I Tre Merli Bistro (CLOSED)

I came here several times since the food is amazing (especially the black ink pasta and the peppercorn filetto...yummy!!) but unfortunately I'll never go back there again. The last time I went was at 6pm on Christmas Eve. Me and my boyfriend wanted to get a nice dinner before Christmas mass so there we went. Food was amazing as usual, but the service was seriously off. First of all, the waitress came to take our order and that was it. She never checked on how we were doing between appetizers and entrees, never asked us if by any chance we wanted more wine (empty glasses standing there for 30minutes...). Second, she never told us about specials (I asked her about the special soup and she looked at me as if it was the most annoying question in the world), while telling them to everybody else in the place. But this is the least...her comes the "best" part... When I opened the menu, I saw that they would add 18%gratuity to parties of 8 PEOPLE OR MORE. You know what she did to the two of us?? She added 20% gratuity because we were talking Italian to each other (I've been in NYC for 5 yrs and my boyfriend is an American citizen so don't just assume we are tourists and even so, how can you add 20% to two ppl when you would only add 18% to big parties?). She really made me upset (you give us poor service and the just demand 20% tips) but we decided not to say anything just because it was Christmas Eve. I'll never go back there again!

Stumbled upon this restaurant and was definitely pleasantly surprised. Got there fairly early (6pm) on a Friday night and the place was quite empty. And yes, it is a small place, as you will read in other reviews. However, the level of music and chatter was a good level so that you didn't hear entire conversations of people next to you. As the meal progressed, other customers steadily arrived, creating a very nice atmosphere. As for the food, both myself and my friend found it absolutely delicious! We ordered the Cutting Board (charcuterie and cheeses), which included a great variety and came with pieces of warm and toasty focaccia. At $18, I believe it was a good value for the taste and quantity. The wait staff was always watching to refill our wine glasses and water, even as the restaurant filled. We both ordered pasta dishes, and both were so good. The pasta was perfectly cooked and the sauces were great. Will definitely return!

Cute little place where one can have a satisfying bite, a drink, or both. The young bartender there was very knowledgeable (she made a killer dirty martini), and the appetizers -- which you can order at the bar -- are varied and, well, appetizing.

Friends and I had dinner here last night and really enjoyed it. The food and service were wonderful and the place is charming. The only drawback I can say is that the restaurant is very small and you are practically on top of the next table. If you can get over that the place is a winner.

Great food, great service every time I've been there - and I've been there quite a few times. I always feel happy afterwards that I chose to go there.

The atmosphere was really nice - music, white lights amongst white branches, open windows, fresh air. The food choices were great - something for everyone I think. I also feel, compared to other places, the prices were very reasonable and we had a very short wait getting in (about 8:30pm on a Saturday night) I ordered the Flash Fried Calamari which also had zuchini and shrimp. IT was cooked to perfection. I often went without a drink however and the red sauce had a little kick....and we waited forever for our bill....we spent almost two hours there which sometimes it's nice to relax but it was really slowing down the rest of the evenings plans.

I stopped in here on Sunday, and found to be very enjoyable. The cheese platter is delicious. The service could have been more attentive, but worth a return trip.