Crispo Restaurant

abc

I came upon this place recently by accident and I'm glad I did. This place is amazing! The quality of the food and the portions are a steal for their prices. I had the branzino and it was great. Anyone who claims they got food poisoning from fish must have already had a bug because you don't get food poisoning that quick from food. Definitely a must try and will definitely be back again soon!

I went to Crispo recently and suffered from food poisoning due to the fish I had there. I felt very nauseous immediately afterwards. Both the salad and fish were mediocre. There are many better Italian restaurants in the city and many better restaurants in the meatpacking/w village area.

I love this place. My friend and I go here every few months and have not been disappointed once. The food is good the staff is very nice and they have a great wine selection. It's a great restaurant for small parties or a romantic dinner for two.

If you haven't had a chance to experience all that the Crispo menu has to offer....Now's the time!! On Sunday, November 8th, Crispo is presenting "La Famiglia". It's a four course "abbondonza" style supper.. beer, wine, tax and tip are included in the $50minimum cash donation, and %100 of the proceeds go directly to Adrianna Cavanagh and Nathen Trueblood, two children who are battling Stage 4 Neuroblastoma. The chefs at Crispo have been planning this special menu for months, and invite anyone with a big appetite, and a big heart to share in this unique dining experience. Make your reservations now! The event starts at 2pm. The children and your bellies will thank you!!

I went to Crispo last night for a birthday dinner. Everything from start to finish was perfect. Our waitress was lovely, personable, and gave terrific recommendations which were totally spot on. I got the Bucatini...amazing. The duck (which i tasted alot) had exactly the right amount of crisp on the outside with a perfect balance of meat on the inside. Wine awesome..service terrific. I even ate brussle sprouts which i never do...candied with almonds and proscutto..GOODNESS!!! They even gave me a complimentary glass of calvados since they were out of it and that was the last of the bottle. All in all 100% terrific restaurant. I highly reccommend this place!

If you love overpriced, empty restaurants with the wait stuff starring at you the entire time – don’t go to Crispo! People seem to overlook the fact that Crispo is not a fine dining place, even though the food and the service are too good for the menu prices. They could have charge twice as much. New Yorkers know that even with the reservation they might end up waiting for the table on a busy Friday or Saturday night and they are not stressed out about it. I find it amusing that people complain about 20 min wait and expect some free stuff to be sent to their table. I’ve been to Crispo on many occasions and I have never left disappointed. The food is absolutely amazing! From appetizers I would recommend prosciutto with polenta and smoked mozzarella, roasted peppers and buffalo mozzarella, caramelized cauliflower. Spaghetti carbonara, meatballs and trofie are outstanding. Branzino, lamb chops, pork shank and duck breast are definitely worth trying. The place can get crowded and loud pretty fast, but the servers are always up to speed. I was very pleased with my waiter’s knowledge of the wine list (I think his name was Jordan). When I had dinner with 7 of my friends, the waitress (with a slight accent) was friendly and very fast, we didn’t have to ask or wait for anything. I love sitting in the garden when the weather is nice. I always recommend Crispo to all my friends and have never heard that they were disappointed. Give it a shot!

Great place but htey need for their wait staff to be more interactive. Make your diners feel they are at your home. Not a very welcome place.

We had a 9pm reservation on a Sunday, my boyfriend, his mother and myself. We received a friendly and prompt greeting and were seated right away. The restaurant was not crowded but most tables were sat, so I don't know why we had service issues. Our first waiter brought the menus and then asked us for our drink order. We asked if he could suggest a dry red and he just said "oh they're all good" and couldn't recommend anything. Everything related to service went down hill from there! We ordered individual drinks which never came; we had to go to the bar to get them ourselves. We ordered 4 salads/appetizers, one was brought after the main courses and we had to remind the waitress we had ordered it. The bus-boy took our appetizer plates while we were still eating. We tried to tell him we are still eating the appetizers and waiting for a fourth, but he didn't seem to understand us, so we sat with our remaining appetizers with no plates to eat them on. After our food was delivered I had a question about my dinner, but there was never any follow up by the wait staff. When we got the bill there were charges for drinks we didn't order and we had to chase down a server to have the bill corrected. I think the main problem here is that they seem to use a "tag-team" approach to service. We had a bout 4 wait staff during our meal (not including the bus-boys). No one remembered your order and I think they all assumed someone else was taking care of you. The food was very good, we loved our meal. This is really the only thing that made the night "ok". If you can deal with flaky service, you will get a good meal here. Otherwise, steer clear!

I was nervous about the reviews on bad service, I went on a sunday night and experienced no negative service. The place was very cute, with exposed brick and dim light. The pasta dishes were great, the angliotti stuffed with veal and mushrooms was amazing. The only critique is i was hoping for canolis to be on the dessert menu, but the tiramisu was good. Would definitely go back.

the bus boy was more pleasant to us then our waitress, the mumbled when she spoke and she never came to check on us. other than the awful service, the food was amazing.

The back patio is very pretty! The tables in the front would be nice to eat outside too I imagine. The food is really good and so is the service. Loved it!

I love the food at this place and have been coming often but had the worst expierence at a aresturant the last time I went. After telling them weeks in advance I was going for a special celebration we waited a half hour for our table, they then gave us the worst table and a waiter who kept telling us they didn't have what was on the menu. He completely forgot about us until he asked if we wanted the check, at which time we were about to leave he caused a huge scene about us not leaving our credit card reciepts. He proceeded to yell at my friend and when we asked him to calm down, only then did he realized he had them in his hand. I was mortified to have brought out of towners here and even more disappointed because it use to be my favorite resturant in the city.

I have to say that I've heard lots of things about this place and maybe my expectations were set to high. I did not enjoy the food which was barely edible. The service was ok but the food spoiled everything. I'd give it a second try but I'm not sure I'll be giving a third chance.

This used to be one of my favorite places to eat but no more. While the garden and atmosphere can't be beat, my entree was just plain bad this past Sat night. I ordered a special (papardelle with porcini mushrooms) and the whole dish had no taste and the mushrooms tasted like they had been microwaved-plus they were giant-I could barely fit one in my mouth and they were rubbery and hard to chew. I find it insulting that they served me that dish. At $70 for the meal, I was incredibly annoyed and while my friend's fish special was good I still won't be back. The service was also pretty bad-waited 20 minutes for the waiter to even take our wine order.

By all standards, this so called ephemeral experience I was supposed to encounter never transpired here at Crispo (03/25/08). Perhaps, it was the over-intoxicating aroma of over overcooked (and perhaps spoiled) "sweetbreads" (pancreas) that got my stomach churning. The tableware was dirty. (IE: Something floating in my water glass/ dried specks of food on my fork...) Our waiter seemed like a nice and courteous server, Spanish I believe, but distracted due to a problem going on with a drunken, rude table making problems for the entire restaurant. The managerial staff appeared half heartedly concerned about anyone else but this obnoxious table... (I mean, what about the rest of us? Are we just something undesirable stuck to the bottom of someone's shoe?) I would have liked to have discreetly talked to the GM about the small hair in my roasted beet salad, but with the frenzied state he was already in, I didn't want to jeopardize him going into a greater tirade and firing our waiter, when clearly it was a kitchen problem. My husband and I also ordered the Seared Octopus Salad (very rubbery texture), a pasta dish... Spaghetti Carbonara (interesting that it included a poached egg, rather than traditionally incorporating it into the sauce) and we each ordered an entree of Crisp Chicken Diavola (very bland... where's the spice?) and the Seared Duck Breast that was mediocre at best. The wine selection by our server however was the only enjoyable part of our experience. I personally have severe issues with abuse of power and verbal degradation of hardworking restaurant staff. It not only leaves a sour note in my stomach, but a disgusting insight on their ethical stance in the maltreatment of their employee base. When people are in a working environment without dignity, I morally can not further support this present day feudal system within this restaurant's walls.

I had my birthday party at Crispo on a recent weekend. The food was absolutely phenomenal, the staff was accommodating, and the decor - we were in the garden room next to the fireplace was absolutely great. We had a wonderful time. Highly recommend it!

Cripso is one of my favorite restaurants, and I've only been three times. The food is consistently great and the service is good. I make sure to try something new each time I visit and I have yet to be dissappointed. I recommend the Pork Shank, or mabye the Butternut Tortelloni (both were excellent). Also, the Asparugus with Parmigiano is simple but very good. This restaurant has a back room with a fireplace which is where i try to sit whenever I go. I have been recommending this restaurant to alot of my friends and co-workers and they have all said good things about it as well. Happy eating...

I was anticipating my return to Crispo with a 9pm Christmas Eve reservation. (Mistake.) We arrived on time and were sent to the bar despite the several open tables; had I not gone to the hostess station a half hour later to check on my table, I don't think we would have been seated. The hostess seemed dumbfounded and was 'wondering if we were showing up for the reservation'. (Anybody home?) None the less, we were determined to enjoy dinner. But, no bread, no water, no waiter detracted from that a bit... FINALLY, our order is taken... and out comes my app but not my boyfriend's and until we ask. (We're talking an uncomplicated salad here. 15 minutes later it arrived.) When the entrees finally arrived over an hour after being seated, they were delicious but overall, it seems that the staff in general were waiting for Christmas Eve 2008 to bring dinner to the table and service to the restaurant.

Staff turnover due to spotty management and ownership seem to be the down fall of this potentially amazing place! Having been a long time regular, I have had the opportunity to see the waitstaff interact with management, and it doesn't seem plesant. The person affected is me, the customer, my all time favorite waiter is no longer there, and those I am now served by are no where near as knowledgeable as some of the long term employees that they seem to lose. The food may be great, but with service lacking, why would i return? This long term favorite is no longer a favorite!

After frequenting Crispo quite often over numerous years, last night will be the last and final time. While ordering a bottle of wine with my also twenty-five year old friend, we were carded by the waitress and then again five minutes later by the manager- made out to be a complete spectical and then told that he did not believe the state issued drivers licenses (NY and NJ) were real. When my friend lowered herself to offer to show backup- he refused. Failure to recognize returning clientele is unfortunate. Treating 2 pretty girls with young faces and proper id so disrespectfully is not. Never going back..

I have been to crispo multiple times and LOVE this place. The atmosphere is nice, not great but the food is to DIE for. I have never sampled anythimg that has not been extremely good. The staff is always great, whether they're busy or not. I have dined with a large group here and on a date. Service was great either way. They have specialty cocktails and the crispo sparkler is wonderful. If you are considering dining at Crispo... make reservations now! You won't be disappointed.

Crispo ti amo ! A great place for dinner in a festive atmosphere, Crispo delivers excellent food and it won't cost you a fortune. Super friendly staff, casual, warm and welcoming, Crispo offers simplicity with quality. The perfect spot for a date, meet friends or have a party, Crispo will accomodate you. And don't forget the garden, a hidden gem in the heart of the city.

went there for a birthday event so we had a huge table for 15 people. they put us in a private room which made the night a bit more cozy and intimate rather than being in the main dining hall which was extremely loud to hold down a coversation. we got our entrees and while the food was tasty, it was a bit salty. the best part was the dessert where I had the creme brulee with chocolate cream and it was delicious. overall, our waittress was very polite and not annoying checking up on us every so often. would I come back? possibly to give it another chance

Okay, get ready city searchers, I am about to make a bold statement. Dare I say it, this is probably one of the best Italian places in Manhattan. No need for a lengthy review, it's simple--JUST TRY IT. The spaghetti & meatballs are superb....the ravioli simply melts in your mouth. Before you know it, you are scraping your plate, wondering how you devoured the entire entree in minutes. Needless to say, this restaurant will definitely be in my monthly rotation. If possible, try to sit in the garden area (especially if it's date night). You'll be lining down the block just to watch what they've got.....

Very pleased with our meal at Crispo. The Branzino was perfect; flavorful, moist and deboned properly. Veal was tender and perfectly portioned. Looking forward to returning and trying some of their other dishes.

This restaurant has amazing food. I have been here for a romantic dinner as well as for a large party, and it is great either way. The mozzarella is the freshest I have ever had, and everyone thought their dishes were amazing (hangar steak, veal parmesan, spaghetti & meatballs). They have a private room (which is more like an alcove, but private nonetheless) for groups of 8-10 people, which is absolutely perfect. If you are coming with a group of that size, I strongly recommend that room (called the Empire Room). The service was good - they were attentive without being intrusive.

I have eaten at Crispo numerous times and never been disappointed. The food is wonderfully prepared and inventive and always fresh. The back patio is like being in Tuscanny. The service is good and the staff pleasant. It has a homey feel to it and just a wonderful place to eat. I can't say enough good things about this restaurant. It's one of my favorites and I take friends and family there whenever I can. Dining at it's best!

Let me say that we were so fed up with the poor service here that we left before the waitress made time to take our order. I can honestly say that I have never been made to feel so unwelcome in a restaurant in my life. From the icy reception, to the slow staff, to being seated in a hidden alcove built for a party of ten when there were only two of and the main dining room was half full. Never again, Crispo. Pretension with no just cause.

Walked by here a million time went in on Thursday, this place is beautiful and the food was really good really good. If you get a chance check this place out you wont be disappointed.

So two of us walked by last Friday and decided to give Crispo a try. We knew we would have to wait since we didn't have a reservation. The hostess/manager told us 20 minutes, well it seems she forgot about us because it took 1 1/2 hours until we were seated!! This alone made us realize how disorganized they were. The service was great-server and manager on the floor were very attentive and knowledgeable, but the food was such a dissapointment. My salad (with pears and frisee) was bland, Pasta (Polpette) was over cooked and the meatballs were tasteless! My friend had the Bass, boring to say the least. We decided not to even bother with dessert. There are so many great italian restaurants in the city. Crispo is now at the very bottom of my list!

I went there on Saturday night with a group of 4 and was embarrassed I suggested it. The pasta was over-cooked and clumpy. The service was just ok. The price was not commensurate with the food, service or setting. There are so many great Italian restaurants in the city I can't imagine why anyone would come here.

Crispo is such a treat to come to. The asparagus salad is great, the Branzino is delicious, the wine list is so easy and reliable. Also try ordering a half an order of the carbonara and one of entrees together and you will certainly leave the restaurant a better person. Crispo is a great place or a cozy date or even for a group date. Definitley ask to sit in the barn in the back - its a great atmosphere. ... Crispo makes for a perfect night. You'll always see the chef perusing through the restaurant too - which is a nice little touch.

The host and management were rude and disorganized. I was there with a large party and it seemed as though no one at the restaurant knew what was going on or what to do. At one point I saw the manager arguing with one of the people throwing the party. Now, I don't know who was at fault BUT what ever happened to the "customer always being right". It was embarrassing and it made the restaurant look bad. And from my perspective, the customer was not wrong. I would not go back there based on that experience.

I had dinner there last night- the food was amazing! The Beef Steak Tomato & Bufala Mozzarella salad was really good- the mozzarella was so fresh! I had the Branzino and my boyfriend had the Veal Medaglione- both entrees are highly recommended. For dessert we had the Banana Flambé w/ Nutella & vanilla gelato- delicious! I can't wait to go back to try the pasta dishes, although I do agree with the other reviewers that the service needs improvement. Our inattentive waitress kept on disappearing and was kind of stuck-up!

I've been to Crispo over 5 times in the past 3 years sometimes with large groups and sometimes on a date, my experiences have always been very positive. The food is wonderful and the wine list is impressive with out being snooty. On this last visit the service could have been better but still, I'll be back.

I honestly wonder who some of the people on Citysearch are and what they want. Crispo is really a wonderful restaurant in its price range. You're not going to get a sommelier, but you will get very good northern Italian food. I've never had a problem with the service there. But go ahead and believe what everyone else is saying so it won't be too crowded for me to enjoy it.

I read the reviews about Crispo before going and thought "oh come on it can't be that bad, I mean it has a 9.1 rating" well that will teach me! We walked in and the hostesses (there were 3) were rude, the bartender was funny but a bit snappish. Finally 40 minutes after our reservation time, we were seated. We had had an appitizer at the bar, and it was delicious so were very excited for the food, and ok with the wait. Well...enter the waitress. Rude, quick, snotty...so many words so little space. We asked if we could order our drinks and some antipasto. "No they want the whole order at one time." Ok so we ordered antipasto, salads and entrees with our drink order (have you ever?). The drinks never came, the antipasto never came. The salads came...we mentioned the antipasto, a few minutes they slapped it down on our table between the salads . Now I don't need to "dine" per se. But (and this is no exageration) one bus boy picked up our salad plates as another put down our entrees. No joke it was like an assembly line. It was pathetic and rude and the drinks never came. the food was very good. No question he can cook. But no matter how talented a chef you are, if your food is being served by rude people in an unprofessional manner, noone is going to remember how good the food was. Bottom line, in a city full of fabulous food...why pay $160/couple to have food thrown at you and snappish hostesses? Sadly, no matter how delicious the Branzino was, I just won't be back.

My boyfriend and I always go to Crispo. We love it! The food is great, especially the carbonara and if you like spicy, the orecchiette.

Crispo is aperfect combination of great food, sophistication, and neighborhood comfort. They have the best chicken in the city and their tomatoes are the freshest and incredibly flavorful. Highly recommended for dates, casual dinners, parties, or just about any occasion.

The salad and cheese plate were decent, but the pasta and service were terrible. The papardelle were overcooked and tasteless. The waiter couldn't recommend a wine or pasta after we asked him, and the restaurant serves wine in tiny glasses. And the cars buzzing by on 14th street does not create the most serene atmosphere. Also, incredibly overpriced.

The best italian restaurant in NYC. My experince is like fairt tale. This is Italy. Don't waste your time walking through Little Italy and come here. The food is delicious, service is great and overall impression is just lovely. I recommend reservation. You have to check this out.

I recently dined here for the third time. Have loved the food, ambiance and wine list. However after the last visit I would be foolish to go back. The staff acted as if they were doing us a favor by showing up. Service was slow (an hour between finished entree and dessert menu) and snippy. ( If you're not my waiter than who are you and why have you been taking my orders and bringing me food???). I get the message- won't be back...

Very disappointed in the service. Waitress did not have knowledge of what the dishes were. Felt very rushed by all staff members. The worst part was the manager didn't care to better the situation for us at all. I always thought that you went to a restautrant not only for the food but the ambience as well. Bottom line is I will never eat at this restaurant again, nor will I recommend this restaurant to anyone. It doesn't matter how the food may taste if the service stinks it ruins the experience.

The Scene
With flickering sconces and rough-hewn brick walls, Crispo may look like an elegantly restored Italian farmhouse, but frenzied servers, tight tables and wait-list hopefuls at the marble bar make it feel like a city-slick hotspot. In season, solace-seekers retreat to street-front patio dining, while foodies observe the kitchen through a wide window in the white-tile back wall.

The Food
Frank Crispo's confident cooking drives this imaginative Italian menu. Start with prosciutto di San Daniele and peaches enlivened with tangy drizzles of aged balsamico, or braised baby artichokes offset with slivers of toasted almonds and parmigiano. Homemade pastas are emphatically flavored, so half portions suffice. Crabmeat agnolotti is sweet with carrot-butter; sausage orecchiette robust with broccoli rabe. Grilled mustard-glazed salmon with smoky pancetta slaw and tender veal medallions with fontina and mushrooms in a marsala reduction are heavenly followed by creamy buttermilk panna cotta or homemade gelato.

Made a reservation last night to sit in the garden. Have been here 5-6 times before, but this was my first time outside. All I can say is it's one of the nicest al fresco spots in Manhattan, they must have spent a fortune on this patio. As always the food, service, ambience were all excellent. This place keeps getting better and better. Go!

The food here is very good and reasonably priced. The only issue is the service, which remains challenged, and where waits between courses can be quite long. Management should take note- your formula almost works, and would be perfect if the service got up to snuff.

A cold reception got even colder when we didn't have a reservation for a Tuesday night (the place was half empty). Our hostess gruffly sent us to our table where an over-zealous waiter explained EVERY special in detail (all 10) and made snide comments when asked for an explanation of a menu item. (didn't realize we were within ear shot). Despite bringing the wrong appetizer, the food was tatsy. Not over the top, but good nonetheless. No attention was paid during our meal, excpet when we were asked twice if we wanted another bottle of wine for dessert. The check was average, but picked up and wisked away before I could say I didn't need change. Not a word of thanks or a "how was your meal." If there were a next time, I'd stop to let them know how my meal was. Sadly, that day will never come.

Food is simple and pretty good. Somethings are not to miss. (Octopus salad ; Pear Carpaccio with gorganzola and prosciutto; Lamb Chops ) Consistent. Not gourmet but damn tasty! Service is back and forth. There are waiters who are a familar face every time I go which has been on and off for two years now. They are excellent! One or two servers who were really bad!!! Pray that you get one of the excellent ones and your night will be fun and enjoyable. Decor is simple. There are so many themes going on I don't quite get it. I just sat in the new garden and its like I was in the Italian Countryside. My only negatives are these. The host can be short.They overbook and you wait.(Only on weekends) It gets really crowded. Cocktail drinks tend to sometimes take a long time. Its simple.

I took two out of town guests to Crispo on Saturday night because I had read a good review. After we sat down, I soon wished we had gone somewhere else. It was 20 minutes before anyone even greeted us at the table, and when our waiter approached, his pompous attitude was overwhelming. The relationship with our table was borderline hostile! He didn't want to answer any questions, and it seemed like he didn't want to serve us at all. With all the restaurants in New York, why go somewhere to be insulted. And the place wasn't even crowded at the time! I called the manager the next day, and he offered nothing. TERRIBLE. Food was pretty good, but far from mindblowing. Nothing I'll remember. Go someplace else if you like to enjoy yourself while you eat.