Il Cantinori — Restaurant in New York

I never write reviews and have never written a bad review, ever. Even for not great experiences, you want to give the benefit of the doubt it was just a bad day etc but this was next level.

We had a reservation, but were waiting for 5+ min in the restaurant for someone to greet / seat us. When someone finally acknowledges us, we didn’t get a welcome etc nothing and we get seated outside when there were a bunch of options inside. Already off to a weird start, it being such a well known restaurant with 4 dollar signs, you usually expect a hospitable greeting. We asked really nicely if we could possibly sit inside, and were ignored. All this stuff usually not a big deal but when you’re paying so much money, you expect a different experience.

Our waiter was odd but maybe just busy? Took another 10 minutes to be asked what we even wanted to drink, and we were just drinking waters, it took another 10 to receive those or menus. Waiter sped through the specials, didn’t explain the menu at all and overall acted like he wanted to be somewhere else. Our waters tasted like dish soap and then when we actually got our food, he was lingering by our table. Just odd vibes

Food: We order the burrata to start, Cacio Pepe and lambchops. Burrata was pretty good, nothing special but hard to mess up. Cacio Pepe was AWFUL, pasta over cooked / under salted, super watery sauce. It was actually gnarly and they charge $35 for it? Insane even for amazing cacio Pepe but you expect it to be some of the best you’ve had. Lamb chops were actually the only good part of the meal but served with cold green beans and old potatoes.

Overall - this was probably the worst dining experience my partner and I have ever had. We love to go out to eat and try new restaurants (we were super excited about this one) and it was actually the worst experience on every level. Service, food, and coupled with the absurd prices? Highway robbery.

Don’t waste your time, go anywhere else in New York you’ll have a better time and...

Il Cantinori is one of the great Italian restaurants of New York City.

Situated in NoHo, near Union Square, this restaurant is on a quiet street, tucked into the middle of the block. From the moment you enter you are in a cozy but classy place, with tables lit by candle light and the amazing smell of Italian herbs coming from the kitchen. You just know that the meal will be good. That sets the tone for the entire meal.

Our server greeted us almost immediately and took our drink order. An assortment of italian breads can shortly after the server left to fill the drink order. They served this amazing pomodoro tomato sauce on a dish to each of us. It was not like a bruschetta topping but more like a very savory chunky tomato sauce with parmesan cheese. The temptation was to ask for more bread and more tomato sauce, but we resisted.

For the appetizer we ordered the Calamari Alla Griglia. It had a light dusting of Italian breadcrumbs and cooked to perfection and topped with cherry tomatoes. It was lighter than most calamari that I've had. It was not chewy, which is a red flag for me. It was fresh and crisp.

Two of us ordered the Tagliolini Neri Alle Vongole E Carciofi (Black squid ink pasta with clams), one with red sauce (special order) and one with white wine sauce. The white wine version was a bit flat. The red sauce version exploded with flavor. It was absolutely delicious.

One of us ordered the Mediterranean fish special. I can't recall the name, but it was mild, not fishy, and was really tasty. The person in my party that ordered this said they would definitely order it again.

For dessert we shared a cheesecake round with raspberry sauce. It was the perfect size to end the meal along with a snifter of sambuca. The glass came with 3 coffee beans, as all GOOD Italian restaurants will serve it. 3 is good luck and we certainly had good luck with this meal.

I'm giving Il Cantinori 5 stars and adding it to my NY favorite...

Il Cantinori has been here forever and it feels, smells, and tastes like a Tuscan hideaway. Here are some dishes I recommend:

Grilled Branzin: Simple? Yes. But when you taste that perfectly charred skin, giving way to the flaky, tender fish within, you're not just eating – you're experiencing the Mediterranean in its purest form.

Ricotta Gnocchi: Soft, delicate pillows of cheese and potato, swimming in a sauce that feels like a warm embrace from an Italian nonna. There's alchemy in this dish, a kind of magic that's hard to put into words.

Veal Chop: Ah, the pièce de résistance for many a carnivore. Grilled to perfection, it whispers tales of Tuscan pastures, of age-old traditions, and of culinary love stories passed down generations.

Pappardelle with Wild Boar: This isn’t just pasta. It's a journey. The rich, hearty boar, simmered to perfection, clings to the wide ribbons of pappardelle. Each mouthful is a passionate tango of flavors.

Endive Salad with Gorgonzola: A symphony of bitterness, creaminess, and crunch. A salad? Maybe. But it's also a lesson in balance, in harmony, in the sheer art of combining simple ingredients to create something extraordinary.

Tiramisu: Oh, this classic. The layers of mascarpone, coffee-soaked ladyfingers, and that dusting of cocoa—it's not just a dessert, it's a moment, a memory, a whispered promise of la dolce vita.

Walking into Il Cantinori, you're not just entering a restaurant. You're stepping into a narrative, one that weaves together the rich tapestry of Tuscan cuisine with the urban heartbeat of New York City. It's an ode to the beauty of simplicity, to the joy of flavors that have stood the test of time, and to the unparalleled pleasure of a meal shared with loved ones. Salute to life, love, and the eternal allure of Italian...