Nostro Restobar and Lounge

We decided to go here for their St Patrick's Day breakfast buffet, and what a mistake. We were seated immediately and then told buffet wouldn't start till 9am, and its 815am....Why wouldn't you say this on your web page or social media pages, instead it said come join for our all u can eat breakfast buffet. So you would think they are serving when they open....nope. Next was crazy, ordered couple coffees (regular) nothing special an apple juice and beer. When we were finally allowed to eat the buffet was eggs, bacon (the thinest cheapest) ever, potatoes, corn beef and cabbage and some pasta with idk in it. Oh also bread. We ate, the eggs not real and overall food was ehhh. Time for bill...........$140.00 and they included an 18% gratuities to our bill. Seriously for what, the waitress poured water twice that's it . The kicker....the coffee was $10.00 and apple juice $7.00. Talk about ridiculous take advantage prices, this was absolutely a shocker. They really are overpriced for the quality your getting. There is no reason I can advise you to go here and give away your family's hard earned money. There is better choices around Utica to spend your money.

TL;DR, With it's minimal faults, Nostro Resto-Bar is one of the most unique and spectacular dining experiences in the USA, much less Utica. I came here wary of the previous reviews, worrying about loud music, bad food, and a strange seating process. Fortunately, only the seating process complaint was accurate, The food was great and while the music borderlined on irritating, it never crossed that threshold. It seems that they pay attention to reviews and try to get better, which is commendable. Here are my takeaways. The Good: -Nostro is one of the most delightful spaces for a restaurant I've ever been in. If you are at all a fan of mid-century modern architecture, this is a place to go. The map mural on the wall is jaw-dropping. Truly a unique experience. Even if the food was bad (it wasn't), it's worth just going there to experience this space. It reminds me of now closed The Four Seasons in NYC, or a scene from MadMen. -Food was excellent, if not overly-stuffed with ricotta. The pasta was cooked al-dente and prepared wonderfully: Finally, a Carbonara that isn't doused with cream sauce; There should be no cream sauce in a Carbonara! -Waitstaff was wonderful and attentive. My mother, whos' very picky about restaurants who ran one in NYC for a while, had an absolute blast and loved chatting up the staff. -The lemon meringue cake was spectacular. -Bartender was as serious as a heart attack but made fantastic drinks. The Bad: -I do not understand making us wait for a table, even with a reservation, when almost all the tables are empty. The table that we sat at was already set the entire time we were waiting at the bar. I can only imagine that they do this to get an extra drink purchase out of us. This is annoying: Just say "Would you like to have a drink at the bar before you sit down for dinner?" We would have said yes! Don't fool us into thinking our table isn't ready when it most definitely is so you can get a little more cash. -Guys, please, it's too much ricotta. -NYC prices -The table mood lights are blinding. Overall: -This is not only one of the best restaurant experiences in Utica, it's one of the best I've ever had, having lived in NYC for most of my life and traveling the world as well. Despite the weird seating process and high end prices, You HAVE to come here. Just get ready to add a drink to your bill and wait for a bit.

I started with the truffle fries, followed by the Orecchiette Burro E Oro for my main course, and ended with the Meringue cake for dessert. Each dish was exceptional, and I’m still thinking about that cake. My lemon drop cocktail was made perfectly. The atmosphere, with its dim lighting and great music, enhanced the experience. Despite the packed restaurant, the service was good and fast. This place is a fantastic addition to the city, and I'll definitely return!

I definitely love the transformation from the old Bank of America branch to Nostro. The ginormous map of CNY on the wall behind the bar definitely stands out more and has a different glow than its previous life among bland bank furniture. We were there for drinks, which was definitely on the pricier side for the area. The cocktails tasted good and strong. Since we already had dinner prior, we ordered dessert only--a meringue cake. The presentation was great, and the cake itself was delish; however, the frosting or whatever it's called (forgive me, I'm a godless, uncultured heathen) was a bit too sweet. I will definitely come back to try the dinner menu some time. The only downside was that parking, in the back, is kind of terrible. It has limited spaces, especially during the winter, and it's a sketchy area at night.

Went for first time and was happy with each aspect. Food was delicious, drinks were fun and tasty, service was friendly, timely and professional. Having grown up in Utica, I love the atmosphere and history of the establishment.

Food was over cooked for my girlfriend and under cooked steak and potatoes for me not what i was expecting for the price and had a funny taste

I found that this restaurant is very delicious and the helpful were all very professional and caring with our wants and needs while waiting for our food to come to our table. Our order arrived hot and outstanding! The servers if asked a question came right over to help us even if they were not our servers. Made everything right and perfect. I saw this happening while eating my delicious salad. It’s wasn’t their table but they came over to anyone who needed help or had a question . I have ever high expectations and this place rates a 110%.