Da Umberto's Restaurant
(212) 989-0303
107 W 17th St
New York,
NY
10011
40.7395
-73.9956
Neighborhoods: Midtown, Flatiron District
What People Are Saying About Da Umberto's Restaurant
The Editor
Contributor
Citysearch
The Scene
Da Umberto, with its bold fire engine-red exterior, is one of the most boisterous, male-dominated restaurants in downtown New York. Decor, unfortunately, is a weak point--there's an exposed air-conditioning duct and press-board ceiling offset by marble floors. Italian conversation fills the room, and waiters will occasionally speak it exclusively to guests.
The Food
Simple preparations, using only fresh ingredients, are the hallmarks of owner Umberto Assante's philosophy. Winners include lush portobello mushrooms served with hard polenta in rosemary-infused wine sauce, and gnocchi with rich veal ragu. Roast meats also make a good showing, particularly the giant veal chop in a pool of cognac sauce with chanterelle mushrooms and roast potatoes. An eye-popping array of sweets is shown off on a dessert cart at meal's end.
User Reviews
byron2057
June 15, 2008
A young lady friend and I happened to visit Da Umberto by chance after taking in one of those huge conglomerated Chelsea art shows, and we were absolutely impressed by this restaurant. The wait-staff is good-humored and helpful, when not downright cheerful! No problem getting seated without a reservation (it was about 8 p.m. on a Friday, and the crowd was moderate), and the service was instantaneous. We ordered exclusively from the specials menu - I had an excellent tomato-puree soup and ordered the Sea Bass Livornese, which was incredible. My Pinot Grigio was excellent and appropriate. My friend had a terrific Caesar Salad and the Roast Suckling Pig special, which I sampled - out of this world. The dessert cart came and although we were slightly on the full side, we ordered the Tirimisu and the Napoleon, both with fresh berries. In the end, we had enough quantity of food that my friend was able to take home a small pacakage to enjoy later. The size of the check was appropriate to the quality of the food and service, and the pleasant romantic atmosphere encouraged us to stay seated and happy for nearly three hours. I will be back again and again to this lovely little restaurant.
read full review
myla35
December 30, 2006
My fiancee and I like to eat small plates at the bar rather than eat at a table. We walked into Da Umberto and saw the cute 6 seat bar at the front of the dining room. The bartender was welcoming and had a great personality even after having worked straight through the holidays. I tried the pasta with white truffles and was pleasantly surprised by a very generous shaving of truffles and it was delicious. We had a lovely evening and will most certainly be returning.
read full review
lutece
December 28, 2006
Our friends took us here , and someone else told us it's her favorite nyc restaurant. Boy, were we ever disappointed. How do you define superb? To me, superb would be something one should get if spending close to 100 dollars per person for dinner with no wine , just one cocktail Superb,should be every course excellent. The mixed grilled and marinated vegetable antipasto was nicely presented along with a shrimp, some fresh porcini mushrooms, and polenta. This was good, but not the greatest I ever had, far from it. Superb, NO WAY. The pan fried chicken with tomatoes and basil with a balsamic syrup, lacked the syrup, but was the best dish of the night. Superb, NO WAY. The homemade pasta would have been good if it didn't have a heavy, salty, pasty tomatoe sauce on it. Superb, fuggetaboutit.. My hub's veal dish was covered in this heavy, salty tomatoe sauce. He felt ill and stuffed after eating 2 bites. The manager came over and said hows the food but didn't wait for an answer. The 24 hour marinated cornish hen, we were warned was spicy, but never did I expect it to taste like 'jerc jamaican CHICKEN.' Superb , eh no. The service was fine but a bit pushy. Would we go back NO.
read full reviewThe Details on Da Umberto's Restaurant
The Extras:
More top Italian.
Category:
Payment Methods:
Restaurant Special Features:
Group Dining, Special Occasion Dining, Prix Fixe Menu
