Buona Sera Restaurant

In a city like NYC there really is no reason to eat at a place like this– have no idea how they were able to stay around as long as they have

We arrived early for dinner (5:45)
The restaurant looks nice, great enviroment.
my coworker ordered a Beer and I ordered ice tea.
after 10mins, they told us they dont have the beer he ordered.
My iced tea tasted strange, feel like the tea was leftover, a bit sour.
I asked them, our waiter said she will find it out, but never give me an answer,
for main, we order a ceaser salad ($ 8.75), risoito ($ 19) /​pasta ($ 15)
first the ceaser salad didnt taste like ceaser salad,
risoito is not cooked right, the sauce of pasta was so salty.
The portion was huge, but it was bad…
and services was only OKEY,
At this price…
or maybe we are just back luck.

I’m not saying this for dramatic effect, I honestly believe the Olive Garden serves better Italian cuisine. Now, here is why:
My date and I stumbled into this place taking a gamble one Friday evening. The atmosphere was busy and nice. They were able to accommodate us without a reservation and there was a jazz duo playing. These are all good things, but…
We ordered two appetizers. The caprese salad and calamari. The caprese was bland and boring without much flavor. The calamari was just gross. It was rubbery, overly chewy, and thick. It had a terrible flavor and made me nervous for my dish that I ordered…
I ordered one of the specials that contained a lot of seafood– mussels, clams, lobster, shrimp and scallops in a spicy marinara sauce. It was disgusting. The seafood was fishy and I could tell it was not fresh. To avoid spending the night in the bathroom I very politely sent my dish back. I’ve been a waitress before and when someone sends a dish back you DO NOT question them and look at them like they are out of their minds, which is exactly what our waiter did. As a waiter, you assess the problem and make arrangements to have it rectified or replaced. My waiter looked extremely annoyed even though I explained I knew it wasn’t his fault but I just really could not stomach it.
My date’s dish was a simple pasta dish but the sauce was watery and so so. I swear Prego would have been better.
Our waiter basically ignored our table the rest of the evening while my date reluctantly finished his meal. I thought better of ordering anything else because I was frankly nauseous.
IF you like authentic Italian food do NOT even waste your time with this place. There are much more reliable options in the city that will at least give you mediocre food that is fresh.

Came with my girls for dinner last Friday night…
Waiter was quite friendly… explained many of the specials…
2 girls had Chicken Parm w/​spaghetti, 1 had Penne ala vodka with chicken… and I had Fettuccine Pesto with Shrimp…
My pasta was heavy… and a little dough-y…but the sauce was very flavourful… perhaps if I had it with another pasta… I would have loved it even more… as I left ½ back (which I never do!)…I tasted the pasta from my girl’s chicken parm… and it was just right… sauce was bright and fresh… but my fav was my girls penne ala vodka because I kept eating off of her plate while mine was still full… That dish was a winner… and I will return for it… Our calamari was ok… but nothing grand… very big pieces… not seasoned… and a little tough… and not enough tentacles… I love them… because they are so crunchy… think we only got 2 in that order.
Cool little jazz band that played throughout dinner… they were very good… and definitely made our meal quite enjoyable.
No vino for us… so the bill was just right… around $ 25 per person…
Not bad. but nothing to rave about…

My boyfriend and I met here for a first date a year ago by accident. We decided to relive the experince about a week ago. We ended up eating at another restaurant and then went for drinks and dessert at buona Sera. it was about 7 pm. We were seated immediately. There was a band playing and the restaurant was about ½ full. We were asked what we wanted for drinks and then I said we were only going to get dessert. The waited then told us that we couldn’t sit at this table because of the fact that we were only getting dessert. He told us we needed to move. Then continued to lecture us to the fact that this was not a pastry shop, that we could not just sit here all night.
I really don’t think that I have been so demeaned in a restaurant. So we left. I figured we didn’t need to pay for a lecture from our waiter. I would not recommend this restaurant.

To end the weekend prior in returning to the gruesome reality of «dog eats dog world» work week, I meet a fellow newbie from one of my social networking groups to give my time and ear as an act of support and comfort. Where I «just be» reveals my realness in my unseen side of an eternal lively free-​spirit for others attempt to destroy, yet I lash right back.
Skipping appetizer for a hot pursuit of entrée, the Risotto was just perfect despite of my lack of interest in spinach I actually enjoy it and cleaned my entire plate. My friend’s pasta entrée was tasty. The cocktail drinks are limited as the Heaven drink certainly did not take me to heaven for it is the brother counter-​part Mojito with mints added the cucumbers. The Moscadello di Montalcino, Castello Banfi port dessert wine at $ 10.00 surely gave me a happy ending in conjunction with the Exoctic Bomba at $ 9.00. The drink menu consisted heavily of Italian wineries and vineyards since Buona Sera is an Italian restaurant, but somehow I still yearn to taste Ice wine from Canada. The Exoctic Bomba dessert was really exotic to be shared of mango, passion fruit, raspberry with white chocolate.
A live pianist will serenade patrons while dinning which reminisce me of 1980’s TV sitcom «It’s A Living» minus the Steinway grand piano and comedic snide jokes into the wee hours of the night. Customer service is very attentive, efficient and pleasant with a warm gesture without the typical stuffy abrasive New York attitude.
Italian cuisine at its finest without breaking the bank!

Pre movies dinner with boyfriend rocked. The service was attentive but not annoyingly so, we sat by the window in the front. the atmosphere was great, and it wasn’t cold by the window even though it was freezing outside!
I had a glass of red and he had a white zinfandel that was yummy and went well with the food.
We got penne alla vodka with chicken and fettucine al pesto. the pasta was al dente and the chicken was not dry– quite nicely cooked in fact (and i dislike white meat).
we would’ve gone for dessert but the servings were so filling that at that point we opted out.
yums.

The ambiance is really nice, and it’s well heated no matter where you sit — which is nice, since I like sitting near the window, but I hate when it gets cold next to the window. The food is pretty good, but a wee bit pricey for what you are getting. My bf got the risotto special of the day, which was really really good, and I don’t even like risotto, but it was 28 bucks. I got the soup of the day, which was a spinach and asparagus soup. It was good, but not great, and that was 8 dollars.
The service was not bad, except they don’t give you the check until you ask for it, and it took them forever to bring it to me after I asked for it. It was also hard to get them over to ask for the check.
I would say, on the whole, everything was A-​OK. You could stand to do better, but it’s not bad, especially when it is cold, you want to eat out, but you don’t feel like wandering around to see what else is around.

The seats by the window facing the street is very nice .
The food we ordered was delicious ! we ordered two kind of different pasta which was fresh and very very tasty.
A very romantic place for a couple
One thing was not that good– the service: an antipathetic waiter that forgot one of our order and gave us not that good feeling
But the food will make us come again definitely’! :-)

i ate here before but nothing really stood out, and i don’t remember the food being super good or anything. anyhow, i went here with my bf for dessert after our really crappy dinner across the street at l’annam. we ordered the tiramisu and pecan pie. pretty good, but then again, its really hard to go wrong with dessert. my only complaint would be the prices of the dessert — they were pretty steep ($ 10 each).

Man, whats with the service at this place. They really try to push drinks on you after you’ve said «NO» for the 5^th time. Sheesh its only noon.
Anyways, got the spaghetti and meatballs with their complimentary bread. Bread was nice and warm, which was a plus since I just came out of the cold. Entrée came out and it looked pretty appetizing. The pasta was a little undercooked, but I was starving. The sauce and meatballs were good, but nothing Prego couldn’t replace.
Food was mediocre and service was non-​existent. Go to Patsys or Osso Bucco down the street.

Pricey, but satisfying lunch food. Pair up your panini with Peroni. You usually get seated pretty quickly, and the bread is wonderful. Don’t be shy when asking for a bread refill. Try the grilled squid for an appetizer. Nothing really stands out. It’s just Italian food that’s made restaurant-​style.

This is what happens when you wait too long to eat dinner and are easily swayed by the majestic description of their specials.
My friend and I came in after watching a rather boring movie called Twilight and I was craving gnocchi since there was a scene where they were making an Italian meal. (Again, eat before a long — ass movie)…
Anyway, my friend asked me what I wanted to eat and I go, «I want gnocchi.»
So we were here based on the recommendation of her boyfriend. We step in and there’s a cool in– house jazz band playing and we were seated immediately in this roomy 4 seat table by the windows.
The ambiance was a bit romantic — low lights, dark wood finish and the the faint glow of the city night outside with people walking by in the snow.
The cold made me incredibly thirsty for red wine. We looked over the wine menu and I was immediately drawn to the Montepulciano. I’ve been having too much Cab so I needed to switch it up a bit.
So after choosing the wine, I saw the gnocchi dish but wasn’t impressed so I decided to look at other alternatives. Our lovely waitress came by and that’s when the trouble began.
She started describing the specials and all I remember was steak and mash potatoes, rack of succulent lamb and mash potatoes, and pasta with calamari, mussels, shallots, and something else.
I nearly died. I looked over my friend and said, «Mmm, the calamari pasta dish sounds good.» However, I saw in the appetizer section, a calamari dish and convinced my friend we should split an appetizer.
So, after consulting with our waitress what special she recommended — she said the rack of lamb, my friend and I began our eating frenzy.
The calamari dish was interesting — I was expecting deep fried calamari but instead it was full pieces of squid minus the spirally tentacles. I think it was cook in red wine sauce. It was interesting and actually had this dish before which my uncle cooks at home.
Later on, my dish came and it the lamb dish looked relatively small to appease my hunger. It was four pieces off the rack smothered which I think was cooked in red wine sauce and on the side were mash potatoes which I seasoned to taste. There was also spinach and I guess that was what kept my hunger in check.
I do have a sweet tooth but that’s usually reserved for your typical dessert dishes so I was a bit disappointed there wasn’t enough seasoning in the lamb and mash potatoes.
As a result, to give it that nice kick, I ordered another glass of wine which complemented the meal.
I do have to admit the service was attentive and excellent. We had one of the most attentive waitstaff, asking if we wanted more complimentary bread, refilling our water, and checking to make sure we had enough wine and our meal was delicious.
I would go back here to try the other dishes but be wary of the specials. It was $ 32!!!
So the total damage for me was:
2 glasses of Montepulciano wine, calamari appetizer split and the lamb special was about $ 70.
Guess, I’ll be eating ramen for the next 2 weeks.

Beware of Overvalued Specials!
The waiter really took advantage of us, since we were a large group. The «special» appetizers he recommended to us turned out to be over twice as expensive as those on the menu. The other specials, too, were very much overvalued and, of course, we couldn’t check it on the menu because it didn’t exist there. The bill at the end turned out to be way more than we expected, so BE CAREFUL!

I was pleasantly surprised at my experience here. The food was pretty good! The vibe was lively, they actually had live music and the staff was friendly.
My only complaint is that it was rather pricey — two entrees (the bucitini special and papardelle funghi), the antipasta platter, and a hot tea = $ 75 before tip. I am not remembering the last time I was there was when my brother was an NYU student and our parents took us there… or I took him there. either way there was mooching. Haha.

My first meal in my new hood…
I just moved in around the corner from this little neighborhood-​y joint. The move is accompanied by a lot of life change and emotion, so this may not be altogether fair, but here goes!
Buona Sera is a restaurant I’ve walked by many times, boyfriend in tow, and have wanted to try. Sadly, said boyfriend (now officially ex) does not do pasta. Tonight, an old friend came over with an air mattress, a smile and some hope about the future! We then ventured out to explore the new nabe and grab a bite. Buona Sera is where we landed and it was perfect for tonight.
Friendly, cute boys served us solidly average pasta. We sat by the window and watched my new neighborhood breathe. It was dark. It was quiet. The food was fine, but not memorable. Overall, the evening was pleasant and warm, but the food was, at best, «eh».
Under less weighty circumstances, I’d probably give it two stars. Tonight, because I am filled with sparkley anticipation of the next chapter of my life, it gets three. And because they pour a mondo huge glass of wine and dinner for two, with a glass of wine each, came in under 60 bucks.
All in all… it’s fine.

I didn’t really want to write a review of this restaurant because it’s pretty forgettable but here goes.
I’ve been here a few times — once on a «date», few other times with buddies. The wine is good and flows well because it’s reasonably priced. Food has always been *pretty* good but I expect better from an Italian restaurant in NYC. My date loved the food here, if that says anything.
Service is always slow, regardless of whether the place is completely empty. Very curious.
Menu is overpriced for the quality of food, but the portions are big so whatever.

Starving, hot, and tired, my cousin and I decided we had to eat here after seeing the menu and specials outside. The special that caught our eyes? Scallops, Crab, and shrimp served over angel hair pasta in a pink sauce. Who could resist!
While the service was relatively slow — it may have been due to the fact that 3 different servers thought that they had our table. After being served water, and delicious bread (although I think the sauce the bread was served with may have had sausage in it at some point in the process), we ran downstairs to wash our hands. There was only enough soap left for each of us to use a little bit.
The meal was delicious. A little on the pricey side, but delicious nonetheless. I will definitely be back (probably with a boy so that I don’t have to pay :)).

The food was bland enough to make any 78 year old from Philadelphia very happy – but you know what, I’m beginning to appreciate the middle America palate.
I despise young people who, when out with friends, want to hang out at Applebee’s, but with old people they’re allowed. They grew up eating canned string beans so it’s understandable.
My best friend’s family took me and her out for dinner tonight and we had a great time. The interior has dark candlelit lighting, white tablecloths, very comfortable for families of old people who are visiting their kids who go to NYU.
I had the special, it was overcooked salmon with a big half chunk of lemon with shredded letttuce and grape tomatoes on the side. Shredded lettuce? That texture made it taste like I was eating grass.
Everyone had pasta, with some sort of sauce and some sort of chicken and we all had the bread, which tasted like dominoes pizza crust. They served it with marinara sauce and it was actually good marinara great for dipping.
My friend’s aunt exclaimed, «oh my! It’s so hot and spicy! Wow!»
Ok, you know what, it wasn’t hot and spicy, I think that there was one tiny sliver of dried pepper you know just one of those tiny discs that you shake on top of pizza, that was in that marinara sauce. I just smiled and looked at her. The 50’s must have been a very strange era where big thick carrots and pork chops were coveted.
We had an okay Tiramisu for dessert, and pretty good coffee.
Her 86 year old mom asked, «is there chocolate in Tiramisu?» I just smiled and looked at her. I love being a part of other people’s families. It is so charming!
Her family loved the food. I loved the experience, because they were happy with the food, and I was happy that we could make them happy. So long live bland establishments with very nice cozy décor and a live string trio. 5 stars especially for the live trio and the waitress who memorized all 8 of our orders, and for the almost empty restaurant which made our stay even nicer because we could be loud and shout across the table to her mom who is hard of hearing.
HIghly recommended for people who love Olive Garden, but just want to get a little wild a crazy once in a while and go off the beaten path!

Strong aesthetic points: Nice corner location in the summer; nice to sit by the window, live piano, and watch the swarms of ppl to and fro University.
Breakfast is an unexpected plus you wouldnt expect from this place; it is cheap, generous, and pleasant… Virgin Mary (u r not going to have a Bloody for breakfast, u drunkard) is tasty but far from unique… service can be very sluggish, so you better have the willingness of a shepperd, especially on a crowded Saturday afternoon; from the menu, I will have to compliment them on the Tuna Tartar appetizer, really good… aside from that, if you want Italian, I dont need to tell you were to go…
Price is a little too pretentious for its locale (it should be student affordable) but all in all, a quick improvisational place when u r entertaining family visitors around Union Sq. and u dont have a reservation anywhere, nor want to take ur parents/​uncles/​grandmas to informal, student-​packed places…
Three stars for the memories!