Now graced with rings of chandeliers and dressed in fine linens, the dining floor of Intermezzo is a runway for haute couture dishes for the casual buyer with impeccable taste.

Mediterranean folks have standards. Just ask the impeccably dressed Besim Kukaj, Intermezzo’s suave proprietor. Those standards have kept Intermezzo going for over 27 years in Chelsea, outlasting every other Italian restaurant that has opened as a competitor in the intervening years. An elder statesman in the game, Intermezzo recently prettied itself up with a makeover to smooth its lines and wrinkles. Now graced with rings of chandeliers and dressed in fine linens, the dining floor is a runway for haute couture dishes for the casual buyer with impeccable taste. Baptized in white wine after its salvation from the sea, the Linguini alle Vongole is a spectrum of shelled Manila clams seated in pasta and lacquered with olive oil throughout. The white wine sauce turns back to black in the Cozze Portofino dish, an arrangement of black mussels swimming in spicy tomato broth. Intermezzo has employed the same head chef and many of the same wait staff for over 13 years, ensuring consistency in both service and zest. Intermezzo is where menu staples exhibit the highest of standards. There's no need to cross the sea to get a taste of authenticity.

---

Menu Highlights:
Linguini alle Vongole, $14.95
Cozze Portofino, $12.95
Fusilli Norcia (sweet hot sausage in Aurora sauce), $14.50
Bistecchina di Manzo (grilled skirt steak with salsa verde, sauteed spinach, and garlic mashed potatoes), $19.95
Branzino (pan seared striped bass with asparagus and lemon risotto), $18.95
Tiramisu, $7
Vodkatini (2-for-1 special), $12

Hours:
Monday - Thursday, Sunday: 12 pm - 11 pm
Friday - Saturday, 12 pm - 12 am