Abboccato

The prices went up and the portion sizes went down. The arancini that used to contain wild mushrooms now are just rice in pesto sauce. Abboccato, I fell in love with you a long time ago because you were unusual, but it’s now over. Too bad my new favorite Italian, Remi, does not deliver.

I’ve been to Abboccato several times over the years, and with one small hiccup in poor management, the food has always been fantastic! Sometimes people slide under the radar, I get it. The service has changed over the years notably when uniforms changed some time ago — never been a fan of vests, ever, but all of that is machts-​nichts. On to the real point — I go for the food and the company I keep. Bad service can only be rated on how much I think I deserve… just give us something good to eat and me and my friends are quite content.
The food is not mediocre by any means — this is cuisine designed and toiled over by someone’s hands, personally crafted by someone — (originally Chef Botsacos — now I see David Arias has really worked his way up the chain, bravo to you!) so where the bad reviews come from, I don’t know. I absolutely love to cook, so I understand the efforts put forth.
I used to tend to a group of lady-​friends I have, who became regulars almost instantly. There isn’t anything on this menu I wouldn’t recommend. The ambience is nice but not gaudy and doesn’t need to be anywhere in a review, the price point is perfect for those of us willing to dodge a pre-​fixe menu to pay for a meal well balanced.
I’ve had almost everything on their menu aside from any shellfish as I’m allergic; another note to extend is that I’ve never had an allergy issue in their establishment. My personal favorites: arancini, polpette, crudo (special), bruschetta (special), salmone (tartar), burrata, beet salad, pappardelle, ravioli (di zucca and the red beets), amatriciana, branzino (filet it myself), vitello, and the punta di peto, I don’t want to make this a long-​winded review, but I would go to Abboccato any time and would highly suggest this restaurant to anyone looking for a quaint, quality dining experience.
I’m not much of a day time diner, so dinner it is! Highly suggest!

We carefully selected Abbocato for a special Christmas Season dinner after the Radio City Christmas Show. We couldn’t have been more disappointed. The impression upon entering is that the décor is dull — with insufficient lighting and bare tables with placemats only (even at this festive time of year!) The worst part was the food — or what there was of it. My friend ordered the special of butternut squash — he received exactly six small round ravioli in the center of a bare plate. My portion of salmon wasn’t much larger. We were absolutely ravenous by the time we reached home after dinner! The service was, to put it kindly, laid-​back. In fact, so laid-​back, that the wait-​staff seemed to frequently forget we were there so that we had to wave wildly to get. their attention for anything we needed. And all this for $ 40/​person with no wine and before tip! You can be sure we will never cross that threshold again!

I came here with a big group of co-​workers and ordered from the prix fixe menu. It was a fun time and the overall ambiance is nice. The food was good but there wasn’t anything really memorable about it. If I came back, I’d stick wit just the appetizers.

Grabbed a sandwich there for lunch, so the review is just for that.
Pleasant staff and a great sandwich at a decent price during lunch hours.

Best Ravioli I have ever tasted! Love it! Service was amazing. We will be returning!

Do NOT order from here on Seamless. Incredibly slow service despite their claim to deliver in 45 – 60 min. I called after 1.5 hours of waiting and they hadn’t even started my order. They said that it would take another 20 min before it even left the restaurant. Very poor experience– you’re better off picking another Italian restaurant with better food and service.

Cozy interior, mediocre food.
I had the brodo di salmone. The broth was too salty, the shrimp were overcooked, and the salmon was barely adequate enough to put in my mouth. the only thing that held me back from snapping was the mussels, they were okay.
Took a bite of my friend’s tagliatelle, ⁵⁄₁₀.
BUT, the calamari salad and the tiramisu were phenomenal.
This place’s worth a try. Just get the appetizers, skip the entrée, and go straight to the tiramisu.

Came for breakfast after a stay at the Blakely, small menu but a handful of fine options. Quick service if you go early but when corporate foot traffic or hotel guests get moving, it will quickly fill up, beware. They have complimentary self-​serve continental breakfast for hotel guests so if u want a quiet spacious breakfast, expect your elbows to be knocked and chair backs bumped by buffet passers-​through. Also, the only hotel lobby bathroom is tucked far back in the restaurant, so there’s additional meandering crowd through the tight aisles. I’d suggest only stopping in for breakfast if you’re staying at the Blakely. And even then, you’re not allowed to take food up to your room, must eat in. So don’t expect to just grab a bagel on your way back from a run.

Went here for lunch on Friday during restaurant week after carefully reviewing the restaurant week menu options. Was glad I made this choice!
Ordered calamari salad, which was not bland like many calamari salads. It was well seasoned with vinegar and spices, not spicy but just perfect for me to enjoy the complimenting tastes of red onions and arugula with fried calamari.
The main course, Brodo di Salmone, was a definite highlight of the lunch! My salmon, clams, and vegetables in a delicious saffron basil broth were superb. Enjoyed every bite of this filling, well cooked, interesting dish full of vibrant flavors from the broth. «Brodo di Salmone» is a must try for any seafood lover!
Dessert was disappointing. My passion fruit panna cotta was extremely sweet, and I love sweet, but in this case I just couldn’t enjoy the overpowering sweetness. My friend ordered tiramisu, which wasn’t sweet but just perfectly balanced to soothe the palette after such delicious meal.
The only downside was the service. We arrived on a Friday afternoon when the restaurant was half empty, yet no one greeted or seated us until about 5 – 7 minutes after I started looking for staff to help us. All the waiters seemed harried – our waiter spent minimal time with us, so when we needed help, we had to wait until someone came close to where we were sitting to ask them to assist us. Only after everyone sitting around us left, did our waiter start paying attention to ask. Yet, he was so eager to see us finish our meal that he kept asking if we asked for check yet, although it was perfectly clear that we were eating dessert and not getting ready to leave.
The ambiance was cozy, spacious, and inviting: perfect for a date, a family gathering, or just a meal with friends.
Will be back again!

JUST AWFUL! Went there for restaurant week, had the shrimp skewer, steak and tiramisu. The shrimp came out cold and tasted like it was cooked hours ago. The steak was so SALTY — I tried to scrape off the sauce and it was still not edible. The tiramisu was OK. The best part of the meal was LEAVING.
Never again.

Food was pretty good considering the few crappy reviews. I agree with the comments on service, not the most attentive even when the restaurant was only filled with a few tables. I went for restaurant week and it was worth it– $ 25 lunch including caprese salad (Kumato Tomato, Imported Buffalo Mozzarella, Aged Balsamic), tagliatelle (Long Thin Pasta, Classic Bolognese Meat Sauce, Parmigiano Reggiano) and strudel (Caramelized Apples, Golden Raisins, Walnuts Wrapped in Phyllo, Vanilla Gelato). Everything was very fresh and delicious. The strudel could’ve been a bit warmer though so the gelato melts on it.

The food is fine. The service is terrible. The location is a dungeon. The seating close to the windows has a great view of the traffic on 55^th Street and the aroma of exhaust and fumes. Most of all, Circo, is right next door and is just better in every sense — for the same price and same Italian cuisine. Unless you’re staying in the Blakely and you don’t want to leave the hotel, there is absolutely no reason to ever go here.

Amazing place. Good people. Even better grilled octopus. This is the place you want to go if you are looking for a low key wine bar in the area.

The service hear was fantastic. The waiters were very attentive and I never had an empty glass. I would recommend trying the pear drink special as it was delicious. The price was a little on the higher side but it was worth it. For 2 people we spend around 90 for lunch including 1 alcohol drink each and dessert. I liked the open air seating in the front. I will definitely be coming back again.

After a long day with coworkers we landed here because it was literally in our hotel. The meal was delicious, the service fantastic, the super tuscan went perfectly. Finally, the tiramisu was a perfect ending to the day. We had a great table and the atmosphere suited the menu.
The prices seemed a bit on the high side but not unreasonable. I only am giving 4 stars because I’m from out of town and have no idea how this place compares to others in the area.
Highly Recommend.

went for the final night of restaurant week 2015, and, well, I was very impressed.
my sister did the restaurant week pri fixe option (shrimp, steak, tiramisu) and I ordered the duck. everything was marvelously seasoned and cooked exactly the way ordered. no complaints at all.

Sometimes one small example tells you everything. I work in the area and discovered «Abbo» (as my husband and I refer to it) as a rare lunch exception to the usual choices — either high end pricey or (in many cases) overpriced for average fare (at best) due to the steady availability of tourists. Here, it was just comfortable, very reasonably priced and always delicious. So now, when my husband & I go to Carnegie or City Center or Carnegie Club (see separate review if you’re a cigar smoker!), it’s Abbo — period.
Here’s the small example of why. Many visits back, I had ordered the tuna tartar and another app as my main course (no questions asked — your pleasure is always the goal here). When the waiter noted on clean-​up that I had left behind all of the little bits of radish, I explained no problem, I’m just not a radish fan & I’ve never seen it served that way. On our recent visit, having totally forgotten all this, I ordered the tartar as my app. The waiter simply took our order and then noted, when it appeared, that the chef had prepared mine without any radish. Now, you tell me, do you need to know any more? If so, I’ll add: good wines at reasonable prices, the salmon is excellent, the steak is perfect, the pastas (and sauce) are all delicious.
Sad to say, a few months back there was an overall price increase, but it’s still a great deal compared to other local options. Lunch or dinner, you’ll be well served and very well fed.

Was staying at the Blakely (attached), so stopped in for breakfast one morning, and a happy hour drink another evening, and both were very good.
Breakfast is served 7:30 — 10:30, and buffet is complimentary for guests; $ 16 for non-​guests. It’s simple, but fresh and good — yogurt, fresh fruit, fresh mini muffins, bread and bagels, and coffee, tea and fruit juice. You can also order hot breakfast off the menu.
Happy Hour is 3 – 5 pm — ½ off wine, cocktails, select appetizers and $ 5 beer. I tried the Ficchii Grappino (just $ 6 on happy hour), and it was very unique — fresh fig, Grappino, Amaro Montenegro and a splash of prosecco, served over a house/​made, over-​sized fig ice cube. Nice!

I’m in love and I don’t care who knows it!
Abboccato is my new significant other. Food, service, ambiance… it’s the complete package. We were off to a strong start with a tasty Rob Roy (and I don’t really like Scotch) and it just kept getting better. Starters: Grilled octopus with beans was phenomenal! Perfect texture. Foie gras terrine was heavenly.
Primi: How to choose which was better? Spaghetti neri with cuttlefish was perfectly cooked with the right amount of spice. The pappardelle was even better. I wanted to fill my coat pockets with that so I could snack on it on the way home.
Secondi: Osso bucco with polenta was wonderful. The right amount of tender without being soggy. The side of broccoli rabe could convert a hardcore carnivore to become a vegetarian
The finish… an amazing chocolate bomb. filled with Nutella Mousse, Crème Brule, and a coffee sauce. They should rename this

Now that we’re an item, I want to keep Abboccato all to myself, but in order to share with others, I’ll consider an open relationship. Keep Abboccato in mind if you are looking for something special.