Corsino Cantina

That best Italian place in town. Food is delicious! Came here for my birthday. I wasn’t impressed with the décor, expected a bit better place. Drinks were amazing. I ordered Cosmopolitan — and it was one of the best Cosmos I ever had. The waiter kept drinks coming thru the night. I tried steak and meat balls — to die for. Its great place for a date and small group of people. I was sad that they refused to make reservation for more then 7 people. But because of the food I am definately coming back here soon.

Awful service with mediocre food.
My boyfriend and I are both in the restaurant industry and knew it would very difficult to try and get in anywhere on a saturday night in downtown with out a res. We knew our options were limited so we decided to go to Corsino (there is hardly ever a wait and for obvious reasons)
We sat at the bar and it took 12min for the bartender to offer us anything– no drink menu, no ‘hey, how are you? welcome to corsino’, no, ‘I’ll be with you in a moment but here is some water!’ Nothing. I totally understand if you are busy and the only bartender behind the bar but there needs to be some effort in making sure that the guest knows that you will be with them as soon as possible. That acknowledgment goes a long way. It’s called hospitality people. And in reality it wasn’t even that busy.
Without a drink a menu he finally asks my boyfriend and me what we would like to drink, we order negronis and we share one food menu. About 10min later he reappears and my first assumption was that he was going to mention possible specials or simply ask if we had any questions about the menu but instead he looks douchely at us and asks in an irritable tone ‘So, uh what can I getcha?’ My boyfriend and I have a reaction of slight shock and confusion and wonder if this guy is for real. His overall temperament was not pleasant or welcoming. Definitely not a good look for the restaurant.
We order chicken liver mousse to start and it was okay but the bartender wouldn’t know that because not once did he check in to see how we were enjoying anything or offer more bread when we will still had a good amount of mousse left but no bread.
And finally I had the orriechette with sausage and tomato while Brenton had the over cooked angel hair pasta with 3 shrimps and supposedly garlic.
When we finished our meal our plates were cleared and again no effort in offering us a dessert menu. We asked for the check and wanted to zero him out in tip but we couldn’t in good conscience.
On our way out we finally saw the drink list near the host stand, and to our surprise there is a wine blowout sale– 50% off. Maybe if the bartender actually tried to sell wine there wouldn’t have to be a desperate blow out sale to push through inventory.
Again, awful service and mediocre food. Won’t be surprised when I read about Corsino closing with in a year.

Not a very welcoming place with poor customer service. We were the only ones at the bar (restaurant was not crowded at all) and we had to ask the bartender 3x to serve us. After pointing to a wine on the list and saying «this one» he mocked the fact we couldn’t pronounce the italian wine. Was conversing and joking with his coworkers the entire time and made us feel like we were a nuisance.

«Ah, what it could be!»
This place has tons of potential and unfortunately doesn’t realize any of it. Primely situated in the West Village, away from the troubling scene of the Meat Packing District yet having little nearby competition, this restaurant has the foundation of success: a huge outdoor seating area, contemporary Italian food, and an enticing modern décor.
It just doesn’t deliver. The food is predictable. The service is bad (on multiple occasions).
What needs a lift:
* Possibly some of the worst service I have had in Manhattan. Definitely the worst in the West Village. We waited 20+ minutes in between seeing a waiter re-​appear on a very unbusy Sunday night, hoping maybe to get a second round of drinks. Even then we had to flag him down.
*Wine list is large, but definitely some poorly chosen selections
* Menu could have some more differentiation
What’s cool:
*Well if you really want to sit outside somewhere and enjoy a glass of wine, this place won’t usually have a wait
*Prices are average for the West Village

I love this place. So other people are complaining that it’s too expensive… Ummmm… Yeah, it’s the meat-​packing district. Go to McDonald’s if you’re broke lol. Anyways. Love the rosemary fries, it’s fried in truffle oil. and the linguine with the tuna is the best tasting pasta ever. I like to get it gluten-​free style. Out of the 6 times I’ve been there, they’ve messed up my order twice, but that’s okay. That’s the only reason why I didn’t rate it 5 stars. Oh, and the hand soap in the bathroom smells so nice :)

Corsino was a neighborhood favorite of mine — I have been half a dozen times. But my last experience at Corsino will certainly be my last — holy FOOD POISONING!
I organized a dinner at Corsino on a quiet Sunday night (Labor Day Weekend, so perhaps they just weren’t on their game during a slow holiday weekend?) with 7 of my friends — we were a big party and had their Sunday Night Special, where they bring out a ton of appetizers and entrees for a pretty reasonable price.
Food was great, service was pretty good (though they definitely tried to upsell us on the wine), but 3 (out of 8) of us were pretty sick the day after, myself included.
Doubt it was a coincidence, so I will be steering clear of the place!

I’m disappointed… what a horrible ending to a promising start. Corsino is a cute little shop with prime outdoor seating for a nice summer night.
We did everything family style.
Meatballs — sauce was superb.
Antipasti (add anchovies) — delicious, with a perfect balance of dressing, meat, and salad
Bruschetta — the ricotta and honey was surprisingly tasty
Spaghetti — worst thing I’ve ever had. How can an Italian restaurant screw up spaghetti, with undercook noodles and super salty? And after we complained to our waiter… crickets. No apology, nothing. After I asked we did get the dish taken off the bill at least.
Unfortunately, this soured my experience here and I’ll never come back.

Corsino is a great corner place for Italian tapas-crostini’s sides and also great pasta. The wine selection is awesome and their $ 6/​glass for happy hour beats any meatpacking restaurant. I especially love their appetizer fried artichoke. You’ll be very pleased from appetizer to dessert. Great service too!

Stopped in for a drink and some bruschetta.
Had the chicken liver and man was it good. Then we tried the pesto and egg and bean also great.
Had a nice glass of Wine and very cheap.
Bartender was very friendly .
Over all very nice

I stumbled onto this restaurant while walking around the village with a friend. It has an intimate, vintage type of feeling. Depending on the weather, there is plenty of outdoor seating for people watching.
The food is delicious and authentic. I would definitely go back.

Stopped in for drinks the other night and it seemed like a very casual and great atmosphere. Right in the heart of meatpacking, so you can use this as a meeting point and then carry on.
The food smelled and looked excellent, so I will be sure to make my next review about what I ate here…

I’m an out-​of-​towner so I have no idea what their menu used to be like. But for us, looking to have some Saturday afternoon drinks and a «snack» it seemed to be pretty good to us.
We started with drinks — an aperol spritz for me and a rose for my friend. We sat near the entrance to the patio which was perfect for people watching and also meant we were protected when a monsoon blew through a little later (the folks outside under the awning seemed to get wet, especially those closer to the edges).
We sample an asparagus side, the bruschette sampler (5), the beet salad, orechiette and they made us a custom pasta at my friends request which was okay (they kind of missed the mark but they tried). Service was great and they were pretty generous with their drink pour.
I will note there was something awkward going on with the table of three beside us. They didnt end up ordering food but got a bottle of wine for two of the people and another boozy drink for a third. The hostess later told them they have t move because tables are only for people eating. I get that if they just ordered a soda or something but a bottle of wine is more than some might spend on lunch. It only seemed to become an issue once the rain started and they were having to move people inside (there was still ample room). In my opinion, it created a bit of a scene that didn’t need to happen. In the end they were allowed to stay put and seemed to enjoy their time, but it was a little awkward in our area for awhile.
Fun spot for people watching too!

I’ve always thought it was impossible to get a reservation for 8 people on a Saturday night. Ladies and Gentleman that myth has been debunked. I give props for them accommodating our group really quickly. Service was good.
Time: 6:30PM
Place: Corsino Cantina
Very cute and a slight rustic feel in the West Village, my friends were in town from middle of nowhere upstate NY. Our first choice was booked up and I had to think on my toes. Italian food generally has fish options for those that might have a few allergies. For beverages all the girls opted for Prosecco.
The food was good, portions were small but enough to fill you for the time being and all around $ 15-​$ 18. I had the cavatelle with sausage in a red sauce; the sausage was sweet, I dislike a lot of fennel. I was pleased with mine. One of the girls had the Mozzarella, plum tomato and basil flatbread. It was just A– OK nothing blew me away. Her husband went with the pasta dish that was in a pork sauce and needed extra tomato sauce on the side. It was agreed my dish was the best. A few hours later I was still hungry.

This was our meeting place prior to dinner. Since we arrived early (4:30ish) we were able to score seats at the bar and relax until our walk over for grub. It’s located in the west village which is a stones throw away from Chelsea Market and lots of people watching.
They had a decent Italian wine list (by the glass or bottle) and my guests enjoyed the fact you can sample the vino prior to ordering. No complaints on any of the samples as they forged ahead with the same wine. I stuck with beer (which was almost as pricey as the glasses of wine). The stools at the bar were of the light steel variety and the bar seated no more than 20 people. The bartender was a hoot and a great personality to boot!
Once everyone arrived we all agreed to order some items to nosh on.
The crostini selection was the common consensus. All 4 that we chose were delicious. Basil Pesto, chickpea pancetta & broccoli rabe, olive tapenade (the show stealer) and gorgonzola & kale.
Their drink and food prices were moderate.
The crowd was mid 20’s to early 40’s. A few parents with their babies. Quaint seating.
I don’t recall any TV’s so conversation is a must (unless you bring reading material and come solo).
Worth a stop in for drink and some light food… although it’s a dinner spot too. ENJOY!

Meh. It’s fine. Good food but small portions for the price (entrees). The pasta was really tasty but it was literally $ 17 for a non-​meat dish that had maybe like 12 noodles. Really? There are other places nearby that are much better deals with the same quality food.
Staff and hosts were friendly but service was slow and we were left sitting waiting for our check as it got progressively busier.

Wanted to love it but didn’t.
Really strange place. Walking by, I felt so allured and wanted to come in. I didn’t the first time. But I jumped at the chance the second time. The vibe was off — it was strange ‘80s music but not the kind people would know — or something else like that. The food was unmemorable, so was the wine and service. Only a month has passed and I can’t recall a thing about what we ordered, food, beverage or otherwise. All I remember about was thinking that we wanted to wrap it up so that we could go on to a better establishment.
Would I go back? Yes, to see if I was wrong.
Am I dying to go back? Not at all.

*DINNER REVIEW*
I came here with somewhat low expectations after trying the pasta at ‘inoteca (not so great) and reading some of the reviews here. I was quite pleased with what I got.
We started off with ricotta and orange honey /​olive tapenade crostinis. The ricotta and orange honey was yummy as expected (I read from reviews), but the olive tapenade wasn’t really spectacular to me, probably because it tasted too «normal» — I’m more into unconventional foods. We also ordered a side of crispy potatoes with herbs… I was expecting home fries of some sort but what came out were little potatoes with the perfect skin and seasoning — yum!
For my entrée, I got the grilled octopus with potatoes all’amatriciana. Loved it! The octopus was grilled to perfection with salt for seasoning. I was a little uneasy about tomato sauce and potatoes, but it was actually a great combination — there may have been some pancetta in it as well. Well-​balanced meal and a great portion — not too much and not too little — I was comfortable!
For dessert, I ordered the panna cotta with honey and rosemary. My friend didn’t really like the rosemary, but I thought it added a unique kick to the honey and creamy/​milk panna cotta. No complaints from me, other than it tasted like it must have been a million calories :(
The atmosphere is casual and the noise level was a little too high for my liking. Great service as well.

Firstly, sign up for the ‘ino Group’s newsletter and you get a $ 15 coupon on your birthday.
This place is a gem and I’ll tell you why:
— The atmosphere is well-​balanced. Super casual (read: wear jeans and a hoodie if you want), but you still feel like you’re having an upscale meal.
— The service is great, a bit «up-​sell-​y», but strong
— The menu is balanced, not too big, something for everyone (maybe not so great for the vegetarians)
— The crostinis are all excellent, and much larger than you’d think for the price (PERFECT for sharing) — get several of these
— We had a number of starters and all were stand-​out
— We were disappointed to find out the the only pasta that is house-​made is the tagliatelle
— The wine list is quite excellent (and with plenty of affordable options that won’t break the bank)
— The fusilli and paccheri were the two past standouts (even though the fusilli starts as a dried pasta)
— The waitress convinced us to get a side of potatoes, We did, and were disappointed. They lacked flavor and were quite dry.
Our check came (after ordering what we felt like was the entire menu) and we couldn’t believe how low the final tab way. This is a good thing.
Would be great for a first date or a big group dinner. I also think this is a place where sitting at the bar would be fun.

Came here the other night via a Google offer with my boyfriend. The hostess was an absolute nightmare and lied to us about various tables throughout the restaurant. First, she sat us by the bathroom (this may be a pet peeve for us but who wants to sit next to the bathroom for dinner?), then wouldn’t let us sit at a table next to a window because it was reserved, and then wouldn’t let us sit at a different table because they had reserved it for someone at 9:15– our reservation was at 7:30. No one ever ended up coming to the table next to the window and another couple was sat at the «9:15 table» at 7:45. Odd. we don’t like being disrespected because we are younger. our money is all the same. I should note there were multiple tables available, so I’m not quite sure what the issue was.
We each got a glass of wine, but would have preferred water because the wine was awful. Never had such a bitter blush wine in my life. The crostini was very good– sweet onion walnut is the way to go there. Brussel sprout appetizer was also good, albeit a much smaller portion than our neighboring table who did not use the Google offer.
My boyfriend got the hanger steak and I got the pesto pasta. When he ordered the steak medium-​well the waitress would not have it and said medium would be fine. Ummm ok? When it came, we sent the busboy away with the hanger steak because we thought he brought the wrong dish to our table– all we saw was tomato and greens. Came to find out that 7 quarter-​sized medallions of steak were hiding underneath this «salad.» Seriously, the size of a quarter. And, 7 medallions is pushing it. The pesto pasta was quite good, but again, portions were extremely small and we were fairly sure it was because of the offer we came in with. The hanger steak is usually $ 21, so I would have been very annoyed if that was the normal size of the dish at that price.
Dessert was good, we got the seasonal berry one, which happened to be strawberry and pistachio crust with butter caramel ice cream. Tasty, but a sliver.
As other reviewers have stated, they take your plates before you are even finished. I wouldn’t have believed it if i did not experience it myself. My glass of wine was taken away while there was still wine in it! What’s the rush?
We eat in the city very often, but we will never come back here. Although the deal is good, the portions are very small because of it and the service completely ruined our experience from the moment we sat down. Too many good establishments in the city with even decent service and good food to bother here again.

If you’re looking for fun and casual and just trendy enough to make your friends curious — then Corsino is a good pick in Manhattan. Personally I had never heard of the place prior to rifling through the Unilocal app to see what was available on Memorial Day for dinner. There were four of us, and I had no trouble reserving a table here. It’s in the über-​popular MePa (Meatpacking District to us non-​hipsters) just around the corner from Pastis, so we were fully expecting elbows, French cigarettes and bad manners. But no, it was fairly quiet at 7PM, and we got a nice round table near the bar. The horizontally wood-​paneled dining room gives the place a more rustic look, although there are enough industrial touches to let you know it’s a hip spot.
We thought we should try their $ 13 Burrata Antipasti since New York Magazine raved about it. It’s a super-​creamy mozzarella, and it came with grilled seasonal vegetables atop grilled rustic bread (see photo). A very satisfying opener even cut in quarters. We went right into their crostini and ordered for each of us, the $ 2.50 Olive Tapenade, which was salty and creamy (see photo). We then went our separate ways with the entrees. Jamie W. had the upper hand and ordered the best of the pasta dishes, the $ 18 Tagliatelle with Pork Ragu and Mint with the strands of pasta nice and light compared to the hearty chunks of lightly braised pork belly lurking between them in a buttery sauce (see photo).
Mine was more southern Italiano, the $ 18 Strascinati with Pork Shoulder, Pecorino and Nutmeg, which unexpectedly came bathing in a tomato-​based sauce (see photo). That wasn’t a bad thing, but the pork shoulder pieces seemed paltry compared to the pork ragu on Jamie’s plate. The pasta was like an orecchiette only bigger and thicker, but it did carry the sauce well. Since the entrees were a bit on the skimpy side, we treated ourselves to the dolci since hey, at least half the table was on vacation, OK? There was the $ 9 Chocolate Torta, quite dense and thick and not overly sweet (see photo). There was also the $ 8 Seasonal Fruit Crostata, which turned out to be blackberries in a tart shell with an unexplained scoop of ice cream that appeared to have bits of toffee (see photo).
However, the hands-​down winner in the dessert category was the $ 7 Panna Cotta, Honey and Rosemary with just the perfect consistency, texture and sweetness (see photo). The rosemary leaves were a nice surprise since they gave a nice, contrasting touch of savory to the creaminess. Between my friend Carlos and me, that one was gone in about ninety seconds flat. Looking no older than boarding school students, the staff spoke very quietly, so it was hard to hear them above the din. No matter since the food was satisfying and a nice match to the convivial company we were keeping. Chef Tomas Curi calls Corsino a cantina, but it’s most definitely a trattoria and a solid one at that.
FOOD — 4 stars… mostly tasty and satisfying Italian dishes although rather paltry in portion
AMBIANCE — 4 stars… casually rustic and an easy gathering place for friends
SERVICE — 3.5 stars… very quiet, very young
TOTAL — 4 stars… worthwhile destination for homey pasta and crostini