I ate at the Italian restaurant where Harry and Meghan dined during their NYC trip, and every dish blew me away

While in town for the United Nations' Nelson Mandela International Day, at which Prince Harry was a speaker, the couple also got to enjoy a meal with friends.

According to Vanity Fair, they attended the event at the UN Headquarters, Markle went to lunch with writer and activist Gloria Steinem in SoHo, and the couple ended their day with a meal at Locanda Verde, an upscale restaurant part-owned by actor Robert De Niro.

Page Six reported that Markle and Harry "wined and dined" with another couple. According to the outlet, they sat in the main dining room and ordered a variety of dishes, including the Sardinian sheep's milk ricotta ($22), steak tartare piemontese ($28), and a dish called My Grandmother's Ravioli ($32).

The first and only time I dined at Locanda Verde was back in 2019. I remember loving it, but I don't remember what we ordered or what it all tasted like. So I was curious to see if the happy memory was more due to the company I was with or if the food actually was that good.

And after the royal couple's last NYC meal at Melba's in Harlem turned out to be a winner, I had high hopes for this place as well.

The Greenwich and N Moore Street location makes it an ideal spot for post-work drinks and bites, as well as large-group expensed lunches and dinners for those who have a company card in their wallet.

I am also constantly in awe of the building this restaurant is housed in. It's massive yet chic with its refinished brick and large rounded corner windows.

Before heading over, I checked the online reservation service, Resy, to see if I could secure a table. There was nothing available through the app for Tuesday or Wednesday, but I took a chance and figured that, worst case, I'd be seated at the bar. They actually welcomed me as a walk-in, sat me at a two-top, and never rushed me out.

At around 6 p.m., it started to get more crowded, and by the time I left at around 7:30, most indoor seats were filled. (There were still many open tables outside on the sidewalk.)

There are half-walls throughout the dining room separating seating sections, including the large bar.

Wine bottles and shelving is used as both storage and restaurant decor, which brought together the casual, trendy, wine-cellar-like vibe.

Restrooms are located on the lower level, and you take a thick, wooden staircase to get there. It reminded me of vineyard tours I've been on when a guide takes you underground into a cellar filled with barrels — but, of course, this was a bit more industrial-chic.

The first thing I loved about this dish was the bread. It had grill marks, which I loved, and tasted like it had been both salted and oiled. The cook was beautiful, as it was just enough to get the edges crispy while retaining the integrity of its pillowy soft interior.

I thought the ricotta's texture was enjoyable, as it was creamy but had teeny tiny lumps throughout. The sea salt on top added a welcome crunch, and the fresh thyme and Sicilian oregano brought an abundance of fragrance that added to the dish's overall flavor.

There was a pool of olive oil sitting in the center which brought a certain silkiness into the mix.

Taking a bite of the cheese on its own, without the herbs or oil, I was able to notice and appreciate its fresh dairy flavor — this isn't like the ricotta you'll buy at your supermarket. While I thought the actual flavor of the cheese on its own was rich, the contrast of its light texture balanced that out — I could have easily eaten the entire portion myself.

I'm not someone who orders steak tartare — ever. But I'm so glad that I did.

The menu says the meat used is prime-aged wagyu beef, and I was able to really feel the softness of it with each bite. I noticed each distinct miniature beef piece (it didn't feel like a mushed-up mess in my mouth), but the housemade hazelnut dressing really held it all together. It was salted without being overly salty.

Inside was a combination of diced red onion and chives. The onion added more by way of texture and flavor than the chives did, in my opinion, as the chives were just limp and mushy by the time it got to my table.

There were also halved hazelnuts in the mix, which added an extra layer of flavor while providing a much-needed crunchy texture.

There was a small fried egg on top — the yolk was silky and luxurious, but it was too small to evenly incorporate into the entire portion of meat. I was glad I didn't have to share that with anyone otherwise I may not have gotten a bite.

In my opinion, the best part of this dish was the razor-thin piece of crispy guanciale resting on top. It was super salty in such a savory and flavorful way.

A huge bonus: This appetizer also comes with the phenomenal bread.

Visually, I was impressed with the ravioli. It looked a bit like agnolotti since one side was folded over rather than sealed and cut, and the cooked pasta clung to the small bit of filling which gave it a rustic look.

On the first bite, I noticed the pasta was very al dente and had a nice bite to it. The pouches were not overstuffed with unnecessary filling. Instead, they each housed a dollop of the three-meat combination: beef, pork, and veal. A representative for Locanda Verde confirmed this was the filling mixture, but when I tried it, I thought the slightly stringy and super tender texture could have been short rib.

The delicate ravioli sat in the center of bright-red tomato sauce that tasted like straight up, puréed and crushed tomatoes — nothing more and nothing less. The representative confirmed that they were also finished in a parmesan butter, which gave each ravioli its own silky little blanket and added a layer of richness to the flavor profile.

I thought the additional parmesan on top was a mistake, though. It didn't have much flavor on the day I visited, and it kind of distracted from the luxurious textures of the pasta and filling.

When a team member brought over my dessert, he set it on the table and then whipped out a small gravy boat filled with melty milk chocolate that turned into a chocolate shell.

He artfully drizzled the contents onto my fancy slice of ice-cream cake, and I watched as it froze when it hit the cold dessert. The whole thing kind of brought me back to childhood.

Each layer of this torta worked well with the next — from the minty ice cream to the super-moist cake, the top layer of what felt like a crossover between vanilla ice cream and whipped cream, and the fresh lingonberries scattered around the plate.

The berries were a pleasant surprise that burst easily in between my teeth and released this tart, fruity juice that really brightened the entire dish.

On top of the cake slice was a scoop of milk chocolate malt gelato, which I thought was good, but a bit too rich for me to take more than a couple of tastes.

If it weren't $17, I'd go back for this alone the next time I'm craving a slice of ice-cream cake.

There's no denying this place is expensive. But unlike some other hyped-up meals I've had, I thought the food was worth it.

From conceptualization to execution, I was impressed by each dish I tried during my visit.

The vibe inside feels like a community place — you know, if your community is wealthy business people or celebrities — and it was filled with chatter that somehow never got annoyingly loud.

I can see why Markle and Harry chose this celebrity-owned dinner spot, and I'd recommend it to anyone looking to spend on a higher-priced, Italian dining experience in NYC.