‘Cesca
“I have to say that for a spendy dinner on the Upper West Side, it's probably my top choice at this point.”
“Highly recommend it as a hidden gem on the UWS.”
“Busy, so make a reservation for sure especially when stuff is happening @ the Beacon.”
‘Cesca
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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Came here for a work event and got to try a variety of things on the menu. Definitely a wonderful place for a nice group dinner or date – more of an older crowd. Here's my take:
Hypes:
– Cauliflower fritters: ordered this as it is a popular on yelp – and they did not dissapoint. crunchy, large portions, and a good dipping sauce
– Beet Salad – fresh and a mix of sweet and savory. We shared it at the table and have no idea where it went.
– large portions: the dishes we each ordered were huge. Had trouble finishing.
– Who doesnt like unlimited bread before the food comes? High quality olive oil and herbs served with it
– Arctic Char – recommended by the waiter. It was delicious. Light, refreshing. The lemon riso melts in your mouth.
– Pasta is cooked well. I think the reviews that hate on the pasta may have come on an off day.
– Desserts – warm chocolate cake – i mean where does this ever go wrong?
Marscapone cheesecake – light, airy, great texture and flavor
Gripes:
– a bit on the pricey side, but you can tell this place has its regulars
– Short Ribs in Brodo – it was aiiiighhtt. More on the heavy side. The root vegetables and the soft ribs were cooked to perfection. Save this for a really cold night when you are really hungry.
– Vanilla panna cotta – wouldnt get it again
My parents have been going to Cesca a for many years and the people there have been incredibly kind to them. Thus I must admit that my review is in no way unbiased.
So first off is service, which is essentially impeccable. They are attentive and generous, kind at every moment.
I'm not a wine connoisseur, but I'm told that their wine list is excellent. Also notable is the staff's knowledge of said list. I'm pretty sure they have a sommelier as well.
Appetizers are great, particularly the calamari. The Farro salad is also a hit every time.
I was not feeling very hungry soI got the spaghetti with cracked pepper, which was fine. The pappardelle and the lamb shank were big hits.
Finally I must point out that, while many have marked Cesca as not "kid friendly," I think it depends on how you define that term. Is there a kid menu and crayons? No. Are they kind to kids and solicitous of their needs? Absolutely. They made a Shirley Temple and spaghetti with red sauce for my daughter without batting an eye.
To Cesca: may they thrive on the UWS.
We had a good dinner, they accommodated our group of 6; service was excellent, noise level very high but seating comfortable. Would come back here for nice dinner w family or friends; good bar too.
Our food was good and overall experience was ok, but it was a little pricey for just ok. I had the bolognese. It was tasty but would have enjoyed it better if the sauce was thicker. The sauce was almost just a jus that they cooked the meat in. My fiancé had the trout salad. The original came out smothered in a buttermilk dressing, which she is allergic to. The menu didn't state that the salad had a buttermilk dressing, but the staff was very good about replacing it promptly with a new non-dairy salad. I ask for a little side of red sauce to add to my bolognese for which I was charged $1. I'm not upset about the amount but more the principal of charging for a side of sauce when the restaurant is charging $22+ for a bowl of pasta.
Service is pretty horrendous. They didn't give us the table reserved for us, and as a result my OpenTable check kept showing someone else's order. Our waitress Yael was obviously annoyed we didn't order alcohol or appetizer or dessert. But my yellowfin tuna was flavorful and cooked perfectly rare as I requested. My friend enjoyed his veal milanese too. I left a decent tip to redeem my Amex offer but the service itself was not enough to justify that.
The food was very good, bordering on excellent. The setting was comfortable for two couples. The noise level was always good, except around 1050 PM, when the background music strangely switched to some louder rock.
The wine list was fine. We had a nebbiolo that was reasonable at $46.
Here's the deets (12/13/14):
Wellfleet oysters, half-dozen, 16
Slow roasted duck, 30 – among the best duck I've ever had. The half-duck was served split-side down on the plate on a bed of kale, with a roasted half-pear. The skin was golden and crispy.
Scallops, 29 – fine, said the GF
Veal chop, 40
Swordfish, 29 – as good as that could be
'Tuscan' fries, 8 – good
Polenta, 8 – rich because of the added cheese. How could you go wrong with polenta with tasty cheese?
Fig old fashioned cocktail, 14 – the flavors didn't merge well. Made with Bulleit Rye.
TOTAL for 4, 347 (yeah, there was some more stuff)
BONUS – crush-worthy bar area
TIP – dining room feels a little old because of the decor, which was fresh but conservative
TIP – food can arrive super-fast
TIP – there was one oyster available as a starter, Wellfleet. Unclear how much oysters'll be available.
This cute little restaurant on the upper west side is such a great addition to the neighborhood. We had a large party of 10-11 people and we had a table tucked away to the side, almost in a little alcove.
The appetizers were phenomenal. The fried cauliflower fritters and roasted carrots were just delicious. My colleague and I split the roasted duck and the agnolotti. The duck was a little bit tough to be quite honest… think it was a bit over cooked. The agnoloti was done well with lots of spinach flavor.
Wine was plentiful and it was in good company, so still a very enjoyable dinner.
Got to try this place for a work event and thoroughly enjoyed myself. I didn't know this place existed. Would come back! especially for the cauliflower. Here's my take on everything:
– Meat and Cheese plate: good but I've had better Proscuitto
– Prosciutto and Parmesan fritters: nice and airy but too much dough for me
– Cauliflower fritters: Maybe my favorite thing here! Fried, savory, and had the right crunch!
– Mixed green salad: nice and light. Why does salad taste so much better when someone else makes it!?
– Cavatelli: freshly made pasta. Delicious with every bite. A simple red sauce to go with it.
– Chocolate Truffle cake: rich and creamy. Perfect with the ice cream.
This place has freshly made pasta, which easily warrants four stars!