Gigino At Wagner Park

Good food & good service and view! This place is perfect for someone looking to grub outdoors with a nice view during the spring/​summer.

Beautiful view, hidden gem. Came here for a business lunch and the restaurant was not too crowded nor too empty. It was just nice and peaceful and the food and service were great.

Went here yesterday evening for an early dinner in the lovely romantic rain under the cover of heat lamps & glowing white Christmas lights in an enclosed tent with giant clear plastic windows watching the Statue of Liberty watching me eat some great Italian food and drinking a bottle of Champagne on the the East River and my neighborhood in Brooklyn all the way to the left of that. Go there with some one you fancy & maybe a sleeping bag, You might just fall in love under the stars!

Surprisingly good! Usually restaurants with views tend to serve mediocre food but this place actually served good food with good service! We ordered the special of the day, sautéed calamari in garlic over polenta. Calamari was tender and full of flavor. It was delicious! Our homemade pasta dishes were also very good! The views, of course, are awesome and the prices were very reasonable. I wouldn’t recommend traveling just to come here though because there are so many incredible Italian places in the city. But if you are in the area, definitely check it out! We were here in November so we couldn’t take advantage of the outdoor seating it I imagine it must be awesome during warm weather to sit outside and take in the panoramic views!

The views at this restaurant are amazing. You can see lady liberty, the bay, and beyond. However, the food was mediocre at best.
Some pastas are house made, like the tagliatelle, but most are not. However, even the tagliatelle was overdone and nothing special. The bolognese sauce was average. Prices are inflated for the quality of the food.
Save your money and go elsewhere for dinner. You can enjoy the same view if you just walk around the back of the restaurant on the walkway for free.

This restaurant is the best! Don’t know why some people are giving them less than 5 stars because they are great! Their service is excellent and their food is amazing. Milk is a professional and an expert when it comes to drinks and Dana is the best server you can ever imagine! Whatever you want, they will provide. The views are out of this world and you won’t ever be disappointed! Come in and enjoy a day or an evening that you will never forget!

I saw the restaurant when I visited Battery Park on a beautiful Saturday afternoon and made it a must go for dinner the following week. After dining there I was far from impressed. Our host was odd and not very welcoming, our waitress was absolutely horrible, so inattentive, it took us so long just to get her attention to order our wine and cocktails. She just had such a «I’m over it attitude» won’t be dining her again. Perhaps that is why the restaurant was empty for a Friday night. Such a shame that their service lacks since they are in such a great location and the food was tasty.

Most people are familiar with the adage that the better the view at a restaurant, the worse the food will be. The view at Gigino is gorgeous, so I arrived with very low expectations. Surrounded by ample green space and the best view of the Statue of Liberty I’ve ever gotten, the setting is perfect for a romantic date or large event (there have lots of seating).
And while the food won’t blow you away, you won’t leave hungry or disappointed.
My table split the mussels in red sauce (Cozze alla Napoletana), baked eggplant, fried calamari, and the Funghi Misti Saltati. Everything was good, but the mussels were my favorite. The sauce was very flavorful and the mussels were fresh.
For my entrée I ordered the pappardelle seafood special, which came with mussels and calamari. The calamari was delicious, fresh and cooked perfectly. While they didn’t drown the pasta in sauce, they didn’t go too light either (which so many places seem to love to do now). They also cooked the pasta very well.
They have a nice selection of tea after dinner, if you’re a tea drinker like me.
My only real gripe is the bathroom situation. There is only one, single occupant, small bathroom located at the front of the restaurant. The space is massive, one bathroom definitely isn’t enough (what happens when the toilet clogs? Or someone gets sick?). But other than that it’s a nice place to enjoy some solid food and a great view.

Not sure why I never viewed Gigino. I have been eating here for years. It’s one of the best kept secrets in NYC.
Food is always great
Service is always perfect
Great for families with kids as the kids can run around and play on the grass as you enjoy a moretti on draft and the most amazing view.
One of my favorite spots in the city during the Spina and summer.

If I could give this half a star I would. Inspite of their awesome location and great food. They did manage to win the spot as the worst restaurant I’ve ever been to.
Went there on Saturday night to celebrate a birthday. Didn’t even fill all water glasses. Had to ask four time just to get water.
Trying to get your waiters attention is like winning the lottery. In fact winning the lottery may be easier. I’m pretty sure I could have said hi to everyone on both party boats that passed by before I could even speak to a waiter.
The tables are so close together. You better become friends with your neighbors. Chances are they may end up sitting on your lap. Damn those tables are close. You always wonder are they just going to combine the bills? And If someone has to use a rest room, You’re all going!
Restroom. Not restrooms. There is only one. For everyone. Guys gals. Kids. Staff. Be prepared to wait. Maybe even longer than your food.
But I will give them this. The food when it did arrive was good. But it was too little too late.
Our evening became memorable for reasons we wished it had not!

Three stars for the great view from the outdoor seating and the very attentive and pleasant staff.
As far as the food, it’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with it in regards to taste, but nothing spectacular either. As far as the menu goes it’s a run of the mill Italian joint. I could go to any middling Italian restaurant in any of the boroughs and have a better quality meal at a much more reasonable price.
Again, they have a great view — Statue of Liberty, the harbor, and the Jersey skyline (yes, this phrase exists) — but I’m not sure that makes it reason enough to charge what they do.

I used to eat at this place frequently as I lived a few blocks away.
Nowadays I don’t go as often but I still like to enjoy a meal at Wagner Park from time to time.
Well, not at Gigino, not anymore.
A party of four, we arrive at the restaurant at 6:45 pm with plenty of empty tables outside, and we are asked to wait because we did not have a reservation.
Alright, that sounds fair, so we wait and we are actually called back a few minutes later, which is not too bad.
You think.
We are seated in their WORST table ever, right by the kitchen entrance, where it does not feel to be outside, but rather joining the chef and the waiters in their high pace.
I notify our waitress immediately that we need to be seated somewhere else, given also the availability of many other tables, still EMPTY by the time we ordered our wine.
She gets the hostess, which tells us that they are fully booked (in 30 mins from our arrive no one had occupied the many seats that were empty when we got there) and that she can’t do anything about it.
A bit annoyed, we decide to make the best of the situation, not to think about the disaster table they had given us, enjoy the sunset and drink a little wine.
That’s until the appetizers come.
Suddenly, our table is full of bugs (the little ones that are usually around the trash) which made our dinner a nightmare. They would sit on the food, or fly to our face, while other tables towards the actual outdoor space would not have this problem. Including the empty ones.
The location of the table was certainly the main reason for this bug problem, considered that dirty dishes and other stuff were collected very close to where we were seated, and the area was less ventilated then elsewhere.
But this is not my problem.
I notify the waitress for the second time, showing her how bugs were sitting on my impepata di cozze (sauteed mussels) and enjoying it more than me.
She gets her manager this time, which invites us to seat inside (in such a beautiful day) if we don’t like the bugs… really? Are you kidding me? That’s all you can do.
We’re now 45 to 50 minutes from the moment that we have been seated, and still those other tables that were empty are empty, which really hit my nerves.
By that time however, we had enough with all the trouble, and surrender to the poor solution of the manager to sit inside.
Well guess what? Nobody came. Nothing was arranged for us to move inside.
We got our entrees as nothing had been going on, and of course, the bugs got to them before we could.
We immediately ask for the check.
My girlfriend had a chance to speak to the boss of these two very incompetent girls (the hostess and the «manager») about what we had experienced. All she got was a mere apology.
Their food is OK, but they lack professionalism (and a good pest control service).
With all the new restaurants that just opened up at Brookfield Place, I’m willing to bet Gigino is out of business within a year.
Never ever again.

3.5***
Came here for the 2^nd time this weekend for the views. Still the same rating I would have given the first time I came. The views are no doubt the best selling point of this restaurant. It’s absolutely gorgeous! This is probably the only semi upscale dining option in the area. The great thing about the menu is that they have a lot of options — from pasta to seafood (my fav). Also the prices aren’t astronomically outrageous for a waterfront restaurant. The reason for the 3*** is the quality of the food, which I thought was just ok… with the view however, it’s a solid 3.5*** place. Overall, I’d come here again for the views.

Five stars for the view.
Minus 2 stars for the food. Both entrees were terrible.
Minus 1 star for the service: generally inattentive, and at one point they started running an electric chord under our table as we were eating. The guy didn’t even bother to say excuse me, just knelt under us and threw it against our legs, then walked around the table and went on with his business.
Minus 1 for the cockroach crawling on the wall next to our table.
The only reason to go to this place is for the view. With all the new restaurants that just opened up at Brookfield Place, I’m willing to bet Gigino is out of business within a year.

Lower Manhattan on the water with great food. … What else is there to ask for. Very kid friendly and nice. bring a hat or sunglasses. It can get sunny. Really spent the time eating slowly and enjoying the view. Great for lunch

Beautiful location, stunning views and décor but that’s all it really has going for it. I came here for a business lunch. It was a little chilly along the water that day but outdoor seating was available with an enclosure.
Due to the beautiful ambience I was sure that I would been in for a sweet treat since the views were absolutely gorgeous. You can take a look at the Statue of Liberty straight across from where you’re dining. What a beautiful view of lady liberty in all her glory.
Some people may want to come here dine and watch the people Run, walk and bike along the water some may come here for business lunches or dinners. Whatever your fancy maybe.
Don’t get me wrong the food looked good but that was about it. I had the bruschetta as an appetizer which I must say was yummy for my entrée I ordered the penne alla vodka it looked good the top of the pasta was warm but as I got to the center my food was cold now the weather that day could play a part of why my food became cold the outdoor seating even though it had an enclosure I was still quite cold this could be a reason why my food became cold.
All in all if my food was piping hot I would have enjoyed it I think I’ll give this place another shot when it’s summer time. Therefore there should be no excuse for cold food. We shall see.
Happy eating!

Beautiful location. Very loud due to two parties (one especially loud bachelor party) contained under one acoustically amplified patio. Ideally one should eat outside on a summer evening. Pasta was fresh, service was average distracted NYC waitress, but the other staff seemed eager to please. Would only return on a weeknight due to volume level on tree weekend.

Came here for the first time the other night and couldn’t get over the views! Make a reservation and sit outside — it’s worth it.
The service was surprisingly good. Often waterfront restaurants tend to slack in this arena, but the waitstaff at Gigino was on point! So attentive and kind. Bravo.
The food was less impressive. I ordered the gnocchi and it was overcooked. But the lamb and pork meatballs were amazing. My date enjoyed his penne vodka. I’ll update this review after trying a few more menu items.
Overall a really sweet place in a gorgeous area.

The food weren’t that good, however the view was amazing. For the appetizers, the calamari wasn’t crispy and the mussels weren’t that flavorful and was extremely small. The linguine with calms was alright, nothing special. The beets pasta tasted the best out of everything I had, but there was one ingredient in there that ticked the dish off.

The food was just ok no heat space heaters, and there was a soccer game on and the wait-​staff were watching the game we all hated it. The restaurant was small and narrow there was 5 of us and we didn’t like it at all. I think they didn’t pay their heating bill who wants to eat supper in NYC with their coat on and listen to a soccer game in the background of a Italian restaurant in the Financial area.
The view was nice but not in December unless your eating outside!

Un italien qui n’est pas à Little Italie, étrange non? Et bien, welcome chez Gigino!
Une new-​yorkaise nous a conseillé cette adresse, un très bon restaurant parait-​il!
On a donc réservé à 20h pour profiter du coucher de soleil sur le New-​Jersey. De ce coté là, tout est au poil. le soleil était présent, il s’est bien couché à 20h30. *OK*
Par contre, notre table… elle se faisait attendre… 20h… 20h15… 20h30… à 20h45, on décide de partir et là bizarrement, une table s’est libérée. *Magie!*
Bref, on se pose, on prend un petit cocktail. on est huit, sept cocktails arrivent le 6ème sera apporté quinze minutes après les autres. *mouais*. En passant, la serveuse renverse un peu du huitième cocktail sur mon dos. *ahahaha*
On commande nos plats… sept sont servis, le huitième arrivera quinze bonnes minutes plus tard.
On annonce à la serveuse que c’est abusé quand même et que les tips, ils pourront se gratter… Finalement, ils nous ont offert trois parts de gâteaux (on est huit je rappelle). *ok2*
C’est vraiment dommage, car c’était bon, j’ai choisi le plat du jours: un homards entier! C’était pas donné (30 $), mais ça valait son prix. Les autres ont eu l’air aussi d’apprécier les mets, mais hélas, tout fut gâcher par l’attente et le service déplorable.