Aurora Soho
(212) 334-9020
510 Broome St
(at Between Thompson Street and W Broadway)
New York,
NY
10012
40.7235
-74.0033
Neighborhoods: SoHo, Downtown
Hours:
Daily 12pm-4pm, 5pm-12am
Price:
$$$$
Parking:
Street
Last updated 4.27.09
What People Are Saying About Aurora Soho
The Editor
Justin Hartung
Citysearch
The Scene
You know the gentrification of Williamsburg has really hit its stride when the neighborhood starts exporting restaurants to Soho. This spinoff of Billyburg's beloved Italian restaurant retains the original's mix of rustic charm and industrial cool, with exposed metal piping snaking atop a room full of country chairs and chipped-paint antiques. Servers are clad in all black, the better to coax their similarly clothed, deep-pocketed patrons into an up-sell.
The Food
The prices may have been raised, but the menu works the same refined rustic Italian territory as the original. Creamy burrata slathered on fresh, crusty bread transports diners away to dawn on an Pugliese farm, porcetta offsets the gamey flavor of rabbit roulade while still letting the meat's sweetness shine through, and the mushrooms tossed with handmade ravioli taste just-picked. If entrees like mushy sole and underwhelming lamb pale in comparison, desserts like a light-as-air lemon crostata help country cred bloom again.
User Reviews
Rathan
April 01, 2009
This is a great place to go for the first time! The wine menu is legendary and the mussels were fresh. I had a great time entertaining a client here and its a great place to do business.
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slinki
December 04, 2008
Good location (although the Subway located one door west pulls focus almost entirely from aurora's low-key entrance), tasty food, appropriately "rustic" decor, and sufficiently romantic lighting have doubtless helped put aurora on the map of quality SoHo restaurants. However, many factors make this a place to neither recommend nor return to. The food is very good - there are inventive dishes here, all of them tasty. But the overall dining experience is not unique, as there are a dozen restaurants in Manhattan alone following this textbook equation, and the busy, banal trendiness of the place makes having a relaxing meal (even on a weeknight) a challenge. What detracts most from the romance and potential art of aurora is feeling simultaneously on a conveyor belt and stuck in a cattle car. The tables are too close together (The space is comparatively large; they could get rid of a table or two, especially at these prices - $25 for a cup of lobster risotto - to afford diners a slightly more pleasant experience), and the whole staff seem to hover and observe every movement of fork and glass. Our server was kind and genuine enough, but a little too attentive - At this supposed level of sophistication, one should have enough knowledge of body language to avoid interrupting intimate or lively conversations every fifteen minutes just to make sure that everything is all right. But I blame this last issue more on New York restaurant service philosophy than on the poor souls who have to follow it.
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debbienyc
July 14, 2008
I went to Aurora last friday night, second time there. The food is delicious one of the best Italian restaurants in the city. The services must improve though, I had this bad attituted server who has a poor knowledge of Italian wines, management should tell them no to lie about the wines since there are people who actually know characteristics about them. and when my food arrived I asked this guy for some red pepper and had no clue what I was talking about, so I waited for 10 minutes with my food at my table for someone who understood English and brought it for me...
read full reviewThe Details on Aurora Soho
What to Drink:
Start with a glass of affordable, crisp Prosecco Cipriano ($10), and then move on to the light, floral Rosa Rosae ($10 per glass), which pairs well with just about everything on the menu.
Where to Sit:
The tables near the front of the somewhat dim space offer better light--and a window breeze in summer.
Brunch:
The brunch menu whips up homey dishes like eggs Benedict three ways and vanilla, almond and orange French toast.
The Extras:
Get the skinny on the original Aurora.
Category:
Payment Methods:
American Express, Discover, Visa, MasterCard
Restaurant Special Features:
Lunch Spot, Business Dining, Romantic Dining, Date Spot
