Zagara Wine Bar & Ristorante

Perfect service & perfect Italian restaurant wine bar!
Definitely I will go again :)

I love this place. The ambiance is so wonderful, its one of those places that is small enough for intimate dinner or date night and large enough for groups and large parties. The décor is fitting to the NY style.
Now the food, there are so many so called Italian restaurants in the city but boy Zagara is so true to its roots. The Chef/​owner knows his food and wine. My favorite the Gnocchi made to perfection with truffle that you can spell from a block (soo good). The menu has a great mix making it easy to find what you like. You can never go wrong with their wine as well. You can tell the management has put some thoughts into everything, providing great wine for affordable price or if you really want to impress your clients or date, they also have some vintage wines. From the mangers to servers you feel like you are in a restaurant in Italy. This place truly has that special Italian charisma in the heart of Chelsea with a modern twist. But I have to say, my most favorite part of this restaurant is how accommodating they are to your needs. I love visiting places like this because they truly understand and have passion for restaurant business.
Perfect for :
business meetings
Date Nights
Happy Hour
Parties/​Groups
Food and Wine lovers
Brunch

This place was just «ok». The fried calamari is good but the marinara sauce is spicy.
The ravioli stuffed with spinach and cheese was ok. The meatballs were a bit burnt.
The food was «ok», the service was «nice» but I won’t be back.

This place is amazing. I have been there many times. Always great food and service. But just a few days ago I had a rehearsal dinner the night before my wedding. It was 25 of us and the night could have not gone better. Giuseppe is just amazing. He ran the night beautifully. I can not recommend this place enough. A true hidden gem.

Terrible experience due to management. I was literally yelled at by management after breaking there illogical rule that happy hour only applies to patrons at the bar and not the ones spending big money in the restaurant. The bartender was happy to serve and take my money but right after, the manager felt it was necessary to reprimand man like he is my long lost Italian father. Ridiculous. I think even Gordon Ramsey couldn’t help this guy.

nothing bad to say. early supper one night before a show at gotham comedy. wine was delish, food was also good though i recall that the calimari was a little overcooked, that’s the only reason i didn’t give a 5. thanks zagara!

Writing again to confirm that superb food, excellent, friendly service, pleasant atmosphere and top value for your money remain the standard here. Happily, it remains a true NEIGHBORHOOD GEM.
My husband stuck with his favorite starter, the burrata with prosciutto and, as someone who has ordered it in many top restaurants, he continues to insist it is the best, bar none. I tasted it and it literally melts in your mouth, so no argument there. I resisted my favorites to try one of the evening’s specials — jumbo shrimp with spinach risotto. Wow! The shrimp were huge, but tender and tasteful, and perfectly shelled. The risotto, a dish I generally love but which in many restaurants can be too dense, was light and flavorful. The serving was fairly large, but not a drop was left on the table — especially after my husband, who usually is not a risotto lover, took a bite and then gratefully welcomed a larger portion from my plate. And on that note, if you go as a couple or group, do taste each other’s dishes to maximize your Zagara experience.
Two final words. Don’t be afraid to tell your waiter if there is an ingredient you don’t eat. My experience here has been that there is always a genuine effort to ensure that you will fully enjoy your meal. Lastly, I don’t usually comment on bread, but the bread here is actually as superior as the rest of the food. It is properly warmed and the multi-​grain crust is fantastic. I dip it lightly into a bit of olive oil and it’s perfection!

Best Sauce I’ve ever tasted! I wish I had a jar to take home. I don’t usually eat meatballs but these are to die for! I’ll def be going back!

A friend of mine was in town, and in the area, so I reviewed Italian restaurants in the area and came across this establishment. The atmosphere is a mix of eclectic and classic atmosphere. Great wine selection. I asked for a referral of pino noir and was happy they suggested a reasonably priced bottle ($ 47) that was flavorful (house suggestion).
Appetizer we had was burrata. It was served with arugula, prosciutto and tomato. The burrata didn’t ozze out like others I’ve had but was good. Presentation was on point.
We both had the chicken with mozzarella and prosciutto. It was served with potatoes and seasoned with rosemary. The rosemary was a bit much (too much).
The staff was informative and very friendly. If you are looking for authentic Italian it would not be my first choice. If you are seeking an Americanized Italian place with good vibe, friendly atmosphere, great ambiance, hefty wine selection then this is the place.

Great restaurant and even better service. I had a family lunch here after my engagement with 25 people and everything went perfectly. Guisseppe is not only a great chef but a great host as well, he came out of the kitchen multiple times to make sure everyone was happy. The rest of the staff was very attentive and able to handle our sometimes difficult orders. My favorite dishes were the meatballs and any of the pastas (I tried them all, vodka sauce was great). Between the 25 of us we practically ordered the whole menu and everyone loved it (fish and steaks great too).
Highly recommend this restaurant

I came here with a friend after work recently. We were seated pretty quickly (not that big of a deal since we came in close to 9pm). The lighting was so dark that my friend and I had to pull out our phones and use the flashlights to look at the menu. I didn’t think that was customer-​friendly.
I ordered mini gnocchi with a light truffle cream sauce. You could definitely taste the truffles. I thought it was good. I also had a glass of Pinot Grigio from their extensive wine list. I don’t remember which wine I chose because it was so dark that I didn’t feel like squinting at the list to study it.
The ambience was average and food was also average. There was nothing that made this place stand out. They had a bar area where some people were socializing. It was just okay.

Food was fairly good. Their pasta dishes were delicious with good portions. I must say the service was slow and there were hardly any people there. Waited 30 minutes for my first glass of wine, 20 minutes for my appetizer and an additional 30 minutes for my dinner. Getting the check was a nightmare and I had to break the unwritten rule of walking up to the waiter and asking for the check. This place is a nightmare. I rather go to a place with mediocre food and great staff. Horrible service. There are thousands of restaurants in the City and there is no excuse for bad service. Go somewhere else!

We found this gem and I’m really glad we did. Guisseppe treated us with extreme kindness and professionalism while the food was excellent, a perfect lunch/​dinner. Went there for wine and ended up spending about 2 hours and 3 bottles later we were in love with the place.
We had the octopus, meatballs and caprese. Everything was delicious. Meatballs were perfectly cooked in an awesome red sauce, no breadcrumbs to be found and did have the traditional paper thin garlic. Mozarella in the caprese was out of this world. Octopus was tender and a slight char that they gave it an interesting flavor.
While having the food, Guisseppe was happy to share where he got the ingredients, cooking technique and personal experiences. Neighbors stopped by just to say hello. Ended the day with a limoncello shot and champagne for the ladies. All in all best restaurant ever, thank you Guisseppe for a wonderful experience.

Food was ok. Service was pretty terrible, based on two particular things:
1) Some of our entrees were supposed to come with a side. When the food came out, no side. We pointed out where it said in the menu that it’s included, and were told that’s wrong. They eventually gave us the side.
2) For our party of ~8, we were told we could do separate checks. Then when it came time to pay, we were told we could only have three checks.
Just way too much stress for a weekend brunch. Place was empty so maybe they just don’t do brunch well.

Had to admit that it is so hard to find a decent French restaurant on a Friday night, yet Zagara is definitely one with enough options.
What attracted me the most was the sea bass and salmon. Cooked to perfection, both fish was juicy and tender. Too much vegetable was on the side though.
For dessert we have got tiramisu, sweetness was just about the right level, yet nothing really remarkable.
Will recommend this place for a casual hangout.

Very mediocre brunch here. We were also the only ones in this place! I shared the Eggs Benny and the French Toast with my mom. The FT tasted like it was microwaved. Reminded me of the French Toast sticks I had as a kid. The hollandaise in the EB was too vinegary. Not impressed.
They also do not give free refills on coffee. Thumbs down.

My girlfriend and I decided to try this place after several times we walked pass it on our way home. The interior design is very welcoming and the service was good!
We ordered the mozzarella appetizer with tomatoes and roasted which fresh.
for main we ordered the bolongase pasta and the veal ravioli. For $ 15-​$ 19 pasta we expected a lot more. The pasta was over cooked and small portion and the ravioli was over cooked and tasteless.
To summarize it’s a great place for a drink and an app but would not go there again for dinner

Pass by this place daily after the 23^rd stop and finally decided to try it. It has a cute patio area perfect for people watching. The inside of the restaurant is quite spacious and has good background music. I’m giving it three stars because our overall experience was pleasant, but if in basing it off food it would’ve been two.
Cons: Bread– burnt edges. C’mon Italian places to have good bread. The entrees were tiny and over priced. We ordered the bolognese and veal ravioli which both lacked taste big time.
Pros– nice server, good people watching, and they play Sinatra.
Will I come again? Not for the food.

The evening after a bad date from last night entitles a wash out.
When inquiring for a nice red wine that is not too sweet, not too dry and not full of body the bar tender recommend Chianti, Tiziano «Toscana» for $ 9.00 a glass. My second opt for Blue Pearls which the base ingredient is Absolut Kurant served with ice in a highball glass $ 13.00. The bar tender was somewhat attentive as it was rather difficult to flag her attention for simple requests as water and attaining the bill, but nevertheless friendly and welcoming.
The one notable spelling error on Zagara’s drink menu is «Katel» which is correctly spelt as Ketel One, a Holland brand vodka (I’m a writer and a poet who always able to catch petty errors). No comment on the food as we did not intake any despite of reviewing the dinner menu which I did not see anything appealing to my taste nor budget. Yes, I agree on a Unilocaler that Zagara’s food is a hit or miss. A single uni-​sex facility is available in a very cute rustic garden theme that is clean and has all the home like atmospheric conditions rather than a restaurant look. (I wished my home’s facility was like this!)

Came for a girlfriend’s birthday dinner and thought the experience was OK
Pros
* Restaurant literally right outside the 23^rd Street 1 Station, easy to locate
* Outdoor seating perfect for people watching
* Good for big groups
* We enjoyed the octopus appetizer, prosciutto and arugula antipasti, and arugula salad
* Awesome truffle gnocchi– probably some of the best gnocchi I’ve had in NYC. You can really taste the truffle and the gnocchi texture is soft and fluffy
* Serve free delicious gluten-​free bread
Cons
* The biggest flaw here is the SLOW service– it really takes you back to Italy! My friends and I were so annoyed that we ended up having to ask the manager multiple times where our food was
* Don’t recommend the seafood risotto– the mussels were not fresh and left a bad taste
Wouldn’t come back until they improve the service