Esca

Critics' Pick

402 W. 43rd St., New York, NY 10036 40.75909 -73.992228
at Ninth Ave. See Map | Subway Directions Hopstop Popup
work212-564-7272 Send to Phone

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Cuisine: Italian, Seafood
Price Range:
$$$
Key to Prices and ratings
Upscale

Almost Perfect

Exceptional

Generally Excellent

Very Good

Good

Cheap Eats

Best in Category

Excellent

Delicious

Very Good

Noteworthy
Very Expensive

Expensive

Moderate

Cheap
Critics' Rating:
***
Key to Prices and ratings
Upscale

Almost Perfect

Exceptional

Generally Excellent

Very Good

Good

Cheap Eats

Best in Category

Excellent

Delicious

Very Good

Noteworthy
Very Expensive

Expensive

Moderate

Cheap
Reader Rating:
7.2 out of 10
|
24 Reviews | Write a Review

Photo by John Saponara

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Hours

Mon, noon-2:30pm and 5pm-10:30pm; Tue-Sat, noon-2:30pm and 5pm-11:30pm; Sun, 4:30pm-10:30pm

Nearby Subway Stops

A, C, E at 42nd St.-Port Authority Bus Terminal

Prices

$28-$39

Payment Methods

American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa

Special Features

Hot Spot
Lunch
Notable Chef
Notable Wine List
Outdoor Dining
Special Occasion

Alcohol

Full Bar

Reservations

Recommended

Make a Reservation with opentable.com

Profile

Somewhere in between overseeing Babbo and Lupa, taping his cooking show, and just basking in the glory of his own undeniable greatness, Mario Batali has found time to earn another gastronomic gold star. At Esca, the overachiever in the orange clogs, partner Joe Bastianich, and chef David Pasternack do for Southern Italian seafood what Le Bernardin has done for French. The crudo (think Italian sashimi) is incredibly fresh and of the highest quality; pastas like spaghetti with fresh chiles, mint, and a one-pound lobster are irresistible. And the whole fish for two, roasted in a sea-salt crust that's cracked tableside, is a riveting performance worthy of the theater-district locale. — Rob Patronite and Robin Raisfeld

Recommended Dishes

Crudo, $16-$18; spaghetti with chiles, mint and a one-pound lobster, $30; whole fish cooked in a sea salt crust, $60

Food:	5

Service:	2

Décor:	5

Value:	2

Have been here few times and wanted to have special evening with friends when they were in Manhattan. We ordered tasting menus so I could brag about the wonderful food. Our dining experience started at 9pm and did not end till 1230pm. Our waiter left at 11, as his shift ws over and handed it over to another waiter who was not happy. Every tasting took forever...and may I add the food was not good this time. We even had to keep asking for drinks. Everytime I have gone here I have spent over $500. Never again! Bad Service. Bad Attitudes, Bad Food....don't watse your time or money.

Esca

5th time was a disappointment

napper4 from 07704 | Posted on 4/20/09

Overall Rating: 107 (Recommended)


Food:	7
Service:	6

Décor:	6

Value:	4

This is my 5th time at Esca. All other times were excellent. Wanted to take my daughter and we were disappointed. Appetizers were wonderful. Gnocchi excellent. We were quite disappointed in our entrees. Snapper was bland and uneventful. Zuppa de Pesce had little fish in it ( a few clams, mussels and fish) and neither were worth the price. Since it was a lovely April evening, we chose to dine outdoors. Service was a bit scattered and not up to par. Table was rocky and the tree we sat near had a rodent trap which I faced throughout dinner and wish it had been covered. Not the same experience I had all the other times I had dined there and was disappointed that my daughter did not have the experience I had in the past.

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