Reviews & Ratings for Basso56

Wonderful experience and great atmosphere!

by jolyjungle

We were a party of six. We had a reservation at 8PM and got there a couple of minutes early. We were seated immediately at a table waiting for us. The waiter was extremely knowledgeable and gave us the list of specials. We ordered appetizers and I had the scallops and my wife had the fried callimari. Both were fresh and favorable! Some of the best scallops I have tasted. The dinner. I had veal marsalla and wife shared the Branzino and salmon with her friend. They both said it was excellent. My veal was tender and tasted just right. Our friends also said their meals were excellent and were glad we chose Basso56 as our restaurant. It was our anniversary celebration and they brought out some chocolate cake with a candle and we loved it, After coffee we had stayed a bit longer to talk and never got the feeling we were being rushed. The meal was very reasonable for NYC standards and I would gladly recommend you come here if you are thinking of visiting the area. You are going to enjoy it.

Not great

by EpicureanNYC

Yes, Basso 56 is an okay restaurant, but not always consistent. The fish is okay, aside from the occasional worm. I found a live red worm in my cod the final time I ate there. I was startled and let out a slight scream, but the manager was not accommodating-- they were irritated!! I walked out, but they charged us for everything before we left. Including the fish with the worm in it! It is by far the worst managed restaurant I have ever patronized in Manhattan. I live in the neighborhood and had been a regular at the restaurant, yet they still didn't have the courtesy to at least apologize and not charge me for the untouched meal. We were disgusted.

Always a Safe Bet; Always Good

by babubbie

This is a the restaurant that is always the safe bet: No matter who the company is or what their tastes are, Basso56 will always please...

Reasons not only include exceptional food prepared and supervised by a seasoned, authentic-Italian, in-kitchen chef, but also boasts a wine list and desert menu that is perfectly merchandised and dish-paired-too.

The staff are accommodating and, carefully doting ensuring client satisfaction. Each member of the wait staff are gifted with character and appropriate humor.

Impress your family; impress your friends. This is the NYC cuisine equivalent of a place of safe harbor.

Midtown retreat

by jayGeorge

If you, like I, are put off going to this place due to the "okay at best" review left by NYC Designer Girl, please take the time to read this review for a much less ego-driven perspective. Anybody that finds it reasonable to go by that moniker doesn't garner much stock from me when it comes to reviewing restaurants. Rant over...

Here's my take. My date and I got here a little later for our meal, and they were very accommodating. Once we were seated, I took in the space and got a feel for the environment. Very clean, very modern white walls in the slightly subterranean room give a feeling of airyness despite the lack of windows. This place is modern without being sparse or harsh - it still feels friendly in it's Spartan minimalism. The music is louder than an average restaurant and is much livelier than the stock Italian music you'll normally get.

Our waiter was a genuine treat. Very friendly, very enthusiastic and very eager to please. We ordered the fried calamari and prosciutto wrapped burrata for apps, and they were both very good. The calamari was crispy without being chewy, the burrata was creamy and worked well with the smoky wrapper. Our mains were both pasta-based. My date had gnocchi with a creamy tomato sauce, and we requested an addition of Vodka to the dish which was duly accommodated. I chose the special: linguine with scallops and rock shrimp. Large portions of steaming food promptly arrived and we wated no time tucking in. My date was Italian and was very happy with the authenticity and taste of her dish. My dish was slightly less impressive. Without a sauce to bind the ingredients, it seemed too dry and dislocated to be impressive. Passable, but I wouldn't order it again.

For dessert, we had Tiramisu and Creme Brulee. The Tiramisu was very tart and lemony, which we didn't expect and didn't much appreciate. The Creme Brulee was decent: the custard was a little too thick, but worked fine with the extra brittle glaze.

Our waiter was always attentive and kept the wine and water topped up. After paying a very reasonable price, we made our way out to our next stop.

In summary, this place isn't supposed to be the most impressive Italian in an already restaurant-soaked area. It provides a moderately priced alternative to the sometimes-cheesy trattorias or over-expensive Italian swankhouses of midtown. Don't try to impress with this place, because it's not that sort of venue. As we were leaving, the music was louder and a couple of girls were dancing near the entrance. It's not a clubby sort of place; I can envision families eating here perfectly comfortable too. And that's exactly what you should take away fro this review: comfort. Enjoy!

• Pros: Great selection, excellent service
• Cons: Specials were uninspired, one toilet cubicle per sex!

Food, ambiance, service was AMAZING

by Foodnyc

The service was amazing, our waiter's name was Silvio and he was very attentive as was all the waiters. He told us the specials and was very nice and patient. The food was so delicious. We had the best crabcake for appettizers. I would recommend this dish to everyone. I then had the shrimp pasta and it was so fresh. The dessert was amazing as well. I have no complaints. Our table was cleared for each meals we ordered and received new silverwares. I will definetly go back!!

• Pros: Service, food and Ambiance
• Cons: Nothing

okay at best

by NYC Designer Girl

Basso is great for a quick casual meal. The atmosphere is not romantic, as it's just plain decor. The crabcakes are great. So are the lambchops, but the fish is not always fresh, and occasionally, there is a fishy smell to it. I also feel it's overpriced for what it is. But I dine out every evening, and I sometimes prefer a more casual atmosphere, which this is. Recently a patron found a worm in his fish, which really horrified me, as I was at the next table.

• Pros: Good crabcakes
• Cons: Not good for seafood

The Best Service and food

by G004

I have been to this restaurant twice and every time I have been there,the service is bar none "THE BEST". They make you feel as though you are part of the family to which they wait on you hand and foot. Exemplary Service. The food and presentation is wonderful as I have tried different dishes and they always have made me yearn for more. Wonderful location, with a quaint feeling to it, even if others may feel it is too small. On a scale of 1 to 10 scale I would give Basso 56 a 100!!!!!

• Pros: Attention to detail, SERVICE, presentation, taste and flavor
• Cons: There are none!!!

AMAZING

by ALPINEFUNDS

my family and friend had a \great dinner experience at BASSO the staff was friendly and accomodating.

The food was amazing from the ossobucco spcial to the gnocchi and pasta dishes.

It was a real at home feeling.

higly recomed.

absolutely delicious!

by lisanadyy

Absolutely delicious! The interior of the restaurant is the romantic and you feel you have escaped city life and are in another place. I had the 3 course meal. I cannot describe how delicious each plate was, especially the grilled salmon, I didn't want it to end! The staff was all very attentive and professional. Definitely recommended for any occasion.

Amazing Restaurantt...

by radpalato

We went to this restaurant with another couple and it's definitely an experience. Food's great, of course, but the service is off the hook. The wait staff are incredibly attentive! We ordered several items from the menu, and the one thing that struck me was the lack of veggies. That's my only criticism. The end of the meal, we all needed a walk. Overall, amazing.

• Pros: service,ambiance,food