On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Categories: Italian, Steakhouses [Edit]
Neighborhood: Chelsea23rd St-7th Ave (1)
23rd Street (PATH)
23rd St-8th Ave (C, E)
Sunday thru Thursday 10% off for Yelpers (cash only). Lunch specials all week for only $12.50, come join us and see what the Yelp is about
Loading...
Five stars because the waiter at AYCD brunch made sure my mimosa glass was never half empty.
A few of my friends raved to me about brunch at Il Bastardo. I looked the place up and came up with episodes of The Hills, so I was skeptical. (Not in the mood to run into Lauren Conrad). After a solid brunch with two of my girls, I was sold.
AYCD brunch (champagne, bloody marys, mimosas) for 2 hours will set you back $15, which is such a deal. There are a lot of entree choices ranging from eggs to sandwiches; I opted for the frittata. A majority of the time, eggs will be really bland at brunch. The frittata was nicely seasoned and had plenty of veggies. Quite frankly, no one goes to AYCD brunch for the food, but I was pleasantly surprised.
Oh, did I mention that my glass was never half empty?
3 courses for $18 from 4-7pm. I kid you not. One of the best deals in town. I got the moules for an app and the lamb shank for my entree. This lamb shank, though a +$3 supplement, was worth every penny. For dessert though, the strawberry sorbet was a copout and not worth remembering. Oh yeah, they are on OpenTable now too. GO.
Pic: http://photos1.meetups...
Decided to stay close to home with some out of town guest for brunch. Usually venture down to the LES for AYCD Brunch. A friend of mine recommended this place to me. So we decided to try the AYCD 2hr brunch for $15 + your entree, so around 26 average person.
So we got there about 15 mins late and they we're nice enough to still seat us with out a hassle
We sat down and the (best waitress) came over and took our drink order. We all ordered our brunch entrees and 1 guest ordered of the regular lunch menu which was extremely accommodating of the waitress, since i know during brunch its always rather restrictive.
Lets just saw my mimosa glass was never empty. At first my wine glass was filled to the normal 1/2 way point. Every time we got a refill the bar was raised by the end of brunch our glasses were being filled to the top. And no it wasn't just orange juice, after 2 of those glasses I felt the mimosas.
Honestly I can't wait to go back it was so much fun and the drinks were flowing. I recommend it for big parties
I went here for brunch a few times and I really like this place. I recommend the eggs benedict with prosciutto. The waiter was very nice. My girlfriend went with the all you can drink mimosas. It is worth the price. They are strong. I went with beer and the waiter even told me one of them was on the house. I would like to go back.
I kept my promise...I came here again last night. The food and service was excellent. The calamari was a tad salty but came with two dipping sauces, yeah! The buffalo mozzarella and tomato was also very good. l was pleased with the pinot noir they had chosen.
This bitch is going back to the bastard.
Delicious food. Best scallops I've ever had in my life...service is wonderful. Never a bad meal here.
Some nights are just perfect.
Warm and breezy, nary a cloud in the sky.
Such was the night I visited Il Bastardo.
We consider this a neighborhood restaurant, even though it has recently been cast in the spotlight due to the travesty of a TV show entitled 'The City'. Nestled on 7th avenue, frequented by the sceney Chelsea residents, Il Bastardo serves up quality Italian.
We sat outside on the eve of July 4th for a late dinner. Instead of opting for heavier meal, we decided to share two appetizers and a pasta dish accompanied by a bottle of Montepulciano. We ordered the platter of assorted cured meats, cheeses, olives, roasted red peppers, and fruits and the stuffed mushroom caps topped with goat cheese and Italian breadcrumbs. The two dishes paired lovely with the cherry red wine.
We went for the goat cheese stuffed ravioli in a light and creamy tomato vodka sauce. The pasta was cooked perfectly al dente, just the right firmness to bite. The innards were creamy and warm.
For dessert, we chose the crepes stuffed with nutella and strawberries. You can never go wrong with nutella.
It was a beautiful evening in Chelsea over a lazy dinner.
So I came here for a friend's bday .. a bunch of guys looking for a good meal and fruity drinks ahahaha.. anyways, we arrive and the waiter immediately gives us a round of shots on the house since its a birthday - NICE!
but then the food came, and disappoint dripped about... all the plates are TINY.. the manly men all became drunk off of our wine and beer bc they didn't have enough to eat...
the ambience is nice in this place, and service is amazing..
if only we didn't feel so starved when we left.
Loved it. I went there twice and the first time was absolutely perfect except, for the first time in my life, a steak was a little TOO rare for my liking. I won't fault them for that. So when I went back I ordered it medium rare and it was absolutely mouthwatering.
The service was good and the wine list was extensive. However, it's a little pricey and I don't like dining in the dark in the middle of the day. The lighting sucks. It's disorienting to fill your gut, have several drinks and stumble outside to be blinded by the sun at 4:30 in the afternoon because you've been in a dungeon for the last two hours.
Yes, I'll go back for special occasions when the wallet can take a hit.
Il Bastardo - what a fitting name! Let's just say they're not being ironic as much as they're hitting you over the head with a self fulfilling prophecy.
To be fair, my experience with the baaaaaastard happened quite a while ago. Having said that, let's be real here - in the restaurant biz in New York, you get one shot to impress. So here's the dirty:
Food wasn't all that memorable. I believe it was fair. No serious complaints, likewise no raves to be found here. But that wasn't my main problem.
What torpedoed this place in my mind is the fact that the waiter manipulated the fucking tip to give himself a nice little extra somethin' somethin'. We're already good tippers, so that was pretty dick. If it weren't for my sister's diligence in reading her credit card statement the next day, it would've gone unnoticed and the bastardest of the lot at Il Bastardo would've made out like a bandit! To be fair, the manager was very apologetic when this was brought to his attention and this was a while ago, so the douchey waiter could very well be gone, but still. Seriously shady business*. Check your receipts, folks.
But hold your horses there buddy; look on the bright side! Il Bastardo's co-owned by that male model guy who dates the girl model on that "reality" show, The City (or as my sister lovingly calls it, The Shitty)! OHMIGAWD, RIGHT!?! THEY'VE FILMED THE FRIGGIN' CITY HERE!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(...Need I say more?)
*I was originally going to bestow the 1 star for this experience, but I'll bump the restaurant up to 2 since it's not necessarily the restaurant's fault they had one bad egg of a waiter (they weren't abysmal; their waiter was).
The bastards should thank me for being a bloody saint though (preferably in complimentary mimosas).
"We should never repeat the horror that was today's brunch."
(4:35pm Sunday, Gmail inbox)
(2 hours earlier)
Disastardo. Brunch. Fail.
- Worst eggs florentine in life. The hollandaise sauce, a congealed mess of rancid.
- Contemplate gargling with my watered down OJ. Or chew napkin. Possibly both.
- Bite tongue, don't complain. Do not risk payback from offended cooks. Surgically scrape off sauce, attempt to rescue precious poached eggs and satiate whimpering stomach. (still hungry). Suspiciously poke english muffin base. Overly buttered, hardened hockey pucks.
- Guiltily peek at friends' orders:
- crab cake eggs benedict: "not good and i'm still hungry"
- scrambled eggs: "overly cooked...how can they mess *this* up!"
- ice cream: "it's ice cream."
(30 min earlier)
- "Did he just give me the dinner menu?" (1:57pm)
- "Hi there...dessert menu please?" (1:53pm)
- He clearly forgot... (1:46pm)
- "Can you bring the dessert menu?" (1:32pm)
- "I love free, but this plate of cold mini muffins is gross." (1:23pm)
- "Bon Appetit-O!" (Our waiter, University of Olive Garden, Class of '05)
(27 min earlier)
The companions were famished, increasingly snippy, and the 45 min wait at Cafeteria was not an option. "How about Il Bastardo? Plenty of seating and looked like there was a $15 AYCD mimosa/bloody mary deal."
(Date night, long ago)
Il Bastardo. So romantic with your cavernous brick walls, dim lighting. Lovesick Bambi is entranced despite having zero recollection of your food. La sigh. Googly eyes. Hi!
(Present)
Brunch friends, I'm truly sorry. Bambi promises to be more emotionally sober before recommending places ever again...
Not a good brunch place. I've only gone to this place for their unlimited mimosa brunch and it was not really worth it.
The food is mediocre at best. The service is not really good. The mimosas are difficult to get. You have to keep asking and their mostly orange juice than champagne.
What's up with the lame music too?
Honestly it's just a strange vibe at this place. I'm not really a fan.
If you're interested in a great unlimited mimosa brunch place, go to Intermezzo. It's majestic supremo. This place doesn't really hit the mark with me.
Thanks
Sunday Brunch + Unlimited Mimosa = black out by 4pm.
I came here one Sunday for brunch and mimosas. The food was standard but the waiter did not let my mimosa glass go empty- which made my experience incredible. To top it off the waiter brought shots with our check, yes!
I went here last night for a lovely Italian dinner. It is a fairly large restaurant in Chelsea capable of handling several large groups simultaneously. The restaurant is effectively split into 3 seating areas with the main dining room having a bar, several tables, including deuces along a side wall; then there is a wider middle section; followed by more private group seating in the back. The ambiance was very nice and relaxing for a Sunday evening, and I felt very comfortable here.
I started off with an appetizer of grilled calamari, shrimp, and mussels with a treviso salad and a section of lemon. Each item was perfectly prepared and the grilled taste resonated throughout the dish. This was very good.
For the main course I opted for the Lasagna with bolognese and bechamel sauce. I am on a quest to find the best lasagna in the city, and this one is faring well in the competition. It was untraditionally presented in a circular dish and being right out of the oven, it was piping hot and did not stand up well to individual cuts. But the taste was very good, and it was not too heavy for a lasagna. This was good as well.
For dessert I had their Torta Nera which was a chocolate cake served with a little bit of raspberry compote. As you worked your way to the center of the cake, it became moister, more chocolatey, and just more decadent. This was a very nice dessert.
For the wine, I went with the house Sangiovese. It turns out, the "house" has their own line of Il Bastardo wine. So this worked out very well and complemented my heavy entree just fine.
I recommend this place as a good casual Italian restaurant offering many traditional American favorites prepared well. So in that category, I give them 4 stars.
Over promised under delivered. We came here for lunch and the menu looked super impressive. Ya' know. I probably wouldn't come back here, at least for a while. The food was fair to moderate. Nothing to boast about. Everything looks delightful, but tasted barely mediocre. Lots of potential, they just need a little bit more umpph.
This placed sucked. Don't come here.
Seems like they have a well priced lunch special but the dinner is definitely not worth it. Went last night with a big group and while some dishes were pretty good (mussels), most were just bad. I had a very simple pasta dish and it tasted like the pasta itself was reheated. The space is nice and easily accommodates a large crowd. I really wanted to like this restaurant since it was my recommendation but in a city with so many great places, this one does not get my vote.
You know in Harry Potter during the Quidditch tournament, when they Harry & co are going to sleep in tents and they walk in and find it's not a small tent but a HUGE area with a kitchen, rooms et all? This is kind of how I felt when I walked in here-- HUGE place! Lots and lots of space, dim lighting, large wine list, great menu selection- great place for a first date.
Our meal was great, we ordered:
1. Ravioli filled with goat cheese and sun-dried tomatoes in a tomato - vodka sauce
2. Breast of Duck with madeira wine reduction and radicchio risotto cake
3. Tiramisu!
I actually ordered the ravioli, it was delicious, with a heavy sauce, great balance of sweet and savory, but it came with like five pieces and for the price of this individual dish I would have liked a little more. My date ordered the duck (which I of course tried) and it was also really good, well done, strong flavors. The tiramisu wasn't the best I've ever had, I think the coffee flavor was too over powering, but not bad. The wine we ordered was pretty good too.
The service was also good, our waiter was friendly but not always present. My date and I split the check, came out to about 45 a person. Now, this was a first date, and I always offer to pay as I don't think men should always pick up the tab. But it was our first date, he picked the place, should I be a bit put off by this? Any feedback would be greatly appreciated- Thanks!
The reason that Chelsea has so few good restaurants is because, in my opinion, the clientele focuses too much on style and not enough on substance. Thus, the restaurants in the area are never faced with a market imperative causing them to aspire to greatness.
A case in point is Il Bastardo:
Yes, the design is enticing.
Yes, it spills out onto the sidewalk providing for relaxing al fresco dining.
Yes, the food sucks.
Yes, the service is clueless, lazy, and unapologetic.
I rarely get angry when I have a bad meal, but somehow spending $20 for cold tasteless pasta stuck with me for a few days. I would have much rather had a bad steak for that price.
Been here twice. Both when my dad was in town for business. Time 1 everything was amazing. My dad (and now I have followed in his footsteps) usually gets Putanesca if it's on the menu. I ordered it the first time and it was delicious. Probably the best putanesca I've ever had and I love whenever I can eat it over spaghetti or angel hair rather than penne (I'm not into what I call the "stabby pastas"). Everyone's food was great, brother got Priest Stranglers and we had a cured meats and cheese platter as an appetizer. Yum.
Now, this past time was parents, boyfriend and Erin and it was still good. I got goat cheese ravioli with vodka sauce (minor misstep...should have stayed with the putanesca) and we still got the cured meats and cheese platter. This time tho we didn't get the delicious olive oil, butter and olives spread with our bread that we got last time. Pretty much a bummer because we all love olives. (Actually, I judge people who DON'T love olives). But maybe since we got the app before the bread they didn't give us the full thing. Who knows. We did however end up with 4 complimentary amaretto shots after dessert which made my mom remark, "Is he trying to pick us ALL up?"
I guess I mostly recommend the...you guessed it, putanesca. And, watch out, because since it's pretty hip, they play horrible music.
That damn music. I can't bear the 4 star anymore. Unless you're sitting outside.
*** Reduced to 4 stars because of the waiter who immediately told us NO! when we asked if he could… Read more »
I live just down the street and actually fell into it one beautiful afternoon with my boyfriend. I ordered a drink and found out it was all you can drink for 2 hrs for 15$$$. Amazing. You can order mamosa, champagne, vodka. Needless to say I've been there twice for lunch and let's just say they keep the drinks filled to the brim. I felt those mamosa's after the 1st refill. Not only is it amazing to go there for drinks but the food is amazing as well. I also have been there for dinner recently for my boyfriends b-day. The risotto melted in my mouth.At the end of the meal the waiter found out it was my boyfriends birthday and he gave us 2 free glasses of champagne!! I'll be bringing my out of town guests there very, very soon.!!
Everybody needs to go there. My favorite NYC restaurant for sure!!!
I have been coming here for many years and have mixed feelings about it.
For dinner, the food is very good-excellent. (standard Italian menu-pastas really shine here!! main courses are so-so). They can accommodate large group such as birthday dinner. Service usually is efficient and friendly. Sitting/eating at the bar is not bad if you are alone. The price is reasonable unless you order a lot of top shelf cocktails/wine.
For brunch, on the other hand, it has been mostly a blah experience. The food is mediocre or not fresh. Service halfhearted and erratic. And sometimes the crowd can be annoying (not their fault), like the loud and obnoxious "Sex and the City" wannabes (ugh!) sitting outdoor next to you when you try to have a relaxing brunch.
I've walked by this place a million times, and never had the desire to check it out until a friend of mine said let's go to dinner at Il Bastardo, and I figured why not try it...
The restaurant is huge! ...from the outside you get the feeling it's a small neighborhood family restaurant, and although it is a family restaurant.. it is quite spacious, which means it's not overly crowded and you're not on top of other guests!
The food was excellent! I wish I had been hungry enough to try appetizers and such, but we only ordered wine and our entrees. The wine list is quite large, and have a great selection of wines-by-the-glass. For dinner, I had the duck, which lied on a scrumptious semi-sweet sauce, and accompanied by a fried risotto cake. Both were delicious!! My friend had the sea bass, and absolutely loved it! Everything was moderately priced! Absolutely worth the money!
The service was fairly good.. aside from the fact our waiter had a heavy accent and I could barely understand the specials that babbled out of his mouth!
Single ladies, cute place to bring a date!!
It makes me laugh every time I hear the word Bastardo..So mature really...anyways one night, seeing that there was no line on a Friday night, a friend and I gave it a shot. We were sat in the back. Despite the crowd, the room felt spacious. Maybe it was the color of the walls, marble..not sure but there was a nice feel to it.
The food was decent..I tasted the calamari, is was actually incredibly good. Beware though, they have HUGE portions, I repeat huge portions. Look around before you order, really. I could not get to the main dish I was so full. It would be ok if I didn't have plans afterwards but I felt like a beached whale afterwards.
The service was friendly, fast and wine selection was excellent. Food was good overall, not fantastic but the ambiance and the service compensated for lack of brilliance.
I was going to give this place two stars but then blond female bartender with piss poor humor decided to give me shit about the 100 dollar bill I needed change for being fake. Word of advice, any place that's sole claim to fame is being on an episode of the hills is a place you should avoid.
I went here with a party of 7 for dinner around 7:45pm on a saturday. We were seated promptly and began to look over the menu. I just wanted to keep it basic because I wasn't in the mood to drop a bunch of money. Decided on the burger only to be told they were out of it. How the fuck do you run out of a burger this early in the evening on a saturday! When one of my party asked about it he was told they were just out of the buns. He tried ordering just the burger and getting them to bring out some bread so he could make his own sandwhich. Apparently the waiter missed the seminar because on giving the customer what they want because he said "they won't let me." Really chief?
Anyways I decided to go with the pounded chicken as I was looking to keep it simple. We were brought some bread and it was cold. It felt like it had been made at the beginning of the day and had been sitting in a cold dark corner of the kitchen somewhere.
When I received my dish I just started shaking my head. While the chicken was pounded it looked like a flapjack of meat. It was a skinny piece of chicken folded over on itself with a little bit of pepper and some kind of herb. It also came with a mixed green salad on the side of the plate. Conceptually I just felt like the dish did not execute well. It felt like the salad was there to make up for the fact that the chicken was boring. The chicken felt dry and generally lacking flavor. The pepper/seasoning felt like it was just sprinkled on right before the food was plated. As a result the flavors were just not there.
My friend penne pasta dish was just barely edible as Jane K. Mentioned in her review. The sauce felt like it came out of a can and was just lacking in flavor.
I will not be returning to this establishment. Our waiter was nice but somewhat busch league, the bar staff was pretentious as shit, the food was just barely edible, and I left feeling angry at the overall experience.
This place was (wiggidy) wack. There was an epic duel on Yelp between Cookshop and Il Bastardo this morning. Cookshop won by a landslide with Yelp reviews but Il bastardo had one less $ and was closer and in the state I was in (sick and tired) it served a KO uppercut to CS. Off we skipped with expectant bellies. My friend and I snuggled into a nice seat outside (it was the warm calm before the storm) and quickly ordered up some endless mimosas (c'mon, I'm sick but I'm not made of steel!).
Well...the food was edible. The portions were so teensy tiny that even if it was inedible we might have breathed our meals in through our nostrils by accident. I ordered the crab cakes benedict--my breakfast staple--but this is the 1st time I only received one puny cake. Yes, there were 2 english muffins, 2 poached eggs, and 1 crab cake. C'mon guys, would you make regular benedict with bacon on just one of the muffins? Lame. The potatoes were weird and soggy, more like stew than breakfast fare. And that's it. That was my breakfast. Obviously, I had to drink many many mimosas to compensate. And now it's 8pm and I'm blaming you Bastardos for my current hangover.
This place has huckleberry vodka. They were willing to swap out the rum in my mojito for the huckleberry vodka, making a tangy 'Lawnboy', or whatever you call a mojito with vodka instead of rum.
They brought us bread, but didn't bring the accompanying olive oil/vinegar until after we had finished our bread. Whoops! They brought us more bread, thank goodness.
We shared a salad and a file mignon in a wine sauce. The meat wasn't that great, but the salad was.
Servers were awesome, as was sitting outside on a busy NYC street watching the people walk past. What wasn't awesome was the super loud and obnoxious half crazy woman at the table next to us yelling at the empty chair in front of her.
Oh well. Crazy people gotta eat too.
This is about a 3.7 for me...
I'll blush if I tell you where I saw this place.....
okok, on an episode of The Hills : X !! Two of the characters came to NY for some fashion show and they went to Il Bastardo during their time here for a party or something. Based on the cool ambience I saw on the tele I figured I had to try out this place for myself and especially after I read some of these reviews.
So we went this past Sunday around 2 or so. Hey, we had to get there in time for unlimited drinks! We walked in and were immediately seated. I liked the Tuscan feel from the brick and archways and the abundance of natural light in the front sitting/bar area. We were seated in the back of the dining area on the way to the entertaining space in the back of the establishment.
The waiter wasn' t too attentive throughout the meal but the unlimited drinks --we're talking humungo glasses of champagne, my drink of choice :)-- totally made up for it.
I know that my two companions enjoyed their food but since I can really only speak for myself, let me say that I looooved my Maryland crabcake eggs benedict. When my food first arrived my immediate thought was that the portion was a bit on the small side but I dug in nonetheless. It was actually perfect. I was pleasantly full and the flavors were rich enough that my palate was satisfied.
I will most definitely return. : )
This place is just ok. For some reason I thought I was going to get this real Italian home cooked meal like Max Restaurant on the LES. Not the case. The food was plain and the entree portions were actually small for the price. The middle dining area is extremely loud so it's not good for catching up with anyone because you cant hear them. They also blast random music which doesn't help. Not really worth the calories and cost.
another one of my fave brunch spots. I love coming here because the food never disappoints, they play awesome music and the service is excellent. For $10 or $15 extra you can add on all you can drink mimosas or screwdrivers. Be careful though...its really easy to leave here wobbly as hell!
Another plus, the restaurant is very spacious which means you never have to wait to sit...at least for brunch. You can sit in the front, or if you have a large group they will take you to the huge room in the back which is very lounge like. This place used to be the old club/lounge Vizcaya and the back room and the bathrooms are the only part of the original club that they kept.
A lounge that also doubles as an Italian restaurant?!?! Sign me up!!!
On a Sunday night a number of months ago, I came here with my girlfriend and her family. We found the food to be quite good, with the caprese salad, a standard on most NY menu's to have far fresher ingredients than the usual. The stuffed mushrooms were a little disappointing however. The wine list has a lot of selection, without being overwhelming, with good ideas at many different price points. I'd recommend the Cannanou de Sardegna with most meals.
Our waiter actually screwed up my order, bringing me an order of La Tagliata: sliced, rosemary crusted sirloin steak with Barolo wine reduction, rather than the Scaloppine Saltimbocca that I ordered. The funny thing is that somehow the steak was my second choice, so perhaps he did me a favor as it was really good and I found myself almost licking the plate.
Of course, it would have helped him if the music were turned down. It's a Sunday night, 6:30 (we were afterall with parents) and it's "UNCE-UNCE-UNCE-UN-UN-UNCE!!" We asked them to turn the music down since there weren't many people in the restaurant and most were gathered close to the window as it was a nice night out, but the manager was worried that people would complain...about music being TOO SOFT? In a restaurant!?!? On a Sunday at 7!?!? Are you F-ing kidding me!??!
Anyway, despite the feeling of eating in the Tunnel back in the day, the food here's quite good and I'd definitely recommend it if wandering in the neighborhood and looking for a nice place to eat without making a reservation a month in advance.
Just when you thought you couldn't face another "fabulous" brunch at Elmo or Cafeteria, a quick search for brunch in Chelsea leads you to this unlikely spot on 7th Ave. I've walked by it a million times thinking I should stop in for dinner one of these days, but until perusing the reviews, i never thought of it as a brunch destination.
Major points here for the space itself, which is surprisingly cavernous. Great private room in the back for events and tables galore around the sleek, well lit bar. The menu was very good, but not life changing -I had a yummy frittata with zucchini and onions with an ample side of sausage. My fellow bruncher went with the veal panini, which was large and tasty (i had a bite).
Service was good, and the brunch deal is standard (you can add $10/person for unlimited mimosas or bloody marys). A solid choice for a Chelsea brunch - I'll definitely be back to try the dinner selection.
I ate here once (w/ Barbara C, see her review below) on one of those blessed height-of-summer evenings when the dusk brings a gentle cooling breeze. The outdoor seating allowed provided plenty of prime people-watching on the catwalk that is 7th Ave Chelsea. I think my dining companions liked their food enough, but while my lamb shank was well-flavored and sufficiently tender, my polenta was sooooo salty it was inedible (and I'm not someone who likes her food bland). If it had been the main dish, I definitely would have sent it back to the kitchen (which I've never done before). But good service and yummy lamb shank means I wouldn't nix it completely if someone else wanted to come here again.
PS - Shtylish bathrooms, but I do so hate the whole unisex communal sink thing. Sometimes a gal just needs a moment to pretty up w/o the boys around, y'know?
Been to this Italian restaurant with an interesting name several times and have yet to be disappointed with the food or the service. The ambiance is more on the dark side with exposed brick. I've tried several of their pastas and antipastas and have been more than satisfied. Seems to get a lot more of the younger traffic because of the exposure on the MTV show "The City"... don't know if that's good or bad, hah.
For my 300th review I wanted to Yelp about my favorite Italian spot. Gracious servers, authentic quality food, large varied menu. On the spendy side but you get what you pay for. This past weekend was balmy and bright, perfect for their outdoor seating.
My salad of pears, arugula, gorgonzola and walnuts was fresh and delcious. It complimented the glass of Gavi di Gavi I had chosen and the waiter was quick to return to ask if we needed more wine. Yay! More wine!
Next we went on to hot appetizers. The Melanzane alla Parmigiana, a traditional baked eggplant with tomato, basil and mozzarella, was a good size and enough to share between the three of us. Roasted to intermingle the flavors, it was well paired with the fresh crusty bread. We just had to order the fried calamari, perfectly cooked with a very light breading.
I had a difficult time deciding between the lamb shank braised in chianti with porcini polenta and the La Tagliata, the sliced rosemary crusted sirloin steak steep in a Barolo wine reduction. Having just come from a week long conference with my vegan and vegetarian friends, I went for the beef. It arrived rare-medium, exactly how I had ordered it. Melted in my mouth.
I'd made sure to only eat half my dinner to keep room for dessert. Dessert is a must have here. Again I had a tough time choosing. I went for the standard Tiramisu which is anything but standard here. Best I have ever had anywhere. Fortunately one of my friends chose the other dessert I was slavering over, the chocolate mousse. I've never been a big fan of mousse, thinking it a bit on the bland side, but their mousse has bits of bittersweet chocolate interspersed in a rich heavy cream base, so decadent.
This is a a perfect date spot or for a gathering of a group of friends.
One of my favorites for 3 years running - it actually achieves the impossible task of being sexy and chic, while still very comfortable and unprentious. And that's no simple feat.
I've loved everything on the menu - yet I only wish that they'd expand their wine list just a bit to include some more high-end reds - their food truly deserves it.
Don't forget to check out the bathrooms downstairs - amazing!
Enjoy! I'll be jealous!
Average food and I had better eggs benefits but the restaurant is very nice and the outdoor patio is perfect for people watching. I thought the service was rather slow considering the place wasn't even business (just 5 tables around 12pm). Won't be coming back.
Disgusting and SICKENING!!!!!!!!!!! Let me start off by saying that I am a repeat customer and not an angry one time eater!!! BUT this incident is too horrific not to share!! As I was taking a bite of their bread, I felt a smell that was so foul! The bread was rotten and had FUNGUS on it!!! I called to inform and the restaurant's response was " we would send you another bread right away". I don't care if they bake their own or it's delivered by another vendor. It is the restaurant's responsibility not to serve ROTTEN FOOD!!!!!
I'm basing my review on my friends night out in new york and based on what they told me I will never set foot in this place ever.
Short story: there was a MOUSE involved (seen at the restaurant), along with rude NASTY service, and a WRONGFUL charge of a credit card.
Long story: My friends went to New York to visit the big apple. As a group one of them decided to go to this place as a nice dinner. While they were eating they heard a fuss around these 2 ladies. the fuss was about a MOUSE! There was a mouse running about the restaurant. My friends were shocked to find out there was a mouse running around. The waiters and staff then tried to conceal the area in which the mouse was. For obvious reasons my friends asked to see the manager or someone in charge....the staff lagged....and lagged...they finally spoke to their waiter who said they can talk to the person in charge after he eats.....they waited......then they inquired about the person later.....the staff replied with saying that he left! They then inquired about another person in charge who or the owner who was named Nasty (quite fitting), he offered 10% off and a bottle of wine. My friends (a group of 8) obligied. When they got the bill they paid then asked about the free bottle of wine. The waiter asked and Nasty said that he never said to give them a bottle. My friends were furious, the worst customer service ever! They wanted to tell other diners that there was a mouse but staff blocked them off as they were leaving. ----Not the end of the story. They paid with separate credit cards and cash being in the group. il bastardo charged a member of the group with a 250+ and she didn't even sign the receipt to give consent. They charged her extreme amount when the group paid for the dinner. Such a horrible experience they had.
they really are bastards!
**** Review for the bar only
My friend and I wandered into here on our way to Penn Station, since we needed to stall before her train. She had a glass of port, great size, resonable price, and very good. I had a ginger cosmo (I think it was called that), which was made with orange juice and I thought was simply delicious! The bartender was super nice, professional, patient, and attentive. I was definitely happy with my drink, and will be back to check out this fabu brunch I am reading about.
**** I went back for dinner, and it was awesome. I had a fish special, which was absolutely delic. The place is much bigger than I expected, the service was great, and the ambiance was fantastic. Great place for a date or a group of friends to go to.
Fabulous Brunch now served…
Neighborhood: Park Slope
Lunch or Dinner & a movie $28
Neighborhood: Upper West Side
Neighborhood: Chelsea
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Chelsea
Category: Steakhouses
Neighborhood: Chelsea
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Chelsea
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Chelsea
Category: Italian
"Kevin, you're what the French call les…
I believe brunch is the best meal of the day/week…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Good Italian places to check out, ranked from best…
I mean seriously, what did people do before…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
