Really loved our dinner at Il Buco! Came here with my husband and two friends and we were sat at one of the long community tables. I will say, the table was a tight fit, but the food made up for it. The general vibe is very cozy, beautiful, and romantic. We started with bread and the olive oil tasting which I really enjoyed. We also shared burrata and grilled octopus. I really loved the octopus! For dinner I got one of the spaghetti dishes with seafood and found it enjoyable! We also split a bottle of wine and the somm was really helpful in picking out a bottle that matched what we were looking for. I would absolutely return! read more

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Such a cozy and elegant Italian restaurant. This place was definitely high class from the service to the food. The staff was super knowledgeable and helpful during our dinning and recommend the perfect details to our meal. You do need a reservation for this location but for good reason, the food is absolute perfection. We tried the croquets which were made with purple potatoes bratta which was paired with pear slices as opposed to tomatoes and was surprisingly divine , and the steak which came with veggies and was cooked to medium (recommended by staff) and it was absolute perfect! Their bread service also tasted so fresh and I love how they place the olive oil and salt separately. These interior truly had a traditional authentic Italian feel to it, both elegant/high class while still feeling cozy and homey. Definitely recommend if you're looking to spend good money on amazing food. read more

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I was able to try a full spread of what they offer during a company lunch so I'm confident when I say that Il Buco makes great Italian food. When you step inside, you feel like you're in a European cottage. There's a rustic charm lended by the wooden tables, bookshelves and cupboards. The service is friendly and efficient, with multiple waiters serving our table of 12. My favorite appetizers were the tomato salad (the tomatoes were so sweet and juicy!), the olives, the fruit salad, and the stuffed squash blossoms. There was also a good spread of prosiutto/salami, bread, and other dishes I'm not remembering off the top of my head. For my entree, I got the Tagliatelle Alla Funghi which was pretty tasty. While it didn't come out as hot as I would've liked, it was understandable considering they brought out all our entrees at the same time and some of the entrees were bound to be colder than others. Despite my pasta being on the lukewarm side, they gave a good portion and it satisfied my pasta craving. If I come back, I would try one of their tomato based pastas knowing that their tomatoes are really fresh. They also tell you where in Italy they get their ingredients from on the menu if you take the time to read the pages leading up to the food menu so you know it's as authentic as it gets. read more

Il Buco - Tagliatelle alla Funghi - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Waited for 35 minutes. We were very patient as we've both worked in the industry and understand this is sometimes the way things go. However after the host said she would "take care of [us]" we expected at least the first round of drinks we ordered while we were waiting to be comp'ed. When nothing was comp'ed or added we were extremely disappointed. Will not being going back or recommending this in the future. read more

The interior is so cute with its Italian rustic vibe. The food was tasty. The Tagliatelle is a must! The flavors were phenomenal with a hint of truffle and the texture was perfectly chewy. The fish was great. The risotto was lacking in flavor, the main flavor was from the Parmesan on top. Honestly everything else was good but not exceptional. The appetizer were ok. The fried rice balls kind of felt it was from the frozen section. The desserts were great. The panna cotta had a surprising balsamic twist on top that paired nicely with the strong vanilla flavor. The chocolate torte was rich in flavor. Points off because my booth has quite literally no leg room, I had to site sideways. I could've tried moving the table perhaps but it was heavy. read more

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How is this place so good? Seriously, how is this place so good? Every-time I come here, I leave in awe. The ingredients are fragrant and flavorful. The preparations are simple yet complex. I've never had anything on this menu that wasn't absolutely top notch. Ask for wine pairing recommendations and you'll take the entire night to the next level. Don't skip dessert and soak up this cozy dining room for a little while longer. read more

The food and drinks were fantastic. The atmosphere was very cozy and comfortable as well. Had a lovely mezcal cocktail with friends. Enjoyed an octopus appetizer, risotto entree, and olive oil cake (which was quite tart). The service was okay. read more

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A freind recommended this place to me from Pgh . I looked at the the menu and was kinda of scared w how small and not much was on it . I read the reviews and seen people said it was bland. I would highly stay away from this place food was bland / small portions / small menu / I eat all over the country. This is an embarrassment to an Italian meal . Sorry for the bad review but this meal was trash . Do your self a favor don't come here . So many other good Italian restaurants in new your city . Very disappointed read more

As some of the older reviews said, food was mediocre at best, lacking in taste. It was more or less bland. Service too was slow despite the restaurant being mostly empty. First my drink was wrong, a $20 cocktail tasted like sparking water; when I requested them to add more strawberry flavoring our server realized he forgot to add the flavoring entirely. Why a server was making cocktails in the first place is a mystery; thankfully the bartender took over & made us fresh cocktails...had I not asked, they'd have gotten away with charging me $20 for a glass of sparkling water. Our server really was one of the worst, didn't care to ask if we needed anything. When we requested for a takeout plastic/ paper bowl to feed our little pup water, our server said they don't have any. Literally minutes later, we saw another server walking past with a plastic bowl full of water for another dog. I chose not to confront our server, not worth it (we got a coffee cup to feed him water). Lastly, our risotto took almost an hour; we had to request it three times. Why? Because the entire restaurant was busy serving a table of 3 gentlemen, friends of the chef. Ironically, risotto was not worth waiting for anyways; it was the most basic risotto I've ever had (and I've had many - I can eat Milanese risotto everyday). As a NYC local & someone who visits Italy often, I would not recommend this place for either food or service. The ambience is lovely though. read more

3.8 stars for Il Buco is flat out ridiculous. Shame on y'all... I'm done sneak dissing, Kendrick inspired me. Gab G, Giacomo C, Jingshu G, Skyler N y'all need to be held accountable for these 2 and 3 star reviews. We gon give a starbucks 5 stars but Il Buco 3? Y'all are lucky I can't comment on reviews... Anyways - My list of favorite Italian places in New York City is a living, breathing work of art. There are just so damn many of them, and some do get comfortable at the top *cough cough Via Carota cough cough*. The crown is heavy. That being said, Il Buco has consistently been in my top 5. Every time I finish eating here I'm like "why don't I come here more???" All the top 5 have been 1 at some point... I don't actually have a list, this is more of a theoretical list. It is SUCH an authentic Italian dining experience, that on this trip we had to wait 45 minutes to be seated even after arriving on time for our res. I was originally slightly perturbed, but sitting at the bar and enjoying life with my girlfriend and with the staff apologizing 3 times and comping our drinks, how could I be mad? Sh*t happens and they handled it so professionally. I don't ask for much tbh... We were seated at a candlelit 2 person wood table that I can only imagine had been imported from the Tuscan countryside. Our damage this time consisted of the Salumi Platter, Tuscan Kale Salad, the Bikini, Truffle Tagliatelle (Special), and the Bistecca. The Truffle Tagliatelle had me really thanking god for my existence. If something can taste as good as this pasta does, life is worth living. Sometimes I get worried that all of the brightest and most creative minds of our species are busy programming how to make apps more addictive, but this pasta gave me hope. You can't deny the shine of a jedi. Our meal ended with them bringing out a slice of chocolate cake for my baby's birthday which was a great touch and made me look good, so shoutout Il Buco. We also ordered affogatos as they are objectively the best dessert on the planet and a great way to end a spiritual meal. Euphoric. IG @jnov_ Tiktok @jnov_reviews read more

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One of my absolute favorite spots when I visit New York. Not only is the food fantastic. But it's a great spot to just go sit at the bar and grab a drink and some appetizers. But on top of everything, I'm obsessed with the interior decor. I just love the vibes. read more

Best homemade pasta I've ever had in my life. Very cool vibe. Felt like we were in Italy. When we asked the concierge at The Four Seasons, where we could get some good Italian, this was the only restaurant they named. Even the cappuccino at the end was the best I've ever had. The bread and all the pasting was also very fun and delicious. I had no idea there was such a difference in olive oil. The thing that probably stuck out the most was the service. Everyone is very friendly and attentive. It really didn't feel like an American restaurant at all, and I mean that a nicest possible way. read more

It's a miracle we got same day reservation at this gem of a place. Highly recommend this place :) So it's very vibey and the decor is extremely nice. Somehow it works for both date night and friend gatherings. They have a great wine selection so pls get advice from their sommelier unless you know what you want and what goes with what! Started with their pumpkin flower ricotta cheese fritters (yup that's what I'm calling it because believe it or not my culture also has a similar dish :)) nicely fried well flavored and beautiful appetizer I ordered the tagliatelle that had truffle shavings all over. It went just right with my Sangiovese The other pastas my friends ordered were also delicious. The rigatoncini comes highly recommended as well. Listen to their specials as we ordered from that list and were extremely pleased. One was a version of the bolognese and the other was a good ol carbonara variation They also have olive oil tasting btw if you are interested :) Overall, extremely nice dinner place read more

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Food and ambiance here were top tier here. i cam in around noon and it was fairly quiet. Overall, the decor is rustic and extremely nice. Would definitely say this is a perfect late night. Would highly recommend stopping in here. read more

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We had dinner over the weekend. It was jam-packed, which we soon learned was because they were so backed up from previous reservations that everyone was just waiting. We waited an hour for our table. The hostess was not apologetic, no offer for a comped drink at the bar, and there seemed to be no urgency to move tables. Wine list is extensive, and we loved speaking with the sommelier. She was insightful and recommended us towards some beautiful wines we wouldn't had known about. The pastas were flavorful. read more

Absolutely incredible. The design inside truly transports you to the feel of Tuscany. The food is meticulously crafted and is all bursting with flavor. Our favorite from the menu today was the sea bass and truffle egg pasta. Was crowded but we got there early and were able to get a table outside... service was pretty good. Overall definitely recommend read more

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Food was top teir for a date night that won't break your bank. Food was very good and the patio was cute. The server was kind and had great wine recommendations. read more

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From start to finish, every moment of our experience was impeccable. The vibe inside is so cozy and inviting, with a warm and rustic feel. We started with the Croquetas and the Olive Oil Tasting, which was such an interesting and enjoyable experience. We both had the Halibut, which has a citrus salad on top and was served on a bed of olive oil mashed potatoes (incredible). We could not say no to dessert and went with the flourless chocolate cake and the most amazing, fluffy light "donuts" in a berry sauce. Our server was so kind and attentive. It truly was such an enjoyable evening. I look forward to the opportunity to come back! read more

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This is a very special restaurant with great rustic ambiance. The service by Johnny was excellent. Very attentive and knowledgeable. The food was the best part. All my guests were extremely impressed with the quality of the food. read more

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Vibes & service are impeccable as a whole but food leaves some questions: while main dishes are all prepared & served perfectly (changing menu every day is the best part here), the appetizers are looking too simple for the vibes, you'd expect way more than some standard approach to serving this type of the meal. All positive review for dessert & a wine list - the former is as fresh as it can be, the latter is very extensive. read more

I came here for an early dinner after work on a Tuesday night. After reading the reviews posted on Yelp, I was really excited to try their dishes, especially the pasta with truffles. When I arrived, I learned very quickly that the menu changed daily, so they didn't have the taglatelle with truffles. However, my server highly recommended that I still order the taglatelle because it's made in-house. This pasta dish was made with figs and pancetta. Service was great overall. My server was knowledgeable and an upseller. My server was trying to persuade me to pair my pasta meal with a very strong wine. The highlights of this dining experience were the Bikini sandwich and the Panna cotta. I absolutely agree with the other reviewers who posted they these two dishes are a must get. The bikini sandwich is to die for especially paired with the red wine (r. Grosjean Gamay), which was really good. I'd definitely would order this again. The Panna Cotta was also amazing. The way this dish was served was the Panna cotta was presented plain, and the server pours the right amount of aged balsamic vinegar to create that perfect balance flavor. It's definitely a science, and it's worth trying. I want to go back to try their pasta with truffle dish that people are raving about. read more

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A solid option. Reservations are difficult for dinner. I came with some friends to taste several menu items. We tried the ricotta appetizer, the octopus, the ribs, and the gamberi. Of these, I would recommend the fresh ricotta and the gamberi. There's nothing like a fresh ricotta and this one has a good balance of flavors and textures with the fresh grapes and radish shavings. The Gamberi were perfectly cooked and not over-seasoned, so that you could really appreciate their freshness. The ribs and octopus, however, left much to be desired. I have high expectations at this price point for a grilled octopus dish to be cooked well. Everyone knows overcooking octopus gives it an unpleasant, rubbery texture, so why serve overcooked octopus at the three-dollar sign price point? Should be as easy as removing it from the grill, no? Same critique for the ribs - overcooked. They also come over a sauce that I believe adds nothing to the dish. Onto the main courses - I tasted all the pastas on the menu that night - truffle linguine, the torchio with pork shoulder, and the spaghetti with gamberi. Each was decent. You can tell the pasta is fresh and perfectly al dente. My torchio was the best in my opinion. I love an al dente pasta and the pork shoulder pieces were plentiful and perfectly cooked, with a very good flavor. The truffle pasta was a bit disappointing. For almost $50 I expected the strong flavor and aroma of truffles that normally fills the restaurant when ordered. The pasta came with a generous amount of truffles but they taste like normal mushrooms. Not sure if it's me not knowing good truffles or if it's more that these are cheaper mushrooms. IMO not worth $50. The shrimp spaghetti is a solid choice. Not much to critique or complement for that. The desserts are good. I had the panna cotta which comes topped with a balsamic reduction. This is a new flavor combination for me. I am not sure I enjoyed it but I could see someone else enjoying that combination. For me, the balsamic reduction flavor is too robust and overshadowed the delicate vanilla of the panna cotta. The other desserts are good. The service is excellent. I have to point this out because our servers never made us wait to order and the food came out at a reasonable time always. This is a rarity nowadays! read more

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My friend and I ordered the brussel sprouts appetizer, spaghetti, and pesce. The brussel sprouts were literally RAW. Not cooked, and just put in as a salad. Needless to say, I got food poisoning and immediately have diarrhea now and threw up after dinner - it's been 2 hours and I still can't decide which tastes WORSE The spaghetti was very salty, couldn't really taste much of the flavor because of how much salt it had. On top of this, the main entrees (spaghetti and the pesce) took so long to come out. We waited at least 25min for them both and the restaurant wasn't even full... read more

We were greeted immediately by the hostess. We sat in a communal table like if we were in Tuscany. The bread, olive oil and salt is delicious. We bought some for home. Pasta, kale salad, and ricotta desert is delicious. We asked for a wine recommendation which was heavily. Not cheap but well worth it. A must in NYC. read more

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I visited this restaurant to celebrate one of my friend's birthdays. We made a reservation a week prior to celebrate down in the wine cellar. The ambiance down there was everything. Although a bit cold understandably, I loved the overall vibe of the restaurant. The servers were very polite and I had only positive interactions with the staff. Not to mention their bathrooms were very cute, perfect place to take a few mirror pictures :) read more

Il Buco - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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I really wanted to like this place but the price and food taste ratio was just off. I ordered the Tuscan kale salad for $19 which was pretty good, nothing unique and then the truffle pasta for $40 which was presented well but the flavor was almost absent. The service was great and the ambiance is cozy and warm but I won't be running back here. Maybe one day I'll try other things on the menu because I really wanted to like this spot. read more

Il Buco - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Food was nice. Like home cooking style. There is not one dish that gave me s strong surprise, but everything tastes nice. The whole vibe is comforting and cozy. However, the only thing that was bad was the service. Our server had very bad attitude and manner. He seemed very arrogant, and extremely impatient about the questions we had towards the foods and menu. read more

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The italian fare here is a rustic, yet refined taste. Albeit the portion sizes are nothing incredible, the quality makes up for it. I came here with a group for Mother's Day Brunch. And we pretty much ordered everything in the menu. The lamb was a star of the show, really glad that we had ordered two. Overall, I would recommend checking this place out especially when there's a tasting menu, that way you're not just ordering a basic plate of pasta (there are other places that do a far superior job of that). read more

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One of the first things I do every time I book a trip to NYC is to book a reservation at Il Buco. The food and wine are delicious and the ambiance is so sweet. Love this place read more

Had an amazing lunch here! Made a reservation for Thursday but didn't need it since not many tables were full. I loved the decor and smell of wood inside. There's also a cute outdoor seating area with fans, but it was too sunny for us so we moved to a table under the restaurant awning. The bread basket and olive oil/salt pairing was delicious. I loved my lasagnette dish which came with pancetta and asparagus. My friend got a black truffle tagliatelle which she loved. Service was also great--my water glass was never empty. I would love to come back for dinner! read more

Il Buco - Inside - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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The food was quite good, especially the cured meat platter and the gentleman who served our table was excellent! However, the woman who brought our menus was almost surly, she could not be bothered to even speak one word to our table while chatting up someone at the bar. The dessert menu was just placed at our table with no explanation., thought it was our checks. She pretty much ruined what was an otherwise good meal by making us feel we didn't deserve to be there. It's a real shame because we've eaten here before and we were very much looking forward to it. read more

I was part of a 20 person party in the downstairs wine room for a big birthday celebration dinner. Every course was tasty and well prepared and flavorful. Course timing was appropriate and we started out with cheese and varied charcuterie and plenty of wine. You knew early on that you were in a high quality establishment. Excellent bread, wide selection of apps (Calimari, a nice salad, fancy grill cheese type of item). The entrees (pasta, Beef, Pesce for me) were all top notch. A nice selection of Italian desserts were served- lemon pound cake was especially good. The ambiance of being in a private room with 5,000 wine bottles made the event even more special and enjoyable. The staff did not allow guests to take pictures while standing on the ladders used to reach wines on the top shelf- probably a really good idea. Restrooms are only on the main level..... Service was highly professional. I can't speak to prices and value but from an attendee perspective it was a great evening. I highly recommend. read more

Il Buco - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

While the food and wait staff here was excellent the hostess was completely rude and going extra on vaccinations cards for people eating outdoors even, but what really struck a nerve was that she singly only asked me if I had state id with my excelsior pass. I was the only tanned person here and the hostess asked for a state ID on top of my excelsior pass but didn't ask any of the Caucasian/white patrons for a state id on top of their vaccine cards. That's why the one star. I had the tagliatelle (which is made in house) which was really tasty I could eat it all day! I also had the Uovo wince I saw this on MasterChef recently and was curious to try it out! I didn't like the bread basket was an extra charge for six dollars which in Europe you know it will cost extra but in the states that has always been free so that was sneaky addition. The music was a bit confusing because they were plying French music in an Italian restaurant but I enjoyed it regardless. I wish I could recommend this place to others but the hostess rudeness here just left a horrible taste in my mouth. read more

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10/10 dining experience truly. From the moment I walked in I felt transported into a quaint little european town village vibe place. The ambiance was perfect. Service was also so lovely and very attentive, we never waited long while waiting for food or water. Ordered a ton and some not pictured: pulpo, tonno, bikini, tagliatelle, (another pasta with sausage), tarte for dessert. Everything was amazing - it's been a while since I have felt blown away by Italian food but this really did the job! It was a little pricey but worth every penny. I will be back. My favorites were definitely the pulpo, tagliatelle, and tarte dessert. read more

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Overpriced and overhyped. Had the campanelle which was good but nothing special. The tortelloni was so dry and undercooked, filling was under seasoned. We went based on the reputation but that is all the restaurant has to rely on, rather than quality of the food itself. read more

sat us at a communal table when we asked for a table for two. service was spotty, food was bland and very small portions. wine list was super expensive and they charge for bread. way better options in the city. Definitely won't be back. read more

Amazing ambiance and great for a good date spot. The menu changes all the time but the appetizers pretty much stay the same. Right when I walk in I was greeted really nicely by the host and waiter- definitely didn't feel like they were judgmental like other reviewers have said as my date and I are queer and interracial. I totally would recommend the olive oil tasting if you fancy your taste buds being pleasured. I'm huge on tastings so this was an amazing experience for me and my date as for 18 dollars you get really unique olive oils throughout different regions of Italy and a whole two baskets of bread! I would say this is more worth it than just getting the bread basket for 6 dollars. I ordered the crudo and it was really delightful as it's super flavorful and lemony. I love a tart appetizer. We both had the lobster spaghetti and it tasted really fresh and flavorful but not too forward with any crazy palettes so I really thought this was great if it was a sunny day (however I went on a rainy dark night haha) I have to shout out my waiter Michael as he made our night really worthwhile and sweet! read more

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One of these two stars is for the ambiance, which is truly perfect. The second star is for the Cannolicchi pasta dish. The lack of stars is for service and everything else we ate, including chicken, king crab ceviche, and burrata. The chicken just tasted like someone dumped a bunch of herbs on it and threw it in the oven. There was also hardly any chicken at all on the bone and I still had no interest in finishing it because of its flavor. The king crab ceviche was 10% crab, 90% mixture- do not waste your money on this. The burrata was also very small but it was burrata. The service started pretty well- our server was nice and helpful with selecting our wine. He did forget one of our 2 pasta dishes though and then we didn't really see him again. We had to flag someone else down to see if our third dish was coming (there were 3 of us and only 2 dishes came out). The manager said they hadn't forgotten it and it was on the way... 20 minutes later our pasta came out just around when we had finished eating everything else. They were not really apologetic and didn't offer anything- I told them I'm not paying for a dish that came out after my friends had finished their meals and then they comped it but you really shouldn't have to say that. Disappointing experience overall which is a shame because it's a great space in a great location. read more

Amazing! Had the Calamari and a Tarte! The service here is the best! I dont think water was ever half full. read more

Il Buco - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

It's been years since I dined there - at night for my birthday, all dressed up. Waiter was very skimpy with olive oil for the amazing bread - circa 1995. We had to keep begging for another drop! I remember having fish; it tasted very fresh and molto bono. I live around the corner and want to go back for lunch on a week day when it's serene but somehow forget about them, or maybe I'm too busy mid day, or ... don't want to run into John Derain (haha) The store is rustic elegant, a unique tasteful escape from the NY restaurant scene. Not sure how they keep going, but happy it's still there. read more