Grotta Azzurra

07/05/09

food and price okay, but keep on walking

by katielaw at Citysearch

i've lived in the neighborhood for over 20 years and while i don't frequent italian restaurants often, the times i do have been quite disappointing.

i chose grotta azzurra because their chalkboard advertised a dinner special of pasta & entree for $19.95. i ended up not choosing from this special. i ordered the trout which was pretty good, but i'm pretty sure it was frozen. i understand that it must be hard to keep fresh fish on hand every day, so they did a good job with it.

my companion ordered the rigatoni vodka and asked if it was creamy/thick since that dish tends not to be. he would have been fine ordering something else but they assured him it would be.

the pasta dish came out without any signs of thick sauce. it had flavor, but he was hoping it would be semi-covered in sauce.

we also had an uneventful appetizer and the wine pour on our glasses were minimal even for $7.

i'm still looking for that great italian restaurant in a place called 'little italy' and i guess the next time i'm flush with money, i'll try one of those places where the pasta is $20. but for our $12 rigatoni vodka, i guess i can't complain too much. won't go back here though, especially since they automatically add a 20% gratuity service to your bill.

03/13/09

A romantic Italian restuarant

by dshapusa at Citysearch

Times are tough, especially in the restaurant business. Saturday night in Little Italy and there were many empty tables. Grotta Azzurra was doing only slightly better than some other restaurants on Mulberry Street. And the reason is SERVICE.

The most frustrating thing is to try to contact your waiter when the restaurant is empty and your waiter is talking to other waiters, but not at Grotta Azzurra. Our waiter was attentive and when he didn’t know the answer, he got back to us immediately. The plates came out on time and in good order and in a romantic restaurant that is important.

The décor of Grotta Azzurra is simple and classic, dark wood and white tiles, you are immediately transported a classic Italian restaurant, large displays of famous Italian sculptures dominate the dining room.

The menu is large at Grotta Azzurra and the portions are even larger. The Calamari was tender and not greasy, the salad had plenty of Radicchio, and the Filletto di Pompadori, homemade parpadelle with tomato sauce, cheese, pancetta and onions was immense and superb.

Grilled Vegetables were nicely done and the Shrimp Oreganata was just so. Alas, the Veal in my Saltimbocca was tough; the sauce was the same as the di Pompadori and while good this is a big no, no.

The decaf cappuccino and the decaf espresso to die for. Dessert was a blueberry cake with real blueberries and ice cream, Yum!

see ditmasestates

• Pros: Good Food & Service
• Cons: sometimes crowded

11/14/08

If you want good food, this is the place to go!

by meganverde at Citysearch

I love Grotta Azzurra!! I had my birthday party there last year and have been going back for more ever since. The food is absolutely amazing. If you want good Italian food this is the place to go. The waiters are always very nice and attentive. The inside of the resturant is really big, very cozy and romantic.

• Pros: Everything
• Cons: Have not found one yet