Fanelli’s Cafe
“I don't think we went anywhere in NY more than we went to Fanelli's. Smack dab in the heart of SoHo it's a quintessential Manhattan spot.”
“The rest of the menu looked great and seeing some of the other plates that passed by (chicken club…egg sandwich…)”
“Never in a rush, always willing to chat up the tourists and give local advise.”
Fanelli’s Cafe
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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I think this place is rated about right at 3.5 stars. We wound up here because we were starving and this didn't have a terrible rating. It's a little confusing when you first walk in – if you head towards the back the hostess/waitress will help. There are so many people due to the bar, and the tables to eat are pretty close together.
I got the pesto with sausage. It came out quickly and was super hot. Overall, it was a pretty good dish. I think the pesto could've used a little more garlic in it, but that's a personal preference. It is loud in this business (again, due to the bar), but the staff was decently attentive.
This place is always in my lunch rotation – an old bar with simple, great food. Cool shit on the walls. The burgers here are absolutely messy and delicious and on an onion roll… c'mon now. If that doesn't bring you in, then you're a lost soul.
Other delicious things to try: tuna melt (great), fish and chips (very small portion), chicken club sandy (always solid), and the WINGS are amazing – super crispy and served dry. That's the way to go.
Service is spotty, but once you make it clear you're not a tourist, you're in the girls' good graces.
Ask for big, normal glasses of water, otherwise you get this little thimble thing and it's torture. Also, don't get soda here. Blech.
Sitting in this adorable cafe right now writing this review.
My friend and I popped in here for lunch, he got a steak and I got gnocchi. I found my gnocchi to be great! I am plain Jane and I loved it. Nice and thick creamy Alfredo. He thought his steak was a 10/10!
We also got onion rings- they stunk.
Very plain batter that gave them no flavor at all. Bleh!
The atmosphere here is a very chill vibe. All walks of life are sitting here around me right now. They give you a choice to sit at the bar or at small tables. The servers are really sweet and attentive.
There is no music or wifi here though so be ready to make conversation!
I would definitely stop back here again to try something else on the menu!
This is a nice quaint cafe that serves really good and not overly complex food. I've been here a few times and I typically stick to sandwiches as I often visit for lunch or quick bites. Sandwiches are between $11 and $15 and include fries or salad.
The steak sandwich is pretty good. The thinly sliced steak is not too overly seasoned and it marries well with the cheese.
Also, the Croque Monsieur is great. The flavors all marry well on a toasted bread and it's perfect. The French fries are lightly salted and fresh cut.
Great waiters, but HIGHLY OVERPRICED! Pub food at Hipster prices. $16.50 for decent burger… guess their rent is high. …SMALL place. 8 tables + bar seating
Breakfast served all day!!! The fiancée and I were in SOHO and we were both STARVING. Luckily we beat the dinner rush and were able to score a table AND place our order before it turned into a madhouse.
I got the 2 egg sandwich with sausage and fries and nibbled some of my fiancée's pesto linguine with sausage. It was an interesting egg sandwich in that I was expecting breakfast sausage (you know, it being breakfast foods and all) but I was surprised to find a link of italian sausage in the sandwich! The fries were natural cut!
As for the pasta, it was pretty standard fare, nothing crazily extraordinary, but it was exactly what it said it would be: tomatoes, pesto, pasta, sausage.
This place seems like a decent option if you're in the mood for American/Italian, but I think I'd venture out and try a different food place before heading back to Fanelli's. I MUST EMPHASIZE: there was nothing wrong with my experience here, but I would just be interested in trying out other places in SOHO before coming back.
Fanelli's is trapped on a really busy, touristy area of SoHo. Fortunately, it's still got a lot of charm to keep me coming back. On most days, there is a soup kiosk outside so if that's all you want, you can grab it easy and go. I wouldn't plan to eat an actual meal here–this place is more like a snack and a drink before getting back to your errands/job/shopping spree. Like others have said, this place may look touristy, but it sure doesn't feel that way on the inside.
The couple times I've been here, I've just ordered fries or a BLT. Both are pretty tasty, no frills, and do the trick. I only dock a star for the very crowded dining room (there is additional seating in the back past the bar) and the disappearing server.
To sum it up: if you're caught in the rain, close by, and could use a pick me up, pop in to this place. You won't be disappointed.
Such a cute fun restaurant! Atmosphere is very fun – staff is extremely friendly and food was very good! I had eggs/bacon/french fries and it was all very delicious – mimosas were very good also! Have a very large menu with breakfast and lunch available anytime. Service was awesome – kept on refilling waters and when noticed our drinks were low offered another round