Cafe Fiorello

Why this place is always so crowded mystifies me. Two of us ate there once in fall 2011. Bad service, completely mediocre food, incredibly overpriced. We entered in a good mood and left in a foul one, never to return.

We went to this restaurant because it looked legit. The restaurant was not even close to being full, but it took forever to get a waiter to get a drink order. Appetizers arrived and dishes were cleared, and then we waited.. and waited and waited. Our waiter did not even come to the table once to check on us while we waited about an hour for our entrees to arrive. After the entrees came, he asked us if we needed anything. We said no. The food was cold but the plates were hot. Nobody came to check on us until much later. We asked for the check and that was an instant turnaround! The check had an automatic gratuity added because we were a table of 6. What an absolute disappointment.

This place wants to be chic. The prices are tres cher, that's for sure, and for very small portions. That I can enjoy if the service is good and the atmosphere fun, but Fiorello's if so crowded and noisy that the service is awkward and so is the ambience. The waiter hit me in the nose with the menu when he whisked it before me; the woman seating herself at the next table whacked my head with her purse as she sat. The tables are clearly too close together. And the noise: at times none of us could hear each other. Food good; prices high; uncomfortable seating; hard to hear. If that suits you, this place is perfect.

We used to come here all the time but were away for a year and now the food has changed so much! The breadbasket is disappointing - I loved the crispy parmesan bread and the fluffy focaccia, the former is now stale and the latter oily and blah. The list of appetizers has shrunk and nothing interesting is left. The chicken liver in balsamic used to be my favorite and it is gone. The pizza crust has unfortunately changed too. So the only good thing left are the desserts - the best cannoli in town!

I recently had dinner at Fiorello's before a performance at Lincoln Center. The antipasto bar was a great way to expedite your meal and all of the offerings were delicious. I was particularly impressed with the service however. The barman, Trevor, who I believe has been there for years, is a true expert at his craft and sitting at his bar, I felt as comfortable as if I was in my own living room. Michael, the guy in charge, was gracious, attentive, and you could tell he really knew what he was doing. All in all, for a place that does a ton of volume and in a short span of time, they really had the personal touch. I would definitely go back, and recommend it to all my friends and colleagues. You really can see why it is such an institution, and it is nice to see that they don't take their great reputation for granted.

I really liked this place, apart from how crammed in we all were. It was valentine's night and I felt as though I was enjoying a date with not only my husband, but the bald guy to my right and the lady to my left! The food however, was very good and the service too - very attentive table service. Would definitely go again, but perhaps not for a romantic night out!

I've eaten at Cafe Fiorello at least three times in the last 6 months and have not been disappointed even once with either the service or the meal. Yes, perhaps it's a bit pretentious. I've had their special lasagna and it is beautiful to behold and magnificent to taste. For those concerned about portion size, this is the meal to order! I'm happy to say that they've added the deliciously spicy meatballs on the lasagna to their bucatoni americiana and in doing so they have added an exciting taste sensation to an already quality Italian specialty. No, the bowl does not overflow with pasta but there is certainly enough for a hearty meal. The appetizer of scallops and shrimp is a very special treat I reserve for special ocassions. The staff is fantastically kind, helpful and efficient. I left my credit card behind one night and the woman who helped me on the phone when I called could not have been more gracious. Anything I dislike? I don't like the choice of breads they serve. I've never had room for dessert.