Avena

I rarely post about restaurants but this one is ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Where art, design and food merge. My kind of place! Deliciously artful. Peaceful interior. Swiss chard "cappuccino" was a surprise gift, prosciutto/fig/burrata, pesto vegetarian lasagna, white/milk/dark chocolate mousse. Little sweet bites. Excellent service by Alfonso. Thank you Chef Roberto Deiaco! ✨

The server with long false lashes came to take our order never mentioned the prices of their specials not on the menu; can you believe that this Risotto cost over $210? Tastes awful not even worth $21! Are they out of their mind? Think they’re Michelin ranked? The moment after we paid, long false lash server came to urge me to move to the bar because there were people waiting for this table! I’m 38 weeks pregnant and the bar area is tiny (the restaurant alone is tiny) can you imagine someone with huge belly to sit at bar? Well this is their hospitality! So mad that I just stepped out! Avoid!

I experienced the best food and heartwarming service in Avena. I went to Avena two years ago for Christmas with my friend. We spent a year in the US as exchange students, and New York was our last destination on that long journey. Because of that, we were both not financially comfortable. We couldn't afford a full-course meal, so we decided to share small plates. It must be obvious to the worker that we couldn't tip them well. But no matter how little we ordered, the servers were extremely nice and treated us the same as other customers. Also, the chef divided all the dishes into two plates, even though we didn't ask. We were so touched by your service, and it was heartwarming. I am a picky eater, yet I finished all my plates. The way the food was cooked was flawless. I don't even have to mention texture, and the temperature was perfect. If there's any customer reading this, you should order mille-feuille for sure. Never skip the dessert from here. Thank you so much to Avena for making Christmas unforgettable in New York.

Thank you for the 10/10 pasta and excellent service. Perfect for a quiet, mid-week lunch.

Avena and its lovely staff and chef provided one of my best restaurant experiences EVER! The atmosphere is amazingly charming, think romantic chic. The food was mouth watering delicious and very fine quality. The staff made us feel like royalty!

Chef Roberto is undoubtedly the Best Italian Chef in NYC. He is transforming freshest possible ingredients into edible works of art. Incredible how he can create the most authentic Italian dish with American products because of his vast knowledge. Grazie Chef!

Horrible customer service. Not family friendly.