Sotto Cinque

So I went to Sotto Cinque for Mother's Day. The food: The garlic bread was delicious, but the bread the restaurant put on the table was cold and hard, and the steak I asked to be medium-well was given to me medium-rare. But, the entrees were great overall.

Drinks: I asked for 5 wines, and was told by the waiter that he ran out of all 5, so I gave up on my pursuit for a nice wine and asked for a cocktail. My brother had a bay breeze and to our dismay, the bartender did not know how to make one. In addition, the long islands which I wanted with apple pucker instead of coke tasted more like a martini with cheap liquor.

Service: The waiter I had was a man who did not make us feel as welcomed as we had hoped on Mother's Day. He had bad timing, as before we sat down to look at the menu he was already asking us what we wanted to eat. In the beginning he came back often even though everyone was still looking at the menus. When all menus were put down and we knew what we wanted, getting him to come back to the table was like pulling teeth. Needless to say, I did not like our waiter.

Decor: the ambience was warm and cozy, a plus.

Pros: Great food, nice decor

Cons: Poor service, lousy drinks

Posted 05/11/09

i was told about this place the food the service and of course the price can not bet and i have to tell u people my friends were not wrong at all, and the bartender is great so helpfull with everything he made me the best shot i ever had. we had a great time at this place with great service and Nelson the bartender always there to help you. i love him and this place. you have to try this place out

Posted 12/07/08

I recently visited this restaurant based on a friend?s recommendation & I have to say I'm for ever pleased. The management and staff are welcoming and professional. The food is excellent with a price range to cater to every budget. The wine list is extremely impressive and the ambiance is both family friendly and yet jazzy for the mature after work crowd.

Pros: Food and price

Cons: None

Posted 11/03/08

I decided to try this place because of the excellent reviews. Unfortunately, the food was mediocre at best. The arugula salad was overdressed with too much lemon juice, making for a mouth-puckering appetizer. The zucchini risotto was just awful--runny and relatively flavorless sauce and the risotto itself did not have the right texture at all.

Pros: Nice ambience, friendly staff

Cons: Dissappointing food

Posted 08/21/08

If you like good food and reasonable prices, this is yor place. I have always had a great experience and food is such a delight. Then staff is always pleasant and the owner is always walking around to help the guest. if you have not tried Soto, make it your next stop. It will become a place you visit regularly!!

Posted 04/16/08

I am, in all honesty, not the type of guy who likes Italian food... In fact, I didn't even WANT to go to this restaurant, but I listened to my brother-in-law, a man who does, quite certainly, enjoy Italian food-- Anyway, we, and by we, I mean my wife, daughter (14 months old), father-in-law, mother-in-law, and both brothers-in-law ate here and absolutely enjoyed the food. I ate the tortellini abiatta (excuse my spelling) and loved it-- My daugther, the 14 month old, thoroughly enjoyed my dinner and her mother's. The waiter even brought my daughter a plate of steamed broccoli (which she enjoyed)! My brother-in-law (the one who KNOWS Italian food) ordered "Casa"... It was beyond tasty. Take his word for it because he knows Italian food (and yes, he HAS been to Italy): The food is exquisite! So.. Why am I reccommending this restaurant? I recommend this restaurant because I like good restaurants, and THIS is a good restaurant. Eat here and tell them the Kirks/Murrys from California sent ya! Capiche?

Pros: Great service, food, wine, and ambience!

Cons: I live in California, but this restaurant is in Manhattan!

Posted 03/17/08

Wow, I totally disagree with the last review.. this is one of the best places on the UES. The menu is not complicated and not too long. Jasmine is a wonderful server unless someone is overtly rude to her and this last review the person sounds really bitter and mean.. "bar full of alcoholics and losers"... nice. How can it be over priced, they have pasta items for $6.00, and it is so delicious! Sotto is a great place filled with nice people, good wine and excellent service. I am sorry the last person seems so upset, but telling from their tone they probably are miserable with everything in life. Try Sotto, you will love!!!

Pros: Excellent food, wine, service and crowd

Cons: None

Posted 03/17/08

sotto cinque is for lossers and alcoholics, the food is over priced and the menu has over 100 items (when they handed me the menu as i was being sat i thought they were handeing me a bible to read!) Way to many items. The wine list mediocre at best. and the service well lets just say our server whos name start with a "J", (who appears on the video) wondered about the restaurant aimlessly will we waive for her attention (SHE NEEDS TO BE ATTENTATIVE ) totally ignored us until the floor manager atended to us with a great big smile! which by the way saved dinner for us because up until then we had had a horrible night under the supervision of "J". I did not catch the managers name but she is doing a wonderful job acomodating her clients maybe her staff members can learn from her! with the exception of the manager everything else was horrible the owners or owner should rely hire compatente skill people and review the bible sized menu.

Pros: management

Cons: staff members

Posted 03/03/08

Finally a place where you can dine without having to go into debt. The staff is friendly and professional. The owner adds to the attitude of this place, hip, stylish and classy. There are not too many places left in the city that has a family friendly attitude and still comes off as the hang out spot for the after work crowd. The food is fantastic the drinks are strong & the smiles are plentiful. This is a place that should be considered by all.

Posted 02/23/08

Everything about this place is great. You may get a warm welcome from Vince the owner or Nelson might pour you a great glass of wine. You may decide to sit and eat at the bar with all the regulars where you are sure to get great conversation and make a new friend. Or you can eat in the dining area with the low lights and candle light to have one of the best meals on the UES. Highly recommend this place.

Pros: Great wine, great food, great ambience!!!!!!

Posted 02/15/08

Stumbled into this place on a thursday night, it was great. The place is beautiful inside, you would never think so from just passing by. The staff was great, they seated me promptly. The food is spectacular! The best Italian food I've had in a long time. They're wine list is amazing, they have all selections. I will definitely come back here again. Best of all, for the place it is, the prices are affordable. I will either come in or order from this place anytime. They have the best Penne a la Vodka I've ever had.

Pros: Best ambiance and great prices!!

Cons: None

Posted 02/10/08

My girlfriend and I passed by this place once after seeing it on Citysearch. I'm glad it has a video now. I took my girlfriend here on a Friday night. This place has a great romantic ambiance, dim lights, very nice staff but best of all, the best Italian food ever. The food is amazing and very tasty. I had the Raviloli and she had the amazing Penne a la Vodka. They have a great wine list and the prices are not bad at all. We hung out at the sports bar towards the front. They have a huge flat screen tv perfect to watch football or boxing. We had a great time here. Then they moved us to a table. Sotto Cinque made me love Italian food even more. This is going to be the "friday" night spot.

Pros: Best Italian food, best wine list, nice romantic ambiance

Cons: None that I can think of

Posted 02/10/08

I love this place.
One day walking around 86st we were looking for a nice restaurant to go to(back when they were located on 2nd ave) and we stumbled upon Sotto Cinque. I have been here several times. My boyfriend and I have made this one of our designated 'spots' to go to whenever we want to go grab some Italian. The prices are great, the food is delicious and the service is great! I highly recommend. I love the wonderful romantic setting, dim lights very chic.

Pros: Food is excellent and so its the service.

Posted 02/09/08

My boyfriend and I decided to go there on a friday night after work and after searching for listings on Citysearch. We sat at the bar before getting to the table to have a glass of their house Pinot Nior Wine! It was delicious and then we had an appetizer and that was also delicious. Then we moved over to the table and ordered more food. I had the Seafood Ravioli...it was amazing. My boyfriend had Penne a la Vodka...that too was delicious. They served the best Italian food, the service was excellent, and the wine was great. The prices are affordable. I really recommend this place, they take good care of you there!! I will keep going to Sotto Cinque; its the perfect place for happy hour, watching games, and eating great authentic Italian food!!

Pros: Great Italian Food, Great Prices, Great Wine, Fantastic Ambiance

Cons: None that I can think of

Posted 01/31/08

Best prices in the neighborhood...quality food. You are seated quickly and no need for reservations.

Pros: Cheap prices, good food

Posted 11/02/06

We've been here a lot with the kids and it's perfect for that. The service is not overly warm but definitely nice and efficient. The garden out back is nice in good weather.

Pros: garden, inexpensive

Posted 11/28/05

On an early weekday night when the budget is low. Also great for sitting outside on the UpperEast side on a random Tue. night

Posted 05/24/05

LAST TIME I WAS THERE WAS 2 WEEKS AGO,BROUGHT A DATE, HAD A GREAT TIME IN THE BACK YARD, VERY ROMANTIC & QUIET (COULD USE SOME MUSIC), PRICES VERY REASONABLE EVEN AFTER THEY RAISED IT STILL WORTH IT, SERVICE WAS GOOD, FOOD TOOK A LITTLE BIT LONG, (I GUESS IT WAS A BUSY NIGHT), BUT THE SERVER WAS FAST ENOUGH TO SEND US FREE BRUSCHETTA, GREAT JOB, SMILY FACES, JUST WHAT THE UES NEED.

Pros: SERVICE, ATMOSPHERE, FOOD

Cons: MUSIC, FOOD TIMING

Posted 05/17/05

Whenever I want to go out for dinner but can't afford an expensive meal I go here. It is a better alternative to McDonald's.

Pros: Cheap, Good Italian, Fast Service

Posted 08/13/03

The food is very good for the low price and the wait staff is very nice, but sometimes the service is very slow. Last time I went it took about 20-30 minutes to get our appetizer. The gnocchi is delicious!

Posted 01/31/03

There's a selection of $4.95 pastas on the menu, and with the bread basket you can indeed fill up. But the appetizers and specials are priced reasonably as well, the dining room is quaint, the backyard is pretty. Get the value even higher by buying a restaurant.com gift certificate on ebay.

Pros: Inexpensive, Nice ambiance

Posted 10/30/02