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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

Critics' Rating: Price Range: $$$$
Reader Rating:
7.7 out of 10

18 Reviews | Write a Review
Cuisine: Italian, Seafood

Photo by John Saponara

Map

Rate & Review

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

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

7.7

Lunch for two was $150, but still, a very nice meal

traveller12 from 10003 | Posted on 5/27/08

Overall Reader Rating: 9 (Highly Recommended)


Food:	9
Service:	10

Décor:	8

Value:	6

The food network was filming in the kitchen this weekend when we arrived at Esca for the first time, for lunch. Our appetizer of grilled and marinated sardines, which we thought might be risky, was at first unexpectedly herbal, then took...Read More

Not Bad for Special Occasions

mky84 from 47408 | Posted on 2/19/08

Overall Reader Rating: 8 (Recommended)


Food:	8
Service:	9

Décor:	10

Value:	7

The ambience is nice, the place is nice and quiet with faint mumbles of everyday chatter. The music in the background was from today's pop culture, such as Gnarls Barkley, etc. I had the yellowtail carpaccio, maccheroni alla chittara, the...Read More