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Vice Versa Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Italian Italian [Edit]
325 W 51st St(between 8th Ave & 9th Ave)
New York, NY 10019
Neighbourhoods: Hell's Kitchen, Midtown West, Theater District
(212) 399-9265
- Nearest Transit:
-
50 St (A, C, E)
50 St (1, 2)
7 Av (B, D, E)
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
About This Business:
Tony's di Napoli specializes in "Family Style" Southern Neapolitan Italian cuisine. Tony's serves all the old New York favorites like Eggplant… read more »
74 reviews for Vice Versa Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"Next I ordered the Duck ragout pasta with black olives." In 9 reviews -
"In addition you get a complimentary plate of cookies." In 3 reviews -
"...try the veal ravioli w/ the amaretto cookies and raisins." In 2 reviews
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74 reviews in English
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Review from Jack H.
Manhattan, NY
1/22/2012
We have been coming to Vice Versa for years, particularly pre-theater and have had consistently excellent evenings.
The service is the perfect combination of professional and friendly, from the front desk to the staff who bus the tables. The food is always wonderful. If you are there pre-theater, they do a magical job of getting you through your meal without making you feel rushed.
We are always made to feel special here. When there are so many places to choose from, consistently good food and wonderful service are the reasons we always come back to Vice Versa. -
Review from Karina L.
2/2/2012
Decent food, but I much prefer Vice Versa's sister restaurant, Etcetera Etcetera, in terms of food AND service.
Came here for an awesome double date with fellow yelper, Angela S. She went here for V-Day and had a good time here. Definitely a great date place and a place to reconnect with friends. The space is great and the vibe/lighting/decorations all came together nicely.
I got the handmade chestnut tagliatelle with venison. It was good, but boring. The handmade pasta was not especially spectacular and the flavor of the venison was very one-dimensional. Same thing for my boyfriend's. I think he got pig (see, I can't even remember!) and the serving size and flavors definitely weren't worth the amount we paid for.
Service was so lacking. Our waiter sounded bored and irritated the few times he bothered to stop by our table. We had to wave down busboys multiple times to get some service. Also, he ended up charging my boyfriend's card extra (a quick call to the restaurant quickly fixed this mistake though, but I'm a little suspicious because I read that this happened to a couple of other Yelpers as well. -
Review from Cheryl P.
Wake Forest, NC
1/8/2012
We made reservations at this spot after reading many reviews of Italian restaurants on yelp and on tripadvisor. I selected this restaurant for our pretheater meal after reading their menu and seeing some good options.
The location of this restaurant is on a quant street in the first floor of a row house. The atmosphere is modern and comfortable. We were promptly seated at a table for two overlooking their outside terrace. They had two waiters that served us that were very friendly and helpful. They were knowledgeable about the menu and offered honest advice about selections and wine pairings.
We were not starving so we each had a salad and bread and then elected for the smaller portion size for our meal. The amount of food we ate satisfied us. Be aware the small portion is very small; about 5 bites for me. If you are hungry, get the larger size plate. I had the seafood ravioli in pesto sauce which was rich and creamy. My hubby ordered the farfalle Verdi which he enjoyed. I preferred my dish to his though. When asked about dessert we declined because we were full. When our waiter came back with the check he brought us a plate of Italian cookies and biscotti which were really wonderful.
I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting. -
Review from Rachel C.
Manhattan, NY
5/14/2012
Felt compelled to write my first review! We went for Mother's Day brunch and had an incredible experience before our play started. Three people ordered the amazing Whipped egg white omelette with black winter truffle and Parmigiano cheese fondue-it was really incredible and looked crazy-but in a good way! I ordered the Poached eggs jumbo lump crab cake hollandaise sauce chives which were excellent but not as good as the whipped egg omlette and our dad ordered the eggs poached in S. Marzano tomato horseradish celery bruschetta-all amazing! GREAT PRICES -GREAT FOOD-WILL BE BACK!
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Review from Anna L.
Updated - 12/10/2011
I was slightly disappointed last night. I hadn't been here in quite some time but I remember the dishes being tasty? We arrived right on time for our reservation and were seated promptly a few minutes later. Decor is very festive, lots of holiday wreaths and Christmas trees. There was a large decorated tree in the atrium actually. We ordered two half pasta each and a side order of grilled vegetables.
I had the Strozzapreti (with duck ragu and olives) and then the Casoncelli filled with veal, raisin and amaretto cookies, with sage butter and pancetta.
I liked the strozzapreti and it was probably the biggest half pasta dish I've seen there. Helpful tip for those who want something hearty. There's also a LOT of meat. I like the pasta but keep in mind also it's a bit oily but not bad... The Casoncelli filling was interesting and I actually liked but, geez the dish was absolutely drenched in oil / butter as well which overpowered the dish. Way too much oil.
My friend had their two ravioli half pasta (seafood and then pumpkin) which were very small. I think there were 3 ravioli pieces in his plate. Our side order of grilled veggies were a bit limp and also drenched in olive oil or butter. The bread basket was good.
Staff was attentive but almost too much? They kept asking us if we were done eating.
I live in the area and there are many options so not sure I'd return here for another try.
$75 for two + tip.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/8/2010
I like how there are half plates so you don't have to 'commit' to one type of pasta dish. All the… Read more »
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Review from Steve M.
Manhattan, NY
11/2/2011
Mmmmmm. Now that's Italian!
I recommend V V to anyone who is planning to see a show. Unlike some other venues, V V is constantly aware of the 8pm showtimes. Service is swift and friendly. But besides all that, their food is why I shall return. Pork chop with mushrooms special was juicy and plentiful. I usually don't order this dish at Italian restaurants, but I just couldn't resist. Waiter assured me I would not be dissatisfied. I wasn't.
Ample dining area and bar scene looked promising as well. Prices are a little steep but at least you get quality food and service. -
Review from tanya d.
Manhattan, NY
2/7/2012
I was there today and there is this one waiter that I would like to mention in particular!
We had ordered a couple of half dishes and after enquiring why are we charged for fuil, the waiter who was taking the bill was so mean!
His dialogues-
"If its in the bill, then you had full plates, this cant be wrong"
" I will charge you for half, but you had full plates"
" it is fine, just pay the bill"
"How many Raviolli pieces where there in your plate"
" I understand but I have 5 more tables to serve and the customers there are waiting for me"
The girl who took our order was gone by the time we had our bill and this waiter had no clue what he was talking about or rather he should not be allowed to be in front of the customers! He did not serve us during the dinner but came to pick up the bill when the conversation started! He almost walked over us! It was the most horrible experience while dining outside and I left the place feeling like a liar and disrespected even after paying $90 bill! Mean why would anybody lie for a few extra pieces of raviolli when we ordered so much food and drinks in total and had come there for a special evening of celebrating my birthday!
And yes, this is the first time I am writing a review on yelp and its for that one person who should learn how to treat other people before waiting the tables or shaking martinis! I wish I had asked him his name, I am definitely going to complaint to the management also, after all its there responsibility too, whom they hire! -
Review from Linda P.
10/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
Vice Versa (Vee-chay Versa) looks rather dull and unassuming from the street but is such a pretty little restaurant when you enter! We had a 6 pm reservation on a Friday evening and were promptly seated at a romantic little table that had a lovely view of the outdoor garden/alfresco area. Our waiter immediately asked us if we were going to see a show ( we were) and just provided exceptional service our entire time there. And the icing on the cake, he looked like Bradley Cooper. Gotta love these out of work actors waiting tables!
Ambiance/service= 5
Bread basket delicious! I ordered a Bellini as I was in a champagne mood since we were celebrating our wedding anniversay. It arrived in the smallest champagne flute I have ever seen! It must have been a 2 oz glass! What a bummer. Next we ordered a half size portion of risotto with pancetta & balsamic vinaigrette. Sublime, every bite was heavenly. My husband loved it too....sometimes sharing sucks.
I had the casoncelli (a ravioli/pillow shaped pasta) filled with veal, raisin and crushed amaretto cookies. Very tasty, however I thought the sage butter sauce was a little greasy. My husband had the filet mignon, perfectly cooked but just two small medallions. As another reviewer mentioned, portion sizes were small. Good if you don't want to bring a doggie bag to the theater, bad if you like large portions and leftovers
Food= 4
You get an adorable and delicious plate a miniature Italian cookies for dessert.... I included a pic of them in my review My husband, who is not a big dessert guy, passed on ordering any after dinner sweets. I, who could just eat appetizers and desserts the rest of my life and die happy.....ordered a cappuccino and the fresh berries and zabaglione. I am still fondly remembering how unbelievable it was, fresh/sweet/plump strawberries/raspberries and enormous blackberries on top of a giant mound of sweetened, silky mascarpone cream. My husband (the guy who didn't want dessert) couldn't stop 'trying' it.
Dessert: 5
I would love to come back, despite the small portion sizes
Overall: 4.5 -
Review from Doug S.
San Francisco, CA
10/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Went here about a week ago and finally found the time to write a review. Overall, it's a nice place. Being originally from SF I find that I tend to focus more on the actual food rather than the ambiance; however, I was quite surprised since for NYC the entire footprint of the restaurant is quite large. We were a large group and had ample room. The other tables were also well spaced (like in SF) where you don't feel like you're encroaching on the next table over. This is perhaps one of my biggest peeves about NYC dining: the sardine-like seating arrangements.
Also, the service was amazing. Even with a large group, the waiter was kind, considerate, amiable, and extremely knowledgeable about the menu.
For these two reasons I upped my rating.
In terms of food it was good; nothing that would make me want to become a regular. For the price point you get what you pay for, so it's still good food. I started with the Salumi platter, since I'm a sucker for cured meats. And had the Veal Tenderloin, which was moist and went surprisingly well with the cheese sauce and Malbec. I finished with the Affogato, which was also quite tasty.
Since I still haven't been to too many NYC restaurants I don't know what else is around (i.e. if there are better restaurants). But, if you're in the area and want an intimate dinner, with a good ambiance, friendly wait staff, and good food, I'd recommend as long as it's within your budget. -
Review from Sabrina R.
Manhattan, NY
1/2/2012
Great place for a pre-theater meal and is far enough out of times square to go there without theater plans. There is a nice size bar and had a reasonably priced glass of prosecco while waiting for friends. Our friends were seeing an 8pm show and we had a 5:45pm reservation. They were very good about making sure we stayed on schedule, but weren't stressed at all.
Service was great with a waiter and a busboy attending to our table throughout the meal. There were some great appetizers to choose from and tried the mozzarella and tomato salad. The salad was good with different types of heirloom tomatoes and the split the salad to be for two upon request. For dinner they offered half portions of pasta and was able to to choose two different ones for my meal. Though the pasta was served in two huge large bowls, which was a bit awkward. I had the coffee tagliatelle and the venison ragout tagliatelle. The coffee was a bit overwhelming in flavor, but pretty good since it was something new and different to me. The venison was a great comfort food dish. My husband had the veal medallions and they were so good there wasn't any left for me to try. His only complaint was the portion being slightly small. For dessert we tried the espresso ice cream and couldn't get enough of it. The ice cream was in what looked like a large shot glass and covered in a shot of espresso.
The meal ended up being $150 per couple when we split the check, plus $35 for our two drinks at the bar. -
Review from Emma H.
Hoboken, NJ
6/20/2011
Myself and a friend had a Sunday 7.45 reservation at Vice Versa, however we found ourselves somehow running early and the restaurant were happy to accommodate our request for an earlier table.
I had a chilled lobster salad for app and an amazingly tender duck pasta dish for entree. (It had a complicated italian name I cannot remember)
My friend had a half serving of risotto for app and the Halibut for entree.
Waitress was definitely friendly, helpful and recommended a great red wine.
I love the low-key chic atmosphere in here ... great place for dinner.
Would and will definitely go back -
Review from Angela S.
Manhattan, NY
2/14/2011
Came here for a Valentine's Day celebration with my boyfriend. The minute we opened the door, we were greeted with a robust "Hello, and welcome!" by the maitre-d', which immediately quelled any qualms about this place having hoity toity vibes. The ambiance was great, with intimate lighting, great decor, and what seemed to be smiling patrons all around.
The menu is reasonably priced, especially since much of the food is delicious, specifically the Tagliatelle Al Caffe' Con Salsa Ai Tartufi Neri, which was absolutely amazing, with a sort of "melt-in-your-mouth" kick. Probably the best pasta I've had at a restaurant (I'm usually underwhelmed by pastas in restaurants, since I figure I can just make it at home). I was drawn to the Cernia In Padella Con Patate All'Astice becaues of the lobster mashed potatoes, but was a bit disappointed; the fish could've used a bit more flavor, and the mashed potatoes were good, but not extraordinary.
Definitely will be coming back to hit up the other pastas! -
Review from Cal C.
Oakland, CA
12/12/2010
My friend Peter recommended ViceVersa both for their food and because he's friends with the owners. I didn't have the opportunity to meet the owners but I was sold on the food. The place was busy on a Tuesday evening, but they accommodated a single in only a few minutes.
The atmosphere was great; clearly populated by regular patrons. Service was efficient but not rushed. As mentioned, they have a very reasonable prix fixe menu but I didn't find the choices as interesting as the a la carte.
I started with a half portion of the pumpkin ravioli, which was pretty close to being a piece of heaven. The pasta was airy and light, the stuffing was succulent and the sauce perfectly complementary. Five star first course.
The lamb shank was fall-off-the-bone tender but I found it somewhat underseasoned. The braised vegetables were good but not exceptional compared to similar dishes I've enjoyed in other Italian restaurants. The by-the-glass wine selection was good and fairly priced; I had a very tasty Salice. I was full at the end of the meal, choosing a Ramazzotti rather than dessert.
Definitely one I would visit again; I'm anxious to try the strozzapreti with duck ragout I've been reading about here. -
Review from Rick V.
New York, NY
11/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
Nice place with good food and good service...only thing...not a Hells Kitchen kind of joint....would be better served on the East Side...just saying...not bad though
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Review from Gregory L.
Silverado, CA
11/13/2011
Came across this restaurant walking down the street. The menu was diverse with a number of very interesting dishes. The service was everything you could ask for. The price didn't knock your socks off. We woud come back to this restaurant without question. Very good Italian food. Not noisy, not crowded tables, just the right ambience.
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Review from M R.
Manhattan, NY
12/13/2011
A very pleasant experience. Somehow distant from the busiest centre of Midtown Manhattan yet close enough to go to have lunch there. Not crowded at this time and with very good food and fast service, all of that, in addition to a not very expensive bill. Ah, and do not forget the tiramisu!
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Review from Stephanie M.
New York, NY
4/10/2011
Solid, but Pricey.
Vice Versa is pretty good, but not overly memorable.
The atmosphere is romantic and classy.
On the pricey side. -
Review from Marissa R.
Pittsburgh, PA
8/16/2011 1 photo
The food was good but the portions were small, which is fine with me but my sweetie had a bigger appetite than me and he was still hungry. I had a spectacular tomato/zucchini/mozzarella salad. Don't skip dessert-I highly recommend the tiramisu.
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Review from Deana T.
San Francisco, CA
7/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
Everything here was wonderful. Our concierge at the hotel we stayed at told us about this little hole in the wall and I am so glad he did! This place has amazing Italian food. I don't really go for Italian for when given a choice of cuisines, usually Japanese or American, but this changed my mind completely.
They started out by giving us delicious, warm breads. Some were wheat breads and some (my personal favorite) corn bread with a hefty chunk of butter. Then we ordered the lobster and cherry tomato appetizer which was delicious. I did not expect a plate full of lobster as an appetizer for only $12 but that's exactly what we got! It was served on some endive leaves with green beans and sweet cherry tomatoes. Next I ordered the Duck ragout pasta with black olives. Now the black olives were the only thing I would change about this meal, they overpowered the pasta because they were too sour so I just ended up putting the few of them that there were to the side. But overall that dish was delish! And to top off an amazing meal, we ordered a little sorbet trio. This was the cherry on the sundae (literally), we had nutella ice cream (YES, IT EXISTS!), peach sorbet and a mixed berry sorbet in the trio. Every single one of the flavors were perfect and they tasted perfectly together. Oh, and did I mention they bring you a complimentary tasting of different cookies and sweets at the end? YEP.
Great place, great food, great atmosphere, but come here with some change in your pocket, you'll need it! -
Review from Akira O.
4/29/2010
I went to Vice Versa for lunch today with my coworker Ken. When we got there at about 12:30 it was almost empty but by 1pm it was very busy. I like the fact that this restaurant is spacious and has nice air and light from the patio. I've been here for both lunch and dinner, but I think I like coming here for a weekday lunch - it has some relaxing and special feel to it. Also perfect for a business lunch. The wait staff were lively, freindly and engaging.
They have $25 prix fix menu but we decided to do a la carte. I had pasta with duck ragu to start, and Ken had gnocchi. Duck ragu was very tasty, and I almost wished I had ordered it as entree. For entree we had breaded chicken breast and grilled sea bass. The chicken was very soft, and I enjoyed the combination with side salad of arugula and fresh tomatoes. Sea bass also was nicely cooked.
The highlight was peach martini. It was very refreshing, not too sweet, and had lots of alcohol! We also tried ginger margarita which was a bit too sweet and sour for me.
We were too full for desert but they gave us a complementary assortment of chocolate covered cornflakes and cookies. I really like restaurants that do that.
22 points on Zagat 2011.Listed in: Hell's Kitchen
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Review from Keith M.
Bronx, NY
8/24/2008
I went here one night for dinner with friends. The food was good, but the portions could have been a little bigger. My one complaint was my waiter. He seemed to be more interested in flirting with the old men at the table next to us than serving us... his customers. What I found to be particularly ballsy of him was that when my friend checked his bank statement the next day he found that his bill was higher then it should have been (We gave a cash tip, but our waiter decided to give himself something extra on my friends behalf). What saves the restaurant from getting one star is the fact that the manager fired the waiter and reimbursed my friend.
Also they have nice decor... yea I'm a typical gay. -
Review from Lindsay E.
New York, NY
4/7/2010 1 photo
Had an excellent lunch here today. Because the restaurant is on a street (not an avenue), we were able to have a relaxing, sunny (and shady) outdoor experience... The food was excellent. I started with hearts of palm salad which was refreshing and light. I had the baked bass with grilled vegetables for my entree.. the bass was perfectly cooked and seasoned with rosemary... and I really enjoyed it. The service was a little slow, it took about 30 minutes to bring out sorbet. Overall, this place is worth the wait and a great place for a work lunch or a date before a show.
Try: Hearts of Palm Salad, Baked Bass
Skip: Not sure.. everyone seemed to enjoy their meal :)
*Check out all my reviews at http://www.lindsayeven... -
Review from Connie W.
5/26/2008 2 photos
We had an 8 PM musical to catch and walked in at 6:30 PM, afraid that we would not have enough time to eat. The waiter was really cool and assured us that we did not have to rush. The food came out pretty quickly and we were done eating by about 7:20 PM. I was impressed.
I tried their seafood ravioli with creamy pesto sauce and fresh tomato and my husband had the strangled priest pasta with duck ragout and black gaeta olives (I'll attach pictures). We both really enjoyed our food. Their bread (the small cubed ones) was very tasty and the service was really good. -
Review from Janie W.
York, ME
8/21/2010
This is a really cute place for date night. The lighting is dark and flattering, and the noise level low enough for conversation without yelling. Service was friendly and efficient but a little unpolished. I had the squid ink tanglioni with bay scallop and sea urchin as an appetizer. It had the distinct essence of the ocean, I only wish there was more than a dollop of sea urchin. My entree was the suckling pig, and the portion size was surprisingly humongous. The skin part was unctious to the extreme, crackly and fatty and gooey all in one bite. There was still plenty of meat left over for me to doggy bag.
The restaurant isn't a culinary destination but it certainly is an atmospheric one. -
Review from Kent H.
12/4/2008
Great decor, good selection on the menu. It took me a while to look for what I wanted. I picked the salmon dish which was just great. I tried a bite of the halibut and that was superb.
We had some antipasti as well, which was really good for starters.
We closed the meal with a Lemoncello. -
Review from Tick B.
Livingston, NJ
1/29/2012
Went with my wife and another couple last night. Nice ambience. Food good, but my salmon over spinach came with a scoop of plain mashed potatoes...a disappointing and unimaginative starch...but the service from our waiter (the support waiting staff seemed to be working diligently) was almost insulting. Barely a smile, and when things went wrong not one word of apology. A side dish never arrived with the meal. We mentioned. Came out about 15 minutes later as we were finishing meal and we declined. Only one of 2 ordered deserts arrived. We brought to his attention twice before it came out about 12 minutes later...had to ask for refill on coffee. I say insulting because he treated the table next to us...a gay couple...very differently. Not once did he ask us how was our meal...he did to the next table and seemed to pleasantly banter with them... when he dropped off the check he mentioned "I made sure to take off the side dish"...well of course you better have and again a missed opportunity for a brief apology that would have smoothed us over...this restaurant has a large gay clientele and this is the first time I have ever left a restaurant feeling I might have been treated differently because I am not.
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Review from Jack N.
Astoria, NY
12/19/2007
Modern decor, decent pasta, excellent dessert
I went here yesterday for my friend's b-day dinner. She didn't want to go to a Japanese, French, or Chinese since she went there for previous b-days, so I picked this place with recommendations from Yelpers.
The restaurant is nice and spacious, they sat us near the back, by the outside patio (which was closed off due to cold weather) where they put up their Christmas tree. The design was modern yet a bit "zen like", as my friends described it, with interesting designs on their wall.
As for the food, I had the Strangled Priest pasta w/ the duck ragout. It was pretty good, although I can't rave about it as others have. The duck ragout was delicious, but the pasta was a bit bland. I did try the veal ravioli w/ the amaretto cookies and raisins. That was really delicious. I should have order that dish instead. Although I liked the food a lot, beware that this is not family style Italian food so the portion is not what you would expect. 2 of my friends had to order 2 entrees because most of us didn't order an appetizer.
As for dessert, I think they updated their menu but failed to do so on their website. I ordered a walnut (or some kind of nut) and cream with brandy sauce. It was really good!!! The brandy sauce was mixed with peach and was dressed around the cream. The sauce is a bit bitter, but when you mix it with the cream, you taste the tangy flavor of the peach and it was really delicious. I will definitely come here again, if I ever get a chance to go to a same restaurant twice now that I'm so busy trying new restaurants.Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Brian V.
Chatham, NJ
4/28/2008
Went here for dinner last week before the Radio City Speaker Series (NERD ALERT). For the area, and particularly for pre-theatre, it's good. Not great, but good.
We showed up at 5:30 and were the only non-employees in the restaurant. Others started to filter in around 6 and when we left around 7:30 the place was decently full. The decor was very nice and in nicer weather the enclosed outdoor area in the back would be a great place to sit.
I had the calamari and artichoke tart (good) and the squid ink tagliolini with bay scallops and sea urchin (also good). My friend had the lobster salad (was hoping for more lobster for the price) and the strip steak (ok). It's not really a steak place at all, which should have been obvious by the menu, but if you're going to have it, make it well.
Price wise, it' s kind of a mixed bag. For me appetizers and desserts were a little high, but the entrees were very reasonably priced, particularly the pasta dishes. The wait staff was attentive and answered any questions we had quickly.
I feel like I might be a little harsh only giving Vice Versa three starts considering I don't really have anything bad to say about it, but I guess I don't have anything particularly great to say about it either. If you're looking for a good, well priced pasta dinner before going to see a show (or in my case, see a middle aged man make an ass of himself by standing up in the middle of Radio City and yelling at Tucker Carlson), Vice Versa is one of the better restaurants in the area. -
Review from Princess M.
New York, NY
9/19/2007
Consistent. Good quality. Casual, smart atmosphere. Reasonable prices.
The veal, raisin and amaretto cookie-stuffed ravioli entree with sage and pancetta sauce is amazing. You cannot go wrong with this dish and you HAVE to try it if it's your first time here.
The vitello tonnato appetizer is basically a cold dish. Paper-thin slices of veal (taste like cold meat) drenched in a thin (but not watery), smooth mayonnaise that's been flavored with tuna. Sound weird but this is a traditional Italian specialty that tastes good. The dish is garnished with half a cherry tomato, a sprig of salad and some caper berries. I've never had caper berries before and they are YUM. Definitely sour as they're pickled but the berry texture goes so well with the sauce and the veal.
The risotto with sausage and parmesan (entree special) had good flavor but didn't have much texture to it...not much sausage....wasn't that satisfying.
Lobster salad is okay, a bit on the sour side but has lots of juicy, sweet lobster to make up for it.
Service is pretty good. The bread basket usually has a variety of warm foccacia and rolls. It looks like there's a small area for garden seating inside the restaurant. Decor is modern but very comfortable and intimate.
Overall, it's a good restaurant that I'd go to anytime for a casual but still elegant dinner with friends or with clients. The ravioli is a must-try. -
Review from Annie M.
San Francisco, CA
3/23/2010
Came here with two friends last night and found the atmosphere to be quite animated and boisterous--almost too much so, as it was difficult to hear my friends over the constant hum around us. I ordered the potato gnocchi with venison ragout (I'm a sucker for venison anything) and liked the chewiness of the gnocchi and the gamey (in a good way) richness of the ragout. The portion size was just right--any less and I would have felt nippish afterwards and any more and I would have felt stuffed.
The Boy got the Strangled Priest pasta and really liked it, despite its morbid name. My other friend had the pasta with lump crab meat, which he deemed ok, but not very memorable. For dessert, we split the cherry panna cotta (really good!) and carrot cake with nutella gelato. All in all, not the best Italian I've ever had, but not bad. -
Review from H S.
Grosse Pointe, MI
9/25/2010
Let Travis the bartender work his magic with his Belvedere-based, not-too-sweet, lemony iced drink served in a wine glass. I expected a $15 charge for this amazing drink - not so, only $11.
We were here pre-show, and the waiter was extremely conscious of our time. I had the prawns and my friend had a pasta selection. Both were very good, but truthfully after reading reviews I expected "WOW" - perhaps my selection was off. The table beside us was an adult family of 6, and they were raving about every dish and passing them around like taste-test frisbees!
The atmosphere is everything a NYC dinner experience should be - perfect decor and lighting, amazing staff, and excellent food. -
Review from Kelly C.
Seattle, WA
3/8/2008
With ultra modern decor and a nice space, Vice Versa boast very friendly service and good food. My husband and I have been there twice, we always sit at the bar (even when offered a table). The bartender is always very nice and the food is good. We had the tortino di carciofi e calamari (calamari tart and artichokes) to start, which had a good balance of crispiness, richness and freshness (with the salad). That was very good.
We also ordered the seafood ravioli and the pasta with duck ragout which was also very good.
We ended the meal with the complimentary sweet treats: a plate of assorted cookies. All very yummy.
This is a great restaurant, with a great atmosphere and mostly great value: at 15-20 bucks a plate in the Theater District. -
Review from edwin h.
6/22/2009
Looks a lot stuffier than it turned out to be.
Waiter was great! Excellent service, very friendly and attentive.
The pastas were all delicious. -
Review from Jennifer P.
Queens, NY
10/7/2009
The food was amazing.
Great atmosphere and service. Friendly setting and great location.
This is a definite must do at least once. You won't be disappointed. -
Review from Steve J.
Laguna Niguel, CA
7/10/2011
Very nice spot before the show at Gershwin. The food is great and the staff takes good care of you. An excellent value for Italian in New York.
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Review from Jordan S.
Brooklyn, NY
7/29/2009
Went here on a business lunch and not ashamed to give it a solid 4-stars. The food was really good. We splurged a bit and had three courses (antipasti, pastas, mains), and they did not disappoint.
The pastas were the high point of the meal. They were all excellent. My favorite was the raviolli, and there was also a carbonara-ish dish which I can't remember the name for. They were both very rich. Yum-o.
For my main, I had the grilled dorade. It was nicely prepared. Not amazing, but very good, well-cooked The waiter was very attentive, although for a business lunch (we were on a tight schedule) they didn't move as fast as we wanted.
This would be a nice place for a pre-theatre dinner should you want to escape the tourists. Prices didn't seem too bad; however, if I were to come here on my own, I'd probably just order a plate of pasta.
Also, yall should note that this is along the row gay bars/clubs restaurants. So, if you want to hit up a gay bar after they are right next door ;) -
Review from Maria B.
10/7/2009
The cube bread pieces won me over! They tasted great.
Great food, atmosphere and service. Great for dates, friends, etc.Listed in: places i LOVE
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Review from Cindy C.
Washington, DC
2/5/2011
We visited Vice Versa before heading to a show. Our friend, who's lived in Manhattan for a while, made the reservation and we met him there. It was a nice place, and the food was great. Our friend ordered the special but received a different dish...but he didn't wait for a replacement since we had to make a show. So the staff brought us some prosecco and this lovely mousse dessert. I'd definitely try Vice Versa again.
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Review from Kristin C.
New York, NY
12/15/2010
Someone I trust had recommended Vice Versa because I needed somewhere in Hell's Kitchen for a quick business meal that was accustomed to getting people in and out before the theater (or in our case, opera). This person generally has spot-on taste, so I was a bit surprised with the results.
As you can imagine for the neighborhood, it's pretty busy around 6:00 pm. We had a reservation. When following the waiter, I was hoping for a table on the side, but were placed in the middle, next to a table that was quite boisterous. It didn't really matter in the end.
Bread came reasonably quickly, along with water. The bread was a lackluster foccacia that looked better than it tasted. It was accompanied by rock-hard butter. No olive oil or balsamic vinegar was offered. So, we had to wait for the butter to get to some semblance of soft.
My dining companion opted for a prix-fixe menu. We didn't actually speak about his food, so I can't comment on it. However, he had a soup (a salad was also a choice), a pasta (of three main choices), and the trio of ice creams/sorbets (there was one other dessert option).
I didn't get the prix-fixe, but rather opted to start with the insalata di spinaci con pancetta, pecorino toscano e mandorle. This was pretty tasty, dressed the correct amount, and the pancetta was divine. I was hoping that the salad was a sign of things to come with the risotto con zafferano e capesante. I was wrong. I love risotto and scallops and saffron. This dish was simply a disappointment. There was no discernible saffron taste (or color even). The scallops were the smallest things I have ever seen. While I was hoping for a couple big, plump, scallops with a good sear incorporated into the dish, I got maybe five anemic little scallops with no real taste or sear. And the risotto didn't really taste like anything. I think there might have been cream in it (um, why), but it was under-seasoned and just kind of plopped into a bowl. A dish I loved was turned into something sad and lackluster.
Wines by the glass were good, in both selection and average price. And the service was also efficient and helpful. I just wish the food had been better. When I wanted a lush, warm, comforting Italian favorite, I got not even an echo.
I might try this place again...might. However, I might not. There are plenty of other options in the neighborhood. -
Review from Barry K.
Miami, FL
8/15/2010
We had a phenomenal Sunday brunch today, worth the walk or taxi ride. Very unique breakfast choices, egg dishes were increble, the eggs benedict had a distinctive Italian flair,and the 'sunnyside' eggs were incredible, and very imaginative with great mushroom brushcetta. Wouldn't ordinarily expect an Italian restuarant to have a great sunday brunch but this was special.
Service was excellent. Plan to go back for a pre or post theater dinner. The restaurant is on a quiet street, unpretentious, but incredibly well done..
