Destino Restaurant

good atmosphere. the food and service were Okay, not impressive. The waiter talked to us only twice, took the order and sent the check. more

good atmosphere. the food and service were Okay, not impressive. The waiter talked to us only twice, took the order and sent the check. more

Destino is truly a turtle bay/ beekman neighborhood gem! You don't expect five star food like this to be a short 4 block walk away from where you live. Destino has it all, ambiance, fine food, fine wine, great service...Perfect for a date, a family gathering, or a friends night out.. more

With the CW's $50 free gift certificates, you can't go wrong here! If you go to cw11 com/diningpix, you can buy two $50 certificates for $50. On top of that, Destino is one the best Italian restaurants I have been to north of Little Italy. The meatballs are truly amazing and worth coming here for them alone! The food is simple and delicious, the pasta with garlic and olive oil was perfect and the complimentary bruschetta are a wonderful start. And it is great when it is made more affordable by Dining PIX! more

Please ignore the negative review below me. I am 100% Italian, and have grown up on my Nana's food my whole life, so I know good Italian food...this is the only place that comes close soring past Little Italy even. Everything is great, including the service. The meatballs are like softballs and are ridiculously good...and I still dream about the sauce. And the best part, the prices are pretty fair. It's definitely one of my NYC faves!!! Pros: Food, Service, and did I say food? Cons: Nothing more

Give me a break! I don't know what everyone is talking about but if you want good meatballs you can go to your local pizzeria and get them. This place is totally overated. Don't waste your money or time. The atmosphere is loud, the staff is obnoxious and full of themselves. The food is nothing to rave about. I was there with my fiance and looked forward to a nice dinner. The food is boring. Cons: A lot more

Have you ever been to Destino? I was there a few weeks back and I sat next to Carrie Underwood and Chace! The restaurant is breath taking! There is a painting on the ceiling that is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. The staff is attentive but not harassing. Now let me tell you about the food.\r I was told by the waiter that they don't even have a freezer everything is fresh everyday. Indeed everything was. I had the Branzino entree and it was fabulous. As were the meatballs (that really are huge!) and light and fluffy.. Try this restaurant you might see someone famous, definatly have a great meal and the atmosphere will impress just about everyone.. I take my hat off to the chef and the staff of Destino. Pros: There is great detail to everything Cons: steps to get to the bathroom about 12 more

Me and my man went here for our anniversary and it was wonderful! I made some special requests for our meal and all went smoothly. The service was excellent, the meatballs like my mothers, and the lamb was the best I've ever had! The smoothness of the ricotta in the cannolis is indescribable. It was one of the best Italian meals I've had, hands down. Pros: meatballs, wine list, lamb, cannolis Cons: the spinach more

My friend and I ate here on a Friday night & were excited to test this restaurant out as we had heard great things about it. Our reservation was for 7PM and there was nobody else eating in the restaurant when we arrived. From the moment we stepped into the place the tuxedoed wait staff was rude and hovered over us as if we were going to rob the place, even though we were dressed appropriately for this upscale restaurant (in suits - we had just come from work). We were rushed through our courses, our side dishes were never brought to the table (without apology), and by 10pm they had already run out of one of the desserts. Our check was substantial (salads, appetizers, entrees, desserts, plus 2 bottles of wine + additional cocktails), so at the very least we expected to have service with a smile. We thought that perhaps we were receiving this treatment because we had never been here before or because we were two women dining together, until the table next to us of four people had the same poor service (this table actually complained to the maitre d that the service was horrendous - rightfully so). Sadly, the best part of the dining experience was learning that these other folks were treated badly too, so that it wasn't just us! The atmosphere is great and the food very good (I was shocked that it was reasonably priced, and had a good wine selection with bottles in every price range), however - there are way too many excellent Italian restaurants in NYC with equal if not better food, and whose management would welcome you in and appreciate your business! For the first time in years, I left only a 15% tip - as we were really aggravated and disappointed. I eat out 2-3 times per week if not more, and I can tell you I will never go back to Destino's and will tell everyone that listens never to waste their money here.\r \r PS-the blaring disco music in the upstairs dining area was over the top and outdated! Pros: Ambiance, good food Cons: Nasty waitstaff, rushed service, loud music (cons outweighed the pros) more

I visited Destino's on 3/2 with my boyfriend to celebrate my birthday. I've read about it being affiliated with Justin Timberlake, and how Lindsay Lohan goes there a lot, and how the old Rao's chef is there, so I was a bit curious and nervous...you know how those restaurants can turn out. To say the very least, I was pleasantly suprised. The decor is very nice, the food delicious, and the service impeccable. And although you walk in worrying whether or not you should have worn dress pants or a jacket and tie with the piano player near the door, I'd say the dress code is upscale casual. All in all, I was very pleased and will definately be returning. I've eaten in Little Italy a number of times, but this restaurant knocks any restaurant on Mulberry out of the park. Go to Destino's and you will not be disappointed! Pros: Good food, not a pretentious crowd, good service Cons: A bit loud more

I went here the other night for the 2nd time and thought - once again - that it was OK. I also completely agree with the last review re: the bartender who couldn't make a drink as I ordered a martini (which I really didn't think could be screwed up) and it was undrinkable... don't know how she can stay employed, other than thinking that she's seeing one of JT's friends. Anyway, let me break it down quickly - this is certainly a place for locals (UN Plaza & Sutton Place crowd) and wannabee gangsters where the food is fair, service good and meatballs GREAT! In other words, this is not a destination place, though if you're in the area, just order the meatballs, a glass of wine and the check... all at the same time. Too bad they don't make a MB sandwich to go ! Pros: Meatballs for appetizer, entree & possibly dessert Cons: unskilled bartender, crusty crowd more

Several friends came to town for the VMAs. In keeping with the theme of their visit, we decided to dine at this restaurant co-owned by one of the VMA performers, Justin Timberlake. The food was excellent, and our waiter was attentive. Unfortunately, the bartender was the worst I've ever encountered in New York City, incapable of making the most basic cocktails (Manhattan, Lemon Drop) and rude on top of it. Despite our 10 pm reservation, we had to wait a bit to be seated, by a not-terribly-nice hostess. However, once seated, we realized that Timberlake was having a birthday dinner for Cameron Diaz and JC Chasez was seated at another table, so that probably explains the delay. \r \r The rest of our experience was wonderful, though. Our waiter was friendly, the food was delicious--especially the desserts. I had veal piccata, which was unusual in that the sauce was slightly thicker than I'm used to, but the veal was perfect. My friends were equally pleased with the delicious food and reasonable prices. \r \r As long as you don't go when Justin Timberlake is in town and stick to wine over cocktails so you can avoid the atrocious bartender, I recommend Destino's. Pros: food, desserts, wait service Cons: terrible bartender, slow seating due to VIPs more

Tried out Destino the other night with 2 other couples, it was surprisingly good. Clientle is not so ""with the times"" , seemed like a lot of neighboorhood people, but the food was amazing! We all loved it. The service was lacking a bit, we waited about 20 mins for a waiter and water to come to us once we were sat and we had to ask for everything twice, even drink orders - I think maybe we just got stuck with a bad waiter though. Pros: great food, nice ambience Cons: slow service more

Went here the other night with a few friends, we only waited about 10 minutes for a table, and the wait was well worth it!! The food was unbelievable along with the service. One of the best meals I've had in a while! Can't wait to go back!!! Pros: great decor, food, service Cons: little bit crowded more

Myself and 8 girlfriends went to Destino last night and had a wonderful time. The meatball appetizer was delicious as well as the calamari, eggplant rollatini and fried mozzarella. Everyone loved their main course as well. The chicken parm is pounded real flat (which led me to believe it was veal). Besides the confusion - it was great. We went into the kitchen to praise the chef (Mario Curko) and he couldnt be more sweet. Overall a great experience. This is a loud restaraunt though so if you are looking for something more quiet and romantic this is not your place. Also, definitely make a reservation - every single table was filled. Pros: Food, Service Cons: loud more

Had lunch here recently and the food (get the meatballs no matter what!!!) was amazing and fresh, and the waitstaff was attentive. Could not have had a better experience. Pros: Great meatballs, Nice Ambience, Courteous Waitstaff Cons: Above average price more

SHOWED UP WITHOUT RESERVATION WAS SEATED RIGHT AWAY. LOUD BUT GREAT ATMOSPHERE EVERYONE HAVING A GREAT TIME.FOOD WAS GREAT AND SERVED PROMPTLY. CANT WAIT TO GO BACK AND EVERYONE I HAVE TOLD ABOUT IT AND HAS GONE HAS SAID THE SAME THING. Pros: FOOD, SERVICE more

luckily i get to go to Rao's a couple times a year so i was anxious to try Destino. Mario the chef/owner was head chef at Rao's for many years. his son Anthony worked at Rao's as well and he gave us a nice table. the Southern Italian food was exceptional and the meat balls were just as good as Rao's. please don't go here expecting a Rao's experience because it's totally different! Pros: great food, nice menu, the MEAT BALLS more

We just went to this restuarant on Friday. We have been waiting for this restaurant to open for a few months to be greeted by a very unhelpful staff. We were snubbed and then told to go to the lounge with out any follow up on timing of when we would be seated. We spent at least 30 minutes given no options for a table and then left without an update or attendance. We had to leave the restaurant without dining. I was left with a horrible taste in my mouth about the whole experience. more