Gennaro

I’ve been here twice, and I love it!!! It’s an Italian place with a lot of quirks (cash only, a like dozen-​item specials menu, etc.)
Started out with a really solid kale salad, then moved on to salmon because I’ve been eating way too much and not exercising in the past 4 months — just moved here and using «need to acclimate» to excuse lack of regular gym work — so I avoided the pasta, etc. Salmon was awesome, though. I ate it so fast that the others at my table went: «You finished already!!!»
Ended it all with a flourless chocolate cake that was incredible, too.

First rate. My idea of a visit to Gennaro’s is to start with beef Carpaccio, followed by veal Milanese, accompanied all the while by the fine wine list. Yet there are many ways to experience this fine establishment.
And, always, there are specials galore.

When I lived in NYC I was lucky enough to live just a few blocks away from this incredible spot. Their gnocchi is absolutely out of this world– anytime I hear someone is going to Manhattan I always recommend they visit this restaurant and order the pillowy perfect gnocchi (it’s seriously melt in your mouth soft and perfect) and the kale salad. The lamb shank is also fantastic, falls off the bone with incredibly flavorful sauce. It’s been a year since I’ve moved and I miss this place ALL the time.

This was our second time here, experiencing mostly good, solid, reasonable food. unfortunately, terrible attitude from their servers both times. Everything was great until my 12 YO daughter was served mushy, gloppy Gnocchi. Which is not the end of the world; We understand sometimes things come out of the kitchen less than perfect. However, the server got into to a huff and said «thats the Gnocchi». Grabbed the pâté out of her hands, and walked away. You would think he would at attempt to make us happy. Offer up a replacement. Nothing… Nadda. Eventually he came back, and offered up «our guys try very hard to make soft, pillowy Gnocchi». I was in shock at this attitude. Speechless. To speechless to ask if he tasted it? You could see what was on that plate was a mess. Don’t think i can go back after this experience.

Excellent neighborhood Italian. The food is authentically Italian, there is a large list of specials (super fresh fish) and a good wine list. Service is excellent. Cash only and no reservations, so get there early or be ready to have a glass of wine in the bar while you wait. It’s a comfy, popular place.
Portions are large, so order Italian style (courses to share).

4 mature adults from Seattle had dinner here tonight. Everything was amazing. We were very glad that we read the reviews though because it is cash only. Eating here is a must!

A fabulous neighborhood restaurant that has grown over the years. They are still a cash only establishment, but it’s worth a trip to the ATM. The list of specials will be as long as the menu, but listen carefully, as it’s the best way to order. If you go there more than once, the waiters will become friends and you will be greeted by name as you walk through the door.

Four stars instead of five because it’s cash only and they don’t take reservations.
Came here at 7pm on a Tuesday and it was about half empty (and it’s actually a fairly large restaurant by UWS standards). By the time it was 8pm there were people waiting at the bar for tables. Definitely get here earlier in the evening to avoid waiting for a table. Service was pretty good and the wine list ranges from $ 30 bottles to $ 150 bottles — so I’d say a good selection overall.
Their chicken stuffed with provolone and zucchini was AMAZING! Highly recommend this. It’s also super filling. Others in my party had the veal ravioli (supposedly delicious) and the organic chicken breast. The organic chicken breast looked a little dry but the flavors were good.
Worth stopping by if you’re looking for solid Italian food on the UWS.

If you are yearning to be in Italy run to Gennaros. It is about as close to Sicilian food as you can get. The wine list is impressive. The bartender is happy to give you tastes and a little education. Sometimes I sit in my kitchen and think about buccatini and sardines… then I run to Gennaro. You won’t be sorry.

Have lived and dined on the Upper West Side for 43 years and unquestionably Genaro’s is the best Italian restaurant on this side of town. Is the cash only policy irritating-​unquestionably. Does it keep customers from standing on line at 7 PM for a table because they don’t take reservations– absolutely not. We’ve eaten through the menu and everything is intelligently prepared and professionally served. The secret to a wonderful Genaro experience? Show up at 6PM.

Well worth the visit. I’d go again anytime I’m back in the neighborhood. Great menu, great service, great food!

I really enjoyed Gennaro! After really only being a celeste-​goer for all things pasta in the past I’m glad to know that there is another option out there.
No, Gennaro doesn’t have the hand made noodles that Celeste boasts but the portion sizes and menu breadth is refreshing.
Aside from the normal pasta selection, I would say take the time to order the Kale Salad. I’m not a big fan of it but it was one of the stars of the meal — I also really liked that they split the salad no charge for me and a friend.
Warning: they seem to have super long lists of specials that their poor servers have to memorize so just be prepared for a long wait at the beginning of your meal ;)

Awesome food. Excellent service. Will be back. Our waiter was so friendly and attentive. He constantly checked on us to make sure we had everything we needed. The food was authentic and very tasty. We loved the gnocchi and the veal milanese.

Fantastic food, and great wine. The antipasti platter is perfect for a group to share.
Be prepared for slow service, and (at least in our case) a very long wait between the antipasti and the entrees. You may also have to chase down your waiter a few times. Cash only.
But a good spot nonetheless. Arriving at 8 pm on a weekday, you can still score a table without waiting too long.

Even though it was really busy for a Sunday night, the service was great and the waiter was very friendly and professional.
I had ordered the mussels and my date that night had order the salmon and fettuccine.
Before we made our order the wait wasn’t too long since it was only a table for 2. We were worried that the wait would be at least 30 minutes but they quickly accommodated us since we were only a party of 2.
We were greeted very nicely from the hostess and was seated to our table.
The complimentary bread was fresh and hot.
The food was good. It was not too salty or too heavy. My date however did say that his salmon was over cooked to his liking, but I guess that’s always an opinion.
I can definitely say that my mussels were good and was a great portion for the price.
I would definitely recommend this place. Look at their zagat rating and see for your self.
Enjoy!

Cash only policy. BEWARE! Waiters RIP u off.
I used to really like Gennaro’s. The neighborhood Italian with fresh food. The last two times… I felt like really got screwed. I ordered a $ 60 bottle and they served me a $ 125 bottle, «by mistake». The veal Milanese was hardly covers with arugula and tomato. I asked for more. And they charged me $ 12. Total bill for 3, $ 270. In cash.
I scrounged together $ 300. And the waiter yelled at us for leaving a lousy tip.
The food was decent. But. There are lots of better places.

One of those reviews I wish I could give no stars…
Visiting from San Francisco, we looked for a place within walking distance to my husband’s sister. This had good reviews and all five of us love Italian, so it seemed an easy choice. It started with my husband calling promptly when the phone lines were open to reserve a table at 7:30. He had to spell his name three times and confirmed there would be a table available. We arrived at 7:20 and if there was a reservation, it certainly wasn’t under our name. There *was* a reservation for five for 7:30, but three of the six letters of our last name were different. The hostess (tall, elegant, African American, beautiful braids) was clueless. She wrote our name down again. And mis-​spelled it again but indicated our wait would be five to ten minutes. Others were also milling about outside, complaining of the long wait and mix-​up of names.
We checked in again at 7:40 and was again told that it would only be a few more minutes. Oh yes, and what was our name again? Same at 7:50. At 8:00 — a half-​hour later — after confirming our name AGAIN, she promised us a table. We were seated. Hooray! As we were perusing the menu, he waiter to came to tell of the specials. I kid-​you-​not, there were more specials than were on the written menu, including venison, osso buco, branzino, brussels sprouts, a beet ravioli, anchovies, sardines, a lamb shank, and at least a dozen more items I can barely remember. My husband and I each ordered a glass of wine and one of the teenagers ordered a soft drink. The wine came and we ordered a meal. At this time, a couple was seated next to us (about 8:10 at this point).
Our starters came fairly quickly; I had a the special fried sardines stuffed with something that included raisins. They were just okay and the sweet, dried fruit did not really work with the fish. I shared a shaved brussels sprouts salad with two teenage kids and was surprised that the sprouts were not very fresh. My husband had mushrooms over polenta. He liked the flavor but was surprised that the mushrooms were enoki which don’t have a lot of flavor. I noticed our neighbors received their appetizers as well. It was about 8:15. I had to ask another server (didn’t see our’s) for my stepson’s soft drink as it had not been served with the rest of the beverages.
Then came the wait. And the wait. And The wait… Our neighbors got their entrees. Our neighbors FINISHED their entrees. It was 9:15 and I went to the bar to ask to speak to the manager. I waited five minutes before being directed to someone who claimed to be the manager. I asked his name but he spoke so quickly I couldn’t discern what he said. Not trying to be mean or accusatory, I calmly explained that we had placed an order and had been waiting over an hour for entrees. Before I could even fully explain that those sitting near us were seated after us and served before us, the manager cut me off, brushed me off, and pointed to my table that our food was coming out.
As I sat back down, I saw that my other choice (a second antipasti as my entrée), grilled octopus was waiting for me. It was stone cold. My husband the chicken breast stuffed with prosciutto and provolone. It was at least warm, but very flat and dry — almost filleted. The two teenagers had ordered basic pasta dishes; penne al pomodoro and a penne special. In both cases, the pasta was beyond al dente, but hard and crunchy. Instead of talking to me — or listening — I was placated with an additional glass of wine which, frankly, due to a medical condition I could not drink anyway. It was entirely wasted and unwanted.
We ate quickly and quietly, just wanting to finish and leave. The waiter tried to offer us dessert menus and we simply asked for our check. In short, horrific service, rude management, and REALLY mediocre food. I wish I had taken pictures to show how terrible everything looked. Painful that we were there on vacation from San Francisco and hoping for a good New York Italian experience and this was definitely not it.

I visited Gennaro for my birthday dinner and the food was great. The place is quite small and intimate, but the service was absolutely terrible. I feel bad for saying that, but it’s true. Upon arrival, my party and I were seated in about 5 minutes, but we were seated at a regular table when we wanted, and asked for a booth. There was an empty booth near, so we kindly asked the hostess if we could move and she seemed clueless. The server said we could move and we finally did.
My server had a thick accent, which normally isn’t an issue, but he told us the specials on the menu so quickly that I didn’t really catch much. My table ordered the polenta and prociutto (sp?) appetizer plate, and grilled calamari before the main meal. Both were very good, I really commend them there. For the main course, I ordered the Saltimbocca, which were two thin chicken cutlets served on a bed of mashed potatoes and spinach. Once again, delicious. The spinach was a little bland but nothing some pepper couldn’t help. My sister ordered the same dish as me and loved it. Her husband ordered the hen and he also loved his meal.
For dessert, I ordered the flourless chocolate hazelnut cake, and my sister ordered the Semifreddo. Both were also made very well.
All in all, the food was good, but the service was bad. They reached over our heads a lot, which I don’t like, and took away my dinner plate asking if I was done, while I still had food on the plate. That left a bad taste in my mouth.
Good food, iffy service.

Do yourself a favor and get the kale salad, (especially?) if you hate kale and/​or all vegetables. It’s a sheer delight. Also get the polenta with mushrooms and kidney beans. Sop it up with bread. Order a bottle robust red wine. Order like any entrée off the menu and you’ll be just fine.
You meal will cost you far more than it should. And they don’t take credit cards (WTF??) but you will go home happy.

Wow.
We came here driven primarily by curiosity and convenience. This restaurant seems to always be busy, and so we were glad to be seated without a reservation on a Sunday evening. Gennaro’s must have a loyal following because there simply cannot be enough new people trying it for the first time?
Anyway, it has been said that the service was ‘uninterested’. That is generous, I’d say the service was ‘inconvenienced’, ‘bothered’ and ‘completely apathetic’. This only served to piqué our curiosity. It must be divine! How else could the staff be so distant (unless it was ‘candid camera’ night and that would be fun).
The grilled octopus immediately caught my eye. It sounded incredible and we decided we’d order that right away while we considered the rest of the menu… they were out of octopus! Bummer, but it happens. Our server could offer no like alternatives. So without his guidance ordered grilled calamari which was good. Nothing to write home about but it was good. It was served on a bed of couscous. I don’t know why but it was and it was decent couscous. It had raisins in it. Jury still out…
Next came the prosciutto portobello and Gorgonzola plate. The Gorgonzola had no flavor. No, really it could’ve been crème fraîche or unsweetened whipped cream. But it wasn’t, it was a Gorgonzola cheese sauce. There was a grilled portobello that was very good. The bread was very good. The prices were decent.
Service was horrible. Have I mentioned that?

Les plats sont très bons. Pour ma part, c’était une assiette de qnochi de patate. En voyant arriver l’assiette, on se dit que l’on né va jamais être rassasié, mais avec un le dessert qui arrive par la suite, il n’y a plus de doute à avoir. Pour le vin, petite déception.