(212) 734-7407

1260 2nd Ave
New York, NY 10021 40.7651 -73.961

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Neighborhoods: Upper East Side, Midtown, Lenox Hill

Hours:

Daily 11:30pm-12am

Last updated 9.11.08

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express , Visa , MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Romantic Dining

Cuisine:

Italian

What People Are Saying About Mediterraneo

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

In Short – This come-as-you-are, cozy Italian restaurant does brisk business serving focaccia, pastas like penne with pesto and brick-oven pizzas topped with the likes of shrimp, capers and fresh tomato. The large dining room is frequently crowded with groups who have just caught a flick at the movie theater across the street. Sidewalk tables go quickly on warm nights.

ambiance
80.0% positive
  1. “The atmosphere was decent but when I got the glass of wine I ordered it was terrible!”
  2. “Mediterraneo was a great restaurant when it first opened back in the early '90s -- great food, friendly ambiance, efficient service.”
  3. “Fresh, delicious, cozy atmosphere, great crowd”
  4. “The ambience of this place is not that great either: it is basically a bar trying to be an upscale restaurant and it is not working.”
  5. “The servers have consistently been friendly and personable, while the ambience of the restaurant is very characteristic of an integration of mediterranean and upper east side cultures!”
drinks
57.14000225067139% positive
  1. “The wine my wife ordered was simply terrible.”
  2. “overpriced with terrible wine”
  3. “Very nice wine list.”
  4. “Great outdoor seating and wine list.”
  5. “The atmosphere was decent but when I got the glass of wine I ordered it was terrible!”
  6. “The ambience of this place is not that great either: it is basically a bar trying to be an upscale restaurant and it is not working.”
  7. “The food is really good, they have a nice wine list, the crowd is lively, and they have great outdoor seating.”
food quality
71.71999931335449% positive
  1. “What makes me love this place, is the food.”
  2. “love this place for the terrific pizza and the simple & tasy tomato sauce.”
  3. “Mediterraneo was a great restaurant when it first opened back in the early '90s -- great food, friendly ambiance, efficient service.”
  4. “The warm calamari salad was excellent!”
  5. “The delicious and well-executed Italian dishes are served piping hot and fresh.”
  6. “The salad didn't have any dressing (they set out oil and vinegar on the table for us to dress it ourselves) and was nothing special, it was just a couple lettuce leaves with 3 pieces of tomato and 2 pieces of cold goat chesse.”
  7. “Delicious, authentic Italian food”
  8. “Yes the food is now salty and not as fresh the management is not friendly, I miss the old management.”
  9. “food is great!”
  10. “Fresh, delicious, cozy atmosphere, great crowd”
  11. “they have an amazing thin crust pizza.”
  12. “It's way too crowded and loud and the food is very overpriced for the”
  13. “Thier salads are fresh, delicious and they offer a variety.”
  14. “The food is really good, they have a nice wine list, the crowd is lively, and they have great outdoor seating.”
  15. “And for those ladies who could care less about cuisine and more about eye candy, the waiters at Med are perhaps the best looking on the UES.”
  16. “wouldn't recommend this place if you want great food and even decent service!”
  17. “Of course, this was after I questioned the fact that the minute we had paid the bill they laid the table with fresh silverware and napkins right in front of us, never once asking us first if we'd mind leaving (and there was no line).”
  18. “Lots of choices, everything was fresh, service was excellent.”
  19. “It is overpriced, the service is bad and the quality of the food is terrible.”
  20. “hear this place has good pizza but I have yet to try it.”
  21. “The pizza's were $15 each and it was the worst pizza I have ever had and that includes frozen pizza!”
  22. “This is a cheesy restaurant with bad food - and terrible rude service.”
  23. “The cheese on the pizza was not bad, but the pizza kept breaking and crumbling and I was left with a plate full of crust.”
  24. “Would you like some pasta with that oil?”
  25. “The carpaccio is excellent, simple and fresh.”
  26. “There is always a wait, the employees are rude, and the food is not anything special.”
  27. “great pizza!”
  28. “Since the change in management the food is not as good and the service is worse.”
  29. “The food is great - but expect to be treated like a criminal, if they even bother serving you at all.”
  30. “The thin crust pizza is, by far, the best and not heavy.”
  31. “The staff wasn't very attentive, except when they were bringing the food out.”
  32. “The restaurant serves wonderfully fresh pasta dishes and pizza, prepared to perfection.”
  33. “My favorite pasta dish "Taglione al Granchio," includes fresh lump crab meat and is deelish!”
menu variety
66.66999816894531% positive
  1. “Also, there is a $20 minimum per person which is ridiculous and everything on the menu is extremely overpriced.”
  2. “Thier salads are fresh, delicious and they offer a variety.”
  3. “Lots of choices, everything was fresh, service was excellent.”
overall
75.0% positive
  1. “After reading the reviews, I thought what a great place, and then afterwards I realized this is why I never eat on the upper east side!”
  2. “Mediterraneo was a great restaurant when it first opened back in the early '90s -- great food, friendly ambiance, efficient service.”
  3. “If you live in the neighborhood, it's a great place to go for dinner and the price is right (not to mention the hot hot hot waiters.”
  4. “The ambience of this place is not that great either: it is basically a bar trying to be an upscale restaurant and it is not working.”
service
54.43999767303467% positive
  1. “Since the change in management the food is not as good and the service is worse.”
  2. “Its the UES - it should be a friendly neighborhood restaurant.”
  3. “We absolutely loved our bartender Rachel, SHE TOTALLY ROCKS!”
  4. “Yes the food is now salty and not as fresh the management is not friendly, I miss the old management.”
  5. “If you live in the neighborhood, it's a great place to go for dinner and the price is right (not to mention the hot hot hot waiters.”
  6. “The servers have consistently been friendly and personable, while the ambience of the restaurant is very characteristic of an integration of mediterranean and upper east side cultures!”
  7. “The staff wasn't very attentive, except when they were bringing the food out.”
  8. “This is a cheesy restaurant with bad food - and terrible rude service.”
  9. “wouldn't recommend this place if you want great food and even decent service!”
  10. “They say first impressions count, and from the minute I walked into this place to the minute I left, the staff here was incredibly rude.”
  11. “It is overpriced, the service is bad and the quality of the food is terrible.”
  12. “Lots of choices, everything was fresh, service was excellent.”
  13. “And for those ladies who could care less about cuisine and more about eye candy, the waiters at Med are perhaps the best looking on the UES.”
  14. “Mediterraneo was a great restaurant when it first opened back in the early '90s -- great food, friendly ambiance, efficient service.”
  15. “There is always a wait, the employees are rude, and the food is not anything special.”
value
16.670000553131104% positive
  1. “overpriced with terrible wine”
  2. “It is overpriced, the service is bad and the quality of the food is terrible.”
  3. “It's way too crowded and loud and the food is very overpriced for the”
  4. “Way overpriced.”
  5. “Also, there is a $20 minimum per person which is ridiculous and everything on the menu is extremely overpriced.”
  6. “If you live in the neighborhood, it's a great place to go for dinner and the price is right (not to mention the hot hot hot waiters.”
wait time
50.0% positive
  1. “Of course, this was after I questioned the fact that the minute we had paid the bill they laid the table with fresh silverware and napkins right in front of us, never once asking us first if we'd mind leaving (and there was no line).”
  2. “They say first impressions count, and from the minute I walked into this place to the minute I left, the staff here was incredibly rude.”
1 Star Rating: Poor

11/14/11

worst experience ever !!

by lorna19 at Citysearch

i have went there to dine with my family ... the service is really bad ...the waiter was rude ... i hoped the food was gonna be better but it was really bad and over priced ... so if you are seeking somewhere to spend a good evening with your family this is definitely not the place to go. they really lack decency ... we all work hard for our money so we better pay it where it's deserved and appreciated. i really do hope they read these reviews

4 Star Rating: Recommended

02/27/10

Good neighborhood restaurant

by hkorn at Citysearch

I have eaten here about 5 times and have been happy with the food every time. I especially like the fusilli with vegetables. The lunch prices seem to be the same as the dinner prices, making the lunch a bit overpriced in my opinion, but it's the right price for dinner. It's always busy but not too crowded, so it's got a good vibe. Good for all ages - there seem to be a lot of people in their 30's but also a good number in their 50's and 60's.

  • Pros: Good food, good atmosphere
1 Star Rating: Poor

09/29/09

Rudest Wait Staff in NYC

by linda113 at Citysearch

The people that work here should not be in the service industry, period. If they think they are too good for it, they should quit and not ruin people's dining experiences. They all have a chip on their shoulder . we ordered a salad and it came with no dressing. when we asked as to why there was no dressing, instead of an answer we got a glare which eventually turning into a one sided screaming match (by the waiter AND his manager!) where we were asked to leave!!!! you work hard for your money, don't waste it here. plenty of other places to go.

  • Pros: location
  • Cons: Service, Food
1 Star Rating: Poor

03/01/09

WORST SERVICE EVER!!!!

by lrl123 at Citysearch

This was my first time visiting NYC and along with friends we decided to try this place out. It is a cute little place but the food wasn't anything to be excited over. Way overpriced. But the biggest upset was the service. We waited 10 minutes before anyone acknowledged us and then when we complained to the manager about the waiter he told us to "go ahead and leave him zero tip." The busboy seemed to be more helpful than the waitstaff and management. I wouldn't recommend this place if you want great food and even decent service!

  • Cons: Service is horrible!
2 Star Rating: Below Average

11/23/08

overpriced with terrible wine

by foodie2288 at Citysearch

I ate here and it was simply terrible. The atmosphere was decent but when I got the glass of wine I ordered it was terrible! It as barely even drinkable and felt thick and almost syrupy. The salad didn't have any dressing (they set out oil and vinegar on the table for us to dress it ourselves) and was nothing special, it was just a couple lettuce leaves with 3 pieces of tomato and 2 pieces of cold goat chesse...very disappointing. Before the pizza I ordered, I decided to switch up my wine choice and try a different kind and when I got it, it was terrible too! The pizza was ultimate thin crust but not in a good way. I couldn't even pick up a slice because it was so thin and the crust basically crumbled in my hand. The creme brulee for dessert was by far the highlight of my meal. Also, there is a $20 minimum per person which is ridiculous and everything on the menu is extremely overpriced. I would never go there again, it's a waste of money and I don't want to have to try every wine on the list to find a good one.

  • Pros: Good dessert
  • Cons: AWFUL wine, terrible food

The Details on Mediterraneo

Place Categories:

  • not heavy thin crust pizza
  • great place
  • great italian food
  • best restaurants
  • very nice wine
  • overpriced rude service
  • simple carpaccio
  • not as good food
  • delicious thier salads
  • overpriced quality
  • delicious italian dishes
  • favorite pasta dish
  • great outdoor seating
  • personable servers
  • delicious great crowd
  • decent service
  • warm atmosphere
  • not very attentive staff
  • fresh management
  • good neighborhood restaurant
  • warm calamari salad
  • enjoyed moscato immensely
  • overpriced way
  • absolutely loved totally rocks
  • good lunch spot