Centovini

Went here for restaurant week and was really impressed with the service. The food was good but you won’t be writing home about it. I like the fact that, without restaurant week, they have a $ 38 pre-​fixe. Pretty reasonable really (I mean all things considered — they’re in Soho…). We arrived and were told we’d need to wait 5 minutes. Ok. Then the host came over in a few moments and gave us a round of champagne to make up for the wait. Are you kidding me? For 5 minutes? I would not have been surprised if I had been told a half hour and TS.
I had the grilled octopus to start and it was pretty good. The short ribs were quite excellent actually and the chocolate panna cotta was the best of the meal. We also had a pretty good bottle of wine that was $ 37. Also a good deal, especially when one of your friends is on anti-​biotics and can’t drink anything. He insisted on paying a ¼ of the meal anyway. Good guy — I still feel guilty.

Curiosity killed the cat. After walking past and peeking into the restaurant many times, I finally found a friend who was just as curious as I was. The décor was quite interesting. Upon entering the space, the first thing I noticed was the level of lighting and its fixtures. It took me a few seconds to snap out of it and focus on what the hostess was trying to ask me. The fixtures are all very unique, making it that much more of an intimate, cozy ambience.
We both had a few glasses of wine, which were all great (tried both the white and red, through their suggestions). After much debate, we each opted for the $ 38 three-​course meal. Seriously, who can pass up an appetizer, entrée AND dessert??! All was good, but the pork chops and sides it came with, were glorious. So delicious, which was pleasantly surprising, as the pork chops were tender and juicy, which is a hard thing to achieve when it comes to pork chops.
I left happy, and so did my tummy.

3.5 stars.
I ordered the chicken liver mousse with toasted bread for my appetizer, and then the 5-​item combo with 3 cheeses (a macagno, a pecorino, and another semi-​soft cow-​sheep cheese I can’t remember the name of) and 2 meats (a «poor-man’s prosciutto» and salami).
The chicken liver mousse was very creamy and rich and… liver-​y. Spread on the toasted bread was yummy… but perhaps a little too much liver for my taste. The cheeses were all good, but nothing memorable. The servings of prosciutto and salami were more generous than I was expecting, and very tasty and *ahem* salty as I expected. The cheese place was accompanied with yummy, moist, walnut bread.
My friend ordered the pork belly, which was yummy and oh-​so rich and tasty. My other friend ordered the buffalo mozzarella with basil and tomatoes, which was yummy… but I wonder, what’s the difference between mozzarella and buffalo mozzarella?
For dessert we shared the pistachio torte, which was accompanied with Meyer lemon cream and saffron syrup. The torte was good, unique, the lemon cream wasn’t very lemon-​y and I could barely taste the saffron.

Centovini does a great job combining quaint and cozy with modern and chic.
The grilled shrimp salad had some of the best grilled shrimp I’ve ever had. The pork belly was ama-​za-​zing and there was a lot of this decadent goodness on the plate! The pork tenderloin dish was a little sweet for my liking, but that was expected. The pasta/​chicken heart was better than epected, the hearts were very tender, flavor was there too, but a bit of a boring dish in all. The meat was incredibly succulent and plentiful. The fried ravioli dessert was ok, nothing spectacular and the cheese one (forgot the fancy name of the cheese) was just right for my not so sweet tooth.
Very reasonably priced. Service was very friendly.
An alright date spot if you get a table away from the door and a great place where a lover of Italian and someone who doesn’t eat pasta can get along just fine.

Every man IS an island, well in this case, every table…
I went here w/​Jeff C. and his crew of Unilocalers for the «Help out a restaurant during recession» week (AKA Opentable Appetite Stimulus Plan). This place has a minimalism design with mainly black on white (black tables, white (gray) walls) as the theme. But if you look closely, each table has a different type of ceiling light. The table we sat on actually didn’t have one, but we had candles and enough ambient light so it wasn’t like we were eating in the dark.
Along the walls are bottle and bottles of wine stacked neatly together on black wine racks. The name Centovini stands for 100 wines, so the design definitely fit the bill. There were also varying size wine glasses all hanging below the wine racks. The ones closest to us are super huge, probably can hold a bottle of wine in one glass.
Dining on their 3 course Sardinian week menu, all the ingredients were top notch, but only a few dishes stands out.
Appetizers
Pork Belly — insanely delicious, mostly due to its fat content
Spaghetti w/​Bottarga — The roe pouch of tuna or swordfish, it was pretty interesting, just lightly on the fishy side that you still know what you’re eating
Main course
Pork Tenderloin — don’t know how they made it, but it was so soft and tender, yet, still retains plenty of flavor
Dessert
Peccorino w/​Figs — I’m not a cheese connoisseur, but this light flavor cheese blends perfectly with the figs, giving it a smoothness but enough texture for the perfect dessert (although too much cheese, not enough figs, or maybe I just have a huge sweet tooth).

Ok so when you first walk in you are amazed by the assortment of genuwinely beautiful chandeliers… there are varying styles from modern: like hand glass blown ones, to traditional the humongo crystal ones… to my favorties which were Glass bells… with hemp rope hanging from them in varying sizes and shapes all clustered above the reception/​hostess table… The lighting is dim so perfect for 1^st or second dates… the crowd is all more mature and professional…
Ok so enough about ambience… moving on to the food… Had the tasting menu $ 35 beans…
The pork belly although fat like I used to be back in kindergarden when being fat was acceptable and cute… was the BOMB!!! Tender and crispy mad my tummy go” Rah Rah Rah“
The Spagetti with Fish roe was yummy… perfection of buttery goodness and salty fish…
I had the Seafood Paella and it was yum yum yummmy… they were not cheapo with the seafood and it was served with couscous instead of rice which was refreshing…
The best was the prokchops though… so tender and juicy that I swear it squirted in my mouth when I bit into it… Jeff and Jack had the pleasure of eatting the whole thing… I had a teeny sampling… I wish I ate it all…
Desert was yummy i had some gelatan. flan thing… the 2^nd item on the menu Jeff c posted… Super Sweet and rich but delish!!!
All in all Def worth the 35 beans… go there have fun!!!
Ok so if you want the entire Menu description check out Jeff C.‘s reviews…

Some call it the OpenTable Appetite Stimulus Plan, I refer to it as an additional Restaurant Week when there’s a recession. The restaurant calls this yet another name. The tables here are cool. Black and rubbery texture. The seats are premium dark brown leather. The lighting reminds me of Dale Chihuly of Murano glass fame. Quality of the ingredients was evident. Service was attentive and knowledgeable. Quality + Service = 4 stars. Taste? 3 stars. Normally dishes go for high $ 20’s to $ 30’s so this was a good deal. Wasn’t packed at all on a Monday Night.
3 COURSE SARDINIAN WEEK MENU ($ 35)
Primi
–Grilled Shrimp with Chicory and Orange Salad — shrimp heads on, that’s rare, wasn’t hot though, just OK, i tried this
–Roasted Pork Belly with Pane Carasau — heavenly, thicker than Kittichai’s, prepared the same way, wasn’t crazy about the pane, a super flatbread from Sardinia
–Spaghetti with Bottarga — nothing special, just OK
Secondi
–Maccheroncini with Chicken Livers in Passito Wine Sauce — packed with flavor, not too salty, i tried this
–Pork Tenderloin with Saba Glaze, Potatoes and Chicory — prepared like duck, juicy, not seared, no skin, very tender
–Sardinian Paella-​Fregula with Shrimp, Clams and Mussels — wasn’t crazy about the sauce, just OK, i tried this
Dolci
–Fried Sweet Ravioli with Honey — not crazy about this at all, tiny bit of cheese on the inside, way too much dough going on here, liked the pretty ravioli ridges though, def homemade
–Cartellatte with Saba Panna Cotta — cartellatte are crisp pastry spirals drizzled w/​honey, reminded me of a funnel cake, panna cotta was quite rich and creamy, buttery, caramel sauce, a tad too sweet for me, but very complex, i tried this
–Pecorino with Figs and Fig Syrup — unique experience for me, as I never tried figs w/​cheese before, pecorino is in the Romano family, nice balance in tastes and textures, i tried this
Total came out to $ 46/​pp after everything

I was here on a date once; she was late and they were nice about getting me a drink and a table. The food was good but I can’t say it left much of a memory. The wine list was better, nice selection, and what we ordered was great. Very cool, modern design. Not far from the Angelika.

I had a different experience with this place than my wife.
That’s why it gets 3 stars.
I thought it was just ok and while my wife was pretty much purring.
I had the Restaurant Week menu. I started with the Polipo Warm Octopus Salad with Sorrel Greens
and Fava Beans and ended the Guance di Vitello Braised Veal Cheeks, Sunchoke
Purée, Baby Carrots and Fava Beans. Mine were just ok. Tasty but nothing earth shattering.
My wife had the Sucrine Salad with Fresh Beans, Cherry Tomatoes,
Cipollini and Ricotta Salata and then the Capesante Pan Seared Sea Scallops, Fresh Corn, Polenta, Guanciale, Watercress, Peppers, and Chanterelles. She declared the scallops the best she ever had!
It was pleasant and the place was an odd mix of hodge-​podge designs.
There are better places to go. I’d keep looking.

This place is perfection.
I went here for dinner with some friends this past Saturday.
Tucked away in the cobble-​stone streets of Soho, this chic little restaurant settled in my heart (and stomach) in a way only true greats can achieve. The décor is amazing-​I felt like I was in a secret wine chamber of some great castle– floor-​to-​ceiling walls filled with wine, low candles, glass partitions/​bells, black and white portraits and sparkling chandeliers. Their main eye-​puller is a gorgeous green/​purple grape clusters crystal chandelier that resides above one lucky table of 7.
The service was seamless and the restaurant was intimate and quiet (even though it was a busy night). We chose to go «red» that night and both bottles of wine were wonderful. Nothing too full-​bodied and it went well with the food.
The portions are on the small side so don’t expect anything too hearty.
They brought us a wonderful tomato/​rosemary foccacia bread as a starter. I got the scallop entrée which was out of this world. I am often disappointed by scallop dishes (even though I am in love with scallops) but this one held its own in every way possible. My dish came with three very generously sized scallops, seared lightly but incredibly juicy. It came with a delicious roasted corn polenta, spinach and roasted corn with onion confit. It was a nice marriage of slight sweetness with charred saltiness. I enjoyed every bite.
A friend got the lamb chop dish which was delicious as well. The lamb was perfectly cooked and flavorful. The special of the night was a beef short rib and cheese ravioli. I didn’t try it but my friends seemed to enjoy it, albeit they were left not completely full.
Overall it was a great wine and dine experience and definitely worth a try.

I visited Centovini during restaurant week, and I will definitely go back. I thought the food was terrific and they had a great wine list! The décor is also fantastic.
I didn’t give it 5 stars because of the service and noise. Service was slow, and the restaurant is loud. Good for groups, maybe not for a date night.

The wine here is delicious and the food is nice, but not very memorable. While the scallops were noteworthy, the flavors in the lamb dish didn’t compliment each other. You can get similar food for a little bit less at Mia Dona. Overall, I wouldn’t go back and wouldn’t recommend to my friends.
Great service though!

I can’t say much about Centovini because I was here briefly once for a work lunch. I got the nicoise salad and it was lovely, my boss and the man that took us to lunch got the soup and they raved about it. It seems like a really classy little spot to get a good Italian meal– would I go back, maybe not because it is a bit pricey. For a work lunch it is fantastic.

It’s the weekend after Turkey Day and the city is hopping.
Gifts for me, you and me! Hey let’s do some shopping!
The stores were all open and Soho was packed.
Why after all that, this girl needed a snack!
Some wine would be nice and smart wine friend agrees…
What would be nicer? A glass of wine and some cheese.
We see Centovini… It’s been here for a while…
All white tile and Murano… a very nice style.
But do you want some wine? You’ll be hit by a pause.
I was beginning to think I’d have to call Santa Claus.
The service? Distracted. The wine was quite good.
The meat was quite yummy… But if I’m in this ‘hood
I think I’ll head somewhere where I don’t end up a bit miffed
I just wanted some wine … sans Christmas list.

This place will be out of business in six months, which is a shame, because, in my 11 or so visits, it has never disappointed. The wine by the glass selection is really well done, the tablewear — as would be expected — is a nice value-​added, the food is inventive but doesn’t shout at you about how innovative it is, it is never hard to get a table (see my first point), the location is prime (see my first point).
Only drawback — blown glass lamps. I know Moss has a hard-​on for Murano and stuff, but seriously. Those four in the back look like they are illuminating some operating theater for clowns on wellbutrin.

Came here for a date last week (yes, kids, if you hadn’t heard, I’m back on the market), and it was quite the experience (the bar, not the date — the date was nice, if you’re curious). But this is what you get for a wine bar owned by people who make lucite easy chairs and shag covered ottomans (Yes, it’s owned by Moss, the crazy furniture store across the street). So in addition to the excellent wine list (the place definitely lives up to it’s name — talk about options) take a look around at the amazing lighting fixtures (I wouldn’t dare call them chandeliers — how pedestrian), but the place left me a little cold — hence the knocked off star. I didn’t try the food, but I’m curious enough to come back (and don’t worry, this is last parenthetical in this review).

Of course I was curious, Murry Moss is involved. I couldn’t wait for Cento Vini to open. It took a year and about 18 NYC visits before I finally made it in – about 10 minutes before the 3 o’clock end of lunch hours. Still, I was warmly welcomed and enjoyed the fine company of the chef, Patti and manager, Nicole while I enjoyed my three-​appetizer lunch, two great wines, and a dessert sample selected by the chef – on top of my very own selection – rhubarb strudel. It was subtle but inspired. I was surprised and delighted at every turn. Moments ago, I made two reservations so I can bring friends on my next to NYC trips.
Bravo! Ancora!

I stumbled across this near hidden little Italian winebar heading home from a spectacularly successful SoHo shopping jaunt. The fare is hearty but doesn’t always hit the mark. Some dishes are noticibly better than others. Go for the panecetta, egg, polenta and the fresh pasta. The wine list is heavily Italian with a few French and good Californian choices. Industrial steel black décor fits well with the neighborhood vibe.

I walked by this place one day after a meeting in SOHO. I peered in and saw that it was comfortably hip and noticed the immense wine rack covering the entire wall. This alone made me walk in just to grab a biz card so I could type it in my contact list.
When I walked in, the music was thankfully muted but nice. I like places like that as I know I can talk to someone there versus having to burn my throat shouting at someone all night long.
Two nights later, I go there for some drinks. The wine is truly excellent — ever since I went to Tuscany for vacation one year, I’ve loved Tuscan wines. The red wine is served in these tremendous glasses — the only wish I had was that they gave you more wine for the dough. But hey, I shouldn’t be walking into a wine bar to get sloshed; very expensive way to drink yourself to obliviion! It was over-​standards as a place to go with someone, enjoy some great wine, and TALK.

Note: I am not a wine connoisseur.
We had a wonderful bottle of wine and some solid pasta. The breadsticks were yummy. Overall, a good experience, but I’m not just dying to go back.