Dani's Italian Bistro — Restaurant in New York

Awful. We had an 8 pm reservation. That doesn't seem to really to matter. The place is small. Granted. 30 seats, plus another 10 at the bar. Every table was taken, and every table either still had bread, and or Olives and Cheese. (That's the standard.) No greeting from anyone. The tables for 2 are on the wall, and the bar is adjacent. Essentially your having dinner and looking at asses at the bar within arms reach. A little too close for comfort. Finally I snag a waitress and announce that we are there for our 8pm reservation. The woman behind the bar (who doubles as the hostess) put up the peace sign indicating she'd be with me in 2 minutes. 10 minutes later, we order a drink. Gin and Tonic. Weak, and watery. The waitress told us that our table should be ready as "soon as these folks get up." She goes on to tell us they have just been chit chatting for about 20 minutes despite the check being paid. Table management 101: Politely suggest that they take their conversation to the bar so they can accommodate their loose reservation policy and turn the table. That cash is in the register already..successful restaurants make money by having that table keep generating money. Didn't happen. The crowd thins out at the bar because at this point..People are walking out because nobody is paying attention to them. 2 couples left in a hiss. Nobody noticed except for us. We settle in at the bar where I announced we'd be setting up shop. It's 8:40. We have to ask for everything. Bread, Butter, Plates, Silverware, Olives and Cheese, another drink. Hold the show..They're out of the gin we were drinking, which accounts for the lack of strength in the first round. OK, We order a bottle of Pinot Noir. $38 on the menu, $15.99 in any store. by any standard... A Little excessive. We ask the busboy if he could close the basement door to reveal the specials posted on a blackboard behind the bar. We were told "We don't have that..It's for show." Upon closer inspection the half scraped off Christmas Tree Shop $.99 price tag should've been an indicator. Instead we were handed a red sauce and olive oil stained sheet of paper with the specials. We got the Mozzarella Kisses (A ball of Polly-O Mozzarella Deep Fried) and a Bistro Salad. That was actually good. For our Main Course I order, at the waitress' suggestion, The Bistro Chicken. It's a Chicken Cutlet topped with Filet Mignon in a Brandy Cream Sauce. Chicken was dry, Sauce was warm at best and the "Filet" was so overcooked, it would be tough to tell if it was a Filet at all. I'm doubtful. My wife got Chilean Sea Bass over (subbed) Roasted Red Pepper Risotto. The fish was cooked well, but the risotto was made with Long Grain rice instead of Arborio, and it was runny and luke warm. The bill..$153. $12 Watery Drinks left me wondering if I was on Amboy Rd or Little W. 12th in the Meatpacking district. The reason why I gave it even 1 Star is because Paige, the Waitress was good at her job. Listen..The place is packed, and this review isn't going to hurt them....rather than just give them an honest recap so hopefully they can tighten up the ship....

Dani’s Italian Bistro a small family owned restaurant restaurant in Staten Island. The best of restaurants is when the owner is the chef those are my favorite to dine at. This restaurant also had a really nice intimate atmosphere, and it’s the perfect date spot or just a great place if your looking for a delicious authentic Italian meal. I had the Mozzarella en Carrozza appetizer which was good, but I prefer mine with less breading. The sauce it came with was excellent though, and I scooped whatever was left with my spoon! I ordered one of the dinner specials of the night which was the striped bass over broccoli rabe risotto in a marinara sauce. I was quite impressed with that dish! They gave such a generous piece of striped bass here! It was absolutely delicious! The marinara sauce was to die for, and the fish was cooked to perfection! I loved that it came over such a delicious broccoli rabe risotto as well! You can tell the chef put a lot of love in that dish! They had a great selection of house made desserts here, and I ended up choosing the apple crumb cheesecake. It was so good! When I received my bill I was surprised how low the prices were too which was another plus! The generous piece of striped bass I was served was only $29! Just to note I’ve been to the restaurant across the street before DeLuca’s, and Dani’s Italian Bistro blew them away with their food, reasonable pricing, service and atmosphere! They also had a nice selection of filet mignons on their menu for only $31 as well. Service was excellent, and the owners are warm and welcoming. I highly recommend...

I recently dined at Dannie's Italian Bistro in Staten Island and had a wonderful experience! The food was delicious and authentic, with generous portions and flavorful dishes. The service was top-notch, with friendly and attentive waitstaff who made sure our needs were met.

The atmosphere was cozy and intimate, with only about 10 tables, making it a great spot for a date night or special occasion. The prices were a bit on the higher side, but the quality of the food and service made it well worth it.

Overall, I would highly recommend Dannie's Italian Bistro to anyone looking for a great Italian meal in Staten Island. Be sure to make a reservation, as the small size of the restaurant means tables can fill up quickly!

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Price Range: Average to High ($20-$40 entree range)

Recommended for: Date Night, Special Occasions,...