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If they have 8 guys to open and pour a bottle of wine, how come they can't figure out that you might want bread at your table? The fish was good but not great; portions unnecessarily small. Uncomfortable seating; the kitchen was slow. The food doesn't match the fuss

Unbelieveable Sturegon from Portland. I believe the quality was excellent. My first experience with American Crudo was delightful. Service was fine, atmosphere fine, cost was expected and no problem.

I went to Esca a few weeks ago with my entire family and could not have been more disappointed. From the moment we arrived we were treated rudely. Our waiter was obnoxious to our table and after appetizers I considered leaving, but regretfully decided to stay so we could at least have a delicious meal. Everyone's food was fine/good, but far from exceptional, and so very overpriced. We dropped $85 per person (and had no desserts or coffee).

We dined at Esca in June 2005, after the theatre. Due to the late conclusion of the show (Billy Crystal's one-man show) we were more than an hour late for our reservation and arrived after 11:30 pm. The welcome was warm, inviting and friendly, as was the service. We were made to feel at ease and at home. The sommelier brought us our bottle and then two complimentary glasses of a new release from the same vintner. The food was superb: fresh homemade linguini with vongole (clams) and tagliolini with assorted shellfish for starters. We shared an outstanding branzino (sea bass) cooked in a salt crust- a house speciality that never fails to impress- sweet, tender, moist fish scented with aromatic herbs and flavored with olive oil and lemon. Magnifico. This place is wonderful for a casual and fun evening. We give it our highest recommendation.

Our service and food was awesome at Esca. The menu had a huge selection of food that are not in your everyday restaurant. We enjoyed every bit of the evening and will highly recommend it to everyone.

My husband and I go often to New York. Like a previous reviewer mentioned, we are fans of Mario and have often wanted to go to Esca. We went, a party of four, and were disappointed : Too Fussy/Pretentious really hit the mark, we couldn't agree more. The chef is being let down by the front end. Our waiter, didn't really know much about the menu he was suppose to present to us, he was frankly awkward and inexperienced, and unable to describe the food preparation or the items on the menu. What he resorted to was reading his notes, and assuming that we found that satisfactory. That said: The food was good, not wonderful. The wine sommelier, was arrogant and dissmissive, and not much help in the end. Fortunately, we could make sense of the Italian wine list, but those without experience of Italian grape varietals, would be at the mercy of this fellow: you just might end up paying for an expensive bottle of wine (in order to make the restaurant look good). We are quite use to the smell of good cooking coupled with a certain atmosphere that good food engenders: if the food is wonderful, the restaurant comes alive with the sounds of happy eaters. I would say that at Esca, the food did not inspire that kind of a relishing response from its' patrons. Too bad. I think we'll probably pass on it in the future. They may have been looking down their noses at us, to try to bolster their own reptutations, never a good idea when there is some really wonderful food out there just waiting to be discovered. I would say this is an old fashioned restaurant, that is not quite able to keep up: the food should stand on its' own.

I have dined at Esca on several occassions. The food is absolutely mouth watering. The service is exceptional. It is very rare that the staff remembers the wine preference of a guest. My favorite appetizer at Esca is the Ruby Shrimp. This is a seasonal delight. Although it is a little pricey, it is definitely worth it!