Ed Sheeran wines and dines at Smithtown's Osteria Umbra

Singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran loves a good melody and apparently a good meal as he dined at Osteria Umbra in Smithtown on Tuesday for two hours. The dinner preceded his shows at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Friday and Saturday for his "LOOP Tour."

Sheeran arrived at 8:30 p.m. with two other people for his reservation under a different name.

"The restaurant was full," Marco Pellegrini, co-owner and executive chef, said. "Apparently, one of the people in his party is a regular at our restaurant. He wanted Ed Sheehan to try our food."

Sheeran and company started with the prosciutto di Parma and Buffalo ricotta, tuna-stuffed peppers, arugula, radish, hazelnuts and honey as an appetizer. For entrees, the table shared the 18-ounce bone-in prime dry-aged New York strip with barrel-aged balsamic vinegar, arugula and Parmigiano Reggiano plus the 8-ounce filet mignon with green peppercorn and mustard sauce, both with mashed potatoes. The trio also enjoyed house-made potato gnocchi with Amatriciana sauce and taglierini with black truffle sauce as well as a bottle of red house wine, Osteria Umbra Sagrantino Reserve.

"Our waiter and manager recognized him and they advised me, so we started the process," Pellegrini said.

In addition to the wine, the chef sent over complimentary desserts for the table to try, including the house-made tiramisu with hazelnut praline, Sorrento lemon cake with whipped cream and chef de cuisine Sabrina Vallorini’s secret Italian cheesecake with blueberry compote.

"He loved everything and told my wife [Vallorini] it was the best cheesecake he ever had in his life," Pellegrini said.

The Grammy-winning artist took photos with Pellegrini and Vallorini as well as with his staff after the restaurant emptied out. "During his dinner, he posed for pictures with the guests and even went over to people’s tables," Pellegrini said. "I was impressed by him. He was very kind and super friendly."

Pellegrini, who comes from Umbria, Italy, was pleased with the exchange and looks forward to Sheeran returning. The chef said, "Ed Sheeran told me his parents are living in Umbria and that he wants to come back with them."

This is not the first time the restaurant has hosted a celebrity. Other famous faces that have dined at Osteria Umbra include comedian Kevin James, who grew up in Stony Brook and Mineola, as well as "The Karate Kid" himself, actor Ralph Macchio, who was born in Huntington and raised in Dix Hills.

Next week, Osteria Umbra celebrates its sixth anniversary and was listed as one of Newsday’s Best Italian restaurants on Long Island for 2026.

By David J. Criblez

david.criblez@newsday.comDavidJCriblez

David J. Criblez is a reporter for Newsday's exploreLI, covering entertainment-related events from local music to stand-up comedy to festivals.