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The entrance area is quite unpleasant -- poorly lighted, uncertain directionals, closed doors, lots of visible service equipment and utensils. I thought we had accidentally walked through a service door. Once inside, the noise level in the upstairs bar is deafening. Both the bar and dining room are dark. The lower area is full of service people milling around but not actually serving. The food was NOT ITALIAN, despite the pretensions of the employees. And, bottom line, almost everything the four of us ordered was bland, undercooked, and accompanied by odd flavor combinations. The salad greens were browned and wilted. The pastas were nearly raw and oversauced. The fish was oily. Portions were really small. I had suggested the restaurant because of its location and was so embarrassed that I picked up the very heavy bill.

My husband and I just recently went to Accademia di Vino. We were condisering having a large birthday party there in the next few months and wanted to experience the food, atmosphere and service. Although I have read many reviews complaining about the service - that was actually the best part of our evening which doesn't say much. The food was beyond awful. We tried a variety of dishes because as I mentioned we were considering a party there. From the apps, to the pasta to the pizza...all were awful. The Calamari literally tasted like it had the butter used on movie popcorn poured all over it. The Robiola pizza which I have had all over the city - tasted NOTHING like a robiola pizza with truffle oil. In face I did not even taste the slightest hint of truffle. The Cheese fritter apps tasted old and stale & the pear gorgonzola walnut salad that I ordered was clearly pre-made (came out in 3 seconds) and was soggy. The pasta tasted like an entire bottle of salt was added to it. We live in the neighborhood and have for years & this was honestly the worst food experience we have had in manhattan- it's unfortunate because the atmosphere is really great. Although it does take a long time for a server to come over and ask if you would like a drink - our server was very nice and attentive throughout our visit. He saw that I did not like the robiola pizza and quickly spoke to the manager and removed the item from the bill - without us even asking him to do so. I previously lived on the Upper West Side and would frequent Cesca - I honestly can NOT believe that Accademia is owned by them - Shocked by that because Cesca is amazing.

First of all the name of the restaurant is spelled wrong if you speak Italian. Just by saying that, I should warn you not go there unless you are in the mood for poor service, americanized Italian food for turists and OF COURSE overpriced bill... But in NY you guys judge the quality by the amount you pay...

Sometimes I wonder, do restaurant owners really have such deep pockets and a big ego to keep a place going without making ANY improvements?! This is definately one of them. Food is on par with Olive Garden, and service was sub-par. Pasta was oversalted and portion was like a lean cuisine! Waitstaff acted as if they were just hired from craigslist, with No hospitality experience. Maitre'd/hostess and staff spent the night chit chatting and goofing off at the front desk. Was a truly pathetic dining experience.

Undistinguished on all counts. The decor is stereotyped ethnic, more suburban chain outlet than well-travelled urban chic. The greeting is lukewarm, servers are pretentious, especially in the bar, and the service is unbelievably slow and amateurish. The payoff is small portions of really boring, often poorly executed food, and only moderately interesting wines at extravagant prices.

went with friends last night. the place is huge..we sat in the back room. waited about 30 min before anyone asked to take our drink order! they finally come with our apps before they bring our wine...at least the manager came over and apologized ..comp'd our drinks...but the bottom line is the food...and it wasn't good.

Came here 3 weeks ago with some friends, 6 couples. The staff was attentive but not intrusive, the Sommelier was helpful, which is rare. The personal wood oven pizzas are the best they offer, I had a risotto and was not disappointed. The wine list is long, but mostly all the listings are available and they have good wines in all price ranges. We had a Nero D'Avola and an Orvietto, both I love and are difficult to find, even so they are inexpensive, personally I was surprised to find them on the list. We spent at least 3 hours at our table and we were not hurried (as often happens). Definitively going back for another good time