Cesca

When my husband and I dine in NY we look forward to a wonderful break from the ordinary. Selection,flavor and favorite dishes bring us back time after time

I was shocked at our experience at this restaurant. it was very highly rated but the waiter that we were given from the first moment was insulting and lousy and hostile. we were at a business dinner and we just tried to ignore him. one of our party had a dish that it had to be returned (don't usually like to do this at a business meeting,but this dish was not good at all. The food was served by a busboy that threw the food on our table, not even the waiter, and at average of $38.00 per dish this seems like an insult. The second dish that we were given as a replacement for the first rotten dish was undercooked, but we were too late into the meal to continue to complain and that was that $28.00 down the drain. In all fairness, most of the other dishes were very good, but this restaurant needs some serious tweeking. Beware if you eat here it is over priced with lousy and hostile service.

The food of at this restaurant is excellent, but my experience was completely spoiled by the extraordinarily staff. It's the worst service experience I've ever had in NYC. The bartender was temperamental, the bar waiter rolled his eyes when we asked a question about the wine list and the manager of the restaurant was actually hostile. She scolded us like children for turning off a light standing directly next to our table. It's been 20+ years since anyone has talked to me in such a disrespectful, patronizing manner. Her behavior and attitude were so awful we decided to leave the restaurant and order desert somewhere else because we couldn't stomach spending a dollar more with them. This would have been a great neighborhood find, but I will never return - unless I hear it is under new management.

went on sunday- it was empty -??? and the food was not at all what I had heard about- the meat was so tough I couldn't finish. The staff was great though...hope they fix it

My husband and I live in the neighborhood and regularly eat here. We're always encouraged by the lively crowds, the warm and comfortable dining room and the friendly servers. This past Thursday, however, brought out a different side to Cesca - one that left a bad taste in our mouths, literally. In 36 years of dining out, I've never sent a dish back to the kitchen, declining to order anything to replace the entree. This night, I ordered the whole wheat penne arriabiatta - and it was not good at all. The smell nearly knocked me down as it was set in front of me, and the first bite made me gag. I just couldn't eat anything else after that. Our server was wonderful, and she had the manager agree to remove the charge from our final bill - but "date night" for my husband and me was largely ruined.

I got tempted to try this restaurant based on positive reviews and an offer from American Express Dish. We had tickets to Lincoln Center and though the restaurant is about 10 blocks away, we dared to try it out for a pre-theater meal. The food was great! I actually chose their 3 course prix fixe ($31) and my husband went for 2 courses a la carte. For starters, I loved their bread basket-that's the one clear advantage an Italian restaurant has over sushi! for appetizers, we had gazpacho soup and a buffalo mozzarella special salad i chose salmon as my main course and my husband got the special risotto with mushrooms and steak. both dishes were delicious and the portion sizes were quite generous. my 3 course was chocolate cake - quite tasty! our waiter was very cordial and helpful - the service was paced to get us to the show on time. we enjoyed the meal and would definitely return next time we're in the neighborhood.

This is a neighborhood restaurant that could be amazing if they just got the basics right. Weekly specials are often sold out before 8pm., and this should be a red flag to the chef to order more...please! This is why people are coming to your restaurant The Pollo di Milanese is quite good, but again sells out quickly...how do you run out of chicken? I personally would like to see more inventive pastas and risottos. What happened to your Butternut Squash ravioli? It was one of the best, but I guess the season changed and you responded with a watery goat cheese ravioli. The Brodo di Pollo and Brussel Sprouts are always good, but are not enough for a meal. You start off so well with the delicious chickpea and eggplant crostini, but why not serve the goat cheese warm on the arugula salad? There are so many little things that keep this being my neighborhood fav. It's a shame because you are in an ideal location, have a good bar and delicious wines.