Bottino

I wanted to send a quick note to thank you and your staff! The party was amazing and everything was very smooth. \r \r As always, the food is delicious and the staff very helpful! Thank you so much for all the help in planning and accommodating! \r \r And a special thank you to your maitre d - he was wonderful to work with and offered his help numerous times. \r \r Thank you for making my daughter's 1st bday very memorable.\r more

We had a wonderful dinner at this restaurant. The food was excellent, service attentive and atmosphere relaxing and appealing. It's worth everypenny!! more

We had a wonderful birthday dinner with friends at Bottino. Service was cordial and knowledgeable and hostess/manager was welcoming. The restaurant is very simple, modern with white brick walls and vintage modern chairs. We sat in the glass enclosed garden room which was very enjoyable for a spring night. There was a large art gallery event going on in the adjacent party room -- nice group and the restaurant had a great interesting, mature vibe. Really enjoyed grilled shitake mushrooms, spaghettin with lobster, and my date loved her wholewheat pasta with green cauliflower and anchovies. Incredible bread pudding. Nice wine selection, very reasonable with most wines 40.00 approx. and many choices by the glass. I will definitely be back. Bravo Bottino! more

There's no reason any diner should subject themselves to the surly, snooty, dismissive and, argumentative attitude of the hosts. I was treated this way by not just 1, but 2 hostess all in the space of 1 dinner. While my server was pleasant and responsive, it's hard to imagine how even good food and a pretty garden could sustain this level of rudeness and ambivalence. Spend your money in a restaurant which actually appreciates its customers. It's NOT Bottino. Pros: decent food, nice decor, inviting garden Cons: Terrible Attitude more

I met a girlfriend for drinks here last night. It was a nice cozy space that was good for catching up. The bartender waited on us at a table, and helped us select a wonderful chianti. The service was very fast, for the wine and the food. We had a delicious crostini with pesto, walnuts, and parmesan but it was basically one slice of bread for us to share. We then had the pork sausage stuffed apples that were okay, but lacked in flavor. Even for just an appetizer, you do need to order a few of the small plates. The chairs and benches are uncomfortably high, and the tables are not, so you have to kind of sit sideways because your legs won't fit under the table. But overall, I would return for some wine again, but would probably sit at the bar, which looked a little more comfortable. Pros: Knowledgeable waitstaff, nice wine list Cons: uncomfortable seating, small plates are VERY small more

The restaurant is very crowded. After others at the table and I were bumped by staff several times, the waiter hit me hard in the head with a tray. While I'm sure it was an accident, when I complained, the manager came over and proceeded to explain that it happened because ""you turned your head when he walked by."" She was not at all apologetic and made it appear as though it were my fault. I would not return to this restaurant. I do not hold the waiter responsible, but the manager should have better customer skills than to imply it was my fault I was hit in the head! Pros: Food was OK Cons: Nasty manager more

I've been here several times in the past and had nice group dinners in the back room, however my fiance and I went with friends last week for a light bite and had embarrassingly bad service. The waiter sighed dramatically and rolled his eyes at our friends when they declined wine, and disappeared completely when the only ordered salads. When my fiance absently said he like full bodied French reds, the guy hissed that this was an Italian restaurant and they only had Italian. He never came back. Take a break Zoolander! The hostess and busboy served us our meals and checked on us again later, but my lamb ragu was bland and watery, and I couldn't get the bad taste our first waiter had left out of my mouth. Don't waste your money on a half-full restaurant pretending to be something it is clearly not. Next! Pros: ok food Cons: our server was so rude more

nice place. food is good. a little sceney but i like that. ive seen quite a range of celebrities here. staff is helpful and knowledgable Pros: good food Cons: hard to get tables sometimes more

I never get what I order. When I recieved order and realised I didn't get what I wanted they simply said 'well next time don't order from us'. I can not understand their rudeness. Cons: AWFUL rude service more

My boyfriend and I were looking for an outdoor spot to grab dinner on a Friday and found this place online. Aside from being rather rude on the phone, the service was friendly and prompt when we arrived. \r Fluorescent lighting in the bar area overflowed into the main dinning room, making you feel like you were more in a cubical than dining out in the city. The tuna tartar was very fresh and flavorful and our fillet mignon was tasty but not spectacular. The prices are on the high side for this slightly above average Italian cuisine. Pros: outdoor seating Cons: bad lighting more

Had a great dinner in the garden at Bottino; our wait for a table outside was pretty brief, (they dont take reservations for the garden), so we enjoyed the crowd at the bar (art world, west chelsea on a Thursday night...quite intense) Loved the black spaghettini with lobster and tomato, roasted orata, octopus vinaigrette. Reminded me of Venice (Italy, not California.) Pros: ambience, food, value, crowd more

I went with a guy I'd met and let him pick our spot to eat, which in and of itself couldve been scary but when we got to Bottino I realized that he'd actually done very well. The salmon was really good and our server was attentive, but not one that hovers. ( I hate when they hover) Overall, I had a great time! Good job Bottino! more

We went out to dinner at Bottino for a freind's birthday and the server, Pablo was pretty lame-o. He didnt introduce himself, lacked all social skills and didnt know the menu well. We were seated at a round table right by the main hallway, so we were constantly bumped by ""traffic."" The atmosphere was almost like a green house with wooden ceiling beams and some wooden chairs and iron lawn-chair like chairs. The crowd was a lot older and it was a pretty quiet restaurant. It wasnt that crazy for a Saturday evening. As far as the food goes, the salmon was a great portion that was excellent. The bread could be better and they shouldve offered olive oil (instead of or along with) the butter. more

I like Bottino because the food is decent, the service is usually good, and it's good for groups. Each time I have been I have gone with a group. I have also been there each time on a stormy night and I felt very welcomed once inside. They seat you promptly and the drinks are good too. I read the last couple of reviews and I say ignore them and give it a chance. Pros: Great ambience, decent food & really good mashed potatoes Cons: Always been a thunderstorm when I am there more

This place has all the makings of a good restaurant. Nice space, decent food. But the wait staff is so very rude. I work nearby and have been there a number of times in the hopes of receiveing better service. However, they are consistently obnoxious. For example, when i asked to omit an ingredient in my dish, i was given the up-and-down. He rolled his eyes as he took my order. Don't bother going there unless you enjoy being treated poorly. The wait staff just think way too much of themselves. more

A friend highly recommended Bottino for a bridal shower I hosted several weeks ago. Other than the food (decent at best) and decor, there was NOTHING good about this place. \r First of all, in planning, the manager cut us a ""good deal"" by e-mail, then tried to come back several times after with increased pricing. We were also told that we could have the back room as private party space since we had a large group. \r There are two sets of bathrooms: 2 bathrooms in the front of the restaurant, and 2 bathrooms in the back (where we were). In the beginning when we hadn't started our party yet, we didn't mind and didn't say anything when other restaurant guests used the bathrooms in our area. However, when the bride-to-be was opening her gifts, some random restaurant guests tried to walk right in the middle of our party. (You have to walk through the room to get to the bathrooms, so this would've been a major interruption to the party.) I explained politely that we were having a private party, and asked if they didn't mind using the bathrooms up front. They told me that the restaurant was directing them to use the bathrooms in our area. I then politely asked the manager to have her staff NOT direct people through our party. Her response was: ""I don't see what your problem is. We host showers every weekend and no one else has ever complained. Honestly, we cut you a good deal and you rented the party room, NOT the bathrooms."" My response was, ""We could've went ANYWHERE else, but I chose this place... and I'm telling you I have a problem with random people walking in the middle of our party. The place is empty right now. There is no need to send people to our bathrooms."" She told me I was unreasonable. I walked away because it was pointless to argue with someone who obviously did not think customer service is important. \r To top it off, we had 44 guests, but they charged us for 48. By that time, we were tired of arguing and just paid extra. NEVER AGAIN! Pros: Barely any... Cons: Obnoxious manager more

Do yourself a favor and NEVER go here. A group of five of us just went to celebrate my friend's birthday. Here's how the nite went: first, they sat us at a table right next to the bathrooms and kitchen, so we asked to move. The manager finally moved us, telling us to take our napkins with us then stormed off (the restaurant was nearly empty, so it was unclear why this was such an unreasonable request). We then sat down and asked for a wine rec from our waiter who said ""I don't know."" Then, he came back about a minute later to take our orders and we told him we needed more time. He proceeded to come back every two minutes until we were forced to give our order. The food is actually really good, which is the only redeeming thing about this restaurant, but the waiter threw down the desert menu before we finished eating. Then, after he took our plates, we still had half a bottle of wine and he told us we had to move and finish our drinks at the bar. We refused (since we felt our $300 bill earned us the right to finish our drinks) and asked to speak to the manager. After explaining the night to the manager and expressing our extreme displeasure at the lack of customer service, she told us that she has been doing this for 20 years and doesn't need to be told how to do her job. Needless to say, NONE of us (nor any of our friends) will ever go to the restaurant again and I recommend you do the same. more

Be prepared to bring change on your next visit to Bottino. Apparently, it is Bottino's policy not to provide exchange.\r \r During a recent afternoon visit, I stopped in for a cup of tea. After a few hours of walking around Chelsea, visiting art galleries, it was very satisfying to have a cup of tea.\r \r When I asked for the check, it was for $2.71. I handed the waiter a 20-dollar bill. In return, I received $17.00 in change.\r \r The discrepancy was only 29 cents, but I asked the waiter about it. He replied, ""The restaurant does not provide coins."" I was astounded and asked him to repeat his reply. The waiter reiterated, ""The restaurant does not provide coins,"" and he smugly added, ""Sorry.""\r \r For gallery-goers, Bottino is a conveniently located venue. For those who don't happen to be in Chelsea at the moment, it's an above-average venue and not a destination worth crossing town for.\r \r I've been in worse venues with waiters and managers and owners who have conducted themselves with greater arrogance, perhaps the kind of noble arrogance that can be admired. For sure, I've been in superior venues, and the service was exemplary.\r \r However, I've never been in a venue with a waiter who declares that it is restaurant policy to conduct petty thievery. Cons: Dishonest change policy more

This place never disappoints. The filet mignon and mashed potatoes here are fantastic (especially for the price) and the pasta dishes are excellent (as per my husband who is a first generation american born Italian who rarely is impressed with any Italian meals out of his mother's kitchen). \r \r Bottino is in the heart of Chelsea so be prepared to see gay lovers out for a nice meal. This is the kind of place right wingers should avoid at all costs as it would freak them out too much to see two men holding hands across a table. But whatever WE LOVE IT HERE!! The vibe is that of a neighborhood place where you can tell everyone wants to make you feel welcomed. The bartender makes an excellent Captain and Ginger. I am dying for the warm weather so we can go back and dine in the courtyard. So far I have been to Bottino twice and both times were excellent! Great value for what you get. Pros: welcoming vibe, decor is cool without being too stuffy, the food is great! Cons: the entry way is a little cramped but not terrible more

i think that the food is well executed and the staff great fun. always get looked after and would recommend it to anybody. i've never had a problem but i can imagine that it can get super-busy with a small impact on service. but not for me so far. more