Finestra Restaurant

Living in Manhattan you eat out a fair bit. Recently my wife and I went here for our anniversary. The interior had a pleasant and warm feeling with umbrellas all over the ceiling. The food was very good although not exceptional. But what really set this restaurant apart was the warm and attentive staff. After finding out it was our anniversary they bent over backwards for us to make it a truly special evening. After living in Manhattan for over 30 years it is rare to come across a restaurant that will go out of its way to that degree. Finesta was is truly special.

We loved this place, we are new in the neighborhood and wanted a nice quiet place for dinner on Friday night. What a nice surprise, lovely atmosphere, super attentive staff & very good food. The décor was delightful and a talented guitar player strummed in the background. What’s not to love! We will return!

Came for dinner last night and the restaurant was empty but we didn’t mind. The staff was very nice and extremely attentive. We loved the food although it does seem a little pricey. Will definitely come back here. It’s a great neighborhood Italian restaurant.

Stopped in tonight after work and had dinner. I had the risotto with mushrooms and peas. It was delicious! For dessert I had the tiramisu, which was very good. The service was great!

Terrible place. I ordered Linguine alla vongole. The clams had sands in them. When I complained to the manager, he explained to me that since clams came from the ocean, it is only natural for them to have sands in them. How absurd and unprofessional!!! I should have asked him to eat all of the natural clams for me.

A friend and I came here awhile ago for brunch and we were very happy with the service here. The waitresses are all super sweet. They provided the best service possible. I think I haven’t seen a nicer waitress anywhere else before! I am in love! That being said, I honestly don’t remember much about the food. I don’t remember what we ordered to give a comment about it. I just came here to give kudos to the staff. =)

Expensive tag for low quality italian — edible but not enjoyable.
Excellent service though.
Not worth going back or ordering from.

Really nice restaurant, great staff, and amazing food!
Will be back again.

This was hands down one of the worst restaurants I have been to in NYC. It’s sad it’s only a block away from my condo, but it’s not worth wasting your time or money.

This restaurant is superb !
We were a party of 12 and they created family style portions of antipasta and pasta and salad to accommodate our party. The food was made special and fresh for our party. The preparation is beyond compare — and I’ve eaten all over the city. Haven’t even had the entrée yet and we made reservations for our next visit. Very pleased !!!

Right near NY Presbyterian hospital. I’ve been there a lot lately. Had a very pleasant lunch, great lentil soup and salads. Our pastas were perfect just right. Just not the greatest ambiance. Good service.

Of all of the Italian restaurants in NY, this one is simply mediocre. The best thing about it was the cute umbrellas hanging from the ceiling and the arugula salad. The Caprese (tomato, mozzarella, basil) would have been OK if the tomatoes were ripe. It gets 2 stars. I had Risotto con Funghi («risotto with peas and mushrooms»), which had a very few peas and just had sliced up button mushrooms. They were, at least, fresh mushrooms, but the dish overall would be a 1-​star. My companion had the chicken parm, which she also gives 1 star. It was tough. The pasta didn’t taste fresh.
The reason why it gets 2 stars is the arugula salad (5 stars), which was amazing, and the service was fantastic.

I wish we could have separate ratings for waiter service, food, etc.
The food — I would give it a 3. The waiter service, a 1 (poor). We definitely did not start off on a good foot. When I first went in, the waitress asked if I would like sparkling water or tap water. I told her that I would have tap water BUT leave the sparkling water to be opened when my friend gets here. Did not listen — it was taken away after she said OK. Another waitress came and told us the special for the day. The previous waitress comes back and ask if we would like to hear about the special for the day. I said «no thank you, someone already…» (got cut off and tells me about the special for the day!!!). Then when we ordered, we told the waitress specifically not to bring the entrees until we completely finished with the appetizers. She assured us that it wouldn’t happen and how they always make sure to look at where the customers are before firing the entrée. Guess what??? We were still eating our appetizers AND every single entrée we ordered came. I spoke to the person in charge about the situation, she apologized. Later, the waitress came back and apologized and said how it was a miscommunication, she didn’t understand (BUT she was able to make that comment above??? She understood! She just didn’t acknowledge and amend for her own mistakes!)
Will not recommend this place to anyone. Italian restaurant around the area — how about UVA? Cheaper and better service.
P. S. I hope the manager reads this

This is an amazing place to hang out and relax. The service was wonderful and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. All of the food was perfection and I can’t wait for my next visit. I learned about this place from a friend and soooo glad they told me! Try the chocolate moose!!!

I work up the block from Finestra and they have an awesome lunch special which is well priced especially for being up on the East side of Manhattan. The waitresses are always polite and they are on point as far as taking orders correctly, making sure the food is delivered on time and/​or coming out of the kitchen on time. They always have a smile on their face and remember names. I love finestra.

Great atmosphere, friendly staff, awesome food, and the owner is so welcoming when you come in. I attended a night where they had live music. It was a Friday. It looks upscale and I thought you needed a reservation, but my friends and I walked right in. Highly recommend!

Don’t bother trying it out
Worst fish salad — chewy and tough calamari. The first time in my life I had to return a dish .
Will not be going back
My recommendation to the chef… Take some cooking lessons.

$ 11.95 Saturday brunch: great! Lots of choices.

Excellent, reliable, freshly prepared food with top quality ingredients. Good service and Roger (owner) is a gent. If you’re tired of Manhattan’s more pretentious Italians and just want a great, red sauce meal, you’ll be happy at Finestra. Yes it’s expensive but you can taste the quality and the time they take. Finestra is a hidden gem on the restaurant-​poor UES.

Yes, Finestra is pricey. If you’re someone not focused on stretching every dollar looking for value, Finestra is worth a try. I think I’ll start off by commenting about the service, which was extremely attentive during my visit. Waters were constantly topped off before the glass was half empty and the waitress was always there if anything was needed. As for the food, it’s pretty good. The fare is typical Italian, prepared well. The calamari appetizer was excellent, and my potato gnocchi entrée had a wonderful homemade taste. The tiramisu dessert here was also really good (better than most places I’ve ordered it at).