Average. Nothing special. Very noisy surroundings and tight sitting arrangements Staff was not accommodating nor seem to care. Thought I was in a diner read more

I have been to this restaurant several times and I have not been disappointed once. The service is excellent, the food is superb and the decor is lovely with understated elegance. We found the price was great especially for the quality of the food and the service. I highly recommend this restaurant. The staff was attentive to our needs even before we knew we had needs. When we called for our reservation the person taking the call welcomed us back you name even before we gave the name of the reservation. I realize this is due to technology, but they at least use it to the best advantage...making the guest feel welcome. read more

I wanted to try this place so badly, and finally got the chance and mehhhhhhh. It was disappointing, average and really nothing special sadly. We came for lunch, so it wasn't very crowded at all, honestly we were the first people seated. The wait staff wasn't very attentive, screwed up coke and diet coke. Now the food on the other hand was what I expected. It was very very good, but was it worth the big money for it probably not. read more

Could not wait to give my review. I'm still sitting here with my wife and friend.the meals and appetizers were outstanding, waiting on the desserts,can't imagine a letdown. read more

I don't usually write poor reviews but I have to say I was quite disappointed this evening at Cafe Testarossa. We've been here before some time ago and it was fine but we were not happy with our experience today. First of all the menu does not match what we saw online, so we were surprised. We arrived early and sat at the bar for for some drinks. We told the hostess we were at the bar expecting her to let us know when our table was ready. Twenty five minutes after our reservation, I decided it was time to inquire again and was told "well, your table is ready". Not a nice tone. Clearly she misunderstood and never thought to check on us at the bar, about 10-15 feet from her station. We didn't want to be pushy and ask at the time of our reservation but of course after 25 minutes I had to inquire. Once seated, we froze because the AC was sooo cold. But whatever. We dealt with it. We were a party of six and took my uncle out for his birthday. Then, what comes to the table next to us? Not one but TWO lapdogs that sat in chairs at the table! Discussing! Sorry but it's gotten out of hand. If you need a 'Comfort dog' then stay home with it. It doesn't belong sitting at a table in a fine restaurant OR ANY RESTAURANT for that matter. We could not believe that Cafe Testarossa would even allow it. They have outside dining too. Could have made those dogs eat outside with their pets! Although the food was quite tasty, the portions were small,especially for the price. I went home a little hungry, and I'm not a big guy. We're sorry to say that we probably won't return. We had a nice time with our family, but we can do that at better places without the dogs at the table!!! I'm giving it two stars because one would seem extreme and because the food was actually ok. read more

Salad, pasta, wine.. good, fresh, nothing to outstanding.

My friends and I were very excited to eat there last night. The staff was efficient especially as it started to rain and we needed to come inside. That said the Farro salad is scrumptious. But we all had different main dishes and they were just OK. My husband had the branzino; I had the almond crusted chicken and our friends had salmon and a veal dish. The chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream and almonds was yummy. Unfortunately I ordered decaf coffee and was served regular coffee which kept me up till 3 AM! All in all less than successful. read more

Every time I've come here, the food has been great. I agree with a couple of comments about the crowd it attracts (you don't find many young couples here), but it doesn't take away from the great food and good service. Everything I've had on the menu has been great so don't think you could go wrong with anything you get. read more

Once again went for New Years Eve. Everyone had a wonderful time as we did last year. Wonderful food and service. We went for the early seating but didn't feel rushed to leave for the 9:00 group to come in. Again next year and definitely before New Years Eve for lunch or dinner read more

See all

Went last night because they extended their restaurant week menu and heard some good reviews. Their selection was quite extensive for restaurant week. The staff was very accomodating, we were seated immediately. There was always staff around in case we needed anything. My water glass was always full. I enjoyed the pan-seared scallop appetizer, with the double cut pork chop. It wasn't dry at all and perfectly cooked. My boyfriend had the almond-crusted chicken which he raved about. I finishd my meal with an apple turnover with ice cream for dessert. Everything was perfect from beginning to end. I must also add that I've never seen such exquisite plating, each dish was presented beautifully. The crowd there though is a bit on the older side but other than that it was a great experience. read more

One of the most delicious Italian meals I've ever had. From service to food, it was nothing but the best. We started with the veal sliders, gnocchi, and pesto pizza. I usually find it hard for Italian places to perfect the trifecta of meat, pizza, and pasta, they're usually known for one or the other. Not testarossa. For entrees we split past dishes, the steak, veal, and lamb. The Gigli pasta special with ricotta and sausage made me genuinely want to book a reservation for every week for the rest of the year. It was perfect. Living in nyc, dining out can often be a rushed experience where you pay for a lot more than you get. Taking the extra drive out to Testarossa was worth it. To be honest I would have driven another 3 hours to get this kind of service and meal. You felt like you were family when you were there. The food speaks for itself. And the fact that I don't even have a photo to show speaks volumes. read more

There's always good stuff here. It can be some what hard to find if you don't know the area, but it's a great place to go to. Don't skimp out. It may seem upscale upon entering, but don't worry about it. It's friendly, knowledgeable, and always ready to serve with their best effort. read more

The food and service here are amazing! I had sweet potato gnocchi in pesto and pomodoro sauce for my appetizer. So good! I will be ordering that again the next time I go. For my entree, I had the salmon in a pinot grigio and capers wine sauce. It was perfectly cooked. It was a large enough portion that I was able to take half of it home and enjoy it again for lunch the following day. For dessert, I had the fresh coconut creme brulee. Yes, it was every bit as good as it sounds. The food presentation was excellent. Everyone at my large table enjoyed their food. The wait staff was very attentive. I can't wait to go back to this place! It is true that the majority of the other patrons are a bit older, but I couldn't care less. I am there for the food, not to mingle with other diners. read more

Went here for a Birthday Party Celebration. Was very impressed with the restaurant. There were a lot of choices on the menu to chose from. I got a Broccoli Rabe Pizza, that was very good. The service was good. I would go here again. Also you do not have to do valet parking, which is offered. If you want to park the car yourself, there is parking in the back of the restaurant. read more

Unfortunately I can't give this place zero stars so this rating will suffice and its simply based on their customer service. We had a party of 10 for an annual dinner and were told that we have a time limit and were rushed to order our food AT AN EMPTY RESTAURANT ON A SATURDAY EVENING (the bus boy was shocked when I told him what they were doing). Not only were we told by the waitress but it was reinforced by their manager. I've dined at many establishments who have accommodated us with no issues. We were all made to feel like we were a burden rather than valued customers. On the brighter side a huge shout out to RARE 650 for not only accommodating us at the last minute but for providing an outstanding meal. I guess things worked out after all. read more

Unfortunately I can't give this 0 stars. However that's what it should have. At what point is it okay to tell guests they have a time limit on a table before they even order? Especially when the restaurant is empty? Whelp that's what happened to us at this disgraceful establishment. The server and manager (Anna) both advised us (not when we called weeks ahead of time about our dinner party) that we had a time to be out of the restaurant because they have another large party after ours. Did I mention the restaurant was EMPTY? Unfortunately I can't give a review on the food because we asked for the bill right after our drinks were finished. But the salad I ate was sub par at best. read more

My wife and I have been coming to the Cafe Testarossa since it opened. Over the years, dinners, New Years, parties for joyful occasions. And the restaurant and its management never misses a beat. Perhaps because the owner is also the chef. I had party for twenty people this time and the quality of the selection of dishes served were raved about by all the guests, from eggplant rollatini, the veal marsala to a stuffed rolled chicken and the standard, all were delicious. Can't thank Billie and his team more for complementing a birthday with excellent food. read more

My wife and I decided to try here during restaurant week. Made reservations for 6 pm Saturday because they said you had to be eating before 7 to get restaurant week special. Then I found out I was scheduled to close Saturday and forgot about 7 so I asked for 7. They still honored for us which I was so thankful for. I'm so glad we tried here everything was better than I hoped and I can't wait to go back read more

Sat at the bar-sent food back 2x.. the worst part is we are regulars and noone CARED!! Just lost 2 great customers!' NO APPOLOGY.. ADIOS TESTAROSSA read more

We were here 5/5/21 with another couple, all of us having be going to Testarossa for years. From starters to dessert it is always delicious with a nice presentation by experienced servers. It is out of the way for us but always worth the trip. It is one of those "Can't miss places" read more

The food was absolutely fabulous service was excellent I highly recommend this place. Do not go without a reservation , but go you will love it read more

Cafe Testarossa - The. Best you ever had - Italian Near Me - Syosset, New York

An ok place to try.Went with friends and valet was exceptional the hostess was delightful and the busboy was dedicated. The waitress "Deb" didn't want to be bothered with working. While they offer a varied selection there was no interest in accommodating special dietary needs. The entire visit was approx 2 hrs.price is average with area read more

See all

Nice decor, food average at best, poor value Beautifully decorated, elegant restaurant. Food was average at best. Food was not well amalgamated or seasoned. lPortions small at very high prices. Wine over priced. Average service. Not impressed, would not return, read more

I grew up in Syosset and Cafe Testarossa has been my family's go-to restaurant for a nice dinner. I'm giving it 5 stars because the food has been consistently good over all of these years. While I've enjoyed just about everything I've ordered over the years, the tequila chicken was my favorite back when it was on the menu, and now my favorite is the almond crusted chicken. Sometimes my entire family orders it. The stuffed artichoke as an appetizer is also fantastic, probably the best stuffed artichoke I've ever had, and is great for sharing. Usually we're too stuffed for dessert. I sometimes say that if I were to have a last meal, it would be the stuffed artichoke and the almond crusted chicken. They used to have a big testarossa on the wall, but they redid the restaurant several years back and now it has a more modern, romantic feel (i.e. white table clothes, dim lighting, candles). Can't say much about the bar since I never spent much time there, but do note that the restaurant is busy and noisy on Fri and Sat nights. Service is usually attentive, but I'd recommend ordering an appetizer as it can take a while for your entree to come out. read more

It's pricey but their main dishes are high quality and you get pretty big portions so it's worth it. The almond crusted chicken is my go-to. Pizzas are good but not amazing read more

Hi all, So went to Cafe Testarossa for dinner, expecting a nice meal and nice service. Sadly, this is not what happened. We had a reservation and were seated right away. Our table, however, was near a noisy kitchen. When we asked to move to another table, we were told, "Oh sorry. That one is reserved. Someone reserved that table. You can see by the menu on it." We had a reservation but no menu on a table for us. Note to Yelpers: For a good table: make a reservation, learn all the table numbers for the tables, ask for a specific table number that you like and have them put a menu on it. On to the drinks. Our waiter came promptly and the wine was very good. We then ordered the appetizers and the dinners. We ordered the pasta and specifically stated it to be cooked soft and not al dente and that the meat be brought with extra potatoes, no vegetables. Fine. The appetizer came out and then... we were left without plates to put it on. Finally, we flagged down a busboy who gave us plates. The appetizer was cool by then, but we ate it anyway. Caesar salad, baked clams and crab cakes were very good, but we wanted more sauce for the crab cakes, which were served with a tiny dot on the platter. Much too late, our waiter came and asked if we needed anything. We got the entree and the pasta was too raw although we had specifically asked it to be cooked soft and not al dente. The meat arrived with both vegetables and potatoes although we said extra potatoes and no other vegetables. As for staff, there was no one around to be found. After we were half-way done, someone not our waiter materialized and asked if everything was ok. She offered to re-heat the small amounts of remaining pasta or re do the dish. We said no, being that it was kind of late for that. She said we should have said so sooner. Sooner? And to whom? There was no one around, especially our waiter, (Sime V?) who seemed to have other things to do than attend to tables. Our waiter came back and apologized for the pasta and said the next time we come he will give us capellini since linguine is a hard pasta. Sorry, dude. The laws of physics exist for all pastas. Every one of them can be cooked for 2-3 minutes softer beyond "Al dente". Why in the world would a waiter in an Italian restaurant make such an ignorant statement? Why would he think that after saying such a thing that we would be back? What he should have done was offer a free dessert. But alas, that was not done. On to the dessert. The tiramisu and the chocolate cake were very good. The coffee was very good, too. Nowhere were we even offered a coffee on the house or a dessert on the house from the waiter, which would have been an easy thing to do. He just did not seem to care. Should you want good food and a caring place, try Piccola Bussola in Syosset. Also, Chris and Tony's is right up the street. Both are a better experience than this. read more

Went here tonight for restaurant week. We had been to Cafe Testarossa before and had some appetizers at the bar. This is the first time I had dinner there. Everything we had was very good. The pasta is particular was a standout, very fresh. I had the bronzino which was excellent and we all had a cheesecake which was also great. The service was good. Would definitely be back again. read more

Went there last night not knowing what to expect with such different reviews, both good and bad. My husband and I thought the food was outstanding.!!The décor was lovely. The dessert was perfectly proportioned and thoroughly delicious. Only reason I gave 4 stars was because of the noise factor. Acoustically not so good, a little difficult to hear. read more

Cafe Testarossa is a large, old fashioned, impersonal restaurant on a strip mall in Syosset. Remarkably it gets strong reviews from the locals whom I feel do not have many choices (on Tripadvisor it is rated number 1 and a hero shop is rated number 2 in the entire town!). On a recent visit, which was my first in about five years, I was disappointed again. Only about fifteen diners at about 7pm. Very poor and untrained service people but much more importantly, bland and poorly prepared food for high prices. Our table had four cocktails, three aps, three fish entrees and the veal scallopini, three coffees, and one dessert. Price was nearly $250. The price is not as off-putting as the food preparation is. Canned oranges on the halibut, tasteless veal. If you want very good Italian food go a few more miles to Huntington. Many more choices in this town. read more

Excellent! The food is wonderful. The service wasn't perfect but the food more than made up for it. We went to celebrate my girlfriend's birthday and couldn't have made a better choice. I had a delicious filet of sole dish with spinach. My girlfriends all raved about their meals also. When it came time for dessert the chocolate lava cake with ice cream was perfection and the best I've had! Looking forward to my next visit. read more

Came to Cafe T during restaurant week with friends. I had the grilled shrimp with zucchini spaghetti as my app and red snapper with seasoned breadcrumbs...YUM! Great menu options and the food was delicious. Wait staff was very attentive. Definitely looking forward to returning soon. read more

I had a very bad experience at Cafe Testarossa. The hostess was very rude and asked us to move our table 3 times. I told her it was our first time at this restaurant and this was not a good first impression. We asked to be compensated for our inconvenience and the hostess just shrugged her shoulders. They really need a lesson in hospitality. read more

We hadn't been to Testarossa for quite some time, but went back there recently. It was a very pleasant experience. The food was excellent and served hot. The wait staff was very friendly and informative. The pasta dishes are first rate as was the seafood. Pleasant surroundings. Overall an enjoyable evening. read more

I went there Saturday night with a party of eight. Like usual the food was excellent but the service was poor. Totally disorganized. Waitress kept forgetting appetizers at the beginning and it continued even with dessert. While the chief may be excellent the support staff were poor. This was a Saturday night. Prime time. They should be able to handle the crowd. Now eight people commented regarding poor service. read more

Today we had the baby shower for my daughter-in-law and son, who are expecting their first baby (a girl) in March. I've been to Cafe Testarossa for a shower before so decided to have it there. It was the perfect choice! The food was delicious, and Lois and the staff were amazing! They made our special day so memorable! I would highly recommend Cafe Testarossa! read more

This classic northern Italian restaurant in Syosset is not to be missed. Delicious food, beautiful decor, great service and caring wait staff. Cafe Testarossa has been a favorite of mine for a long time. Bruce, the bartender is always a pleasure to see, but the secret of the businesses success is the owner/ chef Billy whom always knows how to make his guests feel special. Be sure to make a reservation read more

This place doesn't even deserve one star. I made reservations almost a month ago for a party of 10. Every year my girlfriends and I have a dinner event where we pick a fancy restaurant to dine, and celebrate being strong women. Especially, women of color. We were being rushed to order and then told we old have 2 hours to eat. Whether or not it's their policy, the deliverance was so rude and inappropriate. Deborah our waitress hade no remorse at first and advise she can get the manager if we so like. We then thought we would get some satisfaction when the manager arrived , but she was worse than her employee. She made no mistake it telling us that 2 hours should be good enough for us and if not; we can always take our party to the bar. We decided to leave this establishment, and can safely say we will never ever return there in the future ahead. Good luck to the other people of color at this establishment. read more

John N is shocked! He is shocked by the sub par reviews Cafe Testarossa has received. I have been going to Testarossa for the better part of 15 years and it has served as a venue for most of my family's large events. We've celebrated birthdays, retirements, baby showers and engagements at Testarossa. We have enjoyed intimate dinners with friends and come together in times of grief when family members have passed on, inside Testarossa's familiar and welcoming walls. Testarossa has never let us down. Last night (3/14) was Mama N's 65th birthday, and she wouldn't dream of having her party anywhere else but Brad Pitts living room or Cafe Testarossa. Since the Jolie/Pitts were not returning my calls, Testarossa it was. As usual we were not disappointed. Normally, even though we were a large group, we would order off the menu but in order to be a little more economical (money is not falling from the sky these days) Billy (C.T.'s owner and chef) assembled a wonderful 5 course prix fixe menu for us. An amazing medley of appetizers arrived first followed by a delicious Rigatoni alla Vodka. Next a lovely mixed green winter salad. Our main course selections were as follows: Almond crusted chicken breast stuffed with artichoke hearts, spinach, and Asiago cheese in a wild berry brandy sauce. Pan seared Salmon in a pinot grigio wine and caper sauce with julienne vegetables. and Pan seared pork tenderloin with sweet potato puree in a cherry pepper au jus. I tried all three, and each was spectacular! The meal was capped by a lovely choice of any of their homemade desserts, espresso, and capuccino. Everything was perfect, and Mama N was happy. I will admit that for a time the bar did look like a casting call for a Goodfellas remake, and yes they would try to steal your date, but that crowd has long since moved on to the horror show that is Sagamore Grill located across the street. I am almost certain that I have had everything on the menu at least twice and can say without hesitation that I have never had a bad meal here. Thank you to Billy and his staff for making Mama N's birthday as special as she is. read more

I have to say we went to Testarossa because we had heard good things. None of those things were true. The food was nothing special and the service abysmal. Our waitress really didn't want to be there and she made it obvious. I asked for a drink with lime and she told me they didnt have lime. Really? We ordered drinks and when mine arrived it had no alcohol. The drink had sour mix which I had stated I didn't want. It was also all filler and no alcohol. I was afraid to send it back bc our waitress was the type to spit in it (really). Instead, I told her it was weak and asked for a shot of patron. She rolled her eyes and charged us for it. With other, better restaurants out there, We won't be back. read more

Don't plan to have relaxing meal on a Saturday nite. Our reservation for 7:15 was not ready when we arrived, nor was it ready 20+ minutes later. The host didn't seem to have any concerns about that or about the fact that others also were milling around waiting for tables, all of whom seemed to have reservations as well.. When we finally got seated, the second dining room was too noisy to hear my dining companion seated directly next to me. Forget about hearing across the table. Ordinarily, I enjoy the food here but this Saturday nite my Monkfish dish was dry and since the waitress never returned to ask, I was stuck with it. There was a harried atmosphere in the overflow dining room. I felt like I was in a diner, rather than a fine restaurant, which is what this place should be. Especially given the price point. By the way, I have been a patron of this place for 18 years. I think the management should not be accepting large parties and then ignore the small tables, which is what happened this time. I won't be returning on a Saturday nite, and I would recommend others think twice if they want to hear their companions. read more