Bona Fides

This is one of my «Insider Tips» village restaurant. Prices are reasonable and the service is warm. While the variety on the menu is not so wide, the quality was good and I go there anytime I’m in the village for a stay.

Over priced, over rated and you’ll be under fed. Food is blah and portions are terribly small. Thank goodness there is Two Boots a few blocks away so I was able to eat and be satisfied. Drinks are way over priced and nothing but small and watered down.

Poor service. Waited an hour for food. Air conditioner did not work. Missed orders. Incompetent slow staff. Asked for water, took fifteen minutes and the restaurant was only a quarter full. Food was okay at best, too bad the portions were mediocre. Would NOT come back.

Took my girlfriendd and 28 of her friends here for her birthday. They let us reserve the entire back garden and it was a paradise. The food was incredible, the service was amazing, and I would definitely go back.
I totally recommend this restaurant.
THANK YOU BONA FIDES FOR YOUR GREAT SERVICE!

Walked in on Tuesday night, place was empty. It took without exaggeration 50 minutes for 2 cold, mediocre tasting appetizers. When we complained rather than an apology we received attitude from the waiter. Totally unacceptable. Im shocked this place manages to stay in business.

Three words to describe bon fides: RUDE, TASTELESS AND OVERPRICED.
The service is rude with icy cold waiters who do not speak to you
Perhaps their attitude and pretension is a way of overcompensating for
the absolutely tasteless and overpriced food.
Our food was literally cold, with pasta in a lump on a plate, and dry flavorless chicken, both of which appeared to have sat in the kitchen for at least 30 minutes before served.
Our order took almost 40 minutes to arrive, and when it did it was cold.
When we ordered two bottles of cokes the bottle was split into two small glasses and we were charged $ 8 for a mini coke bottle.
This kind of restaurant should be considered a crime in the restaurant world. save your money and cook at home.

I’m dropping the damn hammer on this place.
When it comes to bad dining experiences, Bona Fides is the champ.
Unfortunately, I did not choose this place, else I would’ve steered clear of this place like Anna B and Michael L suggested.
8:30pm reservation. It ended up turning into an almost 20 minute wait to be seated.
8:50pm seated. First sign of any acknowledgement that we are seated is 10 minutes.
9:00pm menus received. Waiter does not come back to take orders until 9:30pm.
9:30pm orders are placed for food.
10:30pm. Yes, TEN THIRTY… after 3 bottles of wine, some dirty looks from the waiter after we checked up on our food twice our food finally comes out. TWO HOURS after our reservation time.
Was the 2 hour wait worth it? Of course not, although I did finish my plate of Spaghetti Carbonara in 5 minutes. That sucker was loaded with oil at the bottom of the bowl.
Service drops the bomb on this place. 100% will absolutely not be back.

Ugh. Too bad the food and the service are so terrible because the restaurant itself is quite charming. But I will never be coming back here. EVER. I went with 3 girlfriends for Valentine’s day and we had the prix fix menu for $ 50 (not that we had a choice). I don’t think all of our food combined was worth the price of one meal.
— Valentine’s day salad: something I would have expected from a dingy diner. Wilted iceberg lettuce and some other random fillers, no flavor.
— Pumpkin and mushroom ravioli in a pink sauce: not a good combo. And came out cold.
— Filet mignon: I should have known to not to get it when, after I ordered, the waitress said, «we also have rib eye if you prefer!» Why would I want rib eye when I can get filet mignon? Of course when it was in front of me, I got my answer: it wasn’t a filet. It was so fatty and I full of chewy nerves, I couldn’t even eat it. Also I asked for medium rare and it came out so rare I could barely cut it.
— Dessert: poached pears (they tasted canned) with some kind of raspberry sauce and whipped cream OUT OF A CAN. And wait… here’s the best (or worst) part: 2 chocolate mouse balls that were plated with a big «penis» made of whipped cream (again, canned) coming out of the middle and a walnut on the tip! Can you say, TASTELESS? They served me a dessert in the shape of a penis. I couldn’t believe they had the audacity to serve me this garbage.
Aside from all of this, I never saw a bread basket, which in an Italian restaurant is a staple, and the service was atrocious, as in, we had to continuously flag down our waitress and drinks would take forever to come out. When we ordered a bottle of wine, she put the unopened bottle on the table and walked away, didn’t come back for 5 mins. Then, when she finally opened it, she let me taste the wine and then said she’d be right back to pour it. I told her not to bother.
If it hadn’t been for the wonderful company, I would have deemed it my worst dining experience in the past 6 months.

I love this place. I love the food, the atmosphere, the music and the family that owns and operates Bona Fides.
I’ve been eating here regularly for the past 10 years or more and I’ve never been disappointed. The wine selection is good and affordable. I have to say that the filet is one of the best I’ve ever had. One of my personal favorites is the smoked asparagus ravioli in vodka sauce. I could sit and eat the crusty, aromatic and delicious bread all night long, except I always want to leave room for the main course. The fresh salmon is particularly tasty with a crusty grilled finish and a rare and succulent interior.
Also there is a garden in the back. This restuarant is a peaceful oasis of calm is truly a rare find.

We walk in, get seated, notice the music, which was not suitably ambient. I asked the waitress to have it turned down (I really wanted it off), as we were the only ones there that evening (which should have been a warning). I ask a second time, she says she did when she had not. Then she actually turns it UP.
We should have walked out right then. Food — when it arrived, what took so long? see above — was mediocre at best, and that was after I had 2 glasses of wine that should have made me more forgiving.
Ceiling has nasty water stains, décor overall is southern Italy, mid 9^th century (no, not a typo).
I live only 3 blocks away, but will never go back, and you should stay away also.

Took my boyfriend here for his birthday. My linguine was absolutely delicious, the sauce was very creamy and full of seafood. However, my boyfriend’s fish wasn’t so great, it was dry and flavorless.
I do like the cozy atmosphere, even though it’s relatively small. They should consider toning down the music though.

Had the spaghetti carbonara for a pre-​Halloween dinner. The restaurant was decorated, which I thought was cute. The carbonara was heavy and filling but delicious. I think I would go back because it’s a pretty affordable place for italian food.

Two things: cute little garden in the back, and free bruschetta! Overall, though, the place was quite average. Would go again in the summer for the garden area.
1. Food — Large dishes and quantity, on the undersalted side. We had the Fettucine Alfredo with Chicken, and the Seafood Combination Linguine. They were decent, but nothing special.
2. Service — There were only two waiters covering the restaurant, so service was spotty in the back garden.
3. Atmosphere — Went on a Friday night, and the restaurant was relatively empty. The seating area in the garden was cute and relaxed — great for a balmy night.

My Aunt who is an old school New Yorker and foodie really loves this place. Most of the nights we eat with her, we end up here.
She normally gets the fresh Salmon, my girlfriend gets the pumpkin ravioli, and I get either the chicken stuffed with Spinach or the chicken Alfredo.
The chicken, which is my favorite dish here, is cooked in a white wine sauce, and has a wonderfully tangy bite to it. It’s a very well done and very consistent dish that I love to order.
As some reviewers had mentioned before, they bring out bruschetta and bread, and the waiters are normally on top of their game. I drink a ton of water and the waiters are always Johnny on the spot.
The dining room is a very nice place, a low key feel to it but if you can I recommend getting out to the garden.

I’ve been here twice. Both times ate out front where the tables wobble, but it is a nice seating area.
I like this place because there are a lot of vegetarian options, and they do let you customize your plate even though the menu says «No Substitutions». They also give you bruschetta when your basket of bread comes out.
This past Sunday I got the night’s special avocado salad. It was really nice, and I think they actually used an entire avocado in there, along with cucumbers, tomatoes and onions in a lovely vinaigrette. For my main course, I had the Rigatoni Pomodori secchi. It was lovely and light pasta with sun dried tomatoes, peppers and carrots.
The thing that I cant get down with here is the service. Both times I’ve had the same server. He’s always there, in fact, since I live in the neighborhood, I’ve even seen this guy leer at me in a lascivious way when I’d walk by. This past Sunday, as he was recommending dishes for my boyfriend’s mother, he lost track of what he was saying and stopped mid-​sentence to stare down some chick walking by. He also began smoking right next to us. We asked if he’d move and he did. Until later, when he lit up again, in the same spot! Aside from that, I think he’s mostly trying to be funny with customers, but ends up coming off rude.
And so, even though the dishes are good, I see no reason to come back here for weird service when Three of Cups is so closeby.

Love this little spot. I’ve been going here for about 10 years. The food is excellent and fairly inexpensive. The atmosphere is low key and relaxed. Friendly enough wait-​staff, although the last time I went the waiter was really aloof and kind of a smart ass, like everything we ordered he gave a look like,“REALLY?! Thats what you’re going to order?! «so we started busting his balls a little and just got really funny — like he wanted us to give him a hard time because it wasn’t that busy. And thats another thing the place is always moderately full and it never seems to get crowded or uncomfortable.

Bonafides gets my vote for best cheap eats in NYC!
I’ve been going to Bonafides for about 10 years now — ever since my husband (then fiancé) and friend «stumbled» upon this gem while strolling through the East Village on a hot summer day in search of some good food and wine. What we stumbled upon is a treasure that we’ve been coming back to at least twice a month ever since!
The staff is so welcoming and accomodating. I’ve had birthday dinners here several times now (in fact, I was just there on March 9^th celebrating my bday with some friends) and the staff has always gone out of their way to make my night special and enjoyable!
The décor is great — it’s funky and fun as well as charming. They always have great music playing which really adds to the atmosphere.
The food? You can’t beat it, especially for the price! You can get a great bottle of Chianti for just a little over $ 20. From the pastas to the chicken dishes, I’ve never had a bad meal here. I highly recommend the Porcini ravioli as well as the Rigatoni Portobello and the Fettucine with salmon dishes. Don’t pass on the desserts and coffee either — the profiteroles are out of this world and they make a great capuccino! Everything on the menu is VERY reasonably priced — this place gets my vote for best bargain meal in NYC without having to skimp on quality of food or service!
Afterwards, you can also head next door to their lounge (The Bacchus Room) for some live jazz (or dj’s — depending on what night of the week it is) to relax (or dance) and enjoy some drinks.

Hmm… I wonder whose «lover» Gabby is talking about here? Oh wait, I think that she might be referring to me. That’s right, I’m a pimp.
Before her usual late self strolled in, a friend and I enjoyed a very fine meal here indeed. The Bufalo Mozzarella ‘special’ appetizer (caprese) was incredible. The Mussels marinara… incredible. Lemon Chicken with garlic steamed spinach… incredible.
The garden out back is amazing in the summertime, and during winter it’s warm and cozy inside. A perfect place for a private party as well.
The nightly jazz is postponed at the moment but promises to return.
Might I add that the waiters are incredibly doting, fun, and ruggedly handsome.
I like it like that.
You might see me and gab there on many nights in our pjs.

Um? How and WHY has only ONE person reviewed this amaaaaaazing spot??? I don’t even know where to start! Well, maybe in narrative form from the beginning.
So a certain person’s new «lover» happens to work here so we came for a little evening dinner. I of course, strolled in about 2 hours later intended to catch the tail-​end but instead got some royal treatment. Me starving – I went for the shrimp parmigiana although the Ravioli Porcini came highly recommended. Before I’d even barely given up my menu out came two lovely little pieces of bruschetta. SCORE! Thought this was because I’m so fabulous, but turns out EVERYONE gets complimentary bruschetta. Can’t really hate on that. Oh and for the record «bonafides» means «In good faith.» So appropriate… so appropriate. Anyway, I got some wine… some fresh bread with a side of EVOO. MmmMM! And then… the shrimp pargmigiana arrived. Dear. Sweet. Lord. Probably the most fabulous thing I’ve had in quite some time. And you know the «marinara» pasta that usually obligatory comes with anything parm? Possibly the best ever. Creamy. Cheesy. SAUCY! I was in heaven. SO GOOD! SO GOOD! Oh my.
In other aesthetic news… the place is super cute and very true Italian Tuscany style. I easily spent two hours there on a Monday at the «end» of a dinner and can see myself even more easily being there for 4 hours… again in true Italian style. Oh! And this place never ends. There’s even a side room which is equal in size (I like to call it the «makin’ love» room) which has a wall of sexy voluptuous women painted on. My favorite part is the one guy in this montage of beauty who is emerging from bed putting a notch on the bedpost. HA! Also in this room theres a fish tank with a pirate ship on top of it (I checked – no actual pirates though) and this is the room that not only usually hosts the live jazz but also leads to the outdoor garden. Oh Lord, I have to stop writing this review because my mouth is watering and I want to trek over there in pjs right now and get my bonafides on all over again.

The food is affordable and good — but truly the best part about this place is the hidden garden out back. Combined with one of the wines from the affordable list and a scrumptuous pasta dish, and you have a solid night out in NYC.