Pappardella

I've eaten at Pappardella at least a couple of dozen times over the past years, and have always been pleased with the quality of the food and the efficiency of the service. I go here not only because I can depend on the food, but because I know I'm guaranteed a pleasant time.

Went there last night and it started off well with the wonderful NYC treat of sighting a very impressive celebrity sitting at one of the front tables. The staff was very attentive, nice atmosphere, the appetizers were good and the house Merlot great! All was well unitl I ordered the fish special - it was actually so bad I couldn't even eat it - with a small portion of tasteless potatoes - very disappointed. My boyfriend was taking me out for the holiday before he was leaving so I did not want to say anything to the waitress... on our romantic evening but YUCK! Oh and the fish that was inedible was almost $30.

I have been with friends more than a few times now and it is consistently pretty good. I generally go with a pasta dish and the best I have had is the penne bolognese. It was really something special. I would steer clear of the squid ink pasta with caperberries, just doesn't quite gel. Service wise it has been hit or miss. It seems management isn't interested in forcing everyone into a mold, so the waitstaff's personalities shine through, for better or sometimes worse. Wine list is a bit over priced, but hey...it's the Upper West Side. Friends are always happy with the quality of food, even the pizza was well accepted. Over all I'd say it's a nice night out. Don't go expecting Babo and you probably won't be disappointed.

I come from a large North Jersey Italian family where Sunday dinners were the norm. Since moving to the city 8 years ago and my younger sister moving a couple of years later Sunday dinners are the one thing we have been missing. Now instead of Mom's kitchen we have Pappardellas. Great pasta selection (best on the west), huge portions, nice wine list and a friendly staff. Mom and Dad make the trip in once a month. Mom loves the rigatoni so much that she took home a catering tray for her Monday bridge club and apparently all the girls loved it and a few had even been to Pappardella before. I did'nt know but apparently this place has been around since the seventies.

Went here on spring Sunday night and thought we were lucky to snag the last outdoor table. Unfortunately, the table was lopsided, and when we pointed it out, the waitstaff tried to fix it for 10 minutes while directing us to stand to the side. We then waited another 10 minutes for them to give us menus- and were then asked for our order with 2 minutes of that. It had to get better- but it didn't. Instead, it took 10 minutes and 3 requests to get glasses of water and bread brought to the table. Most importantly, the food was not good. My pasta dish had a consistency that suggested it had been sitting and waiting to be served for a while. Throughout this entire lengthy experience, no one came by to ask how our meal was. Yet- when it was time to pay, the staff was VERY attentive and looking to see if we needed anything else.

The best pasta options out of any Italian on the UWS. Great fresh pastas with large enough portions for 2 (or 1 very hungry eater). Nice atmosphere to enjoy a bottle of wine or 2 with a friend which is exactly what we did. There is a really cute waiter too :-) I will be back

I ate here with a friend on a Sunday night. The menu seemed assembled by someone who didn't really know what they wanted to offer. An Italian restaurant menu should either be comfortable and familiar or adventurous and avant garde. This was neither. The offerings didn't seem particularly inviting and the specials were lackluster. The bread was supermarket quality and cold. The Caesar salad tasted like the dressing was Maria's from a jar. The croutons were definitely out of a bag from the bargain bin. My eggplant and pasta dish was warmed over ziti with bland meat sauce and overcooked bits of eggplant. The service was a little on the slow side, considering the place was not busy at all. All in all, I would have rather stayed home and had Stouffer's.