Note to reader: if the writer of the review writes only in sentence fragments, caution is advised. I have never had poor service in this restaurant. The food is varied and appropriately priced. The mango mousse desert is spectacular and soups are wonderful. I rarely think that a restaurant has enough vegetarian options, so I cannot give Settepani a 5, but it is a solid 4.4. I am dragging friends there tonight who would otherwise be eating in the village. read more

Love this place for Brunch Staff are nice Owners are the sweetest A neighborhood gem Good food and you can expect a reasonable bill read more

If I could give this place no stars I would. I went to have brunch this afternoon. I ordered pancakes and they were a bit well done. When I cut into them I noticed both pancakes were burnt on the other side. The server quickly removed the plate and placed another order for me. The 2nd order of pancakes seemed perfect. Yet, when I cut into them the inside was completely raw and the batter spilled out onto the plate. The server noticed and apologized and was about to remove the plate. I asked him to leave the plate because I wanted to speak to the manager. A very tall skinny black guy - the manager - walks over and offers to place the order again. At this point I was annoyed - I had already waited over 25-30 minutes to eat and I had my 10 month old infant with me. She was well-behaved even though she was hungry and just watched TWO plates of food taken away from our table. I informed the manager I was going to leave and asked him to please bring my stroller over; it was parked off to the side of the restaurant. My daughter was in the high-chair and I never leave her unattended in a high-chair. I was upset and had enough at this point. Yet, instead of bringing the stroller over FIRST he walks over to their POS screen & prints out a bill for $2.99 for an iced-coffee I never received and placed it on the table. I was livid!! A female employee by the bar saw me strapping the baby into the stroller and asked me why I was leaving. After I explained what happened she asked the manager to make the ice coffee for me anyway. His response, "well she didn't pay for it" ..... I told them I didn't want anything from them. I also informed the manager that it was my first time there & it was definitely a very bad first impression. Here are my issues with this place: First of all, who sends out burnt food & then follows up with raw food. Pancakes are pretty easy. If you can't manage that you're in trouble. Secondly, the manager was more concerned with collecting "$2.99" from me than trying to address the matter; because if he did, he would of known I never got the iced-coffee. Thereafter, he added more insult to injury when he told the woman he didn't want to give me the iced-coffee because I "didn't pay for it." Ummm sir, I just spent 30 minutes at this restaurant. I came in hungry and now I'm starving!! There were only 4 other patrons there; 2 at a table and 2 at the bar. The restaurant was not busy. A good manager would have said, "I'm sorry your orders were not up to par. I'll go speak to the chef now and make sure they get it right. In the meantime, can I offer you something to snack on to hold you and your baby over since you've been waiting so long for your food? " or something along those lines. After this incident, I will never go back. I've been to a few events catered by Settepani and I was really looking forward to having a nice brunch with my daughter. I hope the owner, Leah Abraham, hires a better cook who doesn't send out inedible food and finds a better manager who knows how to treat patrons when these situations occur. read more

Ambiance is nice so we thought we were in for a treat. Unfoe2tunetly the service was HORRIBLE. Food was ok to some and great to others. It took about 30 minutes for the drinks to come and an hour for a non alcoholic drinks. Appetizers were just ok. The calamari was chewy and the White Asparagus soup was tasteless. It took about another hour for food. So long that I commented If they had to kill the cow (I ordered steak). They never came back to see if we needed more drinks. The place wasn't crowded when we arrived and the menu is small so not sure what the problem was..would I eat here again? No!! The high price of food and slow service wasn't worth it. read more

The people who work here are either very unhappy or they're zombies. When we sat down, there was no acknowledgment that we even existed, as male waiter gave us water. By the time he actually got to us, he spoke in barely audible tone and barely smiled. Not that you need to whistle while you work, but isn't this an establishment where dealing with the customers is part of the job? In NYC, waiters work the customers for good tips. I guess this young man just gave up...or again, he's really a zombie. Now for the food, which took way too long to get to us, seeing as they weren't that crowded and our orders were simple. My friend had a salad, which she said was okay, and I had the French toast, which again, was just ok with it's ok bread choice and bland syrup. Overall, our Sunday brunch was just ok. Next time, I'll just wait on the short line for the place across the street. I'm guaranteed good food and way more decent service and prices. *Message to Owners: When you hire young people to be work for you, it is your duty and responsibility to train these people to be perfect representatives of your establishment. Having bad waitstaff on top of just ok food is a business killer because word gets around. read more

My wife and I consider Settepani one of the best dining spots in all of Harlem. We often take out of town guests here because we know the food and service will be good. The cuisine goes well beyond the "Italian" description so don't let that cuisine box stop you from coming. The selection of seafood is the best in the area and the prep styles are always different. It is key to note that the owners are truly committed to the area of Central Harlem. The husband and wife team have stood by the 'hood through tough economic times and support every single local charity in the area. Short story long....take the 2 or 3 train to 116th St and have yourself and adult meal. Out read more

I love Settepani. My husband and I have had dinner there a number of times and we have never been disappointed. The service is good, and the food is fantastic. They also have good wine. My favorite dish is the truffled sausage and polenta appetizer. We haven't found another restaurant in the area that can compete with Settepani in terms of quality food and service. I've seen a few other posts that complain about prices, but I really don't agree. The prices at Settepani are absolutely reasonable, ESPECIALLY for what you get for your money. And, p.s. we're in New York, folks. Love Settepani and plan to go back again and again. read more

Lovely restaurant with excellent service. The servers were so attentive and kind! The food was great and the latte & cappuccino I shared with my boyfriend were made perfectly! read more

The slowest service I have ever seen. And I have been here 3 times now, and each time it is agonizing. Food is mediocre. Bean soup with no beans, rigatoni with a bitter sauce, just not good. Never again. I have a life, and I can't waste it waiting for service. read more

Had brunch yesterday-- the food wasn't a super experience but the service probably killed the experience for me. I made reservations for brunch, knowing it would be Easter Sunday and the traffic into anywhere would be crazy in Harlem. It took a really long time before someone acknowledged us (5-10 minutes). I wasn't sure where to stand to be acknowledge at the door or outside by the patio, it was very unclear. We had to chase someone down and seriously say we had a reservations, but they didn't believe us. We were seated and no one came to us for at least 15 minutes. Mean while other parties are being seated, got water, and menus right away. It took 30 minutes for us to put our order in and almost a solid hour before we got our food. So we sat in our seats for an hour waiting for our food. No one ever came by to ask how we're doing or explained what the delay was. It took 45 minutes before we got bread. I was shocked to see that a party what was seated a minute after we sat down, was served food and was out of there before we even got our food. In all my life, I can't recall having such a bad experience. I jut really felt like I was a "unwanted customer." I was seriously upset with the service, even when the brunch crowd thin out, no one expressed apologizes, the owner (who I believe) never asked how were we? It just really seem that everything was done intentionally. They made their point of not having my business. read more

So - after a ridiculous train ride home after work, I really needed a beer. In my years of living in NYC, I'm not sure that I have ever had the pleasure of such incredible service! While I only ordered dessert, I fully intend on having dinner at Settepani this week and it is due in full to the most amazing service I have ever received. I sat at the bar and had the pleasure of speaking with most of the staff. The bartender was excellent, the hostess was inviting and the waitstaff was diligent. It is difficult to balance the precise amount of service each customer needs, however in observing the staff at Settepani, it is obvious that they know their business. I was there on a Tuesday night and if the crowd was any indication on the quality of the food, I am sure to be satisfied. It is great to know that there is an upscale restaurant in the neighborhood where I won't have to take a second mortgage to brings friends - and even better to know that the staff truly takes an interest in the clientele. I'll be back to review the food - but I am confident that this restaurant is a keeper! read more

When our party of three walked into the restaurant, there was a live jazz band finishing up a set--perfect for a Sunday evening! We decided to stay for dinner. Although the food was pretty good, specifically the grilled octopus, it was extremely hot and we all felt like we were melting. The venue did not have good AC, which was a huge problem, especially when the temperature outside was over 85 degrees. The staff was very nice and apologetic, but in terms of overall service, a three star rating is all the restaurant deserves. read more

Good food, service not so great. The quality of the experience here has declined over the past 6 months or so but I will still go for some of the really yummy dishes and affordable bar bites menu. read more

Had brunch here today-- the food and service were terrible. We were seated in the back by the kitchen, and my eggs benedict came all mangled. One of them had broken and run over. The other was just messy looking. Later on I realized that it did not even have the sauce on it! I really should have sent it back, but at the time I didn't want to waste the food and rationalized to myself that the egg had broken but had not run out completely. I asked my friend how her scrambled eggs were and she didn't say anything about them, but they didn't look that great either. We also ordered a side of pork sausage as an appetizer, but they didn't bring it out, and we only remembered later and had to ask for it. "Didn't we order pork sausage?" "Yes, it's in the kitchen." So she brought it out, but we had already finished our brunch by this time and it felt odd to eat that at the end (it was not very good on its own merit-- just some overfried slices). Since by this time she had made so many errors as to seem to defy random chance, my suspicions were aroused and I think it is possible that she purposely omitted it. I thought this because of the way she said "yes, it's in the kitchen," instead of "oh yes," as in, I forgot. But letting go of that subtle point, service was horrible-- it was literally about a half hour before we got bread; even longer until our meal came; they never refilled our water until asked; they tried to take our food away when we weren't finished. The people next to us had issues as well-- I think we were in the "unwanted customers" section. I could go into more details, but I think this is enough to give an idea. Message received, loud and clear. I am not coming back and I will tell people what I think this place is, whenever I have the opportunity. read more

I always try to support neighborhood restaurants, but this place tested my patience beyond my limit. I've gone several times, and each time, received the WORST service. We've been left waiting and waiting and waiting, food we ordered never arrived, and nobody ever apologizes. The ambiance is nice, but the food is just ok. Definitely not worth enduring such bad service. read more

I have eaten at this restaurant for brunch, lunch, and dinner and was very pleased with the food and service each time. The outdoor patio is lovely on a warm day and is a great spot for drinks and people watching. Definitely an asset to the neighborhood. read more

I asked for shrimp with the angle hair pasta and the waiter said we have to do it as a special order and the chef will make it for you. They charged me $18.00 for that super greacy plate with the regular pasta not angle hair. Also the music was super loud that I could not hear my friend. read more

This experience was below average. The food was decent however we had really poor service- got the set 3 course menu and there was over and hour between main course service and dessert because they had forgot about our dessert. They also did offer to get us additional drinks after we had finished the first round. I won't go back here because of the service. read more

I've gone to Settepanni several times over the period of the restaurant remaking itself form a bakery/cafe style of service to the restaurant it is today. Unfortunately, the service has remained poor and the food mediocre. The last time that I went, I was disappointed in how our waitress disappeared for 50 minutes without refilling our water glass, bringing bread or any type of update on the delay with our food. The restaurant was empty except for another pair of diners, who received their food promptly. The food only arrived as my brother and I were getting ready to go inside and cancel our order. No apologies or explanations was made, and the bus boy seemed bothered that we were upset. At this point, we were ravenous and began to eat our meal. I found a six inch coil of metal in my pasta. Our waitress has thankfully returned from what smelled like her smoke break. I showed her the problem and she offered to replace the plate of food after staring blankly at me for a minute. I said that I did not want to wait another 50 minutes for my meal and she added that my dish didn't take long to prepare, which didn't explain why it took so long in the first place. She presented me with a bland plate of pasta and I asked for the manager to explain the situation. The manager was not present (how convenient!). After paying my check, I decided that it was the last time that I would give Settepani a chance. It's a shame since it's around the corner from me. They were better as a cafe/bakery, at least it didn't matter if their service was dodgy. read more

This review is based on the Summer Sizzles event that happened yesterday evening. This was our 1st stop on this rainy food fest and honestly if I wasn't optimistic this would've made us head home. The setup was ok, I'm sure the rain really put a damper(ha ha get it...rain...damp lol I should do stand-up) on the original plans. We got a sampler plate for $12 which we split, it was cold since it was a pre-made plate just sitting out. It included rice balls, fried smelt, a grilled shrimp skewer and panelle. Everything was pretty bland. The table next to us ordered from the regular menu and their food looked good but the portions were itty bitty. The live jazz was the most enjoyable part. I may come back to try the drinks and enjoy the music, if that's a regular thing read more

I am a local real estate broker that also lives in the neighborhood. I often recommend Settepani to my customers. It has a great ambiance, the decor is classy, the background music is family as well as professional appropriate, the food is always good and just the right portion. Owners Leah and Antonio run an establishment you can be proud to bring anyone to whether for brunch, lunch, or dinner. read more

OMG! This place is amazing! AS GOOD AS MY FAVORITE SPOT IN ROME... Food is so good that HONESTLY, we wouldn't even let the waiter take the plate away after three tries (you know sop up the sauce with bread!)...if I actually had to confess, even when I spilled a scrap on the table, I picked it up (5 second rule!)...I used to live in ROME, this rivals the places that I ate in for six months there...every single thing was tasty, and I am a foodie so have very tough standards. Came for lunch with friends had two pastas, a chicken dish, contorni of mixed veggies, and flour less chocolate cake and cheesecake. Cannot tell you how amazing it was - just like Italy...I have only been to one other place in NY that even compares...It is casual, with nice paintings of Harlem spots (so yes, local color!)...it was extraordinary...the great thing about this place is that it is owned by an Ethiopian Italian couple...The husband is the chef - I think he is from Sicily, went to the French Culinary Institute...they really research the food and want it to be truly authentic, and even go back in history to research recipes from long ago...Met the owner, she is truly charming and wonderful...so this is a great neighborhood place...she even took my suggestion for the new fall menu (will I get to eat some yummy polenta with mushroom reduction?).... Thank you so much Settipani... read more

Just came from this restaurant with my family 8/31/2014. The food was disgusting. There were fruit flies inside everywhere. We were fighting flies off of our plates and face so we couldn't enjoy our meal. Additionally we told the servers several times that we were vegan. We got pork on the first try. They re-fired our meal, it was saturated in lemon, barely paletable and now 2 out of the four members in our party feel really sick. We paid $185.00 (for four people) honestly the meal was over priced and sincerely out of their depth. For 185 I expect to walk out very satisfied. All in all, I dont recommend going here. This used to be one of my favorite restaurants, but not anymore their standards have gone down the toilet. Never going back again. read more

Can you say "delicieuse"? When I visit the city I like to explore new restaurants, but for Settepani, I made an exception. I went there two days in a row, as I HAD to experiment with the wonderful cuisine. The food was fresh and satisfying. I had a wonderful salad with blueberries, fennel and ginger soup, and the pecan tart with a nice strong cup of black coffee. The next night I ordered another salad and chicken breast stuffed with something tasty. The environment is warm, friendly and the staff is attentive. Very very good! read more

Very good. Comfortable atmosphere, excellent food (I strongly recommend the Spaghetti di Mare...its baked in parchment paper!) and attentive service. I particularly liked the intersection of classically Italian food with black culture...only because I've never experienced it done correctly. I'll certainly be back! read more

The new menu and decor are great ( the vongole is delicious) and the staff are really nice.

Their dates stuffed with mascarpone were delicious but very sweet. I didn't try them with the sauce and slices of grape tomatoes that lined the plate. That might've made for an interesting flavor. I also had the stuffed chicken, which was tasty but left a bit of an aftertaste. read more

Service was horrible. The server didn't listen or hear questions I was asking. He had no knowledge of the wine list or food. In fact the wrong food came and he had no idea. The owner was a sweetheart and the food was pretty good but it was out of the way and not worth coming again. I feel bad saying that but there are just too many restaurants in NYC. read more

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My sister and I went here after work. The location is great the staff was friendly and accommodating. The food was just ok but nothing memorable. I liked this place better when it use to be a pastry/bakery. Now....I doubt if I'd return. read more

Coffee fantastic, food good, service was lackadaisical at best.

I really want Settapani to succeed. It's a charming place and the owners have done a lot for the neighborhood. But as new places open up nearby, I'm afraid Settapani is going to get killed unless it steps up its game. The food is the main culprit. It's just not very good. Worse, it's lazy -- as if the kitchen doesn't care enough to make the food tasty or special. And worse yet, it's expensive. Here's an example: at lunch, if you order a tuna panini, you get a smallish sandwich that would be better at most any decent deli in the city and a side "salad" of a handful of plain greens with some olive oil dribbled on top. This costs $13. Maybe Settapani coasted for a long time because there was not much else like it within a half mile or more. But Harlem is changing fast. I really hope this place changes with it. Otherwise, I may stop by for a drink at the outdoor tables, but certainly not for a meal. read more

Had Baked Eggs. They were very good. The Avacado on toast with egg looked great. Staff was friendly, but a little slow.

The breakfast is amazing have to try a cappuccino and eggs benedict! It is decorated with beautiful artwork, will go back as soon as i can! Dinner is a must as well! read more

The only good thing I can say about this place is the atmosphere was great. The waiters were very prompt, bringing bread and attending to our needs. The decor was also very nice, and the music was jazz (some Miles Davis even), which I think is a big plus for me. To begin with, though they offered 4 different types of bread, which was a pleasant surprise, none of it was very good. Looking at the menu, it is NOT cheap, like you'd expect from a small italian restaurant in Harlem. I bought a soup which was $16!! It sounded interesting, they said it was an 11th Century Saracean soup but when I got it it was really bad. The bread that was included in it was lukewarm and yet too hard, and the rest of the soup was really salty, and just no good. We had a chocolate mousse truffle for $8.50(!) for dessert which wasn't too bad, but again too expensive given the expectations. My girlfriend ordered a salad which was bland and cost $12, again way too expensive. Stay away. It was neither good nor cheap, which are the only reasons to go. read more

Great food. Try the bucatini and the steak. The octopus salad was great to start. The service was very slow though. The food also took forever to come out. Would still come back for the great food though. read more

Truly the worst restaurant experience I've had in Harlem and I've lived here for years. To start our waiting for rude and snappy throughout the entire dinner. We did the pre-fix. Our cocktails were watery and lacked any real flavor. Our calamari was tough. We both ordered burgers which were supremely well done and dry along with such a peculiar seasoning I actually sent it back. Instead I got the pizza, that should be easy right? Wrong. It came with prosciutto and sausage and it was like they literally opened a jar of tomato sauce, poured it over the crust, slapped some slices of mozzarella and dumped the toppings on. There were chunks of tomato butts throughout the pizza. I grabbed one slice and everything slid off into a pile. It was a mess. Finally, we ordered the carrot cake and it was stale and flavorless. We honestly shouldn't have paid for a single thing. Please, if you enjoy good food, stay far away. read more

Good reliable option in the neighborhood, lovely outdoor seating and great hosts, reliable food. Service is forgetful and sloppy, but choices here are few. read more

A true gem in Harlem. Delicious food served in a welcoming environment by friendly staff. The owners are there to ensure quality (fresh ingredients prepared correctly), and the result is a consistently excellent dining experience. I highly recommend Settepani for dates, large groups and lazy Sunday brunches. read more

Good choice for a quick lunch in an area that's otherwise devoid of diverse options. The gnocchi was good, the pappardelle I liked a bit less. The service is friendly, prices are reasonable. Sunday brunch (when all the pasta choices are not on the menu) is a bit disappointing. Nice terrace on Lenox. read more

Love the brunch here! The pre-fixe menu is a great deal, you get an entree, coffee and a whole carafe of mimosa, Bellini or sangria for $25. I got the Eggs Benedict and the Mimosa and I was very pleased. Love the ambiance and staff here. Definitely recommend! read more