Naima

04/01/09

tasty and fun!

by redbaron123 at Citysearch

I was visiting galleries in chelsea and friend of mine, quite a foody, recommended me the Naima as the perfect spot for the lunch in that area, especially when you get hungry after all the walking I did that day.

I can tell you that I was delighted with the menu and fed properly for the lunch. The food was absolutely delicious, and the owner was cute too. I decided to come back with my friends for the dinner the next day and we enjoyed it thoroughly. The staff was courteous and always ready to assist. Our meals were perfectly prepared and we all send the empty plates back to kitchen.

Finally, it is very rare that you can find such a good value in terms of the price and quality of the food, especially for the lunch. Naima you will definitely see me again!

• Pros: great atmosphere and food
• Cons: none

03/31/09

Great if your a stuffy food conniseur

by ojoyous1 at Citysearch

We got conned into buying $7 bottles of water, then they refilled it w/o asking. (if they ask if you want flat or sparkling, say TAP) I asked the waitress which of 2 entrees was better, she said the penne was more popular, so i ordered that, and she gave me a disgusted look. She was such a food snob, even correcting one in our party for not pronouncing the meal correctly. My meal was by far the best of 6 (everyone tasted) but it tasted like it had enough salt in it for a weeks worth of sodium intake. (from the procuitto). It also took forever to get our meal even though we were one of the only tables in there. I wouldn't go back. Hope this helps someone else!

• Pros: We sat right down
• Cons: Food was salty, Waitress was a food snob

03/30/09

Good Food, Snobby Service

by lee337w at Citysearch

The food was delicious but the staff seemed uninterested in answering questions regarding the food and only wanted to correct bad dish name pronunciation.

"Food Snobs"

• Pros: Food was diverse, well prepared, and tasty
• Cons: Waitress seemed uninterested and stuck up

01/07/09

quality over quantity!

by atlwahoo at Citysearch

Picked Naima off a list of Italian restaurants in Mahattan and found a jewel. Went to Naima for dinner on NYE and was not disappointed! The neighborhood is a bit off the beaten path - on a very quiet street, but still safe. The restaurant is cozy (think hardwood) and has a a great ambience - warm, not snobby, but still really nice decor. Service was a bit slow, but again, NYE, so quite busy. There were actual Italians sitting at the table next to us, which I guess was a good sign off the bat. The zuchinni appetizer was amazing - like a zuchini lasagna, nothing like I've ever eaten before; also the caprese salad in a crispy cheese pocket, perfection! The main courses were a bit on the smaller side for American portions, but still enough food for normal people... Every dish was delicious and it was clear that they used high quality ingredients. We ordered the ravioli, rigatoni, third pasta dish I can't remember, and the chicken - all were great! The waitress had recommendations for the wine and appetizers and they were right on. The prices were really reasonable, about $40 per person and that was with wine and apps and sharing four dishes among 6 people. If you value quality over quantity, this is your place. Would definitely go here again the next time I am in NYC.

• Pros: Food, Ambience

11/19/08

Top-notch meal

by coygrier at Citysearch

Another absolutely top-notch meal from Naima, as expected. The decor and service are impeccable, and the food is indescribably good.

If you don't have the Raviolli before you die, then you can't say that you really lived.

10/01/08

So Good......

by albertcr at Citysearch

I love Naima! It reminds me of some Italian restaurant in New Jersey in the 70's...I hope they never change the decor. And the food....mmmmmm! So good...one of the few good Italian restaurants in the city, in my humble opinion. Try the Ravioli Capresi....you won't be disappointed. And the wait staff is the real deal. Great service.

• Pros: staff,service,ambiance

07/25/08

Average

by CatMarJen at Citysearch

Celebrated a friend's birthday, the staff was very accomodating because we had people who were unable to make dinner but came out for the afterparty. Food was great, service was terrific, and the place got packed as the evening went along. Definitely great to share, since their portions are nice, and a solid Italian restaurant that is great for larger parties.

07/16/08

A gem!

by Swizzlestick at Citysearch

We ate early so there weren't many people there. So clearly, service was not an issue.

My appetizers, pasta and main were unreal. The fava bean salad was unbelievable. We had an assortment of appetizers, and I was hoping to hoard this. Successful. The pasta was a rigatoni that came out in a sizzling hot bowl. The tubes had a nice crisp to it and the sauce was simple enough to not overwhelm it.

Now I gotta say, the main goes down in my pantheon of all things I've ever eaten. Grilled octopus with full tentacles over roasted fennel and arugula. I couldn't identify the sauce, but it was perfect.

Amen to this place.

06/24/08

lots of fun!!

by Yasmine79 at Citysearch

It is nice to have delicious Italian food with nice looking crowd. It is a hot spot to have dinner.

It is open until 2.00 am . Since you are in a nightlife street , there are many options to go after you have your dinner.

Recommended!!

• Pros: ambiance, music

05/12/08

worst restaurant experience

by legallyblonde10023 at Citysearch

My friends planned a bachelorette party for me. We were going to start the evening's activities with dinner at Naima at 6:30. We made the reservation, for a group of 12, three weeks in advance. Two days before the party Naima's manager called and said that we'd have to leave his restaurant before 8pm because he has a private party that is starting at 8. We told him that there is no way we'd be done with dinner by 8, and besides, we reserved our table three weeks in advance and were never told we'd only have 1.5 hours for dinner. He really didn't care. We ended up having to find another restaurant that could accomodate a group of 12 on a saturday night. Bottom line: if you want a restaurant that will actually honor your reservation, Naima is not the place.

• Cons: They don't honor their reservations.