Puttanesca

09/17/09

Unauthentic Italian Food in an Uninspiring atmosphere

by MSchussler at Citysearch

Nothing is really special about Puttanesca. The service is terrible, music way too loud and you're greeted by trashy looking scantily clad hostesses. To make matters worse waiters never seem to get your orders right. Only pro is that the place is reasonably priced. Avoid if you can.

• Pros: Reasonably priced
• Cons: Bad Service, bland food and fake feel

01/13/09

Stay Away!

by Sparks021 at Citysearch

Awful service!

After staring at us when she found out we didn't have reservations, as if we had done something wrong...the hostess spent spent five minutes deciding where to seat us. Mind you, there were about 6 empty tables. Food was mediocre, nothing special at all. Overpriced. The waiter made us wait 15 minutes before he came over to introduce himself. Food took way too long to come out. And we had to wait almost 20 minutes to find the waiter again and ask for the check.

There are plenty of other great Italian places on 9th...stay away from this place!

• Pros: Nothing I can think of
• Cons: Food. Service. Wait Staff. Hostess.

12/07/08

Awful Food at Awful Prices

by synthesyzer at Citysearch

Worst food experience that I have had in the city since I've been here. Ordered two dishes for delivery that were both supposed to have wild mushrooms as the main ingredients. Both came with nothing but noodles with cheap canned mushrooms...the supposed "stuffed ravioli" came as noodles...delivery guy was a moron....not to mention it was way overpriced. Ugh...

• Pros: None
• Cons: Horrible food, False menu descriptions, Overpriced

10/29/08

Go two years ago. Not now.

by rebelnyc at Citysearch

For years, this was the reliable, inexpensive neighborhood Italian standby. Then came the renovation, complete with speakers blasting the most execrable, inappropriate music (think Beach Boys) loud, Loud, LOUD.

Attitude if you politely ask it be turned down. The staff rotates nightly. You can be a regular and not be seated by the same person twice in a week. You can be a regular and never once - ever - be recognized by the staff.

Food's still good, but after years of faithful patronage, it's off the list with a vengeance.

• Pros: good food at a good price
• Cons: loud; rude, indifferent staff

07/21/08

Awful service, mediocre food

by rodney2 at Citysearch

I can't accurately express how much I disliked this restaurant. The service was completely horrible. Not just slow. Not just bad. But slow, bad and RUDE. Had the food been better and the atmosphere more enjoyable, I might have given the place a pass on the terrible service, chalking it up to a bad night. But reading over the comments here on Citysearch, I see I'm not alone and my experience wasn't uncommon. Many, many others have clearly experienced the same at Puttanesca. So, the bottom line here: Awful service. Inexcusable attitude. Lousy atmosphere. Mediocre food. Awful service. Awful service. Awful service.

• Pros: none
• Cons: awful service, bad attitude, lousy atmosphere, mediocre food

07/20/08

Delicious meals worth their price

by teddynyc at Citysearch

I just enjoyed an *excellent* 6pm Sunday dinner with six friends here. We've dined at Puttanesca several times over the past 2 years and have consistently gotten reliable service and the food is always satisfying. We ordered 5 different entrees tonight, all of which looked appetizing and tasted even better. It certainly can get noisy during the dinner rush and they unfortunately had difficulties with air conditioning on this hot, summer night, but the quality and freshness of their menu will keep me coming back.

• Pros: Delicious food and cocktails
• Cons: Busy and sometimes noisy

07/13/08

The worst place in Hells Kitchen?

by hkit19ss at Citysearch

I have a visceral reaction to this Puttanesca place. Merely walking by it makes me ill and reminds me of one of the worst dining experiences I have ever had. The surly service was absolutely horrible. Clearly, though, the management couldn't have cared less that we waited for a long time (with a reservation) before being seated, waited even longer for a waiter to pay attention to us, and even longer still for our food (which was far from special).

• Pros: nothing
• Cons: bad service, bad food

06/04/08

Not recommended

by Yasmine79 at Citysearch

This restaurant is incredibly noisy, the service is slow, and the food mediocre. I remember when this restaurant opened as a small storefront --- it had about 10 tables in a narrow room. Then, the food was really good. After they expanded, the food is not much better than what you would get at a college dorm cafeteria at much higher prices

05/12/08

Good experience, very accomodating and kind!!!

by koala82 at Citysearch

I took my family (8 of us) to Puttanesca for brunch on Mother's day and had no reservations. The place was very busy, as usual I learned, and I was afraid of not beeing able to ge a table. Without wanting to turn us away, they offered to arrange a table for us wihin ten mintes. But within minutes the manager, who was very kind and polite, informed us that our table was finally ready. So we sat down to enjoy our meal. We were very pleased that they could accomadate such a large number. We were also happy with the food selection and the prices that went with them! We will definitely be back, but with reservaions next time! Overall, good atmosphere and nice crew!

• Pros: service and prices

04/06/08

One of the worst on etiquette!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who cares about the food -

by 3169 at Citysearch

I went to Puttanesca with a former boyfriend last year. The incident within that food establishment has left such an unsavory memory that I am now, after such a lapse in time, still fuming.

We went after a performance, still early enough to be seated in the "lobby" section of the place. Not the best seats in the house - near the entrance and in direct line of busy diners coming & going.

We had our entrees, my bf had a soda and I had 2 wines (I think) and then lingered over a few sips of water for just several minutes, discussing the events of the day - check already paid, when all of a sudden the very brazen maitre'd came over and stated: "I don't want to be rude, but I am going to have to ask you to leave since we need this table" - Can you imagine???!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Never before had I received such a rude comment from anyone in a dining establishment. I didn't say anything nor did my bf. However, after removing the tip from the table i asked the waiter where the manager was and he stated that it was the same man who requested that we leave. I approached him saying that what had just occured was highly boorish and I had never encountered such behavior before in a restaurant. He then became nasty with me, saying something like "too bad" -

Such obnoxiousnous. One of the worst restaurants ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, and when my bf asked about the etymology of the name of the restaurant as we entered, he made a snide remark about how it applied to his waitresses! From the beginning he was an obnoxious pig!

• Pros: none!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Cons: the service - RUDE RUDE RUDE -- DOWNRIGHT RUDE