Il Buco

I went after some coworkers recommended the place. Our waiter was Alessandro, who quickly came over to take our drink orders. My fiancé and I got a glass of wine and after it was served it was ALMOST impossible to have someone take our food order. We were being completely ignored. He could have honestly been the worst waiter to ever serve us.
FINALLY, we had the manager, Cynthia, come over after she saw me waving my hand for a bit. She was very sweet and helpful and we ordered the Pulpo to start, followed by the Tagliattelle and Torchia.
The octopus was very good, but definitely overpriced. The main dishes came out at different times and were just OK. Overall we were not a fan of this place, though Cynthia was great.
We never spoke to Alessandro for the rest of the night.

We had a very lovely dinner here late on a Friday night after going to a jazz club. The ambience is cozy and intimate, but the noise level is quite high. We all enjoyed our food — apps as well as pasta and mains, and two great desserts. Our negative experience was that two of us asked for a glass of wine and the waitress brought us each a glass with no mention that one of them was a $ 23 glass and the other an $ 18 glass. We had no idea, and this was an unpleasant surprise. We left feeling much less warm toward the restaurant than we had before we saw that on the bill.

Il Buco, why do you hate me so?
The service during our Friday night dinner was putrid at best, bordering on offensive at its worst. The food was good, at some points fine, at some points very good. It wasn’t great and it’s far from it. Nonetheless all of this could have been forgiven and our evening saved if not for how we were treated by this establishment’s staff.
I held on strong but in the end it took a little over an hour for them to break me. The rancid service had left me with no choice but to lift my hands, look to the sky and ask «why me?». Thank you for the table cornered by the door (we all loved the nice 20 degree breezes we were treated to every time someone opened the door) tucked right next to the crowded bar (no lady my head is not where you are meant to place your jacket and bag). Why does such a table even exist? Riddle me that. Thank you for bringing our (second) bottle of wine to our table without any glasses (should we just sip and pass?). And lastly, as we had finally almost made our escape, thank you for asking not once, not twice, but three times if we were interested in dessert (Hint: NO!) before finally presenting us with our check, which I’ll add had to be hand delivered to the hostess 45 minutes later after our server went missing (notify proper authorities if found).
Il Buco, why do you hate me so?
I’m not mad at you Il Buco. I’m just disappointed. I wanted to love you. With just a little bit of good service and elbow grease you probably could have even tricked me into thinking your food was unique or better than any of the countless other trendy pasta hotspots our great city has to offer. I wanted to believe. You had me, you really did.
I won’t be recommending you to a friend. I won’t be returning in this lifetime or the next. Another member of our party wrote a more eloquently worded email to management but judging from our experience, I assume she’ll need to send it at least two more times before you get the message.

So pleased we picked here for a late Saturday lunch. The decorum is so warm and cosy, the staff are friendly and the food was delicious. Very fresh and flavorful. Highly recommend.

One of my go to places which make NYC great. Delicious food authentically prepared with care. Good service and a lovely atmosphere. Ribeye for 2, baby calamari, sweetbreads, wine… all were memorable. Will return again.

Unimpressive, especially at the price. Service was excellent– the sommelier was quite knowledgeable, coat check was painless and a nice touch, and waitstaff was friendly and made recommendations.
One doesn’t come to a place like this to save money, but serving $ 23 truffle polenta comes with expectations. The truffles (generously shaved on this dish) carried none of the characteristic black truffle aroma or flavor. Quite a let down. Similarly disappointing, the venison carpaccio (here called «carne crudo», or «raw meat») was perhaps an eighth of an inch thick and 2−3″ across. For $ 18, again, I expected to be much more impressed. The $ 16 of chopped kale in dressing carried none of the advertised anchovy flavor. The $ 20 plate of hamachi contained only a couple small slices. The risotto was light and citrusy and had little of the mushroomy aroma I expect from the dish. I barely remember the gnocchi– except that the porcini that came with it tasted like they’d been canned or inexpertly rehydrated.
The porchetta and the sweetbreads were standout dishes– but again, hardly exceptional. Frying sweetbreads is hardly rocket science. My party of 4 left with a bill of something like $ 300 – 400 after dinner and drinks. We were not impressed and left hungry.
If you twisted my arm, I’d go back. It wasn’t terrible– but I expect to be dazzled at prices nearing $ 100/​head.

The environment is romantic and casual, beautiful. The staff was professional, polite and accommodating. The basement is the most romantic and ideal for feeling like you are the only two people in the world. The food was amazing. And the waiter was very helpful in capturing the proposal!

Good food, AWFUL service experience. We were forced to pay for a private dining experience (which was not private at all) for a group of 11 people, to which they sneakily tacked on a $ 50 service fee and a coat check fee (which not everyone used) per person. They stood behind this being in the fine print but never mentioned it in our discussions. A bottle of wine had gone bad and their response was «that’s the way the wine presents». When it came time to actually get our coats, we waited for 15 minutes in the middle of the crowded restaurant, until we actually had to go downstairs to find our own coats, then the coat lady blamed us for not giving her the right ticket. WHAT?! I find their policies extremely tacky for a restaurant of this caliber. I will not be going back.

Really expensive dishes with a very small portions. In the application says that should be not so expensive, that’s why we came in. I really don’t recommend this place.

My favourite restaurant and local haunt to visit every time I’m in NY. Nothing ever disappoints, food is always excellent, and the vanilla panna cotta with aged balsamic vinegar is a delicious must-​try!

Went here on a double date with my girlfriend and my sister and BIL.
It is a very romantic setting. Rustic. I made the reservation through opentable and they said it would be tight, it was quite comfortable!
Appetizer:
Olives: We were going to get two, but decided on one (for 4 people), we had a few olives left over. One small dish for every 4 – 5 people. They were a bit above par.
Bread with olive oil: They charge about a dollar/​person for the bread. Will refill for free. It was tasty. Above par.
Pulpo: The octopus was really good. It was soft. Cooked right. The flavoring was great too. I’d give this a good rating and would get it again. The celery was a unique combination with the seasoning. My favorite of the two we got.
Migas: The chorizo was different in texture. The dish was delicious overall, but the combination tasted different to me, it wasn’t bad, but just not something I am used to. I’d say this was a delicious dish, but I probably wouldn’t get it again.
Main dishes:
Risotto: This was probably my favorite dish. It tasted creamy and flavorful, but wasn’t overly buttery. I’d definitely get this dish again.
Lasagnette: I was expecting a red sauce, but it’s more like a non-​colored sauce. It’s also more like a pasta salad. It was delicious, but I probably wouldn’t get this again.
The third entrée we got is not on the online menu and I can’t recollect the name. It was a pasta dish with crab meat. The pasta is made with the ink of the Octopus? It was creamy and tasty. It was par.
Overall Impression:
The ambiance is a plus. The décor is excellent. I’d go back for that alone. The food was a fraction above par. Overall, I’d recommend this place to try once, but unsure if I’d go back again.

I really wanted to love this restaurant, the atmosphere is great, décor is charming, old world rustic Italian with an enormous, impressive wine list, great bread and olive oil and an amazing, courteous staff.
With all those great attributes you would think this place a home run but sadly the food was not great, pretty bad actually. The entrées left a lot to be desired just an awkward menu. My wife got the squab, it was terrible. Hard to cut through the skin, get to the meat, undercooked, not tasty. Brussel sprouts were good but would have been better if they were charred more. I guess they were too crowded to get them just right. I got the whole fish, just not good. Was terribly scrawny with the majority of the pesce merely bones, what meat was there was fine but not worth it since it was 80 – 20 bones to meat. Blossoms were okay but not great, I wouldn’t reorder and blossoms are usually my go to appetizer.
Just really bummed that the food didn’t come close to being on par with the rest of this beautiful establishment.

Raise your hand if you love Italian food!
If you don’t then you can’t be trusted. Sorry.
Because I can totally be trusted, I love this genre of dining. So good! So carby! Cheese!
I went to Il Buco for dinner with my bestie since we heard good things. We are dumb and went without a reservation on a Thursday night at 6PM. HAHA. No tables. Jokes.
We decided we were there already and were wiling to sit at the bar. Sat we did and ordered drinks. I had something with bourbon but we quickly switched to wine because Italia! The wine was excellent and I fancy myself somewhat of a wine snob these days. Don’t ask me to talk about what I like best and why, I just know crummy wine when I drink it lately. I know that makes me sound super douchey, but I think it’s important to note the red wine was delish.
Anyway.
We decided to split a bunch of things because we have zero self control. We started with the Fiori di Zucca (semolina fried squash blossoms, sal cod brandade, salsa rosa) which was very good and fresh. I wasn’t blown away by the plate but I certainly enjoyed it. We also ordered the Cavolonero (Tuscan black kale, garlic anchovy lemon vinaigrette, filone croutons, parmigiano Reggiano). Also good! I was pleased with it, but wouldn’t rave about it to my friends. For an entrée we split a pasta dish (which isn’t online, which is annoying) which was orecchiette with some sort of cream sauce and peas. I liked it! Pretty tasty. We also split a pork dish that was pretty good, but unmemorable.
I guess the point of this whole review is it’s not bad here! My biggest issue is the pricing. Dinner was a bloody fortune. If you want me to take out a loan to pay for dinner, please make it excellent and worth racking up some debt. If I lived in the area, I could see maybe stopping by for a glass of wine and maybe an appetizer, but be aware, the bar area gets super full, super fast. I felt lucky to have snagged two snug seats at the bar.
So! Italian food is excellent, but maybe don’t splurge on your whole meal here.

My dinner at Il Buco was very memorable. The rustic décor and elegant atmosphere really added to my experience. My mom and I loved the restaurant as soon as we walked in. The dark wood interior and low lighting made Il Buco look like an antique store or cottage.
We were taken down the stairs to a table in the wine cellar. The dining room was breathtaking. The walls and ceiling were completely covered in racks of beautiful wine. The large, wooden tables had flowers and a candle in the center.
We started with wine recommended by our server, Dominiqu. We both loved our selections. We ordered the three-​olive oil sampler and fresh salami & prosciutto board as our appetizers. The oils were all very different from each other, which I appreciated. However, I would have enjoyed it more if they included a balsamic with the bread and oil, just my personal preference. The prosciutto and salami board was very good.
As my entrée, I ordered the goat cheese & fennel risotto. Oh. My. Goodness. It was divine, truly one of the best entrees I’ve ever had. The goat cheese and spices mixed together so well. My mom ordered the butcher’s cut of steak, with a side of potatoes. The steak was flavorful and cooked to perfection.
As our dessert, we split the Panna Cotta, drizzled with balsamic. It was a very interesting combination! The Panna Cotta was so delicious. The consistency and subtle flavor were phenomenal.
One of our severs, Bernal, certainly added to our dinner. He was very polite and attentive. I will certainly be returning to Il Buco for dinner in the future. It was such a unique and gorgeous restaurant!

Terribly overpriced and mediocre food. This place was so disappointing can’t believe it has a 4 star rating! I made a reservation a month in advance for dinner to celebrate our friends anniversary and requested a table in the wine cellar, they told me they weren’t sure we could get a table in there. Asked again the day before when I confirmed the reservation and was told no guarantees. We were in fact seated in the wine cellar which was mostly empty! Why make a big deal out of it if you know you are going to be mostly empty!
Food: ugh…
Ordered the fried zucchini flowers to start and they were horrible, the worst I’ve ever had. Doughy, greasy and tasted like anchovies somehow.
My husband had the Salumi meat plate. I’m not sure how you can mess that up but he said the meats were terrible.
For my main dish I the pappardelle pasta which came out completely cold with the sauce congealed!!!
My husbands lamb Ragu pasta was quite good that was the only good part of the meal.
Dessert: chocolate cake was average
All in all spent $ 240 per couple for a terribly mediocre meal (this included a $ 60 bottle of wine but still!!!)
Service:
The waiter was very nice but inefficient. Had to ask him to order after 30 min of waiting
Giving this place two stars instead of one just because the décor is very lovely!

Wow — went to Il Buco for the first time last night and honestly cannot believe I have lived without knowing about this place for so long! My boyfriend and I were having a drink at the rooftop of the Jane and decided we wanted Italian for dinner. After a few Zagat, Unilocal,and Google searches, we decided on this restaurant because of the reviews and beautiful pictures.
We walked in around 7 PM on Sunday night without a reservation, and the maitre d’ asked if we preferred to sit on the ground floor or in the wine cellar. I asked what he recommended, and he said the wine cellar, which was cooler (it was about 90 degrees out). I am so happy we listened to him! We were taken down to a beautiful, romantic wine cellar with hundreds of bottles and seated at a long 8 person table, just the two of us. When we sat down, there were only two other parties down there despite the fact that the restaurant was relatively crowded upstairs.
Everything about the restaurant was beautiful — seriously one of my favorite Italian spots in the city now, and my boyfriend and I have been to a lot. I definitely recommend Il Buco if you’re looking for a romantic, relaxing dinner. I also appreciated how quiet the restaurant was, even though there were a lot of people inside. You could actually hear the other person speak, which is always a positive!
For wine, we ordered a glass of the Sommelier’s selection and were not disappointed. It was a Tuscan red that my boyfriend and I both enjoyed, despite our varying tastes in wine. We started with the ceviche, which was amazing. I ordered the Lasagnette and he ordered the Pappardalle, which were both made with homemade pasta. We loved them both! My dish was definitely a little bigger than my boyfriend’s and he wasn’t stuffed afterwards, but they were cooked to perfection and very delicious. Also, we really liked that they brought a little plate of sea salt with the bread and olive oil.
Overall, an awesome experience and I’m so happy we decided to dine here last night! Thank you for a great evening, Il Buco!

Cute environment, very friendly service, delicious food. Would definitely recommend to others.
We stopped by on a Sunday with a reservation for an early dinner, and it definitely picked up by the time normal prime time dinner rolled around. We split the olive oil tasting, croquettas, burrata, and sausage to start, and they were all delicious. The bread that accompanied the olive oil was probably the least impressive part of the starting dishes, but I found the burrata to be delicious and creamy, while the sausage was also juicy and tender. For my entrée, I had the tagliatelle, which was fresh and well sauced. I also sampled the spaghetti, which was cooked just perfectly and also sauced just right. The pasta in general was delicious, and I’d definitely return to have more of just the pasta dishes. We also had the ricotta fritters for dessert, which were nicely lightly fried and went well with the huckleberry sauce.
Reasonably priced meal, great environment and service, great food. It’s very intimate and the interior décor gives it a nice, homely feel. It’d work well for groups from both 2 to 8, and I’d highly recommend it.

Came here for dinner to celebrate my mom’s birthday. The staff accommodated all my requests (sitting in the wine cellar & putting a candle with the dessert) which made me very pleased.
The wine cellar has a drastically different vibe than the main dining area. We felt very lucky to be in the wine cellar as it was much quieter and cooler. It felt like we had been transported to Italy, which was a great preview of our upcoming family trip to Tuscany.
Appetizers of note were the burrata, cavolonero (kale salad), and lamb sausage. The kale salad sounds boring, but trust me it is really good. We didn’t like the mackerel crudo as much. The bread and olive oil were also delicious too! Although they do charge you a $ 1 for each person they serve.
For my entrée, I ordered the tagliatelle which I really enjoyed. I didn’t like my sister’s pork as much. I’m guessing my parents enjoyed their entrees of bistecca and zuppa as they didn’t offer any to me to try!
The most surprising dish that had a wow factor was the panna cotta dessert. I’m usually not a fan of panna cotta but this one was unlike any that I’ve had before. The balsamic vinegar they drizzle on top of it is amazing. You have to get this dish if you have room for dessert.
All in all, Il Buco provided a lovely and crowd pleasing dinner for my family.

This restaurant makes you feel like you are getting a cozy yet very chic Italian hug for the entire night.
Loved everything about it. The décor is all wood with sweet country accents, service was great, wine recommendations were perfect and we were able to sample our choices, and food was delicious.
Everything about this experience was what a NY dinner should be. Great food, bustling atmosphere, style, and the happy buZz of delicious wine and conversation.
You must!!! get tea at the end. Cannot remember the name but it is hard to miss because it is a tropical Hawaiian green tea with a long and beautiful Hawaiian name. Incredible way to finish a great evening

this is a special place for a lovely dinner out. a bustling spot that does a good job of making small spots for groups of 2.
service was very attentive — from advising us on a wine choice to explaining our charcuterie platter to bringing us a sample of a dish i eyed when it passed our table, the service was excellent.
our food was delicious — the starters were really the stars of the show. we had the charcuterie platter, the kale salad, and the bison tartare. these were all excellent. we followed with 2 pastas — a mushroom papparadelle and a sausage rigitoni. both were tasty and ample portions. we ended with the balsamic panna cotta which was a perfect finish. overall a great spot that we will definitely visit again.

Excelente restaurante. Aura bem local, comida muito saborosa. Comemos um paperdelle com trufas negras maravilhoso. Recomedamos.