Tony's Di Napoli — Restaurant in New York

TLDR: Very friendly and well trained service, delicious food, cozy ambience.

We (party of three) walked in about 6:50pm on a Tuesday night (happened to be Valentine’s Day) with a reservation for 6:45. The restaurant was large and had many tables, so I didn’t see why there was a blocked 7pm slot. Anywho, we were seated and brought the regular menus and the special menu (apparently only available for the week). The menus have prices separated into two categories: half and full. Half is supposedly for one person, full for 2-3. Given that I’d say the prices were definitely reasonable.

We ordered, all in half portions, the Short Ribs and Lobster Fettuccini Alfredo from the special menu, as well as the Baked Ziti Bolognese from the regular menu. We went with an Italian draft for drinks and the stuffed mushrooms for the appetizer.

The food took quite a while to make; the appetizer took 15 minutes and the entrees another 20 after we finished the former. We were tied over with bread and butter (vinegar and olive oil upon request), though, so this wasn’t too big of a deal.

The stuffed mushrooms were savory and delicate. They were good, though I didn’t find much substance in the stuffing and thus couldn’t justify the price. To me, it seemed like it was just cheese and mushrooms. The short ribs were served ontop of a load of polenta and topped with a savory sauce. The meat itself was juicy and fell apart easily, though it wasn’t all too tender. The baked ziti bolognese was exactly what it sounded like. The bolognese sauce was delicious and had both pulled-meat as well as minced meat, though it was a bit watery and lacked a peppery kick. The ziti was well cooked. The cheese ontop was a bit too thick and excessive for my liking; I got filled quickly. The tomato fettuccine was delicious and served in a very aromatic tomato sauce; the pasta was perfectly chewy. The lobster meat however was a bit dry.

Halfway through our entrees, which we were enjoying alot, a what we presumed to be manager approached us. He pointed at the lobster pasta and told us that as he was walking by he glanced and noticed that the dish appeared off, so he went to the kitchen. Turns out they had made it wrong and the correct version was being prepared. We were surprised; we couldn’t remember what the menu description had specifically said so we assumed the dish was correct. A few minutes later the real plate was served. This one was definitely an alfredo, with an orange-pink creamy sauce filling the bowl. The alfredo was absolutely delicious. It was not too filling and run-of-the-mill, but rather exquisitely smooth and flavorful.

That brings me to the service. It was awesome. Our waitress was friendly, cracked jokes, and attentive. We were especially impressed by the “manager,” Jimmy, and his observational skills. The food had lowlights and highlights, but ultimately the highlights outshined. Also, the portions were quite big; we ended up having to pack half of each plate (though maybe that was due in part to the extra dish). Given this was our first time here, I would definitely recommend and will...

I'm giving this place 2 stars because the staff is working on new Year's Eve and I appreciate that. I'm perplexed to leave this review because there are so many good reviews and we went here because of them. I really hate to leave anything negative. Sigh. The fettuccine was actually linguini in a tasteless sauce. It really needed salt, it's evident the chef wasn't trying anything s/he sent out. The spaghetti/meatballs was "ok" at best. Both pastas were overcooked. The chicken piccata was also tasteless and totally inedible. The chicken was obviously dipped in flour prior to frying, and it was just pale and unappealing in addition to tasteless. Again needed salt, some pepper, some LEMON. Even some capers to add some flavor. The Pinot noir was not even good. I really hate writing this, believe me.

Service was really poor. I feel for staff having to work on Nye but there was just no integrity, I I understand being there for a paycheck. No one checked to follow up if the food was ok. I really don't even know who our server was because it was 2 guys just bringing out bread, clearing up the table for the main dish.

I don't know. Maybe it was just our table and the chef was having a rough night. I think everything needed some salt and a little bit of energy or passion. It really was simply bland was subpar service. I hate writing this, but I wouldn't come back here even for free. Not worth it. $129 waste of money. Really bad and sad especially if you appreciate GOOD Italian food. We had to wait about 25 min for the check. Another woman has to get up and go fetch our server because she wanted her check... So it wasn't just us with slow service. IDK, just sincerely disappointing, especially if you appreciate good food. If you are looking for good, real Italian food, this isn't your place. My kid even told my my spaghetti at...

I've been to Tony's Di Napoli multiple times, both at Times Square and the Upper East Side locations, and have always enjoyed the experience. However, our recent holiday dinner was a major disappointment.

I dined with three others who have also visited Tony’s with me before, so we had high expectations. Our server, Mark, took our initial order of four full entrées, three full appetizers, and four cocktails. He appeared to have written everything down, but shortly after, only one entrée arrived. Surprisingly, about 15 minutes later, Mark brought us the dessert menu—despite the fact that most of our order had not yet been served.

Initially, we assumed the restaurant was just busy, but after waiting 20 more minutes with an empty table, we followed up. Mark passed by multiple times yet never acknowledged the delay. Another 20 minutes later, we followed up again, and finally, our second entrée arrived—before any of the appetizers, which was both confusing and frustrating.

We had a reservation at 7:15 PM, but our second entrée didn’t arrive until around 8:25 PM. By that point, the meal was completely disjointed, and our appetite was already ruined. The manager, James, was notified about the situation and offered to give us a complimentary dessert. Unfortunately, the dessert never arrived either.

Given the experience, I asked for the check and, feeling the service did not meet expectations, tipped approximately 10% of our $280 bill, leaving a note that read “cause and effect.” While we understand that holiday rushes can lead to delays, the lack of communication, awareness, and proper pacing from our server, coupled with the frustration of waiting, made this an especially...