Get An Authentic Bite Of Italy At A Secret New York Eatery Known As The City's Best Sicilian Deli

From thin-crusted pizza slices giant enough to fold in half to bagels smeared with lox and cream cheese, New York City has a full menu of iconic foods. It showcases cuisines from a variety of cultures, and among the most popular of these is Italian food. If you're searching for authentic places to eat some of Italy's most beloved dishes, the most obvious choice is to visit Mulberry Street in Lower Manhattan, which is home to one of America's best Little Italys. Alternatively, you can head to the Bronx to experience what some locals call New York's "real Little Italy."

While these are both deliciously suitable options, if you want to wander even further off the beaten path, you can venture to the city's Financial District. Hidden down an unassuming street decorated with scaffolding just off of Wall Street, Best Sicily Bottega is one of the city's best kept secrets for authentic Italian cuisine. Serving paninis, pizza, and fresh-baked pastries, the small café doubles as a market that sells items imported from Italy. Next time you're in New York, bite into the Big Apple's Italian hidden gem, Best Sicily Bottega.

Owned and operated by Sicilian couple Silvia Lombardo and Nicolas Calia, it doesn't get any more authentic than Best Sicily Bottega. Using Lombardo's classic Sicilian recipes, the café serves beloved dishes like arancini alla norma, an Italian rice ball stuffed with eggplant, tomato, and ricotta cheese, and golden-brown cannoli piped with fresh sweet cream filling. The gleaming deli case also displays perfect paninis made with homemade focaccia bread, and rows of fresh pastries, including scrumptious olive oil cakes, almond cookies, and fruit tarts.

Sip on an authentic cappuccino from their espresso menu, and try the popular pistachio-flavored version to satisfy your sweet tooth. They also serve delicious pizza, calzones, and Italian meatballs.  Although the shop is on the small side, it's the perfect spot to cozy up with a hot beverage and a tasty Italian treat. Plus, you can always grab a sandwich to go if that's more your speed.

You'll also find a charming market within Best Sicily Bottega. Amply stocked grocery shelves are lined with imported Italian items, such as Sicilian pasta, extra virgin olive oil, cheese wedges, cooking spices, jars of green olives, and espresso beans. If you're looking for a gift or souvenir, they also carry a variety of goodies like soaps, wooden bowls, ceramic mugs, and themed gift boxes for every occasion. They even have Sicilian cookbooks if you'd like to try your hand at re-creating your favorite dishes.

While you can purchase most of their products online, nothing beats the feeling of stepping into a charming little shop and perusing shelves and pastry cases as the delicious aromas of Sicily swirl around you. When in Manhattan, before booking it to Little Italy, head to the Best Sicily Bottega for living proof that New York City hides some of the sweetest, most delicious gems.