Let me start off by saying that Max Soha and Pisticci are both great, for different reasons. If you're looking for good food and good atmosphere, most people would be fine at either establishment. I'd definitely have to say that in terms of taste, Pisticci wins. But that comes at a relatively steep price... literally. I ended up paying twice as much at Pisticci than I did at Max Soha ($80-$90 vs $45 for two). But the food was really, very good! We got the specials that day and although I can't remember the exact names of the dishes, they were along the lines of a "Linguine alle Vongole" and some sort of vegetarian lasagna. The lasagna, though meatless, might have been the best I've ever had. We'll probably flip a coin from now on to decide whether we're going to Max Soha or Pisticci for Italian. They're both great! Why not 5 stars? Not to take away anything from the quality of food at Pisticci, because it was definitely very good, but I've had better Linguine alle Vongole for half the price. read more

Pretty good food....but I'm exceptionally picky when it comes to good Italian food that's worth the price. Pisticci's isn't overwhelmingly expensive but I dropped 30+ for some okay salmon ceviche and ravioli. We got the special - salmon ceviche - for appetizers and they do give you a hearty serving of salmon. But it was a little too sour. The ravioli was quite good as well, but ended up tasting bland and boring after a couple of bites. Boohoo. We got our appetizers/ravioli wayyyyyyyyyy after we ordered! We were sitting outside and while we waited we: (1) saw the sunset (2) realized that it was a mistake to sit outside because we started getting cold and lonely (3) watched everyone else get food before us. The waitress barely apologized for the delay and dumped the dishes on our table before scurrying back into the warmth of the restaurant. read more

I have had many fine meals here at Pisticci but the chef tends to excess. Pasta is served with melted fontina cheese atop it or overwhelmed tonight with eggplant, artichoke, tomato, and as usual, a ton of gloppy mozzarella. The pasta was not honored. In fact, it was downright hard to find. Friend, if you seve pasta please let it be about the pasta. I sometimes think this guy learned his Italian in Dubuque. His food is often over the top, tonight simply overwhelmed. A very poor showing. Not sure I'm going back. Meh. read more

I love love love Pisticci. I think their food is really delicious and I think this is one of the better options in the neighborhood. Some of the things I have tried and loved are the caprese salad, roasted garlic bread with goat cheese, and spaghetti and meatballs. Its a cute little place, and overall they have great service. I would like to mention that one time I went for a special occasion (and two hours prior to closing) and they told us the chef decided to close their kitchen. Other than that, no problems, but I was kind of mad about it. read more

The food and drinks were great and the staff was very friendly. The place was packed on a weeknight, so be ready to wait. But they have a bar, so that helps. Ordered a blueberry something or other drink which was pretty light and refreshing. Their maltagliati with lamb ragu and ricotta was excellent. My gf ordered a steak, which was cooked perfectly, but it came with a green minty sauce that took away from it. read more

Ideally I'd give Pisticci 3 stars, but as that isn't an option I was forced to go to 3 stars since I couldn't justify 4. I've been to Pisticci for dinner two or three times now and I will agree with many reviewers that it is "the best Italian in the Morningside Heights Area" (although it might technically be outside Morningside Heights, but whatever). The best way I can describe the venue is "cute." Pisticci is tucked away in a little corner off the 1 line and could easily be missed if you aren't looking for it. It's also refreshing that Pisticci doesn't try to dress itself up as some Tuscan villa inside. Instead aims more to be like an academic den, with rich floral wallpaper, mock shelved walls, and exposed brick. For lack of a better term, I can best describe it is a "countryside academic." The food is... above average. It's not the best I've had, but it's definitely better than then nearby competition. My personal opinion is that the pasta selection is somewhat bland. That's not to say it's bad, but it's mostly what I would consider "mild" vegetable-dominated pastas. This isn't the type of place where you order things with robust wild-boar ragu or what-not. The maltagliati with ricotta, spinach and lamb ($13.95) might be an exception. But even though I genuinely enjoy the maltagliatti, it's more "heavy" than robust. Pretty much everything I've tried at Pisticci just seems to be a few spices away from what I'd prefer. The entree descriptions have always seemed equally bland to me, but other than a few bites of the chicken in sage, I haven't tried them so I can't say for sure. Overall, Pisticci is a reasonably priced restaurant with above-average food. It's a nice place for a date or a more formal dinner with friends if you don't want to leave the area, but I personally think there are more exciting options elsewhere in the city. Pisticci is known for having really long lines in the evening. When the wait is 45 minutes, it's probably not worth it. Otherwise, it's A-OK. read more

Yes. So so SO good and I can't wait to go back. I don't usually venture uptown to dine, but Pisticci kept coming up in various conversations this week so it seemed like it was time to check it out. My boyfriend and I got there around 9:45 on a Sunday night and the atmosphere was warm, inviting, and as soon as I walked in I felt relaxed--this is the place you'd want to settle in for the night and linger over a bottle (or 2) of wine. Food was excellent. Get the mussels, the broth is "dope" to quote our server, Jay, and "crack," in the words of the bf. That's all you need to know I think. We shared the orecchiette with broccoli rabe and added sausage (garlic HEAVEN!!), and the Penne Pisticci. The penne had these luscious chunks of melty mozzarella on top and the tomatoes and peppers were so flavorful....get it. Great wine rec from our server also. We finished with the coconut cake, which is a solid decision if you enjoy cake and coconut and delicious things. Coming back ASAP! read more

Likes: - Cute and cozy - Fettucine ai Funghi - Near campus read more

Love pisticci! This is one of my solid date night spots. My favorite is the classic, spaghetti and meatballs. One of the only places where I order it. Another favorite is the goat cheese garlic bread. The space is kinda small so be prepared to wait 10-15 minutes for a seat. A hidden gem near 125th! read more

We've been a few times because it's cozy and close. I love the atmosphere and service. But the plates are chronically underseasoned, from the lamb ragu to the stracciatella cheese (which was verging on tasteless). read more

Can I not give more than five stars? My favorite, favorite Italian place in NYC so far. And I am including the ones I have been to in Little Italy as well. It is easy especially for folks living around the area (like me, I live in practically the next building!) to overlook this gem. What is there not to love about this place? Ambiance - vintage inspired, exposed brick walls, budding artists' paintings on the wall, measuring jars for water, interesting tables (The ambiance is important for a visual person like me). And a really pretty blue patio outside for the nicer days in the city. Food - consistently good. I have been there dozens of times in the last two years. I have never been disappointed. I particularly favor the stuffed ravioli, but I dream about the fettuccine fungi at times too... Service - attentive, not pushy, informative, unpretentious. Dessert - YUMMMMMMYYYY!! Get the chocolate mousse. You might just become an addict. I did. MUST GO! read more

Fantastic brunch spot...so hard to find good food in Morningside but Pisticci never misses a beat! Also great for group dinners, especially if you're looking for a well-decorated, reasonably-priced, delicious place to eat with family or visiting friends in this area. My friend loves the lemon ricotta pancakes. I'm a fan of the omelettes. Great stuff! read more

Eh. Went here for dinner last night after hearing rave reviews through other Columbia folks, including a guy who grew up here and claimed it was the best Italian in the city. Yelp seemed to especially recommend the garlic bread, maltagliata, and coconut cake, so I went for those. The garlic bread was okay, we were a group and got the goat cheese one and the regular garlic one. The garlic seemed to be roasted, smushed, and spread on the bread. I love garlic, but in this form it looked like and had the texture of boogers. Goat cheese was better, and the bread itself was light and crispy. I was very really disappointed by the maltagliata after what I read about it here. It was overcooked and I felt like there wasn't enough sauce, I know that can be a personal preference thing but there really was very little sauce. Heaping of ricotta(?) on top, which was the only thing that had any flavor, which says something. Coconut cake was raved about here, but I found it dense and heavy--it had obviously been sitting in the fridge all day and baked/prepared who knows how many days ago. I rarely bake but could easily make a better coconut cake myself (and have). I tried a bite of my tablemate's tiramisu, described as a "local legend" on the menu, but it was pretty average could-have-come-from-a-box, nothing excellent. Maybe local means Morningside Heights only. Overall the food was highly disappointing. Three stars because service was really excellent. We were a walk-in group of six on a Friday (though earlier, we got there around 6:15) and were seated pretty much immediately. Great service throughout by everyone working there. Carafe of house red was pretty good too and a good deal. The vibe was pretty casual but not Red Robin casual, good for both nice dates (well, student nice) and families. Definitely better Italian in other parts of the city. read more

Delicious food, wonderful atmosphere, the owner and waitstaff are great. Only problem is that it gets very crowded for dinner sometimes, and they don't take reservations. In my experience, the pasta and appetizers are wayyy better than the fish and meat main courses. Tomato-based sauces are done extremely well. They grow a lot of food nearby or on the premises and you can tell from the taste of the food. Also, they have an award for being a green restaurant, whatever that means. This place is great. It will please anyone, all-around. read more

Delighted that this place is near my home, up in the hood. Been twice and enjoyed everything. The cocktails are well made, the staff is professional and knowledgeable of the menu and the restaurant has a nice decor. Specials can be a bit pricey but worth it. Earlier this week I had the pasta fagioli soup as an appetizer and was very satisfied. I followed that with the grilled bass special, with sauteed spinach and roasted potatoes. Tasty and light, it was a terrific choice. Next time I'm going to have one of their pastas after a bite of the spaghetti with prosciutto. The veranda cocktail had me holding on to summer with its refreshing balance of spirits and green tea. It also is evidently a carbon neutral restaurant, very cool. read more

(I originally wrote this in the fall and am just now finishing it, womp) GREAT experience. My friends and I loved it so much, we're going to make it a monthly date. I'll admit from checking out the menu online and when I got there, I wasn't particularly drawn or terribly interested in a particular meal, but I thought I'd figure out something since my friends were excited and digging it. However, then stepped in K.O., our server, who was a whole lot of awesome in a small package. She was AMAZING. She had a ton of personality, was incredibly patient and helpful, and tolerated us for the 23948234 hours we were there. Anyway, she ran off the specials, which were pretty awesome (and that seems to be the trend, per my friend who's been a few times; so make sure you check them out!) The fig salad (a special) is to die for. It's 3 figs stuffed with goat cheese I believe over arugula with mangos and strawberries with a balsamic vinaigrette (Are you drooling yet? You should be cause I was). My friends got the penne pisticci (but substituted a vodka sauce, which they were really awesome about; seeming to be flexible about substituting different types of noodles and sauces), and the fettuccini al funghi (I hate mushrooms but that was pretty delicious). I made the mistake of ordering broccoli rabe, having forgotten that I actually hate the bitterness of broccoli rabe, but my friend dug it, so she ate it. Then comes dessert: we had the coconut cake, I believe, and some kind of delicious chocolate covered globe of gelato. I've been looking for menus online to see what it was, but I can't find it. Whatever it was, it was heaven. All of it was incredible. Update: Needless to say, we weren't able to make it a monthly date based on schedules, but the food is definitely worth it. Rereading my review has made me want to go ASAP. read more

Family style food. I wouldn't say that it's close to very Italian food, but the quality is good. The organization I work for has held their holiday party there for two years in a row. They are very accomodating and helpful. Interesting wine list among which are Montepulciano D'Abruzzo, Gragnano and Primitivo. I had a pasta with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella that was very good, though a little over cooked. The appetizers are all worth the price. read more

It's really cute. My favorite part about this place is the ambiance: its deep, sexy red decor with Mediterranean accents makes it the perfect place to bring out-of-town visitors, who aren't down to trek outside of the neighborhood. They have decent affordable wines. The food is good. Live jazz on Sundays at 6:30. But, I don't love it. The food just isn't very good. I've been to pisticci twice. The first time I had the fig salad [amazing], steamed artichoke and maltagliati with ricotta and lamb. The latter two dishes weren't too great. The artichoke was overcooked and the pasta dish was watery. The second time, I ordered a pasta dish on their special list as an entree: a penne with salmon, tomato, and asparagus in a white wine sauce. The salmon was dry as all hell, and the dish was overall pretty flavorless. I had to bathe it in Parmesan and pepper, but to no avail. I also tried my friends dishes, and they too were watery. I didn't hate it. I don't love it. But, I could probably make most of these homey dishes on my own. Maybe it used to be great. Maybe I have bad luck. But, I don't have much faith in Pisticci - except as a place to bring friends for a glass of wine. Also, they haven't updated their website, so the menu is not totally accurate and they close at 11 PM on Sundays - not 1! read more

Came here recently for dinner. The wait wasn't too bad, but it was still early. Warning: they only take reservations for parties of 6 or more. Now I'm all for cute neighborhood gems, but I have to agree that this place can be a bit inconsistant. I really wanted to love this place, honestly, but I left feel unsatisfied and disappointed. For my appetizer I orderd the special, Brussels Sprouts Gratin. Being a lover of brussels sprouts in general I was really excited to try this dish. I mean how could adding a layer of cheese to a vegetable I already loved possibly be bad. Unfortunately the dish was not at all what I had expected. I received a dish with steamed brussels sprouts and chopped tomatoes topped with gooey melted mozzarella. This dish was completely uninspiring. I was expecting a dish of shaved or chopped brussels sprouts in a creamy sauce with caramelized cheese on top. This was not so. My companion's Grilled Eggplant was much better. It was like a lighter rendition of eggplant parmesan. The eggplant was soft and custardy, while the tomato sauce was tangy and bright. The cheese was perfectly melty too. Then for my main course I ordered the Magliatelli. It looked and sounded fantastic, and though it got great reviews I was less than thrilled. The thin wide noodles were overcooked, and I did not enjoy the combination of warm sauce (that's right warm, not hot) with cold ricotta. Yes, the ricotta was creamy and delicious, but I just didn't like the warm and cold sensation. The sauce was lamb ragu. This sauce was deep and flavorful, however the lamb wasn't really present. Finally we finished with the Coconut Cake. The cake was probably the highlight of the meal, but even this cake was flawed. The cake itself was a bit too dry, neither moist nor fluffy. However the cream cheese frosting, fresh shaved coconut, and cream sauce surrounding made up amply for the failings of the cake alone. The frosting was not too sweet and rich to the max, though delicious. The coconut shavings added natural creaminess. The sauce surrounding, which I think may have been a combination of coconut milk and cream added moisture to the cake making it almost like a coconut tres leches cake. Unfortunately there was not enough of the cream to moisten up all of the cake, only the bottom. All in all, this was a pretty average meal. I would not rush back here anytime soon. read more

This is, hands-down, my favorite restaurant on the Upper West Side. The flea market-chic atmosphere is very homey, and there's always a conversation-provoking art exhibit. Plus, these guys have no carbon footprint (read more about that on their website)! The service is almost always stellar (but when it's not, it can be pretty bad). Now for food: The items on the regular menu are delicious (and affordable!) Italian standards -- the perfect comfort food if you ask me. My favorite is the Penne Pisticci. But most of the time I skip the regular menu and go for a special instead, which are almost always based on seasonally available ingredients. Every one I've tried has been delicious. I get the seafood, my partner gets red meat, and then we sample a little bit of each other's. This is actually the only place where I've eaten lamb and loved it. Lastly, if you can, try to save room for dessert (my favorites: coconut cake, berries and cream, and if you're lucky the Napoleon will be on the specials board). See you there! I'll be the one with the low-priced and very quaffable half-a-carafe of the house red on my table. read more

Truly one of the BEST hidden gems of NYC! Definitely the best restaurant in Morningside. In fact, I fell so in love with this place that I hesitated yelping about it because I selfishly want to keep it the hidden gem that it is! Came here last week after attending another stellar performance of the Manhattan School Of Music's Afro Cuban Jazz Orchestra. We stumbled upon this place and it just looked so charming, that we knew we had to give it a try. The atmosphere is so cozy and inviting. It's got a very European charm to it - you feel like you are dining in a cafe somewhere in the Italian countryside. All the mix & match vintage furniture & other decor really add to the overall charm. The staff is exceptionally friendly and accomodating. The wine list is solid - they've got a good selection of Italian wines. The food is out of this world. We started off sharing a yummy olive and cheese bowl, as well as the portobello mushroom with spinach...delish! For my main course, I had the whole wheat penne with olives and ricotta, my husband had the salmon and our friend went with fettucine ai funghi - all three of us were more than pleased with our dishes. I applaud this restaurant for serving smaller, manageable portions than most NYC Italian restaurants - again, more along the lines of a true European style restaurant! We ended our meal with 2 divine desserts - the tartufo affogato (out of this world) and the tiramisu (incredibly fresh and homemade). Pisticci - you have a fan for life! I can't wait to go back! read more

I finally dined at Pisticci this summer, after hearing colleagues rave about it for years. I don't know what took me so long. This restaurant is perfect: warm, cozy, dimly lit and friendly, and always pleasantly busy. And of course, the food outshines everything else. I'm a creature of comfort/slightly boring, and I will not order anything other than the maltagliati with lamb ragu and ricotta. I'm just afraid to deviate from what I know is excellent, and if I don't eat this dish, I feel like I'm missing out. The ragu is clearly made with a lot of TLC and is what makes the dish. I could drink glasses of that sauce. I've sampled other dishes, and the polenta with meatballs and spaghetti and meatballs come highly recommended. The last time I went to Pisticci, the restaurant had a special consisting of asparagus ravioli in a light lemon cream sauce. WOW. It was so indulgent and rich, enough so that if it's there the next time I go to Pisticci, I just might make and exception and order that instead. And the garlic bread: I co-sign on what others have said. Roasted garlic just makes everything heavenly. read more

There are 4 reasons I'd go to this place. Each one of those is enough for repeated visits and 4-star ratings, but put them together and I'd give them 6-stars if I could. 1. The food is great. Let's start with the basics - Fresh ingredients. The tomatoes are great, and that makes great sauce. The cheeses are great too. The proportions and portions are perfect, and the spices and herbs are just right too. It's just simple and good. No pretentious bullshit, just simple good food. 2. It's the closest restaurant to where I live. Literally a stone's throw away. Lucky me. 3. They're NYC's first certified green restaurant, and to me that's putting your money where your mouth is, so to say. Many restaurants say they buy two ingredients from a sustainable farm, but how many have actually made the changes required in the whole chain to get their restaurants certified green? 4. Great service - The staff here is as no-nonsense as the food. They're always willing to go the extra mile for the customers - whether it's helping invent new drinks on a rainy night or getting me that extra scoop of gelato after the kitchen closes, they've always been great. Ok, so what should you eat there? Get the artichoke to start with. The Penne Pisticci is stellar, and the Fettucini al Funghi is great (non-creamy too!) I generally have the specials, which are always fantastic, whether it's the Zuppa di Pesce or the Spinach Gnocchi. A lot of people like the Michael's Pasta, but I'm not a fan. The pistachio gelato and Tiramisu are good too. I think this just might be my favorite restaurant in New York. read more

Pisticci is a restaurant that gives you the entire experience. From the ambiance and decor to the artichokes and chocolate mousse. You get enveloped in everything you see and experience. I would say it is definitely a hidden gem and I even hesitated to write this review because I want to keep it all to myself. They also have an interesting and eclectic cocktail menu. Enjoy the faux library and moon room and have a great evening. read more

Pisticci is a warm wonderful farm to table Italian restaurant. I've been there several times, and we've always been very pleased with everything. The staff are always very nice. This place is quite popular and therefore quite busy. They only take reservations for parties of six or more. read more

Omg! Don't bother We over tipped I spite of the service. read more

What can I say? This place was so amazing! I had the fettuccine Al fungi. It was so authentic and had such great flavor. I visited this place almost 2 months ago and I'm still thinking about and craving this pasta! I also tried the desert. I had the coconut cake, which was also so so so so so good. You have to try this place! read more

Finally made it to the quintessential Morningside spot. Cantabrigians, Pisticci: Columbia :: Harvest: Harvard. What amazes me about Pisticci is that they manage to make a place that looks unremarkable during the day look pretty cozy at night. It's the kind of place where you want to linger over another glass of wine. The only unremarkable thing about Pisticci last night was the soup special, which my colleague and I both ordered. The waiter had described it as a chickpea and asparagus puree so we were both imagining something thick, hearty, and with a sort of deep, interesting flavor (I was imagining something with an Indian inflection). What we got was something more like chicken broth with some veggies floating in it -- the kind of soup you would serve to your bedridden niece. After the great soup debacle, though, things at Pisticci picked up. I ordered Michael's Pasta (cavatelli, squash, and fresh spinach tossed in light tomato and topped with caciotta) which tasted overwhelmingly and unbelievably fresh. Truth be told, I was slightly overwhelmed by the squash (which was that slightly bitter winter squash) but I was so impressed by how clean, wholesome, and fresh everything tasted that I quickly forgave the squash. I also loved the caciotta cheese which gave the entire dish a kind of ooey-gooey-ness that I always crave when I eat Italian food. All this to say, Columbians, have your parents take you to Pisticci. Or have your professors take you. And Morningside dwellers, you are lucky to have such a quaint, cute, cozy neighborhood spot. read more

Pisticci is the best thing about living in Morningside Heights. It's a block away from my apartment, and there is nothing better than going to Sunday Brunch there. My fiancé and I went there this morning and shared truffled eggs ($13) and the lemon ricotta pancakes ($10? Not sure). The truffled eggs were WONDERFUL. Mushrooms folded in the lovely, truffly eggs, and we got the prosciutto on the side since the fiancé is a stricter vegetarian than I am :-) It's served with crispy fried potato chunks and fresh greens with a perfect vinaigrette. Delish. I've had the lemon ricotta pancakes a few times before and they are always AWESOME. Golden, fluffy pancakes with slightly crispy edges, served with fresh blueberries and strawberries. And then of course there is the creamy, tangy lemon ricotta sauce for you to spread on top. Amazing. We also shared a blueberry lemon fizz ($9) that was SO GOOD that I think I've decided to serve it at my wedding. It's blueberries muddled with mint, mixed with blueberry Stoli and...something fizzy. And a lemon. I don't know. It was great, though. I usually hate drinking alcohol with my meal, but this was actually pretty good with the pancakes. I'm extremely picky about cocktails in general, so this one must be the best of the best. Seriously, you should order one with your brunch. It's also so cute and cozy, and the waitstaff is always good. Great for a date, or for when friends are visiting. You could even bring kids there; they make a great spaghetti! I'm still enjoying the post-Pisticci glow... read more

We've been here twice now, and both times, it's just been okay. We came in here in search of humidity refuge. Sitting in a basement can help with that. We sit our sticky selves down and a man comes with tiny glasses and starts filling it with two big bell jars. I begged him to leave the jars and really should have drank straight out of that if I didn't look like a pig at a trough. We tried to pour it into the small glasses, but really that was just making pools of walking hazards for the staff. So then we sat. I am generally happy as a clam with some bread and oil, but this was Friday, and I needed wine. Someone finally came around and began a 20 minute oral on their specials. Three salads, four entrees, where the seeds came from to grow the baby arugula, you know. But we were happy because not only was nothing calling to us on the menu, it wasn't even whispering. I don't know what it is. I went with a fettucini with filet mignon, many mushrooms, and a truffle oil sauce. My husband got the pepper and mozzarella (?) ravioli. We were finally asked about wine, and I gleefully asked for the house red because it was a Montepulciano. We get the plates and a man casually mentions cheese. Um yes, yes I want that, no, you cannot leave yet with only snowing on my beef stroganoff with identity issues. My plate was a rich mass with okay mushrooms and overcooked, gristly filet. My husband figured out that he was actually only eating peppers and they were doing in interpretation of ravioli, where there simply wasn't any. Where did that man go with that cheese? After a period of time longer than the reading of the specials, we get asked if we want to see the dessert menu. Same as the dinner menu, there was nothing there. Sometimes you just don't need fruit with your cake, and that wasn't an option on anything. We got the bill and apparently the richer the food, the poor the wallet. It didn't break us, but we would have gone somewhere else for $20 some odd bucks a plate. read more

Consistently good. Fresh ingredients, good flavors, cozy, fun atmosphere. I've been a regular for the last 8 years...it's my go-to spot in Morningside. Service slipped this last visit just a bit. As always, it was busy, and my party found itself waiting longer than usual for bread, extra plates, water, and the check. read more

Pisticci is a great little oasis of Italian food on the upper, upper west side. It's rustic and simple, but the food is very good and the place is cozy. They've recently expanded and almost doubled their seating capacity, but the chances are still good you will end up sharing a long dining table with other customers. The Matagliati is a personal fave, but their usual seafood specials are always something to jump at (the mussels are very good). The fig salad and house made iced tea are two of my wife's favorite choices, though they are a little heavy for me. The service can sometimes be brusque, but that just adds to the feeling that you are in a little trattoria across the sea. Ultimately, this is great little 'hidden' spot in West Harlem that's worth a try if you live around the corner or at the other end of the island. read more

Pisticci is wonderful. Swordfish. Zuppa de Peche! MUSSELS! I friggin' love seafood. I swear I was a sealion in a former life because I just can't get enough of these little sea creatures. And HOW! does this place know how to use them! Mussels in tomato basil or white wine and parsley. Tender swordfish with simple sides and a bit of lemon juice. A full bar with a cute tender to boot. In fact everyone was cute! AND nice AND attentive. Plus the place was so cozy. Who knew I could step outside my door and be in this little gem of eatery in less then 10 minutes. IN MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS PEOPLE! I'm headed back this weekend to try the handmade pasta. read more

I wish I could give it 4 and a half stars... Let's begin with lists: Pros: GREAT prices Varied wine selection Risk taking on traditional dishes Intelligent service Good atmosphere Cons: Not al dente, dried pasta (expected fresh) Over-powering use of lipids (fats) Pace of meal It was my birthday! My boyfriend and I trekked from Brooklyn up to Morningside to one of his favorite eateries intending on having a great time! We were not disappointed. We were greeted by a great server and started off with a crisp Prosecco followed by, for me, Asparagus gratin with gruyere and asiago cheese with a bechamel drizzle. Deliciously subtle. He had a salad featuring baked fingerling potatoes, pancetta, fresh croutons,and feta with a basalmic vinagrette on top of baby spinach. All apps were superb with the Sauvignon Blanc our server paired them with. We found that we both had to have the maltagliati with ricotta, spinach and lamb ragu. It was also very good, though he had been very excited for this dish as he had always had it with fresh maltagliati. The pasta was a little over cooked, but the sauce made up for it with a thick creamy texture. The sauce is where they could have cut back on their cream and allowed other notes of flavor to sing through, but hey, we enjoyed it never the less. Paired with a Cotes du Rhone that was excellent. For dessert we had espresso and gelato, the gelato had a little bit of freezer burn but nobody is perfect... it was still very good. Over all, our server was great and the food was very good, especially for that price. 7 glasses of wine, two apps, two entrees, two coffees, one gelato: $110. That's a good deal. read more

Tucked away on a side street, Pisticci offers surprisingly tasty Italian at a extremely reasonable prices in the upper west side. I hear they've got a fantastic brunch too. read more

I was more than happy with my dining experience here. We arrived an hour earlier before they were open for dinner, in fact, when the staff was eating dinner...and they still let us in for a glass of wine. I ordered the artichoke ravioli, which was a special...and it was DIVINE. All in all, a very pleasant and affordable dining experience. read more

Gluten-free and delicious Italian food = our new favorite spot up here. I'm hoping they bring back the pumpkin risotto special soon because it is just off the hook ridiculous, but the rest of the menu ain't bad either, and there are always new specials that are worth trying out. No reservations unless you've got a big party, but the wait is never too bad and they have 2 bars you can relax at until your table is ready. Worth the trek if you're not a local and don't mind a bit of a wait for some really excellent and authentic food. Oh, not a biggie but beware - they don't take Amex! (gasp!) read more

Real hidden gem in the neighborhood. Just again tried the lunch special. The price is so unreal --how can you get something with this quality for this price. I highly recommend! read more

A friend of a friend invited me to this spot -a bit out of my normal hood. What a great spot - intimate with a twist on Italian. Told it gets crowded with the flu blown Columbia population. Service was sharp and bartender top notch. Seemed like would be good for dates, but also for bigger groups (6-8) read more

Came here for dinner after celebrating my nephew graduation. Large group of people attended. I had the orecchiette with sausage and broccoli rabe . It was very good nice amount of spice . Garlic bread was also very good . For dessert I had the tiramisu. It was ok needed a little bit more flavor. Overall a nice time spent with family read more