Italian fare nothing you couldn't find at any other restaurant. The place was clean and nice, service was ok. The cannoli was excellent and the salad was above average for this type of restaurant. Not a bad choice if you are in the area and want a NY Italian experience.

Excellent food.....the pasta carbonara is to die for! The pizzas are good and very large for the price...the medium is $21 for 2 people. Fast service, quite nice server I recommend

Wasn't sure what to expect, i was amazed. I ordered the baked zitti and it was very delicious. The sauce was perfect, not heavy and not rich. My wife ordered the chicken marsallah and it was very delicious. The cannoli was spot on, my wife got the coppa pistachio and loved it. The building may be small, but the service was great. Definitely set my standards for NY Italian food. Excellent choice for lunch or supper.

The hallmark of a great NYC pizza is its taste, its presentation, and its authenticity. My grandmother first took my dad to the original V & T Pizza in 1947. My dad introduced me to V & T's shiny metal trays covered with cheesy pizza in 1977. The night before my wife's first NYC Triathlon I took her to V & T. The checkered red and white tablecloth, dark wood and dim lighting was familiar and relaxing. A mesclun salad for 2 with roasted red peppers was large,fresh and delicious. We ordered a small cheese pie and rigatoni with marinara and shrimp. The pizza arrived at our table on its familiar metal tray. It was hot and cheesy, the thin crust absorbing all the liquid. The pizza is so good it stuns me in the same way that it did 36 years ago. The pasta was simply prepared and my wife enjoyed every bite. No pretense, no reimagining a NYC pizza - this is the real deal.

We came here for a light lunch and both picked one of the salads, a spring mix for me and a goat cheese/tomato salad for my boyfriend. We were both served the same pile of salad, with no seasoning whatsoever and identical garnish. The only difference between the two was they were topped by a different cheese. The chunks of gorgonzola on my salad were so big that it was unappetizing. Service was very cool, not friendly at all. The menus were thrown on the table, without being greeted or seated. The waiter who took our order replied with "So that's it?" after we ordered our salads. He brought us two plastic plates and cutlery (just left them in a stack, and one was dirty) and then brought no bread. We wondered what the point of the plates was in the first place. Also during our meal we weren't asked once how it was. As Europeans, we feel bad for tipping here just because it's expected. We would not have tipped, or maybe even paid, otherwise. We would not recommend, even more so, would warn as a place to avoid.

Nice environment, decent selection of Italian food plus pizza, pleasant service, food is ok. Save room for dessert at the Hungarian Pastry Shop, down the block.

Lived in the neighborhood 40 years ago. Have been back to V&T a number of times in the interim. The restaurant remains the same. Decor hasn't changed, level of service hasn't changed nor has the quality of food. Last night I returned with 2 friends. We ordered a salad (plentiful & delicious) and large eggplant & bacon pizza (as wonderful as I remembered). Price remained reasonable. There was lots to package up & take home. I'll be back when hit with another wave of nostalgia but don't be deterred it's a great place to go if you are in the neighborhood.

Large group stopped in after a concert performance - had the entire back room! Meals can be served family style. Friends raved about the pizza and it certainly looked amazing! Staff was attentive considering how busy the restaurant was.

Although a lot has been written about the pizza, our party ate pasta. It was all delicious with generous portions and excellent flavor. I had the eggplant parmesan and it came with a generous side of pasta. The service was good and the final bill very reasonable. I would definitely go back again.

The service is about as rude and disengaged as you can get - the waitress acts like she is going to off herself at any moment. The food is pretty much thrown together (had spaghetti and meatballs and it was a half pound of pasta with some sauce slopped on top) although the portions are huge. This place seems to be going more for the neighborhood crowd than the "foodie" crowd or even the good food crowd. There must be 300 italian places within walking distance that do a better job.

Great lasagna, nice place, good attention! Would definetely come back! Great food at an affordable, comfortable an nice place. Ps: do not miss their bread

Been coming back here for years - hasn't changed & the Pizza is still the best in NYC Great experience all round

After watching our kids perform in a choral concert at St. John the Devine Cathedral, my wife and I looked for a place to eat lunch. What a find! The place isn’t fancy but the food is incredible! I ordered the Meatball Parmigiana and my wife got the Eggplant Parmigiana. OMG it was amazing! By far the best meatball sub I’ve ever had! It’s a good thing I don’t live anywhere close because I would weigh much more than I do now. Very authentic Italian cuisine! Definitely recommend!

We were a group of 8 and they accommodated us quickly . We were able to sit outside which was nice. The food was excellent....great service and reasonably priced!

My wife and I were visiting my sister-in-law. She used to live in this neighborhood, and she and her husband ate at the V&T Pizzeria and Restaurant all the time. Located within walking distance of St. John the Divine Cathedral, the restaurant is not at all fancy and clearly caters to locals. And there is a reason for the repeat business. The margarita pizza we had was simply the best we have ever had--thin crunchy crust, homemade tomato sauce, fresh cheese--lots of it--and vegetables. Simply heavenly!

I dined here as a graduate student 40years ago! I came back to pay homage to Columbia U. and wandered in my old neighbourhood! I could not miss a visit back to V&T’s ! The same amazing cuisine , caring service and smiling faces . And a pizza to write home about!! Excellent !!!!!

My group regularly meets at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, which is right across the street. This night we weren't able to meet there, so we gathered at V &T. We had a party of seven, which came in in drips and drabs. They were very accommodating, and the service was helpful and friendly. I had the Chicken alla Vinny (the V in V & T?), which was two chicken breasts with artichoke hearts, black olives, mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes. It was very tasty, but I was even more impressed with the Chicken Scarpiella the gentleman to my right ordered. It was the standard dish, but with chicken pieces on the bone! He said the meat was very juicy and tasty as a result. I'm so tired of going to Italian restaurants where all they have is chicken breast. Even thought I failed to notice and order it for myself, I've made a note for my next visit to look closely at the magazine. We had a wonderful meal together, the food and atmosphere was terrific!

this place has been around forever, born and raised in the columbia university neighborhood and now part of the new upper west side, great portions, huge menu and excellent specials, best house wine in full liter carafes is best deal in town, can even find parking in front

Until I was 5 I lived right around the corner from this place. It was always a special treat when my folks took me and my sister there. Took a day trip to the city and I knew exactly where we had to eat. I was taken back to my childhood. The food was phenomenal just line I remembered it to be. Service was awesome. Writing this review makes me want to go back. Clean restrooms too!!

I used to eat here when I was in graduate school. I loved it then - I still love it. Located just across Amsterdam ave from St John the Unfinished, it's a lovely, old world feeling place -- from the older waiters who tend stoically to the hipsters, millennials, tourists and academics who wander in, to the great decor that feels just like, well, the old world. The pizza is just as good as I remember. Sadly, it seems like the neighborhood is gentrifying and I fear that V&T's may not be long for this world. So eat there while you can...

I was here last week. V&T Pizzarea is regarded as one of the top pizzerias in New York, with so many choices of pizza. The pies are soft crust, and their pasta and Italian dishes are well worth the visit. Yes, a must if you are in the Morningside Heights area.

While visiting Columbia we stumbled upon this little gem. I love Italian. We dined here for lunch. The menu is extremely reasonable. I had fettuccine Alfredo and it was only $11 for a lunch portion and it came with a salad. A small one topping pizza was $14 and it had 6 large slices. I really enjoyed it and our server was so nice. I felt like family. Will return for sure!

A setting like a 1960s Italian restaurant, they even have the checkered tablecloths and a picture of a guy in gondola on the menu. This is New York thin crust pizza par excellence. Great mushroom and eggplant pizza. Good for a place to eat after a visit to Columbia U or St. John the Divine.

We went with some very young children for a family dinner. We found there were quite a few other families with children present. The menu includes a wide variety of pasta dishes, aside from pizza. Everyone enjoyed their dishes, and the portions were very generous. The staff were friendly and helpful.

I went to V & T for dinner on a recommendation from a dine around club and had a nice experience. First, if you are looking for gourmet food this is not the place. This is a red sauce restaurant in the most traditional sense. It is like a restaurant you will find in Little Italy. The service was very friendly and welcoming. The place was very clean and the décor a little dated but still nice. The food was good but not great. I had a house salad that brought me back down memory lane with iceberg lettuce and cello tomatoes and house dressing and then had a meatball parmesan sub. The bread was very fresh and the sauce was good but the meatballs had no zing to them. They were just okay. The portion sizes of the food were huge. As I looked at the other tables, some of the appetizers and pasta dishes were just as large and everyone looked they were enjoying their meals. I have to try it again for another opinion but otherwise it was a nice evening out.

This was recommended to me by a New Yorker friend. Lovely atmospheric restaurant with great pasta, pizza and some excellent value, quality wines. In fact the bread they provided at the start of the meal was a highlight in itself- uber fresh and tasty. Being a little way from the downtown area it was a little cheaper than many of the other diners we ate in. It may have been less expensive but my whole family thought this was the best meal of our week in New York

Came to town and hit this place on used to come with my family when I was a child. Food is still amazing and it honestly hasn’t changed one bit, they do it right there let me tell you.

We were looking for good pizza on the Upper West Side, and we have found our "go to" spot. We enjoyed very pleasant outdoor seating, attentive but not intrusive staff, and a wonderful fresh Margherita pizza.

V&T has changed since I used to come here frequently 30 years ago. I think they have caught a health bug. The cheese is no longer slobberingly thick, which is a disappointment in a way, but the pizzas are still very tasty. I'm sure I will be back the next time I visit the alma mater. Thank you

We went here for lunch and had the combo pasta and salad. Very reasonable restaurant that offers great warm bread, crispy fresh salad and generous portions. I had the spaghetti with vegetables and had to take half home there was so much food. The pasta could have been a little more al dente for me but I very much enjoyed lunch and will return to try the amazing looking pizza.

My family, friends, and I have frequented this restaurant several times over the past 25 years. The food was always pretty good, and the view was spectacular. Sadly, I have NOTHING good to say about this establishment anymore because of the abuse I received at the hands of the owner last weekend. Basically, the owner refused to let me sit in the back dining room because he mistook me for a homeless person or something. I have been in poor health the last few months, was released from the hospital a few days ago and was wearing my orthopedic shoes with diabetic socks. The rude owner looked me up and down and then refused to seat me while screaming "Get the f*** out of here" simply because he didn't like the way I looked. As a suburban NY transplant , I realize NYC is very harsh, but when a hard-working retired teacher can't be treated with some respect, I know that it is time to go somewhere else! There are plenty of other places in this wonderful neighborhood. No need to line the pockets of a horrible human being!

An excellent Italian restaurant with great service and food. It's a neighborhood staple with regulars constantly coming back for more.

The place is understaffed. Waitress was very good but she was working her butt off. The food was not very good. Chicken was tough to cut and was rubbery. Not worth eating. Wife had spaghetti with white clam sauce that was terrible. Not going to eat here again.

We told the waiter 3 times what we wanted and he still got it wrong. Even so, the pizza dough wasn't tasty and too much cheese. The Caesar salad was okay. We don't recommend this to anyone.

V + T's is a treasure of a restaurant that serves some of the best pizza in Manhattan. I've lived in Brooklyn for years, and have eaten at the best places there - Grimaldi's, Lucali's and Queen, but still make the effort to come up to V+T's. This is old school Italian at its best

I'm a big fan of the fish (salmon) and chicken Marsalla. Great quiet location. Varied menu. Highly recommended for take out!

This has to be THE best pizza north of The Village. What a sweet secret.

Three Canadian women away for the weekend. To start we had a full day of walking , we were cold and very hungry we wanted to sit and enjoy what looked to be a not half bad place across from St. John of Devine church . We walked in and told to seat ourselves . We sat waiting for waitress with menus and drink orders and did a little people watching , which seemed all good , food looked good people were being served . Another group came in and sat at table next to us . We then started noticing staff at bar talking and looking our way. Not sure why . Table next to us was then given menus and drink orders taken,seemed to be locals . We still had not even been greeted or given menus and had any drink orders. Waited and waited staff still talking and we had to ask for menus and service. We ordered pizza and my friend ordered her meal . We got our meals and the pizza was so saturated in water from the canned mushrooms i presume that the whole pizza was mushy and soggy nothing like the other tables had around us. The Russian waitress was ignorant she didn't do 1 quality check while we were there and kept talking about us with other staff as to be sure not to give us any service. Very obvious we weren't welcome . FYI we are usually more than generous with our tips but not for this crap! We did get another pizza to replace the crap she gave us and it still was in no way like what the other customers had . We left , took the pizza outside and gave it to a poor lady out on the street

The waiter actually encouraged us to downsize our order as he said one pizza each would be too much, so we shared a large medium sized pizza with half and half topping. It was tasty but very runny - a lobster bib would have been helpful!

Excellent food, reasonably priced, with good service and a nice friendly, local ambiance. We've been coming here since our first visit in 1967, and it is still as good as the first time. Two separate rooms, one more "romantic" since it has checked table cloths and nice décor; the other might be better for kids. The pizza, thin crusted, is among the best in NYC. Even the fire trucks from nearby companies stop to pick it up, so you know... . Convenient to attractions in Morningside Heights and Columbia University, and directly across from the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. Nice, moderately priced wine list. Try the chicken Sorrento or parmesan, neither overly salty. When you're finished, try the Hungarian Bakery next door.

Five of us had pasta, eggplant parm, and sausage. The food was excellent, and the portions were large. But service was poor, as we had to wait 30 minutes for what seemed to us usual dishes. Place was plain but clean and good.

We were in the neighborhood visiting the Cathedral of St. John The Divine, when we noticed a place to eat across the street. We arrived there just after opening, and ate a very good vegetarian pizza. It seemed to be a little local place that was popular. The tables were all filled by customers by the time we left.

For a town that prides itself on the pizza it serves, it really can be challenging finding a decent pie when you're craving one. John's on Bleeker is a great option, and a NYC institution - but V&T is one notch above, and an institution on the UWS. They offer good pastas and salads, but the pizza is really outstanding! Amazing what fresh tomato sauce, good quality cheese and a sublime crust can do - a party in your mouth!! Mangia!!

If you were responsible for authoritatively administering the "no substitutions" rule, and if you were obliged to serve crab-stuffed trout basking in a pond of grease, and if you were incabable of bringing two lunches to the table simultaneously, and if your walking pace was restricted to the speed at which one might amble through treacle, then maybe you, too, would probably have an excuse for being the most miserable restaurant employee in New York. So that's why I forgave our disconsolate server when it was time to leave a tip; he was also a victim of a dining model that has much room for improvement.

Well the Hungarian Pastry Shop was packed to the gills, and I really wanted something more substantial anyway, so I tried V&T -- very close. Nice find! Chicken Piccata was very good. Bread was fantastic. Service OK+ but could have been more attentive when the place was nearly empty. It filled as the afternoon progressed, and there was also a private party, so the wait staff was a bit stretched then. Overall a good value.

Great neighborhood staple for dine in or take out. Best pizza in the neighborhood. The dining room may not be fancy but the food is good!!

Loved that we were seated outdoors on a beautiful summer evening, but we chose a table right by the airconditioning units and the constant noise was a little annoying. Make sure to sit at the other end. The pizza was quite good if a little overloaded with topping, so the crust in the middle got soggy. The special appetizer of escarole and beans was divine! Service could have been better. Our waiter went missing when we were ready to get the bill and leave. Overall still a positive experience.

Come here for the pizza but stay for the ambiance. Near Columbia University the Hungarian Pastry Shop and the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine always to best mix of clientele.

You can't beat the prices here -- we each had a personal pizza that could easily feed 2, so lots of leftovers. The cheese pie (choice of thin or thick crust) was $4!!! The restaurant provided a nice setting, complete with cloth napkins (I'm fussy about my napkins). The pizzeria is an oasis in the middle of a residential setting -- very happy we found it.

Every time I visit NYC, I try to make it to V&T at least once. I happened across it one day while exploring Manhattan because I wanted to sit on their little patio and look at St. John the Divine (beautiful). The food was amazing. I have since gone back my last four trips, at least once a trip. Pizza is excellent, caprese salad divine. My very favourite dish is the rigatoni bolognese. Serving sizes are generous, staff are efficient and usually friendly. It seems to be a neighbourhood joint, with lots of Columbia students and locals. I've been with friends who are lifelong New Yorkers and this place is on their radar, too. Highly recommend.

We had the everything pizza and the medely of flavors was wonderful. Each bite had another surprise: fresh garlic, eggplant, Italian sausage, meatballs... They used all the freshest ingredients and all the best quality. Neat old restaurant that has been in business 50+ years.

The service is excellent when one of the waiters I've known for so long a time waits on our table. Can be 'gruff', but efficient and timely. The food is excellent. Italian friends from Bensonhurst consider it on a par with home made meals by their mommas and grandmothers. I have never been disappointed with a meal. From a hero to pizza, pork chops, pasta dishes and desserts are good and heavy. The atmosphere is conducive to having a good home style cooked meal. The sauces rich, smooth and delicious. It's as if your Italian grandmother and aunts are in the kitchen preparing it just for you. It's a pleasant atmosphere. Welcoming. The food is THE BEST. All of it. Even the iceberg lettuce salad with herbs and tangy vinegar dressing is good. The best is the pizza. Pork chops. Red sauce pastas. Eggplant dishes. Parmesan dishes. A fried calamari for appetizer is crisp and not oily. The loaf of fresh Italian bread, warm and comforting with butter on the side and olive oil if you ask for it. It is a refuge for me, and at least once a week I order a pizza for home delivery. The owner Alex is so pleasant and friendly. The waiters who've been there a long time know their customers and give that little bit of extra service to make you want to return. There is not mush I find the least appealing, except for the new waiters who can be a bit rushed, but never unwelcoming. It is a refuge for me, and at least once a week I order a pizza for home delivery. The owner Alex is so pleasant and friendly. The waiters who've been there a long time know their customers and give that little bit of extra service to make you want to return.

I had been to this restaurant 40 years ago and was amazed to see it still in business with the food and service quality still excellent. My grandson is very particular about his pasta and he ate every bit in addition to the excellent hot bread. Our server was very friendly and made us feel very special. All was so good that we went back 2 days in a row.

Had a pizza covered with canned mushrooms. I was so disappointed. Why o why in an easy and affordability of the real thing must you so poison what may have been a decent pizza.

We came here on Father's Day after the Mets game. We'd were with native New Yorkers. Food was plentiful. Side salads are huge. Plain cheese pizza was huge and had a sweetness to it I had never tasted before. Spouse had fettuccini Alfredo and I had baked ziti with meatballs. Plenty to share. Service was a bit slow as our waitress had a huge table over 12 too. Nice area and great dessert menu.

The world is complex enough. The V andT is a reasonable antidote. You want haute cuisine, Northern Italian with French or Swiss blemishes, pack your passport and attitude and take a hike. If your weary intellectually assaulted bones want to sit down for pizza, a full neapolitan menu with no side alleys and fewer pretensions then you have found a place to eat and rest. No its not particularly quiet, but the main stream menu and sated servings of veal and chicken parm, meatballs and other surprises will still your wandering appetite. Great no. Good yeah, and family and street friendly. Save room for dessert next door at the Hungarian pastry shop. This food will help you survive winter, the nuclear winter or any other urban traumas that require gut level Sunday night comfort for the long week ahead. . mangia

Another great local place on the upper West Side near St. John The Divine. The joint is family-owned; food is superb; service is fantastic and the atmosphere is subdued. If you're looking for a place where the locals eat, this is it! Some of the best calamari I've ever had!

Visiting Columbia, stopped by for a quick pie. The large size feeds four easily, these are not LA sized pizzas! Got the special, too many flavors for me. The cheese was very good. Next day cold leftovers the special shined for breakfast. Fair prices, served hot and fast, might try something simpler next time.

The food was very good. Some fantastic NY pizza. The restaurant was intimate and authentic. The service was attentive and friendly. This is a must for NYC.

The food is really good,basic Italian dishes and they are willing to adjust the meal to what ever you want to have. Ask for waiters Aldo or Bosch or Marco they will take care of you. Anthony on the cash register is super friendly.Great place to eat and right across the street from Saint John the Devine cathedral.

V & T Pizzeria is a must stop for a fun, filling meal for anyone in the vicinity of Columbia University. The place was as popular as my wife remembered when she was in school here two decades ago. The decor is old time, but classy. The pizzas are enormous.......we ordered two for the six of us and we couldn't finish them! I look forward to my next visit to V & T.

Directly across from the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, this seemed like a good spot for a quick lunch. We ordered pizza and beer, and while it was good, the service was not the best, but it might have been and "off Day". Dining is available inside or out.

I live a block away, and for 40 years V&T has been a special place for family and where I take all out-of-town visitors for a taste of old New York. With red-checkered table cloths, crotchety waiters who are actually smiling (welcome to NY), and thick red tomato sauce on big portions, at reasonable prices, this mainstay across from St. John the Divine and next to the Hungarian Pastry Shop has been a classic with Columbia students and families forever. Don't expect gourmet. The pizza tends to get soggy in the middle, but it's delicious. Other favorites are chicken parmesan, chicken rollatini,and eggplant parmesan. Cheesecake is great if you have room!

Although this is billed as a pizzeria, it has a full Italian menu and very reasonable prices. With so many great Italian restaurants in NYC, it's hard to recommend this place against others. But it's very convenient to Columbia and St John the Divine and for the price, it's worth it.

I was in NYC for the weekend to bring my son home from his year at Columbia. He is a regular at V&T's. All the waiters came over to greet him and then shook my hand and introduced themselves. The first night we had pizza. Very good. The next night I had Veal Piccata and my son had shrimp parm. OMG, the best ever! For dessert I had Tiramisu. TO DIE FOR!!! On the second night, two different parties arrived with a wheel chair patron. They were very accommodating to them. I strongly recommend V&T's.

This place retains its 70's-80's style charm. No frills Italian with a huge menu. The pizza is decent, the pastas good, and the drinks are reasonable. We had a feast for 100 bucks!

The chicken milanese was drowning in what you can call the most disgusting tomato sauce in the world. Absolutely disgusting. When we asked the waiter about mozzarella di buffala, it sounded like chinese to him. How can a pizza taste that bad? If you want to get diarrhea, this is a safe spot. To avoid at all cost, it will save you wet wipes. Take it from europeans.

I have family that has lived in the city for years, and this is their favorite pizza place - that says a lot! Only one location, and still run by the same family. I remember going for the first time when I was 10, and I recently dined again at 39. It's nice to know the same place is still in business after all these years. The pizza is great, large pieces and very tasty. I was full after my first piece, but I continued to eat another two pieces. The service was great as well. A true NY gem!

Oh. My. Holy. Italian. Food. We couldn't have asked for better. Ate here at the advice of a local New Yorker, and SO glad we did. This place is IT. A local neighborhood treasure. The staff, the food, all fantastic. Authentic old style Italian food done right. I have not ever had a better Eggplant Parm., the hubby's chicken parm was fantastic, and our son had a "real" NY style pizza. The meats, the breads, cheeses, etc....all delicious. And our waiter, Aldo, an 80-year old gem of a man! Has worked there 38 years! He gave my son a tiramisu for a traditional Italian dessert. Yum!! This was so worth the subway trip and finding our way a bit farther out from our hotel. Thankful for the local's tip to us tourists!!

I first dined at the V&T, in its previous location a couple of blocks away, as a Columbia freshman in the fall of 1955. A small cheese pizza then cost $0.85, and there wasn't any serious competition in the Columbia University neighborhood. I've returned intermittently over the years during reunions and other visits to Morningside Heights, and although there is plenty of competition now (and the prices are a bit higher), V&T is still my go-to pizzeria. Pizzas are well made with excellent ingredients. Friends who had other menu items, like eggplant parmagiana, were equally satisfied.

V&T, while not perfect, is a little oasis in Morningside Hts and the Upper West Side. It's an old-school Italian "Family" restaurant (read: family-friendly, not snooty), with the usual variety of good standard Italian fare, usually done well to very well. Salads can be a let down though, unless you get the expensive one (side salads are just Iceberg Lettuce, some carrots and a sad, pale tomato slice). But things like the Chicken Cutlet (better as entre than as sandwich) or even the pizza is quite good. Delivery is good (had it many times, always hot, with nice I. bread roll added); but eating in is generally nice too. Gets crowded and sometimes loud, but NOTHING like the raucous noise you usually hear in Carmine's on 91 & Broadway. Overall good, though not quite as good as you may find in Little Italy. The Chicken Fingers, while not very "Italian" are tasty!

Pizza is pretty good, especially at a sidewalk table. Everything else on the menu, i.e. the pasta and meat dishes, are uniformly bad. Service is terrible, our waiter was so slow that we were actually standing up to walk out when he ambled over and started taking our orders.

The food was good, standard Italian fare. The waiter was unfriendly and unhelpful. Not sure I would go back.

Fun, yummy, inexpensive pizza place. Family friendly and good choice of meals and pizza toppings -- pizzas are big and we over-ordered.

Came here after Columbia athletic event and they were able to seat 18 of us. Large portions of food. A small pizza can feed at least 3 people. Chicken primavera wonderful with large pieces of chicken. Waiters are old school Italian - get it the first time - not much for explaining things. Our group enjoyed the food and atmosphere.

The portions are huge , but everything- right down to the bread and the wine- are utterly tasteless.Also, the waiter has a tendency to throw or slam things onto the table.Basically you get a lot of food for relatively cheap prices but you sacrifice quality and service.

V & T Pizzeria provides excellent traditional Italian food in a traditional setting you've likely seen in other upscale Italian restaurants. Both curbside & indoor seating is available, so you don't have to sit out in the cold. The soup, spaghetti & meatballs, and cannoli I had for lunch were all very good, and service was prompt.

My wife and I took a trip down memory lane when we went into the V & T Pizzeria on Amsterdam Ave., opposite the Cathedral of St. John the Divine. The same murals were on the wall, even if the restaurant has moved from its former location (opposite St. Luke's?). We had eggplant Parmagian, just like the old days (50+ years ago). Very good food, and we were treated to graduation processions across the street while we were enjoying it.

This place is simple and crowded because it's really good pizza. Every time I'm in the city, I get a pie for myself and it's worth the wait, just get a bottle of wine and relax.