Osteria Carlina Tribeca

“Osteria Carlina is my favorite little gem in Tribeca. I'm reluctant to spread the news but Carlina deserves its praise. The restaurant is intimate, the staff are attentive, and the bar is quite romantic. The Steak Tartare is unlike any you've had anywhere in NYC and my personal go-to dish. It's not strongly pickled like most you find in the city, but rather just lightly salted with lemon and oil. Deliciously refined and not drowned in seasoning to cover up the flavor of the meat. Other worthy mentions are the seasonal scallop ceviche appetizer, the fluke crudo, and the zucchini lasagna for any vegetarian/gluten-free folk - very unexpectedly filling and savory. Lastly, my favorite dessert is the Giandujotto. A slice of hazelnut, mascarpone, graham cookie based heaven. Shoutout to the bartender, Rei, who never fails to host a great time at the bar, as well as Raul, who is always extremely attentive and knowledgeable on all items of the menu. Thank you to Osteria Carlina for always showing a good time!”

“It was a bold move to walk in on a Saturday night with a party of 7 and without reservations. But Raul pulled a miracle and found a spot for us. The cocktails were really delicious, the build your own espresso martini was quite unique. And the food? Absolutely phenomenal. My husband is from Northen Italy and he gave it two thumbs up. The cuisine is from Piemonte so you see regional dishes and desserts you won't find anywhere else. Our group ordered a bunch of food. My standouts - tartare (unique flavors and spices, probably one of the better ones I've tried), squid ink pasta with crab meat (mostly everyone ordered this and it was soo good, delicate seafood taste with the cherry tomatoes), papardelle sausage and mushroom ragu (very creamy). My standout dessert was Giandujutto, a Piemonte specialty. The tiramisu was good, but I don't know if ours just had extra espresso that made it too rich. Everything was legitimately good and it was hard to pick a favorite. You honestly can't go wrong with anything in the menu. But really, the excellent service made it such a memorable dinner. It was our last night in NY, and our friend's birthday. And Raul and staff made us feel so welcome and special. From bringing us chairs and blankets while we waited outside to chatting with us and treating us like their friends. The ambiance, setting, food, service is top notch. Perfect for a date night, something special or if you want to impress out of towners. For a group of 7 with multiple drinks, desserts, apps and food, expect to spend $100 per person. Will definitely be back when I'm in NY. My local NY friends said they would come back and I've been recommending it to others since then. But make a reservation! And shout out again to Raul for being the best host.”

“I'm going to jump right into it. I was not a fan of the food. It was bland , salty , and had no flavor. I love Italian food and have eaten plenty of it , especially when i go to Italy. The arancini was so bland and flavorless. The Caesar salad dressing was really delicious however $24 for 6 pieces of lettuce leaf's with sprinkled dressing and breadcrumbs is ridiculous. My bolognese was salty and my husband's ravioli was bland with an odd texture. The drinks were well made and nice. The part why it's two stars is the waitress took our order and gathered our menus as we were done ordering and asked do we want any bread for the table. We said yes as most Italian restaurants offer a bread basket. She never mentioned that the bread they brought with a side of olives cost extra. First of all i hate olives and my husband doesn't care for them. We were charged $16 for bread and olives. Which we would never mind paying for if we knew that was an option, i didn't appreciate being tricked into buying a bread basket. It brings down the value i think of this restaurant now with scam tactics. The tiramisu was okay .. and it was extremely small. Overall i won't be coming back and will find a much better Italian restaurant in the city.”