Nice cozy little Italian restaurant. Prices are fair for New York and the portions as well. Brussels sprouts were very good as well as the risotto balls. read more

My daughter and I went for a small meal this restaurant is cozy and has a very warm atmosphere The employees were friendly Restaurant is clean It did not disappoint Food was very good Cannot complain No reason not to give below 5 star rating read more

Pastai - Wine Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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Absolutely adorable environment it's small But romantic and friendly! Food and drinks exceed expectations! I love Italian food and they do a great job! Thumbs up I'd recommend this place to anyone wanting a cute experience! read more

Pastai - Pretty bar - Wine Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Good, decent but disappointing, specially because of the great work done in the Website, thus it gave me a false feeling that I was going to get an amazing pasta dish . But for a quick ( don't have a place picked ) in the area . It is good. Not my first choice . The host and staff were nice and attentive ! Don't have photos of the dishes but we had the burrata and Brussels sprouts ( appetizer) - that was better then the dishes . My husband had the chicken (plain) I had the 8 hrs Slow cooked rugu with pasta ( okay dish ) and my daughter garganelli pasta with brócoli rabe pesto and burrata which was okay: read more

This pasta does not seem to be homemade, don't even try the GF option it was rock solid after sending it back 2 times.

Stumbled upon this place when Chelsea Market was way too packed. There was 4 of us and 2 of us got salads, a pizza, and a salmon entrée. I ordered the salmon and I must admit it was pretty bland. My elderly parents usually like to cook bland food but this was even worse than that. On top, it was slight overcooked. I heard the salad and pizza were delicious though. read more

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July 2018 After my Christmas dinner rant back to see all is well here. Original Sicilian menu and original great staff and wine list. Among my favs once agin. I I'll be back soon. Obsolete: December 2017. Sadly my favorite restaurant has to be downgraded and if there were a zero star I'd use it. Pastai appears to be under different management because it was known for its genuine Sicilian and southern Italian food, sincerity and simplicity. But today's Christmas Eve so called feast of seven fishes dissappointed and disgusted me and unfortunately my family. We had 4 separate four course meals so a lot to chose from. The pastas were outlandishly terrible - over salty, strange and some chincy and amateurish. Apps were beyond disgusting except for burata. One particular thing was a seafood app that actually came jellied in a horrible aspic. It looked and tasted like high school science project. When I let the waiter know he nodded and smiled. One pasta dish was good - the bucatini with cauliflower. The single authentic Sicilian item on the menu. There were several different dish entrees which were good - but not even close to Italian let alone southern or Sicilian. And portions were minuscule. Spent over 600 for dinner for the holiday only to let down family. I have sent many people here over past year and grateful I stopped a friend from the same unfortunate experience with a call just in time to take his 6 guests elsewhere. This review is sad to write because of all the great meals and happy times - but apparently things have changed. I get change - but I don't like to be ripped off and waste a special holiday meal. Service too was terrible. Hapless and uncaring, distracted and only nice when they presented the outlandish check. Such a far cry from the past where it felt like family. OBSOLETE REVIEW:Just as good as ever. Maybe moreso. No liquor license issue - full bar, great wine selections and fantastic Sicilian pasta. Not for tourists but people who know the good stuff. Staff friendly and helpful as ever. Couldn't be better. read more

Not only was the food and drinks wonderful, we were pleasantly surprised by our server, Oscar, who even though it was the end of the night and the kitchen was about to close, had a energetic and positive attitude! He made sure the kitchen stayed open long enough for us to order even though we got there technically after they closed the kitchen. He also let us know when the bar was going to close so we could order a few more drinks. The gluten free options were AMAZING! I couldn't tell any difference between it and REAL pasta and bread! Thank you to Oscar for a memorable experience! read more

Service was amazing and felt very homey. I felt like I was with family! Food was tasty with amazing flavor. Gluten free pasta didn't disappoint, recommend for gluten free people looking for amazing pasta. read more

Omg what a great find. We sat at the bar looking into the open kitchen. The ARANCINI DI RISO. Was to die for. We had the halibut special.... it is a must. We will be back to try their pasta dishes. Staff was great read more

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Loved it. Great staff. Small cozy Italian restaurant. Very good food and very good wine. Would go back again.

absolutely delicious! I got the carbonara- one of the best i've ever had. service was wonderful and staff was friendly. also, the ricotta honey appetizer was wonderful as well. read more

Pastai - SPAGHETTI ALLA CARBONARA (i asked for bucatini noodles instead of spaghetti) - Wine Bars Near Me - New York, New York

It seems I am really in the minority with this 3-star review, but that's all Pastai deserves. What is everyone else thinking? Yes, the place is cute, and yes, it's a thrill to be able to get a table without a reservation on a weekend night. The service was fine, too. But the pasta!!! It was...perplexing. Not sure what tradition these guys are claiming to make pasta in, but I'm pretty sure an Italian has never come near this place, let alone visited the kitchen. Let me back up and start with the bread. It's always a litmus test for the rest of the meal. I overheard a waiter call it "homemade focaccia" - it was nothing like focaccia. It was not a yeasted bread, more like a flat, dense baking soda bread, the wrong bread entirely for dipping in the (mediocre) olive oil they provided. Things actually improved with the next two courses - the octopus was good, as was a simple, beautifully dressed arugula salad with pine nuts. Then the pastas, one with lobster and one with broccoli rabe and burrata. The broccoli rabe one was the better of the two, tasting strongly of...broccoli rabe, and not much else. The burrata never really melded with the dish, just sort of sat on top. The handful of cherry tomatoes seemed like a random addition and did not add to the dish. It was edible, but it made me miss the sausage that traditionally accompanies the rabe, for good reason. The lobster dish was STRANGE. The little lobster in its shell that rode on top of the pasta was actually sweet and good. But if you removed the lobster, you would never know what kind of pasta you were eating. No lobster stock, or anything seafood related, went into the creation of this pasta. There was a little spinach. There were shavings of something that we couldn't figure out - was it bottarga? Or crispy, flavorless prosciutto? I just checked the menu this morning - they were crispy artichokes. Why? And then, the ubiquitous cherry tomatoes. We ate both dishes - they were not offensive. Just silly. And nothing we would come back for. read more

One more lunch review Nice quite place maybe to quite I have order chicken a d Avocado salad. Salad was good need more flavor to it and it is small to small. So the price it to high to what you get. Not my cup of tea of a place But over all ok Service was good and friendly and this is always importent to me. read more

Pastai is a nice Italian eatery on the far West side of Chelsea. The food here is reasonably priced, and the atmosphere is very downtown chic yet also refreshingly casual. Good place for pasta & wine. My server was attentive and and easy-going, he patiently described all the popular dishes. I decided to go with the Bucatini with cauliflower in a cream sauce. The pasta was cooked right at al dente, and mild cream sauce pulled everything together. For dessert, I had both the panna cotta and two scoops of vanilla gelato. The panna cotta was topped with chopped pistachios and raspberries, and the gelato was really creamy and smooth tasting. As always I ended the night with Cappuccino. All in all a very pleasant night and eating experience. read more

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I came in at 3 on a weekday for a late lunch and had the place for myself. The ambience is great, and I sat at the window and enjoyed the setting greatly. The bread of kind of mediocre. The pasta--I had the hollow spaghetti with cauliflower and pancetta--was out of this world. Better than I've had at Babbo, on par with Del Posto. I will definitely be coming back. Regarding portion size, it was slightly small but also quite rich. It was Babbo/Del Posto sized and not Olive Garden size is all. I was worried about getting full after reading prior reviews, ended up fully sated. I can't wait to come back. read more

Pastai - Hollow spaghetti with cauliflower and pancetta SO GOOD!!! - Wine Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Flew in from Phoenix - hadn't eaten in hours. This place caught my eye because it was busy and a dish I could see someone eating through the window looked amazing. We sat at the bar, and order the burrata with prosciutto, a beef pasta, and filet special. Everything was perfection. You know it's good when you think about it the rest the of the night. Side note - since we sat at the bar, we could watch the staff interact and prepare the food. We loved seeing how they all enjoyed working together. There was a beautiful energy amongst all of the people working. read more

Fantastic local spot with a classy but casual ambiance and lots of good options to choose from! I ordered the salmon Benedict for brunch and they really nailed the hollandaise sauce. The amount of gluten free options available was also quite impressive. read more

Really enjoyed my time here! The service, food and atmosphere were all a 10/10. I wish I had room for dessert it would of also been delicious! I'm definitely coming back. read more

Pastai - Bruschetta With Fava Bean, Mascarpone & Pecorino - Wine Bars Near Me - New York, New York

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I would often walk by pastai and peek my head in, admiring the space. I finally went in with a friend yesterday for drinks and a bite. It's charming ambiance has a great feel to it. I had the spritz royale cocktail which was delicious for anyone who enjoys a good spritz. We had a fresh arugula salad and couldn't help but notice the delicious looking pasta plates that passed by....Fyi pastai means pasta maker and they make their own pasta!! So happy I finally went in and can't wait to be back for some authentic Italian pasta. Bartender and staff are super nice and make you feel right at home. Will be back soon. read more

We arrived on time for a 5:30 dinner reservation. The menu looked spectacular and my hubby has Celiac so it seemed like a good pick. Saturday at 5:30 the server is clearly aggravated throughout the service (having all worked in the food industry we are all super polite knowing how difficult the job is). My pasta was over cooked and the sardines were overcooked as well. Everyone's else's was ok. We ask for dessert (I had been eyeing the doughnuts) only to be told "we have no dessert" ummmm really? On a Saturday night? Uh ok. Asked for espresso and I thought the server was going to spit on us for asking. Got out of there with a $400 bill and no desert... we will not be back. read more

Came here with my girlfriends and enjoyed some drinks outside in the sun. We ordered the special watermelon margaritas which were perfect! We subbed mezcal on our second round- the smoke flavor with the sweet and salty was an even better combo. They auto added gratuity since we were 6 people, so be vigilant. read more

Pastai - Watermelon Margs! - Wine Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Espressos were OK and the sweets were good. We did the sfinci which are similar to an Italian zeppole with some ricotta filling and chocolate sauce drizzled over. We also tried some unique ice cream (bee pollen and espresso granita ice creams), but I wouldn't recommend these other than giving them a shot for yourself first time around to ease your curiosity. Best thing here were the sfinci if you were to pop in. read more

Pastai - Sfinci; Italian zeppole with ricotta inside and chocolate drizzle. - Wine Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Nice cute place. They are friendly and the service was good. But all the food was way too salty. read more

I've passed by this restaurant many times and keep forgetting to stop in. Tonight, I was really in the mood for a good, interesting pasta dish but not interested in cooking one at all. I decided to order from Pastai on seamless. Doing this on a Saturday made me a little wary as I figured it would take forever to arrive. Since I wasn't ravenous, I took a chance. I'm super impressed with how quickly it arrived- felt like only 20 minutes from ordering. Everything arrived piping hot too. I had the fried olives stuffed with pecorino and the pasta with short ribs. I see a lot of people complaining about the portion sizes here, but I thought there was plenty of food. The olives needed a little more cheese but were crispy and flavorful. The pasta dish was a little on the bland side - some salt would have made it just right, but the pasta was cooked perfectly al dente and the beef was very tender and juicy, with just the right amount of fat. It is pricey. It's nice for a now and then treat. The meal was good and made me more interested to finally stop in the restaurant and dine there. read more

Bad service--workers were pretty mean. Pasta wasn't horrible but too expensive. Better Italian restaurants elsewhere especially in nyc

Wandered in on an early Friday evening. Small but still open feeling space with tin ceilings set against Danish design furnishings. All homemade pasta with a wider than usual variety of both pasta and sauces. Salads are very large (share!) ... Fresh combinations ... Mine with radicchio and blue cheese. Wonderful master class in attentive service. Not too busy and a great waitress but still worth calling out. Specials include some unique choices (lobster with lemon pasta). read more

Pastai - Evening coming on .... - Wine Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Lovely, charming place we stumbled upon after the High Line. Had the ravioli di ricotta, which was surprisingly light and paired with crisp artichokes and tomatoes. Delicious and not heavy at all. Wine pairings were nice. Staff very friendly. Hope to return. read more

Pastai - Ravioli di ricotta - Wine Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Being in the food business I hesitate to write. I get bad nights etc ......but the lack of service was so apparent. They dumped our food then never came back ....EVER Then my husband got a rock in his food.... yes a rock. I told the waiter and he just looked at us like it was our fault The food was a ok But to be treated like we don't matter while spending a good bit of money sucked!! read more

This place is a diamond in the rough! I had the Reginette al Ragu, and substituted tagliatelle pasta. It was delicious. Service was friendly and fast, and the space was not crowded on a Friday night. The space was clean, subtly and romantically lit, and cozy & intimate. I'll be back next time I'm in NYC! A+ read more

New favorite homemade pasta place. Had the short rib ragu, pesto spirals with burrata and ricotta and honey ricotta bruschetta. Friendly service and just a really cute and genuine hole in the wall. read more

Pastai - Wine Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Management is terrible at place. Be aware that if they mess up, you must pay for it or the manager will scream at you in the middle of the restaurant. They completely messed up my partners plate and the manager, instead if replacing it, told us that if we do not like the dish and wanted a replacement we would have to pay double. Plus they charged us for an extra side that was not brought with the food and refused to remove it from the bill even though we only received it when we asked for the bill. This place was great before, I will never come back there or order from them again. Too bad It was a neighborhood jam and I used to order from them all the time. read more

probably the best restaurant in NYC! very classy and cozy for a date or a girls night out! the owner was super friendly and the food is just SOO good!! i wish i can give it 100000 stars! i recommend it to everyone ! read more

Pastai - Wine Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Not really a good place for pasta, despite the name. The bucatini with sarde are a typical southern Italian dish, but they are simply unappetizing when served overcooked, as they were in this case. They managed to overdo even the olive fritte appetizer, which most certainly don't need parmesan cheese added to them. I strongly suspect this place is Italian only in name. read more

Came on a Friday night (3/23) w no reservations. Small space but we were easily accommodated. Crocche di patate, aragosta pasta, Genoese pasta, chianti, and sfinci ricotta! Good portion sizes, attentive service, not so loud that we couldn't hear each other speak. We left commenting about what a nice meal it was and how relaxing. Maybe a *smidge* more chocolate sauce on the sfinci ricotta?! read more

I wanted so much to like this place since my friend likes it as her neighborhood pasta place (it's literally around the corner from her) and it looked super cute, but alas, it disappointed... Ambiance: We were able to snag a table outside and enjoy the beautiful spring warmth. This also meant we couldn't order any alcohol, but that was fine by us -- we had a half marathon the next morning. This place looks super cute on the outside. Could be a nice date spot. Service: Our server was friendly and ensured we had everything we needed. Food: We were given bread with olive oil to start. Pretty typical for an Italian place, but the bread was just okay and we weren't given much... 5 pieces? I ordered the Gemelli Con Burrata. Any time there's burrata, it's always a tempting option, and this time temptation won. When it arrived, it looked delicious. However, that's about it. It seemed flavorless. The burrata was probably the only saving grace, because, well it's burrata. It was pasta and did the trick for fueling up for the race the next day. Cute place. I just wish the food matched. read more

The catering manager was extremely disrespectful and unprofessional. His emails were rude and he scolded me for his lack of communication. I have worked as a professional corporate planner over 20 years planning dinners all over the world. I'll never recommend this restaurant and will make sure my circle of planners is doesn't either. read more

Absolutely delicious pasta pasta with the lobster tagliatelle is absolutely delicious! Oh wait it was friendly attentive and gracious first time there I will definitely return read more

Beware, you may have a reservation but they may NOT honor it! I have eaten at this restaurant many times and enjoyed our experience, but our experience tonight was so bad, I will never step in this establishment again. We made a reservation for four (4) through Open Table. We arrived on time and we were told by the host that he had our reservation but he didn't have a table for us, didn't know what time he would have one available and told us we could sit at the bar. Not only did he not honor the reservation, he had an attitude and couldn't care less if we walked out, which we did. It's restaurants like this one that come and go and I hope Pastai is on it's last leg. Chelsea has many nice restaurants that have good food and honor reservations. I would pass on this one and have a nice experience somewhere else in the neighborhood. read more

I loved the food. Vegetarian options. The eggplant with raisins and pine nuts - amazing. Fried artichokes fantastic. Pasta with cauliflower cooked perfectly. The food is 5 star +. read more