Mediterraneo
“What will first draws your attention is the outdoor seating that wraps along the outside, its on the corner.”
“All of the staff is very kind and helpful which isn't seemingly the norm in the Upper East Side.”
“If you have a chance speak with Vito the owner he is a great guy.”
Mediterraneo
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Dogs Allowed: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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I enjoyed quite a few meals at Mediterraneo this past summer, and was overall very satisfied. My old favourites of Duck ragu papardelle (Pappardelle Al' Anatra) and the Focaccia Fiorentina were as consistent as ever, but one dish that has essentially usurped them away from my palate is the Linguine nere all' Arrabiata.
The squid ink linguine is close to phenomenal at Mediterraneo, and what's better is that they are relatively flexible with what you order with the pasta. For my most recent visit, I ordered it with a sauce containing cherry plum tomatoes, muscles and clams. The combination was outstanding, and overall very refreshing.
Other items I would recommend for ordering include the tuna tartare on a bed of guacamole, house ice tea (sweetened), and the lemon sorbet which arrives in the form of a stuffed lemon shell.
Overall Mediterraneo serves several dishes which they get right almost all of the time, and the fact that these are not items you can find at every Italian restaurant, makes this local joint stand out that much more. Worth a visit if you're in the area!
I came here during a big winter storm so they weren't offering their whole menu They did stay open and even though they were understaffed we had good service. I ordered a margarita pizza. It was quite good. Thin crusted and crispy! If your hungry I'd recommend getting your own pizza. Each pizza had 4 slices and I ate 3.
For the UES, this place isn't all that keen on customer service; I hope you have patience if you end up eating here for lunch, like I ended up yesterday with a client, who's actually been a patron several times before, and loved the food. Despite the negative reviews I warned him about, he insisted we'd eat here; can't argue when you're on the working clock.
After the morning showers had subsided, we opted to sit outside, which was a heck cooler than inside. Inside, there was no AC, and all the shutters were opened, just like prior reviews had warned. It was just too humid and stuffy, so outside was the only option.
We started out with the caprese salad, which was pretty underwhelming; I had to ask for the balsamic, since it wasn't on the table, and it wasn't brought out the same time the salad was. My client was Kosher, so he was thrilled he was able to eat this on the menu. The tomato slices were too thick, and not as sweet as I was hoping they would've been for mid-August. Make this at home, honestly, and save your money.
For the entree, my client got the grilled tuna over a bed of carrots and zucchini, and I got pasta with lump crab meat, in a cream sauce with cherry tomatoes. My pasta was cooked perfect, and the crab wasn't fishy tasting. My lunch was really great, but I wish the service was more attentive.
Had to ask for bread.
Had to ask for water.
Had to ask for the dessert menu.
Had to ask to order dessert.
Had to ask for a customer copy of our receipt.
We were asked how the food was, and we were both pleased, but again, the servers are much more interested in their own conversations than to wait tables. Would I come back? Only for take-out.
Food: Consistent. It's great, really. I am a pasta fan and the fact that they make their pasta fresh is great, it tastes wonderful. I am always pleased. The portions are LARGE, so there is no need for an appetizer. My husband had ths steak a few times and was under-whelmed each time.
Staff: Great. They used to have some really rude waiters there (all men, not a woman in sight). BUT it seems as of lately, they are all sweet as ever. It's nice to go to a place and be treated nicely, with no attitude.
Decor: The painted walls, the large bar in the middle, the wood everywhere….it's really warm and welcoming. It doesn't feel like you're on the UES when inside and eating. Their sidewalk eating area is perfect, it's on the corner and it gets a lot more space than other sidewalk eating areas that I have dined at.
This restaurant was a block away from my old apartment so I used to go there very often. Good pasta dishes, salads and pizzas. I enjoy the terrace when the weather is nice outside.
Was horrified to know that the sanitary rating of this restaurant is only a "B". I've ate there a lot before finding this out. Haven't returned since, partly because of that.
I've had a lot of Italian in NY and NJ, and this place… well, it disappointed. The Italian-speaking waiters – authentic, but disengaged, more interested in chatting amongst themselves than serving us (one poor guy was the table guy who cleaned, refilled water, and generally handled all the work, the other 3 guys just took orders and handed out bills).
Server came by to take the order, I picked out the Lasagne, my wife picked up the Tagliolini Al Salmone.
Bread out first – no EVOO or balsamic on the table. Had to request it, so that tells me this place serves more Americans than Europeans. Water refills took a long time. Again, no bread refill, either when we were done. And flies… I don't know what it is about keeping the doors open in hot season, but they should really invest in some flypaper or similar to eliminate the buzzing during a meal.
Dishes out fairly quickly, and hot. The Lasagne was underwhelming. The layers of pasta were so overcooked that they simply fell apart (not keeping the dish together at all). The meat sauce was decent though lacking more than just a tomato/basil/cheese flavor, though. My wife's salmon dish was excellent, though – the smoky flavor complimented the cream sauce nicely. Both dishes on the salty side, and again… water service. Eh.
Mixed bag on the food – can be really good (other dish to try next time will be the black ink linguine) – or off, and the service suffers in the weekday afternoon that I went. But seating is plentiful indoor and out, and a bar.
If you want a cheap, casual Italian dinner, you can get exactly that at Mediterraneo. However, there are many better options in the area including Lusardi's, Uva, Caffe Buon Gusto, Vivolo and Luna Rossa.
The service was mediocre as was the food. Pizza was a little on the soggy side and pasta was too soft heavy. So, not terrible, but far from the best option in the area.
Came on a sunny day as they have plenty of side walk seating available. A bit overpriced for what you are being served. Everything was just simply ok. Probably would lean toward 2.5 stars…