Always an incredible dining experience. The service is impeccable. They are extremely informative about the dishes and are charming in their presentation. The atmosphere is clean and cozy, perfect for a family meal or date. The gnocchi is incredible. The burata is incredible. A guaranteed delicious dinner time and time again. Reason for 4/5 and not 5 is that their crowd is always a bit stuffy, but without that crowd it wouldn't have the same upper east side charm. read more

Intimate, civilized, welcoming. Delicious daily specials. For grown-ups. And priced accordingly. Not the best Italian ever, but a neighborhood gem. read more

I wanted to give this a four since the last few times were great but just went tonight and the service was so bad. I was shocked, to be honest. Drink orders had to be repeated at least 4 times to 2 different people until we were told the juice ran out. Ok... We were a party of 5 and a baby and give the tiniest table possible so things were knocked over. There were empty tables but we weren't moved. The cash only rule is nothing new but does it make it a little frustrating sometimes. Food (the important part): The pasta is fresh and tasty but tonight must have been an off night as the cheese tasted slightly...off. Portions seemed smaller than before and just everything seemed a mess. Do not get the salad with the beets unless you love endive as it is a very bitter salad. The lunch menu has this great ravioli with meat sauce that is not on the dinner menu. The spaghetti with vegetables is also delicious and the pasta you can choose and not feel guilty. Or as guilty. Fettuccine Alfredo is not on the menu but they can pretty much make any of their pastas on the menu with a different sauce. I love that. Forget carb-less meals here-the bread basket with the olive oil on the table is so good and so worth it with three different types of bread. Always always ALWAYS start with the fried zucchini. It is AMAZING and worth every calorie. I can taste it now. Dessert? You can't go wrong with the tartufa (spelling?). The ricotta cheesecake is fluffy and really delicious. I've tried the orange sponge cake as well but I must say, it's not my favorite but I also don't like citrus in my dessert or sweets. I'm strange like that. All in all, you should go and try it. The food is really really good. Just disappointed in the service as of recent. read more

Excellent foods and service. It was very nice relaxing lunch in the busy city. Chicken was well cooked and fresh, cheesecake was awesome. Service was pleasant and gave me a nice break. Wonderful dining here. read more

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I've been going to Sette Mezzo with my family for years and it's just amazing every single time. Try the penne sette mezzo. You'll be so so happy that you did. read more

My husband and I went to this restaurant because it came highly suggested to us. We were so happy we went. You must make a reservation, and you must take cash. They ONLY take cash.....no credit cards, no checks, no money orders--fuhgedaboutit!!! The atmosphere is quaint and bustling like a real Italian bistro. The food was to die for. It is quite pricey, but most great sit down meals in NYC are. The wine list was excellent. We had the bruschetta for an appetizer then we both had a pasta dish--both were amazing. We had excellent service , a great meal, and a lovely time. I look forward to my next meal at Sette Mezzo. read more

A relaxing and palate pleasing experience. A destination restaurant, visit to enjoy the depth of the dishes while slowing your fast pace life long enough to enjoy an exceptional wine. We sat next to Woody Allen. Will be back. read more

Food is delicious! Delivery arrived in a timely fashion. Service over the phone was polite and helpful.

Really great night out with friends. Sette Mezzo is a restaurant who caters to their regulars, this was evident when my wife and I walked in. Food is of a high level and the service is excellent. read more

Best italian restaurant in all of manhattan. This is authentic italian food and the owners are always so friendly and funny. They make you feel right at home. This restaurant is one of a kind because they dont take credit card which is better for me anyways. I don't know why people are complaining about it tho, just go out to an atm and get cash.. and if you're money tight.. maybe this isn't the place for you.. anyways the food here is excellent and if you have any request they serve you like a prince. its hard to find good italian food and yes it is expensive but for a reason, everything is fresh and cooked to perfection and if its not then they will gladly redo it. highly recommended! thank you sette mezzo! read more

Been coming here with my family for years. Owners and staff incredibly friendly to the whole family, including my kids. Food is nothing short of superlative. Feel free to order something off the menu (they will always accommodate). We are always made to feel like we are at home at Sette Mezzo as well as sister restaurant Vico. read more

The food is quite good and prices are medium-high, but acceptable. However 1) they only accept cash (?!?), 2) we ordered a truffle tagliolini (suggested by the waiter), who "forgot" to tell us it was 200$. I had truffle in every possible way: tagliatelle, risotto, fettuccine, etc; price is generally 2-2.5X a normal main course, here it was 10 times more. I'm not complaining about the out-of-market price, rather about the fact they didn't tell us before. We just had a $400+ bill surprise, without wine. And we had to pay cash... After kindly expressing my concerns the 4 waiters seemed quite sorry, but didn't even consider a discount or offering an after dinner drink. Overall strongly not suggested. read more

Don't go if you don't have cash lucky I wanted to treat my guests so after ordering drinks and salad I walked up and gave my credit card to the waiter so a check would not come to the table. He informed me that they did not take credit cards and only cash. When they found out that might be a problem they were rude collected the salad plates before they could be finished we left the drinks, paid for what we ordered and left. How rude can you be!!!!! we went next door to Bella blu it was delicious. Skip sette mezzo you will be treated like dirt if you are not a regular read more

SAVE YOUR MONEY!!!! The prices are outrageous. The main courses are piled with the cheap food, while the food you think you're paying for is overcooked scraps buried below the potatoes and sprouts. Can't get out of there without paying $100 per person, even for only a plate of pasta. Better bet to go to Gino's or Il Riccio. read more

If you like hangin' with the upper East side chic crowd, you'll love: 1) waiting 30 minutes because of overbooking 2) being crammed into a tiny space and getting your chair bumped regularly 3) being offered no red wine by the bottle under $55 4) seeing "fish of the day" on the menu for $37.50, ordering it and being charged $42.50 (explanation: "fish is expensive and that is what they charge next door.") 5) No credit cards All at top dollar prices. read more

Without a reservation, we were graciously seated, and in spite of the "cash only" policy, we thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Great salad, grilled veggies, and the pasta was exceptional. Service was prompt and efficient, and the crowd was fun to observe. The chauffeur driven Rolls waiting outside for one family gives you an indication of the clientele, and the place is pricey. However, I'd rather pay more and get a delicious bowl of pasta. read more

i have tried out hundreds of restaurants in the city in $$$, $$$$ category. This place was well overprice given what it has to offer. Food is mediocre, service was casual, and atmosphere as restaurant was empty read more

Had a Valentine's Day lunch here many years ago (about six?) with an ex-bf who had seen Sette Mezzo being featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Though we did not get to sit in O's special table, we did feast on the same delicious food that sent Oprah's tastes buds purring. Sadly, I cannot remember what I had specifically ordered, but I do remember walking out of that restaurant extremely pleased with the food and really impressed by the service. This much I recall. read more

I absolutely love Sette Mezzo. It is very small and intimate so seating is limited but they take reservations. The service is excellent. Mr. Esposito, the owner, is often there and is the nicest friendliest guy which I think reflects in the attitude of his staff. The servers are very friendly and professional. All their pasta dishes are delicious and their tiramisu is absolutely to die for. They are a cash only establishment... unless of course you become a frequent customer, in which case they let you open a house charge account, but that is reserved for very few people. Make sure you hit the ATM before dining! read more

Good food, if a bit tired. Kind of a scene so be prepared to say hi to lots of people.

First off, this place is not cheap. We went early and beat the crowd. I thought the food was good but my husband raved about the pasta. The fried zucchini was definitely underwhelming, take a pass. Tiramisu was ok but nothing special. Overall not worth the price! read more

Wow! This is quite possibly the best Italian food I have ever had. The fried calamari and zucchini is crunchy, not oily, and comes with a nice fresh tomato sauce. They occasionally have burrata on arugula which is delish. Other things to try are the truffle risotto as well as the veal milanese. The wine selection is phenomenal and the staff is very good. Pay attention to the specials as they often have great fresh fish. CASH ONLY read more

It is the real deal. Couldn't be more Italian and it was elbow to elbow seating, so obviously very popular on a Thursday evening. Like most upscale Italian places, the staff speaks Italian and they have an incredible attitude. But that's NYC for you. Plan on spending $100 for two for dinner with one drink each. Absolutely delicious though. Would go back! read more

Nice restaurant and fresh Italian food but from some reason they only accept Amex, which is strange considering Amex is not the selective credit card it once was. Not really effective at keeping the "riff raft" out like it was back in the 90's. read more

We have been coming here whenever we travel to NYC since 1992 and it never disappoints. The specials are always tempting and seasonal - this time it was a burrata salad, ravioli w a sauce of wonderfully sautéed vegetables and squash blossoms, and the mushroom risotto. The "impossible" wine list is a great way to make affordable and slightly daring wine adventures. The fig tart was sumptuous. The staff is helpful and friendly and the owner engaging. read more

Great food. Neat location and atmosphere. Tables are a bit small, but it adds to the charm. the portions were properly sized and the menu selection was diverse. Cash/Account only business in this day? Ok, I guess, but I typically don't walk around with that much cash, if cash at all... Good thing it was a business dinner and one of the party had an account. Didn't get to visit the restrooms, so I can't report on that. Ralph Lauren happened to be dining there the same night I visited. Everyone played it cool. read more

Heck yes. Good stuff. Good service. Great wines. Solid!

Simply the best Italian food in New York. The food is approachable, authentic and always fantastic. Best dishes are the linguini with clams, gnocchi, house made mozzarella, stracciatella soup, veal milanese, well, as I write this, I realize it's all incredible. Celebs abound. Cash only is what keeps this place from being too crowded to go, so I don't mind it. read more

It was a little sad that the Asian Society's restaurant was closed for a private event so my mom and I walked around the corner to find this cute Italian place. I was a little set back when the first thing they said to us after we were seated was that we only take cash. Umm, well that was fine but it's like what if we didn't have enought cash? Were we going to leave or would i have to run out and find an ATM? Oh, well, I'll leave other people to decide for themselves. It was a very intimate setting and the waiters were very attentive. The bread was really good, some kind of sourdough I think. I ordered the long shelled clam to start, something that I only had in Asia so I would like to see how Italians would do it. It came with huge wedges of lemon. They baked them with bread crumbs, some parmesan and butter, and it comes with a mesh of tomatoes and parsley in the middle. It was very good. The halibut was well cooked and I enjoyed the medley of vegies that accompanied it. They gave us a little plate of biscotti for dessert. Didn't have time for coffee but looks pretty amazing on the next table. read more

The grilled scallop was awesome. The endive/beets/olive/artichoke salad was just so so. My friends loved their meals more than I did and they ordered the grilled vegetables, zucchini, prosciutto, veal, truffle risotto, vegetable ravioli, etc. Sorbet and tiramisu were both delicious. The staff was super nice but it is cash-only. read more

Was passing by and stopped in. Over priced and manager was discourteous. Food was good. You can find better Italian restaurants .

One of my favorite NYC restaurants, try to hit it whenever I am in town. I love the the sunken living room affect, and there are so many fascinating conversations going around you. And the Italian food is outstanding. It is a bit overpriced, but you get great atmosphere and reliability in exchange. read more

Came in, out of the very cold, looking quite frazzled and asked if I could order "to go". I was immediately told that it would be easily done and, "please have a seat over here". I ordered the linguine and clams which came in a reasonable time. The meal was delicious with 30, yes 30 delectable clams. I only counted because a previous reviewer had counted hers as 23! Thanks for making my Valentine's meal special. The only reason I did not give 5 Stars is because I will come back for a proper sit down and see the whole picture. read more

Best gnocchi in the city hands down. It's cash only so come with plenty, this place is not cheap but it won't disappoint.

Highest quality Italian restaurant in the neighborhood. They always greet you like to you are family.

This place is my favorite Italian in NYC, hands down. Fantastic food, great service, simply amazing. Yes, they only take cash, but it is so good it doesn't matter. read more

So incredibly expensive and cash only. Old school atmosphere. Good food, at least.

Always a good place for regular family dinners with the older folks in the family. It gets a bit repetitive for us to go here but our parents love it so we go every time they come to town. Great pasta and fish, and the waiters know you by name. They also bring delicious cookies with the dessert, on the house! It will be hard to convince the group to have dinner anywhere else! read more

This place has extremely good Italian food. I love going and the atmosphere is great. I highly suggest the tomato and mozzerella and the penne sette mezzo. read more

Really?? This is emperor's clothes. There were three of us, all ordering different appetizers and entries. The food is mediocre at best, and very expensive,. It costs a fortune because it's a tiny place with 4 people waiting to clean up after you. Staff are nice enough, but the place is very dull and boring. Expensive does NOT mean better! Wish we would've stayed in Hell's Kitchen area where there were a ton of happening places rather than take my So Cal friend"s recommendation for this place. read more