Bocca di Bacco (Hell's Kitchen - 54th St.)

Review summary

1. B

   Bill VIP

   New York City5 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   The food was delicious and our Italian waiter was very knowledgeable, professional, and personable.
   

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2. S

   Shawna VIP

   Coastal Georgia10 reviews

   3.0

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 2

   I wanted to enjoy it but things were off right from the get-go. Arrived on time for the reservation to be shown to the only table available right in front of the front door...in March. Luckily a couple was wrapping up at another table a little further inside the restaurant but a cool draft could still be felt whenever the door was opened. (Also, the hostess acted put out when the front door table was refused as if she couldn't understand why we wouldn't want to be seated there. I noticed that that table remained empty for the rest of the night while every other table was full. I'm sure it's a fine spot for a table in June, but not in winter.) Noise level in the restaurant is fairly loud and the tables are VERY close together so expect to have to shout for your dining companions to hear you. Food was okay, decent but nothing special in a city of wonderful Italian restaurants. But the biggest issue is with the service. Yes, it was a busy Saturday evening but I literally watched as the server went back to other tables multiple times while waiting for him to return. And it happened with EVERY part of the meal service—taking the order, bringing drinks, checking on the table once food was delivered, but the worst was at the end of the meal. It seemed like forever before he noticed that we were done eating before returning to collect plates. He returned with a dessert menu before disappearing again for a good 15 minutes. At that point, we just wanted the check. When he finally returned and we indicated that we would not be ordering dessert, he disappeared yet again. It was literally a good 20 minutes of watching him service other tables, including visiting several tables multiple times, before we finally managed to get his attention with the international sign for the check. All in all, while the food was fine, the experience is not one worth repeating.
   

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3. KP

   KristenP

   New York City2 reviews

   3.0

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 4

   Food was great and service was good. However it took our dinner a lot longer than it should have that our waiter gave us a free drink each. Things happen though and our waiter was attentive to that! Would try again, although I might try a different location so I can try the pizza.
   

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4. BC

   BrianC VIP

   Greater Boston18 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   Great food and service. Always a good experience each time I visit.
   

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5. a

   alfred

   New York City10 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on March 11, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Had a great time.. wonderful food and service. Our server David was excellent.
   

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6. G

   Gloria

   New York City2 reviews

   2.0

   Dined on March 1, 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 4

   Showed up for a 5:45 reservation. Had 2 different servers who were very sweet and one who was particularly informative about the menu. 3 people, ordered only 1 app (rice balls) and a plate of food for each person. Also got a bottle of wine that was on sale. We got our rice balls which were just 2 rice balls. Took around maybe 20-25 mins to come out. Our food took nearly 50-60 minutes to come out. It was 6:47 when I looked at my watch once I started eating. The dish was pretty good but nothing extraordinary. The carbonara was surprisingly plain. Only the gnocchi in a red sauce was exceptional. Overall not worth the 170$ tab for 1 app and 3 plates of food that took an hour to be served. I don’t plan on going back and I wouldn’t recommend, especially not a Saturday evening.
   

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7. A

   A

   New York City2 reviews

   4.0

   Dined on February 26, 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Will definitely return to try another menu ! 😋 Staff were wonderful and attentive...
   

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8. E

   Elisabeth

   Unspecified1 review

   5.0

   Dined on February 25, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Nice restaurant, good italian kitchen, friendly service
   

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9. J

   Joyce

   New York City19 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on February 19, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Totally loved the experience at Bocca. Pasta dishes, salad, drinks, dessert and service outstanding. Can’t wait to go back again. Highly recommend.
   

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10. S

    Sabrina

    Orlando1 review

    3.0

    Dined on February 16, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3

    The food was amazing and that’s this place’s saving grace. The restaurant is very dark and it’s a bit hard to see the menu without using the torch on your phone. Tables are crammed in tightly together so it’s a bit difficult to navigate. Hostesses were polite and accommodating. Our waiter was MIA throughout most of our meal. Did not refill drinks timely. Offered no bread, no cheese on the pasta dishes, no recommendations or suggestions, and no charm or friendliness whatsoever. We had the calamari and zucchini as appetizers and both were tasty. The limoncello spritz was nice. All of our entrees were delicious and generously portioned: the salmon, linguine pesto, rigatoni vodka, and chicken parm. It’s unfortunate the service doesn’t match the quality of the food.
    

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