ViceVersa

the 2-​course lunch prix fixe is a good value!
Food was very solid. When I was eating the Barbera braised short ribs, it reminded me of my meals in Italia.
Service was competent & efficient.
Fresh, delicious (and unlimited) focaccia.
Ricotta with strawberry compote simply hit the spot. That was one happy ending.

Three of us came for a restaurant week lunch. Each of us got different appetizers. The first was romaine salad with speck, apples, walnuts, and gorgonzola cheese. The second was spinach, pancetta, almonds, pecorino cheese, and mustard dressing. The third was buffalo mozzarella, beefsteak tomatoes, and roasted bell peppers. All dishes had fresh ingredients that played well off each other. However, the first two salads were too heavily salted. For the entrée course, two of us got the casoncelli and the other member of our group got the pumpkin ravioli. The casoncelli are pasta packets stuffed with veal, raison, amaretti cookies, in a sage butter pancetta sauce. Al dente pasta, classic sage butter sauce make this a can’t miss dish. I was happy that the raison was way in the background, but I would have liked a little more amaretti taste. The cookie was doing more for texture than for taste. Still, this dish is very successful. The pumpkin ravioli dish was also very well done, but I prefer this dish with a less sweet squash such as acorn or butternut. That brings us to the dessert course. Two of us got the panna cotta which had wonderful vanilla tones, light delicate texture, and a sour cherry sauce, that enhanced the dish. I was worried there might be too much sour, but that didn’t happen to this dish. Lastly, one of us got the chocolate mousse. It was thick and rich. Although very tasty, I would have liked it a little lighter, with a slightly more bitter chocolate taste. So the meal had a lot going for it, and a few missteps. Or Vice Versa.

I just paid a visit to this establishment for dinner, and went for their Restaurant Week price fix menu (although I realized they have a $ 38 price fix menu year round). The food came fast, and so did the waiter pressuring us to ask for the check.
For appetizers we had their cotechino with lentils and pasta e fagioli. They were both ok, but nothing special.
Then we had their beef short rib, which was very tender… a sizable portion of meat over some tasty fresh pasta.
The bread pudding for dessert was ok.
Overall, I don’t have specific complains, other than I wasn’t impressed with any of the dishes. The price fix didn’t give many options, and I feel that for $ 38 I could have eaten more interesting food elsewhere. I was born and raised in Italy (until 25 years), and can cook, so I don’t get easily impressed with Italian food unless I see more creativity and eagerness to impress. I’m not saying that what we had was bad. However, maybe because we ordered their «cheap» menu, all dishes were rather unremarkable and uninspired.

Our absolute favorite restaurant in NYC. Authentic, delicious Italian food, great service, giant martinis. The décor is modern but warm, and portions are perfect — not tiny but not giant. I had the duck strazzapressi tonight and it was perfect.
During the blizzard yesterday they called to tell us they might have to close, then they called back to tell us they were closing. We were luckily able to rebook for tonight or we would have been crushed to miss them on this trip. Very close to Broadway shows but not a touristy restaurant — we originally found it by extremely high ratings by locals. Love this place!

Upscale décor and perfectly caters to the theater crowd. Service is excellent but the food is average — not bad but not great. Very conveniently located to most Broadway houses and you can actually get in (most times) without a reservation which is amazing in this area. Had the home-​made pasta and it was delicious — perfectly cooked and sauce was well seasoned.

3 stars only because the wine bread cappuccino and atmosphere was good! We had grilled octopus and the artichoke calamari, not good at all! Our entrées were a grilled sword fish, the entire dish was bland and tasteless. The prawns tasted like it was marinated in a chlorine swimming pool! The dessert: the pecan pie was burnt & the chocolate lava cake was exactly what you find everywhere else, nothing spectacular or memorable! The didn’t mess up a cappuccino or the dbl espresso but I was a tad bit nervous that the coffee was going to be awful as well! The server Hasan was amazing he was personable and actually made out visit enjoyable! I think we will remember him more then the food!

Terrific brunch spot.
This place looks nice, has great service, and offers up some great food. Also, at $ 14pp, the 2-​hour unlimited brunch beverage service (including mimosas, bloody marys, and bellinis) is a relatively great buy in pricy Manhattan.
The eggs benedict with the crab cake was delicious and highly recommended. The egg white soufflé dish with truffle oil also had some great flavors, but the airiness of the egg white caused the dish to lose temperature quickly and was cold halfway through eating it. I would stick to the eggs benedicts.

Fine dining that is also relaxing. Great staff and amazing menu! Perfect portions too.

Such a wonderful place. From the service to the ambiance this is a unique gem hidden within Hells Kitchen. Family owned and operated for over a decade, the menu offers classic Italian dishes that are fabulous!
I have lived in Hells Kitchen for almost ten years and only recently discovered ViceVersa. In the past, I would always go and refer my friends and family to Becco — not anymore. I was tired of the cramped tourist trap with decent food and went on a mission to find another local spot which led me to ViceVersa.
Service: Walking into the restaurant you are usually greeted by one of the owners, Franco. I cannot say enough about how wonderful he is and how he and his staff go above and beyond to make you feel like family.
Happy Hour: They offer a lovely happy hour in the bar and lounge area (outside included) with a nice selection of cocktails and wine until 8:00 pm which is great for people that work late. The cocktails are unique and delicious.
Menu: Fabulous! A lot of restaurants offer a million decent options, ViceVersa offers a tailored menu and each dish is exceptional. Stefano takes pride in every dish that goes out of the kitchen. The lasagna is some of the best I have ever had; Franco said that it’s his grandmothers recipe.
Ambiance: Absolutely beautiful; elegant but not stuffy. This is one of the only restaurants that I will actually sit outside at. Since you step down into the restaurant the outdoor seating is not at street level, which is so nice because you don’t feel like everyone is on top of you. There is also a lovely outdoor garden area in the back The restrooms are also very nice with 3 individual single stalls.
From the service to the food ViceVersa is hands down one of my favorite restaurants in the city and Hells Kitchen is so lucky to have it.

Everything was great about my experience. The service was top notch, the food fabulous, and the drinks served beautifully.
Loved it and will deffinately come again!

Love the atmosphere in this little Hell’s Kitchen gem. The restaurant is a lot bigger than it looks and there is even a spacious patio place out back so it is great for the summer time. Loads of seating at dinner time so don’t worry about waiting in line. Bread basket was okay. Seafood pasta was pretty good. Price was a bit above average. I’d say this place is good for a date but I’m just not that big on Italian food.

Love this NYC favorite and go each time I’m in the city. The service is wonderful, whether it’s a pre-​show dinner or a longer dining experience. The food is consistently good and the ambience is delightful.
Susan

Finally, an elegant Italian place in Hell’s Kitchen. In a neighborhood where the food options are all Thai and Mexican, ViceVersa breathes life into the Hell’s Kitchen dining scene.
The dining room is elegant, dimly lit, and spacious. The servers, friendly, and a bit enthusiastic. But the food is heavenly.
Every visit I’ve paid to ViceVersa has involved pasta of some sort. A strozzapreti with slowly roasted duck ragout, Gaeta‘s olives, parsley was heavenly, not overly greasy, with tender duck meat. We also tried a squid ink seafood ravioli with calamari, plum tomato, black olives. The pasta was black from the squid ink, with a distinct iodine-​y flavor from the sea, and the accoutrements framed the dish perfectly. I also tried one of their Pesce dishes — roasted red prawns with lemon, braised escarole, rosemary. They were beautifully roasted head-​on with rich roe spilling out of the crustaceans. For drinks, bottles of wine are available but their selection is a little meager for true gems under $ 60.
Nevertheless, I’ve decided to now make ViceVersa my go-​to spot in Hell’s Kitchen for elegant Italian food in a comfortable setting. The food is inventive and interesting enough to keep me engaged and their wine is good enough for a casual evening meal to have me returning.

This isn’t your typical Italian joint, and the food here is unique, innovative and delicious. Far beyond the typical, you’re in for more than mozzarella sticks, chicken parmesan, and unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks.
The space is beautiful and the courtyard is a must if you can snag a table outside. The staff are welcoming, helpful, friendly, and make the experience all that more enjoyable.
Ambiance and service are top notch here, but the food is really what sets ViceVersa apart from comparable establishments in the area.
The beet carpaccio served with caprino cheese, almonds, lemon and extra virgin olive oil is delicious, and the buffalo mozzarella with beefsteak tomatoes, roasted bell peppers, basil extra virgin olive oil are both superb starters, but the eggplant cannoli is something you have to try: ricotta, Grana Padano, seasonal mixed vegetables, and basil oil wrapped in eggplant… looks and tastes as amazing as it sounds.
The list of entrees is expanded for dinner, but the one dish that I can highly recommend for either lunch or dinner is the casoncelli: crescent shaped roasted veal ravioli, seasoned with sage, Grana Padano cheese, and pancetta. Rich, decadent and good until the last morsel.
For dessert, try the vanilla panna cotta with sour cherry sauce: not too sweet, light, and enjoyable. Save room and don’t skip dessert!
Highly recommended!

My family and I came here for NYRW and we can say we went to the right place! it was $ 36 (i believe) for a person.
The environment was really nice, it was cute and small however, my least favorite part was the appetizer. i ordered the tomato and cucumber soup, first glance was beautiful but when i tasted it, it was ICE COLD like it just came out of the refrigerator and it tasted like watermelon soup instead… but the main course and the dessert was great so yes, i can say i am a fan!

I’ve never noticed this little bar/​restaurant before and I’m glad i did because the location is just beautiful inside! Clean, well-​light, quaint little bar area and a bigger seating table down a level. Their backyard looked absolutely gorgeous too (although we didn’t get to step outside.
Drinks were on the pricey side — I ordered the cucumber cocktail that was supposed to be on the refreshing side but for some reason, it tasted heavier and more tart than i liked. Good thing my friend order something that I did like (and good thing he liked mine) and we were able to switch drinks. Had it not been for that, i would not have been able yo enjoy the rest of my cocktail.
I’d call this place a good location to handle businness during happy hour that can lead to mores dinner/​drinks elsewhere.

Where to start? How about at «$ 115 for two (before tip) for an absolutely fantastic dinner» in NYC !
I rarely give a 5 star rating but from the atmosphere, to the wait staff, to the food, it was far and above one of the best restaurants we’ve been to in a long time.
We are not necessarily big eaters but this was not the reason we tried the various pastas in the half portion size but rather because they all sounded so good that we wanted to experience more of them. They were probably the best pastas we’ve ever had — period!
But I’m jumping ahead of myself. There were items on the menu that were both familiar as well as not. In the familiar appetizer realm, the Rice Arincini, which although didn’t have the usual «molten lava ball of cheese» inside, was probably one of the most delicious we’ve had anywhere. The unfamiliar included Crispy Stuffed Olives, which although good, was the least favorite of our choices. On the other hand, the Vitello Tonnato, thinly sliced roasted veal, preserved tuna sauce and caper berries, was a fantastic choice. We have never had anything like this before.
Our very helpful and enthusiastic server David helped us with our pasta choices. In the order of «mind-​blowing», from top to bottom, they were the Spinach Garganelli, with prosciutto crudo, fresh peas and Grana Padano cheese; the Roasted Veal, amaretti cookies, raisins, and casoncelli seasoned with sage, and the Squid Ink Seafood Ravioli with calamari, plum tomato and black olives.
There was more than enough for us to share. And as I said, for around $ 115, with 2 cocktails and a glass of wine, before tip, unheard of for the quality.
We can’t wait to return to sample more of the in house made pastas.

My wife and I made a reservation here before our trip to NY based on the proximity to our hotel and the reviews of course and we were not disappointed; wonderful atmosphere, service and the food is amazing.
It’s a quaint little restaurant tucked away on 51^st and it was busy for a Tuesday with a mix of folks; some for business, some for pleasure, date night, etc. It’s definitely more on the upscale side but with a smart-​casual /​romantic vibe — it was perfect for what we were looking for :-)
Our server was great, very welcoming and engaging but not-​over-​the-​top about the menu or checking in every 2-​mins. He gave us our space to cuddle up and enjoy ourselves but popped up right when we needed something. Awesome.
The bartender was heavy-​handed, which for a lush like me is greatly appreciated. I ordered a whiskey on the rocks and he poured it to the brim!
The food is to die for.
After much debate, I went with the Casoncelli Pasta; veal, raisin, amaretto cookies seasoned with sage, grana padano, butter and pancetta. The full order is $ 24 and worth every penny. I’m not even sure how to describe the dish other than amazing — the pasta was perfectly cooked — it was decedent, layered with flavor, rich, creamy and just deliciously satisfying.
My wife ordered the Chestnut Pappardelle Pasta with porcini mushrooms and shaved grana padano. Unfortunately, they were out of the Papperdelle (as the pasta is made fresh daily) but they had the sauce so the chef whipped up the dish with linguine instead and it did not disappoint. I only had one bite and it was tasty. Again, the pasta was perfectly cooked and it was layered with flavor.
We finished the meal with two yummy deserts — my wife ordered the Apple Basket and I had the Pecan Pie with a scoop of ice-​cream. Both were fantastic and a great way to end the meal. The Pecan Pie was sweet and salty and perfect for what I was looking for. I think the Apple Basket is best describe as a deconstructed apple pie (my wife’s favorite) and she absolutely loved it.
FIVE BIG STARS for ViceVersa!

I had been wanting to come to ViceVersa for quite a while and what a pleasant experience when I finally came to this place. I sat a at the bar with a friend and order a small plate and wine. The garganelli with prosciutto was unbelievably amazing and even more memorable if accompanied with a glass of Riesling. We got the panna cota for desert which was quite delicious.
The ambiance was everything you look for in one place, quite, semi casual, semi formal, romantic all at the same time… service was amazing, our bartender, Marcelo, was quite friendly and very attentive certainly adding to the experience. I highly recommend and can’t wait to come back for brunch!

We had a wonderful Italian meal pre-​theater in New York, with probably the best Italian dish that I’ve ever had. Although the individual ingredients sounded odd as a combination, together, they blended into a magnificent «orchestra of flavor.» It had casoncelli pasta, veal, golden raisins, amaretto cookies, sage, Grana Padano cheese, butter and pancetta. One of the restaurant owners told us that this dish is made primarily in Bergamo, in the Lombardy region of Italy. My husband had pappardelle with wild mushrooms, and that dish was terrific, as well (but the «star of the evening» was still the casoncelli).
The servers, maitre d’ (who was one of the owners), and the bartenders were knowledgeable, attentive, and took pride in the quality of the food they were serving. The wine list was excellent, with a section for «not-​the-​usual» wines, from which we tried the Coronamajore Cannonau di Sardegna, and it was terrific.
All-​in-​all, this restaurant is a great night out. and a fantastic find in the NYC theater district.