Fumo Upper East Side — Restaurant in New York

I just moved somewhere nearby Fumo and it always looks super cute inside, so I’d been meaning to pop in for a few months. I am always conscious of how I’m treated as a solo diner. When I walked in, I was a little confused. A man had seen me and not acknowledged me, I assumed maybe he was a customer which is why I was ignored. A waiter was next to him and I wasn’t quite sure who was supposed to receive me. Usually that’s a hosts job. Eventually a waiter brought me to my seat, and I realized the first man was likely the manager/owner. His demeanor made me feel like I was doing something wrong by walking in…It’s not a good feeling to have as a guest at a restaurant, especially when the place is relatively slow. The least you can do is say hello. Maybe he expected me to seat myself at the bar? I don’t drink and prefer a seat with a back, which is why I wanted a table. Plus the place was pretty empty.

The waiter himself was very attentive and kind. He did a great job.

The food was average. Not terrible, not great. The burger patty tasted slightly odd, and so did the fries (I think something in the seasoning wasn’t quite right, but I also have a sensitive palate and maybe others wouldn’t notice).

Prices are average for NYC.

I thought maybe this was a more authentic Italian spot, but I noticed cream was an ingredient in their carbonara and realized I was mistaken. Also, my water glass had an aftertaste of red wine or some other alcohol in it?

I noticed some girls there for just drinks at brunch, maybe that’s a better idea than eating the food.

I was really looking forward to making this a neighborhood “spot.” Personally the food across the street at Gracie’s Diner is better, so I’d rather go there instead. Overall, an odd experience and...

I have never written a negative review of a restaurant before, I’m writing this to warn people of the nastiness/hostility of the management here so please think twice here before giving them your business. The condescending nature I was met with was unmatched with any experience I have had with a restaurant

When ordering take out from this place ($29 for a chicken parm not cheap), I was surprised when it came with a green salad, no pasta. I called to see where the pasta was. I was told “I did not read the menu” and that I needed to pull it up and he would “help me read it together my dear”. We walked through it. We both agreed

The description says “served with green salad or pasta” There was no option to select pasta. There was an option for penne vodka for an upcharge. (why would I want that with chicken parm? )There were many other upcharge options, mushrooms, salads. None were “pasta” He said that I should have written in the “special notes” section that I wanted pasta served with red sauce and I would have been given pasta for an upcharge.

Instead of acknowledging that this was confusing/unclear, I was told hundreds of orders go out this way and I’m the only one with a problem. “Read it again my dear” must have been told to me 10x times. I’m not sure what entitled this man who claimed to be the manager (Dermott Anejo) to question my literacy so casually. We spent 20min on the phone no resolution. I lived a block away, I was just looking for some pasta to be dropped off. Again it was $29 for a chicken parm, I think pasta is a very reasonable thing to get...

I’m really disappointed to write this review because I love Fumo. However, the service I experienced tonight was truly one of the worst I’ve seen of the industry. We wanted to sit at the bar and were told but the hostess there was a couple waiting to sit at a table so they would be leaving soon. We decided to wait, and after about 45 minutes we moved to an open spot maybe 8 ft from where we were standing, so we could at least put our drinks down to chat. In the 5 minutes we moved, they told the couple their seat was ready and they left the bar, to let another couple that maybe had walked in 2 minutes prior to sit. I do work in the industry and respectfully, they knew were waiting and should’ve have alerted us that bar seats were about to open as the couple they told us to wait for was being seated. Instead, they did not and let another couple take the seats. When we approached the hostess about this, we were blamed for not standing next to the seats. Additionally, upon speaking to management, they told us “they don’t control what happens at the bar” and it has “nothing to do with them.” Long story short, we left because not only did they not offer any sort of solution or empathy, but we were fully blamed for this oversight on the hostess’ part. Management said they would get us a table but we had to wait another 30 minutes. Truly awful customer service. I’ve frequented this restaurant many times and am extremely...