Il Bagatto

11/09/09

A trap for the unwary

by Rupert Bear at Citysearch

This has to be one of the worst restaurant experiences anywhere, let alone in NYC. A 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. The aim is turnover and large tips so you will be rushed in if a table is available, your wine will be poured incessantly to get you through the meal, then you will be treated in a threatening manner if the tip is not adjudged sufficient. The owner admits he does not pay his staff and they depend almost entirely on tips. the food was awful and they cannot even make a decent ragout. The green salad was tired and bruised. Wait staff and proprieter were uniformly unpleasant. 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? There is one more thing: over charging for the awful experience.

Some readers may be familiar with the British TV program Fawlty Towers, this is the restuarant equivalent - but without the charm and with the threat. AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS.

• Pros: None - it deserves minus stars!
• Cons: it is indeed a con

03/11/09

Great Service

by kateimurray at Citysearch

Really good food. Nice wine list. Great table service (only draw back was there was a hair on my plate near my food... didn't complain because it wasn't touching and the food tasted really good an I didn't want to wait for another meal). Great place for a intimate date. Just don't dress too casual (made the mistake of wearing a hoodie).

• Pros: great setting and table service
• Cons: a bit pricey

02/14/09

Never been treated worse in a Manhattan establishment.

by keanbmcd at Citysearch

First of all - whoever disagreed with the bad reviews clearly has not had the "true" Il Bagatto experience. My Girlfriend and I came for V-day after 2 good experiences in recent years. Menu was drastically different and over-priced. 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. When sent back, we were accosted by the manager, who not only told us the pasta was fine, that his wife was from Rome so it couldn?t be bad, and that I was a p*ssy for not telling my girlfriend who was ?wrong? to shut up with her complaints. He then kicked us out. On the way out, he tried to physically fight me. On the whole, the food was inedible, the menu inexcusable, the manager/owner, the worst in New York. As a non-confrontational person, I was glad to see that the last 5 reviews are almost identical to this one. This restaurant should be avoided at all costs.

• Cons: Tried to eat here