04/23/07

Beware of shady servers

by tsunamiboy

Stumbled upon this place with a couple of friends for dinner. Food was okay and reasonably priced. For three of us, our bill came out to $115 which included two bottles of wine. Despite the shoddy service (server no where in sight, waiting 5 minutes for silverware after food was served, etc.), the server added a 20% gratuity to the bill. We decided to let this go and asked him to run our (3) credit cards for the bill. He refused and his response was that "the computer" only takes 2 cards maximum. Given the self-applied gratuity, this was annoying. Since he was so unaccommodating, we then asked that he take off the gratuity - again... "the computer" adds it automatically and it cannot be removed. We did not want to fight with him and gave him our cards and asked to speak to the manager when he returned. After a few minutes, he asked for our cards and said the bill will be adjusted. At this point, we no longer cared about the bill and asked for the manager again. The manager arrived and apologized - offering to bring us another bottle of wine or adjust the bill. We declined. He tried very hard to make things right, but we only wanted to make him aware of his dishonest and shady server. Food was mediocre - if you go there, check your bill. The management claims that "the computer" sometimes add the gratuity automatically. Seriously? Time for a new computer or Service 101.

• Pros: Outdoor seating
• Cons: Shady, unattentive service

03/03/07

Worst service in New York

by noids

My friends and I walked in off the street to try this restaurant - in retrospect, we should have kept walking.

Customer service:

All aspects of customer service were miserable. We were asked to seat ourselves upstairs. We didn't get menus for 10 minutes. We never got plates for our bread. It took the waitress more than 20 minutes to take our drink order. After the wine order was taken, it took more than 10-15 minutes to actually get the wine. She forgot about another drink we had asked for. Once we actually ordered, the food was delivered pretty quickly. That said, they always cleared our plates before we were finished with the food and before we could object.

I don't think the waitress was rude or intentionally shoddy in service - she really just didn't care. The restaurant wasn't that crowded (it was 9:30 on Friday so that should tell you something about the quality of the place) but she still managed to goof every aspect of the service.

Food:

The food was very average. Appetizers were well prepared (though simple). Main courses weren't - Very oily and heavy, not well balanced from a spice perspective. The polenta I asked for as a side dish came out as cream of wheat without salt. The menu options were rather unspectacular - run of the mill Italian.

Overall, the saving grace of this restaurant was the low prices - An entire meal for four of us including wine was only $120, but the low price does not make up for the service or food. Will never recommend this place to my friends.

• Pros: Low prices
• Cons: Shoddy service, very average food

07/21/06

Awesome food, amazing value

by ahosni68

My birthday was yesterday, and i took 7 of my friends to eat here. all i can say is that the food is delicious, and that it is the best value in town. try the fusilli (though be warned that it is VERY rich), and the ciocolatissimo dessert is to die for. my one complaint is that when we were finished with our dinner, it took an abnormally long time for our waitress to get with the program and bring us our check. other than that, absolutely no complaints. highly reccomend.

06/27/06

lacking in customer service

by hmoley

foods delcious, great corner location and outdoor seating, however service is lacking ( staff are all very friendly, just not very attentive or organized).

• Pros: food
• Cons: service

06/21/06

Not too expensive

by pingerl

We have been to this place around three times now and everytime it is a different experience. This place is pretty romantic in the summer when they have outdoor seating and great musicians. Our favorite appetizer before was the calamari but on our latest visit it was tasteless and a bit stringy. Their pastas are usually very good and the salmon is not bad either. Service is fine and the prices are not too expensive compared to other area restaurants.

03/19/06

Horrible Service

by mlp29

The place looks nice from the outside, but the positives stop there. The brunch menu looks like a value, however, the service is incredibly poor. The server drank his coffee while we waited for our bread basket and drinks. The food was served cold. I asked for a cup of coffee, but had to ask several times. Management needs to take staffing decisions more seriously. Good Luck!

• Cons: Service

12/03/05

Superb experience

by phoenixahp

We were there this weekend and I must say the review on Citysearch is outdated, the menu is completely different than what is written here. Anyhow, we had a GREAT time! The young, friendly staff was very attentive, we were seated promptly, and the food was terrific. I had their special pasta with cheese fondue that was to die for, and my partner had the rib eye steak with roasted potatoes. Yummy!

• Pros: atmosphere, service, food
• Cons: none!

11/18/05

Not Venetian

by fishdemon

I was very excited to try this restaurant after hearing about their Cicchetti - small tapas-like plates. But we were very disappointed to find out that they no longer serve them. In fact, the waitress said that about a year ago, new management came in, and that they are no longer even Venetian anymore, just a run-of-the-mill pan-Italian joint. The food was below average, being rather uninspired and very plain tasting. We ate upstairs, where at first, since we were the first table up there, it was pleasant. As soon as other people came up, the accoustics of the space just sky-rocketed the noise level. The service was not too bad, although it was a little slow and the dishes, when they came, were just thrown down on the table, without regard to who ordered what.

• Cons: Poor Food, Noisy

08/27/05

Delicious food, fun atmosphere, great prices

by peanut_brittle

We attended Le Zoccole's Sicilian party last Thursday and it was fantastic. The food was delicious, the service warm and friendly and at $30pp including wine the price could not be beat. We especially liked how it felt very much like dining at someone's home. The servers were extremely professional, especially considering the entire room needed to be served at the same time. Thank you for a wonderful experience, we will definitely be back to try the regular menu.

07/21/04

Excellent Venetian cuisine in a boisterous East Village space.

by Contributor

The Scene
With a prime corner view of the passing East Village scene, the dining room is full of life and high-energy. The decor is only faintly Mediterranean, with craft paper on the tables and a colorful assortment of plates. Most diners live in the neighborhood, though word of mouth draws some customers from further afield. Service is knowledgeable and amiable.

The Food
This is superlative northern Italian fare with an emphasis on fish. Cicchetti, a Venetian take on the small-plates concept, make a terrific starter or stand-alone bar snack: fried artichokes with tapenade, sour-sweet sardines and a luscious cod mousse stand out. Entree options are as inspired, especially the hearty braised lamb shank, delicate baked salmon and a host of fine pastas, including a prize-worthy spaghetti and meatballs, and tender hand-rolled pici with asparagus in butter sauce. The tiramisu more than holds its own against the competition.