(212) 472-5563

322 E 86th St (Between 1 and 2nd Ave.)
New York, NY 10028 40.77747 -73.95077

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Neighborhoods: Yorkville, Midtown

sottocinque.com

Hours:

Mon-Thu 11:30am-11pm

Fri 11:30am-Midnight

Sat 11:30am-Midnight

Sun 11:30am-11pm

Last updated 10.17.11

Category:

Restaurants, Catering

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Discover, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Food Delivery, Brunch

Cuisine:

Italian

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Sotto Cinque

The Owner

Sotto Cinque

Owner

Sotto Cinque is an upscale Italian Restaurant with a warm atmosphere perfect for romantic dates, groups, after work, and much more. Choose from our elaborate wine selection and our famous marinated olives. We serve a variety of authentic Italian flavors; seafood dishes; assorted fresh pasta such as Penne a la Vodka, Lobster Ravioli, Gnocchi Bolognese and entrees such as a variety of chicken dishes, fresh fish on the grill and Veal Sorrentino. If you are not in the mood for a sit-down dinner, enjoy the bar scene with an extensive cocktail menu famous for the complicated Martinis. There is also…

Provided by CityGrid

Read more from the owner

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

Italian cuisine including pastas, seafood, sandwiches and chicken entrees at very reasonable prices, plus an extensive cocktail menu.

Editor's Tips

The Extras:
Having a party? Sotto Cinque caters events with trays that serve up to 20 people.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. “love the wonderful romantic setting, dim lights very chic.”
  2. “Decor: the ambience was warm and cozy, a plus.”
  3. “The wine list is extremely impressive and the ambiance is both family friendly and yet jazzy for the mature after work crowd.”
  4. “This place has a great romantic ambiance, dim lights, very nice staff but best of all, the best Italian food ever.”
  5. “Great ambiance and the best Italian food I've had in a long time”
  6. “Do you like Italian food, great service, cute bartenders, and ambience?”
drinks
100.0% positive
  1. “You may decide to sit and eat at the bar with all the regulars where you are sure to get great conversation and make a new friend.”
  2. “The wine list is extremely impressive and the ambiance is both family friendly and yet jazzy for the mature after work crowd.”
  3. “Excellent inexpensive food, great wine list, great service”
  4. “Drinks: I asked for 5 wines, and was told by the waiter that he ran out of all 5, so I gave up on my pursuit for a nice wine and asked for a cocktail.”
  5. “You may get a warm welcome from Vince the owner or Nelson might pour you a great glass of wine.”
  6. “Sotto is a great place filled with nice people, good wine and excellent service.”
  7. “They served the best Italian food, the service was excellent, and the wine was great.”
  8. “They have a great wine list and the prices are not bad at all.”
  9. “The food is fantastic the drinks are strong & the smiles are plentiful.”
food quality
86.00000381469727% positive
  1. “Unfortunately, the food was mediocre at best.”
  2. “They served the best Italian food, the service was excellent, and the wine was great.”
  3. “Do you like Italian food, great service, cute bartenders, and ambience?”
  4. “Excellent pasta dishes, incredible selection all served in a warm, friendly envir.”
  5. “Cheap prices, good food!”
  6. “In fact, I didn't even WANT to go to this restaurant, but I listened to my brother-in-law, a man who does, quite certainly, enjoy Italian food-- Anyway, we, and by we, I mean my wife, daughter (14 months old), father-in-law, mother-in-law, and both brothe”
  7. “The food is excellent with a price range to cater to every budget.”
  8. “Excellent inexpensive food, great wine list, great service”
  9. “The prices are great, the food is delicious and the service is great!”
  10. “am, in all honesty, not the type of guy who likes Italian food.”
  11. “The food is fantastic the drinks are strong & the smiles are plentiful.”
  12. “great food, mediocre service”
  13. “The food is amazing and very tasty.”
  14. “Great ambiance and the best Italian food I've had in a long time”
  15. “The best food in town”
  16. “The zucchini risotto was just awful--runny and relatively flavorless sauce and the risotto itself did not have the right texture at all.”
  17. “The food: The garlic bread was delicious, but the bread the restaurant put on the table was cold and hard, and the steak I asked to be medium-well was given to me medium-rare.”
  18. “The food is very good for the low price and the wait staff is very nice, but sometimes the service is very slow.”
  19. “have always had a great experience and food is such a delight.”
  20. “will keep going to Sotto Cinque; its the perfect place for happy hour, watching games, and eating great authentic Italian food!”
  21. “If you like good food and reasonable prices, this is yor place.”
  22. “Whenever I want to go out for dinner but can't afford an expensive meal I go here.”
  23. “was told about this place the food the service and of course the price can not bet and i have to tell u people my friends were not wrong at all, and the bartender is great so helpfull with everything he made me the best shot i ever had.”
  24. “The gnocchi is delicious!”
  25. “This place has a great romantic ambiance, dim lights, very nice staff but best of all, the best Italian food ever.”
menu variety
33.3299994468689% positive
  1. “Excellent pasta dishes, incredible selection all served in a warm, friendly envir.”
  2. “with the exception of the manager everything else was horrible the owners or owner should rely hire compatente skill people and review the bible sized menu.”
  3. “He had bad timing, as before we sat down to look at the menu he was already asking us what we wanted to eat.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “One day walking around 86st we were looking for a nice restaurant to go to(back when they were located on 2nd ave) and we stumbled upon Sotto Cinque.”
  2. “If you like good food and reasonable prices, this is yor place.”
  3. “Sotto is a great place filled with nice people, good wine and excellent service.”
  4. “we had a great time at this place with great service and Nelson the bartender always there to help you.”
service
82.58000373840332% positive
  1. “we had a great time at this place with great service and Nelson the bartender always there to help you.”
  2. “The prices are great, the food is delicious and the service is great!”
  3. “was told about this place the food the service and of course the price can not bet and i have to tell u people my friends were not wrong at all, and the bartender is great so helpfull with everything he made me the best shot i ever had.”
  4. “Needless to say, I did not like our waiter.”
  5. “The service is not overly warm but definitely nice and efficient.”
  6. “This place has a great romantic ambiance, dim lights, very nice staff but best of all, the best Italian food ever.”
  7. “Excellent pasta dishes, incredible selection all served in a warm, friendly envir.”
  8. “They served the best Italian food, the service was excellent, and the wine was great.”
  9. “There are not too many places left in the city that has a family friendly attitude and still comes off as the hang out spot for the after work crowd.”
  10. “Sotto is a great place filled with nice people, good wine and excellent service.”
  11. “Excellent inexpensive food, great wine list, great service”
  12. “The staff was great, they seated me promptly.”
  13. “The wine list is extremely impressive and the ambiance is both family friendly and yet jazzy for the mature after work crowd.”
  14. “Jasmine is a wonderful server unless someone is overtly rude to her and this last review the person sounds really bitter and mean.”
  15. “Drinks: I asked for 5 wines, and was told by the waiter that he ran out of all 5, so I gave up on my pursuit for a nice wine and asked for a cocktail.”
  16. “Do you like Italian food, great service, cute bartenders, and ambience?”
  17. “great food, mediocre service”
  18. “The food is very good for the low price and the wait staff is very nice, but sometimes the service is very slow.”
  19. “with the exception of the manager everything else was horrible the owners or owner should rely hire compatente skill people and review the bible sized menu.”
  20. “and the service well lets just say our server whos name start with a "J", (who appears on the video) wondered about the restaurant aimlessly will we waive for her attention (SHE NEEDS TO BE ATTENTATIVE ) totally ignored us until the floor manager atended ”
  21. “Then staff is always pleasant and the owner is always walking around to help the guest.”
  22. “The staff is friendly and professional.”
value
97.22000122070312% positive
  1. “Excellent inexpensive food, great wine list, great service”
  2. “If you like good food and reasonable prices, this is yor place.”
  3. “The food is excellent with a price range to cater to every budget.”
  4. “Whenever I want to go out for dinner but can't afford an expensive meal I go here.”
  5. “Cheap prices, good food!”
  6. “The prices are affordable.”
  7. “They have a great wine list and the prices are not bad at all.”
  8. “Best of all, for the place it is, the prices are affordable.”
  9. “was told about this place the food the service and of course the price can not bet and i have to tell u people my friends were not wrong at all, and the bartender is great so helpfull with everything he made me the best shot i ever had.”
  10. “The prices are great, the food is delicious and the service is great!”
  11. “Best prices in the neighborhood.”
  12. “The food is very good for the low price and the wait staff is very nice, but sometimes the service is very slow.”
wait time
83.33000183105469% positive
  1. “Great ambiance and the best Italian food I've had in a long time”
  2. “The food is very good for the low price and the wait staff is very nice, but sometimes the service is very slow.”
3 Star Rating: Average

09/24/11

Ehhhh

by bertany at Citysearch

Drinks are watered down, other than that mediocre!

1 Star Rating: Poor

01/28/10

good restaurant gone bad

by Arvin Delfavero at Citysearch

I am a daily customer in this restaurant. It was very good before from food to the service. it has changed a lot in after the Christmas. The food before was very decorated and clean in the plate but now it is very sloppy and the flavor has changed too. I complained to the manager but it seems like she don't care.

  • Pros: nothing
  • Cons: bad food, bad management and service and everything else
2 Star Rating: Below Average

05/12/09

Unexpected Turnout

by Luvable4u at Citysearch

So I went to Sotto Cinque for Mother's Day. The food: The garlic bread was delicious, but the bread the restaurant put on the table was cold and hard, and the steak I asked to be medium-well was given to me medium-rare. But, the entrees were great overall.

Drinks: I asked for 5 wines, and was told by the waiter that he ran out of all 5, so I gave up on my pursuit for a nice wine and asked for a cocktail. My brother had a bay breeze and to our dismay, the bartender did not know how to make one. In addition, the long islands which I wanted with apple pucker instead of coke tasted more like a martini with cheap liquor.

Service: The waiter I had was a man who did not make us feel as welcomed as we had hoped on Mother's Day. He had bad timing, as before we sat down to look at the menu he was already asking us what we wanted to eat. In the beginning he came back often even though everyone was still looking at the menus. When all menus were put down and we knew what we wanted, getting him to come back to the table was like pulling teeth. Needless to say, I did not like our waiter.

Decor: the ambience was warm and cozy, a plus.

  • Pros: Great food, nice decor
  • Cons: Poor service, lousy drinks
3 Star Rating: Average

12/08/08

The best food in town

by geog1 at Citysearch

i was told about this place the food the service and of course the price can not bet and i have to tell u people my friends were not wrong at all, and the bartender is great so helpfull with everything he made me the best shot i ever had. we had a great time at this place with great service and Nelson the bartender always there to help you. i love him and this place. you have to try this place out

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

11/04/08

Cozy & Comfortable with a flare

by CastOne at Citysearch

I recently visited this restaurant based on a friend?s recommendation & I have to say I'm for ever pleased. The management and staff are welcoming and professional. The food is excellent with a price range to cater to every budget. The wine list is extremely impressive and the ambiance is both family friendly and yet jazzy for the mature after work crowd.

  • Pros: Food and price
  • Cons: None

The Details on Sotto Cinque

Place Categories:

  • great good food
  • great service
  • best authentic italian food
  • affordable reasonable prices
  • beautiful place
  • great nice staff
  • mediocre service
  • awful sauce
  • nice wine
  • romantic ambiance
  • like ambience
  • romantic wonderful romantic setting
  • romantic dim lights
  • awful risotto
  • not expensive meal
  • quiet back yard
  • great everything
  • cold bread
  • fast server
  • warm friendly envir
  • best shot
  • excellent inexpensive food
  • not like waiter
  • good restaurant
  • great big smile

Message from Sotto Cinque

  • Warm romantic ambiance
  • Delicious pasta dishes
  • We deliver and cater

Sotto Cinque is an upscale Italian Restaurant with a warm atmosphere perfect for romantic dates, groups, after work, and much more. Choose from our elaborate wine selection and our famous marinated olives. We serve a variety of authentic Italian flavors; seafood dishes; assorted fresh pasta such as Penne a la Vodka, Lobster Ravioli, Gnocchi Bolognese and entrees such as a variety of chicken dishes, fresh fish on the grill and Veal Sorrentino. If you are not in the mood for a sit-down dinner, enjoy the bar scene with an extensive cocktail menu famous for the complicated Martinis. There is also a mouth watering bar menu offering small servings of; sausage and peppers, spicy shrimps and meatballs among other things. Sotto Cinque delivers and caters with trays serving up to 20 people, so if you're having a party or can't make it to us, we'll come to you.

Sotto Cinque