Borgo Antico Italian Restaurant

How many restaurant last 11 years and still surprise you? Not many. Borgo Antico is a great find, in a city always turning very fast, borgo antico seat real easy, the owner Giovanni is extremly accomodting, I had in this place my first date, my wedding and next week the bathmitzva for my daugther. The new chef, Ivan is from Trieste, and I can describe how good the food is you have to try, my word.
the wine list is really good, with great varietal of grapes.
most of the wait staff are working there for years, they will recognize you at your second visit....bene.

Pros: party rooms, food, service

Posted 04/08/06

I try to keep up a healthy lifestyle but time barely affords me the opportunity of quality.
After a daily workout I had to meet my wife and her parents for dinner. Without making any plans I found a Nice Italian restaraunt located on 13th st in union square.
The space was calming and the staff and general atmosphere only complimented my first impression of the place. The food was perfect and service was excellent. A great time.

Pros: food, service, atmosphere

Posted 03/27/06

Owner Giovanni has been in NYC since 1995 and thinks he can treat New Yorkers with snobbery, belittling customers. The food isn't even great, it's below average. My girlfriend reserved to have her wedding party there and after Giovanni promised her the space, he decided to mention that he may have a bigger party that he would rather cater to on that same day and wouldn't be able to guarantee her anything. He said he would ship our party off to Brooklyn to his partner's restaurant 'Future' in Park Slope. We explained that we were from Manhattan and wanted to have our party in Manhattan not in Brooklyn. He laughed as he didn't care and insisted. He also doesn't listen to what his customer needs are and spends more time talking. There are dozens of better Italian restaurants with friendlier management that don't believe they are better than New Yorkers.

Posted 03/24/06

THIS is how Italian food is supposed to be! I am an Italian born and raised, moved to NY a year ago. Real Italian food does NOT have so much seasoning/condiments. The dishes prepared here are delicate and balanced, the ambience tasteful. A bit pricey, but good researched cuisine always is.

Pros: Real Italian food, ambience, location

Cons: None

Posted 03/07/06

The ambiance of this restaurant makes you feel like you've arrived in heaven and you never want to leave. Intimate dinner upstairs, dessert on the sidewalk as you take in all the nuisance of New York City living are experiences that give a feeling you are doing much more than just dining out. Here's where feeling special becomes something a little bit more erotic or at least an experience like no other.

Pros: great food, great ambiance, sexy food

Posted 01/26/06

I went here with 4 friends for a birthday dinner, we were late for our reservation but the host was great, very understanding and friendly. However, our waiter was much less friendly...we kept having to ask to have our orders taken and he was rude when all of us did not order 3 courses (we did however have 2 bottles of wine and dessert). We were a young crowd and he was obviously annoyed that we were not going to be ordering the most expensive items (although our bill was $200). He took forever to offer us coffee and dessert and then took forever to give us the bill. The food was excellent (a little pricey for what you get), but this waiter definitely put a damper on the evening. Go for good food and pleasant atmosphere, not the wait staff.

Pros: host, food

Cons: waiter, $$

Posted 01/22/06

terrible for parties, atrocious service, do not patronize this restaurant!

Posted 12/04/05

With "so called italian" restaurants opening (and closing) in nyc, anyone who is intended to open a new restaurant in the city should go to borgo antico and take note about how a genuine italian restaurant should really be.the menu, the "classic italian fares", to the attentive service and joyful feeling you get from the moment you step in, to the moment you have to leave even though you don't ever want to.
Kudos to the owner giovanni iovine and the waiting staff to make me feel at home!!
11 years still rolling....
p.s. also hot futura in park slope alsoo wned by the iovine's.

Pros: wine list, food, service

Posted 11/16/05

walking around union square looking for a good and inexpensive place to eat when a friend suggested this very accomodating with real italian food restaurant called "'Borgo Antico', old village in italian. It got me by surprise, or better saying by my love for a good and autentic italian cuisine.
Now, more than ever, I know how much I want to go back to Italy. Untill then I will became a regular at Borgo Antico.

Pros: food, decor, service

Posted 11/15/05

i came across this restaurant from some reviewers here on citysearch. i'm so glad i did. me and a couple of friends all enjoyed our meal. the service there was excellent. the waitstaff kept on coming back asking if we need anything. very attentive. portions were perfect. not too big nor too small. i would highly recommend everyone to come here and have some authentic italian food.

Pros: very attentive staff, ambiance, food

Posted 11/15/05

took my father and auncle to the restaurant on mild fall eve,for a great Italian food. based on the great recommendations from this site. I highly raccomand this restaurant and to your friends and family what NYC Italian restaurants has to offer. the best.All that wonderful food and wine. So wonderful!!!!

Pros: food, people, service

Posted 11/15/05

The food is awesome, and though I have read some bad reviews on this site inthe past,
I have to say that I had a great time here with friends last weekend, and the service was prompt and professional. All of our questions about the food were answered politely, and when the food came it was all incredibly rich and tasty!
Great dinner, great wine list with reasonable prices, and basically an awesome place to start going regularly.
Thanks!!!

Posted 11/14/05

All the good reviews that you can read are written by the owner or friends...this place is just horrible in every way...food, service, ambience, etc.
Dont waist your time and money!!!

Posted 11/09/05

Going to Borgo Antico its more than dinner e. The food its excellent and superb ., service is polite and effective .The ambiance seems like Fellini movie .Romantic and charmy !!!!

Pros: great food, great ambiance, great service

Cons: great, great, great

Posted 08/07/05

This is the place where I meet with my friends after work. The calming atmosphere let you forget that "this was the bad day" feeling and the food is just delitious you can go as many times and always try something different. The servers are very atentive and always willing to sugest a good dish and the vine to go with it. And the desserts are so good that you dont know which one to order so you order couple for the table.

Posted 07/28/05

this is where i go to eat real italian food. whenever i have guests from out of town, i bring them here for saturday lunch. at nights it gets pretty busy. lunch is your best bet if you don't have reservations. their gnocchi is fantastic. great italian wines. fantastic restaurant, a great place for dates and a couple of good friends. casual and comfortable.

Posted 07/26/05

With so many new "so called italian" restaurants opening (and closing) daily in nyc, anyone who is intended to open a new spot in the city should go to borgo antico and take note about how a genuine italian restaurant should really be. From the menu, a big step forward from the "classic italian fares", to the attentive service and joyful feeling you get from the moment you step in, to the moment you have to leave even though you don't ever want to.
Kudos to the owner and the waiting staff to make me feel at home!!

Pros: delicious food, reasonable prices, friendly staff

Cons: none, none, none

Posted 07/25/05

This was THE worst dining experience in my life. Our server was so blatantly rude, belligerent and condescending on several occasions that I personally felt abused. For instance, when my friend politely explained that her dish was really salty, she grudgingly took the dish from the table and then came back to tell us that she tasted the dish in the kitchen and didn't know what my friend was talking about as it wasn't salty at all. Soon after, as my friend was quickly trying to decide on an alternative dish, our server stated, "I don't care what you decide." I would never take the time to write a review unless I felt really strongly about my experience and this experience was despicable.

Posted 07/23/05

Just one block south of Union Square you will find Borgo Antico, a charming Village Italian that offers authentic dishes, artfully prepared by Chef Giuliano Matarese and graciously served by owner Giovanni Iovine and his staff. My table started with the mussels, scallops and Insalata del Borgo (organic greens, artichokes and parmesan), and then finished with the Pappardelle Porcini (wide ribbons, porcini mushroom & truffle oil), the salmon and Polipetti alla Luciana (baby octopus, capers-olive-tomato sauce, grilled polenta). However, decision-making wasnt easy, as everything sounded delicious.

Big plus: Our waiter helped us choose a bottle of wine from their large selection that would complement all three dishes. Too full to order dessert, we declined the offer but were immediately surprised with a plate of cookies and dish of homemade ice cream. Borgo Antico's generous service and savory dishes make for a satisfying summer evening in the city.

Pros: food, decor, service

Posted 07/07/05

this antic italian place is the best to take your lover and friends. interior and music is romantic and nice to chill. the owner and waiters are very friendly, i could see they try thier best to make customers confortable. they are also very flexible for your request (foods, drinks, and even music). we had full course, from apetizer to desert, everything was delicious. i would like to have dinner there at least once a week with my friends.

Pros: food, decor, service

Posted 05/27/05

Dining at Borgo Antico was the one of the best out-of-the room activities my wife and I had on our short Honeymoon in the Capital Town Of The World. We were lucky to found this restaurant close to our hotel. We did not have a lot of time to search around. But what we found was amazing. Nice, cozy, and romantic place with very friendly vibe. We got table on the second floor next to window. Great table. Waiter who took care of us was on the ball. Easy going and not pretentious. We left up to him to decide our diner and he made our evening. Everything he choose was perfect. Fist course, second, third...desert, wine...Just what we were looking for. People, they know pasta. Next trip to NY and we'll be there again.

Pros: Great food, Great service, Reasonable price

Posted 05/23/05

Over much deliberation for the right place I decided to celebrate my birthday party with a big group of friends and family at Borgio Antico because the owner himself called me concerning the cake I had wanted to bring. What a waste of time and money. The service was not hit or miss. It just simply did not exsist. My party was ignored the entire time. We waited an hour and forty five minutes before any food was served. It was very hot and stuffy as there was no air condition or fan to cool folks off. During dinner I kept thinking of different restaurants in New York City I could have went to instead of Borgio Antico. Looks can be decieving. Please do not waste your time McDonalds has better service.

Posted 05/21/05

A great place to celebrate with friends anytime. Food is delicious and not too expensive, great value for the quality. Service is attentive and friendly. You just can't go wrong here!

Pros: Food, Service, Decor

Posted 11/09/04

The menu is basically classic Italian, prepared with care and imaginationl the chef preserves the individuality of his ingredients, always delivering a treat to the palate. The downstairs bar is pleasant, but the upstairs main dining room is special: a large, tall room, with brick walls ornamented with spaced wooden pilasters--an effect both rustic and elegant. Service is polite and expeditious.

Pros: superb food, spacious, quiet space, fine service

Posted 09/27/04

Down the steps to Borgo Antico is an entry to a wonderful experience. The staff is friendly, knowledgable and efficient. The wine list is well selected and provides a range of offerings with fair pricing. Dining downstairs allows for a more relaxed environment with the same great food.

Pros: interesting menu choi, wine list, atmosphere

Posted 05/30/04

My husband and I eart here when we have a moment of freedom from our five-year-old. The food and the service are impeccable. You must try them.

Pros: Great Food, Good Value, Nice Atmosphere

Posted 07/22/02