Park Side Restaurant ★9.3

Park Side: Old School Is the New Cool

In a dining scene obsessed with QR codes and tasting counters, Park Side in Corona keeps the volume up on a different frequency: tuxedo-clad waiters gliding between white tablecloths, Roman busts watching over the room, and platters of southern Italian cooking that land with real theater. This is the night out people keep rediscovering — retro glamour that never actually went away.

The Story

The Federici family has fed this corner of Queens since 1960, when the space traded as a supper club; Park Side itself was born in 1980 and grew from seven tables into one of the borough’s defining dining rooms. The founder kept racing pigeons on the roof and poured years into restoring William F. Moore Park, the leafy square the restaurant faces and is named for. Few places are stitched into their neighborhood this tightly.

What to Order

Open with mozzarella in carrozza or the baked clams, then move to veal spiedini, rigatoni alla bolognese or veal piccata; the kitchen is quietly serious about seafood, so ask about the swordfish and the day’s fish specials. Portions run generous. For the finale, the pistachio tartufo and the lemon tart have their own fan clubs, with an espresso to close the show.

The Space

A suite of dining rooms with marble, dark wood and old-New-York polish — but the move is the garden room, filled with potted trees and windows looking onto yet more greenery. Valet parking takes the edge off arrival, and the buzz on weekend nights feels like a scene from another, better-dressed decade.

Who It’s For

Date nights that want drama without stiffness, groups celebrating loudly, and anyone in Corona or nearby Flushing Meadows after a game who is bored of minimalist rooms and wants a waiter in a tuxedo to recommend the veal.

Good to Know

Do I need a reservation? For evenings and weekends, absolutely — the dining rooms fill fast; book by phone a few days ahead.

Is there a dress code? No formal one, but the room rewards effort — most guests dress up a notch.

Can I request the garden room? Yes, ask when booking; it is the most requested seating and goes first.

Is parking difficult? No — valet parking is available, a rarity for the neighborhood.

Does it work for a big celebration? Very well; the multiple rooms absorb large parties, and the staff has decades of practice with birthdays and anniversaries.

Opening hours