Focacceria

This place is kind of whatever. I came here with two friends to grab some lunch in between classes. We were the only people in there which was probably good since it’s a pretty small place.
I got the panna pasta, and it was decent. Nothing special and an average portion size. They didn’t give us bread until we eventually asked for it. Would’ve been nice if they initially offered it to us.
They have a clean bathroom though, which is always a plus!
Overall, I’d say skip this place if you’re looking for some really good pasta, but if you’re in the area and just want a quick meal, then this place wouldn’t be bad.

3.5 Stars.
Valentine’s Dinner with friends!
Last minute RSVP (Like literally 6 hrs before dinner time). Found this Low Key Italian restaurant.
Walked in. There’s LITERALLY 10 tables (so that means 10 couples) and the 4 single people enjoying a quiet lovely dinner.
ONE (yes, only ONE) Waitress was handling every table. Major Thumbs up for her for taking care of every table, great service with a great smile!
ONE Chef (Yes, ONE Cooker only in the Kitchen). Was manage to take care of all of us in ONE night.
at exactly 8 PM we got in and sat us a round table. Water was served immediately and handed us the Menu. Minutes later the Waitress came back and took our orders.
Appetizers:
Shrimp and Calamari with White Sauce
Fresh Mozzarella vine ripened tomato, basil and virgin olive oil.
Entrée
1) Villagio Pasta with grilled chicken breast and sun-​dried tomato and mushrooms in a light cream sauce (I recommend this dish). I think I found my Favorite Italian Dish now… Chunks of Chicken, light cream sauce mixed in with Penne. YUM YUM
2) Eggplant Parmigiana with fresh tomato sauce and melted mozzarella cheese. — I didn’t try it (because I don’t like Eggplant). But my friend said it was pretty good
3) Ricotta (Chef’s Special Menu) — Was alright. A bit salty and was not creamy enough (watery for me).
Best VALENTINE Dinner EVER (because of a low key romantic dinner with a great company)

Good food and a great value. Services was pretty inattentive and the place is a little run down, but I was pretty happy with what I tried (sandwich and risotto). Big portions. Large, but not diverse, menu. Very limited wine list.

Great food and the waitress was really sweet and nice. But we were there for maybe 1.5 hours and we were the first ones there and we wanted to relax and drink wine, but the waiter came and gave us our check. Very rude. Then we said we want more wine, and he said that they have reservation waiting. There was no one waiting there and it doesn’t seem like the kind of place that takes reservations. It’s very small, like 5 tables. So I was surprised and it bothered me a little.
Also, there were only 4 of us and they automatically added gratuity. We didn’t even know because the receipt was sloppily written. We had to ask, because the bill was a lil too high. I hate automatic charges, especially when it didn’t say so on the menu.
Otherwise, the food was great.

What happened to this place? :-/
Used to be my favorite Italian place, but way under delivered this time.
The pasta was way too mushy (all of them).
Bread is still good.
Coming back one more time to give it another chance, because I refuse to believe that it’s this bad everyday! Please go back to how you were!

I came here with a
coupon in tow.
The fried mozzarella is pretty good.
The food here was okay, I had the shell steak. I thought it was a bit oversalted and didn’t look that great. The carrots and broccoli were cooked perfectly.
My boo had the rigatoni pasta with meatballs and sausage. She didn’t like it that much.
Even though the coupons were only available for use Sunday-​Thurs, they have similar prefix deals which do about the same, so I don’t think the coupons are worth it in this case.

Love this place!
Ambiance is romantic, yet cramped. Food is pretty good and portions are generous. They give you a variety of bread and some bruschetta which is really delicious… but save the bread if you like to dip it in sauce since they don’t give you refills!
I’ve had the wild mushroom ravioli in the truffle sauce which was good, but needed something and was a little small for me… then again, ravioli dishes never are generous. I’ve also had a simple pasta with artichokes, some other vegetables in a garlic sauce which was good, but heavenly when I threw in some canned alfredo sauce back home the next night.
But the real deal at this place is their DESSERTS.
Heavenly. Heavenly. Heavenly.
THE best chocolate cake I’ve ever had in my life. And I’m not a big chocolate cake fan, this thing is delicious. Rich enough to split for two, it is served with vanilla gelato and whipped cream. The tip of the slice is creamy, near liquid chocolate like. The middle gets thicker, a fudge like consistently until you reach the end where it holds on its own. Oh my God, this cake is orgasmic. A must-​have!!!
Overall, 109 820 394% recommend this place for a quick bite, like a soup and dessert. For a whole meal? You could get better food, but overall I would recommend it!

Ok… maybe 2.5 stars if I could. I’ve only eaten here once and as 2 stars describes.Meh. I’ve experienced better. It was real quiet as we hit the place on a Tuesday, I think as it it was a while ago.
At any rate, the server was nice enough but the food not so memorable. I’ve heard good things about the chicken picatta but opted for some risotto special. It was OK. I will give this place another try in the future.

I only ordered here for delivery and pick up — first time, D wanted the cold antipasto and I just got the fried calamari.
I liked the fact they weren’t shiesty with their marinara sauce, but I don’t think I would come here if location wasn’t a factor.

I went here with my sister at 3PM on Tuesday, so obviously we were the only guests.
The food isn’t gross, it’s not bad either, but i’ve ate pasta that is actually al dente. I had Primavera Pasta, with whole wheat linguine. Basically a pasta dish with vegetables and tomato sauce. The pasta IS AWFUL. It was mushy, and smelled old. The sauce was good enough, but not at all vibrant.
My sister had Amalfi Pasta, chicken with cream sauce. Her pasta was better, but again, didn’t really what I hoped for. The cream was very creamy, but not too heavy that would make you vomit.
The reason why I gave 3 stars instead of 2 was because of the decoration. It was a small, cute little restaurant that would probably fits around 10 – 15 people maximum with no place to walk. But I like it that way. The waiter only had to serve us, so I can’t say if the service might be good during crowded time.
Go here if you have no other staple restaurants around. I would probably visit again and try other dishes, because i really want to like the restaurant.

The boyfriend chose this place as our v-​day date spot, and I gotta say it turned out to be a pretty good choice. When he first told me dinner would be an Italian place in my neighborhood, I have to admit I was a little concerned since the only Italian places close by that I could think of are Il Mulino (which is nice, but totally not within our budget), and other crappy places.
My concern grew when he led me down MacDougal, which is pretty much home of super seedy bars. However, I was pleasantly relieved when we arrived at Focacceria, a place I’ve never seen or heard of before v-​day.
Kudos to the boyfriend, as it turned out to be a pretty good spot for anything from a casual lunch spot to a cozy place for a v-​day dinner date. It’s a pretty small restaurant, so the atmosphere is pretty intimate.
And while I have to say though that I’m not huge on Italian food, the food was still decent. They provide bruschetta and focaccia, and we ordered some wine, calamari & shrimp appetizers, penne alla vodka, and some veal dish I don’t remember. Everything was pretty reasonably priced.
Service is slightly off though. they had to move us to another table after we sat down and began eating, which is pretty ridiculous. However, they handled it pretty well, and comped our tiramisu (a very good-​sized portion), so I’m not complaining. I’d move pretty much anywhere you want me to, so long as you give me free dessert.

One of the few occasions in recent times where Unilocal has not failed me.
Came here tonight with the bf and a
certificate in tow.
Cute quaint little restaurant with good service — above average. Nothing amazing but for the ambiance and price of the restaurant, it was great.
Me and the bf dine out quite often and were pleased with everything we consumed. The complimentary bruschetta and focaccia bread were amazing as everyone stated. We ordered the Marechiaro (seafood) pasta dish ($ 16.50) to share and it was full of calamari and clams! They def. did not skimp on the seafood. The bf ordered a chicken picata ($ 15.50) and I ordered one of their daily specials – the wild mushroom ravioli ($ 15). The chicken picata was amazing, the sauce was so flavorful and even the potato croquette was good. The wild mushroom was great as well, just a bit heavy as it came in a cream-​based sauce. We ended the meal with a warm chocolate cake w/​vanilla gelato ($ 6.50) dessert to share.
Surprisingly, they applied our certificate discount of $ 25 didn’t add the 18% gratuity to the bill as specified on our
certificate. Accordingly the pre-​tip bill w/​tax came out to around $ 33 but we tipped well regardless as the waitress was attentive and friendly.
+points for accepting ALL major credit cards, including discover! :)
I’ll probably be back, but only with a
certificate. Without it, the prices are too high for the quality of the food. It’s good and the chicken picata is actually great /​very good but nothing absolutely amazing or mind blowing. I’ve definitely had much better Italian food for around the same prices they charge. Accordingly, it’d be a 3 start without the certificate. However, with the certificate, the price + quality + quantity are worth it so I bumped it to 4 due to the value.

Surprised this spot was empty on a school night. Must be all the other competition in the neighborhood.
Perfect setting for us with the dim lights, calmness and coziness. Our waiter was the best! Extremely attentive. We ordered our meals based on his recs. Had the calamari as well as the fresh mozzarella. For dinner, I ordered the Pollo pasta (grilled chicken and roasted peppers in a creamy tomato sauce.) while the bf had the Tre Colore pasta (Grilled chicken breast, broccoli di rabe and diced tomato in a garlic and olive oil sauce). Food came in huge portions, enough for a full lunch the next day.
Sad points. The food was mainly OK, nothing to brag about. The sauces mainly were too oily and heavy. Also at the end, our «cool» waiter included his own tip right in our check. The audacity! I guess he didn’t except one from us «young kids». Also bathroom was primitive and a lil stinky.
To summarize:
4 for service
4 for décor/​ambiance
3 for food.

Focacceria was such a welcome surprise in the heart of Greenwich Village. It was a tiny, cozy place with seating for about 20, I estimate. The food was prepared close by, so that you could hear it searing and benefit from all of the smells of blending savory ingredients in the same room. It was a home cooked meal experience, and it was reasonably priced ($ 23 average check for entrée and salad.)
Entrees ran the gamut from steaks to the dozens of noodle and sauce variations of pasta con pollo. Because the menu was so extensive and wonderful, I can’t wait to go back. Had a really quiet and comfortable evening with my date, it was an unexpected treat. And they do accept all forms of card including AMEX! Secret’s going to be out.

A new year is, I think, arbitrary. But if I’m wrong, my 2011 might be doomed in some relatively important spheres: shelter, social interaction, and food. Among other annoyances so far, my one-​and-​only winter coat was stolen, my iPhone is sounding death whimpers, and my first meal out was a massive letdown.
I watched the film The Big Night last night (wonderful!), and it left me NEEDING a multi-​course Italian meal. Goaded by high marks on Unilocal and a
coupon, I met my fave future novelist at Focacceria for dinner. We thought the $ 20 prix fixe menu a perfect way to meet the voucher’s $ 40 minimum — except, the server informed us that’s the one way NOT to use your coupon. Zing! (No written terms on the coupon exclude the prix fixe menu.)
Instead, we started with a caprese of anemic and tough tomatoes and an insipid field greens salad. We both chose whole wheat fettuccine with enticing sauces and vegetables; however, pasta and greens alike were boiled to pulpy mush, particularly in my asparagus with tomato cream version. Like a poor, sad, toy-​less child playing with a mud puddle and a stick, my fork was more likely to part the soft and heavy gruel than lift it. I’m too bored with this recap to get into dessert. Just don’t order the chocolate cake no matter how brightly your server recommends it.
Oh, 2011. I know you’re just messing with me… don’t.

The best part about this place is the smallness, quietness, and lack of crowd. There were only four people in there and we were served right away.
The second best part was their cheap prices, by NYC standards. Had I not splurged on alcohol and dessert, I could’ve left that place with a less than $ 40 bill. Maybe it’s the way I dine, but the only time I see sub 40 is during brunch.
The third best thing, which may be a testament to its size, was the knowledgeable and helpful waiter. He knew everything about everything on the menu and he was able t recommend some good dishes based on our appetites and food preferences.
The fourth best thing was that they accepted our groupon certificate. You never know what restrictions some restaurateurs will pull out of their arses once it’s time to present the groupon.
With that said, the food was alright, but nothing to write home about. I enjoyed it. The portions were HUGE! and the fried mozzarella was delightful (I liked the hint of sweetness)
I didn’t like the forced gratuity. I have never seen forced gratuity on a Wednesday night for two people. In the end, I would’ve given him the same thing that ended up being on my bill, but I didn’t like being told what to give and how much. They lose a star for that.

This small Italian restaurant sits on a block in the Village surrounded by similar restaurants. What stands out about it is the quality of the food and the attentiveness of the waitstaff.
While waiting for the meal, you will be brought mouthwatering bruschetta, and given a choice of reasonably priced wines. Be forewarned, the wine bottles are kept very close to the kitchen, and may be on the warm side.
From the other Unilocal reviews, I decided to order the Mozzarella In Carrozza as the appetizer, which the restaurant bills as «seasoned & fried mozzarella with fresh tomato sauce.» It was more like a mozzarella grilled cheese sandwich, but one so good, you’d forget this type of food is usually associated with little kids and milk mustaches. The bread was buttery and the marinara dipping sauce was excellent.
By the time the main entrée came, I couldn’t wait to taste it. For some reason it doesn’t seem to appear on any of the online menus, I don’t know if it’s a special they normally don’t carry. It was the wild mushroom tortellini in cream sauce. It was superb. This place is highly recommended.

I’ve been here a couple of times for lunch during the week and the food has always been consistent and good.
They have a great lunch pre-​fixe for $ 9.10 which includes salad, pasta entrée, and dessert. It’s a great deal! The salad is a nice big portion and they have really fresh cherry tomatoes (they were yummy). The pasta comes out piping hot and isn’t an enormous portion that will leave you with food coma. And oh, dessert! You can choose between tiramisu and cheesecake (with lemon zest). Both are DELICIOUS!
I also really like their pasta fagioli soup and eggplant parmigiana.
This is very solid Italian place that will give you great food for not a lot of money!

Focacceria has a simple décor that is comfortable and typical of small Italian eateries. They have seating for about 20 people inside and another 10 outside. The only thing I didn’t like about the setting was the paper table clothes. It was not busy at 1:00PM on a Thursday. They were playing 80’s music such as Janet Jackson and Madonna. While it didn’t fit the setting it was kind of fun.
They have a great lunch special which my colleagues and I all took advantage of: $ 9.10 for a salad, penne or linguine entrée ($ 2 extra for chicken, $ 3 for shrimp), and dessert. I’ve uploaded a picture of the menu.
The caesar salad was pretty basic, but good, and after we finished there was a really long wait for the entrée. Our waiter came over and told us that the chefs had left to make deliveries and that they do this from time to time. They were missing for about 15 minutes as we sat at an empty table across from the silent kitchen. Our waiter was really nice about it and also frustrated himself, so I can’t fault him. But it was irritating because we didn’t have an unlimited lunch break.
When they returned the chefs whipped up our pasta in a few minutes. Our waiter offered fresh mozzarella and pepper to top our pasta. The pasta was done right, my pesto sauce was thick and creamy, and actually too much for me. Most places drench the pasta in pesto sauce, so I will have to order light sauce next time. But it was great pesto. The chicken was not that good and didn’t taste fresh. It was a little chewy and dry. The portions were good and I couldn’t even finish my pasta. I was disappointed that there was no bread served with the pasta.
Each of my colleagues got a different dessert so we got to sample them all. The chocolate cake was super rich and molten, it barely kept its form as we ate every last bit of it. The tiramisu was equally delicious and I recommend both highly. The cheesecake was not to any of our likings. The waiter told us it was Italian cheesecake which has a texture and flavor that we didn’t expect.
I plan to return to try their namesake focaccia sandwiches and I would definitely get the special again because it’s a fantastic deal for a nice sit-​down lunch.

Starving and wondering around the area looking for a place to eat, while realizing that my boyfriend wasn’t excited to frequent any of the restaurants in the area, since he has been to most of them and wasn’t impressed, I was beginning to lose hope.
Walking aimlessly and considering just starving to death we stumbled upon this restaurant. After reading the menu (the prices are not cheap, but seem to be common for the area) we sat outside.
One of the nice things about this restaurant is that it is not surrounded by many noisy bars, something that seemed to be the case just a block or two away, so we could sit outside and still hear each other talking.
The restaurant is small yet there is something very inviting about it and yet classy at the same time. After reviewing the menu I ordered the Tre Colore with Penne (you can choose your pasta, which is cool) and my bf ordered the Eggplant Parmigiana.
My biggest fear when I go to restaurants (besides the food sucking) is that I wont be full from my meal. i did have this worry once I got my dish but oooh was I wrong. The dish was absolutely amazing and filling, the tomatoes, garlic and olive oil were a great combination, I am practically drooling when thinking about it. The Eggplant Parmigiana was amazing as well and it came with a potato croquette which was very good as well (i never had it and him and I had a lovely assumption fest on what the hell it was for a while… luckily the mystery was solved by our waiter… if only we paid attention to the menu in the first place…)
The service was great as well, our waiter was informative and very nice. We also accompanied our dinner with wine, because it just seemed necessary.
So what we have here: Nice location, with outside seating and a more formal inside seating, good service, amazing food and just a generally good vibe.
This results in a 4.5 starts (would take half a star away cuz it took forever for someone to ask us if we wanted the check, but maybe they didnt want to rush us. in that case it would be a 5) :)