Palma — Restaurant in New York

There's something satisfying about finding a gem of a place in your own backyard. I first heard of Palma when it came up as a dinner suggestion, and after perusing through the menu and reviews, I was a little embarrassed to admit that I hadn't heard of it before. Thankfully, this was a situation easily remedied with a dinner reservation on a weekday evening.

Just one of many restaurants lining Cornelia Street, Palma is pretty easy to miss for the casual observer. Upon entering, however, we were greeted by a charming dining room; I loved the lights strung across the brick walls and the rustic, homey interior. As there was still some sunlight left in the day, we requested to be seated in their garden area, a spacious room in the back that's enclosed by a glass ceiling. Our table was in a secluded corner area, which made it a little easier to hold a conversation. Menus were given to us and waters were filled, and we started to go through the options for the evening.

I'd already set my mind on the Cavolfiore Palma appetizer beforehand, thanks to a few earlier reviews that praised this dish. It's an interesting combination that, at first glance, doesn't seem like it would work. I was, thankfully, proven wrong. The chopped and sautéed pieces of cauliflower have just enough crunch and a hint of smokiness to them. The addition of pine nuts adds a textural compliment while the handful of currants throughout contribute just a hint of sweetness. It's generously portioned for an appetizer as well, so it's more than enough to share between two people.

We each decided to go with a pasta for our mains, and I ended up with the Fettuccine ai Funghi. This is definitely the dish to go for if you happen to enjoy anything truffle-related; the strands of fettuccine are topped with a delicious mixture of sautéed mushrooms and truffle pâté. It's a simple, yet decadent dish that highlights the best of Italian cuisine. The pasta is perfectly toothsome, cooked to a just past al dente texture, the mushrooms fresh and earthy, and the addition of the truffles (which they might have been a little heavy-handed with) makes for an aromatic, savory bite. It's a dish that will make other diners' heads turn in jealousy, so make sure you order at least one for the table or live with regret for the rest of the meal.

Our servers were on top of their game throughout the evening, despite the fact that nearly every table was filled and that we were sitting in the corner of the dining area. In the end, I can find very little to criticize about Palma. It's one of those places that you rarely find in Manhattan, and one I'm happy to...

Sadly disappointed at my first time dining here. I had heard such amazing things about this restaurant and was excited to try it for myself with my sister. The food itself was very good and I would come back solely for that reason.

Unfortunately the service was lacking and made the entire experience quite frustrating. We were seated relatively quickly asked if we would like water to which we said yes and were promptly served. Over 15-20 minutes later and our server still had yet to come and greet us. The party that arrived right after us was immediately attended to by the server and got their whole order in before we had even been greeted. This felt a bit strange and almost like she was trying to avoid us. When our server did finally come to greet, we were not made aware of any specials and just went ahead and placed our whole order- which consisted of a drink, an app and 2 pasta dishes. Our entrees came out first very quickly before our app and we had to send it back in because we wanted to enjoy our appetizer first as per normal. The manger did apologize for this which I appreciated- not sure if there was some mix up in the kitchen. Our meal came out sometime later- and was delicious, though our server never once checked up on us or asked us if we wanted another cocktail etc… she did however make sure to check on both tables directly beside us. We decided not to do dessert and just pay bc the vibe felt very off- perhaps it was just not her day. With that being said, our backwaiter did a great job given the circumstances so thumbs up for that!! Having worked in a restaurant, I completely understand firsthand the stressful environment and how difficult it can be to manage multiple tables at a time. That being said, for the price, quality and reputation of this restaurant, I was very surprised to see that the service wasn’t up to par… perhaps...

Service very poor, be warned.

Ambiance was great, food was 9/10 - had the strip steak & truffle pasta, as well as a plated bufala. For dessert - tiramisu and affogato. Dessert was probably the best part. My boyfriend's drink was pretty good, the mezcal one, didn't love mine so much (egg whites and orange) - but the two stars were deducted for the VERY subpar service. For a place like this to have such appalling service was quite surprising... From the moment we were seated I could tell something was amiss. Our table was jammed right next to another one in the corner, with a Plexiglas separating them, but despite all the staff running around us, we didn't get much attention.

The servers didn't really understand anything we said - switching our drinks when I expressly said the mezcal one was my boyfriend's - and dribbling some of my drink over the edge of the glass upon delivery.

The main waiters barely came over to check up on us or take our order. Even when we were trying to pay the bill, it took at least 15 minutes before we could ask someone for it, another 15 until they brought it, and then as we were about to get up to leave, a busboy brought us a new bottle of water??? Chaos.

Also when the server WAS taking our order, mid sentence he began staring over his shoulder at another table's customers?? It was quite rude and we had to wait 20-30 seconds until his attention returned to us, whilst we were in the middle of speaking to him.

The menu was also very small; I would expect a bigger selection of food. The alcohol menu was way bigger than the food/cocktail menu - there are only 3 cocktails to choose from, disappointingly.

Won't be returning; save your money and go elsewhere if you want attentive prompt service. I used the bathroom on my way out and it was a mess - trash overflowing with paper onto the floor. Not a classy...