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Serafina - Madison 38th

3.4 (83 reviews)
Closed • 7:00 am - 10:00 pm

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SERAFINA - MADISON 38TH ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Classy
Outdoor seating
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - Serafina - Madison 38th

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Bar
Alan B.

It was hot. Very hot. Serafina Madison 38th was directly across the street, and after already logging six miles of walking, convenience won out. We were hungry, and while Serafina's Yelp rating was only passable, the air conditioning and proximity made the decision easy. We were seated immediately, and the restaurant was pleasant and comfortably cool. We quickly placed our order: * LASAGNA AL FORNO - Homemade meat sauce. $28 * FARFALLE AL LIMONCELLO - Bow tie pasta with baby shrimp, cream, and lemon zest. $26 I requested extra sauce on the side, as lasagna can sometimes benefit from a little more. Ice water arrived promptly and our glasses were refilled regularly throughout the meal. Our food was served quickly, arrived hot, and looked appetizing. There was no side of sauce, but our server explained that extra sauce had been added on top instead. The lasagna looked good, so I let that go. The first few bites were encouraging. The lasagna was moist, meaty, and flavorful. After a few more bites, however, I noticed a faint burned taste. A closer look revealed that one corner of the bottom layer had indeed been burned (see photo). Too bad, because otherwise it could have been a respectable dish. Next, I sampled the Farfalle al Limoncello. Wow. It was extremely salty--so salty that the lemon flavor was almost completely lost. Not good! Our waiter checked on us twice, which we appreciated. During his second visit, after we'd had a chance to fully taste both dishes, we mentioned the overly salty pasta. He said he would let the chef know. Unfortunately, that was the end of it. A complimentary dessert, a small adjustment to the bill, or even a sincere apology would have gone a long way, but nothing was offered. My fellow Yelpers currently rate Serafina Madison 38th at 3.4 stars (one of roughly a dozen Serafina locations in Manhattan). Based on this visit, the best I can give it is 3 stars. Would we return? Only if the weather insisted.

Breakfast plate
Anna L.

Really great breakfast buffet for such an awesome price! Think it's only during the week at ~$35 a person, including coffee and juice. Only docked one star because you do have to ask servers for quite a few off the buffet items, and the waffles and coffees do take a bit of time. Overall lovely!

Brussels Sprout Salad
Heidi F.

The food was rather tasty. The ambiance was lovely. The service was good, although maybe overwhelmed at the end of the day.

Kate C.

We came here for drinks and the staff were super kind and accommodating for my mom who uses a cane. They seated us at a table even though we only wanted drinks. The wine list is great. We would definitely come back here for food because we loved the overall ambiance.

Avocado San Pietro Salad
Erik B.

First, I'll start with the positives: this restaurant allowed for our table of six people to be seated last-minute. On a busy day for the New York City Marathon, the restaurant was full, but they were still open to working with us on the reservation time plus total size number. The ambience was chic mix with classic as demonstrated by their open and spacious bar plus round tables tables marked by red velvet colored booth seating. Unfortunately on the flipside, the food wasn't particularly noteworthy. With so many Italian restaurants, restaurants available for competitive purposes in the New York City area, I was not blown away by their pizza quality (a bit soggy with the cheese) nor salads (small portion sizes). We waited for about 40 minutes for the food to be ready which also felt longer than most. Overall I would advise keeping this restaurant on your radar for last-minute reservations but would not plan ahead for months just to eat at Serafina.

Caesar salad with chicken
Sandi S.

Came here for dinner on my first evening ever in NY! I had the Caesar salad with chicken. Best Caesar salad I've had yet and I've had a lot of Caesar salads. It was creamy and flavorful, well coated with dressing, not too acidic and not too zesty. Very good. Service and ambience were ok.

Kristin S.

This restaurant was in my hotel. After a very long day at work, my table for one with a perfect glass of pinot Grigio and my gluten free pasta dish was the perfect oasis. The service was amazing. The restaurant was vibrant and alive, but not too loud. I stay at this hotel for work periodically, so I look forward to my return and another beautiful meal at Serafina's.

Penne
Johanne R.

The restaurant it's very unassuming from the outside. It is actually quiet large with a vintage yet elegant setting. Love the accent canary yellow. There is seating outdoors with faux bush wall for privacy. Our server, Carmelo, was very helpful and attentive. The bathrooms are clean. The women's stall doors are excellent!!! No gaps on the sides of the doors. There are restrooms upstairs and downstairs. So ladies no need to wait. They have a meeting area with a fireplace below the stairs. It is Italian cuisine. We dined on Bruschetta, Caprese Salad, Calamari, Spicy Penne alla Vodka, Chicken Milanese, and Meat Lasagna. The food presentation was on par. The taste of the food was good and fresh. All things I expect, but nothing to write home about. As always, I end with, "would I return"? Perhaps, but it would not be my go to. I would return for the atmosphere and some drinks, but not necessarily a meal.

Penne alla Vodka
Julia P.

I've heard many good things about Serafina & I was very excited to try it out. The food was good, nothing outstanding, but it was good. The pasta was cooked just right & was pretty big portions. The ambience is adorable. Very cute romantic restaurant. I would have given 4 stars but I'm giving it 3 stars because of the service. After we got our food, suddenly our waiter just disappeared. Not just ours, but no waiters were to be found. We wanted to order dessert but after waiting 25 minutes of waiting, I decided to go up to the hostess & just ask for the check since it was getting late. When the check comes we get a $9 charge for water? Still water? Unheard of. Absurd to charge so much for water, this isn't Europe. They ended up taking the water charge off which was nice. My friend also got gum from under the table on her new jeans and they helped us clean it. Overall, food was good. Service was very very very slow. Just beware of the water charge.

Spaghetti al Limone

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3 months ago

How do.you all keep missing the mark?!? Inedible fries. Rude staff. The worst. Every time I give you another chance you fail.

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Letizia M.

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3 years ago

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4 months ago

Ordered a to go tiramsau $14 bucks so small and tasteless!! Not happy with the size/, the taste and the PRICE!!!

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4 months ago

Good food - Chicken Milanese was fantastic, great service, nice clean place. Been here twice now and both times were consistent.

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Okay but not over the top. Waiter tried very hard but they could not convert a well done Brussel Sprout in 4 tries.

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Ask the Community - Serafina - Madison 38th

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Fumo - Roni pizza

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L'Artusi - Amatraciana - incredible

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Serafina - Madison 38th - italian - Updated October 2026

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