Cafe Silvium — Restaurant in Stamford

There haven't been many places that I've come across that have truly impressed me in the way that Cafe Silvium did tonight. But this place will forever be at the top of my list of best places ever in every aspect of one of the truly greatest restaurants I've ever been to. At the advise of someone that I didn't know very well but grew up in NY at one of my best ever experiences and restaurants that I've been going to for over 40 years and recently revisited after a 15 year gap I was talking about how I was surprised and impressed that it still was amazing since I lost touch with due to life but gave it a shot and was amazed even though it was sold that new owners that it was still just as wonderful as it ever was. But the person that I had recently met that was from the same area and knew of the restaurant I was talking about said that I should try Cafe Silvium and that it was comparable if not better to my long-time restaurant the Pine restaurant in the Bronx. So I was very curious if a restaurant in Stamford would even compare to this legendary restaurant. But after trying a few times and reservations were a little bit hard to get I kind of let it slip my mind until my best friend took me there last night for my birthday. It was a Monday night and the place was packed which seemed kind of rare these days period and after going through the menu and seeing so many amazing choices and knowing that the prices were extremely reasonable I figured it couldn't be real that a restaurant of such quality and giving fair prices and great service could exist anymore. But this place was truly amazing. You can tell that the chef and whoever runs this restaurant really cares and not only wants to make money but loves what he does and offers an experience that goes above and Beyond. Every bite was unbelievably delectable and the wait staff was perfect the experience was old school yet the quality and that they cared and made sure that we were satisfied and even as far as giving us a few things that were comped which is something that does not happen anymore these days but is greatly appreciated and truly that they could charge double for everything that they had on the menu and it would not have changed my review of the restaurant but just shows that there is heart left in doing the right thing and being the best you can and not banging people over the head especially in an area that does not mind paying. But they made sure that we felt special as they did to everyone that came to this restaurant. I can't wait to go back and try everything on the menu and also to tell everyone I could how wonderful this place is. And hopefully I don't like the cat out of the bag and cut my chances of getting a reservation ever again. Truly a Hidden Gem and wonderful experience. I cannot say enough...

Let me first start off by saying nothing give me more displeasure than to write this review. We have been residents of Stamford and frequent Cafe Silvium goers for years. Everyone we can speak to about and bring to Cafe Silvium we do and we have loved it.

The food is always incredible and we never leave disappointed.

However.... The past two times I've gone (both times bringing new family and friends to try) the service and experience have been less than stellar. Im completely understanding of the times, the industry and busy weekends.

The first time we went we were a large group with an early celebratory reservation and was told we needed to be out by with 2 hours of sitting to turn the tables... totally fine. Until our appetizer order wasn't placed until after a half hour of seating, our entree order another 30 minutes after that and by the time we got our food we had twenty minutes until we were suppose to be out. understanding things happen we thought the least that would be done was to not rush us since we waited so long however 10 minutes past the time we were suppose to get up, a runner tells us we were suppose to be up 10 minutes ago, not only rushing us through dinner but completely ruining the celebratory dinner.

The last time, and truthfully last time we go for a while at this point, I made a same day reservation on a Friday for 4-6 people, which is usually unheard of cause it's all booked. When making the reservation I told the host I didn't know if was going to be 4 or 6 to which he said they only take reservations of 6 and continued to take my information. At the last minute 2 people canceled on our dinner and after hyping up the restaurant to yet another group of friends who have yet to experience cafe silvium, we check in. When we check in I explained that it was going to be 4 of us instead of 6 to spare the two top for another party and the host refused to seat us! I have never experienced something like that in my life... things happen, people cancel - but to refuse to seat a group who had a reservation is mind blowing to me and was the last terrible experience I plan to have there for a while.

I'm not saying don't go, because truthfully Im so sad to take this place out of our dinner rotation for the time being but I am saying be mindful. Cafe Silvium is totally worth the hype and will not hurt from one group of people not giving them patronage BUT perhaps they can learn to get over their own hype a bit, serve and entertain with humanity after all isn't that the whole concept? AND when all else false and you reach a level of frustration as we did, I hear Pellicci's is a...

I’ve eaten here before and the food was excellent. However, they need a better system of notifying you when the table is ready. I put in my party of three’s name at 5:40pm saying we’ll take outside or inside, whatever’s first. We waited about 30-45 minutes. My mother went in to check on the status TWICE before and after using the bathroom. She let the seater/manager/Nick know that we now only wanted to sit inside. She saw Nick cross something off on the page. Perhaps, our number. Then, after an hour passed, my mom went in a third time to check in. Which is when Nick said he had called us 20 minutes ago and it went straight to voicemail. I was inside by this point and showed that I never received a call. I had the phone in my hand the entire time. I got upset and questioned if they took the number down right. I said he was lying that he had called before. Maybe we could see that he called on the landline. He clearly got upset with this because he got very rude saying “you can’t see outgoing calls from a landline.”

He was not accommodating at all and then went off when we suggested we may have been mistreated because we were Black. We didn’t see anyone else who looked like us waiting outside or in car and were upset. He said he was fair because “he seated another AA party right after we left the restaurant.” Race aside, he was not accommodating or professional. Acknowledge you may have made a mistake. Try to move us up because we had clearly been waiting. If the phone goes straight to voicemail, check to see if they’re outside or give it another call? Despite claiming you wait 10 minutes before giving up a table. So many things were wrong here. I’d come back again if I didn’t have to interact with the so-called manager...