Locale Restaurant & Bar

I have lived in Astoria for five years and always wanted to try this place. I really like the look of the restaurant, but the menu never impressed me very much. My boyfriend and I took the plunge and had lunch there last weekend. I ordered the beet salad, he had the tuna club. The club looked like tuna straight out of the can with nothing added and wedged between toasted pieces of wonder bread. It was tasteless. My beet salad was better than the club, but still there were so many missed opportunities to make it more interesting (maybe adding goat cheese and/or nuts). It wasn't overpriced, but there are so many other amazing Astoria restaurants that are doing exciting things with their menu. We won't be back. Pros: Nice Atmosphere Cons: Mediocre Food more

I have been to this restaurant 3 or 4 times. Everytime I go I think that it will get better, but it never does. The salads are palatable and the drinks are fine but that is all I would suggest. I have had salmon, steak, chicken and pasta in the past and the flavors never melded well. Everything was cooked to the right level of doneness but the sauces and flavoring is always off. Pros: Atmosphere, decor Cons: Food more

I was just there last night with a friend and I had an amazing time.\r Waiter was knowledgeable and attentive.\r Food was very carefully cooked.\r Wine was good.\r Vibe is cozy and elegant.\r I am a manhattahn diner and it was my first time dining in Astoria but I was pleasantly surprised. Pros: food, service more

i have always loved the decor and the drinks. the bartender makes truly perfect drinks. she concocted a pumpkin puree martin with a graham cracker rim. i'm not a froo froo drinker but my beau and i had two each! i must say however, our dinners were unmemorable. the food here has always been. but i'll return for the overall comfort and welcoming staff. Pros: ambience and drinks Cons: food is bland more

I took my parents to locale for their anniversary and we had the best night ever!! The food was incredible, the drinks were amazing and everyone was soooo nice!!! I took my sister there the next day for brunch and it's our new favorite spot! i highly recommend it! Pros: best drinks and food. Friendly staff more

It is very relieving to have this place in this neighborhood. I brought a few friends one night and we had a really nice time. We had a bunch of different cocktails from their list. The pear martini and the mojitos were particularly delicious. The food there is consistantly good. I totally recommend the faggotini pasta...it's to die for. Overall the place has a really nice feel. The music is always appropriate for the atmosphere and the staff is friendly and approachable. I have brought tons of friends as well as my parents and all have had no complaints. I hope Locale stays around for a long time, this neighborhood needs them! more

My boyfriend and I are new to Astoria (from Florida) and wanted to go out after a long first week at his new job. I read so many great reviews on this place and found their website to be detailed adn inviting as well. The food was AMAZING! The bread they give you at the beginning was amazing. They have a nice wine list and our entrees we so delicious! We each had a chicken dish with fresh veggies and excellent melt-in-your-mouth mashed potatoes. The entrees were reasonably priced and large enough to fill you up without being ridiculously large. We were both too full to have dessert, but I'd like to try one next time. I'd also like to sample the pasta dishes. \r \r The atmosphere was lovely and we were seated right away outside on a nice early evening. We didn't feel rushed at all and the service was good too. Towards the end of the meal, a stray cat was wondering around and looking for food. It even went into the restaurant through the front door! The staff did a great job of gently shoeing it out (which as a cat lover I appreciated.) I can't guarentee that something like that would happen again, but it was endearing! Definately recommend for a great Italian dining experience. Pros: Ambience, good prices, large portions Cons: a bit small, need more meat/pasta combination dishes more

I went to dinner with a few friends and everything was excellent. The bartenders made great drinks while we waited for our table, the staff was very friendly and attentive. The food is delicous...listen to the specials! Pros: Dinner special;s and drinks! Cons: The wait was a bit long...but worth it! more

This resturant is incredible. Honestly I've read aimray's comment about this place and think she's a complete idiot who has absolutely no taste in great food. I was born in Florence, Italy and this place has truly reminded me how amazing Italian food is. If this place was on Park Ave, the menu would probably be MUCH more expensive, but thank God it's not. I heard that they use organic and expensive ingredients. Also them opening at 5pm is a great thing because in Europe that's usually the time that we open up our cafes. I've been here with my friends and they're VERY picky. They absolutely LOVE this place! We go almost every Saturday. We've tried almost every single place in Manhattan & Queens. This is the best place for a good healthy dinner! more

Went last night (6/20) to celebrate my birthday. Left a message in the morning to make a reservation for 10 people and they called back promptly that afternoon to confirm -they reserved a great table near the window.\r \r The service was great, the food was very tasty. The owner gave us an excellent bottle of champagne - that beats a cupcake with a candle in it!\r \r The restaurant is very near the subway, and is worth coming out to if you want to get a taste of Astoria. Pros: Service, Ambiance, Location, Tasty food more

My boyfriend and I went here for dinner last week. I had passed by it many times and thought it was a bar/lounge. Our dinner was so good, we wound up going back the next afternoon to try the brunch. We were surprised at how good the food is at this place. The quality is higher than you are used to at a lot of restaruants in Astoria. Add in the knowledgeable and attentive staff, and the amazing ambiance, (we love the window tables) this place is a standout in Astoria. Highly reccomended. Pros: Food, ambiance, attentive service more

I've been coming here since it first opened and it gets better every time I go. I admit I am more of a fan of their brunches than their dinners but I am not complaining. The service is absolutely wonderful and very accommodating. They were even willing to cook a dish they had taken off the menu because we liked it so much. I've been to Brick and to Cafe Bar and I think this one is the best in the area. Pros: Ambience, brunch, service. more

One of the best restaurants in New York, and certainly Astoria. The food is consistently well-prepared and fresh, with a good balance of menu favourites and daily specials, including salads, sandwiches, and pasta courses. Save room for the ice cream or tiramisu. The windows are a treat for viewing out, and the atmosphere is perfectly lit and a nice change from boxed-in eating at other restaurants. Having eaten there for some time, I can honestly say the service is top notch, and I have seen them being attentive to the rudest of customers when I would have dumped the food in their laps if it were me. From what I've overheard at other tables, legitimate complaints have always been well-addressed by the staff or managers, so I'm surprised at reading other's postings. As for the Wolverinesque waiter, you can avoid him if you like - he's one of the best and it will free up his time for waiting my table instead. Thanks! Pros: Fresh food, well-prepared, ambience, service Cons: That it wasn't in Astoria 10 years ago. more

I have been a regular at Locale for almost a year now and I have only had positive experiences with the service, atmosphere, food, and drinks. In regards to the comment below mine.. 1. if you are going to reference x-men you should at least spell wolverine correctly. 2. yes, the tables are fairly small but it is New York... space is limited. It is no different than Brick or any other restaurant in the area. However, the staff at Locale has always been more than willing to accomodate my party whether we want to sit in the lounge and have drinks or in the dining room for dinner. 3. Locale is set up for the comfort of their customers.. the cocktail lounge seating is for lounging and having cocktails while the dining room seating is for dining. Of course you are not going to be comfortable having a three course meal in the lounge.. would you be comfortable washing dishes in your bathtub? Just because you can doesn't mean that is what it's purpose is... It's not rocket science! Pros: service, food, atmosphere Cons: finding parking more

For the most part the service appears to be attentive but is really quite a mess. They try to give the illusion that they care but for the most part they could be bothered. They have had one or two good waiters/waitress' but they have gone down hill since. Avoid the waiter with the woverine sideburns at all costs. The tables are ridiculously small for the amount of things they want to put on them. If you order a bottle of wine and bottle of water prepare to balance your main course on your nose. You would think they would at least have wine stands by now since they fancy themselves as a more sophisticated restaurant. Recently they have added glass bowls the size of a small goldfish bowl to house one lone floating rose (not a great use of space to say the least, especially since there is already a candle on the table). Surprisingly, the staff is not accomodating at all when it comes to asking for more space even when they are hardly busy as the waiters are apparently concerned that they will get less tip money if suddenly a bus load of people come in. The ambiance is wonderful once you get past the cramped quarters and the food is ok, not great. Don't break your back trying to have dinner in the ""lounge"". The seats are great for having a cocktail but deadly when trying to have a meal. The better choice for this place is going for drinks not dinner...\r Pros: Ambience Cons: The service more

I went to locale on sunday for brunch with my husband. we were seated promptly, the bloody marys were perfect with celery and spice, and the food was simply delicious! The menu had omlettes, paninis, salads, et cetera. I would absolutely recommend locale for brunch. Pros: Great bloody marys and prompt service Cons: they only have brunch on weekends more

Avoid sitting at the bar the service it very slow, although the great service we had at our table in the restaurant almost made up for that. Foods really good, the creme brulee is a must! The music was a little loud for such an intimate place. Pros: great food Cons: too loud more

I moved into astoria about three months ago and have been looking for a place to hang with friends and dine. The several pubs and bars I have tried on broadway were too noisy and with awful service! Brick was good...but I did not think the food was worth the price and the service was sub-par. Locale is the first place I have been to in which I was welcomed at the door and sat by our server. He promptly brought us water and took our drink order. I had a chocolate martini that looked like something from a magazine and tasted so amazing words cant even describe! My friend was in a citrus mood and had a passion martini which was also good and came garnished with a pretty purple flower. We ordered some appetizers... a house salad that came with plenty of goat cheese (yum), mussels which were very fresh, and fried zucchini which was surprisingly light and not greasy like your average bar food. Then we had dessert.. tiramisu which was delicate and smooth. Our service and food were great and on top of everything, the music wasnt too loud so we could actually have a conversation without having to yell... and it was a friday night! I will definetly dine there again and recommend it to anyone looking for great food, service, and atmosphere. Pros: service, atmosphere, food, drinks more

I started working in Astoria recently and discovered Locale with some coworkers. It has a great feel to it as soon as you walk in. The hostess is always welcoming and the bartenders are friendly and fun to talk with. Recently, I tried some new drinks with my boyfriend. They were delicious- we had the ""panty dropper"" and this orange flavored martini. As far as the food, I've only been there for brunch before. It's reasonably priced (although I wish there was an unlimited mimosa special) and the food has never disappointed me. The decor is modern chic, but my friends and I find it to be a great place to relax and unwind on a weekend night, or for brunch. more

I have spent many a day here at the weekend, I always enjoy their specials cause I have to say I think there is just too much fish on the menu, but I think if I was a bit healthier I wouldnt mind so much. Anyway, wine selection is great, food is nice and worth it. I do find myself scrambling to find a waiter when I need another drink, it does seem to be a bit of a problem especailly when the bus-boys wont take your order. Pros: great food and just a lovely setting Cons: Staff need to step it up a bit - like notice they have clients more