Fagiolini

this is a classic Italian trattoria...perfect for when you are looking for honest, unpretentious food and value. It is also quite cute and the staff is friendly. Great location...2 blocks from Grand Central Terminal.

Pros: tasty, honest italian food

Cons: can be a bit noisy

Posted 05/14/09

This is my favorite neighboorhood restaurant for over 25 years. And we Murray Hill people are quite tough! The food is amazingly consistent and the atmosphere is warm and unpretentious.

Don't let the red checkered tablecloths and low prices fool you...these chefs know what they are doing! Try the Fusilli with Radicchio & Sausage...never had it anywhere else. Amazing.

Old school...but very comforting.

Pros: Friendly Service, Great Food, Low Prices, Nice Ambience

Cons: Usually pretty busy

Posted 04/16/09

The best Spaghetti I have ever had in my life. This place is worth the trip and its also a great date place. The food prices are reasonable but beware of the wine list. The wine list is huge but the prices are very high.

Posted 02/25/09

Although the food is ok and well priced I will never eat there again based on the service. Our appetizers arrived cold and when we asked to have it reheated (fried mozzarella that wasnobviously sitting out for awhile as the cheese had hardened...seriously) the waiter actually sighed and had to think about it before he would. It then took 90 minutes for our entrees to arrive. The place was not crowded and he wouldnt even stop to refill our water or a glass of wine. The dinner was suppose to be a fun night out with friends for the holidays and the waiter's treatment of us really soured the evening. There are plenty of other well priced Italian eateries in Murray Hill to go to.

Pros: food priced well

Cons: terrible awful service

Posted 12/19/08

A lunch for three with strictly entrees took an hour and 20 minutes!! It was impossible to get one of the three waiters on the floor to come over to our table for water, drinks, dessert, etc. They all seemed very indifferent And although I liked the food and ambiance, I would never return to a place where I feel like I'm inconveniencing the staff.

Pros: Food, ambience

Cons: SERVICE!

Posted 11/11/08

I go here for lunch a lot with people from my office and the food has always been consistently delicious and the portions are great. This place has the best pasta in the area and they deliver quickly which is always a plus. Everyone is so nice and it feels like a big italian family once you're inside. Worth every spoonful.

Pros: delicious food, great selection, friendly staff

Cons: always busy

Posted 09/13/08

There are simply no words to describe how wrong this restaurant is. It's small, crowded, loud and the food is not great. We had to squeeze in the back and then the two people out on the "aisle" were constantly being bumped by the wait staff. The place is noisy because you are shouting to be heard.

I did think the wait staff were friendly and nice but the food was so-so after a long wait.

There is no where to wait inside so if there are people waiting for the hostess/host, they are literally standing next to the tables and the diners there seemed uncomfortable.

The packed, noisy atmosphere may have been alleviated by really great food but the food was not that great. My recommendation would be to avoid, avoid, avoid.

Pros: food is okay, harried waitstaff is friendly

Cons: small cramped noisy space

Posted 07/05/08

Nice place for lunch. Medium priced and service is good. Food is not the best I've had, but it good. But then again, Im a spoiled boy from the Bronx. I would recommend for semi-casual business meetings. However, best to keep the party small 1 - 4 persons most.

Pros: Nice warm feeling - good for casual or mid-level business lunches

Cons: None, however, if you have that Big Juicy $100MM client, think some place else.

Posted 03/30/08

This place is quite amazing. Crowded & very inexpensive. Portobello mushrooms are off the charts good. Try the Rigatoni with bolognese sauce, which is just honest, simple and to die for! Pollo all'Ortolano--chicken breast with veggies--is tasty, light and, sorry to repeat myselt, to die for! Also, salad comes with the meal at no extra charge. value, value. value.

Pros: tasty food, low prices

Cons: don't take reservation for 2 people, but they are efficient

Posted 02/17/08

This place has good service, good portions, and very reasonable prices. The menu isn't very extensive but varied, and what they serve is delicious. It fits the bill for many different types of outings, whether you are on a date, with the family, or out with friends.

Posted 10/07/07

I went to lunch with my mother on a Monday afternoon and it was pretty crowded. Although it isn't difficult to pack this place because it is definitely "cozy." The food was good and decently priced... which isn't all the typical for this area of midtown. Lots of fast food restaurants and not enough decent food! And the service was fantastic. The waitresses were very friendly and more than accomodating.
The plates of pasta were more than I could ever eat so we got to take home some leftovers... but my pasta was overloaded with garlic so I spent a lot of time picking out big chunks of it.

Pros: location, price

Cons: "cozy"

Posted 03/26/05

The appetizers, main courses and desserts are very basic and simple. All the food was very good and very reasonable in price. The place was very crowded for 6pm on a Saturday night, the service was very slow and the place was very warm. I would recommend this place if you are looking for good food and a fair price.

Pros: good food, inexpensive

Cons: , crowded & tight

Posted 03/01/04

They have the best italian food in the city! Large delicious portions at great prices, how can anyone resist? The service is extremely nice. It does get crowded when there are tons of loyal customers, but worth it for the best food!

Pros: nicest wait staff, good food, cheap prices

Cons: , slow service at times

Posted 02/29/04

Two years ago, we went to this restaurant for two friends' birthday dinner. Friendly waiters helped us cutting two hard ice cream cakes without any extra charge. Because of their friendly waiters and tasty mushroom apetizer, we decided to revisit the restaurant two years later. The service was superb as old time. The mushroom apetizer still the best. In addition, house salad comes for free with any entree dish. It's not one of those plain lettuce and tomato with italian dressing. It's a full dish of mixed greens with their house made balsmic vinegrette dressing, which is never enough for salad lovers like myself. The dinner lasted about 3 hours, that waiter continued to refill our water even though we finished the whole meal(including desserts) an hour and half before. Other restaurants would've rushed us out of the door. It was a GREAT dinner.

Pros: Reasonable price, great service

Cons: None

Posted 01/13/04

The only bad thing about this place is that it is a small place, otherwise great Italian food and the prices are incredibly cheap for the price.

Posted 06/29/03

I have been frequenting Fagiolini for over 15 years and it is easily the best italian restaurant in nyc in this price range. The outside is adorable (painted with stringbeans) and the inside is warm & cozy with amber walls & antique italian posters.
The food is to die for and I have tried every item over the last 15 yrs. The prices are absurdly low and I guesss that explains why it is always busy. Service is efficient & friendly. You will not believe the value you receive at this place.

Pros: great food, good service, inexpensive

Cons: always busy

Posted 11/16/02

We brought a group of 15 people from a meeting here for dinner on a Thursday - the staff was extremely accomodating and prepared dinner for a late-arrival in a matter of 2-3 minutes. Very affordable, as well.

Pros: food, staff, service

Cons: small

Posted 06/15/02