Abboccato

the desserts here are great, highly recommended! more

the desserts here are great, highly recommended! more

There were a number of things that were "off" at this place. First off, overall the decor and the manner of the waitstaff felt "dated". One wall has padded "sections" onto which wooden boxes are displayed with mirrored backs and holding bottles of wine. It just looked tacky. Much of the waitstaff appeared to be new, as we witnessed a number of incidences (including at our table) where there was a second (and sometimes third) waitperson standing there while the primary person took our order. They also seemed to have too many stafff overall, and many of them seemed to hover too close to the tables, perhaps out of sheer boredom. They made me feel nervous. Our waiter also seemed to be trying too hard. Just give me good service. I don't need all the sugary niceties, or the constant "bon appetito's" (which were often said at inappropriate times, such as "bon appetito...is everything fine with your meal?" (!) For an appetizer, I got the housemade mozzarella with tomato, basil and balsamic vinegar (which was advertised as being 24 years old or something). When the plate arrived, there were about two splashes of the vinegar. So I had to ask for more (especially since their menu made a point to imply how great it was). My dining companion got a treo of pureed eggplant, fava beans and I think a type of cheese, along with some toasted bread. It was "ok". For entrees we got pasta (mine with a bolognese sauce) and she got gnocchi. Both pastas were overcooked. The bolognese sauce had more of a cream base than I am accustomed to, so it was very heavy. We both felt that the pasta dishes tasted like something you'd get at an Italian chain restaurant. Nothing special at all. I was very surprised to learn that this restaurant is run by the same folks as Molyvos. To me the two restaurants are worlds apart. Molyvos is of a much higher caliber all around. Pros: none Cons: nothing special at all. So many other better restaurants in this price range. more

There were a number of things that were ""off"" at this place. First off, overall the decor and the manner of the waitstaff felt ""dated"". One wall has padded ""sections"" onto which wooden boxes are displayed with mirrored backs and holding bottles of wine. It just looked tacky. Cons: nothing special at all. So many other better restaurants in this price range. more

Horrifically rude staff. I called the manager over to tell him about the problems we were having. I explained the waiter was completely ignoring us and the service was awful. He just shrugged his shoulders. Everyone seemed bothered to be working there. No one had a good attitude, a smile or a kind word. Plates were falling loudly in the kitchen clamoring. The staff was making no eye contact with the patrons. The manager was busy talking to a friend that had stopped in and was quite unhappy to be interrupted for any reason. If management could care less, then that explains why the staff acts as they do. In the first dish we ordered, the marinated sardines, the onions were burnt and acidic. The pasta that we ordered was partially raw. No, not al dente, actually crunchy. There are plenty of places in this town to get a decent meal - no one should put up with this place. That is true regardless of cost. It just so happens that this is also quite an expensive restaurant which only adds insult to injury! I would never go back if it meant cooking at home forever! more

We had a reservation for 7:30, and we were shooting for the 9:15 show at a Club downtown. We arrived thirty mintues early because we knew we'd be cutting in close for the show. We were seated immediately! Then we were treated by some of the most attentive yet non-evasive service that I had experienced in a long time. I would estimate that our table was attended to around 50 times during our 6 course pasta tasting (You should try), and not a single time were we rudely interrupted. Our waiters were able to stay one step ahead of our needs, and that to me is true customer service. Thank you for making dinner so enjoyable. Btw FOOD WAS GREAT TOO! more

We chose to sit on the patio even though it was a warm evening. We enjoyed the bread and the bread sticks! We started with the buffalo mozzarella. It was absolutely amazing! I went with the lamb chops. I was not disappointed! I was so pleased with my meal! Service was excellent. The water glasses were always filled and the food came out in a timely manner. Pros: Interesting options, cozy seating, terffic taste Cons: Prices were a little outrageous more

We chose to sit on the patio even though it was a warm evening. We enjoyed the bread and the bread sticks! We started with the buffalo mozzarella. It was absolutely amazing! I went with the lamb chops. I was not disappointed! I was so pleased with my meal! Service was excellent. The water glasses were always filled and the food came out in a timely manner. Pros: Interesting options, cozy seating, terffic taste Cons: Prices were a little outrageous more

a relatively "newish" carnegie hall area eatery is pretty good - dependable, but nothing special. more

a relatively "newish" carnegie hall area eatery is pretty good - dependable, but nothing special. more

We went for a pre-play lunch with 90 minutes to spare. We were seated quickly but waited over 10 minutes for a menu, and around fifteen for the waiter to come for our order. We waited over 30 minutes for our food. The waiter forgot our drinks, but we were getting too nervous about time so we didnâ??t remind him--we didn't know how much time that would add to the ordeal. We ordered prosciutto with melon salad; each of us got a few tiny cubes of melon, and they werenâ??t freshâ??they were mushy & disgusting. The prosciutto was the fattiest I have ever had. The strips were artfully wound in spirals to look bigger. We didn't like them, but we were annoyed in principle at the meager servings. This, some limp greens, & a nasty-tasting dressing cost $24 for each of us. We barely made the show--& the theater was across the street. (A few days before at Puttanesca, I had a plate of prosciutto that was delicious, generous, & accompanied by several prefect melon slices for $10.) more

We visited here for our 2 year anniversary. When we got there, they were able to accomidate us immediately ( we were early for our reservation) and not only did we get a table, but we got THE table. Immediately, the service was extremely professional and attentive. My only qualm was that the waiter tried to explain how our menu worked, but it was very clear to us. The food was exquisite... I had the octopus, my husband the mozerlla with tasty dipping sauces. Divine. For our main course, I had the rack of lamb over raddiccio and my husband, the Veal cheeks.. I don't eat veal, but he assured me they were so delicious they melted in your mouth! My lamb was cooked absolutely perfect and I even found myself biting away at the bone! Is that allowed in fancy restaurants? Overall, our experience there was pristine! I would gladly tell ANYONE to go there. Bravo more

Went for restaurant week and was disappointed to see that they had upcharge items in every category- put together a $35 menu or do not participate. The $4 extra prosciutto was not worth it and the $4 extra bambolino (munchkins) were but they could have cut the portion from 5 to 3 and included it as a straight up dessert- we passed on the $10 extra lamchops and loved the gnocchi and tile fish that we ordered. The food was excellent for the most part. The service however was horrid. Our waiter looked put out by us (perhaps because we did the prix fix menu but again- don't participate if you don't want the customers coming in for it). We had to ask twice for bread, our wine glasses all sat empty for at least 10 minutes (they take it off the table so you can not self-serve), dessert came out wrong with no apologies- and he was surly the whole time. The decor of the restaurant is lovely though- very cozy and warm. They have a fabulous wine list with lots of diverse choice in a good price range ($25-40) Pros: Atmosphere, wine list, big round tables for groups Cons: Service more

Went for restaurant week and was disappointed to see that they had upcharge items in every category- put together a $35 menu or do not participate. The $4 extra prosciutto was not worth it and the $4 extra bambolino (munchkins) were but they could have cut the portion from 5 to 3 and included it as a straight up dessert- we passed on the $10 extra lamchops and loved the gnocchi and tile fish that we ordered. The food was excellent for the most part. The service however was horrid. Our waiter looked put out by us (perhaps because we did the prix fix menu but again- don't participate if you don't want the customers coming in for it). We had to ask twice for bread, our wine glasses all sat empty for at least 10 minutes (they take it off the table so you can not self-serve), dessert came out wrong with no apologies- and he was surly the whole time. The decor of the restaurant is lovely though- very cozy and warm. They have a fabulous wine list with lots of diverse choice in a good price range ($25-40) Pros: Atmosphere, wine list, big round tables for groups Cons: Service more

really good deal of restaurant week. Pros: Ambience Cons: Ambience more

really good deal of restaurant week. wonderful food and friendly host and waiters. highly recommened Pros: Ambience Cons: Ambience more

I usually don't write user reviews online, but last night I and my wife had the most memorable dinner at Abboccato. How is it possible that we have never eaten there before?? From the moment we entered the dining room, we were surrounded by warm hospitality untypical of upscale New York restaurants. Then, when we sat down, our waiter gave us a thorough explanation of the menu. We even started to wonder if they do the same thing with every table, because the restaurant seemed very busy. The whole menu, while on the pricey side, was sophisticated, intriguing and authentic Italian at the same time. For our middle course we shared ravioli stuffed with beets and sweet gorgonzola cheese that just melted in our mouths. Suckling pig that I had for my main course was incredibly tender and juicy...The wine list would impress even big Italian wine connoisseurs. We were also pleasantly surprised to see how easy-going and fun loving the management was. We were offered a great wine selection to go with our dinner, and then had an interesting chat about rare Italian wines with one of the managers. more

I usually don't write user reviews online, but last night I and my wife had the most memorable dinner at Abboccato. How is it possible that we have never eaten there before?? From the moment we entered the dining room, we were surrounded by warm hospitality untypical of upscale New York restaurants. Then, when we sat down, our waiter gave us a thorough explanation of the menu. We even started to wonder if they do the same thing with every table, because the restaurant seemed very busy. The whole menu, while on the pricey side, was sophisticated, intriguing and authentic Italian at the same time. For our middle course we shared ravioli stuffed with beets and sweet gorgonzola cheese that just melted in our mouths. Suckling pig that I had for my main course was incredibly tender and juicy...The wine list would impress even big Italian wine connoisseurs. We were also pleasantly surprised to see how easy-going and fun loving the management was. We were offered a great wine selection to go with our dinner, and then had an interesting chat about rare Italian wines with one of the managers. We will definitely be back to Abboccato. It's our new favorite Italian restaurant in New York! We are also taking our Italian friends there when they come to visit us from Milan. more

I had an all around amazing experience when I went to Abboccato. When I walked in with my family we were greeted right away by two lovely ladies and were seated right away. The service was incredible, our waiter made us feel like we were all he cared about and could answer every question we had about the menu or wines. He was there guiding us through our whole experience. Pros: service and food more

I originally came here for lunch with business partners a couple weeks ago. It was the perfect arena for our meeting. The room is beautiful and, at lunch, fairly reserved. We asked for a large table and although we were only three people, they readily obliged us. The servers were knowledgable and friendly without being obtrusive; the service was well-paced and the food was delicious. They have a pre-fixe lunch that was a great deal. We agreed that we would definately come back. I actually did, last week, with my fiance. We had a romantic dinner on Friday night. When we got there, there was definately a different buzz. A little more relaxed and fun. The sommelier, who was very friendly, helped us choose a delicious wine that went perfectly with both our meals. My fiance had the crudo which was divine - and I had spiced poached pears with house-cured lardo. We shared the spaghettini with razor clams and bottarga - which my fiance said was exactly like he had in Sardinia - and I got local blackfish in a mussel broth. He had the suckling pig which was SO tender. I think it was the best I've had in NY. For dessert we shard these little doughnuts - bomboloni, I think. A MUST. When we left, the place had a great vibe. I think I'll come back with some friends; the bar looks like a nice spot to grab a glass of wine and a bite to eat. Pros: Food, ambience, service Cons: Pricey, although normal for the area, and pre-fixe menus are great deals more