Caffe Storico
“I had wanted to go here because I love the space and had watched Caffe Storico being built during previous trips to the museum.”
“The dining room is beautiful, with high ceilings, soft lighting and walls covered in rows of elegant plates.”
“We tried a couple of the appetizers: Meatballs, Whipped Baccala, Chicken Liver Crostini, Mozzarella in Carrozza.”
Caffe Storico
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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I came here with a few girlfriends and we had a pretty good time. I loved the decor ..like everyone else. Amazing how the china had no dust on it. The sugar snap pea appetizer was refreshing but felt unsatisfying. The burrata was pretty good. I had the grilled branzino and a side of asparagus which was pretty tasty. The dining experience, decor and wait staff definitely boosted the food here.
RW 2016 summer dinner. Really recommend the ricotta bufala. Poached chicken is well-composed but you have to make sure to mix everything together to avoid eating plain boiled chicken. Dessert of lemon granita is forgettable, but the biscotti is a nice bite.
while the decor here gets an A++ (extremely chic with beautiful lighting and elegant tableware displayed on the walls), all the other components (i.e. service, food, prices) fell under par. yes, the food was solid. the crostinis and rigatoni were well-made, but i'll pass given its exorbitant prices relative to how good they tasted. service was not too great either.
located in a great neighborhood though – on the UWS.
YUM.
I think with all of the decorative plates and the bright yellow chairs, this place serves better as a bring-your-girlfriends kind of place rather than a date spot. I thought the restaurant was decorated really beautifully, but I could not see myself coming here on a date. Anyway.
We came in around 7 on a week night, and it was pretty quiet. We were seated immediately–there isn't a coat check here, so be advised on that. There are coat hooks near the front doors of the restaurant, but I didn't know if that was for anyone or for the tables placed immediately next to them.
We were given a great little basket of foccacia and crackers with olive oil to nibble on. We both ordered the rigatoni with sausage ragu. I ordered a Sangiovese, and the server recommended another, pricier one. I understand it's their job, but the difference here was that he asked what in particular I liked about the wine I chose, then recommended another with "better flavor," according to him. He was right! I appreciated that. My friend asked a ton of questions about the wine, and the server brought her a taste to appease her. I appreciate a server who is genuinely friendly and makes a little extra effort.
The rigatoni: divine. Cooked perfectly al dente, with a sauce that was so fresh and perfectly spiced–my only complaint was that I was too full to order a second plate! So delicious. Silly me, I ordered the bomboloni for dessert–I failed to realize that I would get three LARGE pastries for dessert, each so rich and fluffy enough to only get one bite of each before feeling over stuffed.
By the time we left for the evening, the restaurant was packed. The crowd demographic was interesting–trendy looking young couples and plenty of older Upper West elite-ish. I would definitely come back here again to check out brunch or have another dinner.
Consistently delicious food and very good service at this very elegant cafe/restaurant. Also, the prices here are moderate, not expensive as some posters have written.
Today I just had the minestrone soup which was quite large and hearty for a cold winter's day. My only complaint was the tiny cappuccino of rather poor quality.
I went back to this place for a special event. Everyone was impressed with its beautiful decor, great location, and great food. The service was great as well, thanks to them, the event went well without any issue.
Read my full review of this restaurant and food on my food blog, foodlovergirl.
Wow. I came here to photograph a wedding reception and had a really great time in a truly amazing venue. You can probably tell by the photos, but the ambience of this intimate restaurant is so cheery and lovely. Normally, I'm not a fan of yellow from an aesthetic viewpoint, but the lemony hue just WORKS for this restaurant. It's so lovely to see the light coming in from the sun and ricocheting off the delicate china and yellow furniture. The managers, staff, and cooking team are superbly accommodating and helpful as well.
I sat near the second bar area, right by the open kitchen, so it was like a live showing of Food Network or something. It was so cool to see the food getting prepared, and the manager, chef, sous chef, and line cooks were so friendly and willing to explain the dishes to me. The maitre d's were also polite and friendly. The entire atmosphere was just really conducive to a positive dining experience.
The first antipasti dish I tried was the Misticanza Salad, which consists of arugula, cherry tomatoes, and ricotta salad. The flavoring of this salad was quite lovely and balanced. I never felt like the salad was too stingy with dressing, or completely drowned in the stuff. The arugula was extremely fresh and was complemented nicely by the cherry tomatoes and cheese. Light, refreshing, and clean antipasti dish.
The second antipasti dish I had was the Burrata, which also came with English peas, spring garlic, and radish. First, the presentation of this dish was fantastic. It was so beautifully laid out on a nice, creamy pea base. The colors just screamed Spring/Summer. I was tentative about it before I tried it, thinking that it might be a bit too heavy for me as an antipasti, but the manager reassured me that it was light, and he couldn't have been more correct. While the burrata is perfectly creamy and smooth, it is not heavy or dense by any means. The taste isn't in-your-face either; I'd actually consider this one a palate-cleanser. The light and subtle flavors of the cheese and peas went together very well and made for an excellent antipasti.
For the primi dish, I had the Mushroom Cappelletti en Brodo with pecorino and leeks. The cappelletti was perfectly al dente – a tricky feat. It came in this lovely broth that was nutty, rich, and not too salty. The mushroom wasn't overwhelming, and was complemented very well by the hints of leek. It was a great dish and the portion size was very nice for a primi dish. I learned that the chef personally went to the artisan pasta maker and sat down for an entire day to make sure that the pasta was crafted perfectly, which I find very admirable.
For the secondi, I went for the 28 Day Dry Aged NY Strip Steak. Wow. It was served with salsa verde and this amazing crispy polenta that I am still marveling over. The polenta had this great crunch on the outside and was so warm, creamy, and smooth on the inside. The salsa verde went very well with the steak and elevated the flavors of the beef. My favorite kind of steak is one that is crispier and rougher on the edges and pretty medium-rare on the inside, and the chefs here executed it perfectly. I was very satisfied with this dish (and I'm very picky about my steaks).
Contorni included grilled asparagus with lemon aioli and zucchini fried in an herb tempura and olive oil. The asparagus was grilled to perfection and who would have known that lemon aioli would make it taste so GOOD? And the fried zucchini…wow. It reminded me of sweet potato fries. Not soggy or greasy (it probably was greasy, but it didn't TASTE greasy). So crispy and fun and I could have eaten like five plates of it, but I had to save room.
As I've stated before, this is a great restaurant with fantastic staff and ambience. Definitely recommend this place if you're looking for an nice, intimate, and upscale Italian dining experience. Also, it's location in the Upper West Side is very nice. Would come back again.
This was one of the most satisfying RW experiences I have had so far. I came here on a weekday for lunch with some of my girlfriends. We had a reservation, but the venue was bigger than I expected and it didn't get too crowded even at its peak time, which made the experience all the more pleasant.
As for the food, I got:
Ricotta Crostini: easily some of the best Crostinis I have had. The bread, ricotta cheese, gooseberries and truffle oil all came together very nicely.
Rigatoni: it was a bit spicy, which made the dish more flavorful. I wish there was a bit more meat/sausage in the sauce though.
Tiramisu: excellent! I liked how it wasn't too creamy but still had a great coffee flavor.
Overall, I was highly satisfied with the quality of food here. Our server was very friendly and accommodating. The venue is also great, since it has a high ceiling, it is well-lit and nicely decorated, and the noise level doesn't get too high even at its peak time.
I assume not many people know about this place yet since it is located within the building of NY Historical Society and thus not readily visible from outside, but I guarantee you a visit to Caffe Storico will be definitely worth it.