But some people criticize it too...I would read those all as the raves
One thing everyone agrees on is how expensive it is
Scalinatella Restaurant
Category:
Italian
201 E 61st St(between 3rd Ave & 2nd Ave)
New York, NY 10021
Neighborhood: Upper East Side
(212) 207-8280
- Nearest Transit Station:
-
Lexington Ave./59 St. (N, Q, R)Lexington Ave./63 St. (F)59 St. (4, 5, 6, 6X)
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
- $$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Classy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
63 reviews for Scalinatella Restaurant
Review Highlights What's this?
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"The wine list is superb and the staff awesome." In 9 reviews -
"...pasta with truffle cream sauce and shaved truffles is AMAZING." In 9 reviews -
"Old School Service, Food & Hospitality in the cellar." In 8 reviews
Rating Distribution | Trend
63 reviews in English
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Review from Wallace V.
Arlington, VAAbsolutely incredible. The service was phenomenal, the staff was exceedingly friendly. I was overwhelmed by the menu and simply told the waiter "I like meat, please manage my order for me". He did not let me down. The bottle of wine he brought for us paired perfectly with the meal that he chose. The appetizer of some type of truffle pasta was incredible. The veal that he chose for me was the best veal I've ever had. And I am not new to eating veal at high end italian places.
All around, phenomenal. I would reccommend it in a second. -
Review from Eric F.
Long Valley, NJBest italian food I've had in months. It's pricey. The service is fantastic. The ambiance is awesome. My wife and I have been bragging about this restaurant to anyone that will listen.
I dont have anything specific to add to the more detailed reviews here. -
Review from Julie M.
New York, NYWent here a while back and overall really liked this! Got the calamari and some other appetizer, and I really liked the ravioli. My drinks here were good and strong. For the area, it's one of the classier first date restaurants for sure.
The only strange thing, was the service was a bit awkward. When I came in, my date was at the bar with a drink, and they gave him a hard time for wanting to move that tap to the table. That's a very normal request, so it was strange they stared at him so blankly when he'd asked.
It also took them maybe 15 minutes to get me a drink menu. And then they said they didn't have one. It wasn't a big deal, as we just laughed it off, but it was a bit strange.
The waiters were friendly enough. It just wasn't the normal thing. But it was a nice environment in there, and I did enjoy the food and overall experience.
They didn't bring the check for a very long time, and it was getting late, and we were getting frustrated waiting, so my date suggested we just walk towards the door and handed them cash on the way out.
Still, the ravioli was good. And I would go here again. -
Review from Richard B.
The staff is friendly and the food is excellent, I will return back with my wife. -
Review from Ron T.
One of my favorite restaurants in the city.
Old School Service, Food & Hospitality in the cellar. You walk downstairs from the entrance. It's not a too cool for school place with great reviews or an Olive Garden, it is one of a dying breed of Old School Italian Restaurants that are increasingly hard to find anywhere.
Yes, I suppose they can be snooty. But it is an expensive restaurant, that caters to its regulars. They would rather you leave, than compromise their clientele's experience. That said, they are usually willing to make/do anything to make your dinning experience special. You need to be patient and give them a chance. Tell them what need they will accommodate you. The kitchen will make you anything if the ingredients are available. The service may seem slow, but they will take care of you. Old school is not fast.......
The menu is extensive encompassing almost all the classic Italian dishes and the specials reflect the best of what is seasonable. The staff seems to remember me and will offer/suggest my faves when available. Favorites are White Truffles, Santa Barbara Shrimp, Langoustines, Branzino, Veal Chops, Proscuitt..... just about any special. The wine list is extensive, they make old school cocktails and have a nice Grappa list.
If you can afford it and have the time, Scalentella is a place to visit. -
Review from A C.
New York, NYI agree with Eric F.s review below. Pricey but a gem! My mom's picky boyfriend (aka the guy who complains at EVERY restaurant) even liked it and didn't have one negative thing to say. Definitely old school italian joint with awesome wait staff. We weren't sure about it when we walked up but its like a cave (in a romantic, wine cellar kind of way) once you get in there. Good wine list, drinks, etc. Veal is GREAT as is the black and white pasta (black ink + regular pasta... never seen it before but it was awesome)
Make reservations, dress up and go here for special occasions. -
Review from Joe L.
Arlington, VAWent to Scalinatella on 12/23 with group of 9. Had a perfect round table. Cocktails were served quickly (very important with this group). Incredibly fresh and well prepared contemporary Italian food. It doesn't get much better than Scalinatella!
One minor gripe: Our waiter listed the many specials, which sounded great, but there was a long list, and he had a very authentic Italian accent, so it was hard, even the second time through, to figure out what to order.
Oh, and the Dover sole which is magnificent, is listed as "Market Price"; it's $75! -
Review from Michael S.
Manhattan, NYI came here with my family to celebrate my mom's birthday on a Friday night and we had a reservation for 7 pm. We didn't sit down till 8:20 because our table was occupied by someone with a "house account" who had been there since 5 pm and no one from the restaurant would ask him to leave or take his drink to the bar. It's nice that they treat their regulars well, but it shouldn't be at the expense of other customers.
The menu is incredibly bland and limited in its offerings, but I don't suppose anyone comes here to order off their menu. That's because they have about twenty different daily specials that your waiter will recite to you from memory for three solid minutes. (Trust me, I timed him.) By the time he's done telling you all the specials, you've forgotten what they are, but they're not written down anywhere so ordering dinner is a guessing game. They also don't tell you the prices (they're outrageous) because if you have to ask, you can't afford it, and you shouldn't be eating at Scalinatella.
The special I ordered, pasta with crab and lobster in a tomato sauce, sounded amazing, but had little flavor. The dude wielding the cheese grater couldn't believe it when I asked for some parmesean on my seafood (a big Italian no-no, I know), but if the chef had bothered to season the dish, then it wouldn't have been necessary.
If you want good Italian, there are a bunch of other places that will treat you better and not put such a dent in your wallet. Go to one of those places instead. -
Review from Madhu R.
Bland food, bad service, and terribly expensive to boot! I usually don't say this, but don't go to this restaurant.
So sad when a quality place goes bad, because this place used to be good. When I went there recently with my family, there were several waiters buzzing around, but service was almost non-existent. When someone finally did come by to take our order, we felt extremely rushed and stressed. Then, it took almost an hour for the food to come out. When it did, it was not worth the wait. The steak was dry, the pasta dish was salty, and the fish wasn't very fresh.
After having to reluctantly stuffing down the extremely disappointing food even though we were all starving by the food came out, the waiter asked us if we wanted dessert. When we said 'no' and asked for the check, he seemed astonished. Quickly thereafter, the Owner/Chef? came by and started chatting us up since we seemed unhappy. However, he offered REPEATEDLY to tell my elderly Indian mom a racist joke about her bindi several times and had to be dragged away by our waiter who joked about how we shouldn't post any negative reviews..Oooops!
Never again Scalinatella! -
Review from Renata D.
Natick, MAFood is one of the best I have ever had, waiter was really nice. Only problem was waiting 45 minutes to be seated even with a reservation. -
Review from Ali B.
New York, NYAt first, was little worried, had a waiter that was being little full of himself and spoke too fast.
Then I asked an old waiter from Montenegro what he advises, and let him choose from appetizers to deserts.
Black truffle pasta was really impressive, as well as the fish.
Thank you for a good experience. -
Review from Mick A.
Cambridge, MAWe went on the recommendation of a friend who loved Italian food and who had had a good experience earlier in the year.
Our overall experience was good although it does come at a price, yes this joint is expensive....while the fixed menu has some pricey dishes like the Dover Sole fish at $60+ and the two Vitellos at about $50 this is not where the expense really arises. It is the daily specials on the 'blackboard' which are unpriced and is where the 'real' cost occurs.
The whole service is done with style and in many ways it has a traditional or old fashioned feel ... it is a really welcoming and has a homely atmosphere. Most appealing.
The food was good, not great .... and each dish was of consistently good standard although there was no 'wow' dishes. It had a sound range of wines...
It is only when the bill arrives that the reality of how expensive it is sets in......so it is good dining if you have deep pockets! -
Review from Lin N.
New York, NYA throwback to old school Italian here in an dimly lit, cavernous UES basement. Let's start with the food--- delicious, but nothing rave-worthy. If you know what you want, then fuggedabout (had to get that in there) the menu. Their veal and cheesecake were the two standouts. Appetizers and pasta were good, but not in the leagues of Il Mulino or Babbo. Wine list was decent, and the bartender deserves five stars for the perfect service of our dinner at the bar.
Now onto negatives. First impressions are important to me, and the hostess's 'too cool for school' attitude was just not cool. She estimated a 15 min wait for a table, and never even bothered to get back to us even when there were clearly free seats. I would expect this in a meatpacking club... but UES high end restaurant? Given what they charge, the hospitality factor needs some work. All the other reviews have discussed the exorbitant prices, so no need to repeat. All I'll say is that your dollars are better spent taking a cab downtown to Il Mulino for the same atmosphere, higher food quality, and much better service. -
Review from michele f.
Boca Raton, FLIncredible. this is real old school italian. from the moment we sat down all the way through coffee, we could not have been more pleased. the complimentary apps were amazing but small so we had to order apps from the menu. caprese was good (i dont know how anyone can screw that up). the caesar salad was one of the best we ever had. The dressing was so tasty yet light.
We shared the dover sole and a penne pasta with meat sauce. the fish was simply amazing. Pasta was perfectly cooked and meat sauce was real italiano. -
Review from Terri V.
Manhattan, NYHoly Moly Batman....that truffle papparadella dish cost me $180 for the plate last week!! Is this absurd???
Frankie and Johnny we love you, but it will be awhile before we are able to do that again. I'm glad I had 3 glasses of that good Barolo to soften the blow!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/1/2008
One of my favorite restaurants in the city. Definitely pricey, but worth it!
If I'm not on vacation… Read more »
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8/1/2008
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Review from Debbie W.
New York, NY5 giant stars for Scalinatella for proving you dont have to be on the Food Network to serve up outstanding food! Dont bother with the menu, its all about the specials. Just let their expert wait staff steer you in the right direction. The best sign of a restaurants skills is when you see everyone grabbing off everyone else's plate, and we did that nonstop.
Everything we ate was outstanding. As soon as we were seated we were brought DELICIOUS crispy zucchini, and a calamari, scungilli and mussel salad that was absolutely the best seafood salad I've ever eaten. But both dishes were quickly forgotten when we were brought a course of prosciutto and the freshest cheese you will ever have-- Absolutely amazing! I did not want that course to end!
The salad was simple-- fresh greens, blood oranges, pears, grapes and a nice sharp shredded cheese-- lightly dressed-- delicious and healthy, and the perfect bridge from the starters to dinner. We also had the crisp sauteed artichoke appetizer and it was light, and crispy, without being too greasy. In fact, all of the fried and sauteed items were light and delicious-- surprising in a world when i've had to give up most fried foods for being so grease laden that they are inedible.
Thankfully, we had just enough appetite left for dinner, because the entrees were as good as, if not better than our starters. The butterflied chicken was crispy and tasted like it was grilled over an open fire. The Dover Sole was absolutely perfect. Light. Delicious. Almost too beautiful to eat. And the homemade raviolis are not to be missed!!! Delicate sauce. Homemade pasta. Cooked Al Dente! Honestly as good as it gets.
All this was topped off with the perfect cup of espresso. The desserts werent really my thing, but who needs dessert after such an outstanding meal!? For the perfect evening, bring a long a nice couple of cigars to share with your friends, and plan on a nice long walk to digest. -
Review from Colt S.
Manhattan, NYBest Italian in the city along with Il Mulino. Every dish is incredible. Service is amazing. Very nice setting downstairs. -
Review from Elena V.
New York, NYArriving late I missed listening to the specials so just accepted a suggestion to get red snapper and then ordered the filet mignon carpaccio as an appetizer. The carpaccio was pretty mediocre for an upscale restaurant; better carpaccios at Nobu and Megu despite them not being Italian. The snapper was served simply with a boiled potato and some string beans. I was pleased to see an olive oil/parsley marinade to spoon over the fish which was perfectly acceptable but nothing out of the ordinary. The sides, such as swiss chard, are generously portioned. I also tried one of the beef dishes (a daily special), which was nicely presented with a variety of vegetables and outrageously expensive for no apparent reason (standard beef- nothing like kobe and doesn't melt in your mouth). The food is fine but dull; nothing innovative.
The service is friendly although they're a bit eager to clear plates while they're still being munched upon. The atmosphere is pretty dull although the idea of "basement" is a cozy thought. Clint Eastwood and Morgan Freeman were eating at an adjacent table; according to the waiter Clint comes in monthly and he says Johnny Depp was there last week so it seems to be a popular non-hot spot hideout for celebs.
Your classic UES Italian place, nothing more, nothing less.-
Carpaccio of Filet Mignon with Parmesan -
Daily Beef Special
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Review from Jia J.
So I know my whole thing is to call out Italian restaurants that are overpriced and overhyped. Still, I don't want to give off the wrong impression - I'll be the first in line at a $$$$ place if it's worth it. This place wasn't worth it, and I wasn't even paying. Sorry to sound like an ingrate.
Everything pointed to a top-notch experience. Walking down into this exposed-brick, below-street-level haven was like taking a trip to some strange old-school American Italy; saw lots of dons in pinstriped suits with hideous looking escorts at their tables, shuffling waiters who can recite the ever-changing daily specials by heart, and chefs busily filleting fish and grilling plate after plate of zucchini, garlic, and endives to go with each table's bread and oil. Bottles of undoubtedly pricey wine lined the walls. The air smelled thoroughly salty and herbed, and was cut by the loudness of the New York accented crowds packed in at round tables.
If you didn't feel like taking a leap of faith on a special, or trying a full order of white truffles for $180 or dover sole priced upon request (which, by the way, they'd run out of when I was there), the menu items were pretty boring...unless the idea of carpaccio (raw beef! gasp!) or escargot (omg snaillls!) is actually a mindblowing thing for you.
The octet of pasta entrees on the regular menu each had two ingredients; starch and sauce, starch and cooked vegetables, or starch and shellfish (you can forget this at a fancy restaurant, where you'll pay a bunch of money for a plate full of thick shells). Farfalle Alla Ulpia ($26.50) was what I got, just because it had FOUR components: farfalle, spinach, mascarpone, and bacon. It was the tastiest dish at the table by far, but ordinary, and lacking the intimacy and flavor dimension of what can be had at hole-in-the-wall places or ordinary people's homes. I'm sure the best ingredients were used, and cutting-edge techniques were applied to put together the dish...but what did it matter, you know?
Wait, I lied...the branzino (which was substituted for the lack of dover sole) was a life-changing experience for this seafood lover who'd never tasted it before...yet, I suspected it was the fish, and not the lemon-half with its own individual seed-straining cheesecloth cap, that was doing all the work. Sure enough, a month later, when I seared a $10, bleeding-fresh branzino with organic lemons and fresh parsley in my own pitifully pre-war kitchen, it tasted just as good.
All in all, the prices here suggest elegance and luxury, but Scalinatella is still a brick-lined basement saturated with ostentatious NJ/Vegas types who are all about conspicuous consumption. The portions were just shy of satisfying (I know this is very American of me to say, but I want to bust a gut when I eat out) and the food was consciously fancy, but not as fancy-tasting as one would think. No magic or mystery...just lots of salt, lemon, roasted veggies, olive-oil, and a presence in Upper East Manhattan dating all the way back to 1992. -
Review from Jay G.
New York, NYA superb Italian restaurant. When the waiter tells you the specials, be prepared. He will take about four to five minutes explaining everything and the actual menu is about one page. It took us about ten minutes asking the waiter about the 'specials', again....because the menu almost says nothing...very odd. Although the ravioli was great it wasn't worth $30 bucks..
I wish i could remember more about the meal, but the most I remember is the 6 foot+ tall blonde and her younger sister, complete with mom and super tall dad. They were obviously regulars, saying 'hi' to the wait staff. My friends were making fun of me because I became discombobulated. It was like seeing color for the first time...
I had to have a cold reboot.
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