Abboccato Ristorante

03/04/09

What a let down.

by LuckyOswald at Citysearch

I used to frequent Abboccato any time I traveled to the city with my partner. After contacting our favorite server before our most recent visit - he informed us he was no longer employed at Abboccato - nonetheless, my partner and I gave it a try.

We could not help but compare our last visit with our visit this Friday:

In the beginning things were okay - it took nearly 10 minutes to get the drinks we ordered and about another 15 to get around to having our order taken - first let down. We were on a time limit and rather than rush our waiter we went straight for entrees. I figured I would try something new, despite being warned before by our normal server, I ordered the Sweetbreads; it was incredibly salty, overcooked and simply put, not worth it's dollar. My partner ordered the Grilled Baby lamb chops at medium rare temperature; it came to the table nearly well-done and over-all bland. Combined with a poor pairing and terrible preparation, that's the second let down. Our last server gave us the impression to trust our waiter - a mistake I will be sure not to make again.

In closing, we were offered the common diner phrase of 'anything else?' - if we were offered espresso or cappuccino we more than likely would have obliged. The biggest insult of the night which is against fine-dining protocol, whether you've worked this field or not, was having the server remove our paid check before we even left without saying a word.

That is my last visit to Abboccato, and I will be sure to deter my friends from visiting. Your new staff has a lot of kinks - you all made a careless mistake in firing those previously employed.

• Pros: Ambience & Decor Are Gorgeous
• Cons: Poor service; lack of knowledge and poor management

02/07/09

Amazing Crispy Calamari Salad!

by hubriis at Citysearch

We enjoyed a meal at Abboccato while in town for a conference and while one of our party was not happy with the meal, the rest of us really enjoyed our dinners.

We started with the Crispy Calamari Salad which was dressed with a gorgeously tangy but slightly sweet lemon aioli that made you want to lick the plate clean. I could gladly have made a meal of that salad and gone home happy. Next up was a nightly special, squash soup. The soup had a wonderful velvety texture and tasted like a nice squash soup...not amazing, but quite good.

My main course was Breaded Veal Scallopini with prosciutto, Piemontese cheese and Marsala. The breading was just on the side of too much but the veal combined with the prosciutto and the cheese for a wonderful flavor combination in the mouth. The arugula and cherry tomatoes that accompanied the dish provided a nice clean balance.

We finished the meal with a glass of limoncello (lovely) and a cheese plate which included three Italian cheeses. The cheese plate was delicious but none of the individual cheeses stood out. By far, the best part of our meal was the calamari salad.

12/08/08

Service needs a lot of improvement

by RBH4 at Citysearch

The service was terrible. We waited for 5 minutes before being able to get someone's attention in order to just get our menus. They took all my flatware away thinking I ordered soup for my app. When the app's came and they realized that's not what I ordered, I needed to ask for a knife and fork two times and they acted annoyed that I asked. Not a place I would return to again.

11/08/08

Terrible Service

by BJR1 at Citysearch

Would not go to Abbocatto again...period..The service was horrendous...food was good...but have never

experinced such terrible service in NYC..from supposedly a nice italian resturant..Drinks took like 1 hour too get..Had to ask three different people to actually even get a waiter to come to our table. Very unorganized and extremely NOT WELL RUN restaurant...Go elsewhere for a good italian dinner..

• Pros: Food is OK
• Cons: Service was the worst I have experienced in NYC

09/26/08

some interesting menu options

by caridadmm at Citysearch

Not sure what the previous reviewer was complaining about as I had a completely different experience. I'll admit it was a business dinner so I wasn't overly concerned with prices, but the ambiance was lovely (the patio is charming) and the service great. We were late to our reservation (traffic) but they still sat us immediately despite it being pretty full, and were very aware of our need to leave on time for the theater. The waiter was knowledgable on the menu but he did pronounce "pinot noir" very badly.. I just chuckled under my breath. The beet pasta was so intriguing we ordered it to share, and it did not dissapoint. I had the lamb and although it was a tad past the medium-rare I had ordered, the flavor was so good that I didn't mind. The waiter did comp us a drink since I mentioned it (but I didn't have to press hard as I didn't mind that much). Overall, worth checking out for sure.

• Pros: ambiance, menu offerings
• Cons: a little pricey

06/10/08

I would have no reason to return

by yippee at Citysearch

There were a number of things that were "off" at this place. First off, overall the decor and the manner of the waitstaff felt "dated". One wall has padded "sections" onto which wooden boxes are displayed with mirrored backs and holding bottles of wine. It just looked tacky.

Much of the waitstaff appeared to be new, as we witnessed a number of incidences (including at our table) where there was a second (and sometimes third) waitperson standing there while the primary person took our order. They also seemed to have too many stafff overall, and many of them seemed to hover too close to the tables, perhaps out of sheer boredom. They made me feel nervous. Our waiter also seemed to be trying too hard. Just give me good service. I don't need all the sugary niceties, or the constant "bon appetito's" (which were often said at inappropriate times, such as "bon appetito...is everything fine with your meal?" (!)

For an appetizer, I got the housemade mozzarella with tomato, basil and balsamic vinegar (which was advertised as being 24 years old or something). When the plate arrived, there were about two splashes of the vinegar. So I had to ask for more (especially since their menu made a point to imply how great it was).

My dining companion got a treo of pureed eggplant, fava beans and I think a type of cheese, along with some toasted bread. It was "ok".

For entrees we got pasta (mine with a bolognese sauce) and she got gnocchi. Both pastas were overcooked. The bolognese sauce had more of a cream base than I am accustomed to, so it was very heavy. We both felt that the pasta dishes tasted like something you'd get at an Italian chain restaurant. Nothing special at all.

I was very surprised to learn that this restaurant is run by the same folks as Molyvos. To me the two restaurants are worlds apart. Molyvos is of a much higher caliber all around.

• Pros: none
• Cons: nothing special at all. So many other better restaurants in this price range.

10/11/07

Great food, good service

by n_wilker at Citysearch

We chose to sit on the patio even though it was a warm evening. We enjoyed the bread and the bread sticks! We started with the buffalo mozzarella. It was absolutely amazing! I went with the lamb chops. I was not disappointed! I was so pleased with my meal! Service was excellent. The water glasses were always filled and the food came out in a timely manner.

• Pros: Interesting options, cozy seating, terffic taste
• Cons: Prices were a little outrageous

02/02/07

Horrid Service, Beautiful place, great food, excellent wine list

by ratingnyc at Citysearch

Went for restaurant week and was disappointed to see that they had upcharge items in every category- put together a $35 menu or do not participate. The $4 extra prosciutto was not worth it and the $4 extra bambolino (munchkins) were but they could have cut the portion from 5 to 3 and included it as a straight up dessert- we passed on the $10 extra lamchops and loved the gnocchi and tile fish that we ordered. The food was excellent for the most part. The service however was horrid. Our waiter looked put out by us (perhaps because we did the prix fix menu but again- don't participate if you don't want the customers coming in for it). We had to ask twice for bread, our wine glasses all sat empty for at least 10 minutes (they take it off the table so you can not self-serve), dessert came out wrong with no apologies- and he was surly the whole time. The decor of the restaurant is lovely though- very cozy and warm. They have a fabulous wine list with lots of diverse choice in a good price range ($25-40)

• Pros: Atmosphere, wine list, big round tables for groups
• Cons: Service

01/09/07

Perfect for a business lunch, a romantic evening, or a get together with friends

by nyeater30 at Citysearch

I originally came here for lunch with business partners a couple weeks ago. It was the perfect arena for our meeting. The room is beautiful and, at lunch, fairly reserved. We asked for a large table and although we were only three people, they readily obliged us. The servers were knowledgable and friendly without being obtrusive; the service was well-paced and the food was delicious. They have a pre-fixe lunch that was a great deal. We agreed that we would definately come back.

I actually did, last week, with my fiance. We had a romantic dinner on Friday night. When we got there, there was definately a different buzz. A little more relaxed and fun. The sommelier, who was very friendly, helped us choose a delicious wine that went perfectly with both our meals. My fiance had the crudo which was divine - and I had spiced poached pears with house-cured lardo. We shared the spaghettini with razor clams and bottarga - which my fiance said was exactly like he had in Sardinia - and I got local blackfish in a mussel broth. He had the suckling pig which was SO tender. I think it was the best I've had in NY. For dessert we shard these little doughnuts - bomboloni, I think. A MUST.

When we left, the place had a great vibe. I think I'll come back with some friends; the bar looks like a nice spot to grab a glass of wine and a bite to eat.

• Pros: Food, ambience, service
• Cons: Pricey, although normal for the area, and pre-fixe menus are great deals

01/09/07

Best of the Best Italian Restaurant ever.

by rsisley at Citysearch

The food is fabulous evry entree' is great and the food is explained to you so you can enjoy what you are eating I highly recommend this restaurant this is the real deal.

• Pros: THUMBS UP ALL THE WAY
• Cons: NO CONS WHATS SO EVER