Grotta Azzurra — Restaurant in New York

The first time I ate here, I didn’t like the food, but my mom has a “Prime Card” so I went. The second time, we called to make a reservation and asked if “Prime Card” is still taken just to limit any issues before hand. We were told they do. Upon, getting seated, again asked the host if Prime card is taken, and got the same answer. When my mom took the card out and placed it on the table our waiter Jeff made comments “oh wow I haven’t seen this in forever” “who has that card anymore”. Took the card and came back with “oh the machine isn’t working right now”. Then he told my mom it hasn’t worked since September .. so my mom asked why didn’t anyone say anything when we made a reservation, when we asked upon coming in. During this time, I was actually in the bathroom, so I came in when Jeff was getting extremely nasty towards my mother. I stepped in to say you can’t speak to her like this. Jeff’s response, I’m getting upset as I told your mom I tried to swipe the card but the machine isn’t working. I told your mom several times and after a while your attitude will start to change. I said idc you will not speak to my mother like that. He starts giving a speech “you don’t go far being mad.. blah blah”.. I said excuse me.. who are you to say this. My mom asked for the manager and Jeff refused to bring over the manager stating he wouldn’t do anything anyways. She also asked Jeff if the same discount could be given on another card and he said no. I said I want to speak to the manager and he pointed me to the manager. Everything my mom asked Jeff the manager said he would have done but I don’t believe. I believe the managers name is Izzy or Israel, and he said come back and I’ll give you the discount. Why would we want to come back having gone through such a hassle? It’s a small place so I don’t get why he didn’t come over. When I told him how disrespectful Jeff was towards my mother, he said I don’t get what was wrong with what he said. The manager said if you called and asked if the prime card was working and spoke to a waiter they wouldn’t know, yet Jeff knew it hasn’t worked since September. Jeff even said a regular comes in all the time wants to use the prime card but can’t. This is clearly done purposely so they get the money. They have been reported at this point to prime card and the better business bureau. When my friend and I were leaving Jeff was at the table next to mine talking about our situation. He insisted he was right and was still being sarcastic towards US!! Btw, the food was still bad the second time around. The mussels had an extremely fishy taste. The caeser salad had brown lettuce with almost no dressing. The eggplant roll was the only thing that was edible in my opinion. The baked ziti was had no taste I had to put a mountain of parm cheese on it. There’s a whole bunch of places to eat on that block so go somewhere else!!! These men think they can speak to women like trash. Izzy said he would take care of the situation but I highly doubt he did anything since Jeff was talking about it in front of him. DISGUSTING!!!! I do believe this behavior is towards women and because of our religion. It is a true shame on them. I just read previous reviews this establishment was not nice to other Jewish people. This explains why!! The workers are just horrible people who have an attitude. If you wanted to give advice you should have gotten a degree in counseling. PLEASE SAVE YOUR MONEY AND FIND ANOTHER PLACE THAT TREATS PEOPLE...

My family was walking around Little Italy around 7:30 pm and we were trying to decide on a place to eat. A worker at this restaurant was outside trying to lure people in. While we were looking at menu that was posted outside, the worker said that he would allow us to order off the lunch special menu, even though it was dinner time. The lunch special menu offered two course meals for around $14.95 a plate.

We decided to eat here. Waiter was impatient when we asked questions about menu and whether the restaurant served bread before and with meals.

Took forever for my wife and step-daughters to receive their Caesar salads. The salads were warm and when they asked to send them back the waiter became perturbed.

When we asked for refills on our waters, he went and grabbed a carafe of water and forcefully set it in middle of table. Waiter ignored our attempts to get refills on basket of bread.

Another waiter brought out my spaghetti and meatballs and my daughter’s food. My wife and step-daughter’s food still hadn’t arrived so after 15 minutes we asked about status of their food.

It seems difficult to mess up spaghetti and meatballs and chicken Parmesan, but the Parmesan was bland and the meatballs tasted rotten.

When we received check (which took forever to get from them he waiter), we were charged full price for three of the meals. Took another 15 minutes for the waiter to correct the price.

This restaurant also automatically adds a 20% gratuity to every check, regardless of the number of people in your party. This must disincentivize the staff from having to provide decent service to customers.

I had assumed that the worker who lured us in was the manager. I complained to him that our food and service was horrible. He told me that he wasn’t the manager. I asked him to send the manager to our table and he never bothered to.

I would stay away from this place. You’re better off eating Taco Bell or dog food.

There is an Italian fast food place called “Fazoli’s” where I live and the food there is ten times better than this dump’s food and a fraction...

Date Visited: Tuesday, December 26, 2023 at 3:30 PM

As a storied establishment founded in 1908, Grotta Azzurra Restaurant carries a rich history. However, my recent visit suggested that it struggles to uphold its legacy in the 21st century, particularly in a competitive city like New York. The almost empty dining area during my visit was a stark indicator of its current state.

The lack of a dedicated host or hostess to greet and seat customers was the first sign of inadequate management. Instead, the restaurant seemed to be self-managed by a team of bartenders, busboys, and waiters, operating more like a cooperative, as mentioned by one of the bartenders when I inquired about the restaurant manager. This unconventional system, while interesting, appeared ineffective in providing the expected level of service.

My experience was further marred by the staff's hostile attitude. For instance, when I asked for Manicotti, a dish I had enjoyed here previously, the waiter not only denied its existence on the menu but also showed a surprising level of disbelief. The situation escalated when I pointed out the dish on the menu and expressed my dissatisfaction with the service; the waiter's response was to threaten to refuse service.

Ultimately, we chose to leave and dine at Benito One, an Italian restaurant across the street, where the experience was markedly better. Grotta Azzurra's current state is concerning, especially given its long-standing presence in the city. The absence of strong management and quality customer service is a significant hindrance to its success in today's competitive restaurant industry in New York City. I hope the restaurant takes this feedback to heart and implements the necessary changes to revive its...