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Ancora Italian Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
11 Stone St(between Whitehall St & Broadway)
New York, NY 10004
Neighborhood: Financial District
(212) 480-3880
- Nearest Transit:
-
Whitehall St (N, R)
Bowling Green (4, 5)
South Ferry (1)
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 12 pm - 3 pm
Mon-Fri 5 pm - 10:30 pm
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
19 reviews for Ancora Italian Restaurant
19 reviews in English
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Review from Jeff T.
Manhattan, NY
4/30/2012
best italian in the city hands down. Best service in the city. It is a hidden gem. Nobody knows about it. Pasta is fresh and amazing and the steak is up there with many of nyc's finest steak houses. The pricing is modest compared to the giant portion size and the high quality of the food and service. I like the 4 diff grapas they serve after your meal etc. I will be back many many times.
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Review from Anthony G.
Clifton Park, NY
4/30/2012 Seated via OpenTable
This place was outstanding with top notch service. I look forward to my next trip to NYC to visit again.
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Review from Elizabeth A.
Manhattan, NY
4/16/2012 Seated via OpenTable
The food was only alright. The service was amazing but i was really disappointed with the flavors. There was nothing that we ate that i would call noteworthy.
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Review from Christopher C.
2/8/2012
Best Italian restaurant I've ever been to. Service and food is unbelievable, and a fair price as well. One of the most enjoyable meals I've ever had out
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Review from Chris W.
Two Bridges, Manhattan, NY
10/18/2011
We received a delivery from the restaurant and received very good service from the friendly staff. Delivery was prompt (despite having to venture through the hoards of protesters en route to our office) and the food was among the best things we have ordered into the office. The veal parm and rigatoni bolognese were outstanding. Sizeable portions.
Have not been to the actual restaurant but plan on going sooner rather than later. -
Review from Jim U.
1/29/2011 2 photos
Harry's has always been my go to spot for Italian food delivery, but Ancora is a strong competitor. It is easily among my top choices for Seamless Web in the downtown area. The catch is that they are not open for lunch, so they are obviously only a suitable choice for dinner. Also, their price point is a wee bit higher than many of the other choices. However, you definitely save money by ordering delivery from them. For example, the pastas range from $14-$16 for delivery but cost $21-$24 at the restaurant. Similarly, the mains range from $15-$35 for delivery compared to $21-$39 at the restaurant. For what you get, I think the pricing is reasonable for delivery, but too pricey for eating in. Rest assured though, the food is pretty tasty.
I ended up just ordering the rigatoni bolognese entree ($14). The portion size was robust and filling. I really enjoyed the texture and the preparation of the noodles. The bolognese sauce wasn't like anything you would find in Bologna, but it was still quite tasty, with a balance of flavor. The sauce could benefit from a greater inclusion of meat, and perhaps less freshly grated cheese though. Definitely more American as a whole, but I chalked it up to enjoyable comfort food. Recommend for delivery only.Listed in: Eating Downtown with Seamless…
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Review from Dayna A.
5/7/2011
A hidden gem. Act like a wiseguy and let the waitstaff take the lead on the ordering. Not only will you impress your guests, but they'll never steer you wrong. You'll start seeing course after course, that's not only phenomenal and authentically italian, but you realize that pacing is key.
You'll leave with a full stomach, a smile, and a slightly lighter wallet. A worthwhile experience beyond a meal. -
Review from Rob P.
Buffalo Grove, IL
7/12/2011
Summary: Great for groups, very good service, food is a little bland
The first of what will be many Yelp reviews...
Upon getting in, you'll be greeted by the hostess who will take to you your table and fold your napkin for you. A very nice touch. In general, I will say the service here is very good. Even to the point that bussers will re-fold your napkin if you go to the restroom.
Unfortunately, the food here is a bit lacking. I'm a fan of the small plates that are brought out very shortly after sitting (there's that service again) but they're a sign of things to come. Bland. Italian food is typically very flavorful...
I ordered veal saltimboca alla romana with the house chianti. The veal was expertly cooked and cut-with-a-fork tender. Not too flavorful though. And my biggest gripe with restaurants - too much sauce/juice in the plate. I ordered meat, not soup! The house chianti was light and left a sharp aftertaste. I've had much better house chianti at other Italian restaurants.
I didn't stick around for dessert, but jumped at the chance to have a grappa - one of my favorite digestifs! It's homemade, and the best part - complimentary! I had the anisette and was pleasantly surprised. -
Review from James M.
Manhattan, NY
7/6/2009
I need to throw a positive review up for this one. Mostly because I survived on delivery from this place when I lived around the corner. Order the baked ziti and the chicken parm and you and your roommate will eat for days.
This place offers amazing Italian food and is one of my favorite places to eat downtown. Drawbacks for the foodies out there...this place is not trendy and doesn't stray from old school Italian. To be honest when the waiter comes over to your table to recite the specials if you are like me you probably won't remember half of it. My suggestion is wait till he finishes, give him a general idea of what you want to eat and they will bring back something delicious. I understand that this might not be for everyone but if you are a little flexible I highly recommend it. Also brace yourself for the Grappa which they will wheel by your table after you finish your meal. -
Review from Sudeep P.
New York, NY
1/6/2012
This is a review of their delivery...which I order at 8:59pm and at 11:10pm, I'm still waiting for my food. Very disappointing -- when I called at 10:30pm, they said it had left 15 minutes ago. When I called at 11pm, no one picked up. Horrible.
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Review from Chita B.
Philadelphia, PA
5/11/2010
The best service I've ever received in New York City. The first time we visited, they seated us and immediately brought out appetizers - cheese, peppers, some delicious eggplant dish, and of course bread. Then they let you take your time perusing the menu before they present their incredible selection of specials.
My favorite thing about Ancora is the staff. The second time we visited was about 8-9 months after the first. Not only did they remember us, but the host, manager and waiters greeted us personally and offered to seat us at our old table. Halfway through the meal, the manager approached and offered us some wine on the house, because we "looked happy" and that made him happy. You will always feel welcome at Ancora.
Other things I love about this place:
- The tables are large and round, and spread around the spacious room, so you never feel like you're cramped at a tiny table for two.
- The presentation and service is fantastic. The servers are always aware of whether your glass needs re-filling or whether you're enjoying your meal. Once they even approached our table and said that they noticed that we looked cold, and would we prefer to move to another table. Still, I've never feel 'watched' by the staff - they never hound you.
- The food! Especially the mushroom risotto. Best I've ever had.
- Free grappa after the meal!Listed in: Date-worthy
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Review from Christian G.
Rockville Centre, NY
5/26/2010
This was a fantastic find. My father, my sister and I went here for lunch during the work day (we all work in close proximity to each other and the financial district) and I for one was caught off guard.
My father knew of the place through recommendation from one of his clients. I was expecting a simple stone street lunch affair and instead was greeted by a man in a bow tie. I thought oh god, here we go, an over dressed, under impressive basement dining scenario. Which I have had one to many of in NY. But dont let the tuxedo fool you, its not a gimmick nor is it fully appropriate for the restaurant, the lunch time crowd was dressed in business casual (even though it was a Wednesday) but the tuxedo was in a way appropriate because they try really hard with the service and succeed. They succeed even if i had to hide a slight smile i had at the kinda silliness of lunch time tuxedo clad table-side dining in the basement of an old building.
They were attentive and personal. The lobster bisque was average to average plus. The soft shell crab I ate was alright. The cheese, peppers, fried zucchini and roasted potatoes were a great starter/accompaniment.
I think I gave this place 4 stars bc it was like a facsimile and pale copy of il mulino (which i adore beyond words). I think further it got 4 stars from me because I had such a nice time with my father and sister on the eve of my sisters birthday.
It seemed the place is packed full of regulars and long time patrons, and seems they are usually filled by reservations though we got in without a reservation.
All in all worth a try if your in the area and want some well prepared though not exceptional Italian food.
(Bill for 3 at lunch was $212 with only 2 glasses of scotch and water as the drinks) -
Review from Grace L.
Manhattan, NY
12/9/2011
This is one of the hardest reviews to give b/c parts of the dining experience were HORRIBLE and some were pretty good. Overall 3.5 stars b/c the food (only pastas and zucchini app) were great (borderline amazing) but other than that, service was horrible for the most part
We were seated without any wait at 8:30 PM on a Thursday night although the place was pretty crowded. When you are seated, a busboy brings you three plates of appetizers (1: salami and cheese (good); 2: oily peppers (average); 3: thinly sliced and fried spicy zucchini (really good). He literally plopped the plates down on the table and ran away, so we figured it was like the Euro experience where if you touch it, you are charged. Eventually, we stopped a waiter and asked. FYI, these apps are complimentary! Note though, that they are "complimentary" b/c the in-dining is way pricier than delivery. ALSO note that the menu on their website is a few dollars less than actual prices.
SERVICE - WRETCHED at times and wildly sporadic; when we were seated (by a pushy hostess who got snooty when I didn't want to check my coat), we were left at the table for a good 10 minutes before someone came by to see if we wanted a menu; then he left us for another ridiculous amount of time (probably another 10-15 mins) before asking what we wanted to order. In the interim, a few busboys came by, but since they didn't seem to speak English, we couldn't ask for the waiter. The entire time, I was actively seeking the waiter, and he was nowhere to be found or too far away to be flagged. The man bringing bread came over a lot, but the actual waiter completely ignored us and never apologized for the HORRIBLE wait. I think by the time we got our apps (fyi, we already knew what we wanted going into the restaurant), an HOUR passed. RIDICULOUS. 1 of 5 stars for service b/c it's unbelievable how long we had to wait to ORDER - I can see the kitchen getting backed up, but it shouldn't take 10 minutes to give a menu!!
Also, fyi, the bread is HORRIBLE. My olive bread was rock hard; I even bounced it on the table for good measure.
ATMOSPHERE - the main dining room is in a basement; very low ceilings; dark and incredibly old school; I felt like I was transported to 1980; clientele is not a power scene - probably just regular families who have been going for years; waiters are all old men who wear tuxedos. It's a different feeling than most NY restaurants; it has a very suburban, middle class feel to it, which can be a nice change of pace at times (if only the waiter was attentive, I would have appreciated it more). Stars? Depends on what you're looking for. Maybe a 2.5 stars of 5 for atmosphere.
FOOD - Here is the saving grace (pasta-wise; the bakes clams app was below average). Really good portions (quite large). however, the menu choices are really limited. I was hard-pressed to find things I liked.
Vongole Oreganate - Clams Lightly Breaded and Baked (~$13) - about 8 large clams in red sauce, but the breading was soggy! It was overall okay (nothing special; clams were normal), but the soggy bread killed it. would not get that again.
Linguine alla Vongole (Linguine with Clam Sauce, Red or White) (~$25) - really really good; pasta was perfectly cooked (a little more than al dente); noodles were a little thin for linguine but still delicious; sauce was rich and amazing; could have used a few more clams. 4 of 5 stars, easily.
Spaghetti alla Bolognese (Spaghetti with Meat Sauce) (~$21) - also really really good; great portion of meat; pretty much identical to the linguine alla vongole minus the clams and adding the ground meat. 4 of 5 stars, easily. -
Review from Matthew D.
Scarsdale, NY
9/10/2009
I love Ancora and cannot imagine why it is so under-Yelped! It is an only-in-New York experience with no BS. A bit out of the way, but I never omit a trip when I have a reason for a good meal all the way downtown.
Great, if expensive, Northern Italian cuisine, not occasionally adventurous. A highlight is early-on: a traditional Caesar salad, including egg, made tableside. Incredibly compelling -- EVERY TIME I go there and order it there is at least one Ancora newbie who witnesses this marvel and rushes to cancel whatever salad or appetizer order they put in and get themselves the tableside Caesar.
And, not to leave the best for last: your host, Tony Fantastico. Just a great guy with a passion for food and a good meal out with friends and/or family -- folks who are doing ice teas and main courses only get the treatment of a weekly regular who does damage to the wine list every time. DO NOT MISS! -
Review from Matthew L.
New York, NY
2/1/2010
Great old-school Northern Italian place, probably the best Italian south of Tribeca.
When I work late, I regularly order from this place on seamless web. They always do a top-notch job and (bonus) they include all of the little nibbles that you would get if you were at the restaurant (chunks of Parmesan, slices of salami, deep-fried zucchini rings with pepper flakes, bread, and a thank-you cookie). My favorites are chicken parm and the pastas with red sauce are very good.
My gf and I finally made it over for dinner (we live downtown too). The restaurant is definitely white table cloth, with waiters in jackets and lots of busboys. Waiters were very knowledgeable and attentive. Food was decently priced for the ambiance - pasta, appetizers, and wine for two at $80. Next time, we're going to be more adventurous and try some of the meat entrees, such as the Godfather fish, which was a whole fish prepared tableside for another patron and smelled
amazing.
NOTE - it's closed on weekends and, in my experience, holidays. -
Review from a p.
New Orleans, LA
9/11/2011
i love this place! i work downtown and it is a hidden gem. i regularly order the pasta dishes - ravioli of the day, gnocchi potato pasta, rigatoni bolognese, and all are delicious. when you get take out, i appreciate the side of bread, salami, cheese and zucchini chips, that they give you - nice touch. (someone mentioned getting a cookie too, but i never got that.) the restaurant is old school and the service is excellent - the servers are charming, personal and very attentive. please don't go away!
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Review from Duane S.
Manhattan, NY
1/7/2011
This Italian spot is a true gem in the financial district. The food here is truly quality. The menu is expansive and they always have several daily specials. I love the risotto with asparagus and shrimp, the baked king crab legs with bread crumbs, and the stuffed scallops with crabmeat. All of the traditional dishes are terrific as well-- chicken parm, veal milanese, penne a la vodka, etc. The servers are also the real deal...especially Tony Fantastico-- what a sweet last name.
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Review from Peter S.
New York, NY
6/3/2008
3.75 Stars. I live in the area, and ate here with my girlfriend on a whim one night. It's not a super-trendy nightspot, and it's definitely not a place that you go to to "be seen." It's a low-key, unpretentious, old school Italian place. And that's what makes it great, in my opinion. We ate there one night mid-week and there were hardly any other tables in the restaurant. We weren't sure what to think, as we were quickly shuffled to our table, and handed menus. We both eat out very often, usually at places that others would describe as much more "upscale" than this, but by the end of our meal, we both agreed that the service was top-notch, the food was very good, and the prices were reasonable. To say the least, we were very pleasantly surprised. I wouldn't recommend it for somebody looking for the latest trends in cooking, but if you're looking for solid, homemade Italian, this place really is good. Among other things, I had an enormous, 40-ounce t-bone steak which was perfectly cooked with a nice, flavorful crust on the outside, yet perfectly medium-rare on the inside. I was in a weird mood for a steak that night (I ate the whole thing, absent a bite for the lady), and what I got was one of the better STEAK-steaks I've had in a while. No pretense: just perfect, flavorful beef. My girlfriend had the bolognese (we were in an Italian restaurant, after all), which was likewise very good.
Check the place out one night. You'll be glad you did. -
Review from Flora G.
New York, NY
1/8/2007
Can you say gross...I went here on a recommendation from a friend and was sooo disappointed. Everyone around me was ewwing and awwing over the food and I was like do you have taste buds? The only reason I can fathom why everyone was reacting like this was because the meal was being paid for by a vendor and the meal was way expensive, so maybe they didn't want to seem unappreciative. I would have even given this place no stars because of the food except the wait staff were very friendly and funny. But this is one of those places I can say the food is inedible. It was suppose to be Italian, and I know I have not been to Italy but I can't imagine Italians preparing portabello mushrooms covered in barbecue sauce, cheap grocery bottled barbecue sauce. I ordered the oysters Rockefeller for an appetizer and forced myself to eat some just because I was embarrassed that I had ordered something so bad. My pasta dish was a linguine with lobster, I couldn't eat it, the onions and carrots tasted like they had been frozen beforehand (and who puts carrots in a cream sauce?) One of my other coworkers had a steak, it had so much pepper on it, but I can deal with that, but it was burnt to a crisp, black! I can go on and on but I will spare you my ranting...Just know that this is not the place you want to go if you have an expense account.
Listed in: Lunch in the Financial…
