| ambiance |
95.0% positive |
- “
Too noisy, not a choice for a romantic evening ”
- “
Works both as romantic and as a group of friends, they food is excellent and very fresh. ”
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remember eating tasty crudo in a lively location, but that just is not so anymore. ”
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It is not a cozy restaurant--not a good first date place, unless you REALLY have to try hard. ”
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The service was good, but I found a sommelier to be a bit much for the casual atmosphere of the place. ”
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Rude service, so-so food that was too complex for its own good, boring decor. ”
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Not recommended for a romantic dinner. ”
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It's an elegant, well-done Mario restaurant where the food is consistently great, and ideas such as "service" and "ambience" are so given that to ask about them is laughable. ”
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Both the food and atmosphere were so good, we soon got over it. ”
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At first we appreciated the atmosphere and what seemed at first like attentive service, though we were a little put off by the loud rock music, which seemed at odds with the atmosphere. ”
|
| dessert |
100.0% positive |
- “
recommend you stick with their wonderful fish, and skip the side dishes and dessert, which were not so exceptional. ”
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Desert (chocolate cake) was superb. ”
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The fish entrees come to life and the deserts were delicious. ”
|
| drinks |
100.0% positive |
- “
Though I didn't taste any of the crudo, all the raw bar options looked incredible. ”
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The food and wine were excellent and the staff were so attentive. ”
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Throw in an excellent Italian wine list and some delicious cocktails (the pomegranite bellini and pineapple cosmo were terrific) and you have an all-around excellent meal. ”
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friend and I went to ESCA (without reservations) and sat at the bar where we were greeted by an amiable tender named Victor who promptly presented us with a wonderful and complementary white bean bruschetta. ”
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Wine steward recommended a bottle of wine priced 50% more than the range I gave him (a very valid range because on the second try he picked a perfectly acceptabe bottle within the range). ”
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Also enjoyed the italian digestiv and Turkish press coffee. ”
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Three of the four wines were pleasent, nothing to scream about but the fourth one was rich, robust and a perfect match with the toro. ”
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Our waiter last night made terrific wine and food recommendations. ”
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Great food Great Chef Raw bar at the bar is fantastic ”
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Service very attentive, and the wine list is still outstanding and fairly priced, especially for Whites. ”
- “
Reservations are essential indoors or out but you can almost always get an early seat at the unique ice-filled raw bar where the greatest bartender dispenses volumes of knowledgable friendly chatter and perfectly matched wines as well as oysters. ”
|
| food quality |
86.56999588012695% positive |
- “
The pasta course was delicious, but we each only had 4 gnocchi. ”
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Visit Esca if you seek exceptionally fresh fare and creative pastas and side dishes served with a smile. ”
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Chef thinks burned food is good! ”
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recommend the black roasted codfish, it was the best dish of the evening. ”
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Rude service, so-so food that was too complex for its own good, boring decor. ”
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The fish entrees come to life and the deserts were delicious. ”
- “
Some places can get away with horrible service if the food is great, but at Esca, the service was thin, hurried and rude. ”
- “
The food was outstanding, and Joe was very helpful as he offered excellent suggestions and explanations of the menu. ”
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also enjoyed a pasta with crab and sea urchin wich was great too. ”
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The food was delightful as always but, in a situation where service was really going to shape the experience, the staff really came through and made this a wonderful low-key celebration. ”
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All food was excellent. ”
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have never seen so many types of shellfish in one bowl, all fresh and cooked to perfection in slightly spicy tomato broth. ”
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The waiters were attentive and happy to expound ala Molto Mario about any of the dishes. ”
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The food and service are excellent. ”
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would like to try Babbo, but I am a little reticent about dropping a ton of money on mediocre food. ”
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best fish ”
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We had a great time, good food and great company. ”
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Because that's the only way Citysearch editorial (though we KNOW you're not food critics) could make this the best seafood in Manhattan! ”
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The fish is extremely fresh & prepared to perfection. ”
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The food that Dave prepared was wonderful as usual however the service left much to be desired. ”
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Throw in an excellent Italian wine list and some delicious cocktails (the pomegranite bellini and pineapple cosmo were terrific) and you have an all-around excellent meal. ”
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Great food, everything is excellent and servings are decent sized. ”
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The food, however, is very fresh. ”
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If you're craving crudo - head to The John Dory to dine with the celeb set, eat some tasty seafood and raise your glass and have a good time. ”
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The pasta with walnut pesto & fresh sea scallops was perfectly al dente. ”
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However, I have to evaluate if the food can compensate the horrible service. ”
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It's an elegant, well-done Mario restaurant where the food is consistently great, and ideas such as "service" and "ambience" are so given that to ask about them is laughable. ”
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This is truly the best fish I have ever eaten--tender, flavorful and cooked in an elegant oil. ”
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Both the food and atmosphere were so good, we soon got over it. ”
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fantastic fish ”
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Service was good and the fish appetizer sequence (starts with a wonderful oyster) was not tbe beaten. ”
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Esca is not the best seafood the city has to offer. ”
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Simply, the service was great but the food was not up to par. ”
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The raw fish appetizers were amazing -- all of them. ”
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a. you want to share a great meal with them and, ”
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recommend you stick with their wonderful fish, and skip the side dishes and dessert, which were not so exceptional. ”
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Don't get me wrong - the service was very good, but if I notice things like empty water glasses during a meal that averages several hundred dollar per person and involves many courses, I tend to think there's room for improvement. ”
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Excellent food and service ”
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The food is always mediocre, the servers are bitter, the chefs are tired of cooking the same meals day in and day out, the hostess wants to go home so she does not want to seat you and to them you are just one filthy rich New York snob or a dumb tourist w ”
- “
Our waiter was very good and he was well versed in the menu and preparations as well as recommending some of his favorite dishes. ”
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Unique seafood & fish creations ”
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My monkfish entree was also delicious, although my friend's scallops were a bit overdone. ”
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If you don't have to wait for your table, it's a delicious experience -- although a bit pricey. ”
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This restaurant's specialty is beautiful fish in every style, including crudi (raw fish, Italian style). ”
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The food and wine were excellent and the staff were so attentive. ”
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best seafood in ny. ”
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His girlfriend had the Seafood soup which was flavorful and had a hint of heat. ”
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This restaurant is one of the best fish restaurant in manhattan. ”
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The hot food was cold and the chilled food was room temp. ”
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The grilled fish all looked nice, but lacked taste and some were overcooked. ”
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We had a dinner for two, and several courses (the tuna appetizer, the sole entree and the baccala) were slightly oversalted this time, although the quality of the fish itself was very good. ”
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The menu is filled with interesting local ingredients: instead of salmon, line caught salmon from ___ river. ”
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Does sushi become exponentially more expensive when you poor olive oil on it? ”
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San Pietro fish is wonderful! ”
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First off, I was celebrating my girlfriends' father's 60th birthday and since he loves this kind of food and knows the reputation that Mario Batali has, we wanted to make it a memorable experience. ”
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By the way, Esca in Italian means bait--Is Chef Batali suggesting what the food is good for? ”
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Maybe the chef was away in the Hamptons yesterday, but the food is just unacceptable at this point. ”
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Considering that was half my entree it really overshadowed the meal (and I left it untouched after the first bite) Service - while the servers/bussers were attentive, our waiter was hurried and the only time we interacted was when he initially dropped the ”
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remember eating tasty crudo in a lively location, but that just is not so anymore. ”
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Each dish was excellent. ”
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Great food Great Chef Raw bar at the bar is fantastic ”
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Catastrofic service great food. ”
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Exquisite fish ”
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The fish was very fresh and well-prepared but not to a degree to justify any higher prices than at many italian restaurants. ”
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Works both as romantic and as a group of friends, they food is excellent and very fresh. ”
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Our waiter last night made terrific wine and food recommendations. ”
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But I got 3 small slices of fish which was WAY overpriced. ”
|
| menu variety |
92.8600025177002% positive |
- “
The food was outstanding, and Joe was very helpful as he offered excellent suggestions and explanations of the menu. ”
- “
The menu is filled with interesting local ingredients: instead of salmon, line caught salmon from ___ river. ”
- “
Our waiter was very good and he was well versed in the menu and preparations as well as recommending some of his favorite dishes. ”
- “
Considering that was half my entree it really overshadowed the meal (and I left it untouched after the first bite) Service - while the servers/bussers were attentive, our waiter was hurried and the only time we interacted was when he initially dropped the ”
- “
She made excellent recommendations without making us feel intimidated by the menu. ”
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Though I didn't taste any of the crudo, all the raw bar options looked incredible. ”
- “
Joe was not only charming, but was a wonderful guide to the menu. ”
|
| overall |
91.66999816894531% positive |
- “
Luckily he was able to leave early one night so we decided to find a great restaurant to enjoy a wonderful night out. ”
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I've had great experiences at both Po and Babbo, so I expected good things from this place. ”
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This restaurant is one of the best fish restaurant in manhattan. ”
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We were planning a lunch for a good friend and wanted to find a place that was nice, relaxed and away from the craziness of our Times Square office building. ”
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The service was good, but I found a sommelier to be a bit much for the casual atmosphere of the place. ”
- “
It is not a cozy restaurant--not a good first date place, unless you REALLY have to try hard. ”
|
| return potential |
66.66999816894531% positive |
- “
have never written a review but Mario- I am truly dissapointed and actually quite sad that I cant go back to one of my NYC favorite restaurants. ”
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Otherwise, this was a memorable, enjoyable dining experience and I would go back without hesitation. ”
- “
went there once and vowed never to go back due to the careless and downright rude attitudes of the waitstaff. ”
|
| service |
82.2599983215332% positive |
- “
Don't get me wrong - the service was very good, but if I notice things like empty water glasses during a meal that averages several hundred dollar per person and involves many courses, I tend to think there's room for improvement. ”
- “
The food is always mediocre, the servers are bitter, the chefs are tired of cooking the same meals day in and day out, the hostess wants to go home so she does not want to seat you and to them you are just one filthy rich New York snob or a dumb tourist w ”
- “
Catastrofic service great food. ”
- “
Excellent food and service ”
- “
Reservations are essential indoors or out but you can almost always get an early seat at the unique ice-filled raw bar where the greatest bartender dispenses volumes of knowledgable friendly chatter and perfectly matched wines as well as oysters. ”
- “
We all found bones, and when we complained, the hostess was obnoxious and said well it's not perfect. ”
- “
The food and wine were excellent and the staff were so attentive. ”
- “
The service was good, but I found a sommelier to be a bit much for the casual atmosphere of the place. ”
- “
The food and service are excellent. ”
- “
Rude service, so-so food that was too complex for its own good, boring decor. ”
- “
Considering that was half my entree it really overshadowed the meal (and I left it untouched after the first bite) Service - while the servers/bussers were attentive, our waiter was hurried and the only time we interacted was when he initially dropped the ”
- “
The server was professional and the sommelier was very helpful. ”
- “
On a plus note - the service was great. ”
- “
The service was good, but not excellent; however, the waiter was initially huffy with me when my guest was only 5 minutes late, threatening to make me move! ”
- “
It's an elegant, well-done Mario restaurant where the food is consistently great, and ideas such as "service" and "ambience" are so given that to ask about them is laughable. ”
- “
Service very attentive, and the wine list is still outstanding and fairly priced, especially for Whites. ”
- “
went there once and vowed never to go back due to the careless and downright rude attitudes of the waitstaff. ”
- “
The food that Dave prepared was wonderful as usual however the service left much to be desired. ”
- “
The waiters were attentive and happy to expound ala Molto Mario about any of the dishes. ”
- “
Overall, the service was very good and not intrusive. ”
- “
The hostess in Esca is so unpleasant that it really left a bad taste in my mouth. ”
- “
At first we appreciated the atmosphere and what seemed at first like attentive service, though we were a little put off by the loud rock music, which seemed at odds with the atmosphere. ”
- “
have never been treted this poorly at any resturant the manager who took our orders was very condesending and belittled his customers his attitude and lack of professionalism might be good enough to work at DMV. ”
- “
Our waiter last night made terrific wine and food recommendations. ”
- “
The service was impeccable. ”
- “
However, I have to evaluate if the food can compensate the horrible service. ”
- “
The food was delightful as always but, in a situation where service was really going to shape the experience, the staff really came through and made this a wonderful low-key celebration. ”
- “
Our server, Joe, was outstanding. ”
- “
Simply, the service was great but the food was not up to par. ”
- “
Some places can get away with horrible service if the food is great, but at Esca, the service was thin, hurried and rude. ”
- “
Our waiter was very good and he was well versed in the menu and preparations as well as recommending some of his favorite dishes. ”
|
| value |
68.17999839782715% positive |
- “
But I got 3 small slices of fish which was WAY overpriced. ”
- “
The prices, for such high quality ingredients and cooking, are quite reasonable. ”
- “
Does sushi become exponentially more expensive when you poor olive oil on it? ”
- “
The fish was very fresh and well-prepared but not to a degree to justify any higher prices than at many italian restaurants. ”
- “
Too expensive for good, but not great fare. ”
- “
would like to try Babbo, but I am a little reticent about dropping a ton of money on mediocre food. ”
- “
It is not cheap, but a good NYC dining experience usually isn't. ”
- “
If you don't have to wait for your table, it's a delicious experience -- although a bit pricey. ”
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The group agreed, though a bit pricey a memorable experience. ”
- “
Don't get me wrong - the service was very good, but if I notice things like empty water glasses during a meal that averages several hundred dollar per person and involves many courses, I tend to think there's room for improvement. ”
- “
There are too many good italian restaurants around to waste your time and money here. ”
|
| wait time |
50.0% positive |
- “
The service was good, but not excellent; however, the waiter was initially huffy with me when my guest was only 5 minutes late, threatening to make me move! ”
|
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