Primola

Food was good and well presented. Service was good, but waiter not too friendly. Older crowd (I.e. 50+) which is par for the neighborhood. I'm early 40's. Seems that if you're not a regular, they're wasting their time with you. I might go back, though.

Of course it's busy and crowded,its one of the best Italian restaurant in Nyc. Every time my family visits the city we come to Primola. We feel very welcome by the staff,and the food is excellent. Last year Al Pacino was sitting 3 tables away from us.

My wife and I ate here for the first time Saturday. Arrived a little early, seated at a great table and totally enjoyed the whole experience. Admittedly, since we were early it wasn't crowded or noisy but we like that sometimes. Service was extremely attentive and the food was tops. I had a veal chop which was very good (I gave it a 4.5 out of 5) and my wife's veal milanese was excellent (5 of 5). Dessert was a shared cheesecake and they brought over a small plate of biscotti. I think a very important factor is that the owner is right there overlooking everything. It was obvious that he was the owner and was in charge. I can't wait to go back.

Noisy, crowded and apparently designed to deter civilized conversation. The headwaiter/manager was rude, incompetent and dishonest about our reservations. Servers either ran wildly around the table, banging down plates, or left the area for long pauses. The food was passable for a neighborhood hangout, arguably, but nothing to go out of the way for in a city of 10,000 restaurants.

Best food; best servers; best ambience in Manhattan. Superb personal service at lunch from Zarko, Consistently outstanding quality and service. Repeat customers are treated like family. Lunch is an unhurried pleasure and a must for me every Friday.....and always gorgeous floral arrangements. When I want to impress out of town visitorss, THIS is the place I take them.

I have lived in the neighborhood for years. I never thought to go in because I had no idea what was behind the curtains. I wish I had checked it out sooner. Pros: 1) Good quality and relatively sophisticated Italian (i.e. they aren't serving "chicken parm") 2) Atmosphere is comfortable, tables are not too close together 3) Reasonably priced - great value for very good food 4) Service is not spectacular but still reasonably good Cons: Senior citizens abound (not out of control, but they are definitely there).

Primola offers the best-quality food and service and exceeds one's expectations. The waiters are welcoming, kind, efficient and helpful. The decor is elegant, clean, and comfortable. Primola is definitely a restaurant that everyone should try. Our family always enjoys dinner at Primola each time we visit New York and it is always a perfect meal and experience.