Il Brigante

We live in the neighborhood and have seen the place before, so we finally stopped it because it looks nice--exposed brick, open oven, nice atmosphere. We ordered an appetizer and our entrees. They brought us our drinks, bread, and salad in a timely manner.

In the midst of finishing the salad, our waiter asked if we would move tables so that the restaurant could accommodate a large group of 10, 4 adults and 6 children. The table they offered us in its place was right next to the door, so we declined. The only other table they had to offer us was next to a man with his daughter who had been crying the whole time we'd been there, so we declined that table as well. They kept saying that the man with his daughter was about to leave as they had paid their bill, but the waiter cleared us up from our table before they had a different table set up for us so we had to stand around for awhile. After they finally got us a table, we were feeling pretty annoyed so we decided we'd rather pay for the appetizer and just leave. The manager came over and tried to talk us out of it, but we kept insisting we wanted to leave, so she basically held us there until our entrees came out and then said, oh well your food's here already, and then walked away. The waiter said he would offer us free desert or a glass of wine, but we don't drink and a $5 tiramisu isn't adequate compensation for moving people who have already started their meal. I pointed that out to them as well as that the large group they let in were clearly tourists whereas we lived in the neighborhood and would likely have come back if the service hadn't been so poor. The manager then brought us the menu and said we could order anything on it on the house (I wonder if we could have ordered a steak to go?), so we finally just told her to take one of our entrees off the bill but that we would pay for the appetizer and the other entree. When she brought us the bill, she had taken off the appetizer and left both entrees on the bill. We just paid it so we could get out of there because we were so annoyed and weren't able to enjoy our meals, though the food itself was fine.

I should also mention that though they seated the 6 kids, after a few minutes, the kids decided to go outside and play football, so restaurant didn't even end up needing our table.

Pros: Good location, decor

Cons: Poor service, poor management

Posted 09/25/09

I love SEaport area on a nice sunny day. Last Saturday I found another jewelry hidden - beautiful italian rustic trattoria with a brick oven for pizza lovers. I am not a pizza fun, but it was just amazing-thin crust, crispy with fresh rucola and best prosciutto i've tried. And spaghetti carbonara was just perfect,

I love the seaport area and last Saturday I found a hidden jewel behind Fulton street.good food and service but the pizza was the highlight . Delicious well cooked but simply delicious. A nice joint with real Italians!!!

Pros: Example: best croissants in town

Cons: What are the drawbacks?

Posted 04/05/09

We just moved to the Seaport area so are busy sampling the local bars and restaurants. This is tricky because the seaport area has a mix of good places (which tend to be the older places, there for some time and off the main tourist drag), so-so places (if you see Wall St types inside, they are probably past their prime) and bad (the ones who cater to the one-time-only visitor never expected to return.

We tried Il Brigante unsure of what to expect, since it looks a bit touristy from the outside. Having lives in Little Italy, Chelsea and the UES, I know my NY Italian restaurants and this one is definitely better than average. The decor is a bit kitsch - like it's trying to look Italian but just looking kitsch, but the ambiance is actually quite cozy (mostly in a good way, but tables are VERY close together too). Most important of all, the food is surprisingly good - we ordered a mix of appetizers for the table, which were quickly and appreciatively devoured. Main courses were great too - pasta was perfectly cooked, with a great sauce. Dining companions all seemed to rellish their food too, and pretty much everything in front of us was soon eaten.

I would definitely recommend this place. It's not THE best Italian in NY, but it's one of the better ones I have eaten at and I will definitely make it a staple in my new neighborhood scene.

Pros: Surprisingly good Italian with good ambiance

Cons: a bit cramped

Posted 03/25/09

I just moved to the neighborhood and came in the other night to get a pizza. It was cozy, I sat by the oven. My boyfriend and I got these delicioius fried meatballs called polpeti, the meats and cheeses plate, and then we got the vegetable pizza and one with prosciutto and arugula. They were amazing, really the best part of the meal.... I will definitely be ordering from here all the time. Plus we got this almond paste dessert which was wierd and delicious at the same time. So glad I discovered authentic italian in the neighborhood!

Posted 03/24/09

By far, the finest Italian food I've had in a long time. Try the egplant dish and a cannoli for dessert. Its to die for. The atmosphere is also really nice. I give this place 5 stars!!

Posted 03/08/09

So sad to encounter such blah pizza. No taste. I had to douse it in salt to get any flavor. I had the same experience when it first opened and hoped it was a fluke. Nope. I'm resentful enough to sign up to this site to share how underwhelmed I was. The price points were several dollars too high for what the place is and then the quality blew. Go to Rays and save $70

Posted 11/03/08

I was at il Brigante two days ago for dinner with three friends. We didn't like the decor, quite tacky, but we hoped the food was decent. Unfortunately it was not. Pizza was ok but expensive and so is the wine. Cheap mozzarella and cheap ingredients in most of the dishes we tried, from pastas to fish. Service is inattentive and the atmosphere quite sad. Overall a bad experience.

Posted 10/02/08

Seriousy the best pasta bolognese in the city! Always consistent great food, I eat here at least once a week and love it!

Posted 09/09/08

My husband, daughter and myself decided to try Il Brigante. We went on Easter Sunday night. I ordered the lamb shank and when it was brought over to the table the owner Vin ran over and asked me if it had enough gravy. I said it did but he insisted that I try it "his" way. He brought over a gravy boat and told me to cut small pieces of the lamb and dip it in the gravy. He was right. It was delicious!! Our server was very attentive and knowlegeable about the menu. My husband is Italian and born and raised in Little Italy, he ordered a pasta dish and raved about it. Our daughter enjoyed her saltimbocca entree as well. We ordered desert (to die for) and Vin sent over a complimentary desert, it was like a reverse cream puff. All in all we had a wonderful dining experience and are anxious to go back and try the wood burning oven pizzas as well.

Pros: warm atmosphere, delicious food, wonderful staff, attentive owner

Cons: limited menu

Posted 03/28/08

Eat at your own risk, service was terrible, as was the bruschetta. We returned the bruschetta because it was half onion and it still appeared on the bill...go figure. I would stick to the pastas!

Posted 01/20/08

My initial solo visit wasn't as good as I'd hoped, but since then I've returned on several occasions with my husband and friends and we all really enjoy Il Brigante. (My husband & I even trek over from Battery Park City when the weather's nice.) The food is excellent - I'm especially fond of the ravioli that "chokletice" dissed. The carbonara is excellent also. The place is small, but that's part of what makes it so charming. We've always had pleasant (if sometimes overly-enthusiastic), prompt service and the prices are manageable. We hope Il Brigante is around for quite a while.

Pros: Delicious food, nice block of Front Street

Cons: Seating's a little tight - hope your neighbors aren't loud

Posted 08/13/07

Co-workers and i decided to try this restaurant for lunch. Big mistake! We waited over a half hour for our food to arrive- we ordered pizza. It seemed that our order was never placed by our waiter, and when the waiter realized the error, he reacted by avoiding our table and making eye contact, as did the rest of the staff- including the "manager". When we questioned the wait, the waiter blamed us for ordering pizza during lunch! When the pizza arrived, it was fine, but over an hour to eat pizza for lunch is not worth it. Since there are plenty of other restaurants in the area, we won't be returning.

Cons: terrible staff

Posted 07/20/07

I have been here a few times with my boyfriend and we always have a nice dinner. The place is small, never too crowded and there is plenty of attention given by the waitstaff. Also, the food is always very good. Is it the best? No, but it is local and better than all of the surrounding seaport alternatives.

Pros: Ambience, Food, Location

Cons: None

Posted 07/18/07

My boyfriend and I went to this restaurant and had really high hopes that this would be a great neighborhood restaurant. We were greatly disappointed! The decor is rather tacky and the food was poorly executed. I ordered the ravioli (which the claim to be homemade) in a butter-sage sauce, which arrived completely undercooked and flavorless. My boyfriend's pasta was pretty good, but nothing to rave about. For New Yorkers who know good Italian food, this place is not going to cut it!

Pros: Wine

Cons: Food

Posted 07/15/07

My husband & I gave this place a second chance. However, just as the first time, the food was tasteless and the service-poor. We ordered the antipasto platter & some of the listed foods on the menu which should have came in the platter-such as certain cheeses - was forgotten- as so in the eggplant parmigiana- they forgot the mozzarella. The pizza was truly disappointing- though the crust was crisp, again, it didn't have any taste. We love pizza - our favorite being patsy's in harlem, but we hoped that the food here would be just as good as the charm of the place, sadly to say, not so.

Pros: charming place

Cons: food and service

Posted 05/01/07

My husband and I went to Il Brigante last night and
had a lovely evening. The space was charming and
intimate, the atmosphere calm and relaxed. We found
the service to be excellent - all our needs were met
before we could even anticipate them. Our waitress
was warm and genuine while still allowing us privacy.
The food was just perfect - clean, fresh flavors from
the salads to the eggplant appetizer to the brick-oven pizzas (my
margerita pizza could not have been better). The
desserts were also fabulous. The cannolli's were
excellent, creamy and fresh, but my absolute favorite
was an almond paste sicillian dessert, whose name I
can't remember right now - something I've never
encountered before despite my many Italian food
outings. We had a lovely, intimate night - we'll
definitely be back soon.

Pros: excellent food, professional smooth service, warm, inviting ambiance

Cons: none

Posted 04/28/07

I wish I could tell you about the food here, but unfortunately my girlfriend and I did not get the chance to order. We were promptly seated and given menus. The waitress then came over about ten seconds later all ready to take our food orders. We told her that we needed a minute and that was the last we saw of her. Forty minutes later - after she had taken orders for numerous tables seated after us - we got up to leave. She reappeared and asked "how are you guys doing over here?" as we were putting on our jackets. "The menus tasted great," I wanted to say.

Not only did she ignore us for the better part of an hour, she doted on the two men at the table next to us: laughing it up, flirting, getting them new wine glasses because "these are too small." These two guys sat down ten minutes after we did and had already gotten a bottle of wine before the busboy brought my girlfriend and i our water (at the 20 minute mark). It was all rather infuriating.

And if that wasn't enough, she was constantly pushing my girlfriend's chair out of the way to get by. There was no, "Excuse me," no "Can I just sneak by you," none of that. She would just slam into the chair and push it over a few inches while my girlfriend and I sat there in total shock at the lack of professionalism in this place.

I was very excited to try the food here since downtown doesn't have too many restaurants worth visiting, but the service was just s atrocious that I will never go back and I recommend that you do not either. And if you're wondering why this is my only review, it is because the service was so bad I flt it necessary to make a citysearch account to warn people about it.

Pros: none

Cons: terrible service

Posted 04/14/07

I came in on a Friday night with my boyfriend to grab a pie, but what I got was a lovely romantic dinner. We were greeted in Italian by the owner who instantly made us feel welcome, ushering us to out seats. He recommended a thin crust pizza with mushrooms, king prawns, and the swordfish special, which was out of this world! The wine our waitress recommended was a perfect. Throughout the dinner we were made to feel that we were guests in the owner's home. Wonderful service and food. A must!!!

Posted 03/27/07

i am so thrilled to see a terrific new cozt place to have nice meals in this area. for years all the restaurants catered only to tourists and this place was a breath of fresh air. the owner / manager greeted us when we arrived (table of 5 with no reservations!) . italian pop music playing, the fire was visible in the wood burning oven, and the place was busy. overall the atmosphere was great. the exposed brick wall was very charming and i could see this as a great place on a cold winter night for a cozy date. the wine recomended by the waiter was great. dont remember the name, but he let us taste it before we ordered the bottle. pizza was superb, thin, crispy, and delicious. we orders a big variety, the fish, veal milanese, calimari, cesear salad, and a seafood pasta. no complaints from anyone. we devoured the food. deserts were great and they had an unusual house desert which was baked in the pizza oven with choclate spread and pine nuts. dont remember the name, but order it, you will love it! capuchino's and espressos were also perfect. cant wait to return. hope they will have out door seating in the summer as it is a beautiful block to enjjoy the sights and sounds.

Pros: great food, good prices, great service

Cons: none

Posted 03/26/07

BEST PIZZA EVER!!! The location is great, the owner is friendly and nice, the service is great. Oh, by the way, the price is very very reasonable too. I went to Brigante last week, and boy I had a great time there. I went with three friends, we ordered pizza, appetizers, salads, sea food dishes, wine, and desserts. Oh my God, we had such a great time, and to our surprize, the price was much lower than we expected. I will recommend to everyone, and I will definately go back soon--Maybe this weekend. OVERALL: EXCELLENT!!!

Pros: food, atmosphere, service, price, and location.

Cons: I am hooked with the place.

Posted 03/26/07

Il Brigante is a warm inviting restaurant with delectable regional dishes from Italy. The service is superb and the owner manages it as though he were hosting a dinner in his own house. It's impossible to leave without having had a chat with him. The salads are delicious as are all the antipasti dishes. The fish is extraordinary and the pastas have unusual regional twists. Dessert is a real surprise which is ovenbaked right on the premises. And to top it off, the price is pleasantly affordable. In the background, you will hear beautiful Italian music (not the stereotypical kind) and you'll be surrounded by a very rustic decor which is very pleasing to the eyes. The restaurant also has a great selection of Italian wines by the glass and bottle. If you want a real treat, you should go to Il Brigante. You'll be sure to go there again and again! It truly feels as though you are in Italy

Pros: Food, Service, Ambience, Value, Pizza, Desserts, Wines

Cons: Parking may be a problem if you don't want to put it in a lot

Posted 03/26/07

The menu at this new Italian restaurant is wonderful, the fish was good, the pasta dishes were varied and the pizza comes straight from the oven just like Italy. The service was friendly, and at the same time not overly aggressive. There was a nice mix of people there on the Tuesday night that I went, overall a great atmosphere and fantastic food. I can't wait to go again.

Pros: Many dishes to chose from, all very italian, but different and fresh compared to what I am used to seeing.

Cons: Can't think of any!

Posted 03/26/07

1. we were seated and given menu's asked did we want to drink "New Yorks Finest" (the water)
2.) Our obviously inexperienced waitress with an attitude didn't bother to ask us if we wanted drinks so we had to ask another employee.
3. they only had one type of beer, amstel light, they were out of peroni
3.) She left in the middle of taking our order only to pawn off another discarded meal from the table next to us...
4.) we waited a long time for appetizers and finally when they came(one of which was a caprese salad) the entrees came with them.
4.) when the appetizers came out at the same time as our entrees and our waitresses response was "our brick oven doesn't talk our kitchen"
5.)when she came out with the last entree, the plate was too hot and she continued to walk closer to us sayin"ow,ow,ow.ow and spilled scalding hot pasta on my aunt and I.
6. nobody apologised or asked if we where o.k.
7.my jeans were stained and my aunts shoes where stained. their only action was to move us to another table.
8. when at he next table the same wiaitress brought us new water and spilled it on our pizza.
9. At this stage she said"i burned my hand and im shaky"
10. I told her"listen why dont you go in the back and look after yourself"
11.then the bill came, we had a 4 year old who had pasta with butter which wasn't on the menu and they charged us $9
and also charged us for everything we ordered, not one dime of a discount until we called over a manager and where told he is on a brake.
12. I dont know if they wanted us to come back, which is a shame, we live near, loved the food and want to give it another go.
A new restaurant should still have experienced people working and high standards for customer service and retention.

Pros: food

Cons: wait staff and inexperienced management

Posted 03/25/07

Awesome new restaurant; everything we have tried has been divine; one suggestion is printed wine list rather than the wait staff trying to repeat everything they have available

Pros: food; atmosphere; owner on premises

Cons: no printed wine list

Posted 03/19/07