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Gennaro
665 Amsterdam Ave., New York, NY, 10025
nr. 92nd St.
212-665-5348
| 7.0 | "Recommended" Average Reader Rating on a Scale of 10 |  |
Don't bother...your old boots would be tastier
eileidh from 10024 | Posted on 10/12/09
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My husband and I tried this place after reading positive reviews on menu pages...what a mistake! I am all for cute neighbourhood restaurants but this missed on every mark. We ordered the specials thinking they would be fresh and interesting..... not at all. The pasta was dry and overcooked, and my osso bucco was completely boring with microwave vegetables, a tiny serve and $29.95! (which is double the price of any other entree on the menu) If you want good 'family italian food' go to Bianca, or Carmines (even if it is a bit cheesy). DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY AT GENNARO.
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Medicore food with worse service
Knickerbocker from 10128 | Posted on 6/14/09
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After reading the review on nymag.com, I expected this place to be much better than it was. I had the octopus and potato appetizer, which was on the menu, and it was pretty good, but my osso bucco with saffron risotto, a special, was not. It's hard to ruin a risotto, so it was edible, but one of the worse risottos I've had. The service was terrible. It took them half an hour to get my drink, although the waiter did apologize. Also, the specials are much more expensive that the dishes on the menu, so be careful. Finally, the decor was really quite bad. Thankfully, there are nicer and better places on the Upper West Side.
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Probably better as a two top . . .
jcnrad from 10028 | Posted on 11/17/08
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Went there with family in a large party of 8 and the staff did a great job honoring the reservation, but after that, things went downhill. Servers were definitely disappointed that we didn't want anything to drink (adults overseeing kids on a school night) but they moved on pretty quickly to more lucrative tables. Apps and salads came out in decent time - kale salad was long on kale and light on everything else, mushroom polenta was overloaded with cheese. Then . . . we waited almost 70 minutes for our dinners. Delivery orders kept going out . . . tables that sat after us finished desserts before we got our plates. And once it all arrived, everything was either under seasoned or overcooked - pure evidence that some things waited for everything else to catch up. Oddly enough, it was the penne that was freshest. Spaghetti was mushy and lacked definition and under seasoned. Steak was rubbery and had been re-heated. Goat was cold on the inside, burnt on the edges. Overall disappointing. Maybe it's a better experience when you're a party of two - they definitely couldn't deal with 8 in the middle of the dinner service.
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Gennaro: benissima!
Izzy0903 from SL43SY | Posted on 4/3/08
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I loved the food, especially the lamb shanks, the calamari and the mussels.(we went a few times) The tiramisu for dessert was the best I've ever tasted and the wine selection was pretty good too. The atmosphere is great, very relaxed, intimate and lively. Tables are close together and there's lots of noisy conversation: typically Italian!(that's a good thing!) Price-wise it's reasonable although you do have to spend minimum $20 per person but that's ok (and you can only pay in cash).
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Wonderful food, worth suffering the subpar service
mrtourne | Posted on 7/21/03
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OK, first the bad: we got here when it was empty on a Monday night and they wouldn't seat us until we were all there (nevermind that 2 out of 3 were there, and it's the same size table!) And our server later was sorta pretentious (out of character for the place) - but oh, the food. The lamb shank was well balanced and earthy, the salmon was wonderfully moist and not overpowered by its mustard sauce and the stuffed chicken breast with provolone was outstanding. Decent wine list for the size of the place and nothing with a huge markup in it. And, best for last, some of the best tiramisu: light, not too sweet, moist but not soggy, with good differentiation of each one of its ingredients. Definitely will go again, hope the servers get better...
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Reliable Italian
kimbyrocks from 10023 | Posted on 5/13/03
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There are so few wonderful Italian restaurants on the UWS that Genarro is, of course, always crowded. Not that it doesn't deserve to be what with their amazing antipasto that could feed an army, great salads, entrees...etc. The small space lends to the romantic atmosphere (and the line out the door). Cash-only, so don't forget to stop at the ATM, but this place certainly won't break you. It's more meat and potatos than pasta, but there are always a few pasta dishes to choose from. My only complaint: I get the same waiter every time who talks incredibly close, and he alwasy smells like he just smoked a cigarette. I'll deal with it for the food though.
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What world are you living in?
JoeyEnglish | Posted on 4/28/03
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I absolutely LOVE this restaurant. The food is spot on and the service impeccable. I returned here with a date after visiting with a crowd of irritating drunken bankers, and even though they recognised me they were incredibly polite and even made me feel loved. I would recommend it to anyone, even if they were a real connoisseur. The food is a delight. One word of warning for all those of you out there who aren't yet an irritating banker: there is no way you could possibly describe this place as inexpensive. My date cost me an arm and a leg, and anybody who thinks over $100 is inexpensive needs to wake up. That is serious cash baby. That said, it was worth it. Peace out NY.
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Honeymoon's Over
colpo | Posted on 4/23/03
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Years ago, Gennaro's had just opened in its original, tiny incarnation. Gennaro was alone in the tinier kitchen, and the food had spark, particularly the signature lamb shank over fat-grain cous cous. We all felt like we'd stumbled onto something. Lately, the place has expanded, as has its rep. Italian food know-little's have taken to mobbing outside on the sidewalk. For what? The food is now very ordinary, and the menu selections are no longer even remotely unique or interesting. Plus, there's little incentive to shake things up b/c the loyal clientele will lap up whatever the kitchen kicks out. I'll give this one a return visit if I'm walking by and there's little wait.
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Great food, but you will wait
centralpark | Posted on 4/11/03
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The food is tasty, but be careful of the seafood platter special. They charge an arm and a leg for it, but don't tell you how much it is until you get the bill! The desserts aren't very good, but the rest is great.
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an oasis in the upper west side wasteland
dtulsa | Posted on 4/1/03
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a few items ok, some pretty good, a bunch are great. for the upper west side that equals a must dine at restaurant. always very crowded.
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