(212) 228-3703

192 E 2ND St (Between Avenue A and Avenue B)
New York, NY 10009 40.7224 -73.9839

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Neighborhoods: Alphabet City, East Village, Downtown

ilbagattonyc.com/

Hours:

Tue-Sat 5:30pm-11pm

Fri-Sat 5:30pm-12:30pm

Sun 5pm-10:45pm

Price:

$$

Last updated 7.19.10

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express

Restaurant Special Features:

Local Favorite, Romantic Dining, Group Dining, Food Delivery

Cuisine:

Italian

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Il Bagatto

Featured Review

Justine Goodman

Contributor

Rustic Italian fare in a decidedly laid-back, East Village setting? What could be better. This neighborhood standby opened in 1995, and boasts a subterranean bar and separate dining area that is darker and quieter than its ground floor counterpart, which features open front windows and several street-facing tables during warmer months. But both levels appeal to cooing couples, thanks to an atmosphere that's romantic without feeling overly cheesy or intimate. Go on a first date or with family and friends, but make a reservation, because solid Italian food at fair prices makes for consistent…

Editor's Tips

Fun Fact:
If you're in the mood for a lighter meal or just a glass of wine, check out the place next door--Il Posto Accanto--which is run by the same owners.
The Extras:
Il Bagatto delivers between 14th Street and Canal Street, from Avenue D to Mercer Street, and delivery is available seven days a week, 11:30am to 11pm (even though the restaurant's hours vary).
Look Good:
On the weekends (and most Thursday nights), a DJ and a crowd of well-heeled singles transform the lower level into more of a bar scene.
Know Before You Go:
The restaurant accepts cash and American Express only. There is an ATM downstairs.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. “The gracious proprietors spend 24/7 hunting down the best ingredients and coming up with the best home-cooked Roman dishes and on creating a warm, chilled out atmosphere.”
  2. “The ambience of the restaurant was informal yet welcoming, a good spot for a first date or meal on your own, there are celebrity sightings, wont say who but they come in often it seems.”
  3. “the waitstaff was Very attentive, the music was fun and the bartender kept us entertained while we waited for our table.”
  4. “Nice ambience, average food”
  5. “Restauranteurs should note Il Bagatto's success though -- this place is always packed because their prices are reasonable and the ambience is good.”
drinks
100.0% positive
  1. “You can get great wine advice and the the tastiest bottles for a good price at the restaurant.”
  2. “Get a nice bottle of vino at the bar, then take it to the table.”
  3. “My wine selection options were very good and from a variety of Italian regions.”
  4. “They have a great DJ at the downstairs bar, we had a drink before seating and it was a good way to start a meal.”
  5. “The host was jovial, accommodating and offered his best suggestions for our wine, which was on point and complimentary to our food.”
  6. “The staff is excellent, and the owner's brother imports all the wines from Italy - one of the best Italian wine lists in NY.”
  7. “Since then we have been returning regularly and the food, service, wine is always fantastic.”
  8. “Nice wine list.”
food quality
78.82999897003174% positive
  1. “This place is unique for the rudeness of its staff, the terrible food and so much more.”
  2. “On the whole, the food was inedible, the menu inexcusable, the manager/owner, the worst in New York.”
  3. “to me that usually equals a great restaurant with amazing food.”
  4. “Since then we have been returning regularly and the food, service, wine is always fantastic.”
  5. “Nice ambience, average food”
  6. “didn't complain because it wasn't touching and the food tasted really good an I didn't want to wait for another meal).”
  7. “On the one hand, the food is great and it is not TOO pricey for New York.”
  8. “The gracious proprietors spend 24/7 hunting down the best ingredients and coming up with the best home-cooked Roman dishes and on creating a warm, chilled out atmosphere.”
  9. “re up for abysmal service, interminable waits, and mediocre food ?”
  10. “have never had a bad meal here.”
  11. “It's a pleasant place to eat, I just don't happen to think the food is that great.”
  12. “Great food: Amazing CodFish dish, special lemon pasta, and very good sea-food risotto.”
  13. “The food IS amazing and they have great prices but the owner is rude.”
  14. “Homey restaurants, be it BBQ, soul, or real authentic Italian (not noodles and ketchup most Americans eat) are down to earth and you should bear that in mind.”
  15. “The host was jovial, accommodating and offered his best suggestions for our wine, which was on point and complimentary to our food.”
  16. “We were seated quickly and the waiter/food was very good.”
  17. “or like at Il bagatto you have to order all your food at once.”
  18. “The ambience of the restaurant was informal yet welcoming, a good spot for a first date or meal on your own, there are celebrity sightings, wont say who but they come in often it seems.”
  19. “After an inexplicably poor antipasto that contained neither meat nor cheese, my girlfriend was given a 3-hour-old $19 plate of tomato and cheese pasta which was mush to a chef-boyardee extent.”
  20. “Overall and as always a great meal, bargain and experience.”
  21. “the food was awful and they cannot even make a decent ragout.”
  22. “good food, AWFUL management”
  23. “The appetizer special we ordered was a mozzarella ball that had fresh ricotta inside of it -AMAZING.”
  24. “Management can be terriable food is good though”
  25. “They have a great DJ at the downstairs bar, we had a drink before seating and it was a good way to start a meal.”
  26. “ate there once and the food was amazing and the staff was helpful.”
  27. “The food was tasteless and cold.”
  28. “live near this restaurant and while not mystified at its popularity (it offers decent food at reasonable prices), I am not a huge fan myself.”
  29. “Great food been here a dozen times or more.”
  30. “would recommend this to anyone who loves Italian food!”
  31. “If you are of a good natured, mellow demeanor and love great Italian food, this is the place for you.”
  32. “Really good food.”
  33. “So, a piquant combination of really poor food made with second rate ingredients, unpleasant wait staff and really nasty owner-proprieter, what more could you want for a very bad experience?”
  34. “Everything is fresh and tasty.”
  35. “Great table service (only draw back was there was a hair on my plate near my food.”
  36. “For example, if you can't get good tomatoes, you really should not sell insalata caprese (mozzarella & tomato salad).”
  37. “The food is awesome.”
  38. “Excellent seafood too btw.”
  39. “had an amazing Frise salad with Spinach, Assagio cheese and pancetta, simple but terrific.”
  40. “was invited to a bday party here years ago the food was great, then I stopped eating here until one night I was headed to another restaurant nearby that had closed luckily I remembered il bagatto.”
menu variety
80.0% positive
  1. “We spoke to the manger to see if he could help with the extensive wait and his response was, ?”
  2. “My wine selection options were very good and from a variety of Italian regions.”
  3. “deceptively small menu which promises quality but the extensive specials (of course unpriced) rattled off by rushed and solely profit driven wait staff are the key profit driver for these people.”
  4. “would recommend this place over many simply because it is reliably good and the Specials Menu is so diverse and often times offering too many delicous options.”
  5. “On the whole, the food was inedible, the menu inexcusable, the manager/owner, the worst in New York.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “You can get great wine advice and the the tastiest bottles for a good price at the restaurant.”
  2. “If you are of a good natured, mellow demeanor and love great Italian food, this is the place for you.”
  3. “Il Bagatto is by far my favorite Italian restaurant in NYC.”
  4. “had a party of five and looked for a nice place to go to since we had visitors from out of town.”
  5. “to me that usually equals a great restaurant with amazing food.”
service
62.45999813079834% positive
  1. “Great table service (only draw back was there was a hair on my plate near my food.”
  2. “This place is unique for the rudeness of its staff, the terrible food and so much more.”
  3. “honestly believe that those who had a horrible experience here are very "special" people.”
  4. “the waitstaff was Very attentive, the music was fun and the bartender kept us entertained while we waited for our table.”
  5. “The hostess was pleasant.”
  6. “deceptively small menu which promises quality but the extensive specials (of course unpriced) rattled off by rushed and solely profit driven wait staff are the key profit driver for these people.”
  7. “realize we were signing up for a friendly game of chess rather than a nice dinner.”
  8. “staff/owner/manager. The owner/manager has zero tolerance for those who exalt an attitude of entitlement.”
  9. “The service was not over the top yet attentive.”
  10. “re up for abysmal service, interminable waits, and mediocre food ?”
  11. “So, a piquant combination of really poor food made with second rate ingredients, unpleasant wait staff and really nasty owner-proprieter, what more could you want for a very bad experience?”
  12. “Wait staff and proprieter were uniformly unpleasant.”
  13. “The food IS amazing and they have great prices but the owner is rude.”
  14. “The staff is excellent, and the owner's brother imports all the wines from Italy - one of the best Italian wine lists in NY.”
  15. “Since then we have been returning regularly and the food, service, wine is always fantastic.”
  16. “The waiter was amazing.”
  17. “We were seated quickly and the waiter/food was very good.”
  18. “His outright rude demeanor and abrasive attitude did little to make us feel welcome, especially given that a large party would bring in a considerable amount of business.”
  19. “The family nature of the staff is totally endearing and the owner takes GREAT care with his guests- especially peeps that have been coming there for a long time.”
  20. “ate there once and the food was amazing and the staff was helpful.”
  21. “oh, this one of those places also where the waiters/servers are terrible and if you want something- ask the "busboys”
  22. “sat staring at him with my jaw dropped-in all my years of fine dining never have I been yelled at like this-especially after all the terrible service we encountered throughout the night.”
  23. “On the whole, the food was inedible, the menu inexcusable, the manager/owner, the worst in New York.”
value
85.41999816894531% positive
  1. “Oh and it's not too pricey which is great.”
  2. “As for the last unfavorable posts I would not accept the notion that it is a bad restaurant, maybe it was busy, the best restaurants are always busy and if you are not accustomed to NY dining you will have a tough go at it here or anywhere else thats wort”
  3. “The food IS amazing and they have great prices but the owner is rude.”
  4. “You can get great wine advice and the the tastiest bottles for a good price at the restaurant.”
  5. “Restauranteurs should note Il Bagatto's success though -- this place is always packed because their prices are reasonable and the ambience is good.”
  6. “birthday; the restaurant selectively chosen for its reasonable prices and ease of seating a big group.”
  7. “On the one hand, the food is great and it is not TOO pricey for New York.”
  8. “live near this restaurant and while not mystified at its popularity (it offers decent food at reasonable prices), I am not a huge fan myself.”
wait time
100.0% positive
  1. “The family nature of the staff is totally endearing and the owner takes GREAT care with his guests- especially peeps that have been coming there for a long time.”
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

09/22/10

BEST Italian in the city

by tom m at Citysearch

I can't believe anyone would rate this place anything lower than 4. I've never had a rude experience with any of the staff and the owner (at I believe he is the owner, he is usually there) is extremely humble and appreciative of your business.

I've lived in Manhattan for over 5 years and it's the best Italian place I've found. You simply can't beat it. Via Della Pace is also a good Italian restaurant in the East Village that comes close (real close) but Supper? Supper??? I saw in another review? What is that reviewer smoking?

Complaints about bland or tasteless? You're NUTS. Completely burnt off your tastebuds.

No, trust me. This is the best place to go. You really won't easily find Italian food this good anywhere else, except Italy of course.

I eat at a ton of places and absolutely love food. Maybe people who think it's lacking are just too used to Olive Garden. They've been brainwashed....But yea, if you like Olive Garden, then maybe I can understand the harsh reviews.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

05/08/10

Best Trattoria in NYC

by maxinnyc at Citysearch

Fantastic italian food, a convivial and romantic atmosphere, a top-grade wine list, all at reasonable prices, il Bagatto is a truly magical little place. Its vibe defies simple description: perfect for a first date, iIt can be funky fun or super-romantic (I understand they've had several engagements take place there, and even a wedding!) And then there's the food... This is Italian-Italian, not Italian-American food, with a focus on Roman. The gnocchi ragu is excellent (the meat is hand cut), and the saltimboca is superb. Unlike many restaurants, the specials here really are special. The basic menu is limited, though excellent. Every night there are three new appetizers, pastas and entree specials. The portions are hearty and the food is sublime. And the wine list is Italian and has allocations that are impossible to find in most restaurants in Italy. They own the wine bar next door and you can order from that list as well. The only caveat is that on Fridays and Saturdays the place can be a bit of a zoo - Go Sunday, and order the lasagna. I can't recommend this place strongly enough.

  • Pros: unbelievable food, great atmosphere
  • Cons: waits on Friday and Saturday nights
1 Star Rating: Poor

04/03/10

Worst Service I Ever Experienced

by DPatrick at Citysearch

Rude owners and employees. Horrible experience.'If I could give them zero stars, I would.

I had a party of five and looked for a nice place to go to since we had visitors from out of town.

Unfortunately, since it is Goof Friday, many restaurants were booked. I came across this restaurant, read the reviews, which warned me of BAD SERVICE, but chose to give this restaurant a chance.

As I called the same day to ask to push the reservation by half an hour, I got a RUDE reply. Although I asked to keep the same table, and promised we will leave in time for the next table to get their sits, the employees over the phone seemed to rather let a customer beg than try to help them.

As we waited inside the restaurant for the rest of our party to come, half an hour after the time of our reservation the hostess came to ask us if our party is on its way. We said they should be here in a matter of a couple of minutes and she agreed to continue to reserve us the table.

Five minutes later as all of the party arrives. The owner then says we can no longer have our table, although we saw it was empty. We said that although our party was late, we did get a promise from the hostess five minutes ago to reserve our table. This guy, who looked very high on drugs or something, refused to acknowledge the hostess' word to us and refused to sit us.

Of course WE LEFT then and there.

DON'T TAKE A CHANCE - DON'T GO TO IL BAGATTO

*********************************************************

We walked a minute or two ON THE SAME BLOCK and found an AMAZING RESTAURANT called

SUPPER RESTAURANT

156 East 2nd Street

between Avenue A & B

New York, NY 10009

212.477.7600

This is a GREAT place. Great food: Amazing CodFish dish, special lemon pasta, and very good sea-food risotto. The waiter was amazing. The hostess was pleasant. The employees seemed to want to please the costumers. GO TO SUPPER RESTAURANT.

  • Pros: Go to SUPPER RESTAURANT instead: 156 East 2nd Street
  • Cons: Seems all the employees work hard to be make this experience
4 Star Rating: Recommended

02/10/10

Great food been here a dozen times or more.

by Jhickey at Citysearch

The food is awesome. My girlfriend loves this place. I was invited to a bday party here years ago the food was great, then I stopped eating here until one night I was headed to another restaurant nearby that had closed luckily I remembered il bagatto. Since then we have been returning regularly and the food, service, wine is always fantastic.

  • Pros: Service is AAA, all the servers have a great atttitude
  • Cons: Closed mondays. Waiting for table if you have no reservation
1 Star Rating: Poor

12/22/09

Crazy Owner

by ac122 at Citysearch

This restaurant is one of the WORST restaurants I have ever been to. The food was tasteless and cold. They took 2 hours to seat us past our reservation time and they took even longer to serve us. The owner is a jerk with a real attitude and his wife is even worse. Quite frankly I don't know how they stay in business with all the quality Italian restaurants we have in Manhattan. I would give this restaurant a negative 1 star if I could. Il Bagatto is not worth your money or your evening!

  • Cons: Mental Owners, bad food, rude staff

The Details on Il Bagatto

Place Categories:

  • great average food
  • great experience
  • great place
  • mediocre food
  • great everything
  • favorite italian restaurant
  • bad abrasive attitude
  • great italian food
  • always full small restaurant
  • terrible service
  • great table service
  • authentic rustic italian
  • helpful staff
  • awful management
  • never bad meal
  • flat water
  • rude demeanor
  • amazing specials
  • good date spot
  • nice wine
  • unpleasant wait staff
  • terrific grilled branzino
  • reasonable prices
  • nice ambience
  • beautiful homemade