Cucina & Company at Metlife Bldg

I ate there for the first time today after leaving NYSC right in the same building.
I absolutely loved the food however, the protein portion was very small compared to the carbs.
Food seemed very well prepared and cared for! Tasted really good too!
Will go back more often!

I have been a patron at Cucina & Company for 15 years now. I used to work in this building as well and am now a regular there for business meetings. For over a decade, I have been taken care of by a wonderful hostess named Cherine. While I could focus on the array of fare at Cucina, I feel it would serve a greater purpose to recognize customer service and care at its finest. Cherine always goes out of her way to know her patrons and always knows where to seat the guests, including myself, based on our needs in a business– friendly environment. It is always a pleasure to see someone really take the time to know their guests, which is one reason I always look forward to my next visit.

Now going on 7 years visiting the restaurant. Still the same. Service is superb, Food is consistently yummy, no matter which dish we order. Cannot beat this for the money or the quality of the food and service.

I just had the absolute worst experience at this excuse for a food establishment. There’s a sign for breakfast sandwiches and in front of it different carb options. Naturally I assume I can order a breakfast sandwich with my choice of carb. I ask for a ham egg and cheese on a croissant. The man hands me a container of scrambled eggs. I say a ham egg and cheese on a croissant sandwich. He asks toasted? I say yes. He come back with a ham and cheese in a croissant. I ask where the egg is? And he says he cannot put an egg on it if it’s on a croissant. Then why didn’t he tell me that originally??? That’s fraudulent. I tell him that so he gives me a side container with a mini scoop of eggs to put on the sandwich myself. I get to the checkout register where I’m simultaneously yelled at and assaulted by two women (who are both working one register) trying to charge me an extra $ 3.70 for the half scoop of eggs. They keep saying that it doesn’t come with the croissant sandwich. I keep trying to explain that while I understand that. The man behind the counter didn’t tell me before making my sandwich and so gave it on the side. They just keep repeating the same thing. Then they call over the manager who starts to explain that croissants can’t come with eggs at which point I just say keep the eggs, pay for the sandwich and leave. Two blocks away in feeling so bad about this and my nasty ham sandwich (I mostly wanted an egg and cheese sandwich with ham. NOT a ham and cheese for breakfast) that I walked all the way back and gave the back the sandwich. Didn’t ask for my money back. Just wanted nothing to do with that sandwich and to let the awful folk who work there know what terrible people they are. And just how miserable this establishment is.

Every single time I walk past this place, the hostess, who’s a thick White woman has the nastiest, unwelcoming look on her face. I am a brown-​skin African American/​Hispanic, and it seems like she doesn’t care for my color. I also went into the take-​out part of the restaurant today, and the server, who by the way was an older tall White guy acted like he didn’t want to serve me. Their food is ok, but fuck the food, the attitudes in that place fucking suck. Don’t think I’ll patronize again, nor will I book breakfast and lunch meetings for my guys at work anymore. #anticucinametlifebuilding

You have to order as much as they feel enough for them to made money. Or they will come to you to tell to order more. I was in there 12:30 and half of table were open. I order coffee and desert because I saw it in the linch menu. But they came to me twice to say I have to order more because it is lunch time. So I left before serving any. I do not recommend this café.

Bakery portion of this is very good. Dining area ok too. Great dinner special if you need something reasonably priced for two. Not gourmet but good.

the food is decent, the three stars is because it’s SO pricey. You could get a small container of salad, salmon, chicken salad, vegetables… and the scale always reads $ 8.50+ no matter the amount. i always go here for a quick lunch — they have really good corn soup, hot foods, bagels… would recommend if you want something quick to take for lunch back to the office or the train (and you don’t care about price).

Many years ago, I worked in this building. Coming back to this place brings back a flurry of memories. This place sells some of the most delicious cookies and muffins around! Cookies like the macadamia nut cookie and peanut butter cookie melt in your mouth! I love the smell of this store. The aroma reminds me of walking into an Italian bakery.
During the holidays, Cucina sells original holiday cookies and culinary delights.
I find the staff members accommodating and warm. They are more than willing to answer your questions.
People find the location convenient to pick up some coffee before heading to work. Close to Amtrak, and the MTA, and located in the MetLife building this place serves as a focal point for people to meet.
I love this place even though the price can be steep. Come and stop by. Rest and enjoy the food in the near by café.

Hot, fresh, and straight out of the oven morning baked goods served everyday! That’s enough to win my business and my heart.
Cucina is where I satisfy my morning cravings for sweet pastries like an almond or chocolate croissant, muffins, scones, cheesecake brownies, and pound cakes. Top notch quality and tasty. I love that my pastries are still burning hot when I pick them up! Now, let’s not forget the white chocolate macadamia cookie for the afternoon neither! Baked goods are fresh and so delicious. To go with my sweets, I would always get a large coffee. Coffee blends and flavors change everyday but repeats on the same day every week. I am not a big fan but variety is great.
Cucina also does a great job catering for office breakfast or lunch parties. Not only do they are prompt in delivering orders but they make sure they supply the sugar, cream/​milk, and stirring sticks for coffee. Extra plates and napkins for the food. Excellent service!

Decent amount of food for the price. Not a lot of diversity in this area so Cucina really delivers. This rating is only for the take out place as I’ve never had an experience in the dining room.

Outrageous prices. Decent food but very convenient. If you get a salad in the morning, before 10:00 am, note that it was probably made the day before. The soups are always good and the staff is very friendly.

Reasonably priced for the area. Had their avocado and Sprouts sandwich which was surprisingly filling. Sure, it was something I could whip up at home. But it’s perfect for those days when you don’t have time to pack lunch and want something healthy. Their other food looked pretty good and a coworker gave her thumbs up approval on their pizza.

I’ve possibly never encountered a worse attitude to customers from staff than I experienced today at this restaurant. Treated extremely badly first by the waitress and then hectored by the hostess, who really should know better. This during a business meeting. Both myself and my client were dumbstruck. Sadly I think this place has a captive audience, or I doubt it would still be trading.

Pastries are good. Coffee is OK (in the pot). Sevice, not good.
Last time I was there, there was a person in front me at the cashier. And there was the empty one next to it. So I asked «are you open?» She looked at me and did not even give me an answer. It has been so long since I got this old New York attitude. Wake up, the 80s is over!

Can’t top the value for a quick prix-​fixe dinner in this neighborhood. $ 35 for three courses for two persons, with separate starters and deserts and sharing a main plate with sides (we usually have the salmon which has always been both fresh and freshly cooked, they also have beef and chicken among other proteins). An a la carte menu is also available and their very brief wine list is fairly priced. Despite the commuter location steps from Grand Central the staff is consistently friendly and accommodating.

For quick «grab-​n-​go» breakfast, the cranberry muffin is terrific. Most mornings, they’re still warm from the oven. Also, best unsweetened ice tea I’ve ever had. Breakfast and take out lunch buffet is a bit pricey, however.
At lunch, Cucina Café next door has become one of my favorite lunch spots in midtown — fast, good menu selections, high energy. The hostess is very friendly, the service is just OK because there’s such an «in-​and-​out» feel to the place. The prices here are reasonable. A nice simple menu with a few daily specials hits the mark as far as providing diverse selection of food. I almost hate to reveal this secret but their Steak Frites, in my opinion, is one of the best bargains in NYC. I have such a big mouth! Darn it!

This place is awesome!! Came here to buy a blueberry muffin and a cup of coffee in the morning today and saw that they serve dinner at their café next door, the nice lady showed me their dinner menu and and deals they are offering so I decided to come back again to try their dinner.
The blueberry muffin is full of blueberries, so many that my mouth turned blue, I love it! Their coffee is very tasty as well and cheaper than Starbucks.
Dinner is great, $ 35 for two salad one huge entrée and two desserts. Service here is superb, the pretty young lady was very helpful and smiles a lot, she is also very generous with the wine I ordered. I wish I had known about this place sooner. I would come again and again.

This place is so overpriced for mediocre food. .4 lbs of food (scrambled eggs, 3 pieces of bacon and 2 pieces of potato) is $ 5. The scrambled eggs are mushy and grainy at the same time, the bacon is bacon (when is bacon ever bad) and the potatoes are usually undercooked or overcooked.
Lines move pretty quickly but be careful when asking for anything extra. I’ve gotten a bagel here before and noticed that there was barely any butter on it so I asked if I could get some butter. The cashier questioned why I would want butter for my bagel if I already ordered a bagel with butter. GOOD QUESTION! I’ve seen the manager get called for a lady who wanted a few mayonnaise packets although she had bought soup.
Considering how expensive this place is for OK food, I’d think that they could be a little bit more generous with their condiments, or actually be normal.
I only go here when I have to. The salad bar is good– nothing amazing.
Just go to Nissi or Bread & Butter on 44^th a block west if you want better deli food for less money and condiment hoarding.

Kind of like a school cafeteria for grown-​ups. Different stations specializing in hot foods, desserts, coffee, cold drinks.
I got a «breakfast burrito». It was half of a bacon, egg and cheese wrap, for $ 5.00. Honestly it wasn’t bad, but since it was half, it was pretty small. Being a burrito, I expected some salsa at least… nope.
Way overpriced and just not worth it.