Define affordable?

$100 for 2 people

Carmines is great with a group and good but more 'Americanized' Itlalian.

Trattoria d'ell Arte or Becco both fit the bill and are in the same area.

I Coppi or Gnocchi Cafe are both good downtown.

There are more Italian restaurants per square inch in NYC than any other kind. Carmine's is southern Italian, huge family sized portions (you need at least 4 hungry adults). In the same general area is ViceVersa, Orso, Maria Pia, Trattoria Trecolori and the ones GoTravel mentioned. Do you want northern, southern romantic, busy???

Vivolo is a very good one on the upper east side. Clientele is a bit older, but maybe that's ok based on your screenname?
http://www.menupages.com/restaurantdetails.asp?areaid=0&neighborhoodid=5&cuisineid=0&restaurantid=4625

my particular favorites are:
nocello on 55th and 8th
la vinera on 55th and 6th
novita 20th (?) and park south
enoteca/i trulli 27th and lex
otto west village. brilliant wine selection as well!

Carmines is very good, but as others have said, its "family style," meaning huge portions that are shared ... so its much better in groups.

Some of Mario's smaller restaurants, like Lupa, are very good. Po is another to look at.

For that price, you can do better. Just for starters, there's Orso, Lattanzi and Remi.

Elio's on the UES is great!!!
2nd between 84th & 85th.

I've heard good things from Paola's on 84th between 2nd & 3rd, never been.

DaSilvano's, Babbo are supposed to be good.

My boss loves Cinque Terre.

You'll never get out of any of the restaurants in the immediately prior post for $100 per couple (but no comment on Cinque Terre, I haven't been to that one).

I love Babbo but it is easily $100 per person. In my book that isn't affordable.

Crispo's on 14th. Very good and should be within your price range (if you don't go overboard on the drinks).

Carnine's focuses on massive (cose to grotesque) portions of red sauce Italian. It's good for groups who want to be loud and have fun - but the food isn;t that special.

I like Trattoria del Arte - but you'll need to be very careful with a drink or wine for $100 for a couple. (As you would at Carmine's.)

We likke Bella Luna on the upper west side - for a casuale neighborhood place for which $100 would be plenty unless you want drinks AND wine.

What about decent Italian in a lower price range...say maybe 25 per person (without alcohol)? I know that NYC is expensive, but the idea of paying $50 per person for "red sauce Italian" that I could get back home for $9 would make me lose my appetite!

John's on 12th Street is a classic, red sauce Italian restaurant, from the early 20th century, and its easy to dine for less than $25. And Veniero's, one of the older pastry shops, is a block away.

missypie, the all-you-can-eat pasta special at Becco is around $20-21!

Are you being sarcastic, Howard, or is Becco really good? We aren't really the "all you can eat" type.

Perhaps visitors should understand that in New York City restaurants, you are paying for the ingredients that make up a meal, yes, but the higher prices reflect the higher cost of doing business in NYC - primarily rent, taxes, utilities and labor. So when you say the food is the same - perhaps yes. But the PLACE is different - that's what you're paying for . . .
That being said - good lower cost Italian restaurants with include the aforementioned Crispo on W. 14th St.; Gonzo on W. 13th St; Le Zie 2000 on 7th Avenue, Gigino in Tribeca, Arte Cafe on W. 73rd, Apizz on Eldridge St., Frank on 2nd Avenue. compare menus and prices at www.menupages.com

You know, this thread is really all over the place. The OP titled the post 'best Italian restaurants'.

And Missypie does not want to spend $50 for red sauce.

There are 2 different types of Italian restaurants.

The first one usually serves basic Italian fare. Think--pasta in red, vodka, garlic & oil, or cream sauce, basic entrees--lemon chicken, veal parm, shrimp fra diavalo (sp?)

Then you have gourmet Italian, where, yes, a red sauce dish may cost $25.

However, you are comparing apples to oranges.

At these restaurants you will find appetizers of pulpo, crudo, proscutto, funghi, and sardines. The pastas will include orecchette w/homemade sausage & fennel, beef cheek ravioli, pumpkin gnocchi. The entrees will include double stuffed veal chop, whole branzino, and sweetbreads.

There is just no comparison. So, my moderate picks in both categories:

Basic Italian:
Baldoria (if it is still open)
Becco
Puttanesca
La Dolce Vita

Gourmet Italian:
Lupa
Apizz
Sfoglia

Keep in mind, that you can make any restaurant less expensive if you are portion control conscious and share an entree or get several appetizers instead of an entree.

Also, call and ask what the corkage fee is. You may be better off bringing your own wine.

Bon Apetit!

missypie, I'm not a fan of Becco's b/c tables are close together, it's noisy and I often don't care for one or more of the pastas they're serving (you don't get a choice), but many people like it.

It's not hard to find good pasta for about $11-15 a plate in many Italian restaurants. You can eat it as your main course or an appetizer (for yourself or to share). The price difference among restaurants generally comes in the meat dishes. Veal is expensive, chicken is not. So it depends on what you order as much as where you go.

Trattoria Dell 'Arte is one of my favorite places. I can eat there less expensively by getting some antipasto (for which they're famous) along with some pizza and maybe dessert OR I can splurge on their fantastic veal chop parmigiana which hangs off the side of the plate and costs $40! (but can be shared)

Missypie, have you and your family been to John's on West 44th? The building used to be a church and still has stained glass and the balcony. You can get entrees or pizzas, all are very good and very reasonable which is important when you start multiplying entrée prices by 5 and 6 people - not funny!

http://www.johnspizzerianyc.com/index2.htm

Right...sorry....I did attempt to hijack the thread a bit. We are a family of 5 (kids ages 16, 14 and 11) and we're looking for good, basic Italian food. "Fancy" would be a negative for us.

Bugswife, nice explanation & list! Thanks!

missy, the all you can eat at Becco are kitchen staff coming out of the kitchen with three different freshly made types of pasta, one is usually ravioli and only one is red sauce.

It isn't some steam table serving stuffed shells, lasagna, meatballs, etc.

It is very good and probably the best dining deal in Midtown because it also includes the anti pasta.

Yes, the tables are close together but get a bottle of wine and you will not care.

Johns might work well for us before we see Legally Blonde at the Palace Theatre. Thanks. You're so right about multiplying prices by 5. It always seems so reasonable ... "dinner for 2 under $100"....but that translates to $250 for a family of 5. Can't quite handle that for a "normal" meal!

mssypie, I was not being sarcastic. I think Becco is one of the best midtown bargains. I don't have the same complaints that mclaurie has.
As for not liking one of the pastas, well, if that happens, you can just east as much of the other two as you want! So, I don't consider that a problem.
As for noise, I don't find it any noisiers that most other restaurants.
And, finally, one other plus about Becco: It has an excellent and varied selection of inexpensive wines.
PS: It's only 2 1/2 blocks from the Palace.
Just be sure to make reservations!