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Esca

Critics' Pick

402 W. 43rd St., New York, NY 10036
at Ninth Ave. See Map | Subway Directions Hopstop Popup
212-564-7272 Send to Phone

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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
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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:
7.4 out of 10

23 Reviews | Write a Review
Cuisine: Italian, Seafood

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

Reader Ratings

7.4

"Recommended"
Average Reader Rating
on a Scale of 10

5th time was a disappointment

napper4 from 07704 | Posted on 4/20/09

Overall Reader Rating: 7 (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...Read More

Poor Waiting Staff Service

ni1 from 11102 | Posted on 3/10/09

Overall Reader Rating: 6 (Mixed Reviews)


Food:	8
Service:	2

Décor:	9

Value:	6

While this restaurant has a very nice decor, and it offers a nice selection of dishes, well presented and good for the most part, the service provided by the waiting staff assigned to our table was very poor and not up...Read More

Read All 23 Reviews >>

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