Antica Pesa

I’ve been to Antica Pesa once for dinner. ¹⁰⁄₁₀. The ambiance was as good as it gets. Service was stellar. The food and wine were the best parts. I described the type of red wine I wanted and he brought me the best tasting wine I’ve ever had. The cheese platter was incredible, as was the main course. Would go back for a nice dinner and would recommend to anyone.

This place has it all: relaxing ambience, great location, perfect service, and, most importantly, delicious food. I called around 7:00 last night to inquire about a late reservation. We were able to reserve a table for two at 9:30. We arrived around 9:25, and were told to take a seat in the wonderful fireplace area while our table was prepared. The restaurant is tastefully decorated. Warm lighting fills the modern space. This décor is unique in a neighborhood that is home to plenty of shabby-​chic spots.
The hostess really stood out, with her friendly attitude and warm personality. My boyfriend headed to the bar for a cocktail. The hostess noticed that I didn’t have a drink, and brought me a glass of champagne while we waited. I really cannot express how wonderful this woman was!
Once we got to our table, we looked at a menu with diverse options that were clearly labeled as vegetarian, vegan, and/​or gluten free. Our waiter was lovely and gave excellent suggestions for a wine to pair with the cheese plate we ordered. I had the gnocchi with sweet potato sauce. (I practically licked my plate it was so delicious). My boyfriend had the caccio e Pepe spaghetti. It was also very good, but it was the least impressive part of the meal.
Before asking for our check, the manager stopped by to chat with us and give us his card. He also threw in the most delicious tiramisu I’ve ever had, as an apology for the brief wait we had for our table.
Altogether, we were both extremely impressed with the experience. I will definitely be back, and I’ve already referred several of my friends.

I when there for dinner w my wife was
My first time there, the ambience is very nice modern and comfortable our waiter Roberto was nice friendly and well prepared on description of plate and also on right suggestion of wine I will go back that was very nice night w good time !!!

Great experience.
First time. Went on a Saturday night with a 9:00 pm reservation. We arrived early and hung out by the fire place. They received us very well and were running a bit late with our table. To apologize they gave us a glass of Prosecco. Very much appreciated.
The meal was really good. The appetizers are abundant. We had the salad and mozzarella and prosciutto. One would have been enough.
Pasta portions are very generous as well. All very tasty and delicious. Great service and crowd/​ambiance.
Recommended.

Last night a friend took me to dinner for my upcoming birthday, I did not know where we were going but I knew it was Italian:-) As we walked into the restaurant we were received by a bubbly and warm hostess by the name Tia, as she welcomed us I knew we were in the right place, she showed us to the bar and I was mesmerized by the Decour of the place the the warm inviting fireplace and the incredible ceilings, we had a drink at the bar which was delicious, and we were shown to our table our waiter Roberto was very professional and knowledgeable about his stuff, made us feel comfortable right away, we ordered another drink and ordered the Crudo de mozzarella with prosciutto that melted in my mouth octopus which was a array of flavors followed by the pasta Cacio Pepe that we shared, we ask Roberto to recommend us a wine and he offered us a bottle of Amarone that went perfect with the rest of our meal, we then had the pork tenderloin and pork belly entrée that I don’t remember the name but I will always remember the flavors, as you can imagine we were very full but the waiter knew it was my upcoming birthday and brought us the tiramisu with a candle which was delicious and velvety everything about the night was perfect I must say that The support staff was also amazing our busboy did not ask his name but he was always with hi eyes on our table tending in a professional way! Definitely a memorable experience and highly recommend place!

AMAZING. This place is a top notch authentic Italian restaurant. The service by every single employee is superb. The food is so amazing and I can’t wait to go back tomorrow night.
A+++

Beautiful. Everything is beautiful.
The space is large, open, warm and sexy all at the same time.
The food is fabulous. Simply lovely, authentic Italian fare. Dishes are served with care and an artful hand, are delicious and rather filling. The Arctic char was perfection, butter smooth with a delicately seared paper thin crust. The gnocchi (the ultimate test) was divine. I can honestly say this is the only time I’ve ever had truly Italian tiramisu in the States. The kind you scoop out with a spoon and have melt in your mouth.
We came with a well behaved 3.5 year old (a child accustomed to dining out & being in the company of adults). We were greeted by a stunning hostess, Tia, and I instantly felt shy of having my child with me in such a stunning space with such a gorgeous staff. There was no need to be. Not only is the fare authentically Italian, so are the people. Unlike in Europe, going out in the States tends to have a sharp divide between places that make adults feel welcome and those that make children feel welcome. But just as it would be in Italy, Tia made me feel instantly at home and at ease at the restaurant with my daughter. She was welcomed & treated kindly and respectfully just as any other guest would be. I was transported back to my years residing in Italy, enjoying the beauty of good food, wine, and company. As it should be!
This made for perhaps one of the most relaxed, joyful, sparkling evenings I’ve had in Brooklyn. Antica Pesca is a jewel of a restaurant.
Go, enjoy ~ and you will enjoy ~ I can guarantee that you will not regret, and will most certainly be back.

You must try the Crudo e Bufala Croccante (Prosciutto di Parma cured 20 months served with fresh Bufala mozzarella in a filo crust)!

Fantastic spot in Williamsburg. This restaurant truly is authentic, as they have have an original location in Rome. I go when I want my fix of Roman style pasta ie. Cacio e Pepe, Amatriciana etc. They do it right. Great drinks and wine selection. Comfortable and relaxing ambiance. If in the area, be sure not to overlook this restaurant.

Best Italian food I’ve had thus far. Service is impeccable the staff goes above and beyond for you! I highly recommend.

It’s magnificent. Thank you, Thea, for a wonderful experience.
Food is spectacular. Best Prosecco. Amazing people looking after this place and it’s guests.
Best of Italy in Brooklyn.
Heart.

The gem Brooklyn
This A most visit Resturant
The food and service is strait from Roma

Such a bad experience with the owner. Lacked communication skills in a professional manner. It’s unfortunate because it badly reflects the talented chefs working there.

If you are looking for the total package… amazing food, attentive staff, cozy ambiance, delicious Italian wines… Then this is the place for you. Antica Pesa is truly a unique gem in the neighborhood and after eating here many times I have yet to be disappointed. Highly recommended !!

I just came home from one of the best restaurants I have ever eaten in my life, I am Italian and this is a LOT better than a LOT of restaurants I went to in Italy.
Atmosphere, staff, food, decors, everything was absolutely outstanding.
Before writing this review I read some of the old ones and I really don’t understand what’s wrong with you people. I find 99% of the reviews with less than 3 stars absolutely a disgrace.
We had a reservation, were late by 1hr and 45 min and the hostess I read you guys criticizing so much was not only table to accomodate us in less than 10 mins but also gave us 2 glasses of prosecco on the house like it was their fault we were late. Thank you TIA you were funny, professional and very attentive.
We sat down, our server Roberto understood what we wanted to eat and drink in less than 30 second, literally. You rock man, thanks for the wine pairing.
Here’s what we had
The magnificent mozzarella and prosciutto (to die for it’s really not enough to describe how good this dish was) which me and my gf shared it (kitchen split the dish for us, so nice!)
I got carbonara, my gf got amatriciana
they came with a little table and offered cheese to grate (pecorino o parmigiano) and different peppers with different level of spiciness which i think it’s brilliant.
from the hostess, to the server to the manager the whole experience was absolutely incredible.
Antica Pesa is your to go place if you have the ability to stop hating and actually be honest about good, tasty and real italian food. Half of you doesn’t know anything about pasta and for who said no i don’t want pasta al dente i actually want it cooked i can definitely tell you to stop eating pasta and most importantly do not review restaurant on pasta because you don’t know, understand and can’t afford to criticize it as pasta is MEANT to be AL DENTE, you don’t like it? then go get chicken and broccoli at the chinese restaurant.
Absolutely fantastic antica pesa, I will be coming a LOT and i will tell everyone about this gem in brooklyn !
Bravissimi ! A+

Great Italian food and very ambient. It’s not cheap but I get the feeling they really care about the quality and presentation.
Wines are also excellent
It’s a great Italian option for williamsburg.

Initially I would rate this restaurant a Very Good; I try not to be influenced by what others are saying (around me).
The restaurant is a spacious beauty with very large light fixtures hanging from the ceiling, a waiting area with comfy leather couches, a very large bar (which seemed to be an interesting place to sip a cocktail or a wine or even a hot tea), and even room for a family style table at it’s entrance. The tables, lined up and down the sides of the dining area, as well as placed down its center, were spaced well– unlike it’s sister restaurant of the same in Trastevere (Rome, Italy) which I and incidently, so did the entire party with whom I dined.
The somewhat limited wine list seemed a bit pricey (or have I been jaundiced by the offerings in Miami Beach where I now reside) ranging from a few bottle priced in the $ 45 area to well over a $ 100 (but maybe it was because I was picking a red– Lagrein Koessler– which was quite good at $ 55), the appetizers settled in below $ 20. The pastas were the lower priced offerings and the entrées in the $ 20 to $ 30 range– quite typical of the trendier restaurants in NY. The desserts were moderately priced. Expect to pay just shy of $ 100 per person with tax and tip.
All of us settled on a small bowl of pasta e fagiole that was unlike that we were used to («it almost tasted like a cream of mushroom soup»); I was the lone diner who ventured away from the grilled, sliced, well prepared pork loins (and bellies) (Mailino Porchettato) with veggies than included sautéed endive; I had a dish of thinly sliced beef with sliced onions in a glaze prepared table side on a hot stone (Straccetti alla Piastra), with fingerlings and mushrooms of the day. The desserts looked good and we’re just that with a nice assortment of flourless cakey choices, an obligatory Affogato which was shared by the ladies, sorbets and gelati (which was shared by the men). Oh, you can a large selection of the food gluten free.
One word– impeccable, attentive (okay, that was two). Nice touches, too: an assortment of hot peppers that were cut by the waitstaff and choices of cheeses freshly grated, added to whatever.

The Carbonara pasta is very very good — as well as the Polipo /​Octopus appetizer some of the bestttt Ive ever had. Dont forget to try the apple tart for dessert — delicious. Presentation was also on point.
One complaint for me was the folding style chairs — not so comfortable.

Tl: dr; Exceptionally high quality food, great ambiance, and very helpful and congenial staff. Pricey, but you get good value for it
The longer version:
Antica Pesa is definitely one of the most high quality, authentic places to get some kick-​ass Italian food you’ll find in the area. Coming our way stateside as an offshoot to a similar restaurant in a Roman neighborhood similar to Williamsburg, they simply know how to do things right here.
For me personally, the mezze maniche alla carbonara tasted as good as when I had the privilege of eating the home cooking of a Roman friend of mine’s old school Italian mother. Carbonara dishes you’d find elsewhere in the US are mere imposters, but here you’re able to find the real deal.
There were other dishes like their caponata that were also fantastic, but for me personally it was the pasta that put them over the top.
As far as the scene goes, they’ve put in some effort re: lighting and décor to make it look pretty trendy. The room is filled with a subtle golden orange hue beset against dark brown mahogany. Generally I’m personally not too keen on scenes like this, but they definitely make it work.
Keep in mind that the prices are fairly steep, but that’s because they’re catering to a higher end of the marketplace it seems. From my perspective at least, it’s money well spent especially if you go with one of their pastas.
Overall, very highly recommended place to go if you’re looking for true Italian food and/​or for a special occasion.

As a wedding present my husband and I received a gift certificate to Antica Pesa. We had never heard of the restaurant so we went straight to Unilocal.Truth be told, after reading the reviews, we were a little concerned, but not scared enough not to redeem our prepaid meal when the menu looked so delicious.
We made a reservation for Sunday night and arrived around 7:15 to the restaurant which had a pretty good crowd for a Sunday night.
From the start the service was beyond friendly. I’ve never been thanked so many times for eating my meal, or ordering or simply being present! We shared the crudo to start (a standout) then the cavetelli di Nonna and finally the two fish mains (Artic Char and Baccala).
The bread as mentioned in most reviews is amazing, and warm! Gosh i love warm bread. The pasta was homemade, and they even brought over a tasting of the lasagna which was «lick the plate good.»
We were too full for dessert, but the total dining experience was a real standout. The service was impeccable (5 stars for sure). Our glasses were always filled, plates were cleared promptly and Lorenzo who was our waiter, and probably the owner or manager made us feel really special.
We’ll be back to spend our own hard earned money.