Ii Corallo Restaurant

i have to agree. the hostess is incredibly rude and at my last visit there my friends and i were asked to leave the table way before we were done..i had never seen or heard anything like that before. needless to say, we stayed until we were good and ready to leave and i've never been back since, nor will i ever go back. this city has such great restaurants with such great service that i would never recommend this place to anyone, unless of course they get new management bc the food was good. Pros: food is good Cons: the hostess more

Most horrible service ever! The manager (or owner, or hostess) may come to you and ask you to leave the table any time WITH NO REASON! I think all 5-star reviews here she wrote by her self! Horrible service, some weird fees, terrible hostess - no way I will be coming around this place again!\r JUST DON'T GO THERE IF YOU DON'T WANT TO RUIN YOUR DAY!! Pros: location Cons: RUDE SERVICE, HORRIBLE HOSTESS more

I went to have a dinner with my friends who just arrived from Europe and she came late to table - they refuse to service her and for her question the hostess said - NO SERVICE FOR LATE BODIES (????) . And mexican (probably illegal immigrant) said that ""this table is closed, no more service for you"" - at 8pm ??? Then she took different table and asked for menu again. No service still. same time she gave menu to new-walked people and throw her things on the floor from her sit just to sit these people !!!! And restaurant was half empty!! So rude hosted, very surprised that people still goes there. Big bowls of pasta? Give me a break - you can find dozen good restaruants just next block from this witch. HORRIBLE HORRIBLE AND RUDE SERVICE AND HOSTESS!! I WOULD VOTE TO CLOSE THIS RESTAURANT!! Pros: pasta? Cons: RUDE HOSTESS!!! CRAZY CRAZY PERSON - SHE NEEDS A PILLS!!!! more

My friend and I had lunch at Il Corallo and thoroughly enjoyed it. I found it through menupages.\r The lunch special for $8.95 is a true find. The service was acceptable to us, not over the top. This is the kind of place you go to get a delicious meal at a great price for NYC-not for top of the line service. I would return. Pros: great food and value Cons: tight space more

GO DOWN TO MACDOUGAL TO LA FOCCACERIA FOR SOME TRUE ITALIAN & UNREAL SERVICE.\r Where can I begin.I love discovering great new places and am quite loyal when finding something worth my money & time & all I can say about this nightmare of a place is to Avoid and go elsewhere.\r *The temperature was scorching and these cheapos had only the fans running.\r *IT TOOK THEM OVER 25 MINUTES TO COME ASK FOR OUT DRINK ORDER.HALF OF THE OTHER CUSTOMERS WERE GIVING EACH OTHER ""CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS LOOKS""\r *Food is beyond oily,greasy and tasteless with has the flavor of a dominos.I would rather eat at & Little Caesers\r *Saw 2 seperate servers pick their nose and lick their fingers right after serving people their food and im sure they did not wash their hands.\r *The Owner looks like she got lucky on a leave and has no business owning a restuarant as she floats around counting the money in the drawer over and over and over and over again while completely ignoring the is happening in her restaurant.\r *We had our 2 bottles of wine (FOUR 4 PEOPLE) one of our party tried to order one more beer after we had eaten and they actually had the nerve to tell us ""They do not serve liquor unless you order dessert or unless you are eating""\r I had the owner come over & explained to her one ONLY ONE PERSON WANTS 1 BEER Before we leave.\r This trash had the audacity to tell us they do not serve drinks so people can ""hang out"" and not eat..lol\r Meanwhile we had just finished our food 1 minute ago literally..lol\r If we wanted to be treated like children we would have gone to eat at our mothers which would have more likely had better food.Thankfully the food was so terrible I have no regrets in neer returning.\r \r Go to Foccaceria or Franks on 2nd ave.This place can Screw themselves.You would think Batali was in the kitchen the way they treat people. Pros: Umm...good area Cons: Owner,Service,Food is Oily,Hot,Cheap with A/C more

definately one of my favorite Italian restaurants, however . . . service? not so great. more

Five Stars: Highly Recommended\r \r There may be a good number of quality places like Il Corallo in Rome, but I seriously doubt whether any of them are as favorably priced. The $8.95 lunch special with its dozen or so choices is unbeatable. But don't just stick to that. No matter what you order from the menu, it's hard to spend very much money.\r \r What's good at Il Corallo? The simple answer to that question is ""EVERYTHING."" The large menu ranges from the wide variety of pasta dishes to suit all tastes (among my favorites are the spaghetti with clam sauce, farfalle del mare, rigatoni rustici, fettucine maremonte, taglierini pesaro and the list goes on and on...), to the score of different pizzas (thin crust and crisp to perfection), to the daily entree specials of fish, meat or chicken, which are large enough to feed two persons.\r \r For wine drinkers, there is a pleasing selection of reds and whites. Or try a glass of the excellent homemade iced tea. \r \r Those who leave room for dessert will not be disappointed (try the tiramusu). And please don't go without trying a cup of their marvelous cappuccino or espresso. \r \r So, my advice is to run, not walk, down to Soho for a superb dining experience. Once you try it, I guarantee that you won't be able to stay away. Pros: Great Pasta Dishes and Thin Crust Pizza, Friendly Atmosphere and Pleasant Service Cons: The only drawback is that the food is so good that you will probably want to eat too much. more

First off let me say this place does not take reservations, and they are extremly rude and want to set you down so fast. If you have a large group this is not the place for you and your group. What I am not happy about is the bald headed older guy that works their his attitude is the worst. Now my co-workers and I found seats in the back and their was a table with two seats that he refused to let us have(BTW their was plenty of 2 seat table left). Their was only 10 of us, so after giving up on that table we were just telling everyone to just sit anywhere then he yells and tells us to get out and talk outside. This is the second time since we got their he told us to leave, btw none of us are being rude at all, the first time they told us to leave and wait outside was because our whole party was not they (btw they were entering the restaurant when he said this). As we get fed up with his attitude we simply leave and he curses at us. Again we never rude it was just a bunch of co-workers wanting to take a fellow co-worker out to lunch for her last day.\r \r So from this I will never eat their again. Its not a place for a large group. Cons: Rude, Not for large groups at all, no rervations, you WILL get kicked out if your whole group is not there more

This place came highly recommended by someone who grew up in the neighborhood. After we walked through a pouring rain to find it, we were offered a table in the entrance with the door open and underneath the whirling ceiling fans. A draft was not what we wanted on our wet bodies. We asked how long a wait for a table inside, the arrogant hostess said ""at least 45 minutes and you could wait outside"", mind you it was pouring rain. We were tired and hungry so we took the offered table. The hostess/whatever, was arrogant, snootly, unfriendly, absolutely unaccomodating. Food - middle of the road, service, OK. WILL NOT BE BACK. Don't recommend, they don't deserve your money. Cons: Thumbs down big time! more

If you like to be treated as though a restaurant is doing you a favor by letting you eat there than this is the place for you. This is by far the worst service in the city. I have had the displeasure of dining here twice, and on both occasions the service was sub par. In a neighborhood where there are delicious restaurants on every corner this is just totally unacceptable. The food is okay and the location is great but this in no way makes up for the rude attitude. From the moment I walked in the hostess/ manager was rude and gave us a problem about seating our large party of 8 although they had plenty of open tables and do not take reservations. They have rules posted all over the place. There was ham in my dish, when I explained that I am vegetarian they simply said it shouldn?t have ham but made no apologies or effort to replace the dish. My list of complaints can go on and on but the point is don't bother eating here. Pros: Great location Cons: very rude service more

If a ticket to the streets of Italy are out of your budget, transport yourself for under $20 bucks with this amazing little jewel. It's tiny but perfect for a small party who wants inexpensive but delicious food. For self-important whiners who need to park their baby-strollers -- stay home or hire a babysitter. This is an intimate spot with appreciative repeat customers served by no-nonsense but friendly staff. Expect to wait ... a wait well worth it. I've taken people from all over the country and hands-down everybody loved it. Pros: Perfect pasta with a choice suitable for everyone. Cons: Small! Can be loud & hot but get with the spirit of things and enjoy. more

If you're looking for a decent, relatively inexpensive bowl of pasta, and you're willing to accept whatever you get and unconditionally abide by ""the rules"" of the establishment, then you'll probably have an ok meal here. But if, god forbid, you, the paying customer, should have any problem whatsoever with the food or the service (which may be more likely than not) then be prepared for a level of rudeness, arrogance, and pettiness that will leave you muttering to yourself. It is quite clear that the woman who operates, and presumably owns, this place, simply does not care, and she will communicate that to you in no uncertain terms should you have the temerity to express the slightest dissatisfaction with your dining experience. The fact that this place is consistently busy is simply a testament to the draw of a cheap meal in an otherwise expensive neighborhood. Avoid it on principle. They don't deserve the business. Pros: relatively inexpensive Cons: customer service from hell more

Though we were seated right away, the overall atmosphere was rather hot and stuffy. Our waiter came quickly and offered the specials. The bread was served promptly, but it was stale and we had to ask for olive oil that tasted as if it had been cut with something rather tasteless and cheap. I ordered one of the specials, a breaded chicken cutlet covered with cold salad (not the way it was described). I took one bite and not only was it also quite bland, it was overcooked and rubbery. We called the hostess (see other reviews on this woman...no lie, she's akin to Morgana, black leather skirt and all) and asked her to replace the dish. She told us that she would bring something else, but that she would charge us for both. So, instead, I asked for some red sauce to at least make it pasable and she said they had to make it up fresh (right, at an Italian place) and that she'd charge us for that as well. She went on to defend the dish saying it had been a special for 15 years (tasting like it was made 15 years ago imho) and that people love it. She was not open to the fact that it hadn't been well made. I will never go back because of her. In my opinion, there are plenty of really great Italian places in this city and much friendlier accomodating wait staff and hostesses. Cons: rude service more

Despite what past writers have said about the supposed health risks at this place, I have been eating here for over six years and have never been affected by this so-called ""smell."" In fact, this is one of the best ""secrets"" in SoHo. It's not really a secret because everyone goes there. People say the hostess is rude, but I'd say she's more like a machine. She has very strict rules and she sticks by them. The main rule is that you cannot sit down until your whole party arrives. Big deal. They do this because a)the place is tiny and b) it keeps the traffic moving. The menu is extensive and inexpensive, and the bottles of wine are never more than $25-30. My only complaint is that they've had the same ""specials"" for two years now. C'mon, just put the specials on the menu and create new dishes! Pros: Inexpensive, great variety, tasty food Cons: Not much ambience, crowded and loud more

Tonight we were eating at the restaurant when someone from the staff opened the back exit door. A strong and iritating air filled the restaurant, causing half of the restaurant's patrons to cough uncontrollably while others yelled ""what is that?!"". Several tables immediately got up and left. After we were able to control our coughing episode, we approached the hostess to inquire about what was the cause of this. She answered that she did not know but suspected it was due to the cleaning solution that was coming from the courtyard behind the restaurant (and into the restaurant through the door that was open). When we asked the hostess to close the door, she refused. She then told us it was not her fault and refused to accept any responsibility for this, despite the discomfort all her customers were experiencing. She refused to engage in any conversation and told us if we were unhappy with our dining experience we should not return as she did not need us as customers. She then resorted to insulting us. In reading other people's comments on this board, we find it outrageous that despite all the complaints about the hostess, she is still employed there - maybe she is the owner? The bigger problem, though, is the HEATH RISK that we feel people will face when eating here. Apparently, from speaking to other people that have eaten here, as well as restaurant staff, this is a common occurence. PLEASE BEWARE OF THIS HEALTH RISK. We have notified the Department of Health about this and they will investigate. We STRONGLY advise people NOT to eat here until the cause of this toxin in the air from the backyard - which, again, permeates through the restaurant (and in the food, etc) -- is resolved. Hopefully, in the interim, they will also fire the very rude hostess. Pros: price Cons: the horribly rude Hostess and the HEATH RISK associated with the toxic air from the backyard more

Love this place! My husband and I have been going to Il Corallo for years and love it every time. The food is always fresh and I have never had a dish I didn't like. The prices are great and the portions very generous. They have a very large menu and a few of our favorites are: Crostini Pomodoro, Ravioli Porcini, Fettuccine Molisane and the Tiramisu!!\r \r It is a small space, so seating is tight, but its definitely worth it for the food and the price. I always feel like I've traveled to Italy for an hour and am dining in Nonna's kitchen. Some other reviewers complained about the hostess/manager, but we have always had a pleasant experience with her. After our 2nd time there, she knew our names and greets us by name each time we go. How often do you get that in Manhattan?!! A couple of times we have arrived without our complete party and she told us we would have to wait to be seated, but understandably so. The restaurant is always busy, and if you've ever worked in the food industry you know how frustrating it can be for a party to take up an open table while waiting for friends to arrive. \r \r We have recently moved to Chicago, and have yet to find an Italian restaurant that compares with Il Corallo. Dinner at Il Corallo is a part of our every visit back to New York and we recommend it to anyone looking for great Italian in the city. Pros: Food, Prices, Atmosphere Cons: Tight seating more

I have been to this place several times and would say the foods good and price is right. However, the service and attitude are lousy. The hostess is a total witch. We ordered couple bottles of wine and chill for a bit. The hostess came to our table and told us to leave. She sarcastically said the place is a restaurant and not a bar or cafe. Pros: Food Cons: Hostess, Hostess, Hostess more

this place has totally delicious food, good wine, all at totally reasonable prices--but i would NEVER send anyone else here unless i knew the hostess would be off that night (fyi, i've been here a number of times and she has, unfortunately, always been there). on an empty tuesday night, she made my mother and i stand by the bathroom (or, she offered, outside in the freezing cold) while we waited for the third in our party to arrive. (and no, they do not take reservations). this woman has some serious social malfunction; she is nasty, petty, and totally disagreeable, but she is the only major negative if you're looking for good, inexpensive food downtown. Pros: food, cost Cons: HOSTESS more

From the minute we walk through the door, we were accosted by a hostess that refused to seat us in the empty restauraunt (we had a part of 5 with one person running late). When we told her we wanted to order food, and get a glass a wine, she told us there were many bars and we should do that.... NICE... Finally, we asked for a table away from the drafty door, but we were seated right next to the door. The food was ok, but then the bill came. Our great hostess blindly added tip to our bill--- She said it was policy for parties over 5... I asked.. she conceded it wasn't written anywhere. She removed the gratuity, We left... As we were leaving, she had the nerve to make snide comments that tourists should make resevations or go elsewhere... Worst Hostess Ever! Pros: ok food Cons: bad service, poor hostess more

This is one of the worst places I have ever been to. I usually do not bother to write reviews, but the management (particularly one woman) at this restaurant was so nasty that it is worth my time to post a negative review. There are so many good, affordable italian restaurants in the city that you should not waste your time with this one - it's not worth it. more