Palma

I have been dining at Palma since it's opening in 2001. I am happy to say that I consider it one of my top 5 "regular" places to go when I want a meal that I know will be exactly what I am in the mood for. Although there have been some evenings, when it is crowded, the service may be somewhat delayed but I have never experienced any one being outwardly rude. The calamari is some of the best I have eaten anywhere, the zuppa fragrant and so fun to eat! Fresh branzino and some very fine specials created by Chef Elena that I have never found anywhere else. Eating in the garden in the summer is so delightful, at lunchtime I just want to stay for hours! My only gripe is that I wish they would bring back the "di mare", a dish with assorted grilled seafood - clams, mussels, calamari, shrimp, lobster - I miss it!! I always enjoy the cuisine here and will continue to dine here year round!

First of all, Cornelia Street is one of the best streets in NYC, right in the middle of the West Village, so quaint! Second, Palma is on this street and it is truly a "find"! My friend introduced me to this restaurant because she rented the back "house" portion of the restaurant for a private birthday dinner. The food was excellent. Lots of seafood on the menu with fresh pastas. Great wine and the whole ambience made you feel like you in were in a rustic home in Italy. Fabulous!

Pros: Cute, Quaint

We had our wedding dinner in the carriage house and couldn't have asked for a more intimate and romantic dining experience. The food was unique and very tasteful. The wine was excellent and the service was superior! An unexpected was the cake, hands down, the wedding cake was the best cake I have ever tasted period. It will most certainly be a destination every trip to New York!

Pros: Atmosphere, food, service,
Cons: none

Interesting to see two such sharply divided opinions about this place. While one group has been treated horribly, the other has had wonderful times there. Sadly, were in the former. We live nearby, and were hoping to make this one of our haunts, because admittedly the food is very good. Were very patient, and have a high tolerance for the occasional restaurant snafu when things get busy. We always make an effort to be pleasant, because we feel that human interaction is an enjoyable part of the dining experience. We gave Palma a couple of tries in the hope that their rudeness was just a glitch. For some reason, the staff behaved each time as if they preferred we drop dead. Each of the negative reviews reflect some aspect of our treatment there, including being ignored, lied to about reservations, and treated with such cold disdain, I wondered if I had forgotten to shower. We had been planning to book their house in the back for our daughters wedding party, but that became unthinkable. Too bad. Im going to miss that calamari.

Pros: Good Food
Cons: Horrible Service. Have never been so badly treated in any restaurant

As a resident of the West Village and someone who likes to cook I have the choice to dine in a lot of restaurants and know good food. After two visits to Palma I can't wait for my next visit. Arriving on a busy summer Saurday evening we were warmly welcomed and enjoyed fabulous strawberry mojitos at the lovely bar while we waited for a table in the enchanting garden. Before we finished our drinks we were escorted to our table. We chose from an abundant and interesting menu. Both the calamari and grilled baby artichoke stuffed with ricotta were perfect starters. Crispy, succulent and pefectly prepared. Not to mention unbelieveably generous portions. For our second course we shared an unusual lamb ravioli with a very noteworthy spicy, plump marinara sauce. We shared a superbly prepared swordfish in caper and lemon sauce. Our waitress was delightful and very pleased to hear our comments about recipe experiences. The charming host stopped by the table periodically to see how we were doing. In spite of how busy the restaurant was we were never rushed and when we left the staff including the chef bid us goodbye as though we were family. Eating at Palma feels like being in an Italian country home surrounded by happy people in a sparkling courtyard, intimate, festive and absolutely delicious.

Pros: Excellent cuisine in sparkling intimate atmosphere
Cons: Festive dining can be a little noisy...not for intimate conversation on a Saturday night.