Le Zie

I read enough of the unanimous positive reviews here to expect a place with good food, service, value and atmosphere. All to be proven wrong, went there over one wknd with a party of 8. Not at all what their website looks like. It is overcrowded, the tables are very close, making it very difficult to move around if one wanted to use the restroom. Service was beyond subpar. The waiter never came over to introduce himself to us and came after a while to take our drink orders. There was a complete disinterest in us as customers. We couldn't even distinguish between the waiter and busboy. We always had to get the waiter's attention, by waving him down multiple times to request for more bread, or to place orders. When the specials were mentioned, could barely hear anything because it was so noisy rather nerve-wrecking..The food is mediocre, overpriced and flavorless. For instance, the chicken piccata tasted rubbery and was just thrown over some sauteed spinach which was extremely salty. The meatballs that they are raving about on their menu is rather plain. The waiter never came by to ask us if everything was good or if we need anything else. Overall, a disappointment and feel others should reconsider before heading to this restaurant.

I read the mostly positive reviews prior to reserving a table here thinking my friends and I were going to eat a decent meal and receive good service. However, I am vowing never to return here again. Here's why - We were told by the hostess to go upstairs to be seated and she directed us halfway and then left us to go alone and seat ourselves. We found our table for 12, however I am guessing they assumed the 6 seated near the wall would have to be paper thin to fit through the less than one foot of space they left for us to get through. They had to shift a couple who were in the middle of dining to make space for us to get to our seats. The food was mediocre at best, some portions too small, overpriced and flavorless (i.e. salmon). We were left wondering what the hype was all about. The waiter/hostess did not bother to check up on us all throughout the meal to ask if everything was okay and if we needed anything. We celebrated a birthday and asked if we can put the cake we brought in the fridge for later. We did not at all think that this service would put a $24 cake service charge on the bill !! (which, by the way, cost more than the cake itself.) I can't imagine what it would've cost had they cut the cake and served everyone. They did not mention this charge beforehand, so beware. Our departure from the host or manager was a half smile goodbye.

On Thursday night Le Zie was teeming with patrons. We waited about 10 minutes before the maitre d’ seated us at a table next to the front window. The overall noise level in the restaurant was so high that we barely heard the waitress when she described the evening’s specials. We ordered the branzino cooked in salt, chicken piccata and pici. A busboy delivered some rustic bread and olive oil while we waited. The crust of the bread was great; the inside was too chewy and pasty. The olive oil was very nice, a small dish infused with a bit of garlic and a couple of varieties of olives. The branzino was markedly pricier than expected but excellent. The white-fleshed fish had a hint of saltiness and herbs. The accompanying fennel was more bitter than I like, but my S.O. enjoyed it. The chicken piccata medallions were tender and perfectly seasoned. The bed of spinach below the chicken absorbed some of the fruitiness of the olive oil in which it had been cooked. I thought the pici were very nice. The cheesiness of the pasta was complemented by the nice green vegetables, garlic and herbs. The food very much impressed me; I understand why this restaurant has been around for a long time and often is quite crowded. My only complaints: (1) The waitress was a little pushy and snippy. She clearly was annoyed that we did not order sparkling water (isn’t NYC tap water perfectly acceptable for thirst quenching?) or alcohol. She also seemed perturbed when we skipped the antipasti (despite the fact that we ordered 3 entrees). The maitre d’, in contrast, was a consummate gentleman. (2) The portions were quite small in light of the prices, a common problem in high-rent NYC. We will return for the very good food, although our next visit may need to wait for a special occasion.

My family and I have traveled to NYC very often and found this restaurant to be a "small gem" because it has very good food and very reasonable prices. It is not often that one finds white anchovies in a salad. Their other salads are also very good. The ragu sauce is one my spouse raved about for days. We have eaten at most of the best restaurants in many cities and Le Zie offers excellent food for the price.

The pastas are really delicious...tough to get good old fashioned Italian food at a decent value and I would recommend Le Zie...the gnochi, spaghetti and meat sauce, and lasagna are all items I've enjoyed. The lunch special is very well priced and the place isn't too crowded so that's a good time to try it out...

As a real Italian who has eaten in fine Italian restaurants here and in Italy, I wish to disagree strongly with the negative reviews on this page. I have been going to le Zie for years and the food is excellent. Their seafood preparation is superb, and their sauces, as any good Italian cook knows, are meant to dress the pasta not drown it!

Been here 3 times with my girlfriend. Every meal we've had I thought I could make better - and I'm not a great cook. Food is either bland or poorly cooked for anything we've ever had. For such mediocre food there is not much of a choice. Wine list is above average for the neighborhood, but the service is indifferent and the ambiance is lackluster. Prices are fairly reasonable, but there are many other options in this range in the neighborhood. Would not recommend to friends.