I Sodi
“I Sodi's cacio e pepe is the best I've ever had – the perfect balance of pecorino and black pepper, it's incredibly tasty and satisfying.”
“Everything was delicious from start to finish – the Negronis, the extensive wine list, and all the dishes.”
“Would be perfect spot for a date or to host an intimate or special family occasions.”
I Sodi
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
Rate and write a review Cancel reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
KenScale: 8.0/10
I Sodi is an Italian restaurant from Rita Soti displaying various dishes from Tuscany reflecting her childhood there. It is one of the more charming neighborhood restaurants in West Village, with a tiny dining room and intimate atmosphere serving solid rustic Italian dishes.
Heirloom tomato salad with cucumber, onion and basil was a light dish with very fresh tomato that got the meal started on the right path. The restaurant offers pasta dishes in both half and full portions. I ordered two dishes in half portions (which were actually fairly generous for half portions). I liked the rustic feel of both spaghetti vongole (with tasty clams) and rigatoni in meat sauce. Nothing mind-blowing, but well-executed dishes that you can probably see in Italian-style home cooking. I was a bit underwhelemd with whole branzino roasted with cherry tomato. It was cooked right with very good balance of flavor, but somehow the texture felt a little mushy. For dessert, the Italian classic vanilla panna cotta (which I also ordered with blueberry sorbet) was solid, although I've had better panna cotta elsewhere.
The restaurant's dining room is very small, which means it is important to get a reservation early (I was lucky that the restaurant had a last minute cancelation). The restaurant has a full bar with plenty of Italian wine selections, so definitely try a sip or two. I was charmed by the vibe of the restaurant, which is that perfect neighbhorhood spot you want to have near your home. For a casual dinner or date night, I recommend I Sodi as an option to consider.
Food 3 stars, service 3 stars, ambiance/decor 4 stars
We were able to get a table for 4. (Bar seats are saved for walk ins). I was about to sit down and slide in on the side of the sofa. Not sure if the waiter was new and didn't know what to do, but the table leg was covered by the table cloth and when I tried to slide in I immediately hit my leg! Ouch! He should have helped us pull out the table so we could get in and then push the table in, but instead he just stood there watching us pull out the table so we could get in. Then another waiter came by to help us push the table in. Okay whatever, I didn't go to this restaurant for the service.
Now food! Totally underwhelming and didn't live up to the hype. The fried artichokes were great and the strawberry tiramisu was fingerlickin' good! However, everything else was a miss. Their famous cacio pepe was okay, spaghetti pomodoro was also okay, and we also got the rabbit and fried chicken. Both also just okay. Nothing made me want to come back to the restaurant again except the strawberry tiramisu.
(3.5 stars)
Came here to celebrate my birthday with the family. It's a small space that is crowded! It has sliding doors to enter and in the bathroom to save space. We had 8pm reservations on a Saturday and had to wait awkwardly on top of people for our table, given the limited waiting space, full bar and below 30 temperature outside. I know the two tops up front are good for business but perhaps adding a bench or something there instead would be handy. 7 people loitering around the tables as people tried to dine wasn't ideal, mostly for those diners!
Service was friendly throughout and we definitely ordered more than enough food. With 1 "for 2" antipasto for a table of 5, 3 sides, and 5 full entrees, we ended up not finishing 1/2 the sides and 2 entrees. Should've ordered 1 (maybe 2) sides and half portions of the pastas. We got greedy!
Everything was yummy but I wasn't blown away. NYC Italian is competitive!
Really fantastic. I found it to be very authentic Italian, as others have said. We got the antipasto for one (it was a lot of food — I can't even fathom what the "for two" or "for the table" looks like), steak tartare, cacio e pepe, and lasagna with meat sauce (full portions on both of the pastas). We also got the flourless chocolate cake to take home.
The cacio e pepe is what most people talk about, and while it was great (very heavy on the pepper, which I really like), it's becoming easier and easier to find great cacio e pepe in NYC. The lasagna, though, really stood out to me — I don't know if it's the best lasagna I've ever had, but I can't think of one I've liked more. The only thing I'd change about the pastas was that I'd get half portions — two apps and two full-sized pastas were too much.
It was all outstanding, though. The antipasto came with three cheeses, two dips for the cheeses, and several kinds of meat (prosciutto, salami, etc), and the steak tartare came with bread and arugula, and everything was just exactly as it should be. The house bread and olive oil were great too, which is always such a nice touch. We loved the chocolate cake, as well.
I was really impressed with this place. I loved Via Carota too (same restaurant family), but I think I might give I Sodi a slight edge. I'd highly recommend.
I had passed by I Sodi many times but it was always very crowded and I was always en route to doing something else. I had an appointment downtown and made it my business to get there for when they started serving-6P-I got there a little after 6 and the place was already packed. I was able to get a seat at the bar but there were really no other options since I was by myself. I was given a menu, ordered a glass of the house red and got the cacio e pepe. i have not seen it available in Italian restaurants I have eaten at-The last time I passed by I saw they had it on the menu. It was delicious. The bartender was attentive and i met two women sitting next to me [one from South Africa who now lives in Florida and her daughter who was going to be taking a job in Mexico.] It was an exceptional meal [the last time I had cacio e pepe was when I was in Rome] I would recommend and return. If you are eating alone, get there early so you can get a seat at the bar-if not-see if you can make a reservation. [I am not sure if they take them]
Supremely delicious Italian. The lasagna was outstanding! Every bite here was worth it.
The space is snug, but comfortable and the bar is beautifully set up as the focal point of the restaurant.
An excellent dining experience that I would replicate immediately.
Came here on a date night over year ago and loved it. Just walked by and had fond
memories
Hmmmmm…major conundrum on the star rating. I took my friend here this evening for his birthday, it was his pick, and he insisted that I award 5 stars, I think he was just dazzled by my company. I definitely had a great experience but 5 star? Not so sure. We had an early 6:00 rese on a chilly Tuesday night, I walked in on time, my date was already there at the bar. We were offered a table right away. The place is very cozy I.e. tiny with that west vill charm. To start I went with a negroni, it's what they're famous for, and wowie did it pack a punch. My date, believe it or not chose a pomegranate Martini. He had the girlie drink, I had the one that puts hair on your chest. His was very good if a tad sweet. Our waiter was very attentive and also very sweet. The bread they serve at the start of the meal was average but the olive oil with cracked pepper on the side was pretty exceptional. We decided to split everything. The mâché salad was good, nothing spectacular but the cheese cubes definitely made it. The linguine cacio y pepe as a first course was outstanding!! The right amount of pepper and cheese made this a winner. We decided to split the beef and pork over polenta and I'll have to say this was one of the better dishes I've had in awhile. Chunks of pork and beef, marinated in some sort of spicy sauce over a bed of creamy polenta? Yes please. This dish definitely had a kick to it, loaded with flavor and the meat was very lean. We decided to go with a glass of wine each instead of a bottle so we went with the super Tuscan. For $17 a glass I found it to be marginal at best. My date wanted a bit of a closer so we had the flourless chocolate cake with a scoop of gelato, very good. The entire experience was memorable for the service, the atmosphere and the food. The wine? Meh…it's definitely a locals place that I would revisit.