Sant Ambroeus

03/03/11

Great food, but snooty service

by jmrichards at Citysearch

We made reservations at the upper east side location for an early dinner and were seated promptly, but had to wait for a very long time for menus, both at the beginning of the meal and at dessert. And we were one of only a few tables, with lots of staff mulling about.

The food was very good- I had the seafood risotto and my friends had the spaghetti with eggplant and the chicken with prosciutto.

My friends and I thought that we were being looked down upon and overall ignored, which is too bad, since one of my friends is a food writer, and my boyfriend and I love to try new restaurants. Sadly, this one is not one we will go back to.

12/28/09

Quiet Breakfast in the West Village

by BeHappyNYC at Citysearch

We started off with a cappuccino, latte, and hot chocolate. The latte was perfection and the presentation of the cappuccino was so beautiful!

I ordered the Le Foccaccine with smoked salmon. I didn't know quite what to expect but was pleasantly surprised when a croissant arrived! The croissant was cold and I think next time, I would ask them to lightly toast it in order to bring out the buttery richness in the flakey crust.

My husband ordered the pancakes. His dish came out looking like a piece of art! The pancake was moist and the full of flavor, the blueberry compote was perfect and the sugar coated fruit on the plate added to the lightness of the dish. It didn't seem like a heavy, IHOP style pancake dish. It was light, sophisticated, and meant to be savored.

We really had a lovely breakfast and the service was normal, nothing stood out.

• Pros: excellent cappuccinos & lattes!

03/29/09

Upper East Side Pretension Meets West Village Crowd

by JKWestVillage at Citysearch

The mains are great on their own, but just go and share a few (3 or 4) of the small sandwiches and cap it off with espresso and cookies. Or just go for the espresso and cookies during their daily Afternoon Tea hours. Yes, they have Afternoon Tea. One of my favorite spots in the city of New York.

• Pros: Afternoon Tea
• Cons: What are the drawbacks?

01/31/08

Like Being Back in Milan

by dpezza02 at Citysearch

St. Ambroeus is by far my most favorite spot for brunch and outdoor dining in New York City. The adorable staff serve authentic Northern Italian dishes, exquisitely prepared and presented. In addition, the international crowd gives one a great opportunity to eavesdrop and brush-up on his foreign language skills.

07/22/07

Once is (more than) enough

by sumptiousny at Citysearch

Ate here last Saturday night as a second choice destination primarily for the outdoor seating, also my friend loved the dessert and wine on a previous occasion. Unfortunately, we were both severely disappointed at the okay food for fantastical prices. We had the Pasta with Rabbit Ragout and Veal dish, the veal was alright but the ragout was rather dry and uninspiring; still, at those prices one expects more. I'd skip this restaurant and try somewhere else. It won't be difficult to find something tastier without walking too much further.

Note: I'm giving it an "average" as the food wasn't completely tasteless and service was fine, but, in terms of price vs food - I'd give it a hearty "below average".

• Pros: Street location
• Cons: Prices, average food