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All Reader Reviews of...
Il Buco
47 Bond St., New York, NY, 10012
nr. Lafayette St.
212-533-1932
| 5.8 | "Mixed Reviews" Average Reader Rating on a Scale of 10 |  |
good, but stuffy
adriannanava from 11702 | Posted on 10/30/09
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the ambiance is amazing. one of the two hostesses was a bit rude. my fiance and i sat at the bar (because we hadn't made a reservation, which apparently is a no-no) where we were able to to order the full menu and the bartender was lovely. we arrived at 6:30, but by 7:30 i had to step outside to get some air. it was really hot and stuffy to the point that i didn't feel very well. the circulation is terrible. otherwise a very enjoyable evening. the sommelier's wine selection was both different and delicious. next time we will make a reservation at a table right by the door.
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Are good food and bad service inextricably linked?
menascop from 10011 | Posted on 6/15/09
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$90 pre-fixe. Food was worth every penny. Wine pairings, a disappointment. Not for the taste -- they were well matched. But with $10 a bottle stock, the staff could have been far more generous. We had 3 different wines, and with each round, the staff took extreme pains to measure no more than a few anemic ounces into the glass -- like they were rationing the last bottle of the '61 Petrus among a dozen guests. When one is spending a healthy sum for dinner, the last feel one wants from the experience is cheapness.
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Horrible service!!!!
Cami123 from 10003 | Posted on 5/2/09
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It's very sad when a restaurant like Il Buco starts to take their customers for granted. I have being going there for many years and I have NEVER had such a bad experience. The service was incompetent as always but this time they went too far. The night started with us waiting for 50 minutes for our table (and we had a reservation), after was the wine giving to us from a different year ( much shipper than what we orderer), and then the time between our first and second course (40 minutes), and, to finish our night, not a single apology from the staff. The food was good, but not good enough to justify coming back.
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Family Dinner After a Show
petekels from 11790 | Posted on 1/3/09
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Six adult family members went for a special dinner after going to an off Broadway show. Disappointed at best, especially since friends had recently been here and enjoyed it. The meal came an hour after the appetizers. The appetizers didn all come at the same time. Drink order was screwed up. Three of the six dinners were good, the rabbit, bison and sword fish. The pork dish was half fat! The two pasta dishes were poorly done. I know the menu changes regularly however items shown online were not offered. The fine atmoshere mitigated the wait but the dinner was a let down. I'd go back on the hope that it just could have been a bad night.
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Great Bday
datruth585 from 10003 | Posted on 11/28/07
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My gf just took me here for my bday. All I can say is wow. She requested a seat downstairs, not too cold (but obviously cooler seeing as how it is a wine cellar) like other reviewers complained about. Also, food = Amazing. Skirt steak, rigatoni, pork, chianti, etc. Server very unassuming but always around and attentive. A weeknight and the place was packed, but we only waited about 7 minutes for our table to be ready. As college students we were definitely the youngest people there. Definetly a great special occasion venue in virtue of the terrific decor. Also, I argue the best (smelling) bathroom in downtown manhattan. Opt for the downstairs if you can - much more quiet and calm.
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Not worth the hype! horrible service; mediocre food
missy828 from 10012 | Posted on 8/9/07
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I've been there 3 times in the past 5 years. The first 2 times I liked it--the ambiance is nice and it used to be a good place. The last time I went there, however, they took forever to bring us food, and then kept pushing wine on us. It was almost an hour between our salad and main course. They never apologized for being slow, either. Will never go back. Oh and the food, when it finally came out, was mediocre at best. I've been to all the nice Italian restaurants in NYC and have been to Italy, and Il Buco doesn't compare. OVERRATED!!
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Good service, not so good food
Flefle from 10020 | Posted on 6/19/07
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We tried Il Buco last week with great expectations in mind; it turns out we were wrong. First, the place was too crowded and we had to wait 20 minutes to be seated, even with reservations. Second, the pasta we ordered was so salty it had to be sent back to the kitchen. Also, prices are a little excessive for what you get -- fried eggs for 15$ seems a little harsh. Nothing special on the dessert menu. I must say, however, that our waiter was quite polite and friendly.
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Il Buco regular
opdinnerout from 10019 | Posted on 3/28/07
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I've eaten at Il Buco several times. It's a great restaurant: authentic rustic decor with big beautiful wooden tables and farming details, consistently high quality natural food, a huge wine selection, and gracious knowledgeable staff. It's also a very versatile place: fun, romantic, nice bar area, etc... One of the few places that I return to regularly for all occasions!
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The best Italian food I've eaten outside of Italy
embley from 10013 | Posted on 12/20/06
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I've eaten a fair amount of Italian food: both in America and in Italy (in Rome, Naples, and Sicily), and eating at Il Buco is the best American approximation I've had of the authentic Italian dining experience. Very fresh and lively flavors: standouts were the smoked gambas crusted with Trappanese sea salt, a summer squash salad, and the octopus. The signature pork belly on ciabatta was a bit too fatty for me, but everything else was wonderful. I didn't have any problem with the portions (as some other reviewers have complained). The way to eat here is to order a number of the dishes and share them. My date and I were referred by a friend of mine who knows the chef, and we let the chef choose our dishes. We were inundated with food, and some things like the salads were whipped up especially for us. I'll definitely be back.
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Culinary Perfection
gayleatlas | Posted on 1/20/05
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We just had our third dining experience at Il Buco. This is a true delight for food afficionados--unfortunately wasted on some reviewers who cannot distinguish fine food from large quantities of food. The decor is enchanting, the servers understand the food and the subtlety of ingredients, and the prices are commensurate with a superior dining experience. The wine list is heavenly, but the sommeliere has both feet on the ground. Salud!
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