Pisticci

Such a gem! I went there for lunch with a large group and they were extremely accommodating. Brunch was a great mix of Italian and breakfast foods. I had a tomato omelette with fresh homemade mozzarella and it was delicious! The food was reasonably priced as well so I’ll definitely be back and would love to try dinner there.

The only reason for 4 instead of 5 stars is that the restaurant is a bit too noisy. That being said, we went at 8:30 so the tables emptied out while we ate. I have eaten a LOT of Italian food in Manhattan, and this ranks with the best. The portobello mushroom with spinach was delicious as was the lobster ravioli, polenta, and fettuccine al funghi. All of the above dishes are enough for at least 2 servings; we took the remainders home and have food for another meal or two. The tartufo was perfect. I love the décor. Too bad they don’t take reservations. Go early or late to avoid the wait but GO! Do not miss this opportunity to enjoy incredible food! (Wine list is good and reasonable as well).

This is by far my favorite restaurant in NYC. Any night of the week, the food is amazing, however, Sunday brunch is the best. I love the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. The service is exceptional and the Manager Scott is one of best I have seen in a long time.

Food is authentic and absolutely delicious. I ordered the lamb dish and had 2 glasses of very very tasty Sauvignon blanc! I intended to take a picture but literally ate it so fast without thinking! Place was fantastic as was the service, I will be back.

Really good garbage and seeds outside, but let’s get to what matters.
Pasta, pasta!
I never stop dreaming about noodles. I sing about them while my owner is in the shower, and I sure know good noodle when I bite into it!
Pisticci has really well cooked spaghetti. I haven’t tried their other pastas, but I can tell from the spaghetti pomodoro that this place is the real deal. Service was very patient even though I can be a bit shrill because I am a freaking small bird.
Go! It’s 4.5 stars, totally. Weet, weet!

Long wait, average food, slow service. I don’t get the 4.5 stars here. The food is very simple. For example, I got chicken. It’s literally just grilled chicken, and it’s blackened without any taste. The chicken I usually get for few bucks from deli/​salad shop is much better compared with what I get here. The salad is just like the salad bag from grocery plus few pieces of cheese. The pasta is alright, but the choices are quite limited. Again, why bother to come here for the pasta if I can get similar things nearby for cheaper price and shorter wait. The only upside is that this place can host large party. There are so many other restaurants in this neighborhood that’s so much better in terms of food/​price. Chicken from either flat top or Friedman is so tasty. Pasta from max soha on Amsterdam 123^st is so much better and costs almost half of the dishes here.
Not to mention we waited for at least 40 minutes on a weekday night even we were quoted 20 minutes.

Horrible service attitude. Don’t try to make a call and finish your words in the phone, cause they won’t listen to your talk, they just wanna hang up the phone call asap.

Visited Pisticci the other night with an old friend and couldn’t have been more delighted with our time there. First, the martinis are GENEROUS to say the least. I had a special one to start and was pleasantly surprised to find the grapefruit juice was definitely freshly squeezed.
The service was wonderful. Bartenders were great. We split a special salad and the meatballs to start and both were crazy good. And then, and then… the pasta. So very delicious. I wish I lived closer. I would be here OFTEN.
Atmosphere is great too. Hip, fun, unpretentious… all in all, a gem of a place. Kudos.

How have I not reviewed Pisticci’s yet? 4.5 stars.
For the price and serving and taste, this place is fantastic. Almost all the pasta are under $ 15, and portions are generous. Highly recommend the garlic bread, spaghetti, and the prosciutto e spinaci. For dessert, get the tiramisu or the coconut cake… or both!
There can be a bit of a wait on weekends, so veer towards the early side or after 9pm.

Bread-​average. Hard crust and soft inside. Could be better if served warm. Average quality of olive oil that lacks the aroma.
Fettuccine Ai Funghi-​average. Lots of mushrooms. Mild sauce. Average quality of fettuccine noodles. Overall not that impressive flavor. Notable aftertaste of garlic.
Penne Pisticci-​average. Fresh tomatoes and mild sauce. Melted mozzarella cheese. Average quality of penne.

Second time came here. There are always so many people. I had to come all the way from queens to morning side. Just prepared to wait a little bit but it was worth!

Pisticci is worth the painful subway ride from downtown up into Harlem, with their cozy ambiance and quick, attentive service. We had the roasted garlic bread with goat cheese, the toast was done just right with fresh cheese. I had the Maltagliati with Ricotta and lamb and my date had the spaghetti with house made meatballs. The Maltagliati was amazing, though a bit heavier. Not too salty but the flavors were deeper and rich. The spaghetti with meatballs was definitely lighter. The tomato sauce was fresh and the meatballs were unlike any I’d had before. I typically don’t go for generic dishes like spaghetti & meatballs but Pisticci does this dish right. We also had the house red wine which was not bad either. Not much of a wine connoisseur so don’t wanna sing its praises too loudly, but it was good enough for me.
Service was great, though at 7:30 on a Sunday night we waited about 30 mins for a restaurant. There was a band playing so we sat at the bar and enjoyed the restaurant before being seated. Not overly crowded but a full house.

Omg! Don’t bother
We over tipped I spite of the service.

This restaurant is on a side street without much foot traffic. It’s less than a 5 minute walk from the subway stop! On the recommendation of Unilocal,I got the fungi fettuccine. The dish was simple and delicious, I had every last bite of it. The rosemary olive oil was a big plus too. Our waitress was friendly and attentive without being overbearing. The bathroom was tiny and not a lot of wiggle room, but extremely clean!

Incredible! As a Brooklyn girl who almost never goes to Harlem, when my friends and I planned a fun Halloween in Harlem, this place (thanks to Unilocal) jumped to the top of our list of things to do.
We were totally blown away by Pisticci! The handmade pasta (and even the not handmade pasta) dishes were absolutely incredible. Some of the best Italian I’ve had in the city, if not the best. Plus, the prices are super reasonable and the portions are much larger than what you’d expect for that price. The waiters were very attentive and extremely friendly. None of the moody bs we’re used to here in Williamsburg. Also, we had a bourbon ginger cocktail that was delicious and strong as hell– so we got a few rounds of those.
We will definitely be back!

Pisticci is definitely a neighborhood favorite for Italian cuisine. However, certain aspects of the restaurant management take away from the experience.
Food: the quality of the Italian cuisine is very good, especially the pasta. Considering the moderate price point, it is definitely a great place for Italian comfort food. In particular, the spaghetti and meatballs is a quality dish. The specials are abundant and often add interesting options, particularly seasonal seafood and meat dishes.
Ambience: the atmosphere is decent, although with the restaurant underground, it doesn’t get as much light. The tables are also very close together.
Service: the restaurant is often very crowded, and so a long wait is common. I would not recommend ordering delivery, as the 20% service fee is unusual and seems ridiculous in comparison to other restaurants. The overall service is pretty good however.
In summary, I would recommend Pisticci if you are in the neighborhood and looking for quality Italian cuisine. It’s a nice neighborhood restaurant that is frequented by Morningside Heights locals.

Let me start off by saying that Max Soha and Pisticci are both great, for different reasons. If you’re looking for good food and good atmosphere, most people would be fine at either establishment.
I’d definitely have to say that in terms of taste, Pisticci wins. But that comes at a relatively steep price… literally. I ended up paying twice as much at Pisticci than I did at Max Soha ($ 80-​$ 90 vs $ 45 for two). But the food was really, very good! We got the specials that day and although I can’t remember the exact names of the dishes, they were along the lines of a «Linguine alle Vongole» and some sort of vegetarian lasagna. The lasagna, though meatless, might have been the best I’ve ever had.
We’ll probably flip a coin from now on to decide whether we’re going to Max Soha or Pisticci for Italian. They’re both great!
Why not 5 stars? Not to take away anything from the quality of food at Pisticci, because it was definitely very good, but I’ve had better Linguine alle Vongole for half the price.

My main complaint is their way of estimating wait time. If you say 30 minute wait, it really shouldn’t turn out to be 1.5 hrs. The estimate wait time should be more realistic and maybe at most +/​-​10 minutes.

I’ve been to Pisticci a few times already. It’s become a favorite brunch spot for me and a few of my friends. What keeps us coming back is their Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. Like they say, it is CRAZY delicious. The lemon ricotta curd is amazing. Order a mimosa on the side, and it’s a brunch well done.
It’s always not too busy, so you don’t have to wait too long for brunch. With its cute, romantic atmosphere, it is a great place to meet up with a friend for brunch or a lunch date. It’s little pricey for the area, but that’s really its only downfall.
I wish more people knew about this place. It’s truly a hidden gem in West Harlem.

The service was good. The food just okay. The pasta with prosciutto was a tad bit too salty. The garlic bread with goat cheese was the best garlic bread I’ve ever eaten. Overall I would return because this seems like the best Italian spot I can find uptown. I would try a different dish next time. The décor is very nice and I was surprised how large the restaurant actually is. Looks like they have a nice space in the back for large groups.