Paola's Restaurant

We had a 730PM reservation for 4 people. They seated another table for 4 who came in after us at 750PM. and who were highly aggressive in their behavior. We were finally seated at 755PM after we said we were leaving. The experience was horrible. We will never go back.

The ambiance is lively at this upper east side gem. Wonderful service at the bar where we sat and were able to sample great wines and terrific food including the warm mozzarella and perfectly fried artichokes. Very well priced for the city.

The food is outstanding and the atmosphere is very inviting. The only minor concern is the price which was $90 for a lunch

Food and service at Paola's is consistently good. Price point is in line with the neighborhood. Atmosphere is conducive to having a normal conversation - no need to shout but not so dead that everyone hears your every breath. Highly recommend this neighborhood restaurant with a classy / casual feel and great food.

Excellent! We love Paola’s!

We really enjoyed our first experience at Paola. Very accomodating host, hostess and coat check. Friendly, lively vibe. The tortillini soup was great and the buccatini was delicious. Nice wine list too. We would love to return.

Always delicious

Just moved in to UES. Will eat here a lot.

Excellent!

Exceptionally consistent and an alway great menu. A neighborhood gem.

Best Italian ues

Met an old friend for dinner.....we had a lot to talk about..........were seated at a table for two in the dining room --in the row in the center of the room with the bar in the back of it. Tables are very close together and
the place was packed on Thursday night. It was difficult to hear each other............but gradually as the evening went on the tables on each side of us were empty........and we could communicate. The tables are really too close together........but the food was very good.

We only go to Paola's a couple times a year because they overbook, resulting in waits to be seated. This time it was 25 minutes. The food is good enough, but for the high prices I want to be whisked to my table the minute I walk in the door. And if you want to have a quiet conversation, go to Erminia - Paola's is like a wind tunnel.

Wonderful, cozy and very friendly place.
Service is excellent.

We had dinner at Paola’s before going to The Guggenheim for Alvin Ailey’s Works & Process. We shared a calamari to start. For main courses I had the Duck breast and my friend had the Cornish hen. They were all very good. The only complaint was that the Dessert we ordered was too sweet. The bottle of Nebbiolo we had to drink was delicious and reasonably priced.

Very pushy manager/waiter. Asking us 2 minutes after we sat down for our order. He kept coming back every 2 minutes. Then he got the meatball appetizer order to us at the end of our meal. Also pushed a very expensive wine on us. He should back off. We are neighborhood frequent diners.

Everything was fantastic from the decor to the service to the food. I highly recommend this for a business dinner or a date night.

I love Paola's I celebrated my birthday there with a group. We go for almost all special family meals.
It's a special neighborhood trat!

Food delicious BUT meal rushed and restaurant staff pushed us out. Much pressure to vacate table. Dined with old friends and after 1.5 hours practically pushed out! 400 dollar bill for 4 people we should be able to dine and not be pressured to leave restaurant. We didn't overstay and it was obvious they wanted to serve us and push us out to seat next group and keep money coming in. Will never ever go again!!

Paolo's is an old style Italian restaurant with good service, excellent food in a very nice setting.

Much too expensive for a neighborhood restaurant!

Post wedding dinner

The only problem with this place is deciding what to choose. The entire menu is wonderful.

We used to go here all the time, but service seems to have slacked off since the opening of the Hamptons Paola’s. Stefano used to greet and take care of us, but he has disappeared. Service is now rushed and impersonal. Drink orders arrive somewhere between the appetizer and the main course, if at all. Nobody recognizes us. Price of popularity, I suppose.

We love Paola's, especially for lunch, when it is quieter. We live in the 'hood, and for dinner we tend to order take-out from them, so we don't have to deal with the noise at night. Food is great; lots of options, both sinful and healthful. Our favorite place in the neighborhood. Chicken paillard is great at lunch. Dinner favorites are the pollastrella, the bronzino, and the veal. And all the pastas.

Experience at the podium was spotty. No offer to check coats. Wait for table despite reservation. High noise level. But . . . Best food in the Carnegie Hill area.

One of our favorite places - delicious food, efficient and warm servers, great ambiabce. We are always happy here.

Reception was poor. Too many stables cramped on top of each other. Marinara sauce was tasteless. Best part of meal was desert. Doubt I will go back on a Sunday

Great Brunch The artichokes are the best!!! The eggs benedict are also wonderful.

A favorite restaurant of mine. You certainly don't go here for the peace and quiet. Food is fabulous and the service is wonderful no matter how busy they are. Everyone remains calm on staff and sometimes you need to be a little patient, but all worth while. Their cocktails and wine never disappoint either.

The service is great, and the food amazing. I ordered the branzino with fava beans and it was so tender and flavorful! The tartufo is not to be missed either.

Phenomenal food and excellent service. We had a large group and everyone’s food was incredible. We highly recommend the pasta with trumpet mushrooms and chicken thighs with broccoli rabe. So good!!

Food is always good but the noise level,due to large groups at tables, has gotten so bad we may never return.

Food as always was excellent. It IS a bit pricey but worth it

I like Paola's a lot, but why should I write a review if I receive no Open Table points?

The tables are extremely close to one another, esp the tables for 2. Apart from noise, being able to eat off your neighbor's table or commenting on their conversation getting up and out from the bench seats threatens to upend the next table. The food is ok but not special. The room itself has pleasant decor.

Sadly, the Paola’s we know and love did not show up Sunday evening. The staff as always was prompt courteous and nice. But the food was bland at best and over cooked at it’s worst. We won’t be returning for quite sometime which is disappointing since it’s around the corner from my mother’s home and has been our go to restaurant for Sunday night dinners.

Took our elderly (and choosey) others to dinner post theatre for their birthdays. We were shown a quiet corner table and given exceptional attention by the staff, starting with cocktails. We then enjoyed the “buzzy” salad, well prepared pastas and a terrific Osso Buco special. All dishes were classically prepared and then followed by terrific tiramisu and a rich profiteroles. Highly recommended for an elegant dinner.

My negative evaluation is due to the way in which my husband and I were treated. We arrived in time for our 7:45 reservation, actually a few minutes early. The maitre’d kept telling us “two minutes” until our table was ready. This went on for 12-15 minutes, until finally we were seated. Once we settled in, he told (not asked) us to get up because another party of three, who arrived later than we did, were better suited for this table. He’d have another table for us in “two minutes.” At this point we decided to leave. This was incredibly rude an unacceptable treatment. Then to add insult to injury, he reported us to open table as no-shows. I would also note that the place was incredibly noisy. I would not recommend it.

Look forward to returning again and again. Many thanks.