The Rolodex: Cattivella, Handmade Pasta and Wood-Fired Pizza in Central Park

If you need an Italian dinner on the east side that feels like an actual night out, put Cattivella in your phone. It's at 10195 E 29th Dr #110 in Central Park (the neighborhood a lot of people still call Stapleton).

It sits at 4.5 stars on Google from 1398 reviews, as of 2026-05-02. That's a lot of people agreeing with each other. Google puts it at $$$, so plan on a real dinner bill, not a quick slice.

What it's known for

Italian food built around two things: pasta made by hand and pizza out of a wood-fired oven. Our listing also tags it as a wine bar, and it gives the cocktails a shout, so the drinks side is part of the pitch too. The tag on the overall feel is upscale-casual, which in practice means you can dress up a little without it being a whole thing.

What to get

• Handmade pasta. It's the headline tag, so start here.
• A wood-fired pizza. The listing calls out the char on the crust.
• Burrata with warm focaccia. Good opener for the table.
• A negroni. The listing specifically names it, and it's the obvious pick from a cocktail list at an Italian spot.

If you're two people, a pasta, a pizza and the burrata to split is a reasonable game plan. Wine drinkers should lean on the wine-bar side of things.

When to go

It's dinner only. Monday through Thursday it runs 5:00 to 9:00 PM, and Friday and Saturday it stays open till 10:00 PM. Sunday it's closed, so don't make it your Sunday dinner plan. Hours can change, so check before you go.

A 9:00 PM close on weeknights means this isn't a late-night option. Go early, or at least don't roll in at 8:45 expecting to linger.

Who it's for

Dates, mostly. It's literally tagged date-night, and wine plus handmade pasta is a pretty safe call for that. It also works for a group dinner after a workout or a long run, which is the crowd our listing has in mind. Share a few pizzas and pastas and let everybody pick at everything.

Solo? A glass of wine and a bowl of pasta is never a bad night either.

Around the neighborhood

Central Park is mostly residential, with parks and wide streets, so Cattivella tends to be the plan rather than a stop on a bar crawl. We don't have other spots on file within half a mile, so if you want a full night, check the events calendar for something earlier in the evening or browse our guides for ideas.

Save the page for Cattivella and text it to whoever owes you dinner.