Convivium Osteria

My wife and I come in about once a month. All of our meals have been excellent and the steak for 2 is well worth the money. There is cozy/romantic seating in the celler. You should make reservations on the weekends.

We have followed Convivium Osteria from the time before its creation, when Michelle and Carlo found an old Northeastern barn and converted their space into a magical Italian-Portugese-Mediterranean retreat in the heart of Brooklyn. Last night we filled the intimate wine cellar with 23 guests celebrating my life with a four-hour feast. Michelle customized the menu for my guests' food requirements before hand. From the smoked fish platters, to the sardines, from the bread / olives / salad, choice of four entrees plus sliced steak for each table, smooth wine and deliciously carbonated water to the berry tart and chocolate puffed pastry, the staff of Convivium worked seamlessly and tirelessly to make this a perfect "10" of a celebration. With Portugese Fado music in the background, my guests socialized, visited between tables, and melted into the ease of a Mediterranean evening. This is the first birthday where the energy of the night has utterly filled the following day. It iwas a once-in-a-lifetime event, and Michelle and Carlo saw to it that we were taken care of extremely well. For a gathering of around 20 where you seek an intimate, relaxed and - yes - magical setting, look no further.

We came on a weeknight and were seated immediately and ordered shortly thereafter. Our food came out 90 minutes later and was COLD! And some of the dishes were so obviously reheated. The time before that, similar issue. We've been to this place several times but I refuse to go back. There are too many great restaurants in Brooklyn to keep patronizing this place.

I had a special date here the week of Christmas, one that I wanted to be absolutely perfect, and for the most part it was. I was a little confused when we walked in and the tables looked full in the front dining room, but the austere and accented waiter still asked us to follow him around a turn and down a dark set of stairs leading to the basement, which was not encouraging. However, we were pleasantly surprised to emerge into a subtly-lit, intimate, stone wine-cellar, with wooden bench tables and an authentically European feel. At first we were seated alone at the end of one of the long wooden tables, which was great while it lasted, but eventually we were joined by a group of 3 women at the other end. If I had been among a group of friends I probably wouldnt have minded this arrangement, and after a bottle of wine I didnt, but it was still a little less private than wouldve been ideal for this particular night. The food however, was wonderful. If we could've afforded it, we would've had at least one more dish, but settled for the quail w/ fig and port wine as an appetizer (delectible!) and each got a pasta for dinner- the spinach and ricotta gnocchi and duck-filled mezzelune. Both were superb, but I did expect a little more for the price. My stomach was content with the portions at the time, but it would've been nice to have leftovers later! The only other thing I'll mention is the service, which was efficient, but I have to say the waiter intimidated me a bit. I felt as if I would be double-slapped across the cheek if I mis-pronounced "gnocchi"... All in all we spent 90$ on the cheapest bottle of wine (still 30$) an appetizer, and two pasta entrees. It was steep, but worth it as a special occasion.

The food was exceptional. The wine list was tasty and reasonable. The red snapper dish and the whole sea bass were both perfectly cooked. The table next to us ordered some kind of roast steak for two- it looked so amazing, we will have to come back to try it! On top of everything, the decor is very romantic and charming. A great find.

My girlfriend and I chose this place at random to have a nice dinner in. It did not let us down. The ambiance is very relaxing and romantic. We had a great ,affordable bottle of wine. The cheese plate is very large. We also had the clams and chorizo appetizer special and it was excellent. Out entrees were just as good. I will definately go back.

This was such a great experience and special place to celebrate something special! The service was the best I've ever had, the food was amazing and I felt like I was in a different country. I chose this Convivium Osteria because of the great review from others and I hope mine will make a difference in someone looking for a great place to go!