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Any of my sheltered friends from Albany: Are we there yet? I think we're going to die.
Me: No, we're not going to die. Just shut up and follow me.
Sheltered: Are you sure you know where you're going? We're definitely going to die.
Me: Shut up before I throttle you.
We inevitably make it to Roberto's, without my having to throttle anyone or either of us getting mugged. From the first impression of the rustic atmosphere to the first bite of food, all notions of "are we going to die?" are summarily replaced with "THIS IS &*%ING AMAZING!"
So yes, it's a little off the beaten path, but it's incredibly worth it and you'll feel cool bringing someone here. Roberto's is a gem and serves up my favorite Italian food in all the world. Give it a chance! You will not be disappointed.
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The Experience is Hit or Miss.
The Great: The complementary bread from Madonia's is an excellent start to the meal. The orrichiete and cauliflower with breadcrumbs pasta was cooked perfectly al dente and very flavorful. The vitello con spinaci was a tender veal with quality mozzarella, spinich and proscuitto. The butter-based sauce was rich, but not overly so.
The Bad: The Parmigiana di melanzane was bland despite its well-executed tomato sauce (it was also overly fried and served too cold). The inauthentic tiramisu (cut like a cake, rather than scooped out like a trifle) was dried out and tasted like it came from a grocery store. We left it untouched after one bite.
Cost: The prices are high but the portions are huge - primi pastas easily feed two.
Verdict: Good, but certainly not worth the trip from Manhattan, unless you order the right things.
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Went on Friday night and it was awesome. I actually was a bit of a hater on Roberto's before but this was really one of the best meals I've ever had in my life.
The waiter made the suggestion that an appetizer and a first plate could be shared and then for each of us (was just me and the mrs.) to order our own main plate. I appreciated him letting us know that the portions were done so that we didn't over order. We went with the Insalata di Bocconcini for appetizer and it was fantastic...fresh mozzerella, soprasatta, peppers, olives, etc.
Next up the fresh made ravioli stuffed with a puree of goat cheese and pears. Unreal. I love cheese and fruit together, especially pears. This was the highlight of the meal for me.
Then Pollo alla paesana...chicken on the bone, sausage, peppers and porcini mushrooms in a balsamic reduction sauce. I had this once before and it was really fantastic. No room for dessert...I wish I could have done it but I just ran out of room.
Fantastic meal, great place. Word to the wise...we showed up at 9pm and sat down immediately. For a place like this it's best to avoid the rush...I have had trouble at the peak hours before so now I'll show up and sit down when the tourists are leaving to drive home.
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Food-wise better than anything you will find in Manhattan. It's legit for sure. No reservations,… Read more »
"Trust me"...
... was what I kept hearing all around me when the server would see question marks or doubts on the faces of would be diners at the famous restaurant.
Trust, for me, has to be earned, and once earned must be jealously safeguarded for it can be easily lost by careless or thoughtless behavior. And, Trust is at the root of all enduring human relationships. It is not to be taken lightly, or for granted.
So, I grinned ear to ear when my neighbor retorted to the umpteenth time the waiter asserted this (while proposing the Torta di Fragolla alla Romana - pastry cream with strawberries - over the Tartufo the man had in mind), "I am sitting next to the most beautiful woman in the world, and you want me to listen to you, and not her?!"
YES! I pumped up my fists (under the table). Kudos for sticking to your beliefs in the face of aggressive menu suggestions!
Oh, and well played, Playa. Well played :D
Now, if Roberto Paciullo told me to eat it, I would. That's what reputation is all about. He has earned the trust of thousands of diners at his restaurants.
This was my second visit at Roberto's. The first time I had trusted the word of the server and agreed to all of his suggestions, which was a first for me. Big mistake. He suggested the Fussilli pasta cooked in the tin foil and on the grill. I had read rave reviews on yelp and consented. It turned out to be soupy. He suggested the fresh fish of the day, it turned out to be anything but fresh. The only menu item that had worked was the Scamorza: smoked mozzarella from Casa della Mozzarella half melted over spinach with black olives and roasted peppers. But, it would have taken a real nincompoop to have messed up on what essentially is a way to highlight excellent mozzarella from a quality cheese shop. However, that was months ago. I had learned my lesson and was determined to follow my heart this time around.
I ordered the Grilled Octopus with fresh sliced tomatoes, capers, cannelloni beans and olive oil, which is almost a staple dish that I order at almost all restaurants. I have to say I loved the taste of the beans, and the tomatoes were indeed fresh, but the Octopus was grilled beyond char in most places and only the taste of the lime could coax some life out of it. However the Penne, with the blend of three sauces: pesto, mascarpone cheese, and a touch of tomato sauce, was absolutely sublime. This was perhaps the best penne dish I've had in years. I was completely bowled over. Just when thoughts of "Yaay, I am a fan!" started going through my head, the disappointment of the dessert, Bricciola hit home. This was a crumb cake with amaretto, chocolate chunks, ricotta cheese, sliced almonds served with hazelnut gelato. While the description made me salivate with anticipation, the execution of the cake left much to be desired. It was texturally not what I would expect of a crumb cake, and I suspect it's because of lack of turnover. From what I saw at tables nearby: Tiramisu, and chocolate volcano cake are the more frequently ordered desserts.
For the statistically inclined, I would say that a meal at Roberto's has a high standard deviation. Some dishes are the very best you can EVER expect to have, but there are quite a few clunkers as well. And, why would YOU ever want to pay for a clunker?
Still, it would be fair for would be diners to inquire about the discrepancy in my rating from that of the majority of reviews. And, no my answer would not be: Trust Me! But instead, as taste is unique, to gather all relevant information and then follow your heart.
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This is definitely my favorite restaurant on Arthur Avenue (its actual location around the corner on Crescent being a mere technicality). I have wonderful memories of celebrating both my college graduation and my 21st birthday with my parents and best friend here, so I definitely think of this as a "special occasion," type of place. Anyway. They don't take reservations here, so it can get super busy on the weekends, especially when Fordham parents are around for family weekend or graduation. However, I've actually eaten at Roberto's on both those occasions without any problems or long wait, so it can be done, and I am going to share my tricks with you:
Family weekend is crazy, so your best bet for dinner is to wander by at around 4:30 or so and check the wait time and put in your name. Then you can show your parents around campus or Arthur Avenue and by the time you are ready for dinner, your table will be too, even though the line at Roberto's will be two hours long. As for graduation, reservations for other establishments are snapped up a year in advance, and most people who don't make them in advance know better than attempt to get a table on Arthur on its busiest day. My parents were skeptical of my plan to book it to Roberto's immediately commencement ended, but although we sat through my entire diploma ceremony and posed for pictures before heading straight to the restaurant, we got a table with no problem. Within ten or fifteen minutes there was a line forming. I patted myself on the back and enjoyed some of the best Italian food I've ever eaten. I don't know what I was more proud of-- graduating Fordham or getting a table at Roberto's!
But seriously, everything I've ever eaten here has been absolutely delicious. It's expensive, but a meal at Roberto's is to die for. The waiters and chefs are also very accommodating, and were happy to guide my brother towards a gluten free meal, (they suggested a delicious first course of risotto for the table). As for the decor, it be fancy: ornately Italian, over the top and kind of Neo-Medici. All of it makes for a great dining experience with creative Italian food that you won't find at most of Arthur Avenue's other establishments.
In conclusion: Mom, Dad, when are you taking me here again? Soon, please!
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This restaurant is outstanding. The service, ambiance, and food were great. My tin-foil pasta was phenomenal. Apparently, it's a special that they change every week and mine was better than the week before according to the waiter. They have a lot of specials here. The lamb and ravioli was pretty good too. We had the caprese and mussel/clam medley as appetizers which were great!
Would definitely come back and recommend to anyone! Wine by the glass was limited, but the Prosecco they had was pretty good.
This place is fantastic... I wish I got out to the Bronx more often! Gals if your dating a guy from the Bronx ask him to take you here hehe
Wow! Although I went to Fordham in the Bronx, I never had the occasion to visit Roberto's until my husband and I took a week off to relax and try places we've never been to. This was the highlight of our vacation by far.
As others have said, Roberto's doesn't take reservations, but we went on a weekday for lunch at around 1:00 p.m. Even so, there was a healthy crowd of locals and power-lunchers (and one old Italian guy nursing a bottle of wine all by himself).
Although everything looked tasty, we asked our waiter to let the chef make whatever he wanted so we could experience a traditional, multi-course Italian meal (our only limitation was no seafood, because the hubby doesn't like it).
The food:
To start: Fantastic bread, accompanied by Roberto's homemade olive oil
Antipasti: Grilled artichoke, asparagus, eggplant and mushrooms topped with truffle oil and fresh melted cheese (let it be known that my husband doesn't normally like any of the ingredients listed above, but said it was one of the best appetizers he's ever had)
Pasta: Some kind of amazing twirly noodle with cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and delicious pesto sauce
Entree: Beer-battered rib eye steak topped with peppers
Dessert: Chocolate lava cake -- I had to take a pic. of the description, which reads, "Warm chocolate cake exterior bellies a creamy, melted chocolate core ready to explode" -- need I say more?
We also enjoyed wine and the perfect attentive service of our waiter. At the end of our meal, we found out that Roberto himself made our food and he came upstairs to say hello and personally thank us for stopping by. He's got an old-world charm and many stories about food and family from his Salerno, Italy upbringing.
Now, I've never been to Babbo, but I heard one of the guys behind us saying that the food, service and ambiance at Roberto's "blew it away" -- quite a claim, and while I can't substantiate it, I can say this was easily the best lunch we've ever had. If only I had two hours and $100 (our total bill, which was really quite reasonable, including four glasses of wine) to waste away on lunch everyday. Every New Yorker owes it to themselves to have a meal here. Molto bene!
People thought this was:
One word to describe Roberto's. AMAZING!!! My first experience of the arthur ave area of the bronx and what a great one! The experience and food was great from beginning to end. We ordered the mussels and shrimp appetizers which were incredible. We moved on to our main dishes and decided to share the lamb and chilean sea bass which we could not stop ""ooooing and aaaahhing" about the entire time we ate. We happened to mention we were sharing and the waiters took it upon themselves to completely split the dishes for us. The phone and service at Roberto's is incredible. If you're looking for an amazing dining experience in the bronx. This place is a must!!
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I took my father and brother here recently. Maybe my expectations were set too high due to reviews and rating read in that little maroon book, but I was underwhelmed. The service was standard, not bad for a standard 'Italian' restaurant. The appetizers where good, which given the area its in and the quality of whats available to them, was to be expected. We went on a weekend night and by 11pm we were the only ones there, and made to feel uncomfortable. There is not much more that bothers me when a restaurant closes early, and in my opinion, 11pm on a weekend is EARLY. I hesitate giving a low star rating, as others have on average given much higher, but I was disappointed based on the expectations.
I was introduced to this place by my boss who is from the Bronx and a total foodie. This is, by far, the best pasta in all of NYC. However, everything is wonderful on the menu. Even the bread is baked fresh from a local bakery on Arthur Avenue. Be sure to save room for dessert - the chocolate lava cake is heaven.
The only negative is that it does not take reservations. However, I have never had any problems getting a table quickly during the week or on Saturdays after 9PM.
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My family loves this restaurant! We've come a number of times and normally in a big group. The food is excellent and I don't even care for Italian food! We don't mind the wait because we know that the total dining experience is worth it. On our first trip here a gentleman who was sitting at one of the other tables (I think he was also one of the owners friends or something) just got up and started belting out a beautiful opera tune. We were hooked and now have our new "Arthur ave" restaurant. My only complaint is that we not only have a big family in numbers but we also have a couple of big people. It is a tight squeeze between the tables so we have to develop a game plan to get everyone to their seats!
Heading to the Bronx is something most Manhattanites rarely do - unless its for a Yankees game and even then its right back to the train.
This authenit italian restaurant, right in Little Italy of the Bronx, has the most amazing home made italian food that I have ever tasted. Move over Lupa, if Roberto's were in the city, the prices would be three times what they are now and the service would be half as attentive.
The restaurant is dimly lit by an amazing chandelier and heavy drapes block out the slightly off setting bronx neighborhood. The food is amazing and served with italian flair.
Its usually a 15 minute wait, but after a Yankees game you could wait for hours, and its worth it!
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I only gave it 4 stars because the appetizers were So amazing but the pasta was good. Maybe I should have stuck with the regular pasta dishes but that night I tried their special which was Fusilli baked with bread crumbs and parm cheese. Which was okay. Not mind blowing like the apps.
Man, so many delicious apps to choose from but we got the octopus salad and buffalo mozzarella with prosciutto, roasted peppers and sun dried tomatoes. AMAZING!!!!!!!!
So conclusion:
I would just go here for the appetizers. Next time if I ever trek out to the Bronx I would just order all the apps and skip the pasta entree.
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I have many fond memories of eating at Roberto's-- I always loved the pasta with cauliflower. Everything good others have said about the calamari is perfectly true--- it's delicious.
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The grilled octopus was reason enough to go back every day. Tender and juicy [not normally words you'd hear when speaking of octopii] wood grilled to perfection. Not little rubbery rings but the whole critterl. The waiter suggested the best wine to pair with our pasta...so good that a second bottle was required. Even though I'm allergic to dairy, I truly appreciated watching my friends eat their tiramisu to the last crumb.
Amongst the string of highly similar Arthur Avenue restaurants, Roberto's sticks out as the finest by far. I recommend going with a larger group so that you can share and sample more of the amazing dishes the chef has to offer. They also have an excellent selection of wines to complement whatever you order. It is easily the best Italian food I have eaten anywhere in the five boroughs (and this is coming from an Italian girl who grew up eating amazing Italian food every sunday). The wait can be a bit long at times and they don't take reservations ahead of time (as they don't have to because they have such a consistent flow of customers) but I assure you that the food is well worth any wait.
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This restaurant is in the Little Italy of the Bronx and it was fantastic. It got a great review from the Zagat rating the food a 27 so since we were going to be in the area, we had to stop here for an early dinner. They do not accept reservations and are known to have a wait so if you want to be guaranteed a table get their early. They are closed on Sundays, but open Mon- Thur for lunch and dinner. On Friday they open at 5pm and on Saturday they open at 4pm. We got their alittle after 4pm and the place had a good amount of people.
The atmosphere is very rustic, Italian with about 15 tables. Its a bit dark, but still nice to sit and relax. They have a huge wine list with wines ranging all the up to 1700. 00 for a bottle. They even sell their own Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which you get to try to dip your warm soft Italian bread. The olive oil had such a great flavor and very reasonable at 10.00 a bottle.
Food:
We shared the broccoli rabe with their homemade sausage and cannelloni beans. It was so good, the rabe wasn't bitter and the sausage was unlike any I have had. It has a great flavor, smokey, sweet and rich. I loved this dish.
For dinner I had the best dish, it was homemade fuselli with eggplant, anchovies, fresh ricotta in a tomato sauce. It was rich, so flavorful with the ricotta and the meatiness of the eggplant. I would highly recommend this dish and don't get turned away because of the anchovies because you can't even taste them. My dining companions ordered the linguine with red clam sauce, which was good but a little too liquidly for my taste. I love a rich sauce even with my clams. The chicken parm was good (its not on the menu but they can make anything parm style). The chicken cutlet was moist, thin and not overly breaded. All was really good. We were too full to have dessert but they have the normal from tartufo, cannoli, cheesecake and molten chocolate cake. A lot of cordials to choose from for that after dinner treat. The place was packed when we left and it made the trek to the Bronx worth it.
If your in the Bronx and want a great Italian dish go to Roberto's.
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Better late to the party than not at all. I've heard about this place for a long time, but until today, hadn't had the opportunity to go. Too bad for me. Roberto's provided a very pleasant and delicious lunch. I asked the chef to send out whatever he felt was a good representation of his food - he started me on a mixture of tiny scallops, shrimp, and mushrooms - bathed in a butternut squash puree enhanced with breadcrumbs and served on radiccio leaves. Good lord - this was a wonderful combination, and the seafood was perfectly cooked - no touch of the rubberiness that can sometimes afflict small shrimp.
Next up was a pasta course - presented in an aluminum foil "cartoccio" that was slit by the waiter tableside, resulting in a waft of intoxicating aroma. It was a sort of short cut, fresh fettucine, with ricotta, arrugula, cherry tomatoes and bread crumbs - I'm sure I detected a hint of truffle oil. My description doesn't do this dish justice - I was too busy enjoying it to note the details.
The server thought this might be the end of our lunch - but we requested the chef to suggest one more course - he responded with a bone in shell steak, pounded flat, slowly braised in beer. This was unbelieveable - the steak was tender as butter and packed with beefy flavor. The sauce was wonderful as well.
Service was crisp and efficient, yet friendly and welcoming.
After eating here, I don't know how I'll ever go back to any of the red sauce joints in the neighborhood again.
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Being a girl originally from the Bronx, I can remember Gino's on Allerton among other amazing restaurants that have since gone the by-way. It is true the Bronx has changed since I was a little girl. Arthur Avenue was famous for its fresh pasta, pastry, breads, social clubs, tradition and reputation. Roberto's is definately unique in such an environment. Old Italian ambience, meditteranean colored walls, dim lighting. Recent press has it bustling and crowded. I was dismayed though when a group of at least 22 tourists with cameras on their necks appeared in the darkness. A lack of personal attention from the staff was obvious. The menu, although diverse, did not impress me. Simplicity is always best. Entrees are not served with a side dish; a la carte only. And if it is not on the menu, I found them to be quite inflexible. Overall I was disappointed. It is a nice place to bring a date if you want intimacy but if you are looking for a good, fresh meal without the fanfare or feeling like you are a tourist attraction, look elsewhere.
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When I first went to Roberto's, I admit I was disappointed. In retrospect, I ordered a very pedestrian pasta dish and felt it was ordinary. The second time I went, I was slapped into reality. I ordered a specialty meat dish and was blown away, a fan ever since. Roberto's really is the place to go to on Arthur Avenue. There are other outstanding restaurants, but Roberto's is the benchmark. The only complaint is the wait. You must be strategic in going to Roberto's as they do not take reservations. Saturday night at 7PM on a holiday/graduation weekend will cost you a 2 1/2 hour wait easy. Try a Thursday at 6PM and you will be seated right away.
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There's not much to say except this is one of the best Italian restaurants around. Better than anything in little Italy in Manhattan. The fresh Mozzarella is the freshest I ever had. The pasta and the bread were all made fresh today and the entrees were great. As you heard the place doesn't take reservations. They open at four on Saturday and there was people already waiting outside a half hour before it opened, but we were seated really quickly. Enough said...go now.
delicious. relatively inexpensive. worth the trip. just narrow down what type of entree you want (i.e., pasta vs. chicken) and ask the waiter to recommend your choice within that category. charming space. pleasant waitstaff. worth the drive up from manhattan. no reservations, so best to go on off-nights(i.e., not Friday or Saturday)-- when we have done so, we have only had to wait 5 minutes or so. wine is cheap, the portions plentiful, and the atmosphere convivial. the (eggplant) caponata is to die for. i just wish it wasn't such a pain in the behind to get to!
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My husband and I went to Roberto's recently and we were not impressed. The service was "eh" and the food was terrible (maybe it was an off night?) One of our meals was overcooked and the chicken was unedible. For $80, I don't recommend this place. We had such high hopes.
Neighborhood: Belmont
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Belmont
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Belmont
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Belmont
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Belmont
Category: Delis
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