Ago Ny Llc

02/02/09

Cold and Unfriendly

by epratt at Citysearch

The space is nice, especially considering that it's new construction; and someone involved in the build-out clearly had taste and an eye for detail. That's pretty much all the positives I can come up with for this place. The menu is not very interesting and the choices are limited. The food is actually pretty good, if standard, although not worth what they're charging.

The bigger problem is that they don't appear to like their customers. An earlier reviewer said the clientele is mostly local . . . are you kidding? I've never seen anyone from the neighborhood in there. If I were a new restaurant, I would throw my doors open and do everything I could to welcome regulars and establish an evening bar scene. Instead, it feels like they are exclusively for guests of the hotel and only begrudgingly serve non-hotel customers. They may be trying for a members-only feeling or something. They may be thinking if you want a lively bar scene you can go to TriBeCa Grill. But why turn people away? It comes across as cold and uninviting and just not a friendly place.

I've eaten there twice and, I'll repeat, the food is not bad. But the overall experience left me cold and unhappy to have spent the money.

• Pros: Not crowded
• Cons: Cold, uninviting, overpriced, hostile to locals

07/26/08

Old school elegance with wonderful ambience

by tribecagal11 at Citysearch

Loved it so much went twice in a week. Delicious food and great service. Love the curved bar and interesting crowd, mostly locals.

• Pros: Ambience, food
• Cons: Busy, can be noisy

07/20/08

Authetic & Exceptional Italian Cuisine and Gracious Service From the Moment One Enters

by peterstamelman at Citysearch

Ago is quite simply the best new Italian restaurant in NYC. The food is authentic and delicious, the presentation is elegant, the service is impeccable and the interior and decor are, without being overstated about it, rustically charming. Ignore Frank Bruni - every restaurant, even 3-starred Michelin champions - have their off-nights. Or maybe Mr. Bruni had an off-night: his review was far too harsh. Whether one eats at the welcoming bar or at one of the spacious tables, the comfort level is high and the service is attentive without being overbearing. I lived and worked in Italy for five years and can attest to chef Agostino's skill and light touch in all of his dishes, especially those from his native Tuscany. In addition, the wine list is superb and reasonable. This restaurant is a winner.

• Pros: Superb food and wine, exceptional service, rustic, comfortable ambiance.
• Cons: None

05/22/08

Great food in a great space

by carmela72 at Citysearch

Don?t believe the negative hype, My experience at Ago was amazing. The entire staff, mostly Italian, is extremely patient and kind. We were waiting a while for one guest to arrive before ordering and they never made us feel pressured, or rushed, they were extremely welcoming and patient, thought the restaurant was extremely busy. The wait staff was knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and charming.

We ordered many different things off the menu, and everything was wonderful, fresh and perfectly prepared. The Burrata melts in your mouth, the smoked sword fish is fresh and delicate, cured with juniper berried and topped with tart orange slices that give it the perfect burst of acidity, the octopus salad is the best I have had outside of Italy, tender, delicate, drizzled with exceptional extra virgin olive oil. The pastas were fresh and melted in your mouth, (we had the ravioli special, amazing) and the mushroom risotto was the perfect balance of woodsy porcini and buttery goodness. I would also recommend the Ago martini, made with fresh peach juice, it was absolutely luscious!

The food at Ago is simple, rustic and genuine, there is no pretense here, but when it is done right that is the essence of fine Italian cooking! We will definitely go back, once is not enough!

• Pros: Knowledgeable staff, incredibly fresh, authentic Italian food

05/12/08

Below Average

by dasaninyc at Citysearch

Went there for Mother's Day brunch this past weekend...The place was less than half filled so I would assume excellent, non rushed service - I assumed incorrectly. Both of our dishes were lukewarm, coffee was cold (each time it was filled), the waitress was sweet but the manager was horrible as I saw him yell publicly at several of the staff. He even raised his voice at my friend as we ordered. For some reason he felt the need to take our order, then our waitress came over to confirm the order and it was all wrong. The incredibly rude manager and the lukewarm food made the experience less than worthy. One plus is that the restrooms are amazing; the restroom decor far outweighs the decor of the restaurant.

• Pros: Big space, Gorgeous bathrooms
• Cons: Anger issued manager; lukewarm food; cold coffee

04/14/08

terrible start

by JSK1972 at Citysearch

The place was mobbed, as you'd expect from any hot new place in Tribeca. Problem is, they clearly aren't ready to be open. First of all, there's no coat check. This wasn't met with much sympathy from the hosts, more like "tough luck, we'll have one next year." Atmosphere is pretty good. The acoustics in the back room are terrible, its pretty hard to hear people at your table. Service was ok, not great but not too bad.

The food was terrible. We ordered appetizers and a pizza to share. Average at best. The pizza didn't seem like it was completely cooked. Of the 4 of us, only one person was somewhat satisfied with their entree, a fish dish. I ordered the veal tortellini (or whatever it was called), which they brought to me cold. It was evident that our food had spent a fair amount of time sitting under heat lamps that didn't quite get the job done. At these prices, food was completely unacceptable. Our server could tell mine was terrible and she offered to send it back to heat it up. I passed as I really just wanted to get out of there and move on to another bar at that point.

Either stay away entirely or give them 6 months to get their act together.

• Pros: Struggling here...
• Cons: No coat check, terrible food, very disorganized.

Editorial Review

by Contributor at Citysearch

Robert De Niro is one of the owners of this Italian restaurant in the Greenwich Hotel.