Pastai

went there at lunch time for a lasagna which is listed in their web menu. «no lasagna today» the waiter said. me «well i will come back another day». suddenly they had lasagna again, miracles happen at pastai! but may no be what u wish. the lasagna was a «tutta rossa» with a faint presence of meat and badly overcooked pasta. don t know about the lasagna but i definitely got a monthly fix of tomato sauce

My first 5 star! Perfect marriage of exceptional, unique food and friendly, welcoming service! Cannot wait to return and see what’s next… House made pastas and perfectly executed classics.

I went to Pastai last night and was a bit disappointed. The restaurant clearly has a ventilation issue because the odors of the kitchen were presents in the restaurant. The food was pretty good. We were surprised they didn’t take off the bill a corked wine

This place is very cute and I immediately wanted to love it but since service and food are an integral part of any dining experience this place does not deliver. My friend and I came here for dinner on a Thursday night, the place was relatively empty. One word to describe our waiter would be unbothered. He just simply appeared uninterested and was pretty much unavailable, again I would understand if the place was packed and he was running around but the place had at most 9 other customers. We ordered the cheese plate to start of and it was good. I like the overall presentation and the cheese selection was interesting. After looking at the menu I went with the Torchio Alla Genovese, the description of slow cooked 8 hour braised flank steak sounded delicious. My friend went with the lasagna. When our dishes arrived my food looked good but as soon as I took the first bite I was disappointed. There was no flavor, the pasta was beyond al dente to barely cooked. Not even the sprinkled cheese helped. At this point I basically took a few more bites and then my friend offered some of her lasagna which was really good. Our unbothered waiter never even came over to inquire if we liked our food throughout the meal. My friend had to find him on her way to the bathroom and ask him to bring me another glass of wine. At the end he comes over sees my full plate and asked if I wanted to take it, my immediate no didn’t even phase him again because he was unbothered.

Octopus starter was gummy… Cardinal sin.
The pasta was decent. But they don’t seem to cook tomatoes very well.
Not sure I would go back.
Service was friendly.

I’ve been here several times because a) it’s in my neighborhood, and b) you can always get a seat. I never thought too much about reason ‘b’, I was just always pleased to get a seat, but after the last couple of visits, I realize why you can always get a seat: it’s just not that good of a restaurant.
The bread is good though.
The pasta is your best bet, but it’s a little bit too al dente, and always needs salt. The salads are pretty good, but it’s hard to screw up a salad. Last week I ordered the fish (bass?), and it was horrible. One half was overcooked and too dry to swallow, and the other half was raw. Cold and raw. I sent it back to be cooked and it not only came back pretty good, but they threw some delicious asparagus on the plate.
The service is always unimpressive, even though the place is small and never full. You’ll have to track down your server to get anything else after your initial order.
Go somewhere else unless you’re starving and love very al dente pasta in need of salt.

My husband and I always wanted to try this place ever since it opened in the neighborhood, but we were always skeptical cause it got a good number of bad reviews.
But a couple of days ago we finally tried it through Seamless and it was pretty bad. Their excuse could be that pasta doesn’t travel well in plastic containers, but we don’t live far and they were fast, and it still was crap.
I got the Tagliatelle con Vongole. The clams were big and somewhat tasty, but the pasta was all fused together at the bottom in a watery sauce. It was all clumped together in a giant mass (the inside of the mass was not cooked) and I had to eat it like a pancake. The «sauce» was bland and I don’t think they drained the pasta at all. They just dumped it all together in the container.
My husband got the Pasta al Forno and it was crap too. The top had a layer of raw tomatoes like they dumped it on straight from the can. The bottom was burnt to a crisp. Not brown. Black. And the pasta was mushy.
The reviews are true! This place is pretty crap. And expensive for the size.

I caught a quiet and sort of quick lunch here during a conference (the meal they were serving looked mediocre at best). I think the atmosphere would be great during dinner… you could hear a pin drop on this Wednesday afternoon. The bar area has a nice look to it and it is an inviting place to eat if you don’t want to sit at a table. The pasta itself was not overly special and neither myself or my co-​worker thought it lived up to the name or the description on the menu. I think I would go back because the place seems like it would be a fun dinner spot, but it would be more for the atmosphere than the food.

Wandered in after seeing a play in Chelsea. Best pasta I’ve had in a very long time. Friendly staff, great service, nice ambience! Great wine list, too. Crete brûlée was a fantastic ending to a great meal. y

Came here with my girlfriends and enjoyed some drinks outside in the sun.
We ordered the special watermelon margaritas which were perfect! We subbed mezcal on our second round– the smoke flavor with the sweet and salty was an even better combo.
They auto added gratuity since we were 6 people, so be vigilant.

Sat in the back room. Very private and cozy. Good service and solid pasta dishes with nice apps. The entire party enjoyed their experience.

A solid spot for a nice, reasonably priced meal. I came with coworkers and we were seated in the back room which was basically our own private area since it was one long table. The ambiance is casual and cozy. They have a great selection of homemade pastas including vegetarian dishes. I ordered the butternut squash gnocchi which was fantastic and a perfect portion. Amazing cream sauce!
Service was OK– not extremely helpful (for example waiter did not mention specials– we found the specials menu at the end of our table) but it was fine.
The location is a very cute area of Chelsea. I would love to sit outside when weather is warmer.

Wandered in on an early Friday evening. Small but still open feeling space with tin ceilings set against Danish design furnishings.
All homemade pasta with a wider than usual variety of both pasta and sauces. Salads are very large (share!) … Fresh combinations … Mine with radicchio and blue cheese.
Wonderful master class in attentive service. Not too busy and a great waitress but still worth calling out.
Specials include some unique choices (lobster with lemon pasta).

Don’t try to get any service from the bartender, he is extremely rude! Wanted to have a little wine with our dinner and he just didn’t want to be bothered. Rolled his eyes when we asked for the menu. Terrible service! The manager didn’t seem to care much either when we told him before walking out.

I love Pastai! I stumbled upon it a few weeks ago and have been back twice already. The food is delicious, the cocktails are delicious and it’s super cozy. My favorite place to eat is right at the bar to watch the cook in action.

I like this place. The food is not overly salty and the menu has things that are very unique. The dishes are creative and fun. Overall good experiences here. I must admit that I dislike the open kitchen. I came out of the restaurant smelling like food. They should have the vents getting the cooking smell out of the restaurant and outside to the open air.

We only had appetizers at Pastai and a few glasses of wine but I really liked the atmosphere of this new-​ish wine bar/​Italian restaurant in Chelsea. For a Sunday afternoon it was nice and uncrowded, a good crowd but not overcrowded, which meant the three of us trying to catch up could have a conversation while day drinking without having to shout — that is a huge win in this City on a weekend!
The staff was very nice, big open kitchen and huge wrap around bar. Nice dining area with plenty of space for big parties. They offer drink specials all week long, including weekends, so a good place to go for happy hour on a Saturday or Sunday. The appetizers we had were delicious, if we had been hungrier we would have ordered more and I intend to next time! Go visit and see what you think, you won’t be disappointed.

IN SHORT: Pastai is the place to go when you want good, homemade pasta that doesn’t take any risks. Their ability to substitute wheat-​free pasta in any dish makes it a functional choice to take back any of my many gluten-​free friends.
THE STORY: With an adorable interior full of whitewashed walls, subway tiles, and blonde wood tabletops, Pastai is more than a comfortable fit for the neighborhood. While it’s not likely to become enough of a destination to convince many people to trek across town for a fairly concise menu, it’s a wholly pleasant and charming corner of Chelsea that promises an easy meal for its neighbors.
While pasta dishes are humble and conventionally crafted, each features homemade noodles that make the menu special enough. The Gemelli con Burrata with broccoli rabe pesto, roasted tomatoes, and burrata mozzarella was a comfort food indulgence, despite being weighed down by a bit too much oil, a small flaw apparent in most of Pastai’s dishes. The dishes do change regularly though, so there is always an opportunity to find a new pleasant gem, and the ambiance and hospitality of the service makes it an agreeable choice that won’t ever blow you out of the water, but will certainly make you feel welcomed and at home.

Espressos were OK and the sweets were good.
We did the sfinci which are similar to an Italian zeppole with some ricotta filling and chocolate sauce drizzled over. We also tried some unique ice cream (bee pollen and espresso granita ice creams), but I wouldn’t recommend these other than giving them a shot for yourself first time around to ease your curiosity.
Best thing here were the sfinci if you were to pop in.

UGH! One of the few times I didn’t Unilocal before going in. Damn it. Sadly, everyone is right about this place.
So pricey for tiny portions of «artisanal» pasta ($ 19 for ½ — ²⁄₃ cup servings) that are OK at best. And yes, I had the cauliflower one that everyone likes. Everything they served came up short taste wise, and seemed to be «missing something.» The minimalist salt shakers’ opening weren’t big enough for the coarse salt crystals inside, so you had to shake pretty violently to get anything to come out. I’m not expecting Olive Garden portions, but if they are going to be so small, can’t they at least taste good? Isn’t that the point? Also, lukewarm, visibly dirty tap water jugs. Gross. :(
Two stars for how cute the interior is. But who cares when you hate what you’re eating, and wish you had never come?