Disclaimer: I was invited as a guest to this establishment for a complimentary meal. All opinions expressed in this post are my own

I was recently invited to a press review at Dopo East Ristorante Italiano – a charming Italian spot on the Upper East Side. Housed in a delightful space within a townhouse, Dopo East offers really cozy quarters with comfortable cushioned banquettes and year round seating in a glass-enclosed outdoor garden which is temperature controlled with a retractable roof.

Owned by architect Emilio Barletta and partner Pino Manica, with Gianni Onofri as the head Sommlier and Director of Operations, Dopo East offers traditional regional cuisine of Italy and an award-winning wine list.

Gianni Onofri has designed the wine program at Dopo East’s which is off the charts! They have a really impressive temperature-controlled wine cellar with a separate entrance, which is used for wine tastings, wine pairings and special wine dinners. They have a wine list of about 700 unique labels, mostly Italian and have consistently won accolades from the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence and the Wine Enthusiast Award of Unique Distinction.

Dopo East also has a state-of-the-art Enomatic wine system that preserves the quality of opened bottles of wine and can offer premium and super premium wines by the glass.

Chef Patrizio D’Andrea is in charge of the kitchen where he has fashioned a menu with Classic Italian favorites such as “Fritto Di Calamari”, “Tartare Di Tonno”, “Pappardelle Al Sugo”, “Ossobuco” and much more.

All the breads served are made from scratch as are the pastas made in-house. The “Ossobucco” we tried served atop a saffron risotto was perfectly executed as the meat was so tender that it just fell away onto our forks and into our mouths! For dessert my clear favorite was the “tiramisu” which was light as air.

What I loved most about Dopo East is it’s warm, homey feel. The staff is beyond welcoming and they really go out of their way to make you feel comfortable. It is evident that Dopo East is really that beloved neighborhood place that has been embraced by its patrons.

As I was taking pictures for my press review, two older ladies who are regulars could not stop telling me about just how much they love this place. “Its really a home away from home”, they said to me and I can’t agree more.

Here is some of what we ate: