Editorial Review

by Contributor

Italian cuisine in a bright, cheery setting lures hungry East Villagers.

10/26/08

good food

by i222

the food is good and the service is ok though. do not go with large parties cos you may have to wait in order to get seated specially during the weekends..

10/17/08

very mediocre

by snej

True, the dining room in Panificio is an appealing and inviting space, but the food is truly mediocre. I live in the neighborhood, so I gave this restaurant a couple of chances, and on both occasions my friends and I left dissatisfied. The food was bland but heavy on the oil, and the kitchen's awkward and sporadic attempts at novelty fall flat. I left the majority of the food on my plate on both visits. The first time I was there, the service was excellent. The second time, the waitress was friendly, but got our order wrong and didn't bother to check on us once (in a dining room that was almost empty; there was one other table occupied at the time). If you really want innovative Italian that is almost always wonderfully executed and always exciting, endure the wait at Perbacco. In a neighborhood with a surfeit of good Italian restaurants that are similarly priced, this one is simply subpar and worth passing over. I generally try to avoid writing negative reviews, but I have given this restaurant more than one chance and I found the overwhelmingly positive reviews to be misleading.

• Pros: attractive dining room, Balthazar bread
• Cons: food

06/21/08

Excellent experience - Highly recommended for authentic Italian in the EV

by dudeman1nd

Great restaurant! My boyfriend and I came for an early Saturday dinner and had a wonderful experience. The atmosphere is very relaxed with nice music, flowers, and decoration. They brought delicious bread with olives and dip before our meal. We tried a special of the day, which was a tasty watermelon gazpacho. I had a fantastic roasted chicken with vegetables and my boyfriend had the owner's favorite dish, the wild striped bass (and he was nice enough to come out and meet us). Dishes were wonderful and they bent-over backward to make it authentic - including large caper berries that garnished the fish. Service was also very friendly and quick!

Highly recommended for a nice spot in the east village and authentic Italian!

• Pros: Excellent food, service, and ambience - had an excellent dinner - would be good for brunch
• Cons: No liquor license yet

05/26/08

Fresh, creative food and excellent service!

by lling

A gem in Alphabet City! The menu has great twists on Italian and Italian-American food. I recommend the bruschetta which comes with traditional tomatoes or with artichoke spread. There are several creative variations - Indulge yourself! The flat bread pizza on focaccia bread was mouth watering. Any vegetable pairings (asparagus with striped bass) tastes fresh. This place is a must try. I can't wait to check out brunch! PS the hostess was really friendly and immediately made us feel welcomed!

• Pros: Fresh food, very friendly service, no attitude.
• Cons: none

05/20/08

Unpretentious, flavorful Italian

by CocolinaK

I dined here for the first time on Saturday night and was immediately impressed by the welcoming restaurant staff and laid-back feel that the space exuded. In a sea of trendy, overrated NYC restaurants, Panificio is a true breath of fresh air. The comfortable, unpretentious decor and well-designed, eclectic-Italian menu offered just the right selection to both my boyfriend, a true Northern Italian native with a highly discerning palate, and myself, an American eat-all foodie. I had the most amazing artichoke appetizer and he was not disappointed with his heaping portion of Spaghetti Carbonara. I would recommend this place to both couples and large groups alike and would also spread the word to anyone who needs a dinner party catered in their home or business.

• Pros: Great value for a phenomenal meal
• Cons: Better bread dip, no liquor license yet

04/30/08

Delicious!

by sola112

The food is excellent! I have eaten here once a week since its opened. So far I have tried the Mozz, Tomato and Pesto sandwich, which was out of this world. They have managed to turn a pretty boring sandwich into a delicious meal unto itself. The pesto was like nothing I have ever tasted before, I wanted to slather it on everything! I have also tried their grilled veggies (grilled to perfection) and the freshest tilapia I have ever tasted. This restaurant takes mundane, common dishes such as penne vodka and adds unexpected touches such as fava beans and it leaves you wondering why you didn't think of adding the ingredients before yourself or why other places don't serve it the same way. Overall, I highly recommend eating here. It took me a while to go and try this place out since its so new, but I'm really glad I did. I found my new favorite restaurant- and I look forward to trying new items on their menu!

Editorial Review

by Contributor

Italian cuisine in a bright, cheery setting lures hungry East Villagers.

04/17/08

Best food anywhere,great customer service

by terek

This place is great.

You can spend a romantic evening there by spring flowers or candles and music.

Food is excellent,great customer service ,and we'll definitely be back.

• Pros: great ambience,great service