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Categories: Italian, Breakfast & Brunch, Pizza [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Meatpacking District, ChelseaFall is here and our greenhouse is up!
Come try our delicious Spiked Apple Cider and watch the leaves turn and fall. So romantic!
14th St-8th Ave (A, C, E, L)
18th St-7th Ave (1)
14th St-7th Aves (1, 2, 3, F, V, L)
Mon-Thu. 7:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Fri-Sat. 7:00 a.m. - 1:00 a.m.
Sun. 7:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
"Thoroughly impressed! I came here for an office dinner with roughly 15 people, and the service was attentive from start to finish. When I…" read more »
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I too am surprised to see some bad reviews here. Two of us went for lunch today -- my second time there -- and we had a really nice meal. My friend got the tagliatelle alla bolognese and I chose the quattro stagioni pizza. The pizza had a great thin crust and all the ingredients were very fresh -- the mushrooms and artichokes were divine! I didn't try my friend's tagliatelle, but he had only good things to say about it.
Both portions were very big (I ended up bringing half the pizza home) and service was excellent -- didn't get a sense of snobbery at all. Plus, they brought us some really tasty complimentary cookies with the check!
All in all, a great alternative to the typical meatpacking district options -- less crowded and definitely affordable.
Great place to come when the weather is nice for their large patio. I've met here for drinks and apps on an occasion and tried their pizza which was pretty decent. Not something to go out of your way for but it was pretty good at the time.
The prices aren't bad and the crowd is generally a more upscale artsy/fashionable crowd since the Chelsea galleries and shops are all nearby which makes for nice people watching. It seems to be a pretty popular after work spot. It's a nice chill option for a meet for drinks date or just catching up with a friend before going elsewhere in the area.
This place was pretty cool on a Wednesday evening, there were plenty of tables to pick from. The service was attentive and the food was delicious! I had this whole wheat pasta in a wine sauce and it had chickpeas in it. Loved it! My friend had some other pasta, pretty good as well though I couldn't take my mind off my plate (for once :))
I also ordered a latte and it came in a huge saucer and it was perfectly made!
I was also surprised that it wasn't overly priced. Great! :)
I'll be back.
Now that summer is gone I will certainly miss the patio at La Bottega. Since the Maritime opened I have been hitting up this place pre and sometimes post-MePa partying.. Such a great bar!
The pizza is great for sharing.. my favorite being the proscuitto pie, graced with fresh, sharp arugula atop. For dinner I usually go for the Vitello Milanese- which is just cooked to perfection with such a fun leafy salad (ask for extra lemon!)... I also am a fan of the orecchiette with broccoli rabe and hot chilis.
It's not the most phenomenal italian in the city-- but the atmosphere gives it the extra star. Those big globe lamps, with bluish glow of evening, always make me feel like I'm in a Maxfield Parrish painting..
On a perfectly sunny summer evening the (cool) ladies of my offices hopped a cab to the airy patio of the Maritime Hotel. http://www.yelp.com/bi... We quickly sank into a scene where the clientele sashay around the nautical piazza as though they are gracing an uber cool red carpet. They mingle with the hot dads, beautiful children, and monotonous models in scant breezy skirts that flashed bare ass with every butterfly flap.
Our waitress was beautiful but looked barely 17, and so I refused to take wine recommendations from her. I jealously admired her tight short shorts that looked like they hugged her perfectly, but then I saw her picking wedgies multiple times and felt better as I lounged in my summer dress.
On my side of the table, we order the cheapest bottle of white and it was one of the worst wines I've ever consumed. Thinking our lesson had been learned, the next round we ordered a pricier bottle, but it was only a hairline better. So we enviously watched our friends sipping on their lovely (although non alcoholic) cocktail across the table. The virgin cocktail menu assembles distinctive drinks that sounded more and more alluring as I drank my 2 bottles of crappy wine.
I found the palm sized rounds of warm pizza doughy bread http://www.yelp.com/bi... and the salads to be the highlight of the dinner. We shared (in order of preference): the Farro with mozzarella and blood orange, the Beets with oranges/mint/hazelnuts, and the Tricolore with walnuts and gorgonzola http://www.yelp.com/bi... The Burrata was also good, but that has nothing to do with La Bottega and everything to do with being cheese http://www.yelp.com/bi...
My gnocchi with eggplant, spicy pomodoro, and ricotta salata was fine, but lacked any distinguishing qualities despite the vigorous nod of approval from the waitresses when I ordered it. http://www.yelp.com/bi... The oversized two-some of ravioli with goat cheese, pesto, parmagiano, and pine nuts were not quite as good as they looked http://www.yelp.com/bi...
La Bottega is another cornerstone in my theory that "Entrees are lame, appetizers and small dishes rule!"
Another successful gallery opening. (Glasses Clinking Cheers)
Absolutely come here! But I suggest it be on a nice warm night on a weekday. And never on a weekend. Go on a day closer to the weekend. It's less hectic more intimate and better service. With a fun group, a fb, a bf, a gf, a fwb, a bff, a milf, (any I missed) or even a first date.
All Italian cuisine. Which is more like Italian-American cuisine in my opinion.
The flavor of the octopus insalate was wonderful and delicate, very satisfying as a light first course. Yellow fin tuna was slightly too salty for my taste but with the side of cannellini white beans was very enjoyable. A good selection of pizza's but I'd suggest being more adventurous and not get the pizza. One of those menus where I'd like to try a bite of everything.
I always thought I would hate this place. It had everything hateable. Trendsters who think they're living in Sex and the City? Check. An annoying location in the meatpacking district overlooking the projects? Check. THRONGS of people all over the sidewalk on weekends trying to prove their coolness and get in? Check.
I remember when this place used to be a home for runaways and now it's hipsterville. I was sure I would be annoyed.
So when we happened to find ourselves there for lunch on a lovely Thursday afternoon, I expected to be writing a one-star review. Good thing I'm not wed to my preconceptions. This place was great! Beautiful outdoor seating area, attentive waitresses and, the kicker, AWESOME food. My burrata pizza was incredible. My friend's prosciutto pizza also delicious. My brown sugar mojito did the job (and I can't help but love this place just a little extra because they ID'd me and I'm 32) and the bread was hot and fresh. Just a great little experience. Would I come here on a Saturday night? Probably no. But middle of the week for lunch, I'll definitely be back.
Awful service. Just awful. I'll walk you through the timeline (all times approximate).
10:00pm on a Friday night: My date and walk in. We're told we have to wait a bit to sit outside. This is fine. We order drinks at the bar.
10:15pm: We settle up at the bar, carry our drinks with us and we're finally seated outside... I'm not sure exactly why we had to wait in the first place, since there were plenty of open tables out there -- but it's not a big deal, and we aren't in a rush. A table next to us is eating main courses.
10:25pm: I flag down a waiter. He doesn't seem to be the guy for our section, but he was serving tables near ours and we had waited patiently with not even water or bread on our table. It was about time to get some service... we've been there for 10 minutes and nobody has come over yet. I tell him we'd like a plain pizza, and we'll have some more drinks after these, then probably order some main dishes later, but we'll hold off for a bit and just start with the pizza and hang onto a menu.
10:35pm: The table next to us has finished their meals, paid their bill, and 4 women now take the table. A server is over promptly taking their orders. We still have no water, and no bread.
10:35pm: Still no water, and no bread. We've been sitting for 20 minutes. Trying to get the attention of a waiter or busboy feels like standing in the middle of the West Side Highway trying to hail a cab (what I imagine that'd be like, at least). I finally get the attention of a busboy, and ask for bread and water.
10:40pm: Bread on table. Still no water.
10:45pm: Water in our glasses. Finally.
10:50pm: The 4 women next to us have finished a pizza already, and they are eating salads now. I am shocked. We just got served water and I assume our pizza is being delivered from Hoboken.
10:55pm: I am furious. Just furious. I approach the maitre'd and calmly explain my frustration. Maybe there is a shortage of staff tonight? Understandable... it happens. I simply ask that she send over a manager to speak with us.
11:00pm: A manager comes over to our table and asks me to explain the situation, which I begrudgingly repeat. Why it took this guy 5 minutes to come over, I have no idea. The women next to us are finishing their salads. I just want a pizza. Water, bread, pizza, drinks, maybe some more food after that. This can't possibly be so difficult to accomplish. The "manager" appears to be managing nobody whatsoever. He cannot give me any explanation as to why we waited to long without service.
11:10pm: Pizza arrives. Finally. We were seated nearly an hour ago. I consider sending the pizza back, simply out of spite.
11:35pm: We're finished. This "manager" checked on us once after our pizza came. He fails to apologize at the end of our meal. He does not take anything off the bill, doesn't offer a round of drinks on the house or even send over free dessert, which in my experience working in restaurants is fairly customary when a patron is unhappy, especially when the customer is unhappy due to poor service.
Will I be back here? Definitely not for dinner. Our drinks (ordered at the bar) were in fact well made, albeit expensive, but I'd consider getting drinks at the bar and enjoying them outside under the stars if possible, since the patio is truly a beautiful place to enjoy a warm summer evening. But I would certainly not go there with any intentions of ordering food unless it's just something to snack on while I enjoy my drink.
3.5 Stars. If you come to eat at La Bottega, do whatever you can to sit in the outdoor patio lounge of the Maritime Hotel. The clientele are a little pretentious but the atmosphere is lovely.
I've been lucky enough to have traveled to a couple romantic destinations and the outside decor reminded me of somewhere wistful and faraway. Magnolia trees in full bloom drape their pink blossoms over petite tables shielded by white umbrellas. Dozens of spherical paper lanterns hung from nearly invisible electric wires cast a soft golden glow over everything.
The cocktails are over-priced, as are many of the dishes, particularly amongst the carne and pesce selections. I ordered the linguini neri - baby octopus served on a bed of inky linguini and spicy tomato sauce. The portion was small but the pasta was delicious and I noticed the prosciutto and arugula pizza my friend ordered looked extremely tasty as well.
In terms of alcohol, I had a glass of sparkling wine (rose) which was not bad and a perfectly awful beverage that claimed to be a margarita. Yeesh. Too bad, given the ambiance, that this place isn't BYOB!
Came here for lunch with clients b/c it was near their office. Honestly, the Maritime reminds me of B&T on a Friday night, fist pumping to Usher but I was definitely open to trying something new. It was DEAD at lunch but that meant we got our pick of tables so we sat outside.
The food was alright. I liked the appetizers we got which was Carpaccio, Black Truffle Oil, and Parm and the Robiola PIzza (normally an entree but the waitress suggested it was an app) which was oh so good. It was like a little pizza pouch full of truffled cheese. Like a fancy hot pocket.
The entree I chose was admittedly pretty gross/ interesting. I got the Penne Integrali which was whole wheat penne, chickpeas, artichokes, red wine and parm. It was a weird purple-ish color (thanks wine) but it tasted really tangy and .. not in the good way.
Overall I would say that this place is nice but in the meatpacking district you can do MUCH better. Save Maritime for warm summer nights, would ya?
La Bottega is part of the Maritime Hotel (reviewed separately), where I have stayed many times the past couple of years. As a result, I have spent a good deal of time at La Bottega. I usually eat in the bar, but have occasionally (and when the weather warrants it) sat out on the patio. It is a good location for people watching, especially when the hipsters come out in full force. There's even the occasional celebrity sighting.
There are two separate parts to La Bottega: the main restaurant (of which the patio is a part) on the 17th Street side of the hotel and the Caffe, which is on the 16th Street side. Most of the time I will go to the bar at the Caffe, which has a good selection of wines and a menu consisting of wood-fired pizzas, antipasti and panini. The pizzas are particularly good, especially Quattro Stagioni (a pie quartered up into tomato, wild mushroom, artichoke and prosciutto sections) and the spicy sausage. The Bisteca panini is also quite good, as is the Bottega Burger. However, everything here is pricey, and the quality doesn't quite warrant the expense.
DO come here if you want a nice outdoor vibe to eat and drink w/ friends
DONT come here if you are expecting good tasting food
So we had time to kill before seeing Lisa Hannigan up the block at Highline Ballroom. My friend was quite early and was already having drinks when she said to meet her at La Bottega.
Upon walking in, you can just sense the snobbiness and snootiness of it all. We're in our 30's and I think we were the youngest ones in the place.
The bartender had absolutely no sense of humor whatsoever. I haven't seen someone that serious since my psychiatrist deemed me fit to return to seventh grade.
And can we say overpriced? How about $12 for a glass of wine? My vodka and cranberry juice was $11. And you know there was more ice in the glass than liquor.
Is it a nice place to look at? Of course it is. It's inside the Maritime Hotel so obviously it's going to be a cool looking place. But again, unless you're Daddy Warbucks or Bernie Madoff's wife and have the $$$ to flash around, I would just go elsewhere in Chelsea for a drink and a meal.
I love carbs! So naturally I was down for trying out La Bottega. I had the tagiatelle with meat sauce and it was absolutely delicious. Everything tasted very fresh. Service was pleasant, and the bread was good. Very nice, chill atmosphere and comfortable seating.
Went there for dinner on a weeknight. As an Italiano I have some high standards for my Italian food. Menu was good, the first day for their fall menu. I had sweet potato gnocchi which was strangely lacking sweet potato, and my date had the pumpkin pasta, I forget which type it was, which was a bit on the soupy side but had lots of different textures and flavors. The staff was really nice, was quick to get me some grated cheese and more bread to dip. The mixed drinks were good, apples and pears was the better of the two we tried, definitely had fresh mulled fruit in there b/c you could taste the grit of the pear. Overall a good spot, would go there again.
Being on a salesteam of intense foodies made it difficult for us to agree on an outdoor venue for a client dinner. 230 Fifth? Eh, a bit too crazy...Sushi Samba? Cool, but little "wow" factor...La Bottega? Perfect! Decent food, hip location - fantastic idea! The event staff quickly rushed to our aid, providing detailed menu options, seating specifications, and more. We were able to easily reserve a large table on the patio and order custom logo'ed menus for our guests.
On a whole, the event was extremely successful. First, we decided to focus on a wine-only service, to which the waiters were fully committed. I do not think my glass was less than half-full all evening. Someone even commented on how hard it was to keep track of their intake. Regardless, we were all having a blast! We were also able to add a per-drink option to our tab for the non-wine-drinkers.
When it came to the food, the feelings were mixed. We were greeted with baskets of large, round foccacia rolls, which were some of the tastiest loafs I have ever tasted. The crisp crust and warm, chewy center were absolute heaven. The table was then blessed with several family-style appetizers. The Piatto Di Salumi was a selection of fine Italian meats and complimentary olives. We also enjoyed a fresh arugula salad topped with red onion, cannellini beans, and sheets of crisp parmigiano cheese. The creaminess of the cheese enhanced the earthy flavor of the plate. I only admired the Margherita pizza from afar, but thought the thin crust and bold red tomato sauce looked divine.
Each participant also received their choice of entrée and dessert. Though I had asked for my Grilled Salmon to be cooked medium-well with a crisp crust, I received a heavily charred piece of fish. I glanced around the table and found that others (who had not made the same request) had encountered a similar issue. The underlying grilled asparagus stalks were cooked perfectly, though. My chocolate torte dessert was decent, but nothing unusual. I even neglected to devour the cocoa treat, which was a rarity.
All in all, there was fun had by all, but I doubt I would make La Bottega a regular dining destination. The Maritime Hotel is best saved for cocktails and partying.
Rarely would I ever go online to write a negative review of a restaurant, especially being a sympathetic and forgiving industry professional, myself.
However, despite the beautiful outdoor patio, there were none short of unforgiveable aspects of the food and service quality, even by the roller coater-esque standards of service in NYC, especially for a Sunday brunch (Mother's Day, no less).
There were culinary disappointments across the board for all 5 in my group, but focusing on my own meal, my Eggs Affogate, purportedly with prosciutto and coppa on brioche, arrived 10 minutes after everyone else's meals, with little more than a mumbled apology. The worst part, however, was the prosciutto/coppa (a single slice of square, processed deli ham), the brioche (what seemed to be Wonderbread toast), underpoached eggs, and a thin, flavorless excuse for a hollandaise sauce.
All that aside, the atmosphere was lovely and the company made up for many of the downfalls; let's just hope this was a busy brunch blunder, and not par for the course. It would be a shame for such a beautiful space to fall by the wayside.
I came here for an early dinner and a drink. We sat at the outdoor eating area, because it was such nice weather this past weekend. We ordered the black linguine which tasted really good. I like the spicy tomato sauce. I got the "perfect cosmo" cocktail, which was a little too sweet for my tastes.
The waitstaff was attentive and nice, which is always a big plus. the decorations were pretty cute and the ambiance was nice.
Although this is not my first venture to La Bottega, it was definitely the best. Last time I was here (maybe a year ago) I found it pretentious and overrated. However, this time I had a glass (or two) of a great wine, and my friend and I shared the beet salad, and meat and cheese plate.
Both times it's been pretty empty, and seemed as though everyone was in the same kind of grouping I was both times; a girl and her gay. I also have only been in the winter, where we had to sit inside, but I suspect that La Bottega must be super adorable in the summer and plan on making it back then when I can sit outside under the pretty little lights.
Headed over for a late dinner after a charity event at Chelsea Market on a Tuesday night. We went to the trattoria vs. the caffe, and there were only one or two other tables hanging out. We actually preferred the low-key vibe after bumping elbows down the street. It also provided for more better service. Based on some other reviews, I may have faired better to go on a weeknight.
Our waiter was very attentive, but not intrusive. As each dish was served, he was steps away watching to make sure everything was okay and gave us a few minutes to settle into our dishes before stopping by to see how things were. Even the manager (we think) stopped by to see how we were doing.
My friend and I really enjoyed our appetizer and entrees, but have to say that the best dish of the night was the linguini neri that I had. The linguini and octopus were very tender and the spicy tomato sauce was full of rich flavor. Delicious!
I wish I lived closer or was in the area more often because I would certainly give it another try.
Pretty darn romantic on a breezy spring night, under the tree with lanterns, with a glass of sparkling rose (com'on, it's spring, sometimes sparkling rose is not so bad).
The salami and cheese plate is good for a laugh. Or at least we thought so. Neither of us being Italian, we thought it was pretty fun to hate all the cheeses, and wonder aloud why there was honey. What do we do with the honey? Despite our culinary challenges, it was pretty good, though a bit overpriced for 4 pieces of salami, 2 pieces of toast, and 5 pieces of cheese.
The octopus, potato, and watercress salad was pretty good. Pizza was also good, and the tagliatelle alla bolognese was very very yummy.
Prices were completely reasonable, and while the area (allllmost MPD) was a little strange, the ambiance under the stars made it worthwhile.
The food here is surprisingly great! I've been for brunch and dinner and both times I was very satisfied. Don't remember exactly what I had to eat, but I will tell you that their pizza is fabulous! Brunch drinks are overpriced though.
Our waitress was a little out of it but nice. The blue and white sailor-themed uniforms worn by staff were cute. Pretty set up. We all received toasted banana bread and soft butter to start. Had a combination of breakfast and dinner foods - all Italian- all pretty fare. Pizza was a little over cooked but still good. Small beer selection. I would go back.
My friends and I were walking around Chelsea on a gorgeous Saturday afternoon and decided to grab a drink outside at the Maritime Hotel. Been there before, all was great. This time, not so much. We were seated at a table, by a rude hostess. Then our waitress came over and asked us what we wanted, we needed a minute, so she gave us 20 seconds. She came back and asked if we wanted food and drinks, we asked for a drink each and water all around. She asked if we wanted food, we said we were fine. She snatched the menus off the table and stomped away. Drinks came a while later, they were good. She didn't bring water until we were able to get her attention when one of us went to the bathroom and she was very fussy. She clearly hated her job, and it showed. Her name was Kim. Sucks if you have her as your waitress especially when you're paying so much for a single drink and bad service.
the reason for getting any stars is just because its outside and the atmosphere was not bad...
on the bar and restaurant side of this place zero stars... maybe i am being a little harsh but this place reminds me of a cafeteria and so does the food. My fiance has asked me a dozen times to take her here every time we pass in on the way downtown. so last night i gave in..
first we had to go to three different hostess stands to get a table. once seated we ordered drinks which came out in cups the size of Dixie cups. OK i understand most hotel drinks are small and expensive but at least put some liqueur in the glass. we started with 2 appetizers the rice/ricotta balls and the cherry peppers stuffed with goat cheese. they were both from a box they had zero taste the portions were not small but miniature.
as we were eating the waiter walked by and said is everything OK we said yes ( i never complain) i made the choice to go here so i never find the need to complain) anyway me saying everything is fine meant to him bring another round of Dixie cup drinks. we accepted the drinks and were on our way main courses wasn't going to do it at this so called restaurant... we went elsewhere.. way to many places in the area to ever go back here... Good Luck
This food is terrible (The squash in my risotto was HARD). Very overpriced. Pretentious crowd, excessively dark. Downright vulgar. Mentally detached waitstaff.
I suggest you just go to Little Italy if you're actually trying to enjoy food. This is one of those "scene" places.
My New Yorker girlfriend and I came here years ago for drinks. Relaxed chill atmosphere in the open summer air so no wonder it was packed and packed it was with good looking / smart casual peeps. We didn't eat here but the menu sure looked pricey. I didn't really like my drink and left it almost untouched. The waiter was quick to pick it up and inquired if there was anything wrong. Quite cool because he immediately proceeded to take the item off the bill after I informed him I was good and didn't need another drink. Talk about taking the initiative.
Actually I quite like this place but guess it's not as hip anymore... and seems to be quite deserted these days.
For my birthday BL brought me to La Bottega at the Maritime Hotel. For all you hipsters and boys that didn't know, the Maritime Hotel was a flophouse for runaways. Anyway back to La Bottega. It's been two weeks and I can't remember which insalate we ordered. I keep thinking haricots verts drizzled with oil. Do you remember BL? Whatever we selected was good. I ordered the fresh black pasta, baby octopus in spicy tomato sauce with a mojito. I'm really not into spicy food but the heat was manageable. BL order the grilled salmon with grilled asparagus and a red wine...or was it white?. Don't remember. BL help me out. I enjoyed my dish, but the baby octopus was chewy. Isn't it always?! BL seemed satisfied with the salmon. We ended the meal with tiramisu. I kept thinking about the $9.99 tiramisu at Whole Foods which I believe is better than La Bottega's and 4x bigger. The place was relaxed with the staff attentive and efficient. I may drag BL back for the pizza or linguini alle vongole. GOOD STUFF.
We were a group of six but easily accomodated on the outdoor (no reservations accepted) patio because we came earlier evening. Take note that one side of the outdoor space is strictly lounge/bar, the other half is the dinner side.
Drinks were good. A couple of us ordered a Dark n Stormy--we were all in Bermuda less than a year ago, and the verdict--great! Not so dark though, they used light rum. Being the alcoholic I am I ordered the ice tea, which is tasty and not just Lipton's unsweetened.
Food was filling, pretty good and reasonably priced. We shared a pizza Margherita as appetizer and that was a tasty choice. All but one of us ordered pasta as entree. Good portioned--some of us weren't able to finish. A couple orders of the black linguini with grilled octopus--very good. I had the linguini con vongole--the cockles were a tad salty, but overall, satisfying. Someone had rigatoni in a creamy sauce and another had the tagliatelle bolognese--I think they were satisfied. Only one of us ordered steak--I didn't have any but that looked and smelled REALLY good.
The service was ok. Our waiter was a little strange but nice. Given that because we were a group of 6 20% gratuity was automatically included, the waiter wasn't ever inattentive or hard to find. The server helpers were a bit of a mess though. They never knew who was having what and could never deliver the right order to the right person, even though we were telling them straight out who was having what upon delivery. One of us did make the hilarious observation that the servers were in prison colors, poor things.
Bill was extremely reasonable, especially since we weren't drinking a lot and most of us got pasta. What's worth coming back for is definitely the outdoor patio. We had a great time with the perfect weather. Even if we were a little rowdy I don't think we bothered anyone (I hope, and even if we did, too bad!) with the loudness because of the open air.
It's a great place for groups, girls night out or a date. Would love to try their brunch sometime this summer too.
i used to think i'd do just about anything within reason for a free meal, but that list is getting shorter and shorter the more i experience the has-been see-and-be-seen scene in new york.
the lobby of the maritime is filled with pretentious posers. the restaurants are worse. loser dust everywhere.
i tagged along for brunch with my sister and her 'friend.' he bought us food. if it weren't for the strong, delicious $16 bloody mary's i think i would have had an almost terrible time.
i ordered two poached eggs with braised short ribs and potato pancakes and i have very little to complain about. the eggs were light and they tasted perfect. the short ribs were tender and succulent, and the potato pancake was pushed around by my fork and only slightly nibbled on, mainly because i was full.
our waiter was a twit who sprinted away the second he thought we were done ordering every time we asked for something, which wasn't very often, and he seemed too busy and preoccupied to be accommodating. he brought us our check twice when we didn't ask for it, which resulted in the 'friend' i was with to order us another round of bloody mary's just to mess with him. i got drunk off these free drinks, so i don't really care.
you know what else? i don't usually name drop but ryan reynolds was there and he was really handsome in person. so that added to my experience.
i'd return, but only if you're paying.
This is a place I would go on a Saturday or Sunday summer afternoon if I lived in NYC and stay for hours. Much like you can do in SF at Park Chalet, and it also has the same kind of feel as PC. Such a friendly, comfy atmosphere. Hot waitresses that are also cool, not too cool though. There's big chinese lanterns that hang over the outdoor deck that make you feel like you're in a really romantic movie. Lots of planted trees hangover your table, so darling!! It's located right by the Maritime Hotel, which is a really *neat* building as well. The beer selection is kinda sparse, but the food is stellar.
I had some feta stuffed squash that just melted in my mouth, and the tricolor salad was phenom!
My friend who works at a gallery in the area suggested we go so it wasn't a "stumble upon" type place. I *highly* suggest going to this restaurant if you're visiting New York, it's in the meat packing district so there are a bunch of great free art galleries and a bunch of other fun stuff to do/see in the 'hood and rumor has it they're going to build a park soon nearby. I also recommend going to the Matthew Marks Gallery, Andreas Gursky has an amazing exhibit there right now. Some photography that will definitely blow your mind!
I've passed by the distinctive Maritime Hotel many times, dropped off friends at Hiro, and admired the outdoor tables from the sidewalk, but I never went until last Friday, when my gf surprised me with a dinner here for our anniversary.
We started out the night at the "rooftop" bar, which was surprisingly - but thankfully - empty but for a handful of people lounging around the spacious & comfy seats. I ordered a cocktail off the menu - the bartender had to check the menu for its ingredients - which was pricey, small and just not worth it. it was good, to be sure - but the price was not justified.
the host was attentive and nice - he let us have drinks upstairs with a promise that he would seat us immediately once we were ready to eat, since there wasn't much of a wait. But as other Yelpers noted, the waitress/waiter service here is weak, at best - we had seemingly two waitresses, whom even sort of even looked similar, and both were extremely hard to track down and seemed to lack basic waitress kindness skillz.
the food, though, was fabulous - we nibbled on gorgonzola stuffed fried olives with our 2nd round of cocktails, and ordered the sausage pizza, which was thin crust, saucy with just enough cheese and sausage (think of the minced sausage in a good bolognese, not the rounds you see on generic midtown pizza) to give it a chewy, spicy kick. it was the perfect size for two hungry people.
the ambiance is really lovely - there are warm orange round lanterns hanging from all the trees, and the tables are cozy but you don't feel like you have anyone around you, at the same time - the open air probably helps dissipate the noise. definitely recommended for romantic dinners!
I had the chicken cooked under a brick. I had this because I have never eaten anything that was intentionally cooked under a brick before. The good news is that bricks make for tasty chicken.
The bar is a pleasant surprise... I have seen so many good-looking people in a place where "Axel F" was playing on the jukebox. My trip to La Bottega will prompt me to buy two new necessities -- a brick for cooking and Harold Faltermeyer for chilling.
I had dinner at La Bottega a couple of nights ago. It was a reasonably nice dinner, the atmosphere on the patio is lovely but it's not actually my dinner that I'm writing about... it's the shabby customer service and lousy attitude of the staff.
I was part of a large group and the gratuity for our meal was included in our bill - absolutely fine, I have no problem at all with that. I paid for my portion of the bill with my debit card and authorized a charge. The next morning when I looked at my bank statement online it showed the pending charge with 20% added to it!
I called the restaurant twice yesterday to get this problem resolved and no one bothered getting back to me. I called again today and finally spoke to a woman in the accounting department who gave me a completely stink attitude. Apparently the way the "system" works is that when a customer pays by debit card a 20% gratuity is automatically added and held for 3 DAYS!!!!
Are you f#%@ing kidding me??? Are you going to pay me interest for "borrowing" my money for three days??
And why do the restaurant staff seem to know nothing about this policy? The woman answering the phone at La Bottega didn't have a clue.
AND THE BIGGEST QUESTION OF ALL - why was this stupid charge placed on my card even though I was part of a group where the gratuity was ALREADY INCLUDED IN THE BILL???
"Oh it get's added on automatically, we can't do anything about that"
Bull Shit!
You could do something about it, if you really wanted to.
Nice patio.
But
$9 for a hefeweizen?
$15 for a small dish of over-fried calamari served with a slice of deep-fried (??) lemon?
and waiters that don't really care?
NYC.
Sept 1st, technically still in the heat of summer.
Evening - time is about 10 pm....
Weather is a lovely, mild 66 degrees or so, with absolutely NO humidity in the air.
How on earth did I get so lucky to visit New York in this amazing weather?
Surrounded by one good woman and two good men - - we hit up La Bottega. People were in line for the nightclub portion of this hotel, and the restaurant/bar area was full but again, we get lucky in that the host gets us a seat almost immediately. Seated outside on the patio, I look around and think, "I love this. I really love it."
Service was a bit off, but they were really busy. Three waitresses were "on duty" but one admitted that only two of them were of any use at all. If we ordered something, it took awhile to get to us. The bartender was a funny guy - and there was one hostesss who was less than impressive in the beginning but towards the end, I thought she was rather cool in an abrasive kind of way. (Was it her, or the alcohol, I don't know....) The busboys were great. Miguel was my favorite. Hahaha........
The bathroom was.... well, in one word, DISGUSTING. Huge drinking establishment with one tiny bathroom for women - - - -NOT a good idea. Really.
Still, one bottle of Veuve Clicquot Champagne, and 9 or 10 Lychee Martinis later, four people are happily toasted and in good spirits.
What more can I possibly say except that it was a perfect NYC evening on a perfectly SAN FRAN WEATHER type of night?
If I were to live in NY again - - this would, no doubt, be one of my favorite hangouts. VERY COOL PLACE.
I'd just recommend you bring your own little toilet along.
The first time I ate here a bunch of my party was over at the bar and we were still waiting both for our table as well as for a few more people to arrive. Both times I have been here this place has been LOUD. Which I don't really mind. I'm Italian as is this restaurant, and we like to talk with FORCE. So a little dinner chatter makes me feel right at home. What it DOES NOT do is be a nice setting for phone calls. When one of my friends arrived she could not see us for the half wall that is in front of the bar. At the time the bar had these oranges on top of it and b/c she couldn't hear me I was shouting into my phone - "WE'RE BEHIND THE ORANGES" of course it was at that moment that the whole restaurant got quite and everyone stopped to stare at me. On to the food...
I had an absolutely delicious meal. Tons of cheese, gnocchi, pasta, wine, gin & tonics, pesto and dessert. By the time our very large group left we could barely move from delighted over stuffing and we could barely stand up from the good wine. Enjoy!
Overrated by far. This place has great food, and looks cool. It's not amazing. It's not going to change your life. It's not even creative enough food wise to be considered anything more than a "Baguette" hangout (That's a term for a female Douchebag).
Besides all the "Baguettes" that will take up too much space in this restaurant, and spill out onto the streets on the weekend, you will also find that if it is busy, it's hard to get a salt-shaker or any other accompaniments that you may need.
I can't remember one dish that I had at this place that stands out in my mind as amazing. I've eaten there a dozen times with friends, and see the bill everytime and think... "really? I'll never come here again for this crap"
However to call it crap is not really fair. It's good food, it's just not 4 or 5 stars. It's not even 4 star pizza. If all I ever had there was pizza, I'd give it 2 stars.
Yum a licious! I've experience so many different levels of La Bottega, and like them all.
Room Service at Maritime
You know when you usually order in room service, and you call before you get in the shower, as you know you can do a complete scrub-down before they even think about making your order? Not so here...be prepared when you push the "room service" button on the phone. I swear Italian yumminess was knocking at my door within 10 minutes.
Restaurant
Happening spot. I like NY hotel restaurants, as they typically aren't over-filled with guests, just locals. La Bottega is not the exception to this rule. Active place, get your name in early!
Terrace
I always seem to stay at Maritime when there's a snowstorm. The terrace looks so lovely and white, but completely unobtainable. Not on my last visit! I love unseasonably warm 80 degree afternoons. A delicious glass of proseco, an unbelievably tasty margherita pizza, and cheese (ohhhhh, cheeeeeese). Our server was completely bored with the entire thing, but he didn't bring anything down on our lovely afternoon.
Friend who works there exposed me to their salmon, which was quite tasty, and the steak and arugula salad, which was good.
3-4 star food, but a nice spot if you don't wanna eat at Chelsea Market, which is catecorner. Whether your a "kitty" or a "catty" person, you'll at least be able to enjoy a drink at this large bodega...i mean, botega.
Valentine's Day 2010
Neighborhood: East Village
Yelp Valentine's Day Special!
Neighborhood: Greenwich Village
Neighborhood: Chelsea
Category: Diners
Neighborhood: Chelsea
Category: Pizza
Neighborhood: Chelsea
Category: Sandwiches
Neighborhood: Chelsea
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Chelsea
Category: Lounges
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