il Gigante — Restaurant in New York

Il Gigante in Ridgewood has the vibe and potential of a true neighborhood trattoria, but our experience fell short in a few places.

We went in on a Friday night around 9 PM with reservations. We were seated right away, which was great. I’d definitely recommend sitting inside—it’s cozier and better for the vibe.

The service overall was friendly, but it felt stretched. The bartender seemed like they could’ve used a barback or extra help—it slowed things down. We weren’t informed about any daily specials, and no one offered us the dessert menu at the end, which felt like a miss.

We shared: • 1 appetizer (slow-cooked Italian sausage with beans—the sausage was solid, but the beans were meh) • 1 salad (Barbarossa salad - Roasted beets, whipped ricotta cheese, walnuts, in a balsamic dressing - portion was tiny, especially for the price) • 1 pasta (tortelloni—nicely cooked but needed salt or punchier seasoning) • 1 main (branzino—presentation was underwhelming, served in parchment paper and tin foil at the table, which took away from the plating).

Complimentary focaccia was cold and not super inviting. Rustic bread was okay, but nothing special.

Price-wise, it’s not unreasonable: $88 before tax/tip ($105 total) for two people with a bottle of sparkling mineral water. But given the small portions, we actually left hungry, which is saying something for Italian.

Ambiance is nice, the concept is appealing, and the ingredients seem quality, but execution was uneven. I think the reviews calling it “inconsistent” are pretty accurate.

Bottom line: good, not great. Needs work on service consistency, staff training, and portion sizing. I’d be hesitant to come back right away, but with some fine-tuning, it could really shine as...

I’ve always seen Il Gigante in Ridgewood busy, so I finally decided to try it out and see what the hype is about.

The wine selection was great, and the meat and cheese board was a solid start. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed with the linguine allo scoglio (seafood pasta). It lacked the depth of flavor I expected, and the mussels were definitely not fresh. They tasted like old frozen mussels that had been defrosted — the flavor was off and even a bit stinky. Having grown up eating fresh mussels every summer, this was a big letdown and very noticeable.

The cacio e pepe was fine, though nothing special, and the cotoletta alla Bolognese was not for me. I only ordered it because the server recommended it and described it as more of a small appetizer, but when it came out it turned out to be a full entrée. It was far too heavy for what I expected, and we ended up forcing ourselves to eat it.

Overall, the atmosphere is nice and the menu does look authentically Italian, but I was hoping for much better execution on the pasta dishes. If I return, it would likely be just for drinks and the cheese board, but not...

Unfortunately had to eat outside on an especially horrible summer day because of how much it was bumping but I didn’t mind by the end of this meal.

The waitstaff were super knowledgeable on the menu (as one would hope) and extremely comfortable and friendly. I learned a lot about digestives on the back of the dessert menu and the lady serving us was kind enough to bring a little sample.

I highly recommend the sausage and beans—beautifully juicy and every bite was aromatic and flavorful. Just enough beans for me to dip some bread too (which I believe they make).

They are constantly bringing out more of their focaccia and gorgeous containers of olive oil. They’re freshly baked too and just the perfect oiliness, texture, and size. I couldn’t stop dipping it in stuff.

You can’t go wrong with any of their pastas. I got the sage and ricotta one and it balanced out the meatiness and flavor punch of everything I ate before. Beautifully buttery, slightly sweet, and an absolute abomination to everything I thought I knew.

One of the best tiramisu’s I’ve ever had at a...