Forsythia

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Roman Trattoria on Stanton Street

Forsythia takes its name from the first flower to bloom each spring — a symbol of hope, warmth, and renewal. That spirit shapes everything about this Italian restaurant on the Lower East Side, where the stated goal is simple and sincere: to make guests feel exactly as they would stepping into a Roman home for dinner.

The team behind Forsythia — owner Jacob Siwak, Executive Chef Alex Palazzo, General Manager Bill Clark, and Wine Director Julianny Gomez — has built a place where every element feeds what they call "the Italian soul." The menu centers on traditional, handmade pasta prepared fresh in-house daily, with ingredients selected at the peak of their season. Dishes like spaghetti alla carbonara (egg yolk, guanciale, pecorino Romano, black pepper), agnolotti stuffed with fresh ricotta and nettles, and carciofi alla giudia — the double-fried artichokes of Roman Jewish tradition — speak to a kitchen that takes its regional roots seriously. The maritozzo, a sweet Roman sourdough brioche filled with crème chantilly, closes the meal on a note that feels genuinely of the city it references.

The Beverage Program

The wine list earned Forsythia a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2025, recognition that reflects the depth and focus Julianny Gomez brings to the program. The selection is entirely Italian, moving through Prosecco col fondo from the Veneto, skin-contact Malvasia from Friuli, Nerello Mascalese from Etna, and Sangiovese from Tuscany, among others. Aperitivi and amari round out a beverage program that treats the drink side of the table with the same seriousness as the food.

The Room and the Experience

Forsythia offers outdoor seating and hosts private events and pasta classes — a natural extension of the restaurant's ethos, putting handcraft directly in guests' hands. The atmosphere is described as considerate and relaxing, designed to transport rather than impress. For a Lower East Side Italian restaurant, that restraint is itself a kind of statement.