Areo Ristorante
“I had the same app last Sunday at Ponte Vecchio (other neighborhood known Italian restaurant) and Areo's is definitely the better one between the two.”
“What gives this spot 4 stars is the valet parking and the Spaghetti Al Cartoccio which is shrimp, prosciutto and cream, baked in foil ( i ask them to make it spicy).”
“The mushroom gratine was also excellent!”
Areo Ristorante
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
6 reviews
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The food was delicious, but the service was a bit lacking. After ordering, waiter disappeared for a while, and didn't come back to the table until after we'd eaten most of the meal. One thing though – I had the pollo scarpariello – the menu described it as crispy chicken in garlic and vinegar. Ok, great. However, they failed to mention the mountain of mushrooms in the dish – I hate mushrooms – and I never would have ordered it had I known. So even though the chicken was tasty, I felt like I got half a meal.
What a lovely surprise…I had dinner there this weekend on a whim, it's near my relative's home and we wanted to eat within walking distance. There are so many restaurants along 3rd avenue and I've always thought this one looked inviting but never ventured in. It was more crowded on this evening than the other two Italian restaurants that are just a few feet away so we rolled the dice and went inside. For fairness purposes, you have to look at this place in the context of it's surroundings and clientele, first of all. The nearby Italian restaurants, both of which I've been to, are quite forgettable.
First thing I noticed was the martini glass display on a huge platter of shaved ice at the bar, which showed that they are making an effort to give you a properly served martini. The décor and vibe to me were very old-school, "real" Brooklyn, especially for the Bay Ridge/Bensonhurst area. And that is a relief and kinda nice when you've had enough of new American Brooklyn, farm to table, and whatever else the hipsters have made trendy. No hipsters anywhere in sight, in fact — of course, this is Bay Ridge. Service was great, very gracious, friendly and not overdoing it in anyway. The staff was quite knowledgeable about the menu and the wine list was thorough, broad and very fairly priced, in fact I was relieved to find Rhones and Riojas, probably the only Italian restaurant in the neighborhood that gives you that option.
The food was good, good enough, in fact, better than expected. Plus we left stuffed to the gills with the smoke mozzarella bruschetta and fried zucchini that are complimentary on top of huge entrees. Stand outs were the Sea Bass with leek, Sea Bass misto and veal chop with salad. Oh and the DEElicious pineapple coconut cheesecake. No one got pasta but I can't wait to go back and try. I was not expecting to blow my palate or eat something that I would later dream about, just a tasty and thoughtfully cooked Italian-American menu. And that's what I got, with great, totally professional, unfussy service.
I used to come here all the time. Their meat dishes are just ok but their fish dishes and pasta dishes are delicious, especially the squid ink pasta with sausage and calamari.
Really very pleasant waiters.
Always crowded and a real Brooklyn scene, If you know what I mean. ;-).
I've said it before, I'll say it again: Bay Ridge is a neighborhood that is flush (perhaps more than it needs to be) with Italian restaurants. That has its perks sometimes, and I've generally really enjoyed all of the ones I've tried in the neighborhood. I've always heard excellent things about Areo and it appealed to me as among the more upscale Italian restaurants around. I went recently for an early dinner, and I've got to say that I was ever-so-slightly disappointed at what I encountered.
For starters, they have an impressive menu with a nice presentation of dishes that don't reflect the typical/often stereotyped "everything Parmigiana" Italian-American cooking I generally expect to encounter when dining at Italian restaurants in this part of Brooklyn. On the contrary, the offerings focus on less commonly found ingredients and that was at least a good start. I was here with my parents and we each started with a salad, had a main and then shared a dessert. The salad I ordered was a mixture of arugula , endive and tomatoes, and was probably one of the best parts of the meal. For the main, I ordered a gorgonzola & apple-stuffed pork chop which I was really looking forward to, but which ended up being a big letdown. It was dry, hard, and served on a bed of this bizarre hash that was some sort of potato mixture that seemed to be sautéed in balsamic vinegar. There were just too many flavors and textures going on here, but maybe I was wrong to expect the simple pleasure of a well-prepared pork chop. For dessert, we shared this banana tart dessert they had which was actually excellent and made for a nice ending paired with our espresso. As always, I tried a Ketel martini here and their bar turns them out nicely. They also have a nice offering of wines and an impressive assortment of dessert wines, brandies and cognacs, which is great (I wasn't expecting them to have calvados, but they do!).
The restaurant itself is stylishly decorated and definitely reflects the upscale experience I was expecting. The service was attentive and friendly as well. The prices are a bit on the high side for Bay Ridge, which sort of compounded my disappointment about my entrée, but it wasn't bad enough for me to say I wouldn't go back… I just know not to order that next time. So if you're in Bay Ridge and looking for a more upscale Italian restaurant, this would be your spot.
Sad to say that I've lived in Bay Ridge for 17 years and never ate here. Came here for a friends bday and was pleasantly surprised. I wasn't too hungry so didn't have any of the entree's but the buffalo mozzarella and caprese salad as well as pasta in foil was quite delicious. Doesn't beat out my favorite Gino's but this is a safe bet for a yummy meal. Will be back.
I was very surprised to see Areo only has 99 reviews. Areo has been around for a while so I assumed there would be plenty of reviews. Just saying…
It is my honor to write review no. 100. Areo is good, it really is. Otherwise I wouldn't go back. Also my family really loves this place and they are tough critics.
The apps are all good, I happen to really like the mushrooms, which is something I would never order regularly but my sister convinced me and now I get them every time. Entrees are very good as well and I suggest you check out the specials before ordering. But let it be know that you can not go wrong with any of the pasta dishes.
Service has always been good and atmosphere is casual but nice. Good date spot or group get together.