Rossini's — Restaurant in New York

IF YOU LIKE GARBAGE, YOU'LL LOVE ROSSINI'S I live in the building above this restaurant and have occasionally eaten here out of sheer convenience, sometimes ordering one of their specialty pizzas for delivery. I have always found the food to be nothing special, below-average to average, the prices high, and the service slow and indifferent (although the bartender is very nice and tries hard). But, it's right downstairs, and sometimes you just get lazy and hope they'll improve. After what happened this evening, though, I will never bother with them again. i ordered a pizza for delivery, asking politely that they not overcook it as they often do. When it arrived I was shocked--it was burnt beyond recognition like a piece of charcoal. Worse, the toppings were DISGUSTING--stale and smelly "meatballs" and "sausages" indistinguishable from each other or from very old turds. I never considered eating it. I threw it directly into the garbage. Annoyed, I called the place back up to express my astonishment that they would have the nerve to send up such inedible crap, stating that I have spent money there before, always tip well, and did not deserve such treatment. The phone person was apologetic and offered to send another one. I told him I didn't want another one--the sight of the first one had ruined my appetite. I had just wanted to express my unhappiness and was about to hang up when he said he would send the deliveryman back with my money. I thought that fair and thanked him. Except that 40 minutes later he had not come back (a fifteen-second elevator ride upstairs). When I called back again I pointed out that I had not asked for my money back, so if he was going to offer a refund the least he could do was make good on it. He replied that he had sent the man back but that "no one was home" (?) and appeared to consider the matter resolved. I asked to have the money left with my doorman, and was hung up on in the middle of the sentence. Minutes later a different delivery person returned with my money, but said he would have to return with the uneaten pizza. I told him he was welcome to retrieve it from the garbage--the refuse room was right behind him. He then stated that this was not going to be "good enough". I told him to keep the money and shut the door in utter disbelief, shellshocked by this epic display of bad food and worse customer service. Apparently, Rossini's intended to re-box the pizza and sell it agin--that's the only explanation I can fathom for their insulting request. It's clear that Rossinjis's is an oblivious relic, content to cater to its crowd of gullible tourists and aging taste-budless bingo players with its staff of arrogant hacks. ...

My Fiance and I were wandering around in NYC looking for something to eat. I don't eat meat (Dave does), so we were looking for a place that could accommodate my food preferences that had an open kitchen. We stumbled upon Rossini's and walked inside because Google said they were open until Midnight. The owner was standing towards the exit politely thanking guests as they finished their meals, ensuring that they had a top notch experience. There was live music with opera which sounded beautiful and added to the atmosphere. Their kitchen was closing but they gestured for us to come inside because they said they "couldn't leave us out in the rain." We were greeted by half a dozen smiling wait staff who were all dressed in tuxedos. They offered to make us anything we liked, even if it wasn't on the menu. They served us fresh bread with a delicious side of bruchetta, a great appetizer to a delicious meal.They made me a delicious Fettucini Alfredo (full of vegetables, which I asked for), and made Dave Chicken saltimbocca even though it wasn't on the menu because Dave doesn't eat veal. Even though most people were leaving, they encouraged us to finish our meals and not to rush, as they wanted to make sure that we truly enjoyed the experience. Some of the staff proudly said that they had worked there for 18 years!!!! (Rare in today's restaurant industry, for sure!!) If anyone's looking for a great meal while in NYC, I'd definitely recommend Rossini's. Thank you for a great meal and for saving us...

We stumbled upon this gem by luck and we were not disappointed. The fra diavolo shrimp was perfectly spiced and my wife got the potato gnocchi with the lightest bolognese sauce either of us had ever tasted. We split a slice of peanut butter pie for dessert which was delicious. All of this in a smaller, more intimate setting where two people were singing Christmas songs in an Italian opera style made for a wonderful experience.

I'm giving four stars instead of five because the service was a little off. When we sat, one server took our drink order without giving us menus. After he left, another server gave us the specials, again without menus. After he left we waited a few minutes before finally asking a third waiter for menus which were brought over right away. I will say that it was packed in there so this could have been a miscommunication among the staff.

In addition, after we ordered dessert, the first server brought over the wrong order. When we told him this he took it away immediately and returned with the aforementioned peanut butter pie.

I would recommend Rossini's to anyone looking for a delicious, authentic Italian meal. The price reflects the quality but I promise...