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Real People. Real Reviews.®
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Upper East Side68th St (6)
63rd St-Lexington Ave (F)
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Went here with the boyfriend and family I hadn't met. Potentially very awkward. 10 of us, including 2 young kids and a baby. It's a small restaurant but they were happy to accommodate us without reservations.
But this was awesome! Wonderful Tuscan food. Started with calamari and fried zucchini, which was light and crisp. Even the littlest one was a fan.
I had the vegetable ravioli with the brightest saffron sauce I'd ever seen. AMAZING. All the food looked great and arrived quickly, a plus for us. The little ones said it was the best food they'd ever had and wanted their mom to get the recipe (the very complicated grilled chicken with penne).
Wonderful atmosphere. Lively and fun, and nobody complained when they were serenaded by the ABCs and The Wheels on the Bus.
Also, spotted Adrien Grenier here. My roommate was jealous. He has some intense eyebrows.
Always an incredible dining experience.
The service is impeccable. They are extremely informative about the dishes and are charming in their presentation.
The atmosphere is clean and cozy, perfect for a family meal or date.
The gnocchi is incredible. The burata is incredible. A guaranteed delicious dinner time and time again.
Reason for 4/5 and not 5 is that their crowd is always a bit stuffy, but without that crowd it wouldn't have the same upper east side charm.
Without a reservation, we were graciously seated, and in spite of the "cash only" policy, we thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Great salad, grilled veggies, and the pasta was exceptional. Service was prompt and efficient, and the crowd was fun to observe. The chauffeur driven Rolls waiting outside for one family gives you an indication of the clientele, and the place is pricey. However, I'd rather pay more and get a delicious bowl of pasta.
Heck yes. Good stuff. Good service. Great wines. Solid!
Had a Valentine's Day lunch here many years ago (about six?) with an ex-bf who had seen Sette Mezzo being featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Though we did not get to sit in O's special table, we did feast on the same delicious food that sent Oprah's tastes buds purring. Sadly, I cannot remember what I had specifically ordered, but I do remember walking out of that restaurant extremely pleased with the food and really impressed by the service. This much I recall.
I personally assign ratings not on food only - - I think ambiance, service, and quality of food for the price is relevant.
The food at Sette Mezzo is very very good. No arguing here.
That said - - most items are about 40-50% overpriced.
Grilled vegetable appetizer is $18 for example.
The ambiance is perhaps quaint but very very overcrowded - - this is a popular place, the restaurant has no qualms about packing them in.
Speaking of popular, you will see celebrities -- so depending on what floats your boat, that might be worth the price of admission: usually around $100 cash per person.
After hearing about Sette Mezzo from my handy-dandy Zagat Guide and New York Magazine, I had to try it. Sette Mezzo is on 70th & Lexington (two blocks away from Swifty's) and appeals to the Upper East Side, wealthy, residents. Its a very simple restaurant but Sette Mezzo doesn't look to wow you with its ambiance nor with its service. Actually, it doesn't particularly try to wow you at all. It thrives on its local clientele, much of which are regulars who have private accounts with the restaurant, and the fact that it was mentioned on Oprah...once. The place is cash only which I'm sure the regulars love as it keeps new-comers out as the menu doesn't come cheap. Pastas are $24.50 for the most part and most appetizers are $20. Meat dishes are around $40 (its priced like Sant Ambroeus if that paints a better picture). The service is inconsistent but they have good intentions. A soda at my table was forgotten but we received one on the house, all is forgiven I'd say. The appetizers were decent, the fried calamari wasn't traditional fried calamari but instead broiled with bread crumbs. The pastas were better than the appetizers. Penne with pancetta, radicchio and provolone cheese, rigatoni with tomato sauce, sausage and artichoke and vegetable ravioli are served up in large portions, justifying the $24.50 price tag. Sette Mezzo is a good option, but I'm not running back anytime soon. While the food is good, there are better options and the crowd is a bit stuffy. It's good to try once though!
Intimate, civilized, welcoming.
Delicious daily specials.
For grown-ups. And priced accordingly.
Not the best Italian ever, but a neighborhood gem.
Upon walking in, there was a lot of looking around to see who was dining and to see what new bull/bears were walking in. The food was good, the prices weren't.
My Mom and I had to hit this place up on our trip to New York... how could we not, Oprah made it look so delicious on her show!
We called ahead and made reservations, which turned out to be a very good idea, since the place was packed when we arrived, no one without a reservation was getting in.
We had a wonderful bottle of white wine, the bruchetta, the gnocchi, and the artichoke ravioli... all were absolutely delicious. Honestly this was probably the best dinner I had during our stay. My father still tells people who great the meal was. When I return to New York, I will likely return here also.
I would recommend calling ahead, and bring cash... lots of it, and dinner here isn't exactly cheap.
If you want to find some of the Upper East Side's most important families , hiding from overly pretentious spots , this is one of those places . The who's who are from the surrounding white-shoe buildings on Park Avenue (720,740 , 770 , etc. )
Simply speaking , it is Northern Italian fare , well-prepared and tasty , in a charming restaurant with wonderful service and a friendly staff.
The Shrimp appetizer in a Sambuca sauce is fantastic , and can be ordered as an entree , and the Milanese vico, a breaded rack of veal, is excellent.
The downside is -- very expensive and no credit cards , but that keeps out the wrong crowd.
Cash only, but Ruth Madoff owes them $160.
The ultimate local/insider dinner spot on the glorious Upper East Side. Great Italian food and wines. Not sure I'd bother if I'm not a regular, intend to open up an account or are a guest of someone who is a regular. It's cash only but what that really means is, if you're not an account holder, get referred or don't expect great service. You may get great service but I kind of doubt it. Try that Italian place next door (forget name).
Wow! This is quite possibly the best Italian food I have ever had. The fried calamari and zucchini is crunchy, not oily, and comes with a nice fresh tomato sauce. They occasionally have burrata on arugula which is delish. Other things to try are the truffle risotto as well as the veal milanese.
The wine selection is phenomenal and the staff is very good.
Pay attention to the specials as they often have great fresh fish. CASH ONLY
Went here with my boyfriend and his parents - it is cash only still and we had a great white wine, split a linguini w/ clams as an app then had a fish dish... I went here a month ago but everything was delicious!!! I will definitely be going again! Service was very attentive and friendly. A little small on the inside, but I do think they take reservations. I had also heard this was Oprah's fave!
There is a restaurant on 79th and Lex that is called Il Ricchio and guys who learned how to cook here started that restaurant and it is the *best*!
Amazing Pasta with pink sauce, I would kill any day to get a hold of a strand. This stuff is amazing.
It was a little sad that the Asian Society's restaurant was closed for a private event so my mom and I walked around the corner to find this cute Italian place.
I was a little set back when the first thing they said to us after we were seated was that we only take cash. Umm, well that was fine but it's like what if we didn't have enought cash? Were we going to leave or would i have to run out and find an ATM? Oh, well, I'll leave other people to decide for themselves.
It was a very intimate setting and the waiters were very attentive.
The bread was really good, some kind of sourdough I think.
I ordered the long shelled clam to start, something that I only had in Asia so I would like to see how Italians would do it. It came with huge wedges of lemon. They baked them with bread crumbs, some parmesan and butter, and it comes with a mesh of tomatoes and parsley in the middle. It was very good.
The halibut was well cooked and I enjoyed the medley of vegies that accompanied it.
They gave us a little plate of biscotti for dessert. Didn't have time for coffee but looks pretty amazing on the next table.
My husband and I went to this restaurant because it came highly suggested to us. We were so happy we went. You must make a reservation, and you must take cash. They ONLY take cash.....no credit cards, no checks, no money orders--fuhgedaboutit!!!
The atmosphere is quaint and bustling like a real Italian bistro. The food was to die for. It is quite pricey, but most great sit down meals in NYC are. The wine list was excellent. We had the bruschetta for an appetizer then we both had a pasta dish--both were amazing. We had excellent service , a great meal, and a lovely time.
I look forward to my next meal at Sette Mezzo.
The food came very quickly and tasted great! The pasta was perfectly cooked. Everything was flavorful... the food was great in general. I don't know if I would call it the "best Italian restaurant ever," but it was definitely an experience and the prices were decent.
My only complaint is that there was absolutely no one else there. Maybe it was because we went for a late lunch and UESers tend to get up earlier than us LESers? I didn't understand why we were the only people in the restaurant if this place is supposed to be amazing...
I absolutely love Sette Mezzo. It is very small and intimate so seating is limited but they take reservations. The service is excellent. Mr. Esposito, the owner, is often there and is the nicest friendliest guy which I think reflects in the attitude of his staff. The servers are very friendly and professional. All their pasta dishes are delicious and their tiramisu is absolutely to die for. They are a cash only establishment... unless of course you become a frequent customer, in which case they let you open a house charge account, but that is reserved for very few people. Make sure you hit the ATM before dining!
One of Oprah's faves when she is in town...cash only I believe. Call beforehand to make sure they are open.
The food is always consistent! I love their polenta; they hv diff flavors every day & my fav is their pasta w/ clam sauce with extra garlic (they give big huge cloves of roasted soft mushy garlic; yummmmm)! the fried zuchini is delicious, so light, cripsy on the outside and fresh/soft zuchini in the inside - just the right amt of batter! best fried zuchini I've ever had! their pasta w/ red or white clam sauce is delicious!!! I love how they cook their pasta; perfectly al dente...always consistent! the tiramisu is sinfully delicious & they give you free scrumptous biscotti w/ your coffee! the service is not as attentive as a top rated restaurant is, b/c they are soooo busy! true they only take cash, but if u want GREAT consistent italian food in a nice reserved conservative setting (I don't have time for 'unwanted attention' & don't waste time to ppl watch), then this plc is for you!!!
prix fixe dinner $26 per…
Neighborhood: Midtown East
Happy Hour 4-8 $4 Beers &…
Neighborhood: East Village
Neighborhood: Upper East Side
Neighborhood: Upper East Side
New York, NY
Neighborhood: Upper East Side
Neighborhood: Upper East Side
