09/16/09

NO NO

by bale345

The WORST service I have had in forever. Was my friend's birthday on a very empty weeknight. Waiter did not pour wine, did not get plates cleared (Even though he was 12" away at the station). Service was SLOW and was not acknowledged. Plates were not cleared - had to flag down a bus person. ummmm... let's see.... waiter would basically ask how we were while he kept on walking by..it was like he worked for the DMV. did not ask if we wanted coffee after B day cake brought over. Just walked away.. HUH????

• Pros: none
• Cons: service, food

11/09/08

Great Food, everything else seriously lacking. Could be one of the greats.

by UWSider2008

We were a party of six, which would please any resturant in this economy. We stood waiting to undertand if we seat ourselves or if we needed to wait to be seated. Finally, a waiter came over and asked our number of people and seated us. The food was great, no question about it. But there is an attitude about the staff. The food is great so deal with causal dress code for staff (sneakers & jeans), chasing a waiter for more water, then serving yourself instead of waiter serving everyone at the table. Bad recommendation on the cheesecake. Waiters have no ability to field simple questions on menu. Again, the food is great but it takes more than great food to make a great meal. Decor, atmosphere, waiter knowledge of menu, friendliness, service, service, service. Thank you.

• Pros: great food
• Cons: service needs overhaul and education, decor upgrade.

10/09/08

RUDE BAD FOOD HORRIBLE STAFF RUDE OWNER

by nyobama

This place used to be lovely. We went there , 2 couples for a birthday dinner. What a mistake.

The bar was a local hangout which when we asked for drinks to be transfered to our table the

barmaid sighed with a "OK!" in a very rude manner. Then the special? vodka sauce tasted like it was out of a can. Then the waiter seemed to be so engrossed with the locals at the bar, our food was not hot, and the salads were wilty. I can not believe a rest could go so far down hill. Then the owner. This man is so rude. We overheard him yelling at a woman who didnt know she had to use CASH only. It was a horrible night. This WAS a great place. The staff is bored and maybe drunk. The owner is rude and nasty. The food was terrible Ive had better with stouffers. I would not recommend this more than I would a deli on any corner in NYC , I think they are much better and fresher. Truly to have such a beautiful space and to ruin it with rude service, terrible food, cash only...is a disgrace to the uws. The owner is not a nice guy. And I think it caused the whole place to go down the tubes. Dont go here. Also people were smoking , the staff, right outside the open windows, and you could smell it in the rest. The coffee. Was also uneventful. Very rude staff waiters and terrible food.

09/21/08

Not a good value for the money

by Megawattz

Dinner for 2 came to a little over $80. My entree arrived slightly warm on a dingy plate. While we were still waiting for our entrees, the busboy asked if he could take our olive oil which we said was ok since no one came back with more bread for our bread basket. Service was slow. We ordered an appetizer of fried zucchini and it was not great, and too small a portion for 2. We waited so long for the zucchini to arrive I started to think it would arrive the same time as our entrees, but the entrees did come later.

On the plus side, our waiter was friendly and informative. I liked the wine and the dessert was good, but in general I left there thinking we could have made that whole dinner (better) at home and not spent that much money. This would be a good place to go for dessert and an espresso after a show at Lincoln Center, but I don't recommend it for dinner.

• Pros: Good dessert, friendly waiter
• Cons: Food arrived late and not hot, slow service

05/14/08

Great customer service!

by serena250

I was really surprised to read some of the previous reviews on this place. It is a local favorite of a few of my friends, so I joined them with my husband for dinner last week. The staff was amazing and gracious. They even gave us a free sampling of desserts at the end of our meal! This place has great classic italian fare at very reasonable prices. The seafood risotto and penne ala vodka were my favorites! There is a beautiful/charming outdoor garden (hence "bello giardino") with tables set underneath grape vines!!! Great place for a romantic date!!! Haven't found many places like this in all of NYC.

• Pros: Service, ambience, romantic
• Cons: Decor could be updated

11/22/07

This place used to be good

by jj333

The food has really gone downhill. Too bad good neighborhoos restaurants like this get sloppy as they mature. The food was too greasy, and didn't feel really fresh, like it came out of a microwave. Time to find a new place in the Upper West Side...

• Pros: neighborhood place
• Cons: subpar food

11/12/07

Rude owner, worst restaurant experience ever

by soanmajor

My dinner at Bello Giardino was the worst experience I've ever had in restaurant. I went there for the first and only time with my husband and infant son, who was sleeping in his stroller. We went for an early dinner because we had the baby and were hoping to avoid crowds. When we got there at 5 pm the place was empty, but I asked the waiter to seat us someplace where the stroller would be out of the way. Halfway through our dinner, the owner came over and started yelling at us to move our stroller so he could use the table next to us. I told him that we had been assured by our waiter that the stroller would be fine. He then called our waiter over and loudly demanded that he bring us our check, effectively kicking us out before we finished our meal. I was discussing the situation calmy with my husband when the owner again came over to reay the table next t us, and when he heard me talking he came over and pointed a finger in my face and shouted that I could never come back, and did the same to my husband. By this point, he was causing such a scene that fellow diners were watching in shock. He was unbelievably rude and unprofessional. I would advise you to avoid this restaurant if you want courteous service because this man seems like a loose canon who truly ruined our evening. I had gone out of my way to make sure the stroller would not be a problem, and we would have gone somewhere else if the waiter had simply told us it would be in the way. Instead, the owner blamed us for the waiter's mistake and forced us to pay for a meal we couldn't finish. Please do not support this business, there are so many wonderul restaurants with better food and owners who appreciate their customers.

• Cons: lame ambiance (cheesy pictures, tacky flowers), ordinary menu and food, rude owner, tables too crowded

05/31/06

Sitting in a garden on Memorial Day

by thomhowe

After a long Memorial Day weekend, my Lady Friend and I decided to eat something that was not barbecued or fried. We decided on Italian food. Since my Lady Friend is Italian, her bar for her country's fare is high. However, she went patriotic with a salad and grilled chicken. I had the penne a la vodka. The best thing about Bello Giardino was the garden in the back. Covered by a canopy of vines and leaves, it didn't feel like NYC. I imagine that the staff was short because the service was a bit spotty but very friendly. I'd recommend this for a casual dinner, but make sure you sit in the garden.

• Pros: The garden, my date

01/17/06

Hidden Gem

by mikemny

My girlfriend and I dine here on a regular basis. Our food has been consistently good, and we can always walk in and get a table. Prices are very reasonable. The bill for the two of us is usually around $60, including drinks, tip, etc. While the pasta dishes are good, I highly recommend a chicken or eggplant dish. This place can have a romantic feel to it when it isn't crowded, but when they are busy, the acoustics make it seem a bit noisy. Overall, I find it to be an enjoyable experience.

• Pros: Promt Seating, Good Food
• Cons: Cash Only, Can Get Noisy

01/15/05

new management?

by cc17

went w/ several friends based on the previous reviews...unfortunately it seems the restaurant must be under new (& disimproved) management. food was mediocre (bland & served luke warm) & service was inconsistent (attentive @ first and then nothing near the end). but the worst part was dealing with the rude manager. our party would have left were it not for the fact we were there for a bday celebration. suffice it to say we will not go back nor ever recommend the place to anyone unless we happen to hear there is new management.

• Pros: ambience
• Cons: , manager