Off to Yelpland
Well, what do you know, decidedly mixed opinions--some think it is great, one however calls it a "rip off that should be missed."
That's why I like Yelp, you especially if you can read enough reviews to get clues for yourself as to what is going on someplace and what to watch out for (while looking them over, I deleted a favorable review from 2009-- that is just too long ago).
Per Lei
1347 2nd ave
(between 70th St & 71st St)
New York, NY 10021
Neighborhood: Upper East Side
(212) 439-9200
(between 70th St & 71st St)
New York, NY 10021
Neighborhood: Upper East Side
(212) 439-9200
- Nearest Transit Station:
- 68 St. - Hunter College (4, 6, 6X)77 St. (4, 6, 6X)Lexington Ave./63 St. (F)
- Hours:
- Mon-Sat 12 pm - 12 amSun 12 pm - 10:30 pm
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
- $$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Very Loud
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
81 reviews for Per Lei
Review Highlights What's this?
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"The pasta and salas we ordered were very fresh and succulent." In 14 reviews -
"...powder pappardelle with slow roasted boneless duck leg confit) was to..." In 3 reviews -
"Great place for the upper east side." In 4 reviews
Rating Distribution | Trend
81 reviews in English
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Review from Tiffany C.
Sunnyside, NYCool, chill spot. Came here for dinner and sat outside. The staff is really friendly and helpful. I had the arugula salad with pear and Gorgonzola which was pretty good. I also tried the green fettuccine with bolognese sauce which was really tasty and one of their specials: the breaded veal which was pretty decent.-
Green fettuccine with bolognese sauce -
Veal! -
Pear and apple tartlet
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Review from Julie S.
Ann Arbor, MIWent for brunch and had a very nice meal. Simple food, nothing fancy but super fresh, tasty and very reasonable. Staff were incredibly attentive but not overbearing. We had delicious omelets and 3 different kinds of eggs Benedict. -
Review from Bernadette S.
Manhattan, NYStumbled upon Per Lei while looking for some late night dinner (post 9pm). We sat outside and received great service...except from the bartender who told us if we wanted drinks we had to order quickly before he closed up. Um, bar closing before kitchen? Anyway, we skipped drinks and just ordered dinner. The seafood salad was a bit bland and overpowered by celery. The pastas were on the bland side too. I had the pasta with shrimp and zucchini in a white garlic and wine cream sauce. They must have forgotten the garlic. I loaded it up with grated cheese to give it some life. Unfortunately, I can't remember what my husband had, but it was equally lackluster. Per Lei is a decent place, but it falls short of other great restaurants in the area. -
Review from Shing H.
We only stopped in for sort of a pre-dinner round of appetizers, and it fit the bill. It was a cute place, with a sort of celebrating-women type of decor, and since it was a nice evening we sat at a table next to the open doors. Since we didn't eat any main courses, I can't really speak for the food overall, but my mojito was alright, as were the octopus calamari and mussels that I tried. However, the prices were a bit high for what we got, in my opinion. The service was sort of "better than average for a midrange or chain restaurant" but the decor and ambiance made it seem like they were going for super high-end fancy (as did the prices) -- only they just didn't quite seem to get there for me. -
Review from Meredith R.
Brooklyn, NYThere are many great Italian restaurants in the UES, but this one is average at best compared to the others. THe staff is attentive but I thought the swordfish wasn't so tasty and the linguini with clams/mussels was too greasy. The atmosphere has a trendy and fun vibe but I would take my money to another establishment worth the dining experience. -
Review from Arya S.
Marina Del Rey, CAAnother Gilt City bargain I found whilst my time in NYC!
Seriously, I am glad I went despite my visit may have been a fluke. Working in a restaurant myself, we always have surprises happening unexpectedly. Unfortunately, Per Lei's kitchen's hood did not work and the team did all they could to please everyone in the restaurant which was incredible! Air conditioning was on, as a result of the misfortune, and it made it really cold!
Service was impeccable, again, the people here aim to please! Food was good, although my skirt steak, I feel, was rather small portioned and arrived cold. Perhaps they could add something additional to the dish to add some pizazz...maybe next time!
I'd totally come back here should I return to NYC. -
Review from Jen R.
Manhattan, NYI really loved Per Lei! It has a great ambiance and is perfect for a date. I went with a big group of friends so it was hard to hear everyone over the loud music playing, but it was fun for us. There are pictures of women all over the restaurant and this is because Per Lei means "For her." It was cute.
My meal was also delicious! I ordered the seafood pasta, which was fantastic! I substituted the black linguine with normal linguine though. I will definitely come here again. -
Review from Patricia V.
New York, NYI really liked the black and white photos on the wall. The ambiance was exciting. I ordered the per lei salad and duck. The food was great. I recommend it. I do have to say that if you are going in the winter time, try not to sit next to the wall. It can get very cold. -
Review from Restaurantista S.
Manhattan, NYThis place is horrible and you should skip. It is a ripoff, the service is bad and the food is mediocre at best.
The restaurant raised the prices for Mother's day about 40-50% without posting the change on their website. The mushroom omelet was $14 instead of $10 and the grilled chicken sandwich was $15 instead of $10. The waiter nor the menu mentioned the $2 extra charge for egg whites. The restaurant deducted 20% after we complained about the increase but this did not fully cover the increases. The waiter told me that everyone charges extra for egg whites which is untrue. This is just bad business.
The service was equally horrible. The water glasses and bread were not refilled. No one cleared our dirty plates for 20 minutes. We and everyone around us were ignored.
The grilled chicken sandwich was fine at best but the mushroom omelet was greasy. The accompanying potatoes were boring and the salads were overdressed.
There is nothing redeeming about the restaurant and I would absolutely skip any restaurant that thinks it is appropriate to raise their prices 40-50% for Mother's Day. -
Review from Elsa G.
New York, NYThis place is average to below average. The people who work here act like they're in an Italian frat, joking and horsing around in their native tongue. Service at the bar was abysmal. My friend had the gnocchi in truffle cream sauce. It was nice but nothing I couldn't do better at home with a jar of Alfredo sauce. I had the Insalata di mare and it just wasn't too good. Everything was quite fishy, not very fresh. This place is just not worth going to. -
Review from Em G.
Manhattan, NYMy friend lives a couple blocks away so we pop in for dinner occasionally.
Something about the ambiance is a little odd. It's trying hard for a South Beach vibe, but then the super young waiters in uniform throw you off because some try too hard to be formal.
My favourite item is the veal milanesa which isn't on the menu but seems to be a daily special everytime we're there. The veal, along with most entrees, come in huge portions.
Service is good and attentive but sometimes they hover. Music is turned up louder when the sun sets and it too loud for a romantic/intimate dinner or just one where you dont want to raise you voice to speak
Good wine list, and the manager/sommelier(I still dont know) can steer you in the right direction. -
Review from Lila C.
Brooklyn, NYI went with my parents and brother with a 7:30pm saturday night reservation. Music was BLASTING and we asked for a table along the side of the restaurant instead of right in the middle near the speakers and the cold breeze from the persistently open door. They claimed all the other tables were reserved for sets of couples, but two minutes after we sat down at our table, they seated another group of four at the table we had asked for! Total liars. When my mother complained, they were antagonistic and tried to assuage her with a drink, and then claimed there was a cancellation (even though there were tons of other 2 tops empty.) In addition to the noise, the cold, and the bad attitude, the multitude of staff in such a small place (every waiter had a busboy attached at the hip) meant that our chairs were getting jostled constantly.
Food was good, but overpriced for the portions. My brother had ravioli stuffed with veal, my mom had the tagliolini and my father had canneloni, while I had the beef carpaccio. We finished eating in about 7 minutes flat. However it could not make up for the attitude of the staff and the eurotrash "ambiance." This restaurant is about as elegant as a Miami strip club. -
Review from Carlen M.
Manhattan, NYI was asked on a date a little while ago to a neighborhood spot I had not tried (I literally walk past it all the time!) From just the outside, Per Lei gives off the feeling of romance and elegance. It definitely draws one in for a not to be missed meal.
The inside of the restaurant is beautifully decorated with paintings of women all over the walls by the artist Fabrizio Musa. My date explained that the meaning of "Per Lei" is "for her" and that the restaurant was made for the owner's wife and daughter and that somewhere in the collection of paintings were portraits of the wife and the daughter. I thought this was a very cute story that made me feel more connected to the restaurant.
The service was also very pleasant. They all wore white gloves which made me feel like we were in an extremely exclusive restaurant that my credit card couldn't afford. The waiter was full of knowledge of the dishes and mentioned many specials that were on the menu, not that I always listen to those long rambling lists/summaries of specials. I still never understand why restaurants don't type out the specials, or have them on a board somewhere? I definitely have ADD when it comes to listening about the specials.
I normally wouldn't think that raving about the bread basket at a restaurant is normal, but this place happened to have very good bread! The dipping sauce added some zest to the pre-meal snack, instead of the regular butter or olive oil most restaurants serve. This dipping sauce was a mixture of olive oil, spices, and some tomato flavoring. It definitely had a kick to it! If the waiter didn't take it away, I wouldn't have been able to eat my meal.
Since my date had been here before, he suggested ordering the Insalata di Mare for the appetizer. It was a mixture of baby shrimp, crab meat, octopus, cuttle fish, calamari, various vegetables, fruit, and herbs in a lemon dressing. It was definitely a generous portion for an appetizer. The seafood tasted very fresh and full of flavor. I also loved the amount of crunchy vegetables that were included. I most of all loved the intense lemon flavor that made each bite fresher than the next.
As usual, I had trouble narrowing down a dish on the menu to select. I am a believer of always having protein in my meal. Most of the time, I am incapable of ordering a pasta dish that doesn't include some type of meat or seafood mixed into it. I feel that pasta alone is just eating a plate of carbs, delicious carbs, but definitely in need of some protein! After carefully scanning the menu, I selected a dish that included one of my favorite flavors in the world, truffle sauce! I ordered the the Gnocchetti Alla Crema Di Tartufo, which was a homemade gnocci dish that was covered in truffle sauce and some pieces of fresh truffle. I asked the waiter if I could add shrimp to my dish, and he was more than happy to do that for me, which I definitely appreciated.
I must say, that this dish beat out my favorite truffle gnocci at Uva. I guess I have found a new favorite! It was so creamy, rich, and full of flavor! It definitely was a heavy dish, but I somehow managed to finish every bite of my dish because of how delicious it was! It had the perfect mixture of cream and truffle. If you love truffles, then you will love this dish. If you don't like truffles, then DO NOT order this dish, because this is definitely the strongest flavor of truffle I have experienced thus far.
I would highly recommend this restaurant for a date, family gathering, or evening out with a close friend that loves food. I will definitely be back soon, I hope.-
Gnocchetti Alla Crema Di Tartufo = Heaven
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Review from Paul S.
Manhattan, NYThe wife has been wanting to try Per Lei for some time so we ventured in this evening for dinner. We were seated right away but then had to wait a little bit before the waitstaff figured out whose table it was. The food was actually very good. we had the minestrone soup, a house salad, and two pasta dishes. No drinks, apps, or desserts. While the food was fresh and very flavorful, my issue is with the portions and the price. I am fine with small portions (ok, not really) but usually with smaller prices attached. I just did not think the experience itself was worth the money. Had we had drinks and dessert, it would have been well over $100 easy.
On a side note, they also seem to allow folks to sit outside their windows and smoke cigars. I get that it can be done but since the cigar smoke was clearly coming into the dining room, it would have made sense for them to move him away from the windows.
This is a nice spot for guys looking to impress with a romantic meal or if someone with deeper pockets is paying. It is certainly more of a special occassion place versus an everyday spot. -
Review from Anna R.
Manhattan, NYPer Lei is so fun! It's a very lively atmosphere with delicious (but molto costoso!) Italian food. I went here with a group of girls for dinner on a Saturday. As we had very last minute decided to get together with such a large group around 9 p.m., we had a pretty late reservation (11 p.m.) and I believe this place doesn't stay open too late. But they were very accommodating, the food and drinks were good, and we had a great time.
The only reason they lose 1 star is that they had trouble splitting our bill - some of us had ordered full meals where as others just ordered drinks and appetizers because we had eaten earlier. We were simply wondering if they could put the people who didn't eat on one bill so they didn't have to pay for our food, which seems fair. But this took many trips to talk to the manager and they were really complaining about it. We all would have been happy to run outside and go to an ATM but it was snowing and so cold! Finally they were able to do it but it was just kind of awkward. I was a waitress at one point in college, and trust me - splitting the check is not that difficult.
But anyways, that's just a tip to know before you go. This place is really good and definitely a fun "girls night out" spot. LOUD though, so maybe not so good for a first date! -
Review from Eric T.
Manhattan, NYBeen there for lunch, after a friend of mine had a bridal shower coupke of months ago.
Most of the waiters are Italian, Including the manager, and the food is delicious.
Service and ambience were perfect, music was more like downtown other than the usual UES/subway atmosphere.
Anyway, I'll recommend this gem to all my friends, because there is nothing like Per Lei around the UES.
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