"How Far In Advance Should You Book? A day. For a particularly bleak several-month stretch of 2023, every influencer in NYC was going to Bad Roman to film videos of ‘roni cups and cacio e pepe ravioli. Consequently, the place was impossible to get in. But now that all the content has been harvested, it’s surprisingly easy to snag a table at this gimmicky and overall decent spot in Columbus Circle." - bryan kim
"This spot by the team behind restaurants like Don Angie, Zou Zou's, and Quality Italian might be in the weird mallscape of the Deutsche Bank Center (formerly the Time Warner Center), but it’s one of our favorite places for over-the-top Italian food. The space offers a whimsical take on a Roman feast, complete with animal statues wearing neon collars and actual fountains. Start with a pepperoncini-laced dirty martini and an order of roni cups and ranch, get one of their signature filet mignons, and finish with a slice of unreasonably good tiramisu ice cream cake." - bryan kim, carina finn koeppicus, kenny yang, will hartman
"“I had seen pictures of the ravioli that covers the whole fillet. I had some family visiting town and I wanted to take them somewhere that would be like Instagramable and fun and fancy. And it is giving ‘Remember that dinner?’ vibes because everything from the moment you walk in is sumptuous, luxurious, intriguing. I love the decor, the design. The bar is so beautiful. I would definitely go back and I would have it again. And I would be so happy. And there was also a beautiful lemon dessert that was really interesting that was also very Instagrammable. It's lemon cheesecake, but they sphere-ified it. Fancy.”" - brennan carley
"Bad Roman serves a Tequila Granita, made with habanero pepper shaved ice, blanco tequila, lime juice, and Calabrian honey. The whimsical cocktail program reflects the unorthodox food menu, with a frozen drink inspired by the classic Italian dessert granita, spiked with tequila." - Kat Odell
"Offers creative Roman cuisine hidden away in one of Manhattan’s few shopping malls." - Laura Begley Bloom