Under no circumstance should anyone ever dine here- the management is fraudulent. First, we called day of to confirm they still did BYOB (no corkage) and were told they did- upon arriving we were informed that there was a $45/bottle corkage fee. After then deciding to order their wine we ordered a bottle marked on the menu as $50. Immediately after the server had opened and poured the wine, the manager Ramon came and rudely informed us that the menu was misprinted, that the bottle should have been marked $180, and that we needed to pay that. After we argued with him that we should not be penalized for their mistake, which he admitted was theirs, he said "ok then $100." None of us have ever such poor service. read more

Went to Paola NYC a few days ago. The food was fine however I won't return since none of the employees (waitstaff or hosts) were masked even though NYC is in the midst of an Omicron surge. Very uncomfortable when our unmasked waiter was standing over me to describe nightly specials & take our orders. When I asked, they said they check vaccination status. Not enough right now with so many breakthrough infections. read more

Great spot, food is absolutely amazing. Service is excellent, i'd like to compliment Beata, the bartender for a great service! She's friendly, attentive and always checking her guests are having a wonderful time. Five stars for this place, love it! read more

Paola's Restaurant - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Went here for lunch based on good reviews. Nothing to write home about. I got the shrimp salad which was fresh. Nothing unusual.

Tonight I had dinner at Paola's this happens to be one of my favorite restaurants I have had their brunch and I dine here often enough to consider myself a regular, the food is delectable I suggest you try a little bit of everything. I will continue to dine here I love the food , what I don't appreciate is being treated unfairly , I felt I was treated unfairly by the bartender I am a paying customer yet I got cheated on my margarita this is not the cup margaritas are served in, if you dined here as often as I do you would know that, this is a small glass very small glass compared to the one it always comes in , i felt the bartender was being racist towards me it's not the first time she has acted in such a way, why are you cheating me on my $18 drink ? today I decided to write a review , next time I dine here which I will continue to do so the food is exquisite but the blond bartender is racist she will not be serving my drinks again I will make sure to ask someone else to handle my drinks I had enough of her. I hope someone reads this and takes notes don't order from blondie. read more

Paola's Restaurant - Casamigos Margarita. - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

I always wanted to come and dine here. So I decided to go in today and have lunch. I always love eating alone, it's "me time" The service was ok , food phenomenal. However , one of the waiters kept trying to have a conversation or start some banter during my meal. ( which I noticed he didn't do with anyone else in the restaurant ) I had to tell him plenty of times I just want to enjoy my meal. I started to feel uncomfortable and decided to quickly eat my lunch and pay the bill. After I got up to leave and he started stalking me and followed me outside , then he made sure to tell me that he works every Wednesday if I ever wanted to stop by and see him. What kind of shit is this??!!!! I have never felt so disgusted with someone's behavior. I will NoT be returning. I spent $100 to be harassed and bothered and then stalked on my way out. Paola's get your damn people in check. read more

Lovely ambience, authentic Italian food and great service. I've been here twice and couldn't help but get the taglerini con funghi on both occasions -because it was spot on. When I went there recently for lunch I just got half the order which was perfect since I couldn't afford an afternoon siesta :) We also got the Bronzino, a cauliflower app-both of which were good. Will be back. read more

Most of my reviews are based ON VALUE. The key components of VALUE are food, service, ambiance and price. Paola' totally failed on all components. The food is average, the service needs some polish and the room looks bit tired and trite with the service station prominently placed in the heart of the restaurant. The bread arrives accompanied with individually packaged butter. This truly is an introduction to a diner NOT fine dining. Individually packaged butter? Give me a break. The table is covered with a white table cloth which in turn is covered by a white paper cut out. This is a NO NO if you are charging me for fine dining. Now to the food. We ordered prosciutto which was served on a block board with no accompanying condiments such as olives, capers or any greens. Stark naked prosciutto and it was not the best quality either. It was dry, dark colour, not pink like the Parma prosciutto. I ordered linguine with clams. It was tasty but the clams arrived shelled and there were only 6 clams. Why the clams were shelled is beyond me. When the clams are served in their shells, you know they are real. I was deprived of that pleasure. The service definitely needs fine tuning. There were 3 service people assigned to a table of 4 guests. At one point the waiter tried to take away the salad plate of my guest while she was still working at it. I had to remind the waiter that my guest was still working at it and his gesture was contrary to good service etiquette. There were several other flaws in service. For sure the bill reflected a fine dining event, BUT IT WAS NOT. For VALUE I definitely recommend Danny Myers' establishment Maialino. The prix -fixe lunch excels on all the 4 components of VALUE. Paola's is living in a world of average food , perhaps upscale diner ambience and bad service. Cheers Suresh Chawla Toronto, Canada. read more

The food was good, service was terrible. Our waiter just didn't seem to care one bit about us, just seemed kind of miserable to be there. We asked if he could suggest any nonalcoholic drinks. He just said no. Asked again, and he said that they didn't have anything. I mean, at least go holler at the bartender for a suggestion? Later, my mom found a staple in her pasta. We told the waiter and he just took it and walked away kind of grumbling to himself. Called the manager over, and he didn't really seem to care that there was a staple in one of the dishes. They didn't charge for the pasta, which is good, but still. Maybe show that you're a human? Show some concern for your patrons. Smile for goodness sake. With that said, the food was really good. Just the service made it a lot less enjoyable than it could have been. read more

Food was good. Service was good. We got brunch but the prices were still very pricey! read more

After reading the reviews, I had low expectations for the food at Paola's so I was pleasantly surprised by what I ate. I started with the burratta, caponata, and prosciutto whichwas decent. The burrata ball was large! Then I had the branzino with artichokes, favs beans and peas. It was also very good. Nice mild flavor, perfectly cooked veggies. The "seasonal berries" with zabaione were strawberries and blueberries, which in November were not very good. And the zabaione was on the bland side. I'd skip dessert next time. The place was packed, giving it a lively vibe on a Sunday night. It also made it loud and hard to here my table mates. The have a nice wheelchair accessible bathroom. If I was invited here again, I'd be less skeptical. :) read more

A touch of Old Skool Italian & Class Today in a world where most places are trying to accommodate the masses with their pre-fab-fabulous "let's do volume, who cares about the ingredients, attitude" Paola's Restaurant seems to be one of the few who still understands that there is something to be said about "cook-to-order" food! Originally from Rome, Paola [the owner], brings the best to market approach to her Upper East Side abode. Yes, many of her ingredients are "organic" and most of the dishes on her menu are healthy for you!! That's right! Paola's doesn't nuke your veggies in a microwave, and would never let your spinach cook, and sit, "warming" all day long. EVERYTHING HERE IS FRESH AND AS PREVIOUSLY STATED, COOKED TO ORDER!! This home grown piece of love and care is a great place for a regular meal any night of the week. They don't charge "more" just because they can, and Paola is in the restaurant business because she LOVES what she does and really enjoys making her customers happy. Quite refreshing, really. Please Paola don't change that!! Though the other Yelper who reviewed this restaurant seems to have had a bad waiter, they did admit that the food was good and made up for the waiters inability to perform. Perhaps it was just an "off day" for the staff. Even the best places have horrible days, or waiters with bad attitudes... sometimes it's just the hand that you're dealt on the day that you go and the next time you're back that waiter might not even be around. EATS: I was not sure what to expect with this Italian eatery, but overall was pleasantly surprised. BEET SALAD. Though I prefer the smaller beets, or a thicker version chopped into larger slices, the beet salad was still good enough to appease my craving for one of my favorite foods. When beets are too thin they remind me of the canned beets (I'm not a canned food fan) that my Grandmother used to scoop onto my plate at Thanksgiving. YEEEUCK! Plain straight out of the can... eeewww. These beets were thinly sliced, dark, accompanied by oranges and a generous amount of fresh goat cheese. I stacked the beets on top of each other and cut them into multiple pieces. Combining several small pieces onto my fork with a small slice of cheese, and a piece of orange. Despite the stirring of my childhood memories I remained content with my artfully engineered "perfect bite." Yum!! THE HOME MADE MUSHROOM RAVIOLI - was GREAT! Honestly the sauce could have been a little thicker and had move "truffle" flavor, but I'm being pretty tough on it. The finely chopped mushrooms were full of flavor and the consistency along with the fresh pasta shell was perfect. Though it looked a bit like a soft wonton in shape it was far from the taste, and I loved every bite. My friend remarked that perhaps because it was later on a Sunday that it wasn't as good as the times that he has previously been to Paola's - he seems to be a long time fan of Paola's place. THE CHICKEN was oogling with flavor and notable, but unfortunately the Chef slightly overcooked the meat. Being a person who has had undercooked chicken before I would always prefer over cooked rather than the latter, but I can imagine how amazing the dish would have been if it had retained the a bit more moisture. FOR DESSERT I was able to taste both the chocolate mousse, and the creme brulee. The chocolate mousse was exceptional. Fairly thick in comparison to the "Jell-o" pudding style mousse which I despise -- I was most impressed with the consistency and texture. They were perfect. Though I poured some tawny port into the mousse, and really wanted some fresh berries on the side. It's a great base for a dessert with potential but just needs a little more of a kick. I'm looking forward to seeing the improvement sometime soon! :o) The creme brulee had a hint of lemon and vanilla and again much like the mousse would have been even better with some fresh berries... but both of them were enough to satisfy that sweet tooth craving -- though after a big huge meal you probably won't have much room. Believe me when I say that one of the things that I enjoyed most was that I did not taste loads of preservatives in their food and when I arrived home I did not feel nauseous or ill. Date Rating: 6 Pick up Scale: 3 Note: Though we came in late on a Sunday night and stayed talking at our table for a while in a near empty restaurant the waiters and staff did not make us feel like we had to leave the restaurant. They told us not to rush and enjoy ourselves. VERY kind considering that they probably closed quite some time before we had finished dessert. AND they had no idea that they were going to be reviewed on Yelp! Nice move guys!! Bravo! Update 5/2407: The specials this week were amazing! Loved the new sweet lemon/asparagus pasta. SO delicious! read more

The customer service over the phone is a complete disgrace. I finished placing my order over the phone with a credit card. The clerk can't hear and I literally had to repeat the number soooo slowly, yes I get that the restaurant is loud. Then the rude clerk told me she will never take a phone order from me again. I'm not sure what I did to warrant such a reaction. I have been ordering for months regularly lunch from this restaurant. Going forward someone else with far better service can have my money... Read below other Yelp reviews... same story. Place is way overrated. Food is super salty. Pasta is nothing special. read more

Classy and clubby, Paola's is the quintessential Carnegie Hill restaurant. Prices, while high, are not out of line, especially for the neighborhood. The servers are charming and professional, the decor comfortable. Yes, the demographic skews old, but this is certainly not a geriatric retreat; on my latest visit, I saw a multigenerational family, a girlfriends' outing, and several tables that simply oozed power--tastefully, of course. But the atmosphere can't hold a candle to the food, which is stellar. In particular, I'll sing the praises of the pappardelle with the duck ragu: rich, satisfying, the pasta holding its own in the unctuous sauce. You can request any pasta in a half-order, which I strongly recommend unless you want leftovers the next day. (And, believe me, you probably do.) read more

First of all, I think it's hilarious how many people are complaining about how many old people are eating here. First of all... I'm not worried that you've offended them as most of them are probably not on Yelp, second of all, who cares? Old people should get to eat delicious Italian food too! Anyway, my 'old' parents took me here for my birthday last week and you know what? My meal was delicious! What I'd rave about on our selections? EVERYTHING! Great bread to start. Generous portions of Sancerre to sip. The filet mignon carpaccio melted in my mouth, the combination of the cheese and watercress was the perfect marriage with the meat. It was the first time I had that cut as a carpaccio and it was divine. The baby artichokes were crispy and delicious. The buffalo mozz and heirloom tomatoes were just right, perfectly married and seasoned. My mom's veal special with the truffles and mushrooms was out of this world. I got the veal chop milenase which was crispy and delicious, pretty spot on. My dad's pasta with the pesto was so freakin good, I can still reflect on the taste of the home made pasta and crazy good sauce. We chose it based on all the FourSquare ups on that dish. Our waiter was fabulous, lots of fun and great personality although I was totally let down by his inability to recommend a dessert and I found my birthday dessert to be meh ... chocolate cheesecake, sigh, not awesome but ok. I will point out that the runners seemed to have some butter fingers, we saw them drop one of our artichokes and served us the plate one artichoke short thinking we wouldn't notice. We kept saying something out loud but they didn't respond. It was off. There were some other random mishaps, nothing major, just clumsy. In reality, this would have been minor except the artichokes were so bloody awesome, how could we lose one like that ... awww. Overall, this is UES as I know and remember it. There's something nostalgic and fabulous eating like this with my parents. It harkened back to a time when we ate this way all the time when I was younger.. fine italian food, fresh fare, fun times. read more

I mainly want to say that the attitude and service at Paola's is terrible. My party of six was kept waiting for 45 minutes near a cramped bar area, even though we had a confirmed reservation. No reasonable explanation was given, though I inquired several times, and no offer of food or drink was made during this time. Also, my food was mediocre, though others in my party thought their food was adequate. Since there are so many good Italian restaurants on the Upper East Side, I will certainly not be coming back here. read more

Excellent service but I must admit that for the expense the food was just not that incredible to me. We had meatballs and crisped baby artichokes for appetizers, which again was tasty but nothing was unforgettable. For the main course I got a pasta with bacon, onions and plum tomatoes - again I felt the dish lacked flavor (despite getting grated cheese and fresh pepper sprinkled over it). For dessert, I got the creme brulee - meh, wasn't that great. Overall, this restaurant is on the upper side of pricing and for the quality of the food, I don't think it's worth it. read more

I dined here last week while visiting my favorite city in the world. My friend Halley and I dined at the bar and were waited on by one of the 'old guard' bartenders from the Elaine days. I think his name was Ray but could be way off on that. Anyway, the meal was fantastic. I came to yelp and did a quick look at some reviews and noted someone slammed this place for not being Italian because no garlic is added to the bread dipping olive oil. I find that very funny. I'm 100% (American) Italian and have never added garlic to my dipping oil, but do add salt...YUMMY. And have yet to encounter garlic in my dipping oil while traveling in Italy. Ok, enough about that. What's important is that our dinner was FANTASTICO! I did wait too long to write this review so I don't remember the specifics of what I ate. I do remember the red sauce was very good, the bread, prosciutto and grana padano divine and washing it all down with a fine and reasonable priced bottle of Veuve. A great night for all... read more

Excellent quality and service. All their fresh pasta dishes are made from scratch and use the best ingredients. Their veal dishes are only average. read more

Came here for a late lunch and had an excellent meal! The service was great and the food was even better. The fried artichokes were absolutely amazing-- I would've happily eaten 3 more! Perfectly crisp and not greasy at all! The cacio e pepe was simple, yet elegantly served with the perfect peppery bite soaked in heavenly cheese. The apple turnover was quite good, though I wish it had been served warm. My expresso was also great! read more

Good UES Spot with Madison Ave prices. The restaurant itself is very attractive, mellow wood and tiles. The service is top shelf. I was waiting a long time for the rest of my party to arrive and they never hassled me about it. The fried artichokes are SO good. They aren't breaded, just fried, so it isn't super heavy. Just delightful. The Duck Pasta is tasty. The duck is in a ragu, solid pieces of duck breast. The noodles are cooked perfectly. Prices are normal by UES Madison Ave standards, but expensive by normal standards. I like that you can get half orders of the pasta. read more

This restaurant is packed so even w reservations expect a wait. Its high in demand , the food is excellent. Best I had in NYC! Bartenders are professional and friendly, they are always kind and with a smile, the staff really works hard and the food is amazing otherwise they wouldn't be so busy. If you expect royal treatment don't think of it. Everyone is treated equally. The Owner/General Manager are not overbearing they are sophisticated and kind but don't tolerate favorism. I have been here many times and I love this place cause it ELEGANT, EXCELLENT FOOD, and VERY AFFORDABLE for ORGAINC FOOD. Its all natural and theres a reason why its busy and THRIVING! The staff never leaves , 30 years olus this ship has been sailing cause they treat everyone well. Im sorry for the bad reviews but I am a rest junkie and this is by far a CLASSY place. MUST TRY if in CARNEGIE HILL. read more

More like 3.5 and while I'm thankful a table was available after a full day of travel with delayed flights along with a full restaurant, I was really hoping for a less crowded dining experience for a Monday night. The food was not spectacular however good enough. Server was attentive and fast. Tables were super close to one another and the woman next to me with her husband would not be quiet and kept going on and on about Donald Trump's trip to the Middle East. Good Lord! What happened to dinner table etiquette of not talking about religion and politics? I guess she missed the memo or I was crabby and tired. read more

Paola's Restaurant - Flat ribbon noodles with duck ragu. - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

One of my favorite restaurants in the city. Menu is fantastic. They offer half-sized entrees if you're not too hungry or want to try multiple dishes. read more

This is probably really only 4 1/2 stars but I'm rounding up because the food is head and shoulders above every other Italian place in the same price range in this nabe. OK, it's my parents' nabe and not at all my favorite location, but the food here is really excellent and reasonably priced (for this area). I had the fegatini (liver) ($14) for an appetizer. Nice portion and very we'll cooked. We also tried the prosciutto ($16?). Nice size portion served with slices of pecorino or parm. Caesar Salad ($12) also good. For main courses I had the taglierini with mushrooms ($24). Lots of mushrooms, a few slices of black truffle and a nice portion of properly cooked pasta. My party also had the fettuccine alla bolognese ($22) and the duck ($26). All got high marks. Wine list is good with a fair number of bottles in the $40 range. (Most higher.) We had the Riesling and Sancerre by the glass ($12 and $16 respectively). Both enjoyed. A red wine from abruzzo (maybe a montepulciano?) less good but passable. Restaurant a tad noisy but that's just the way restaurants are these days. Service excellent. All in all a very nice--surprisingly nice-- experience. I will go back if I get dragged uptown again. read more

The food here is amazing and the service is excellent. The atmosphere has an Old Upper East Side sophistication to it, akin to, but distinctly less WASPy than Sarabeth's down the block at the Hotel Wales. As a native upper east sider this made me feel right at home, but if you are from some other place, these surroundings, and the simple perfection of the dishes will help you to relax and enjoy an excellent meal. By simple perfection I don't mean a common experience, but that the dishes are not overburdened with spices to distract from the core ingredients. As you can see from the photos, the pasta dishes have generous servings of their accompaniments. The menu also provides the option to order a half serving of pasta dishes, so you can enjoy more variety in your entrée. I especially recommend the paparadelle con fungi, but having it alongside the fettuccine with duck raghu enhanced both dishes, by allowing renewed sensitivity to the mushroom flavors after taking a break with the duck. read more

The food I must say is very delicious. I've been here twice. This last time I went I didnt have the best experience. The waiter that attended to us made us feel uncomfortable. Not once cracked a smile or felt welcoming. I made a comment to.my colleague that he made me feel like we are bothering him and my colleague agreed. I asked him for a glass of soda and never got it. But the table next to was getting what they asked for. When we got the check we were looking over it and I cought the weiter whispering something to a bus boy and looking at us. It made me feel unfortunately read more

Wonderful Italian restaurant with excellent food, attentive professional service and a warm, inviting atmosphere. Roses and small crystal enclosed candles on the tables are a nice touch adding to the warmth, and tables are spaced comfortably apart . Service was friendly - both the hostess and server. Food was served quickly. I had the seafood salad, and it was perfect- beautifully presented and wonderfully delicious. Extra dirty Martini was also great, made just right and with plump fresh olives. Definitely recommend as a restaurant to go with family, friends or a date. read more

This place was practically perfect! The food was terrific! I had eggplant Parmesan, which was light and really flavorful, as they skip the breading and let the flavors of the eggplant and their delicious sauce come through. My date had the tagliatelle Bolognese, and was equally delighted. We had some delicious Italian wines and finished up with Paola's unique and delicious tiramisu. The service was outstanding and the whole atmosphere was friendly and inviting. We would recommend Paola's to anyone! read more

Paola's Restaurant - Tagliatelle Bolognese - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

We walked in mid-day while they were preparing for the evening, but we were welcomed as if they were expecting us. The menu - although on the short side, has many traditional dishes that you dont typical see. New items are added from time to time as well. Many places tend to lean one way or the other - same ol' , same ol' or the dozen daily specials. Its nice to see both as options. The calamari to start and bolognese for the main was a tremendous 1-2 punch. Oh Paola, I hope to see you soon! read more

The food is usually excellent, the ambience uppereastside comfortable and attractive. The service is..friendly and attentive. After I finished eating inside I sat down for a moment at a sunny table out on the sidewalk to look for something in my purse and a waiter spontaneously brought me a glass of cold water. 10 stars. read more

We visited Paola's in mid Jan and were so impressed by the wonderful food we returned on Feb. 9. every minute of our visit was better than expected. The service was exceptional and the food out of this world. We have had the salads as appetizers and for dinner we have tried the linguini with white clam sauce and the cavatelli with sausage and broccoli rabe. This restaurant is a real keeper on the upper East Side - as good as Rome and a much shorter commute! We will return often. read more

Good pasta, artichokes, fresh mozzarella, homemade pesto, Paola's sure is an excellent Italian restaurant. I had the special linguini with ramps, pesto, and head on shrimp. It was delicious and very garlicky. The shrimp were cooked perfectly and the pasta was a perfect al dente. My friends all had delicious entrees as well We will be dining again here for sure. Though it's a bit expensive. read more

Best chocolate mousse ever, complete with a good amount of homemade whip cream on top! To start, the fried Roman Jewish artichokes are always a good decision, if a bit oily. Then, the pasta with veal and the boar ragu are delicious. The bolognese and pesto are good, too, according to friends who have ordered it. Very extensive wine list, too! read more

Enjoyed a great late brunch here. Eggs Benedict cooked to perfection! Very tasty pasta as well, and excellent service! We lingered for a while after finishing our meal and there was no pressure to leave. read more

Here's one of my favorite Italian Restaurants on the Upper East Side on Madison Avenue. Very nice service, cordial and professional. We usually get seated right away, you'll need reservations or squeeze in at the bar. My wife and I have eaten here several times. Formal classy white table cloth and a formal table setting. Paola has very good wine selection to go along with Agnolotti Al Tartufo, Scalopinna Divitella, Grilled Fillet of Salomon, or Grilled Veal Chops, it's all good. read more

Very noisy restaurant ... they rushed us through dinner it was relaxing at all! Service people Were nasty and rushed us through our dinner not one employee smiled from the minute we walked in not one smile! Unbelievable Food was way to salty skirt steak was tough .. read more

I have been frequenting Paola's even prior to moving into the UES. I have yet to be disappointed. Paolas always delivers freshly prepared dishes. Daily specials are always worth a look. Pasta is made perfectly al dente. The bolognese and trofie are two of my favorites. If there's room left over go for dessert. Paola's is perfect for a late solo dinner, two people or groups of 6-8. read more

Was recommended to visit this place by a friend, and I must say we were a bit underwhelmed. Food was only okay for the price, and the service was lukewarm. The tiramisu was delicious however, and the restaurant's atmosphere was pleasant. read more

Service was outstanding. The restaurant closes from 4-5 PM while the service staff eats dinner together. The food is fresh and made to order. Great wine list. Price point on par with Madison Ave read more

Paola's Restaurant - Italian Near Me - New York, New York