Isabella's Restaurant

(212) 724-2100

359 Columbus Ave
New York, NY 10024 40.7804 -73.9764

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Neighborhoods: Upper West Side, Midtown

BRGUESTRESTAURANTS.COM

Price:

$$$$

Last updated 8.06.11

Category:

Restaurants, Certified Green Restaurant(R)

Payment Methods:

American Express, Discover, Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Brunch, People Watching, Group Dining

Cuisine:

New American, Traditional American, Mediterranean

Other Locations:

What People Are Saying About Isabella's Restaurant

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

Open for more than 20 years, this Upper West Side restaurant is known for its outdoor brunch and family-friendly atmosphere.

ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. “The cooking is great, the atmosphere lovely, and the service attentive.”
  2. “Great place, good ambiance, good food, decent service.”
  3. “Food ok and it's a nice atmosphere.”
  4. “You pay for the nice Mediterranean ambiance and decor.”
  5. “also love the location - perfect for a walk in central park after brunch.”
  6. “The decor is pretty and unfussy.”
  7. “The atmosphere is wonderful, clean and cheery.”
  8. “The ambiance is nice but there's just too many single 40-old's around.”
  9. “More importantly, the waitress was incredibly friendly and helpful and the ambience was perfect.”
  10. “Cute cozy place”
  11. “Definitely the best place for brunch because of the food, good service and warm atmosphere.”
  12. “Isabella's is a cozy, quiet restaurant.”
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. “Excellent bread with white bean spread or olive oil, great pasta and fish dishes, great desserts.”
drinks
100.0% positive
  1. “bring your good company, eat a great meal, drink a bloodymary.”
  2. “Our waitress, I think her name was Megan was very helpful and kept the drinks coming.”
  3. “Great servers, great food, wonderful drinks and great value.”
  4. “Aside from waiting 30 minutes for a seat (which was worth it), my fiance and I had the opportunity to sit outside in the cafe-style seating and enjoyed an incredible brunch special consisting of mimosas, coffee, and the most delicious eggs benedict I've e”
food quality
94.6399974822998% positive
  1. “Excellent bread with white bean spread or olive oil, great pasta and fish dishes, great desserts.”
  2. “The service was snotty and the food was completely overrated.”
  3. “Great food, service, indoor and outdoor dining options (outdoors is great for brunch) and proximity to the park.”
  4. “The brunch is great with one of the best eggs benedict in the city (.”
  5. “Goat cheese salad with walnuts is very light and a great starter.”
  6. “the crabcake sandwich was great.”
  7. “bring your good company, eat a great meal, drink a bloodymary.”
  8. “Great servers, great food, wonderful drinks and great value.”
  9. “The bread basket is really great.”
  10. “... But Beware, while the food and company is affordable be prepared to pay in exchange: your ego for a NYC style Isabella's brunch.”
  11. “Preceed it with strawberry spread and warm raisin bread, a brunch cocktail.”
  12. “We both agreed that the food was decent but that the service was just terrible.”
  13. “Food was delicious.”
  14. “The food is great and the salads are all tasty.”
  15. “will return with my husband to enjoy his traditional meal.”
  16. “Their menu is standard and their food is always good.”
  17. “The modern Mediterranean cuisine at this restaurant near the Museum of Natural History is popular with locals, who especially like the outdo.”
  18. “To my surprise, they had great food.”
  19. “Aside from waiting 30 minutes for a seat (which was worth it), my fiance and I had the opportunity to sit outside in the cafe-style seating and enjoyed an incredible brunch special consisting of mimosas, coffee, and the most delicious eggs benedict I've e”
  20. “Every time I go I order the eggs benedict which comes with home fries and an alcoholic beverage.”
  21. “Great place, good ambiance, good food, decent service.”
  22. “Definitely the best place for brunch because of the food, good service and warm atmosphere.”
  23. “Wine was delicious.”
  24. “This is one of my favorite restaurants in the Upper West Side because of it's great service and wonderful food.”
  25. “Best value and fabulous food.”
  26. “My friends took me to Isabella's for a birthday brunch and I had the most amazing eggs benedict with salmon.”
  27. “The hanger steak sandwich was phenomenal and there was some kind of tricolor pasta with chicken that was the most flavorful pasta dish I've ever had.”
  28. “Food was yummy, and the service was pleasant and timely.”
menu variety
92.8600025177002% positive
  1. “Their menu is standard and their food is always good.”
  2. “tried almost everything on the menu, but my fav is the pumkin raviloi, too bad it's only seasonal.”
  3. “Nice menu.”
  4. “Situated in a lovely neighborhood, sit inside or out and people-watch while enjoying a great brunch menu, sipping on Mimosas.”
  5. “The pre-fixe menu they gave us had a considerable amount of options to choose from and the prices were extremely reasonable.”
  6. “Great food, service, indoor and outdoor dining options (outdoors is great for brunch) and proximity to the park.”
  7. “could understand the appeal of this place when there used to be no good restaurants on the UWS, but now there are choices, so why bother unless you don't feel like looking into anything new?”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “This is a great place for a late lunch or early dinner.”
  2. “great place to while away a Sunday afternoon - the best Columbus Avenue brunch venue.”
  3. “think this is really nice place.”
  4. “Definitely the best place for brunch because of the food, good service and warm atmosphere.”
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. “enjoyed my experience here and would go back if I were ever in the neighborhood.”
  2. “will return with my husband to enjoy his traditional meal.”
service
82.1399974822998% positive
  1. “More importantly, the waitress was incredibly friendly and helpful and the ambience was perfect.”
  2. “The service was great and I told the owner was going to give him a great review.”
  3. “The service was snotty and the food was completely overrated.”
  4. “The outdoor seating is pleasant and great for people watching on the.”
  5. “Great servers, great food, wonderful drinks and great value.”
  6. “Nice service also.”
  7. “Amazing customer service!”
  8. “Great place, good ambiance, good food, decent service.”
  9. “However the wait staff was very slow and inattentive.”
  10. “This is one of my favorite restaurants in the Upper West Side because of it's great service and wonderful food.”
  11. “Great food, service, indoor and outdoor dining options (outdoors is great for brunch) and proximity to the park.”
  12. “Our dinner was excellent, the staff was wonderful.”
  13. “Isabella's has a great sidewalk cafe for relaxing and people watching!”
  14. “Situated in a lovely neighborhood, sit inside or out and people-watch while enjoying a great brunch menu, sipping on Mimosas.”
  15. “The restaurant is very clean and the staff is always friendly.”
  16. “Our waitress, I think her name was Megan was very helpful and kept the drinks coming.”
  17. “We both agreed that the food was decent but that the service was just terrible.”
  18. “Food was yummy, and the service was pleasant and timely.”
  19. “If you like people watching.”
  20. “The wait staff is great, leaving you feeling attended to but not cloying.”
  21. “The staff, including the managers (must exclude the couple very good people on the wait staff) is rude.”
  22. “The worst service ever”
  23. “The cooking is great, the atmosphere lovely, and the service attentive.”
  24. “It was available on time, the staff was pleasant and unobtrusively attentive.”
  25. “Definitely the best place for brunch because of the food, good service and warm atmosphere.”
  26. “The brunch is the best & they are child friendly.”
  27. “kitchen doesn't accomodate reasonable requests, restaurant is in total chaos during sunday brunch (due to poor management), and waiters bug guests for their email addresses so that restaurant can send out mass mailings.”
  28. “Great outdoor space for a nice summer evening date and people watching.”
value
100.0% positive
  1. “Best value and fabulous food.”
  2. “This is my favorite brunch spot and the only place worth the wait.”
  3. “Great servers, great food, wonderful drinks and great value.”
  4. “Everything was excellent for the reasonable price they had.”
  5. “Food is great and portions are big for NY standards.”
  6. “Good prices for the Upper West Side.”
  7. “The pre-fixe menu they gave us had a considerable amount of options to choose from and the prices were extremely reasonable.”
  8. “Aside from waiting 30 minutes for a seat (which was worth it), my fiance and I had the opportunity to sit outside in the cafe-style seating and enjoyed an incredible brunch special consisting of mimosas, coffee, and the most delicious eggs benedict I've e”
  9. “... But Beware, while the food and company is affordable be prepared to pay in exchange: your ego for a NYC style Isabella's brunch.”
wait time
50.0% positive
  1. “Aside from waiting 30 minutes for a seat (which was worth it), my fiance and I had the opportunity to sit outside in the cafe-style seating and enjoyed an incredible brunch special consisting of mimosas, coffee, and the most delicious eggs benedict I've e”
  2. “However the wait staff was very slow and inattentive.”
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

01/27/10

best bruch

by 9111111 at Citysearch

I love this place for Sunday brunch...Have been going here for many years and hope to continue

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

08/26/08

The Best Brunch in Manhattan

by lisapearly at Citysearch

My friends took me to Isabella's for a birthday brunch and I had the most amazing eggs benedict with salmon. Brunch here on the weekends is very crowded, but the hostess accommodated a large party without reservations. Definitely the best place for brunch because of the food, good service and warm atmosphere.

4 Star Rating: Recommended

07/28/08

Very Nice

by SusieEpstein at Citysearch

Was there for a meeting and had to comment! The food is what you expect from a wonderfull location like this. I will return with my husband to enjoy his traditional meal. The service was great and I told the owner was going to give him a great review.

  • Pros: alot
  • Cons: parking
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

12/30/07

Best meal we had in the city!

by abbytwarren at Citysearch

My family and I happened in here after a recommendation of someone we met on the street. The atmosphere is wonderful, clean and cheery. The salmon and butternut squash risottos was out of this world. The hanger steak sandwich was phenomenal and there was some kind of tricolor pasta with chicken that was the most flavorful pasta dish I've ever had. Wonderfully helpful waiters too! Close to Museum of Natural History. Would love to eat here again sometime.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

12/02/07

Amazing Customer Service!

by leorae1 at Citysearch

I threw my sister Ophira a bridal shower here in July and had the best EXPERIENCE!! After looking for a month at possible places to throw a bridal shower brunch and having no luck I remembered having a great time at Isabellas a few years back. From the time I contact the head of events represenative to the day of, they made sure my sisters day was perfect! The pre-fixe menu they gave us had a considerable amount of options to choose from and the prices were extremely reasonable. The day of the event they made sure they were fully staffed and they kept the drinks flowing and the food came in a well timely manner. The waiters and manager were very personable and made us feel at home. Isabellas made sure that the day was memorable for all of us and I can't thank them enough again!

Green Restaurant All Certified Green Restaurants® meet the minimum certification criteria of the science-based standards of the Green Restaurant Association (GRA), a national non profit dedicated to Greening Restaurants since 1990. Certified Green Restaurants® implement transparent and verified environmental steps in seven environmental categories: Energy, Water, Chemicals, Food, Packaging, Waste, and Building. Learn more about the GRA's standards and how to Dine Green.

The Details on Isabella's Restaurant

Place Categories:

  • great food
  • great only place
  • great customer service
  • rude wait staff
  • best brunch
  • nice atmosphere
  • not recommended restaurants
  • extremely reasonable price
  • most amazing eggs benedict
  • unfussy decor
  • great value
  • warm raisin bread
  • enjoy traditional meal
  • great starter
  • love location
  • worst service
  • great outdoor seating
  • favorite brunch spot
  • always enjoyed dinner
  • enjoyed experience
  • like people
  • extremely reasonable prefixe menu
  • helpful waitress
  • nice mediterranean ambiance
  • great fish dishes