Il Bucco takes tired Italian food and kicks it up several notches. The hostesses were a bit standoffish but the wait staff made up for it. I absolutely loved the charcuterie and fabulous wine list. This place becomes mobbed (in the non Mafia sense of the word) and is full of energy. I love the ambiance! My visit was too long ago to remember everything I ordered but I made a mental note to return. This is not the place for a quiet dinner; this is the place for great Italian food in a very hip setting. read more

We came here for a Sunday evening meal after a full day of NYC delights: making our way through Rockefeller Center to St. Patrick's Cathedral, then on to the upper east side and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We were able to make a reservation for 5:45 p.m. and kept it, taking a bus from the museum to within walking distance of the restaurant. Candlelight and twinkling chandeliers burnish ochre-colored walls creating a place that rewards your discovery of it by furthering expectation with its earthy, cave-like vibe. We sat at a communal table, separated from our co-diners by a large Tuscan-style pitcher filled with wild flowers. Our wait-person, Marie Angelique, was lovely and attentive, and we were soon dipping bread (large bread basket $8) in olive oil, with a sprinkling of coarse salt. An Umbrian wine, Caprai Montefalco Rosso (2 glasses, $30), accompanied our meal: Cavolonero ($17) appetizer, generously portioned, absolutely delicious--kale, croutons, anchovies, Parmigiano-Reggiano; friend found the Porchetta ($32) too delicious for words, and I devoured most of the Spaghetti (artisan dried pasta, Maine bouchot mussels, scallions, Calabrian chili, parsley ($28). We took some of each home, and opted out of dessert. It would take more time and space than is reasonable to offer additional reasons to praise Il Buco. Just go. It is memorable in all ways. read more

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

I absolutely LOVE Il Buco. It's so romantic and rustic authentic Italian. The pastas, olive oils and food are divine. Great wine list. Year after year, Il Buco is always a treat. read more

Love! Love! Love! Love! This place! The ambiance is so rustic and charming it makes me want to live here! Every detail from service, food, and decoration come together to make (not that it matters) but one of my favorite restaurants in NYC. It's almost impossible to get but if you can ask to be seated in the wine cellar for dinner and thank me later! read more

Good food, great ambiance. Crowded Thursday. Ordered 3 pasta and a wagyu steak. The shrimp spaghetti was a tad salty but was my favorite. Pasta was had a good texture. Steak was good too. Dessert and cocktails were great as well. read more

My husband and I came here to celebrate our anniversary yesterday and we had a nice time. I will start by saying that the service here is impeccable. I don't think I've experienced such warm, friendly, welcoming hospitality....ever in NYC. Every single person was so nice and accommodating and that in itself is a pretty big deal. Kudos to them on that. Our start was a bit awkward. We were seated at a community table (with reservations) where I was unable to fit under. Now, I'm not a stick and I am quite tall but I am by no means too big to fit under a table. This was definitely a first. It takes A LOT for me to feel embarrassed but this really did it for me. I had to ask to move to another table because I couldn't fit. Humiliating. They moved us, but I didn't really care as I was already planning my own death for being too huge/fat to fit at a table at a restaurant and having to ask them to move us because of it. My husband couldn't fit either but he's a dude so he didn't really think much of it. But if you're at all sensitive about this kind of thing (like me/most women), you may want to go elsewhere. The Food: I was insanely excited to come here and eat pasta and everything else, really, because of the amazing reviews. There were 3 pastas on the menu and neither my husband or I liked any of them. That was a huge disappointment. I asked if I could simply have some of their home made pasta with tomato sauce (hey, I really, really wanted pasta so as amateur as that sounds, it's the only thing that would have done the job). The waitress politely told me they don't have tomato sauce. Which was fine, we just ended up ordering a few appetizers/tapas and called that dinner. My husband got a salami platter that he really enjoyed. The olive oil tasting is loads of fun. Really delicious olive oil and AMAZING bread-though it doesn't come with the tasting, you have to request it separately. Which is kind of annoying because they know I'm not going to sit there and sip on three small bottles of olive oil alone. If you ask for bread alone though, it comes with really good olive oil so you actually don't necessarily have to do the olive oil tasting. It comes in cute little bottles and it was fun to try them. We also got the burrata. Which was delicious but very different from any burrata I have ever had before. Served with whole carrots and seasoned heavily with some green herbs and spices, it gave it a unique taste. Not your run of the mill burrata but very good nonetheless. The kale salad. It is definitely the most hyped up thing on here. Yes, it is good but mind-blowingly, life changingly amazing? No. I've had kale salads that were just as good. I didn't find it to be anything spectacular. It was good though. Last, we got the bacala, which was delicious! It came with a really interesting sauce that added a very complimentary flavor to the fish. My only thing with it was that the serving was tiny. The atmosphere is awesome. Definitely a good date spot. You may have to use your phone to see the menu (it is quite dark which is part of its charm), but that's ok. I had an okay experience here but left a bit disappointed because I expected more. I didn't hate it, but didn't love it either. Still on the search for a perfect Italian go-to place. read more

My mom was in town for the weekend and I'd been dying to try this place and knew it was right up her alley. Let me just state that the last time Mom and I had Italian this good in an environment this warm and charming we were in Florence. Il Buco's website dubs it "elegantly rustic" which is a perfect way to describe this place. You walk in and it's so warm and charming you can't help but smile. Everyone is welcoming and service from start to finish were excellent. The majority of the seating is at large wooden communal tables. However, they do a nice job or arranging the seating and placing large vases of flowers other centerpieces strategically to break up the seating. All over the restaurant are homey trinkets, making the place feel even more like you are sitting in someone's Italian kitchen. A large portion of the menu changes daily, taking advantage of farm-fresh ingredients. We started with the grilled calamari and the kale salad, both of which were recommended by our wonderful server. Both were excellent. If you have never had grilled calamari and only fried, it's a whole different (a million times better) ballgame and Il Buco is an excellent place to try it. The kale salad was a refreshing choice for our warm summer night, with a lovely lemony anchovy flavor. We shared a mushroom risotto as our entree and it was so delicious and creamy I think each of us could have licked the bowl clean if no one had been looking. The flavors in all of the dishes were unique and wonderful but not too overpowering. The prices for the quality and portion are incredibly reasonable. The wine list also has a lot of reasonable options as well. We shared an excellent bottle of Rose for under $50. We also checked out the wine cellar downstairs before we left. A small table down here would be the perfect romantic spot in the Winter with it's dimly lit brick cellar feel. I prefer the airiness of the upstairs for Summer dinning. I'd recommend Il Buco to anyone for pretty much any occasion... in fact it may end up being my go to recommendation spot for the foreseeable future. read more

Dining in Il Buco's wine cellar with a table of 20+ felt like the fancy last night out from some study abroad program in Tuscany. The drinks were flowing, laughs were exchanged, good food just kept coming out of the kitchen, all within the confines of the gorgeously authentic, subterranean private room, and all on someone else's dime.* The design decor is vintage rustic Italian, juxtaposing brick with wood with wrought-iron accents. Rack and racks of wine bottles stock nooks that appear more like mini-medieval jail cells. The long table as the cellar centerpiece seems like something that has only ever existed in this room, produced as a carpentry project on location, from the workshop-esque servers' station in the corner. And the twisted lighting fixtures overhead give it just the slightest touch of modern flair in this otherwise Old World setting. If you've got a big dinner with a big number of guests on the books, I would certainly consider Il Buco on intimate atmosphere alone. The delicious farm-fresh Italian food certainly doesn't hurt my endorsement, either - at least was the case with the majority of our selections. The Carpaccio (thinly sliced venison, pomegranate, pine nuts, urfa pepper, and lemon oil) was my absolute favorite dish of the evening. This under-utilized meat teamed up with the aforementioned fruit and pignoli nuts to form a trifecta of sweet-meets-salty flavor right up my alley. I continue to crave this dish and am admittedly powerless when it will come to ordering this combination again at Il Buco, or really anywhere that will serve it to me. The Ricotta della Casa was another fine offering, the Battenkill Valley Creamery-based cheese thick, delicious, and easily spreadable across the fresh, soft black mission figs with which it was served. The Calamari, seared and hailing from Rhode Island, was a nice change of pace from the tired fried variety, accompanied by Risina beans and oiled up with some saffron aioli. The Anson Mills Polenta (with charred Tropea onions and aged balsamic vinegar) was a favorite among the guests, but it wasn't a stand-out for me personally. Perhaps I wished these signature sweet red onions' flavor had come through a little more strongly in the dish. Perhaps I was still thinking about the venison carpaccio. Another big hit was the Cavolonero (Tuscan black kale, garlic-anchovy-lemon vinaigrette, filone croutons, and Reggiano). And I know kale is all the rage these days, but my taste-buds just can't hack it. Perhaps it's the bitter shock, but I pretty much despise this green. That being said, Il Buco's kale was still probably the best I've had. Mind you, that's kind of like saying Jacoby Ellsbury is my favorite Boston Red Sox. For my main course, I had my mind locked on pasta. I ordered the Pappardelle and was very impressed. The Vermont veal sugo, touch of green olives, parmesan, and sage were tossed in tandem with the house-made ribbons, as opposed to acting as some amorphous sauce sent to drown them out. Some of my fellow party-goers found it a bit dry as a result, but I was thankful for this preparation as it really brought the fresh, perfectly cooked pasta to the forefront of the palate. I was also lucky enough to taste the Pesce selection that night, which I could see myself ordering if available upon a return visit to Il Buco, because, well, it was pretty tremendous - grilled Block Island swordfish, roasted heirloom eggplant, cipollini onions, capers, and golden raisins. The cobblestone Bond St. on which the restaurant resides, and the almost desolate feel of the neighborhood, allow Il Buco this diamond-in-the-rough quality. This isn't a place you stumble upon - this is an establishment you've been recommended to experience. However, do not mistake this for one of those high-end places where people come to be seen because it's part of some, well, scene. It's not. At least, not entirely. It's a spot for good wine, good food, good company, and good times. With this serving as my assigned mantra for this must-try restaurant, I say Il Buco delivers. *This dinner, in particular, was with business associates. However, if you follow the spoiled brat study abroad analogy, this notion works just as well with Dad's bank account. read more

Overrated. I took date recently and called to say we'd be a few minutes late but were still placed in the worst table in the house. The waitress seemed nice at first but by the end of the meal she was just dropping plates in front of us as if we'd done something wrong. After laying out nearly $200 for dinner we walked out and not one person said 'thanks' or 'goodbye.' I used to love this place but not going back anytime soon. There are way too many places in the city, why pay extra for this? read more

Idk how I feel about lll Buco ‍ The ambience is very nice but when you make a reservation you shouldn't have to sit by the kitchen especially for a birthday dinner.. a 930 booking it was .. and it seem that the staff was cleaning up to close ..all you can hear loud glass sounds from the staff packing up and random loud music ..I really wasn't happy. read more

I went after some coworkers recommended the place. Our waiter was Alessandro, who quickly came over to take our drink orders. My fiance and I got a glass of wine and after it was served it was ALMOST impossible to have someone take our food order. We were being completely ignored. He could have honestly been the worst waiter to ever serve us. FINALLY, we had the manager, Cynthia, come over after she saw me waving my hand for a bit. She was very sweet and helpful and we ordered the Pulpo to start, followed by the Tagliattelle and Torchia. The octopus was very good, but definitely overpriced. The main dishes came out at different times and were just OK. Overall we were not a fan of this place, though Cynthia was great. We never spoke to Alessandro for the rest of the night. read more

So good you want to eat alone and really savor every lucious bite. Or, perhaps--if you're (or they're) very lucky-- you'll share this with a very intimate other. Purrrrrrrrrr. Do you mind closing that door behind you? Thanks. read more

Here are all of the reasons that the Il Buco staff should have hated us: 1. We were a party of eight which devolved into six over the course of 45 minutes. 2. We asked to be seated at our very large and conspicuous table even though we were not a complete party. 3. It took said 45 minutes to become a complete party. 4. After finally settling in with all six of us, we only ordered one bottle of wine. 5. We had a celiac eater with us who made a ton of special dietary requests and ended up asking for something not on the menu. Here's why we loved them: they let us do all of the above and never once gave us attitude. The food was superb. I loved all the little appetizer plates and because they were so varied, got to introduce friends to beauties like crudo and stuffed zucchini flowers. The menu changes frequently and I haven't been in a few months, but what I have had has been consistently superb. Although I found the wine list quite daunting (ended up falling back on a gewurztraminer because the Italian wines made my head spin) the wine we did have was excellent. For oneophiles, it would be a dream. read more

I brought my parents and girlfriend here for my mother's birthday, and, while the food was good, the service was very disappointing and borderline rude. Our waitress was generally unattentive, and at one point obnoxiously ignored me when I tried to get her attention as she walked right by me. She came back to apologize, but the unnecessary insult had already occurred. Furthermore, she didn't smile, wasn't friendly, and just seemed to be going through the motions and rushing us generally. Finally, our wine came after the food was served. At a fancy restaurant like this, rude service is the last thing one expects. It's especially galling given the special occasion, and the fact that my parents are elderly. I grew up a few doors down from this restaurant and can recall when it was antique shop. I have come many times before, but, sadly, I think this was my last visit. read more

Heard some very great things about this place, so thought I'd give it a try with 3 friends on Friday night. We had a 10pm reservation and were sat immediately, which was nice. Some folks here have said they experienced an inattentive wait staff - and I can say without a doubt that is not what we experienced. Our waitress was pretty unfriendly. But worse was the hostess / floor manager who was perpetually hovering around our table. At one point, a friend took brownies out of her bag from a party we were at earlier She just took them out of her bag. No one was eating them. The hostess comes over to our table and loudly announces that unless we put the brownies away, she'd need to charge us $5 each for bringing in outside food. She made it sound like we brought in a pizza and were eating it at the table. Needless to say we gave the hostess a pretty terse response. After which she and her little friends at the hostess station kept staring at us - like we were a table of children that needed to be watched, or worse. Anyway, back to the actual reason why we were there - the food. The food was ok. But just ok. The appetizers were nothing to write home about. Of the 5 fritters we received, one of them was an empty fried shell with nothing inside. Which would have been fine if we were at TGI Fridays but we were unfortunately paying $15 for our fritters. The entrees seemed a little better - but still nothing to write home about. I had a pasta dish that was $22 and I honestly could have cooked it myself at home. Anyway, won't be returning to this place. If the food was fantastic it could have overcome the horrible service experience, but, unfortunately was not the case. One star. read more

I really wanted to love this restaurant, the atmosphere is great, decor is charming, old world rustic Italian with an enormous, impressive wine list, great bread and olive oil and an amazing, courteous staff. With all those great attributes you would think this place a home run but sadly the food was not great, pretty bad actually.The entrées left a lot to be desired just an awkward menu. My wife got the squab, it was terrible. Hard to cut through the skin, get to the meat,undercooked, not tasty. Brussel sprouts were good but would have been better if they were charred more. I guess they were too crowded to get them just right. I got the whole fish, just not good. Was terribly scrawny with the majority of the pesce merely bones ,what meat was there was fine but not worth it since it was 80-20 bones to meat. Blossoms were okay but not great, I wouldn't reorder and blossoms are usually my go to appetizer. Just really bummed that the food didn't come close to being on par with the rest of this beautiful establishment. read more

This is a tricky one . As soon as you walk in you cant help but fall in love with the décor and ambience until they send you downstairs to the basement room where you could hear a pin drop . Food is very hit and miss . Honestly I ate there Wednesday and cant even remember my entrée . One thing that was amazing was the panna cotta with balsamic vinegar ! I would definitely avoid the cured meats complete waste of money . I LOVE the décor just wish the food was a little better . I would come back though as I know they switch up the menus regular here . read more

One of the most lovely-looking restaurants. Amazing food. Terrible service. I mean, really bad. My friends were visiting from out of town, and they had heard amazing things about Il Buco. We made reservations days in advance, and had prepared ourselves for one of the tastiest meals in NYC. Unfortunately, we ended up with the worst service that any of us had received in years. The restaurant's atmosphere seems so inviting. . . so why is it that we felt so neglected? The server never poured our wine, never checked on us, did not bring us bread until we asked for it, did not know the liquors available, did not know the wines, made up pronunciation of foods, informed us that they were "out of" at least 5 dishes on the menu, and offered me the ability to buy a dessert that he ultimately gave me for free. . . The entire dinner, we felt as though we should feel lucky to be in the presence on the restaurant and its staff. We never once felt valued. As much as I had wanted to love this place, I will never, ever return. Not for a $400 dinner, that's for sure. read more

Shortly after I wrote my previous review, my wife went to Il Buco for our friend's bridal shower, and opinions of the place have changed. First off, after being seated, it took a half hour to order drinks because they were forgotten about. How do you forget about the bridal shower in the corner. The waitress even admitted, "Oh sorry, I forgot about you guys.". I guess just to let them know that their suspicions were true, that they were in fact forgotten about. Next, when the food comes, one persons order was not put in. Getting 7 out of 8 orders out ain't bad, eh? Unacceptable! That's why I NEVER EVER EVER trust a server who doesn't write orders down. When I notice that the server is not writing our orders down, I expect something to go wrong, and it usually does. Write that crap down. Oh, but I guess they're all actors who are working as servers to pay the bills until their acting career takes off, so they're practicing memorizing lines. Next, there was not one person at the table without a complaint. Too salty, dry, overcooked fish, etc. And finally, the check comes out, hey look, the appetizers never came out. They were on the bill, they just never hit the table. The waitress offered to give them their appetizers "to go", but no, just take them off the bill please. Now how do you screw up a bridal shower so bad? You can't miss the big table over there... Now that's eight people who will probably never go there again. And they have eight sets of friends who they will not recommend this place to, and more than likely discourage them from going there. I've been there a couple time. I had a great time, but after hearing of their obvious downfall, I think I'll quit while I'm ahead. Now I see why restaurants automatically add the tip to parties of six or more, because in cases like this, it's the only way to get a tip out of them. I bet they didn't FORGET to add the tip to the bill... read more

Il Buco is adorable. I loved the atmosphere and the old school Italian feeling. A group of us was here last night for a bday dinner. We decided to share everything which was fine...I loved the food especially the risotttos and Pasta. We also had great tempranillo that is also served by the glass (which is likely causing my hangover today). The only issue I had was the service....our table service SUCKED! I almost gave it 3 stars for that reason alone....the food came to the rescue! read more

Came here on a Saturday night with the plus one. We were seated at a long table with another couple at the other end. I made eye contact with them a few times unintentionally, it was awkward. I ordered the house made egg pasta dinner special, and the portion actually seemed smaller than I expected. The pasta was also a little harder than anticipated. Ultimately, I thought the dish was ok. I actually felt like I was still hungry after I was done. When our bill came, we got charged for our bread (which I think is custom in Italy but not here). It didn't make a big dent in the wallet, but would have been nice to have been given a head's up. Bill came out to around $33 per person. read more

The place is nice, quiet romantic but not in a cheesy way. But the food was very bad. The gamberi of the starter were terrible - not fresh - and the risotto tasted like stock. It was so bad we didn't want to take the risk of ordering desert. The wines of the menu were less than $30 so we asked the waitress to recommend us one. Our mistake not to have checked the price: when the check arrived it was $60. Complete rip off. read more

My friends were in town from Japan and like crazy tourists they just had to go to all the places on their travel guide including this place. I was not impressed how we got treated by the host when we showed up with a reservation. We were all dressed casual and received looks as if we were peasants begging for a meal. On most days I would walk out of any establishment with this type of treatment, but I stayed because of my friends. Food was not terrific, but my god the dessert - Panna Cotta was absolutely the best I have ever tasted in my life. Experience could have been better. read more

It's been around a while, but I can't decide if it's cool because the food is awesome or if it's cool because it's locavore and trendy. We had a great time, regardless of the trendiness of the place (yes, one of the Olsen twins was at dinner the same night as we were, and no we couldn't decide which one it was, but I was thinking Ashley) Our table decided to order a bunch of appetizers and all the pastas. Every dish was great. Delicious, a delight to eat. However, because of the dimness in the restaurant, sometimes I couldn't exactly see what I was eating (I thought a piece of potato was an abnormally large piece of octopus). Unfortunately, the memory of my main dish is a bit fuzzy. The wine was flowing, and we had the sommelier suggest bottles for us. I believe it was steak? Yes, as I write this, I remember it was steak, and I ordered it medium-rare, and it was perfect (this may have been the wine talking, but I did indeed clean my plate). Having raved about the food, in my reality I probably would've really enjoyed coming to this place before Bond Street was gentrified/renovated/became uber trendy. It's been around a good while, and now it just feels like it's swarming with scenesters. So, it's a great place, but nowadays definitely not my scene. I can be a locavore in Brooklyn. read more

My partner had a Porchetta sandwich. He said it was good. I had a lunch pasta dish with egg noodles, mushrooms and sheeps milk cheese. It was very mild in flavor. It's was good. Problems are this: We walk in and the woman says "do you have a reservation? Meanwhile no one is in there. May a couple at the bar having some wine. So that was retarded. Our lunch was $43.00. After tip, $50.00. Super retarded. Way too pricey. The food isn't good enough for those prices. No reason to return. Too many other places. read more

For a Saturday night in NYC I wasn't impressed. The restaurant has a great menu and a wonderfully friendly staff (for New York). It was a romantic looking spot but the noise level prevent d it from being truly a romantic vibe. What are you gonna do though? I let myself enjoy the scene. The drinks were really good, my whiskey sour (go to drink) was on point with no foamy egg whites. The champagne we chose had been well stored and our sommelier was very helpful in his recommendation. My heirloom tomato and lemon cucumber panzanella was outta this world delicioso! The bread chunks were thick and crusty and absorbed the juices just enough to become edible (they were hard as stones without it which is what you really want). Those tomatoes were bursting with summer sun and warm nights. I could've eaten that the whole night. Seeing as my entree was kinda eh I wish I would have. I ordered the wagyu steak and it wasn't cooked to my desired temp. I still tried it, it was only medium rare instead of medium. I regretted it. It was the amount of salt that made it completely inedible for me. The entire dish had salt "spots" that I kept running into but my husband kept missing. Or maybe it was just me. His chicken was half cooked and bleeding which wouldn't have gone unnoticed even if it wasn't dark enough in there to need a flashlight to read the menu. But I loved the presentation. The waitress was attentive. I'm sure it wasn't intentional. But I wouldn't go back for anything but that panzanella and the A-MAZING bread and olive oil they put on the table before your first course. My husband and I were practically fighting over the last piece and last drops of olive oil. They also sell some olive oils and salts and balsamic vinegars, just not at dinner, that looked fun to try. read more

this is a special place for a lovely dinner out. a bustling spot that does a good job of making small spots for groups of 2. service was very attentive - from advising us on a wine choice to explaining our charcuterie platter to bringing us a sample of a dish i eyed when it passed our table, the service was excellent. our food was delicious - the starters were really the stars of the show. we had the charcuterie platter, the kale salad, and the bison tartare. these were all excellent. we followed with 2 pastas - a mushroom papparadelle and a sausage rigitoni. both were tasty and ample portions. we ended with the balsamic panna cotta which was a perfect finish. overall a great spot that we will definitely visit again. read more

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If there's such a thing as an "aspirational restaurant," this is it -- at least for yr correspondent. Nestled unobtrusively into what is inarguably one of the nicer blocks in Manhattan, Il Buco exudes warmth from the moment you enter the door, and makes me fantasize about how peaceful and elegant my perfect life would be if I hadn't managed somehow to fuck everything up so badly along the way. To be honest, the decor is a little too much on the rustic/quaint side for my taste, but somehow the overall atmosphere is still excellent. The lighting, the hush of the dining room, the wine, and most of all the food -- everything at Il Buco just feels very, very special indeed. The food is expertly prepared, succulent, hearty without being overwhelming rich, and bursting with flavor. It's expensive, but if you're looking for a place to celebrate something that doesn't happen everyday, Il Buco is as good a spot as I can think of. read more

The ambiance was rustic, charming yet loud. Instead of the many large, communal tables, I'd rather have smaller, more intimate tables, which would encourage a more intimate ambiance. I ordered the Polenta appetizer which was disgustingly plain. Worst appetizer I have ever (handsomely) paid for!. My entree, however, was absolutely delicious. I ordered the Papardelle Pasta with Ragu of Rabbit. It was fresh, savory and worth every penny. My friend was happy with her Burrata Salad and Gnocchi, although the portions could have been more generous. I probably would not go back unless someone else is going to treat me. read more

It was my birthday and I looked for one of the best romantic restaurants and this was one of the choices so my hopes were high and I dialed them for a reservation. Tried a couple of times but no answer so I decided to walk in anyways and see what happens. I reached there by 7.30 and the place was bustling. It was loud or should I say very noisy. The hostess said they were completely booked till 10 pm and my heart sank, partly also as I was starving and made a trip all the way here from madison. When we asked if the bar will get vacant anytime sooner she said 10 Mins and we decided to dine at the bar. Started our order with drinks then a squash soup, the soup was delicious. We ordered a bread basket and a portion of olives. For main course we ordered gumbo prawns they warned me that the prawns come with head and shell and I happily agreed. The food was ok nothing I could really harp about unless I ordered the wrong dishes. One dish which was pappardelle pasta took over 30 mins to reach our table and we were restless. The dish tasted just ok, I still don't know why it took so long. I ordered a chocolate cake and ice cream as I wanted some dessert to celebrate my day. This is a noisy restaurant and no space to even move around, please refrain from going if you really want a good time, space(romantic) and great food at the same time. I couldn't click pics as I was at the bar and people were right behind waiting for their turn to be seated. Some places are crowded because of the hype created is my opinion. read more

Why it's worth it: Il Buco has it right; it's slinky and seductive while still maintaining a charming accessibility and air. The seasonal food is extremely fresh and executed with skill and perfection. In short, Il Buco is perfect for a date night, ladies night out, after-work drink or family gathering. Vibe/layout: This charming rustic Italian restaurant comprised mostly of wood and brick throbs with energy. The dimly lit main dining room has pottery-laden shelves, scattered with wine bottles, and copper pots hanging from hooks or stuffed in the corners. The eclectic wall art and light fixtures transform the rather cramped room with low ceilings into a fabulous authentic Italian restaurant. The wine cellar is more relaxed and private, and reminiscent of a room that you would expect to find in the basement of an old Italian estate. Ideal meal: Cannolicchi (artisan dried pasta, brussels sprouts, pancetta, pecorino romano) ($22) People behind Il Buco: The owners, Donna Lennard and Alberto Avalle, first opened the hole-in-the-wall (Il Buco literally means the hole in Italian) as an antique shop in 1994 and gradually transformed it into a full-fledged restaurant. Tip: Enjoy a delicious, romantic and relaxed dinner at Il Buco and then check out the Invader's graffiti on the side of The Wren, where you should grab a drink. F.Y.I.: Reservations are a must, especially on the weekends. read more

No vax card, no dining for you at this restaurant...EVEN OUTSIDE ON THE SIDEWALK! I specifically asked for an outside table. Said nothing about a vax requirement. The hostess said 30 mins. Walked around waiting for the table. 30 mins later when the table is ready we are asked for the card. WHY WOULDN'T YOU ASK THIS BEFORE WASTING OUR TIME? Hostess gave the big eye roll and walked away. Seems to be the MO here according to other reviewers. So why the additional outside space on the street? Increased square footage without paying for it. read more

A hidden gem. I know that sounds cliche but it really is. I walked in and was blown away by the warm, dimly lit, rustic atmosphere. Wood plank floors, antiques, kitchen utensils hanging everywhere and lots of candles. The staff is friendly and inviting with no attitude whatsoever from anyone. Seems like their credo. You start off with the potato croquettes with gorgonzola. They just set them down... and they are good. I had a garlicky kale caesar and a homemade pasta that come in sheets with peas and an amazing sauce. The best... ever. A totally romantic spot. BTW, I read someones review that says it's "not too romantic". Um, perhaps they left their eyeballs at home? The wines were great and they flowed. Cocktails looked great and big. Was a great night. One of my all time favorite restaurants. read more

Best pasta!!! 20 min wait with a reservation (which is a must, made it weeks in advance). Romantic, intimate dining room. The waiter forgot to tell us the night's specials so we were bummed we missed out. Other than that, great location for a date night. Would definitely come back. read more

Came here looking for simplicity, a great bowl of hand-crafted pasta, great wine, impecable service and some quality time with a family of three celebrating the end of a long visit to the city. In short, we wanted a memorable evening, and this is exactly what we found. This was literally a last-minute dinner pick around 8:00 p.m. I had walked by here earlier in the day, perused the menu, checked out their Yelp reviews and had it in mind as a possibility. We called and they had a spot at 8:45 so we rushed down, were promptly seated. First off: kudos for hand-made pastas that were simple but tasty. No need to drown us in too much, too heavy, too salty, too much sauce, etc., and the litany of sins many Italian restaurants can be accused of. The restaurant decor is one of the nicest we've seen in the city. Rustic wood floors, pots hanging from the ceiling, nicely designed. A tad noisy but everyone was there having a good time so understandable. Service: spot on. A *great* wine recommendation and a waiter that truly knew his craft. The total bill was a tad teetering but this is NYC and with this kind of quality and service we weren't unhappy with the end result. Thanks, Il Buco, for taking our last minute choice and making it into a memorable evening. read more

Beyond the fact that the noodles in the lasagna I ordered were under cooked, what turned a pleasant evening into something I just wanted to escape from is something that happened to another Guest. Seated at the bar having dinner, there was a single person having dinner two seats over (there was a single seat between us) that had previously been occupied by another single Guest who had finished their dinner and left. To my surprise, the hostess came over to this person seated next to me, AND IN THE MIDDLE OF THEIR DINNER, ASKED THEM TO MOVE OVER so that she could put two seats together. Are you freakin' kidding me? You have the gall to ask a Guest to move seats in the middle of their dinner? Why would you choose to disrupt a Guest like this? Be careful when considering this place. Not only is the food so-so, but be careful of the wine...(I also saw them deal with 3 bottles of 'corked' wine), and the Guest experience could be unwelcoming. read more

First, it was cold where we were sitting, which is is quite unpleasant in the middle of winter. Second, half hour after ordering, the waiter came back and told us they had run out of one the pasta dishes we had ordered. And on the menu there was barely no alternative, just a meager meaty pasta dish to chose from. So we were forced to take a risotto that was mediocre and bland. Third, one of appetizers was good (kale salad) but the other (tartare) tasted like if the cow had been raised by a drunk Russian in the middle of Siberia. It was tasteless as the permafrost!!! Fourth, this is a wannabe Italian place with a laughable lunch menu. Fifth, the host was as helpful as your typical person behind he counter at USPS. read more

Great food and lovely atmosphere. Cocktails are creative and service is professional and friendly. The restaurant interior of the restaurant is charming and feels very comfortable and welcoming. We had some of the housemade charcuterie, pasta, octopus and fish. Nothing disappointed. read more

I'll never forget this place as long as I live . We went this past Saturday for our 18th anniversary. We had a 9.15 reservation and when we got there we had to wait a few minutes. After about 10 minutes a seat at a communal table opened up and they were going to seat us there. I spoke to my wife and we both agreed we didn't feel like sitting with strangers for our 18th anniversary. They said that was fine and asked us to wait a little longer . The restaurant was very small and they had a party in the wine room so it was totally slammed. We ended up getting a table about 9.50 about 35 minutes after our reservation. But here's where the charm of this place comes in , the staff was awesome the matre d and manager kept checking in with us they gave us complimentary drinks and really made us feel welcomed and at home , once we were seated they were super friendly and apologetic. We ordered a few appetizers and a pasta to share . We had the cauliflower croquettes which came with a herb aoli . They had a ton of flavor and great texture. After that we had the Bikini which was a mozzarella and ibérico ham appetizer this one sadly fell flat the cheese was cold while the bread around it was grilled and hot and it lacked flavor. After that we had the gambas which were awesome it was a simple preparation but the shrimp were rich flavorful and delicious and last we had a great cheese and truffle ravioli in a butter sauce with a good amount of black truffle. That may have been the best dish it was elegant, but lite and incredibly flavorful. We finished with excellent espresso and cappuccino and a ricotta fritter which was ok . It came with a blueberry sauce and needed some ice cream or whip cream to cut the acidic of the blueberry sauce. We had a great waiter who was very accommodating and friendly and to top it off there was a fight at the bar something I've never seen in a high end restaurant. 2 patrons got into a scuffle , it definitely was and interesting night to say they least . This place had a Ton of charm and great decor as well. would absolutely recommend for a nice casual dinner ! read more

I came here for a birthday dinner, and while I really thought it was going to be a great place, this isn't one I'll be running back to. The bread and olive oil were tasty, and my husband and I shared some sort of bean salad. The problem came with my entree. I ordered Pappardelle with mushrooms. When I got it, I thought it tasted very meaty, but with such low-lighting, I couldn't really tell. It just looked like chopped mushrooms. I ate a little bit of it and it just didn't taste right, and so I called the waiter over to ask what was up. He told me that he had known the restaurant was running out of mushrooms, and had put in my order, but asked for pasta with chopped meat as a backup. He didn't realize I had gotten the meat. I'm a vegetarian. The waiter was gracious enough to let me chose anther entree, which he very well should have, but the only vegetarian one available was the Pansotti my husband had ordered, and he thought it was pretty "eh." But, whatever, I was starving. Thank goodness I'm not the kind of vegetarian that has to make herself throw up when she mistakenly eats something with meat in it, but I think that was a pretty stupid thing for the waiter to do. I give Il Buco one star for the cute ambiance and another for the bread and salad, which was done well. I'd rather go to Aroma around the corner for a similar -- but much better -- experience. read more