Al Di La Trattoria

06/23/2008 Posted by bgourley

the first 2 or 3 times I ate here I loved it. I live in the neighborhood, one block down in fact. The past 2 times I have been have been lukewarm and downright cold respectively. the front dining room you can have a great experience if you get a good server. we did not . they were snobby, inattentive and generally speaking unhelpful. the food was mediocre, I guess the acclaimed chef had taken the evening off the night before. last night i went to the wine bar, and the bartender was horrible. the restaurant was not busy when we arrived but she kept on forgetting simple things , like, ummm.. drinks. water. and, oh yeah , food. when I pointed out that a couple that got there 30 minutes after us, got their food before us, and asked to just cancel our order, she slammed down her tray on the surface, stormed out of the room and then we were told our meal was comped. I just cant deal with attitude, especially drama when I go out to eat. I would rather go down the street to family run La Villa where they appreciate their customers.

06/04/2008 Posted by zaranoff

Been there several times. I don't recall what I ate exactly (it's been a while...) but all I can say that everything on the menu is superb. This establishment is the real deal. Wish NY had more of these kind of places: intimate, superb food, homey, top notch all the way around. Everyone's complaining about the lines. In a sense I prefer that. If the place would take reservations, I would never make it there. I can't plan a meal three months in advance. I go out to eat spontaneously. If that means I have to while for 30-60min, that's life. Certainly worth the wait. Some people have been complaining about the service. I don't recall having bad service there, but next time I'm there I'll pay attention to that.

Pros: top notch all around

Cons: a long wait

03/02/2008 Posted by EGF

I was looking forward to dinner at Al Di La, but was greatly disappointed. We waited over an hour for a table after being told it would be 30 minutes. The tapas starter featured great shrimp, but the other tapas selections were nondescript. The orange salad was quite good with a dressing that enhanced, but did not overpower the salad. The rabbit that I ordered was tender, but too salty for my taste, and the pear cake with chocolate was really a chocolate infused cake with an almost complete absence of pear. On balance, my experience at Al Di La failed to live up to its reputation. As a new resident of Brooklyn, I find the Garden Cafe on Vanderbilt, Convivium Osteria in Park Slope, and The Grocery in Carroll Gardens to be superior to Al Di La in both food and ambiance.

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01/13/2008 Posted by newspapertaxy

My roommate and I took a couple of friends here tonight. We got there right at 700 PM and were told that we had an hour wait., which was what we expected. We took seats at the wine bar and ordered a bottle. We also got the awesome cheese plate. We got called to our table right on time and were immediately greeted by Kevin, who was a most attentive server. He rattled off the specials - all which sounded delightful. We got the tapas appetizer, and the squash and sage ravioli - FREAKING AMAZING. This was the best stuff I had ever put in my mouth. Our table ordered the rabbit, the pork tenderloin, the oxtail special, and the hangar steak. After that we got dessert and we also received a complimentary dessert from the chef, to accommodate all the other desserts that we bough :) I really recommend this place -= it was so nice and the atmosphere lovely. I have nothing bad to say. Amazing meal, and great job.

Pros: awesome food, great service

Cons: just the wait but you expect it here

01/08/2008 Posted by madmax64

I'm Italian and tend to be picky about Italian restaurants, even in New York. But Al Di La` (despite the strange name, "The Great Beyond") is definitely the real thing. The only problem is that they don't take reservations, but you can put your name on the list and head for the nice wine bar around the corner from the restaurant. Sit down, sip your favorite, and wait to be called...

Pros: real Italian food

Cons: no reservations accepted

12/27/2007 Posted by lovetoeatrealfood

Hello, I'm originally from Italy, I have been to Al Di La' quite a few times. I have to say that this cozy, warm, welcoming, original restaurant is a real treat. Enough with the so called "Real Italian Food", this is the place to go if you want to taste the authentic Italian food. True, you might have to wait for a table but.... IT IS WORTH IT!! While you r waiting you can choose to taste some wine at the " enoteca" just around the corner or JUST go across the street to this friendly Pub where drinks are excellent and CHEAP! In conclusion..they r doing a HELL OF A JOB, FOOD IS GREAT AND WELL PRICED! Great place to take your Honey, she/he will be impressed!!! Al Di La' guys... all I have to say is... : THANK YOU TO BRING THE REAL STUFF TO THIS WONDERFUL CITY!! CIAO. P.S. " TO THE OWNERS" YOU HAVE MADE MY NIGHT NUMEROUS TIMES AND I AM THANKFUL, VIVA IL VENETO!! Massimo

Pros: ALL PROS....

Cons: THE WAIT IS WORTH IT!!!!!!!!!

09/23/2007 Posted by brooklynmermaid

This place is really great--wonderful wine list, romantic ambiance, and best of all the food is amazing! I have been inspired to try to duplicate some of the dishes in my own kitchen. I've been going there for years and never have had a bad experience. It can take a long time to get seated, especially at "peak" times, so I generally go at off-times and have always had an incredible, memorable meal.

Pros: wonderful food, great wine list, romantic

Cons: can be a very long wait if you go at peak times

07/01/2007 Posted by Jacuna

We walked by and saw great menu and empty seats. Went in and had a fantastic meal! The wine list and service was OK. I would definitely go back and tell friends about so they can enjoy a great meal. Go early because when we left the place was packed and people waiting to be seated at this great trattoria. They have a cute wine bar right around the corner though so you can wait for your table.

06/29/2007 Posted by shawnm

I live in Park Slope and have been going to Al di la for years now. But on a recent Monday visit, while the food was fine as usual, the service was terrible. After waiting in the wine bar, we were seated in the restaurant. It was a busy Monday night, and everyone seemed to be running. We felt rushed, and while the food and wine was good, the service took away from the whole experience. Our waiter didnt make eye contact the entire time, and the specials were the same as the last time I ate there in March. In the past I've always thought the service there was personable and friendly, however this time it seemed like they were pushing us out to increase their numbers. I know that the restaurant is very popular especially after the Bruni review, but I used to consider it a neighborhood restaurant. AND as long as I've been eating there, no one seems to recognize me as a regular who used to eat there when it was cash only and didnt have stemware. I'll give it another chance but there are a lot of new Italian restaurants that are quite nice.

Pros: beet ravioli, ribs, bagna cauda

Cons: service, long waits, disinterested hostess

06/20/2007 Posted by corkpullernyc

Want to talk Over-Hyped??? Let's talk al di la. This restaurant has truly spot on Northern Italian fare, yet the menu NEVER changes. They've been running the same rotating list of specials for 2 years. This wine list is exceptional, but there are tons of great wine lists in Park Slope. My big beef is the atrocity they call service. Clearly, this restaurant is busy, and I don't expect great service at 8:30 on Saturday night. But, I do expect at least adequate service on monday at 6:30. Fat chance, it probably won't happen. The staff just isn't interested in the customer. The wine service is where i get really upset. The owner Emiliano (who has a good palate, and knows proper service) has 2x tried to stick me with bad wine. The first time i was on a date with my girlfreind and i ordered an obscure bottle of red(obscure is the name of the game here). When the taste was poured, i questioned the bottle as it had a little bit of carbonation. I asked them to decant it to see if the Co2 would blow-off, which they did. Once the wine was in the decanter it became evident that the wine was refermenting and actually gaining steam. At this point i outright rejected the bottle. Emiliano then came over and said that was the way the wine was supposed to be. I was on fire. I mean really, in less than 5 minutes, the wine went from pettilant to full frizzante (we aren't talking about lambrusco here). So as to not make a scene, i ordered a second bottle of something else and paid for both. On another occasion Emiliano refused to take back a corked bottle of amarone. Little did he know i had tasted at least 5 cases of the exact same wine. Its just rediculous. Even with all these complaints, I still go at least 6 times a year. Its a strange irony, the Bacaloa is great, its the service that stinks!

Pros: Good Wine List, Tasty Food, True Neighboorhood Vibe

Cons: Wine service as bad as I've encountered, Servers who coouldn't care less