06/03/09

Authentic and delicious!

by Rumburak

My boyfriend and I, dined quite few times at La Grolla, and we've never been disappointed.

These guys are really great and the food are serving is simply the best Italian food you can get on UWS.

We love their Veal Milanese and their roasted baby artichokes, as well the Pannacotta.

Last time we were there, we had a great bottle of Schiava Rose, a superb Northern Italian wine, suggested by Chef Dan.

We absolutely loved it, and it was only $25.

If you are looking for something authentic, tasty and less pretentious, I think you should try La Grolla, it's an experience, not to be missed!

• Pros: Great dinner!

05/28/09

Very pleasant!

by Kaper1

Growing up in the food business (my father was a chef ) I developed a strong sense about , what makes a restaurant good.

Dining at La Grolla, was an experience. The food was excellent, their wine list is small but consistent and the service was warm and professional.

We had a beautiful bottle of wine from Sardinia and we had started with a delicate dish of rabbit and veal polpette (meatballs) served with mixed peppers ratatouille, followed by a delicious ravioli dish (artichokes and pecorino filling).

For the main course my husband had red perch fillet wrapped in prosciutto with balsamic glaze and I had their almond crusted trout, which was superb.

We skipped dessert, but we had coffee and grappa.

It was a pleasant experience, we will go back to La Grolla.

• Pros: Creativeand very well priced menu

04/21/09

Very disappointing

by kathieann74

After reading all of the positive reviews. my husband and I decided to give La Grolla a try. The restaurant is small with plain decor with a few tables outside. We were greeted warmly by Dan, "the executive chef" and was shown to a quiet table in the corner next to a small bar. My first thought was why the executive chef was greeting guests and not in the kitchen? The bar selection was fair at best. Having ordered a vodka gimlet, I received vodka with fresh squeezed lime juice instead of Roses lime juice. On the unimpressive wine list, there were 5 wines priced at $25. These were 4 reds and 1 chardonnay. Others were overpriced and being an Italian restaurant, the Italian wines were of poor selection. My husband and I started off by sharing a small pizza which was very good. We then shared an order of pasta pomodoro. The homemade pasta was cooked nicely but the sauce was overwhelming and lacked flavor. My husband chose the whole orata for his entree and I, the vitello milanese. The orata, besides being small was overdone and dry. Since it was served whole, noone offered to fillet it. Fortunately, my husband was able to do it himself. I feel that the server should've mentioned this fact when the order was placed. My veal dish was also overcooked and somewhat greasy. Service was pleasant and courteous. Cost of our meal was $150 without tip. This included 2 cocktails, 1 bottle of wine and dessert.

Also, on another note, the men's room was not clean.

01/01/09

Great food on the UWS

by duranie70

My husband and I went last night for New Years Eve.

The food was incredible, we loved every bite. We had the polenta and mushroom ragu for an appetizer and I had a special entree for the night which was risotto w/ ginger, lemon, and shrimp. The desserts were spectacular too. The staff was very nice. The only negative is that- the place was so cold! We wished we had our coats on. I guess it is because of all the windows but they should get some heating lamps.

I would definitely go back and I strongly recommend it.

• Pros: Great service, nice wine list, incredible food
• Cons: Very cold inside

10/04/08

The best Italian food on UWS

by hertzman

We had dinner at La Grolla tonight, and it was an esquisite experience.

I highly suggest this place for the food, service and good prices.

As a matter of fact we left the restaurant next door (Al Dente), because the horrible service we've got, and we discovered our next favourite. Try it, it's great.

08/28/08

WORST DELIVERY EVER

by tikvah

While the food is pretty good, do not at all bother with the delivery service! My husband and I ordered from (what used to be) one of our favorite Italian places on the UWS. Our initial order was called in at around 7:45pm. My husband had to repeat himself 3 times before the order was taken properly. Then we waited almost an hour and half to receive our order. Not totally unusual by NYC standards, but still a bit of a wait. Then when our order arrived, first, the delivery guy had zero change on him for the cost of the food and a tip. So we had to scrounge for quarters to give him a decent tip. Not really that bad, but then the order was completely wrong and it was incredibly cold. We had to call them and ask them to send the correct order. After waiting another hour (now about 10pm), we were starving and anxiously awaiting the delivery guy. The order came for the 2nd time completely wrong! Upon calling the restaurant, upset and starving, and telling them of the incorrect order again, they offered to re-send us our original order, but this was too late for us. We asked for our money back (we paid cash), and was told that there was no manager on duty to do this. Upon getting angry with them and threatening to come down to what sounded like a crowded restaurant, all of a sudden the owner was available to speak with us. All that he offered was apologies and tried to send us our correct order. All we wanted was our money back. After another 30 minutes we got our money. Again, the food is pretty good here, but the hassle of relying on them being properly staffed is not worth the trouble!

12/09/07

Great little jewel

by sloman1234

I had recently dined at La Grolla, and I had a very pleasant experience.

Such a wonderful place, superb food and super friendly service.

They have well priced dishes, and generous portions.

We loved the artichokes and the rabbit.

10/22/07

Truly impressed!

by gourmetlady67

I was looking for a place where we never been before, to celebrate our aniversary, and I picked out this restaurant from the most recent Zagat guide, which praised La Grolla for their "beautiful food".

Once we stepped in the restaurant, we've been welcomed by the owner and three other staff members.

They offered us a table by the window, which was nice and cozy.

We've started with a delicious Fontina fondue, followed by whole wheat ravioli with speck and a delicious venison stew.

The waiter suggested a wine from Tuscany named ?Le Cupole", which was the perfect match for our food.

For dessert we had a very interesting Tiramisu, way different than what we've tried before.

The night was memorable and I think we will be back at La Grolla very soon.

Keep it up gents!

10/06/07

Authentic Italian on the UWS!

by veek

This is my favorite Italian Restaurant on the Upper West Side. Killer food (try the house made pasta?s) and one of the best and unique wine lists around for a small restaurant. I think they have a Wine Spectator Award as well. I try to get up there at least twice a month. Everyone I bring is always impressed. Danny, one of the owners is always there to add to the experience and offer recommendations. A don?t miss restaurant in my book!

• Pros: Great food and wine list

09/26/07

GREAT FOOD

by mello13

I just dined at La Grolla for the first time yesterday, and I had an exquisite experience.

I had roasted artichokes to start, followed by the scaloppini with mustard-tarragon sauce, both dishes were really well prepared.

I will be there tonite again.