New York Magazine

Skip to content, or skip to search.

Skip to content, or skip to search.

Home > Restaurants > Il Corallo Trattoria

All Reader Reviews of...

Il Corallo Trattoria

176 Prince St., New York, NY, 10012
nr. Thompson St.
212-941-7119

Avg. Rating

6
Food: 7
Service: 6
Décor: 5
"Mixed Reviews"

Average Reader Rating on a Scale of 10.

50% would go back.

 Write your own review

Always Great

By DNN on 12/7/2011

  • Overall Rating: 9
  • Food: 9
  • Service: 10
  • Décor: 7
  • Yes, I would go back!

I have been going to Il Corallo for years. The waiters are efficient and kind and know the menu inside out. My guess is most of them have been there for at least 5 years. The owner is also almost always there. The place is cozy, the food is reliably cheap and tasty. You cannot say that of anywhere else in Soho, or in many other neighborhoods in NYC. My standard order is Insalata Arcobaleno (with extra gorgonzola on top) and the Taglierini Sorrento with a few glasses of whatever is the cheapest white wine. I love bringing people with me and always look forward to having dinner there. Low-key early weeknights are the best so you can just sit and enjoy your meal, wine and company. Never change Il Corallo!!!

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes No Request Removal
36 out of 65 people found this review helpful.

OK food, TERRIBLE SERVICE

By mouserly on 6/16/2011

  • Overall Rating: 5
  • Food: 6
  • Service: 3
  • Décor: 2
  • No, I would not go back!

We went last night and the food was OK. But the service was pretty bad. We had to ask for water, then bread, which was rather stale, then olive oil, then plates for the bread, etc. Things were VERY hectic and the hardworking Mexican staff seemed EXTREMELY pressed which made our waiter brusque. This was tolerable until the end of the night.We hadn't noticed the place emptying , since we were in deep conversation at a back table. Suddenly the waiter snapped the lights on, smacked the bill on the table, and started putting chairs up all around us. Its obviously fine when places close, however they didn't drop the check and say 'we're closing in 10 minutes' like a normal place, they dropped the check and stood over us with ONE MINUTE of warning. I couldn't find my bank card in my wallet, I was worried I'd lost it , but the waiter rudely hustled us out without even letting me find it. My friends paid my share without me even knowing if I had my card or not. It was clear that the waitstaff had too much pressure on them and so were treating customers rudely. I saw the owner on the way out and told her. She said we had stayed past closing, but when I said no one had told us they were closing we had gotten our check a minute before, she got rude using the exact same line "what do u expect from a cheap italian place". I don't fault the waiters, they need more staff or a manager, but the self pitying/ self righteous owner is too cheap to pay for one.

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes No Request Removal
25 out of 43 people found this review helpful.

My favorite for almost 20 years now!

By AnnieZ on 6/2/2011

  • Overall Rating: 10
  • Food: 10
  • Service: 10
  • Décor: 9
  • Yes, I would go back!

I love this restaurant! Although I am a big fan of the Fusilli Boscailo (spelling...not too sure?) lunch special with a fresh green salad for $10, my son and husband love the Farfalle di Spiaggia and the Fettucine Molesano. Any way you look at it, four people can eat here for under $100 for dinner with wine and I find that hard to do with 2 elsewhere. The owners are nice, the waiters know me and are efficient and friendly and don't "push" the specials but simply read them off. They're busy and it's tight but everyone I've ever sent here from out of town or in town goes back over and over again. I've been coming in for years, and they always put up with my son's special orders (no vegies in his Farfalle). The Tiramasu is to die for! Huge piece for $5.50 you can easily split. I find the portions so big it's hard to finish (and so take it home, as well as an order to go to cook up later). I also love that when you order a soda they give you a can which fills several glasses and a pitcher of water so you don't have to keep asking. Overall everything I love....I hope they're around for another 20. Today when I went there they said they remembered me coming before I was pregnant and now my son is 12 and it's his favorite, too!

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes No Request Removal
26 out of 61 people found this review helpful.

A little common sense, please...

By hernancharosky on 1/5/2009

  • Overall Rating: 8
  • Food: 8
  • Service: 8
  • Décor: 6
  • Yes, I would go back!

Enough of snob reviews that don't underestand Il Corallo. Il Corallo is great food, simple, straigth, old italian food, properly cooked. No pretensions, no chef name, no b.s. Great prices. A nice lunch for $10 in Soho. Tell me, please, please, please, where else. And a humble and efficient service. I hope a lot of people think like the other reviewers, so I still find a table whenever i go, like it happened last week. Viva Il Corallo! Ignorance is bliss!

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes No Request Removal
70 out of 133 people found this review helpful.

Go for Italian somewhere else

By simonevaux on 4/21/2008

  • Overall Rating: 2
  • Food: 3
  • Service: 1
  • Décor: 2
  • No, I would not go back!

As soon as we sat down at this crowded little resaurant, the waiter was pushing the "specials" before we could even look through the menu. As we were ordering, he was still trying to have us order the "specials" of the night. Service is not that good and the food is average, you get what you pay for. I paid with a debit card and we left a cash tip, and later I found out that I was overcharged by $30! I signed the bill for $43 and they actually charged me $73. When I called about it, they were incredibly rude. I won't go there again ever.

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes No Request Removal
50 out of 102 people found this review helpful.

WORST EXPERIENCE EVER

By naderkob on 7/23/2007

  • Overall Rating: 2
  • Food: 3
  • Service: 1
  • Décor: 3
  • No, I would not go back!

- wouldnt give us an extra plate - ages to serve us - food was not so good - we had a friend joining and even though tables were free, they said he cant join to have dinner cause we already ordered desert???? - showed us a list of "restaurant rules" - we expressed our disapointment and the owner told us: "what do u expect from a cheap italian place where ur pizza is for 10 usd", "if you dont like it, go to the mcdonalds across the street" no customer service, complete disrespect of the client and doesnt care at all if customer enjoys his/her experience and will come back. would NOT recommand at ALL. plus its ZAGAT rated???? what for? Go to the Mcdonalds across the street, at least they'll smile and say thank you!

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes No Request Removal
134 out of 262 people found this review helpful.

Add Comment

You will be prompted to sign in with your NYMag or
Facebook account.

  awful average excellent
In determining overall rating, food and service are given more weight.
Rate
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Food
Service
Décor
Would you go back?

Some Hints:

  • The best reviews give a clear sense of why you liked or disliked a restaurant, bar, or store. And that means details. Mention specifics dishes, type of crowd, pros and cons...
  • If it's helpful to compare one place to another, go for it.
  • Come up with clever, funny, pithy subject lines, and write in the first person.
  • Don't forget to read the user rating guidelines and rules.
CloseUpdating your review
By
| Not you?
Advertising
Advertising