Reviews & Ratings for Aleo-GARDEN DINING

01/27/12

Do yourself a favor -- skip this one

by NoahR

If I could save one person from going to this place by giving my opinion-- then i'd be glad to.

First of all, the reason this place called Garden Dining is because at the back there's one that is used for events. i cannot make a comment on that except to say if there's a party going on at this place, you can forget about getting any kind of service! The owner's attention is always focused on the party (bec they are paying more money, of course!)

He ignored other guest requests and complaints. He's all bout the dough.

My girlfriend had the veal and it was served dry and cold! Went here becuase of a good review about the veal and didnt realize till too late that the review was from a year ago! Fast forward to present day, this place and the food sucks! Oh and went here also because opentable had bonus points. Beware, that is a trap. They can't get people in the door so they're luring you with points and deals . This is not a good Italian Resto in the Chelsea/Gramercy area. There are waaaay better ones.

02/25/11

Had a WONDERFUL TIME

by GramercyNUT

I must admit, I have been to many neighbrhood places in the GRAMERCY / CHELSEA area, and ALEO is a sleeper. I used Opentable and got 1000pts. I was amazed at the freshness of the plates and the people were so sweet and kind to us. I ate a special VEAL CHOP that was off the hook good. My girlfriend had a plate of pasta that was amazing. The server was a terrific young man who was so sincere that he would not let us buy a more expensive bottle of wine , instead he directed us to a less expensive better wine, and then gave us complimentary cordials at the end. ALEO we will be back.

02/07/11

Very dirty,roaches all over the place!!!

by Petrony

We went there for lunch last week with 3 other people,the restaurant was empty at 1:30 pm(wonder why?),the waitress looked she just came out the bed,and the red hair waiter was having shots behind the bar!(i love his job,free food,free booze)The appetizers came 45 minutes late,the waiters were hanging around and having more shots,includind the waitress,never checked on us,and under the plate was a roach crawling,i almost threw up...

Next table to us,had at list 3 roaches crawling between the silverware,the floor was so sticky,i think the water never touched that floor,since the restaurant was open!

Stay away from this place,very very dirty,smelly,food ok,but i better go to pizzeria,not worth the money,but we got the roaches as a bonus!!

10/28/09

Nice Spot...Great Food

by Jazmine33

I had my daughter's birthday party here awhile ago, about 40 guests. They did a great job. I know a few of my guests can be difficult, but they were very professional and kept everyone happy. The food was so good, they kept the drinks filled and everyone enjoyed. I couldn't be happier. So glad I picked this place!

• Pros: Neighborhood, Service, Decor
• Cons: None

06/08/09

Nice place

by Jingjing

Nice and clean place

03/23/09

Great Italian

by troywarkentin

Good location for a great meal, intimate and good for a date, cannot loose with any of the menu items......

• Pros: Solid Menu
• Cons: What are the drawbacks?

02/07/09

Great for special occassions

by js26

I was coming to the city to celebrate my 23rd birthday and was looking for something a little special and saw that Aleo had very good reviews. My experience lived up to all the great reviews! Not only was the food great, but our waiter, Fabio, was honestly the most accommodating and friendly waiter I've ever had! He made it a point to chat with us and make us feel comfortable, and we even got lemoncello shots on the house at the end of the meal! What a great experience, it surely made my birthday that much more special! I would highly recommend Aleo for some classic Italian fare in a casual yet sophisticated atmosphere! I will definitely return on my next visit to the city!

• Pros: Service, atmosphere
• Cons: the only con would be that it was a little too hot in the restaurant

07/06/08

Great Food, Great Service

by happyday2

We just got back from celebrating my mothers 65th birthday and it was so enjoyable. The outdoor garden was beautiful and made for an even greater atmosphere. The food was delicious, from the stuffed clams, to all the entrees and finally that "light as a feather" strawberry cheesecake to top it off! The staff was very friendly and very attentive.

My relatives were asking for business cards as they left. You can't miss with choosing Aleo for a great evening for any occassion!

04/25/08

Great with a date

by Gasman7788

Impress your lady. She'll think you really know your stuff about Manhattan's best restaurants. If you want trendy and crowded and tourist places, then Aleo isn't for you. If you want service and royal treatment that makes you feel special, food that's a cross between homemade and unique, and a great dining experience in a comfortable and pleasant setting, I highly recommend Aleo. Make reservations and ask for outdoor garden seating.

• Pros: outdoor garden, cuisine and service

04/25/08

Great find.

by hotstuffandone

When you go to Aleo, ask to be seated in the outdoor garden even if you have to wait. Bar is comfortable place to wait, or just make a reservation so you don't have to wait at all. We waited because we didn't have a reservation. Garden is beautifully landscaped and has these very tranquil waterfalls. Very relaxing and inviting, which made dinner even better, not that the food at this restaurant needs any help. By the way, read some of the review on Citysearch that were very helpful in us selecting Aleo. We had tuna and a salmon special and shared a pasta. They were very accommodating and we were able to split an entire order of pasta as a course between apps and the main dinner. The portion was so big that the shared order was almost like getting a whole order. We got penne with a meat ragu sauce. They gladly gave us penne even though menu said served with rigatony pasta. Nice wine list. And an even nicer wait staff. Pleasantly surprised how really good this restaurant is considering it's a little off the beaten path, but WELL WORTH finding this path. Do it, you'll be just as glad as us and likely want to return, like us. Great find.

• Pros: serving staff and food
• Cons: the wait, if you don't have a reservation