83 1/2 Restaurant

They have BYOB Wed and Thu! Their service is impeccable and foods are delicious. For the pandemic era - you might wanna bring your own blankie as their outdoor set up guarantee air ventilation but the heaters may not be enough on a cold day. I've fallen in love with their top notch service as well as the delicious food. I am going to be a regular here, especially as a wine enthusiast.

We decided to go local for a "taste of Italy" and not to one of the establishments we frequent regularly. 83 1/2 has been around for quite some time now and most of the reviews were on the plus side so we said let's give it a shot. We walked in and were seated promptly, and the server poured us water and brought menus. He saw we brought our own bottle of wine so, there was no need for the wine list. We sat for 15 minutes until we were able to get someone's attention to at least open the wine and tell us what specials that were available that night. It took another 10 minutes to get someone to take an order. We ordered the baked clams, the pear and gorgonzola salad, an artichoke and the insalata di polpo. For entrees we ordered the pork chop special, the chicken Milanese, the veal chop and chicken scarpariello. So, in-spite of the slow service we were all hungry hoping that the food would make us forget the wait. Of the 3 appetizers the pear salad was the best, not great but good. The clams looked really good, but they were swimming in liquid and were tasteless, the polpo was too chewy, that shouldn't happen. Of the entrees the pork chop was perfectly done, the chicken Milanese was as dry as cardboard and if I knew what cardboard tasted like.... the other 2 entrees not worth coming back for, the funniest part was they couldn't serve the correct plates to anyone at the table. Next time you go local there's at least 3 other very good Italian restaurants within a 2-block radius. I gave a 3 because it wasn't horrific, and I've had worse. ·

83 1/2 has always been a lovely gem in the UES. I've tried just about everything on the menu, and nothing disappoints. The staff are extremely professional, welcoming, and friendly. You will get to know each of them if you become a regular - and you want to become a regular. Anyone in the neighborhood should try this place at least once, and then again, and again.

I came here last night and loved the ambiance and the service! We ordered two appetizers and three past dishes. All were just amazing, some of the best pasta I've had. The dessert was ok but definitely not the highlight. I ordered a cheesecake and it was frozen in the middle.... The server was very nice and understanding and he took it away when I told him. But it was definitely a huge lapse in judgement by the kitchen for even sending that out. It would have been better to just tell me they ran out which would have been fine. Overall though, the meal was so good that the frozen cheesecake didn't bother me much and it didn't ruin my meal. Another bonus is, during the week this place is BYOB! My husband only likes French wines so that's a huge perk. I'll definitely be back!