Antonucci Cafe
“It's very convenient to museums and other Upper East Side cultural institutions (we had just spent the afternoon at the Neue Gallery).”
“I cant get enough of the breadsticks and focaccia served with marinara and ricotta sauce that they bring out.”
“Servings are big enough to share, nice wine list, well stocked bar, a true gem, be sure to have reservations the place fills up every night of the week, even in summer.”
Antonucci Cafe
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
6 reviews
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I was super annoyed that we came here. I had the distinct impression throughout our experience that they did not want us there. Pasta dishes are also incredibly overpriced in the $20+ range for what should be more like $15.
At 4:30 there was NO ONE in the restaurant, yet it took several minutes for the hostess to tell us whether or not we could have a table. When she allowed us to stay, she was reticent that we had to be out by 6:00. I do appreciate the transparency, but not the attitude that came with it. 1.5 hours – plenty of time to eat and get out.
In my walk to the restroom I came across employees in the hallway 3 separate times. Each time I was part way down the hallway when they came barreling through, causing me to step aside and quickly get out of their way. Did I mention it was empty? Where exactly are they rushing off to as they run me over?
The food was fine and our server himself was decent but I definitely found myself wishing we had stopped anywhere else. Ended up sending over $100 for two people which had me really regretting it.
Ordered in on a rainy night — delicious! Spaghetti with meatballs (pork, veal and beef combined) and a pesto pasta dish (not sure what kind, it resembled giant planaria). Perfectly dressed side salad.
Antonucci's is a reminder that all neighborhoods are not created equal. Different boroughs and areas hold food to a completely different standard. A 4-star upper east side Italian restaurant is prided more on elegance and sycophantic service than actual food quality.
There wasn't much wrong with Antonucci's; quiet spot, nestled on a side street, with a nice outdoor seating area tailored seating area.
Bread was crusty French and corn delicacies with a warm home made marinata plate for dipping; afloat in the sea of red sauce was a small island of goat cheese and a moat of EVOO. Delish.
Small plates? Blah. The salads were tasteless and heavy on parsely. Everyone at the table had a disappointed face. How do you botch a beet salad? I think I had two half inch cubes of overripe avacado in my AVACADO salad. See issue there? Wierd, me too.
I like this quote regarding Antonucci: "Caters to well heeled Park Avenue types who wouldn't know a carciofi from a puttanesca"
The entrees save the rating here from rating hell; The eggplant ravioli were fresh, fluffy, and tasty. They looked hand made, and had a very savory and rich taste. I expected less. The risotto was unimpressive but tasty.
Prices were still over the top.
All in all; expect mediocre In the area. I'm sure there are hidden gems, but real foodies should escape to alphabet city or the village for consistenly good, interesting, and reasonably priced food. I'm sure you already knew that.
I've been here twice and have been underwhelmed both times. The food is just OK and the noise level is off the chart. I'd probably give it a 2.5 stars but 2 = "Meh. I've experienced better." and that's the truth, not the "A-OK" of a three star rating.
My appetizer was tasty (eggplant parmigiana) but the main was less than blah. I ordered the meat lasagna specifically because the waitress RAVED about it, saying it was out of this world. In fact, it was so bland that it was nearly tasteless, with NO tomato sauce at all and very little meat. The melted cheese on top didn't add much to the flavor and was burned black in spots. So I was eating plain layers of pasta. I seriously considered sending it back, but that is always such a downer for the group that I didn't. I did ask for another plate of tomato sauce with goat cheese that they bring with the bread (this sauce is a highlight of the meal.) Even that didn't save the lackluster lasagna.
Dessert was just OK – I got a warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. The cake was pretty good, I'd give it a 3.5 out of 5, but the ice cream was a tiny scoop.
This place is excellent. One of the best Italian restaurants in NYC.
We were very lucky that Antonucci is less than a block from my friend's place and they could accommodate us with a last-minute reservation when we decided we didn't want to trek far in the snow and cold for dinner. I didn't know what to expect because the Yelp reviews were mixed…some people said great, others said meh. I say great!
The service was excellent from the moment we walked in. The menu is extensive (at least double the size of what's listed on their website) and there were at least 10 dishes that I wanted to order. The complimentary tomato sauce and goat cheese dip was delicious, served with a generous bread basket. I finally just asked the waitress what she'd recommend and she said the cavatelli with veal ragout. Fine by me! My pasta dish was fantastic – perfectly pillowy cavatelli pastas and a delicious, light ground veal meat sauce with wonderful herb flavors. My friend's pasta and meatballs were good, but she definitely had food envy as we saw people around us eating the lasagna (it looked mind-blowing). The wine list was OK (not great, not bad). And the prices were a bit high (about $12 for salad, $15 for appetizer, $24 for pasta dish, $14 for a glass of wine), but I guess that's driven by the location. Definitely recommend this spot for a cozy, yummy, Italian dinner.