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Bocca
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
39 E 19th St(between Broadway & S Park Ave)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhood: Flatiron
(212) 387-1200
- Nearest Transit:
-
23 St (4, 6, 6X)
14 St - Union Sq (N, Q, R)
23 St (N, R)
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 12 pm - 3 pm
Mon-Thu 5:30 pm - 11 pm
Fri-Sat 5:30 pm - 11:30 pm
Sun 5:30 pm - 10:30 pm
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Classy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
About This Business:
Refined yet inviting, PizzArte is designed to be a showcase for authentic Neapolitan cuisine and contemporary art. Our mission is to offer Neapolitan… read more »
144 reviews for Bocca
Review Highlights
"...the octopus appetizer, the tonnarelli cacio e pepe, and the..."
(in 6 reviews)
"The house-made ribbon pasta with lamb was remarkable."
(in 3 reviews)
"I highly recommend the strozzapreti alla norcina."
(in 3 reviews)
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144 reviews in English
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Review from Carrie H.
New York, NY
1/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
The more reviews I write, the more confused I am whether or not to give a good, not amazing, no bad things happened restaurant 3 or 4 stars.
I went with three gfs for restaurant week at 8pm on a rainy Monday. The place was deserted save a few tables which just meant excellent service. The food was SO GOOD. I had goat cheese and beet "ravioli" (quotes put on the menu, thank you Bocca) - which meant a ball of goat cheese wrapped in a thin, cold beet slice shaped like a ravioli. Yum! My friend had bean (can't remember the bean) soup - it was hearty and delicious. Entrees were amazing too.
Service - 4 - he gave us free limoncello at the end!
Food - GREAT
Wine - great, it was a great wine list
Ambiance - OK, would have been more fun if it wasn't so empty, but it was 8-10pm on a rainy Monday -
Review from T. H.
Manhattan, NY
1/3/2012
On Friday night, I was craving spaghetti pomodoro, and a quick search on Seamless yielded Bocca as one of the top rated restaurants open and offering this dish. Once on their Seamless page, however, my attention was drawn to other items - rabbit ragu, prosciutto-wrapped shrimp, spinach alla romano, and gnocchi with bacon-wrapped scallops, among others. However, I stuck to my plan - though the rabbit ragu sounded heavenly, I really didn't need such a heavy dish when my only plans for the evening were to lay on my couch and watch Sons of Anarchy.
I placed my order - the spaghetti and the spinach - and began to wait for it to arrive. The estimated delivery window was 25-40 minutes, and the food came in about 35. When I opened the bag, I was so excited to see that they included the bread and sun-dried tomato dip that everyone raves about on Yelp. And, believe me, it lived up to expectations. I literally couldn't put it down.
Once I had inhaled the bread, I moved on to the other items. The spinach was quite tasty, though a little strange at first. It has pine nuts and raisins in it, and because I hate raisins, I had to pick them all out. However, the raisins lent a subtly sweet flavor to the spinach that was pretty nice.
The spaghetti came next, and it was somewhat disappointing. The pasta was a little rubbery, and I think the dish would be better served by an angel hair pasta rather than a true spaghetti. The sauce was decent, but it didn't taste as fresh as I expected, and it needed salt.
Overall, it enjoyed the meal, and I would definitely order again for the bread and spinach. I would pick a different main course though (maybe the rabbit!). -
Review from Meredith C.
Manhattan, NY
12/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Stopped in for lunch based on the reviews on YELP. I love my Italian!!! The lunch menu is an awesome value and after a morning of Holiday shopping I was in the mood to sit down, relax and eat. The Strozzapreti alla norcina did not disappoint. The pasta is home made with a generous amount of smoky mozzarella and sausage in the sauce. I gobbled it up with a pleasant Pinot Grigo.
I was sitting at the bar when a drink order was returned. It was Amaretto instead of Frangelico (or vice versa). I was SHOCKED when the bartender took a funnel to pour the returned drink back into the bottle - in front of me. Obviously the drink had been tasted.
How can I return to this restaurant? Please share with me your feelings caused I am stunned. -
Review from Fyb F.
Manhattan, NY
2/7/2012
My boyfriend and I went to Bocca during Restaurant Week.
We were very happy with our meal and would definitely go back again if we are in the area :) -
Review from Katharine P.
New York, NY
1/23/2012 Seated via OpenTable
I had Christmas dinner here and everything was salty and overcooked. The service was really lacking and everything took waaaay too long. The restaurant wasn't that crowded so I'm not sure what the issue was. Maybe the chef was off that day and the staff was already in "I don't want to be working today" mode. Whatever it was, I was severely disappointed with this experience.
I will not go back because I feel terrible about the money and time I wasted here for a special occasion. There are far better (and consistent) places for me to spend my hard earned money. -
Review from Dan D.
Jersey City, NJ
12/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Stopped in for drinks and a small bite but will certainly come back to this authentic Italian eatery. Stumbled on it and happy we did as the homemade pasta and original cocktail concotions made it a worthwhile visit.
Staff is extremely friendly and food is moderately priced.........for Manhattan standards and for the quality exemplified here.
Prosciutto wrapped shrimp - very tasty
Housemade pasta with braised short rib(waiter's suggestion) - on my top 10 pasta dishes.
***Handicap accessible - one decent step up but the staff is very helpful*** -
Review from Tim M.
Jersey City, NJ
11/20/2011
How do you give 5 stars to an establishment in NYC, where excellence is not a luxury, but a prerequisite? I guess it helps that everything I've EVER ordered melts on my tongue and reminds me how blessed I am to live here.
Polpo is always in my order. As is house-made, fresh mozzarella with balsamic reduction.
The maitre d' always seems to remember me even though I only come every few months. Oh, and the basil-infused vodka doesn't hurt at all... -
Review from Sankar M.
Manhattan, NY
1/16/2012
We, a party of four, went there on the winter restaurant week. We had a reservation at 6 pm and the place was empty. We ordered our drinks, waited and the wait person came in and told that bartender is making the drinks and took our order. The drinks were just beer and one one cocktail. It was empty but we had to wait for a while.
Later on, the restaurant started filling up.
The food is quite good but not on par with top notch restaurants. But it is cheaper than them, though. Overall, we were quite satisfied with the food. Also, the bathrooms are freezing cold! -
Review from Wendy G.
The famous "la Bocca della Verita" welcomes you at the entrance. *smile*
I love authentic Italian food, because they are as sophisticated as Italian culture and arts.
The dining experience at Bocca was perfect in every single way.
Decor and layout at Bocca was artsy and cozy, and most importantly it was so spacious and comfortable.
From appetizers (beautifully decorated salad and prosciutto wrapped shrimp (heavenly)), to the entrees (house-made ribbon pasta with lamb(!!!), and salmon, oh did I mention the bread w. house dipping??
Nothing disappoints me.
Last but not least, every single course comes with its own plate and multiple serving forks and dining utensils. this is worth mentioning because if you are on a date, make sure to learn the formal dining etiquette beforehand...
In sum, Bocca delivers one of the most classy and comfortable dining experience I've ever had. -
Review from Peter C.
9/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
It's raining cats and dogs.
10pm on a Friday night.
I'm 31.
I am wearing a black suit,
skinny black tie,
eating alone,
at the bar
of a restaurant in Flatiron.
New York City.
NotwhereIthoughtI'dbe.
Butok.
OK, because this is a great place. Nabille (sp?), the barkeep, really made things happen. I was running the Super Spartan obstacle course race the next morning, so I needed carbs, and I needed wine. Well, the carbs were for the race, the wine is more of a general requirement.
So I devoured the breadbasket, along with the oil / tomato mix that came with it. Nabille brought me more. The glass Supertuscan wine was excellent, truly excellent. Nabille topped me off gratis. Gratzi. The house-made ribbon pasta with lamb was remarkable. I wiped the plate clean of sauce with some more of that bread.
"Something sweet?" Nabille asks. No thanks, between the bread and pasta, I've had my carbs. That's fine with him, but he insists on a lemoncello, on the house, for luck for my race in the morning. Gratzi. Then one more. Gratzi molte.
The restaurant was a bit empty for friday night, which was surprising. It seemed Nabille had made friends with other diners that evening already, as several stopped to say goodnight on their way past the bar and out into the rain. The prices were reasonable, the wine, food...and company...were good, which is doubly important since I was dining solo. I'll be back, for sure.Listed in: Vino
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Review from M A.
Manhattan, NY
Updated - 11/18/2011
One the few places in NY that reminds me of the food in Bologna (Italy).
The tomato, olive oil dip for the bread is to die for! This time my friend and I shared the pear and rucola salad with candies walnuts--so delicious. It had shaved Parmesan over it and the nice waiter split the salad in different bowls for us. For the entree, my friend for the eggplant rigatoni and I got the Lamb pappardelle (I love this this dish). And we finished off the meal with the flour-less brownie with chocolate fudge and gelato.
If you're looking for authentic Italian food, this is the place to go!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/21/2011
I've only been here once and you can bet that I'll be back. I ordered the Pappardelle al ragu' di… Read more »
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Review from Yoshi M.
New York, NY
Sorry but this place needs some work....
Love their dip for the bread.... but that was ALL that was rememberable (in a good way) on my past visit.
Had some appetizers...
~salad (the plain one) - no flavor, no kick, no nothing. very BORING salad.
~shrimp one - just some shrimp wrapped in ham. it sounded really appetizing but did nothing for me.
Now, while the appetizers came out in a timely manner.... we waited 40 mins for our pastas. At this time our server did NOT say ANYTHING about our order.. NOTHING until we made eye contact AND THEN she said it should be RIGHT out. It was way too long and by this time they were not that busy...!!!! NO apologizes for the long wait either. FAIL!
pastas we ordered....
~cacio pepe- their speciality??? REALLY? it had no pepper KICK as its supposed to (had cacio e pepes in rome) and it was SOFT! no aldente- ness whatsoever. could tell just by watching the server place it in the dish (they "make" it in front of you) VERY very disappointed.
~pasta with sweet sausage and mozzerella- NOT al-dente again! UGH. Had it before and that time it was appetizing but this time it just did not do it. a little better than the cacio e pepe though.
Won't come here again, disapoinnting because it was my second try (first time I would have gave it a 3.75) but this time sure was a bad meal..... Too bad..... -
Review from Anna F.
Astoria, Queens, NY
10/28/2011
I went today with colleagues for their $9 Lunch Madness. The food was pretty tasty. I had the tilapia. It was worth the $9 tha tyou pay for. My colleague got the gnocchi and his portions were smaller than mine. He was still hungry after he ate his lunch; which is why I gave them the three stars.
I like the decor and the ceiling. The waiters were very nice. I love the sauce that they gave us with the bread And they are pretty generous with the bread. They gave us a second basket. -
Review from Gracie G.
Hoboken, NJ
10/24/2011
Been here twice - once for dinner and once for their lunch special.
Dinner was nice, it was a while back but I remember it was a nice experience, but nothing memorable.. I had their famous house black fettucini and while I thought the pasta was good, the sauce they have it in (some corn based creamy sauce) totally ruined it for me. I don't understand why they didn't stick with a more classic sauce... I hate corn usually and especially in random foods. Our waiter was nice and the wine was good but I remember they were blasting music like it was a nightclub and I couldn't hear my boyfriend speak.... I hate that. And there was some skeezy old geezer with a plastic 22 year old sitting next to us... on their iPADS. #only in newyork
Lunch was recent and after having their $9.00 lunch special deal, I concluded it's not really a deal. I got the gnocchi and it was much better than the black fettucini.. they were soft and pillowy - rather good gnocchi but I literally had 6 tiny gnocchi on my plate... little sushi sized pieces....my friend got the mussels (an appetizer) and it was the same price but more food! loll.. I don't even eat much but I definitely did not feel that was a "deal" when their other, full size plates are only $2-3 more.
I like their decor and how close it is to my work but the food hasn't stood out yet. I reckon third time's the charm... hopefully. And if not, there's no abundance of chic little italian restaurants in NYC -
Review from Erica R.
Manhattan, NY
12/27/2011
Here's the deal- the service is friendly but this place is average. I ordered pasta that was supposed to be made in house but tasted like dried to boil. Nothing wrong with that but it wasn't what I expected.
Best part of the menu was the service- the girl we had was awesome, friendly, and not too overbearing. Food- not great. -
Review from Kathleen T.
Chicago, IL
9/4/2011
Ahh, the strozzapreti alla norcina. Housemade twisted tubes with sweet sausage, a touch of cream and smoked buffalo motz. Never have I been so happy over a plate of pasta.
That is, until the waiter appeared at the table next to us and set down a massive cheese wheel. Must've been two feet in diameter, no lie. I gasped as he tossed hot pasta right onto the wheel. Right onto the wheel, people! My coworker and I went silent. The gifted couple oohed and ahhed, then looked over at us with great pity. The woman said, "You really should try this next time." My coworker yelled, "WE DIDN'T KNOW!" as a guttural sob escaped my lungs. The waiter kept tossing and stirring, melting the cheese as he went, turning that giant wheel into a bowl of what I can only imagine was the most amazing pasta I've never had. Holy hell.
If I'm ever within 20 blocks of Bocca again, you can bet I'll be back to try the giant wheel, which I now know is the very simple dish of tonnarelli with pecorino romano and pepper. *sigh* -
Review from Young C.
Jersey City, NJ
9/17/2011
I came here this past Wednesday for dinner and thought it was pleasant, but it was pretty empty. It was pretty strange because the food wasn't too bad and the service was great. The location was great (being near USQ), but maybe because it was located across from Pipa (bustling across the street), it was pretty quiet inside Bocca.
First off, they serve Roman cuisine. We started with some Pinot Nero. It was very light and I felt like it tasted almost like water. For appetizers we had the Timballino di melanzane alla parmigiana (eggplant) and Saltimbocca di gamberoni (prosciutto wrapped shrimp). I really liked the eggplant dish. However, it tasted alot like the frozen eggplant lasagna I buy from the Jersey City farmer's market, which i also think is terrific.
We wanted to order the Cacciucco di merluzzo (cod) or Salmone in padella con spinaci saltati alla romana e salsa puttanesca (salmon) but they were out of both that night. Instead we had the Linguine allo zafferano ai frutti di mare (linguine with seafood). It was really good and there were lots of mussels and clams. Alot of people in the restaurant were ordering the Tonnarelli cacio e pepe (pasta served tableside with Pecorino Romano cheese and pepper), which was really cool because they brought out a giant cheese wheel and twirled the hot pasta in this cheese and served it on a plate for you. Also, we saw alot of people order the chocolate fondue for 2 that came with seasonal fruits. Instead, we opted for the affogato, which I really liked (vanilla gelato with hot espresso poured on top).
The ambiance inside was fairly nice for a romantic quiet dinner, but there was something off about it. Maybe it was the extensive use of wall couch seating that made it seem like an NYC Italian restaurant that meets suburbia. I'd come back though..just to try that tableside pasta in the cheese wheel! -
Review from Michael A.
New York, NY
8/12/2011
I had lunch at Bocca few days ago.
Bocca is a moderately priced Italian restaurant in the Flatiron neighborhood.
- My appetizer choice was the sautéed mussels in a light tomato sauce. Quite tasty and highly recommended.
- Main dish: "Pappardelle al ragu' di agnello" - House made ribbon pasta tossed with braised Colorado leg of lamb, thyme and pecorino Fulvi.
I loved the pasta! I mean, I love lamb and I love pasta, so ... you cant go wrong, right? :) ... and topped with some dry aged pecorino cheese, it absolutely hit the spot... mmmm
4.5 stars here, I would have given them 5 stars but service was a bit slow... They had only one waiter serving and it was a busy day, so I guess it's understandable.
I'll definitely come back for the pasta :) Two thumbs up! -
Review from Gabrielle S.
Brooklyn, NY
7/19/2011
I think I finally found a moderately priced, really tasty Italian restaurant near my office, hooray!!!
We decided to try Bocca for Restaurant Week last night and I can say that it was almost perfect!! The hostess was very sweet and seated us even though we were 10 minutes early (you know some places are obnoxious and make you wait until the clock strikes your exact reservation time to seat you)
Our waiter literally popped out of nowhere and greeted us hanging over the empty table next to us - total metro-Italian creepster but in a very endearing way (we loved making jokes about him amongst ourselves the rest of the night). He was a great server and his suggestions were spot on - my boyfriend had the Red Hook and it was very good albeit a bit too strong for my lightweight love (sorry babe). For me, he suggested a merlot-cabernet hybrid and although I don't remember the name - it was delicious.
The warm and crispy semolina bread goes great with the oily marinara dipping sauce and I think the busboy was about to offer me a loaf to take home because we couldn't get enough of it! T had the mussels appetizer and he said they were very flavorful and cooked well and I had the mixed greens salad with sherry vinaigrette - you can't really screw up a mixed greens salad.
The star was an extra appetizer that we ordered - the pineapple carpaccio with crispy prosciutto, ricotta cheese and honeycomb. Whoever decided to try pineapple with ricotta should win an award because this unlikely pair is incredible!! The pineapple was fresh and sweet and the creamy, salty cheese cut right into that sweetness.
For the main course T had the salmon - I'm not a fish person but he said it was very good but a bit salty. I could tell they cooked it in the salt crust and there was no sauce on it so I think the salt just took over the salmon for him. The cannelloni beans with the salmon were delicious!
I had the papparadelle with lamb and it was so simple and delicious. The basic tomato sauce really let the lamb flavors take over the dish and it was sooo good!! The pasta was fresh and light, not like that heavy stuff you get in a lot of restaurants, which proves it is homemade.
The flourless chocolate cake with chocolate gelato was awesome and the vanilla gelato was very tasty - they poor some espresso over it, giving the vanilla a little kick but eat fast, it's melting.
The prices on the actual menu are not terrible at all either, making this an affordable date night out!
Great experience - loved the food, the drinks and my creepy Italian waiter - will definitely be back! -
Review from Jason G.
7/25/2011 Seated via OpenTable
I enjoyed the restaurant week meal I had here, but it didn't meet my expectations. I love fine Italian food, not the tall mountains of greasy bland pasta that seem so pervasive. Somehow, the public forgives most Italian restaurants for the perpetual travesty they serve. A few buck the trend and actually hold themselves to the standards that all other kinds of restaurant are held to. Unfortunately, Bocca was not one of them. I had their pasta with sardines, and must say, the fresh pasta at fluorescent-lit Eataly is way better than this crap. I liked the mussels appetizer, and the cannoli dessert. My girlfriend loved her plate of pasta and lamb, but was upset that they ruined her ice cream dessert by pouring hot coffee all over it.
But, in general, a good experience. I had a cream stout from the UK that was out of this world. My girlfriend had a Dark & Stormy cocktail (my recommendation), that she really enjoyed. Service and ambience are solid.Comment from Alessandro P. of Bocca 8/22/2011
Thanks so much Jason for dining at Bocca....i'm sorry our… More » -
Review from Carrie W.
Manhattan, NY
9/8/2011
I came here last night with a friend who had just returned from Italy. We were initially impressed with the restaurant - the host and waiters were friendly, the ambiance was pleasant and it was classy without being overly formal.
We ordered the tomatoe, mozzarella and eggplant appetizer and both agreed that it was delicious. For our main dishes, I ordered the eel, sweet sausage linguine special and my friend ordered gnocchi. Both plates were disgustingly salty to the point where neither of us could finish them - the gnocchi had this gross smoky taste to it and was the consistancy of raw dough and the linguine actually made me nauseaus for a couple of hours after eating it. I don't know if this was from the amount of salt in it or the weird mix of ingredients but I'm sure that it was this plate that did it.
Each of the main dishes was around $20 and the appetizer was around $13 - the entire meal was around $60 for 2 not including drinks. The food overall really only deserves a 1 but I'm giving them a two because the service was nice and there's the possibility that we somehow ordered the two worst things on the menu. -
Review from Andy S.
New York, NY
6/22/2011
Nothing out of the ordinary, but food was good.
The odd thing was that I asked for an Irish Coffee and the manager came over and told me he would make me the best Irish Coffee ever. 10 minutes later, I am brought out some cold version of his Irish Coffee in a martini glass. Felt like lighting my ass on fire.
Lesson Learned: Don't ask metro Italian guys to for Irish Coffee.
Would repeat, but not if I'm paying. -
Review from danielle r.
New York, NY
Updated - 8/22/2011
Dear Alessandro:
I will admit that my review is dated - it has been months since my regrettable visit to Bocca - but it is not false. You have offered spaghetti squash on your menu in the past. A keyword search within all Bocca reviews shows 4 other reviews about a different spaghetti squash dish at Bocca.
Note: Since you put so much effort into highlighting my typo, I feel compelled to let you know that "costumer" is actually spelled "customer."1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/21/2011
I had dinner at Bocca once & didn't like it but thought I'd give the lunch special a try.
I thought… Read more »
Comment from Alessandro P. of Bocca 8/25/2011
We do not have spaghetti squash on our menus and did not… More » -
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Review from Melissa L.
New York, NY
Started with a basil gimlet. Flawless an did it's job.
The Bread and olive oil with marinare sauce at the bottom was a nice change to the traditional balsamic- although im sure that if we had asked for some we would have gotten it.
We started with the pineapple carpaccio with bacon, honeycomb, cheese and some kick. Absolutely refreshing and summery.
Would def recommend taking thier advice on a bottle of wine. we split something delictable that matched well with our meal- so if you have the budget, let them choose.
We ordered the salad on special- four different types of tomatoes with olive oil, pepper and basil. Large and luscious.
Then onto the entree - the black linguine pasta with lobster and corn crema- absolutely delectable. the butter was dripping and I was happy.
We were too full to order dessert and had already spent a good amount of moola- even with the groupon included.
Nevertheless, One of the best Roman meals I have ever had in my life. The staff was gracious and helpful, attentive and also gave us space. I would absolutely recommend this place for an anniversary or special birthday date. Or just if you want to spoil yourself and pretend you arent in a huge city. -
Review from Sara G.
Manhattan, NY
6/16/2011
I found this place accidentally for lunch with coworkers, and I'm glad I did!
At noon on a Thursday the restaurant was completely empty. By 12:45 there were several other tables. I will consider this spot for client lunches in the future. It has a nice, upscale decor and was quiet.
Everything on the lunch menu is $9, but it tastes like a million bucks. I highly recommend the strozzapreti alla norcina. The portion is a bit small, so don't be afraid to eat the table bread or order some formaggi e salumi. -
Review from Rima C.
Manhattan, NY
10/3/2011
Bocca was your average Italian restaurant, but what really stood out was the black pasta dish with lobster and bacon. I can't even describe the taste..It was truly outstanding, and I would go back to this place just for another bite of that dish. Not to be missed!
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Review from Danielle Z.
Manhattan, NY
11/2/2011
Came here last night (Tuesday) just as my groupon was expiring, and I had a great time! We made reservations for 7:30, and even though they didn't find the reservation (maybe do it online instead of calling next time?) they managed to seat us quickly. The place was full, but not packed.
So I have to say something about the complimentary bread - the dipping sauce is really good! Great start to the meal.
We started off with the Saltimbocca di gamberoni (prosciutto wrapped shrimp), and my boyfriend said it was the best shrimp he had ever tasted. The shrimp was cooked just right, although I thought the prosciutto made it a bit too salty. I also loved the crispy polenta and cheese fondue that came with it - delicious!
I got the Malfatti di cocoa con brasato di manzo (coca flavored pasta). You could definitely taste the cocoa, and I thought it was delicious and unique. The short rib was tasty, too. My only complaint is that after a while the pasta clumped, so its texture wasn't quite as good as in the beginning. This is one of their specialties (according to the waiter), and I'd definitely recommend it.
My boyfriend had the Pappardelle al ragu' di agnello (ribbon pasta with lamb). Since I'm not a fan of lamb, I only had a few bites. The texture of the pasta was quite good. No comment on the sauce, since I tried to avoid it.
The service was excellent. We had a wonderful waiter who was attentive and made great recommendations. Our water glasses were always filled. Overall, ambiance was great.
Price was also very reasonable. Our meal was $60 before taxes, and we've definitely paid that for far worse meals. One note, though - since we had a groupon and therefore ended up with a bill of less than $10, we couldn't use a credit card to pay for our meal (even though adding tip would have put us way over the $15 minimum). So make sure to bring cash if you're using a groupon!
Conclusion: yes, I'd come back. And maybe try that wheel of cheese thing that I read about here... -
Review from Noreen H.
Brooklyn, NY
9/29/2011
Wheel of cheese...first time for everything. Did not order this personally (had the shrimp) but oh my so impressive. They take a giant wheel of cheese and spin your pasta in it. Yeah, not for the faint of heart or calorie conscious, but damn did I taste it? Was it good? Hells Yeah!
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Review from Bethany P.
New York, NY
1/28/2011
Just stopped by Bocca for a restaurant week lunch with colleagues.
I really like the decor. The place is smaller than I thought it would be, though it's not tiny. The ceiling is really neat, (sounds weird, I know) but it's long slats of dark wood....it looks somewhat like a bunch of park benches on the ceiling (as one of my co-workers pointed out).
There are comfortable booths along the walls and dark wood tables up the middle of the room with red lamps hanging down above them.
Since it was restaurant week I took advantage of the prix fixe deal. For my appetizer I had the Tuscan bean soup. It was very good. I liked the thicker texture and it had a nice hearty taste.
For my entrée I had the Rigatoni alla Amatriciana. The pasta was good, not great. I liked the slight spice to the sauce but it was a little over-salted. The pecorino cheese was very good but I couldn't taste the guanciale at all.
Having the sweet-tooth that I have I really enjoyed the dessert course. It was a flourless brownie, chocolate mousse and house made pistachio ice cream, YUM.
Overall a good, (and very filling) meal. I'd be interested to try more menu items in the future. -
Review from mandy l.
7/31/2011
Order the house-made black fettuccine with lobster, smoked bacon, and roasted corn crema. Our whole party of ten agreed this was the best dish of the night. I give this pasta dish 5 stars, but the restaurant as a whole only gets 3 stars as some of the other pasta dishes were just mediocre.
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Review from Holly C.
2/9/2011
*RESTAURANT WEEK 2011 REVIEW ONLY*
Let's start with the fact that I was an hour late for my reservation on a Friday night, thanks to Lincoln Tunnel traffic (which tripled my commute time).They were extremely nice about it and still seated us when I finally stumbled in. The place itself is small and the seating is quite tight (they should invest in a coat check-in to save some space) but the decor is cozy.
The waiter was nice and suggested a decent bottle for us that complimented our meals: Greco di Tufo Mastroberardino 2007. Slightly bitter & on the drier side with a crisp end. ($50 bottle)
The bread wasn't bad considering it was plain.
Appetizers:
(1) Polpettine della nonna (Veal meatballs, tomato sauce and grated parmigiano) - My boyfriend enjoyed it but I couldn't tell you otherwise as veal is the one the I won't eat.
(2) "Ravioli" di barbabietola con caprino (Roasted red beets "ravioli"filled with goat cheese and honey-thyme vinaigrette) - I thought the goat cheese was over-powering and didn't blend well with the rest of the ingredients.
Entrees:
(1) Salmone in padella conspaghetti di zucca e spuma al cider (Pan roasted Alaskan King salmon fillet served with spaghetti squash and apple cider foam) - decent. Nothing that was spectacular.
(2) Polletto in padella alla cacciatora (Pan roasted organic semi-deboned Bell & Evan's chicken,rosemary potato, broccoli rabe and black olive and red vinaigrette reduction) - another decent selection but lacked the "wow" factor. The chicken was juicy but the bone didn't seem appropriate for the dish.
Dessert:
(1) Cioccolato (Flourless brownie, chocolate mousse and
house made pistachio cream) - not that great.
(2) Torta di mele (Apple butter milk cake and cinnamon gelato) - my favorite thing all night. The cake was pretty good.
Overall everything was okay but nothing amazing. Food presentation was the same for every dish which became redundant and at times, looked awkward for certain dishes. -
Review from JennyKayt C.
New York, NY
Updated - 11/1/2010 1 photo
Re-u-ni-ted, and it feeeels so gooood!
+1 This time, I came on a full stomach*, but I still enjoyed every last bite of food.
+1 The service is just as perfect as I remember it.
+1 I FINALLY GOT A TASTE OF THE PARMESAN PASTA! Okay, so picture a hallowed out wheel of Parmesan, which is then filled with fresh warm pasta, and topped with some pepper. The peppery pasta is then stirred around the inside of the cheese until it the sides of the cheese melt from the heat of the pasta and there's a nice cheesy sauce. Then, the whole thing is scooped from the cheese wheel onto your plate, and then the waiter scoops extra hard so you get some dry parm shavings, in addition to the wet melted parm sauce..... hard to describe, just go and see for yourself ;)
+1 The nutella panacotta
*I'd already had dinner, but then a good friend of mine, who I hadn't seen in over a year, told me she was in town!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/13/2010
A little back story:
Jamie C. and I had plans to dine with our meetup group at Maialino this Tuesday… Read more »
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Review from Patricia C.
Flushing, NY
10/25/2010
My family and I came here to celebrate my sister's birthday. The food was delicious, especially my SALMON! Not to mention, they serve very unique pasta. The ambiance was very nice and the service was outstanding. I enjoyed my stay and so did my family. I'd definitely come back for another steller experience!
MY ORDER:
___ Salmone in padella con spatzel e crema di aragosta ($24.95)
(Pan roasted Alaskan King salmon fillet served with spaghetti squash and apple cider foam)
On a side note, please do not order the RIBS because my boyfriend did and thought it was too salty. -
Review from Navid T.
Manhattan, NY
8/1/2011
So the food here is pretty good. the service is just really really really bad. the waiters are lounging by the bar or in the back while the busboys do all the work. they were nice and prompt with refills but the only problem is that they wont take your order or check up on you or bring your bill so the service aspect is just an overall poor experience. the food on the other hand is pretty good. the palenta appetizer was really delicious, i highly recommend it.
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Review from Lauren L.
6/9/2011
While I just went here for a drink I doubt I'd ever come back. When we sat down at the bar, 2 members of the staff (while one is stuffing their face despite the fact that every seat at the bar is taken) decided to get into a heated discussion about their policies at the restaurant, which is something you never do in front of a customer. (I'm pretty sure that's restaurant 101.) Despite us moving and enjoying our drinks, it was just beyond annoying.
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Review from Alexandre T.
New York, NY
4/13/2011
I've been there a couple of times.
The wine Torti, is excellent. Food is really great, especially desserts.
I like the simple italian decoration.
Good bar to wait for a table. Real Italian restaurant 2 steps from Union Square -
Review from Ruoyi J.
Manhattan, NY
2/19/2011
Packed on Friday night, reservation recommended.
The decor was really lovely. There was quite enough space between tables. However, the food came a bit disappointing. Everything was very greasy, we had octopus, a pork entree, and a roasted pear salad. We knew that we ordered some heavy meat, but they really should not be that way. I can hardly imagine someone eating the entire pork dish without puking fat at the end.
Other than that, it was a lovely dinner. -
Review from Randy S.
Brooklyn, NY
2/18/2011
So...I was SURE I had my first five star review coming upon arrival. My date and I had a reservation, were seating immediately (in a full restaurant), and the bread and olive oil/tomato dipping sauce were heavenly... (we had two of each!) All of the above was complimented by the great space: perfect lighting (not too high/low), great color scheme/matching artwork, cool concaved wood slat ceiling.
Now, let's start going downhill. Our waiter was very attentive for the brief time he served us (and, yes, he was still in the restaurant, just not available some 20-30 minutes in). The first dish I ordered (after a good bit of consideration) had 'just run out' and a menu reconsideration was called for. I originally ordered the pan-roasted free range chicken and switched to the oven-roasted branzino, altered to include the rosemary potato and broccoli rabe from the chicken. Let's just say the dish was both over- AND under-whelming.
The fish was strangely sweet (and why I didn't return it is beyond my momentary grasp), but I mostly drowned out the sweetness with lemon wedges I requested to improve the flavor. The potatoes were tasty, but the brocolli rabe was very bitter and not well balanced by the accompanying onions and garlic. My date's dish, the pan-roasted salmon, was blandly tasty (if a bit salty and seemingly buttery) with the 'apple cider foam' on the side (where it surely belonged: ICK).
Back to a bit o' plus: our 'created' starter beet salad sans cheese was phenomenal. Just a great mix of field greens and beets with a tasty vinaigrette: YUM.
Lastly, the noise level was bearable, but a bit much.
All in all, I was hoping to be wowed and was only mildly entertained. I'll return because my OpenTable discount was rejected (I missed reading the micro-type that mentioned such discounts were not accepted on Saturday. Imagine that?), and goodness knows I LIKE saving a few shekels. Here's hoping trip number two will be more impressive. -
Review from Clemens W.
New York, NY
This is my secret lunch place when I have time to take an hour break. The lunch special is affordable and gives you a great selection of pasta. I'm a huge fan of the old Italian feel to the place with even an outdoor section. The food itself is unbelievable and reminds me of Italy. The pasta was cooked the right way - slightly al dente and lightly drizzled with grated cheese. I can't wait to go back and try more entrees.
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Review from Madhu S.
Staten Island, NY
3/20/2011
I love this place... its small, but not too tiny. The decor is very cool, they have a few cute tables ouside. The service is great. The host and the waiters all speak Italian - which for some reason makes me feel like the place has more cred, but I guess its doesn't have to mean that... but here I think it did. The FOOD is AMAZING... not your typical Italian menu, but very good Italian food. I had Beet "ravioli" with goat cheese (goat cheese in between two thin slices of beet - YUM.... I can't wait to go back and try more food...went for a 6:30 dinner on Friday and it wasn't crowded, but it wasn't dead either.. started to fill up as we were leaving, but had the perfect amount..
I loved the seating...benches all along the walls, and cute corner tables that are perfect for a romantic date (add in the Italian waiters and some wine....) and a cute three sided bench that I want to sit in next time...
All in all, I love the decor and the food and the ambiance... will be going back!
