Felice 71- Columbus — Restaurant in New York

I was looking forward to enjoying a diner at Felice on Saturday night. And had made the reservation to decide if this would be the spot for a large group dinner with some out-of-town friends I and my husband are planning in the next few weeks. This would be our first visit to Felice. We arrived about 15 minutes ahead of our 6pm Saturday reservation. I approached the host stand and provided my name and reservation time (I had made the reservation a week earlier thru Resy). In response, the hostess said she did not see any reservation and asked again for my name, and then my phone number. As she flipped thru her tablet I stood by quietly. She again indicated she saw no reservation - at this point I was able to look around the restaurant and saw numerous two-tops empty along with several seats at the bar - I asked if she wanted to see my Resy confirmation, she didn't respond. Thinking she might not have heard me I asked again. Her response was rude, essentially telling me to be quiet while she looked thru her tablet. Another colleague approached and after some discussion, the initial hostess said she had seated someone under my reservation accidentally. Thinking that was the end of it, I said, "ok, so can you seat us?". I was again met with silence, and a nasty look from the hostess - mind you this whole exchange took perhaps five minutes. Finally another employee approached and said we have a table for you. We were seated and thought we could enjoy a quiet dinner. After about ten minutes at the table a waitress approached and told us the kitchen couldn't make any hot food, and only cold items (i.e. salads) were available. At this point we just left the restaurant. I normally don't write negative reviews, but this was a horrible experience. The nasty, rude and dismissive behavior of the front of house person was unacceptable, unprofessional and a poor representation of any business.

We left the restaurant and spied across the street an old favorite, Polpette 71. We walked in, without a reservation, were warmly welcomed and immediately seated. The staff were gracious and friendly. The food was delicious, and much more favorably priced than Felice. At the end of the meal we made our group reservation at Polpette 71 and are comfortable we and our friends will receive an excellent meal accompanied by great service.

Felice should be ashamed of our experience and others...

Update: Yep, my favorite restaurant on the Upper West Side. Cozy, festive, convivial ambiance (great for Christmastime) and superb food. Prices increased but they have everywhere. The pasta is very, very good and also very generously portioned. Ricotta crostini is also delightful as always. (I’ve gotten it every single time I’ve dined at a Felice.)

Original review (December 2021): An awesome experience overall. I would highly recommend Felice Columbus to anyone interested in authentic Italian (specifically Tuscan food) and a bustling, cozy family-friendly atmosphere. I came in with my family on a December Saturday at 6:30pm—the restaurant was packed! Even though it was super busy, we were warmly greeted at the door by Elvis, the maitre'd or floor manager (I think), and chatted about Italy for a few minutes before being seated (we had a reservation). The service was prompt and the food was fantastic — the crostone ricotta (a lightly sweet appetizer that could even be dessert), lasagna, and fettucine alla bolognese in particular were absolutely delicious. All the pastas are good (we tried 4 of them), silky, fresh, and cooked to perfection. The only negative thing I can comment on are the brussels sprouts, which got soggy quickly because they were served in a mini bowl rather than a plate. But generally, it seems like you can't go wrong with any order, appetizer or entree. And Elvis kept coming to check on us and was very kind. He made us feel very welcome. We will be coming back often! Thank you Felice for a wonderful Saturday night! Update January 2021: Came here with friends, sat in a private outside cabin, and thoroughly enjoyed the spaghetti alla carbonara. So good. Thick (I love spaghetti that is a little wider than store bought), al dente chewy, creamy, flavorful. Cacio e pepe...

Felice is expanding to Monaco and London—a clear testament to its excellence. With such growth, you can be confident that the staff they hire are highly professional and committed to delivering top-tier service. As someone who has visited multiple Felice locations throughout NYC and worked in the hospitality industry for a decade while pursuing my PhD, I can personally attest to the dedication and hard work of service professionals.

It’s disheartening to see negative reviews targeting an exceptional team—especially when these individuals are simply doing their jobs in a city where the cost of living continues to rise. Many people forget that service workers rely on tips to make a living. Just as you might tip at a self-checkout kiosk, tipping 18-25% at a restaurant should be a given when dining out.

Rather than spreading negativity about a business that upholds professionalism at the highest level, let’s take a moment to appreciate the people who keep NYC running. The world has enough problems—complaining about a fantastic restaurant with an outstanding staff shouldn’t be one of them. Instead, let’s celebrate and support the people who work tirelessly to create amazing dining experiences.

Felice remains one of my favorite places, and I’ll gladly return anytime. To the entire team—thank you for your hard work and...