Caffe Buon Gusto

The food is combined with the sublime of the special and great attention of the waiters who are highly polite and attentive. The musical atmosphere makes it a pleasant place to dine and enjoy a few glasses of wine. I highly recommend it!

Have tried this restaurant for takeout and loved their pasta so decided to come to the restaurant to celebrate my birthday. We had booked a 9:15pm table so my friend could make it after work and I didn’t see an issue as their hours are listed on their website as open until 11pm. I have never felt so rushed and unwelcome when 10:30pm came around I wanted nothing more than to leave - music had turned into only ads by 10pm and fully shut off and silent by 10:25pm - we had told this to staff who left the ads playing instead of putting music back on. More than half of our dinner was listening to ads playing instead of music. We ordered cocktails, pasta and when a waitress came around for our dessert orders I asked for just a minute as our friend was in the bathroom and wanted to also order dessert. Even though I told the woman this, she proceeded to only take our orders as she did not want to wait for my friend to return from the bathroom, so she was unable to order dessert. The check was plopped onto the table before we even finished our dessert and drinks and with the music fully turned off and the rest of the restaurant being closed around us, I left without finishing dessert. The food is delicious but update your hours and be more respectful to your guests who love your food so much they want to spend their birthday celebration with you. That was the most uncomfortable sad way to start my birthday

The food was delicious! The service was fantastic! It was a little pricey but the portion size is good! The restaurant is small so it’s a little loud. The handmade pastas are the best. Overall 4.25/5 a great night out

Had a res, but they were booked and then took us to the back to an apt unit in the back, which had tables?? Eventually got sat at a regular table, but it was super hard to get our waiters attention most of the time… decent pasta but not for those prices imo

A very casual but cozy Italian in the Upper East Side offering tasty pastas and other classics. The owner, a very hospitable and warm person, is constantly around making you feel welcome. A nice choice!

I can say this restaurant is in a beautiful area but, highly expensive for their meal. The space was crowded, it was hard to hear my family. Feeling super cramped. We literally had to scream. The waiter was nice but, felt rush. The Salad was delicious and nicely served. Didn’t seem like there wasn’t enough dressing. But, overall it’s was good.

It’s a cozy and nice Italian restaurant located in the UES on 77th Street. Without making my review too long, I’d say that you won’t regret visiting. We all enjoyed our food. Since it was June, we had our dinner outside, so I did not see the inside.

Best, most pillowy soft, gnocchi I've ever had. Scallops were really nice too.

Food is exquisite. Great ambience. Friendly service. Would visit as often as possible.

Food: Pastas were great! Id highly recommend the specialty ravioli OR black ink linguine and burrata. The pastas were all good and they had great al dente texture. Service: Service was great we had accommodating staff and they even gave ha free tiramisu after :)

Unbelievable! So happy we picked this restaurant. We went with the fettuccine Alfredo (A+), Bruschetta (A+), Strawberry and Beet Salad (B), and two desserts: chocolate soufflé (A+) and orange sorbetti (A+). The food was incredible but honestly the service was even better. Couldn't recommend more.

Stopped by Caffe Buon Gustó on Saturday on a date and fell in love with the food. We both had the Ceasar Salad to start with, and while the portions could be bigger, the salad was DELICIOUS! So fresh! For drinks I got the Campari Soda which I was not a big fan of (neither was my date) and they had the Sangria (it tasted too much like peach for my taste). For our main course, my date ordered the Penne with Ricotta & Pomodoro sauce and Mozzarella cheese - this was really good but could have used a bit more salt maybe. I had the Penne with Voda Sauce and Mozzarella cheese - SO GOOD! We could not finish it and took some to go. I ate my leftovers cold the next day and it still tasted amazing. For dessert, my date ordered the tiramisu, which was very good, and I had the affogato with Vanilla Gelato - IN LOVE. Overall, incredible food. For the service, I would say it left a little more to be desired but overall pretty good. Our waitress was very attentive and checked on us consistently. The ambiance was also fine but please be aware, the space is SUPER small. There are tables set up along a booth that runs the whole length of one wall so you might be touching a stranger. It was a little overstimulating with the volume and trying to get around and in and out of your table. It does feel very authentically Italian ambience wise (except for the music). Overall pretty good and would probably stop by again if I'm in the neighborhood!!

Homemade pasta is so delicious you can't go wrong with any of the combinations. We ordered drinks, pasta dishes and dessert the vibe was intimate and the service was good!

There are many classic Italian establishments on the Upper East Side, and this place made me feel like I've been missing out by always going to the West Village for Italian food. The inside looked cozy and intimate, but I ended up taking advantage of the weather and sat outside. However, I think the inside would be a better choice for future reference. Seeing so many people getting takeout while I was waiting for my food only heightened my expectations, and I wasn't let down! The pear and gorgonzola salad had the perfect amount of sweetness and saltiness, and both the veal parm and meatball pasta were smothered in a very delicious tomato sauce. People here were so nice and made me feel like I was at their home. The complimentary tiramisu was a perfect end to our meal.

Was so amazing! Vodka sauce was incredible, but a little over hyped. The real star of the show was the carbonara, which I'd fully recommend to anyone! Espresso martini was also amazing.

Stopped by Caffe Buon Gusto last Friday night with a reservation, but it definitely wasn't needed. The spot had a cozy ambiance, with kind and attentive staff. I ordered the fettuccine carbonara, which came out to around 35 dollars after tax and tip (without adding any form of meat/mushroom topping). Therein lies my main problem with Caffe Buon Gusto - at that price point there are so many other options in New York that'd I'd be hard pressed to say I'd come back. That isn't to say that Caffe Buon Gusto was bad. It just wouldn't be my first choice.

Hidden gem on the upper east side! Do I dare to say the best pasta I have had in NYC. ( went on July 22,2023) Exploring UES, I found this place. Small, quiet, intimate restaurant with great food and good company. I went at a great time because there was only me and another couple inside. To be honest I forgot the name of my pasta but it was flavorful, large serving, and satisfying. I got bread and a glass a wine. The menu was large it was hard to pick what I wanted but I believe I custom made my pasta. Service: The staff was friendly and you can tell it a family owned restaurant.

Hidden gem on the Upper East Side. I took my boyfriend here to celebrate his promotion and Caffe Buon Gusto did not disappoint! Everything from the service to the food was superb. I made a reservation earlier in the day and when we arrived we were sat immediately. The server came over and after a few minutes to make some recordings on dishes that we might enjoy. Here are the dishes we had during our visit: For starters: - Grilled Portobello Mushroom (really amazing dish with mozzarella) For our main courses: - Lobster with truffle in a cream sauce (special menu) the lobster was heavenly and hit the spot! - Sausage mushroom Pappardelle noodles (special menu) the sauce was on point and she mushrooms made the dish. Dessert: - Affogato (how can you go wrong! Espresso and ice cream, yum!) The food was just amazing and I cannot wait to come back and try more of the menu items. The ambiance is very laid back and they have a gorgeous outdoor area where you can enjoy the fall weather. So happy I decided to make Caffe Buon Gusto the place to celebrate the person I love. Thanks for an amazing evening.

Cafe Buon Gusto was the setting for Scott's BIG birthday after a night of tennis at Randall's Island for the new Fab 5. We arrived late, tired and hungry. The small restaurant did not spend much on decor and decorations but the setting on 77th has charm and probably more important- available parking. Salads, Italian specialties (chicken and veal Marsala...), salmon and pasta dishes were all good and the plates were cleaned. Not a fan of the spongy bread.... When asked about the salad dressing, owner Nando G. declared it was "Balsamic- the best"! and it was pretty good dressing. A nice bottle of red and a wide selection of Sinatra classics made the scant decor start to seem outright comfortable and homey... Nando is a true restaurateur as he said Caffe Buon Gusto has been at this location 36 years. Nando genuinely likes what he does and he is what you would call a NY character- equal portions comedian, story-teller, host, and schmoozer. Somehow it was very engaging. A song for the birthday boy, some complimentary quality desserts, and the evening was complete. 5 guests surrendered 3 credit cards and Nando asked if we were at the supermarket? That one went a bit over my head. I guess the lesson learned here is that if your food is good, and you bring some charm and personality- you just might have a winning formula to last many years.

What a great spot! The wine is reasonably priced and great. We got the Montelpulciano. Bread was okay wish it was a little warmer. Then we got the Cesar salad, branzino, and penne alla vodka which was delicious!! The sauce was truly a 10/10. Then finished off with tiramisu which was also so good. The service was fast paced and the hostess was very kind. It is a small restaurant with about 14-16 tables inside and a few outdoors spots too.

Incredible Italian in UES. The food, the service, the staff, the ambiance, I can't speak more highly of it. Not only was the food delicious and came out super quickly, the portions were great and shockingly well priced. The even had fairly priced wine. Everyone in the group was blown away by how good their dishes were from appetizers to dessert. You'll definitely want a reservation, especially in the summer. 10/10 recommend and will definitely be back. It also delivers really well, I saw a ton of people doing takeout and I've picked up myself before and everything was great. Go check this place out!

Absolutely love this BYOB spot. The sole dish on the menu is one of my favorite go to seafood orders. The real stand out here is the penne vodka! O M G! Best I've ever had anywhere !

The pasta at Cafe Buon Gusto is fantastic, and I especially love that they have fresh made pasta as an option on the menu. Here, you can get pretty much any type of noodle with any type of sauce, and of course you can add mozzarella to every dish! I look forward to trying out their location in Hoboken soon.

Best pesto on the upper east side, and a chicken porcini to die for. Same with the chicken burn gusto (or veal). Been going there since '93. It's incredible. And they deliver!!!! If I still lived there, I'd never cook again.

This review is loooong overdue! I love this place!I I have never been a fan of vodka sauce but this place changed my mind. It is DELICIOUS and now something I always get. Their appetizers are also great- I recommend the bruschetta- so good! They have a lot of options and all of the pastas I have tried are outstanding. The staff is also so nice and accommodating. I highly recommend this place! Definitely one of my locals!

Just like Mom's homemade spaghetti and meatballs! Cooked perfectly, absutley amazing. My friends had gnocchi in vodka sauce and capellini in vodka sauce. All were fantastic! The place was packed and we still had fast service and the wait staff was incredible. Please put this on you wish list, it will be the highlight of your visit!

Beautiful little restaurant, open air, with additional outdoor seating. Lovely little man. Food was excellent and service was awesome. I especially like how you can choose your pasta shape and sauce. Great music. Love it. Will be back

Food- 5/5; branzino excellent and the lemonchello pasta was to die for. Buratta so fresh, wow Our waiter was hilarious, so kind. He gave the best food recommendations. Very attentive We sat outside so we're not sure how the inside ambiance is but the place was kept very clean and great place to have a conversation. Will definitely return!

One of my favorite restaurants in the city. I used to attend high school nearby and would frequently go after class. Reasonable prices for New York standards and good meal sizes. The service is always quick, and the style is your quintessential UES small restaurant. While everything is delicious, the vodka sauce is the best in New York. This will always be my go-to when I'm craving good Italian food.

Best Italian food in Manhattan/UES. It's a lowkey spot, you could walk past it even. Super tiny inside but the pastas will have you coming back! All freshly made and the prices are beyond reasonable for the location. The service is amazing, a lot of the servers only speak Italian. That's how authentic this place is. I eat here often and it's good every.single.time.

Yummy pasta dishes in a typical UES small Italian restaurant. Kind staff and pretty speedy service with an extensive wine list. The place was crowded but fun and a younger crowd when I went on a Friday night. Definitely a specialized menu so make sure you check before going! I don't think the pastas were worth the price they were, but fun to mix and match. Not sure I would return.

Caffe Buon Gusto in New York not only serves the most incredible spaghetti alla vodka with fresh mozzarella but also boasts a fantastic atmosphere. The ambiance is welcoming, creating the perfect setting for a delightful dining experience. The service is consistently nice, adding an extra layer of enjoyment to every visit. It's my go-to place for a perfect combination of amazing food, great atmosphere, and friendly service!

Used to be relatively good, now it´s popularity has grown inexplicably. The food is expensive and not good at all. Eggplant parmigiana had mushy eggplant, barely discernible in lots of red sauce with little flavor. Burrata limoncello ravioli are scarce and the filling is nothing to rave about at $32. On top of that, the prices you see on their website are way below what they really charge, which is simply fraudulent. Pastas appear as around $22 when in fact the farfalle are more that $30.

One of the best past places in the city! The service is great and it's a quaint little restaurant, but every dish I've ever had here is insanely good.

Our server for the night was Marcelo and he was SO SWEET. He had great suggestions, was never overbearing with how present he was, and was charming. This place continues to wow. Today my partner and I tried the shrimp carbonara, and now we understand why Marcelo told us it was his favorite. In the future we'll have trouble ordering something aside from the carbonara and the crab meat ravioli. They're equally decadent. To start we had the minestrone and the mussels in the white wine sauce. Although the minestrone wasn't quite what I expected, it was still delicious. There was plenty of cauliflower, carrots, celery, and a bit of peas in the mix. The abundance of cauliflower made it plenty filling. The broth was leaning more towards a white creamy texture than the reddish clear broth I am used to picturing. The white wine sauce for the mussels was garlicky and perfect for dipping the bread in. We also got a glass of the Riesling and Sauvignon blanc. Would definitely recommend. At the end we got a bit of tiramisu to share. It felt like a bite or two might have been verging on frozen (as if they *just* took it out of the fridge, and maybe it was sitting further back in the fridge), but I still enjoyed it. The tiramisu was balanced in flavor, and the right amount of moist. I'm looking forward to trying the limoncello in the future. Marcelo said it's made in house!

Caffe Buon Gusto are phenomenal. Nando spotted our daughter (their new neighbor) outside his restaurant this evening having a bad day and struggling with her new door lock. He immediately offered assistance and even fed her an amazing pasta dish. Thank you for your kindness and help. Wonderful restaurant and neighborhood.

I was all excited for the fettuccine Alfredo came all the way from Connecticut for it. Was disappointed it was bland there's was no garlic or Parmesan cheese for it. Was no salt on the table to add to it. The service was very good . It's a small but busy restaurant.

If you're looking for the best Italian pasta on the upper west side, this is where you need to bring your parents. Marcelo took great care of us the entire time! We started with the burrata which was so delicious and fresh (not pictured, phone did not eat first) For pastas we went with the classic spaghetti and meatballs (5/5), the OG famous spaghetti with vodka sauce and mozzarella (5/5) and the butternut squash ravioli which was delicious. The service was warm and family oriented. Pro tip: ask to sit in the back garden

Great ambience , food was amazing, and the service was incredible, Marcelo is the best , he is an asset to this place. I would definitely recommend it.

The best pasta in NYC!!! I crave this dish and get it about one time every year when I am in town visiting. I dream about it. It's so damn good I actually cannot recommend anything more to anyone

We ordered a glass of white wine each and shared the beet salad (sans the goat cheese) and pappardelle with mushrooms and sausage in garlic truffle sauce. The focaccia bread that is served as soon as you order is perfect for scooping up any residual sauce. The resturant may be small but you can tell that it's a good neighborhood one - the pasta noodles were definitely house-made by hand. Next time, I would probably get the vodka sauce (as it seems to be a classic & signature here).

Got the popular spaghetti and meatballs for delivery. The sauce and meatballs were good, but the noodles were super soft and no where near al dente. Also, for $25 it wasn't a great value for the quantity. Will need to try some of their other dishes next time

Came back with a friend and tried the carbonara and the limoncello spritz - both very tasty and would get again. We went without a reservation on a Friday night and were seated right away which is just shy of a miracle...but we were seated in one of the little heated tent things on the side of the stairs to enter the restaurant which barely fit two tables of two, so we basically crashed someone's first date. It was awkward and hard to find that balance of not speaking so loudly that we were interrupting their conversation, but also not being too quiet and seeming like we were listening in the whole time. Once they left another couple who had a reservation were seated there, but quickly left - can't blame them and tried not to take it to heart that they didn't want to sit with us (kidding). Those tables would probably be better when it's warmer if they took down the tents and got rid of the heaters - you'd have a lot more room. All in all, the food and drinks continue to be really good, but I wish it was a little more comfortable to eat there. I understand that's what it's like eating at a popular NYC restaurant, but I can dream. Might try take out next time and see if that's the best of both worlds. Would rate 3.5.

Super yummy pasta slay !!!!!!!! Portions are smaller than expected but the food is good. Can't say it's the best pasta I've had but it satisfies that pasta craving. Service is great, the inside of the restaurant itself isn't anything special.

We had eaten at Buon Gusto in April 2021, our first venture to a restaurant during COVID and enjoyed it very much. Nice neighhood place and we ate outside. We returned with our daughter last night and the restaurant was disappointing. For $17, the Burrata appetizer was small. I ordered the Paglia e Fieno Salmon and it was mediocre. A few chunks of salmon with home made linguine. The pasta was drowning in the tomato cream sauce. My wife ordered the Bronzino and was served small filet and vegetables. Our daughter ordered the orecchiette which was OK, but nothing special.

The food here is honestly incredible, I love pasta, and this place is a gem. I love the create your own pasta, and the shrimp from here is so good and cooked to perfection. The pasta tastes so fresh, I love that is made there. The crabcakes are great as well! I sometimes get pick up, but I've eaten inside once, it's very cute and small on the inside and our server was so nice. I live really close so I will definitely be a regular here.

SUPER plush gnocchi!!! We had them in a pesto cream sauce with sausage and it was delicious! I am not usually a gnocchi person because they can be too dense, but these were fluffy and perfect--they tasted homemade. We also got eggplant parmesan, which came with a tiny Tupperware of penne pasta. The portion of eggplant was good though, and it was very tasty and well cooked. The sauce was also great! Also, the bread (which is the hallmark of a good Italian restaurant) that came with our food was fresh and had a nice flavor :) I would definitely recommend trying Caffe Buon Gusto's food, especially their gnocchi!

Came here on a Sunday night at around 8 with 4 other friends. They served us bread not too long after we sat down. The bread was pretty good--nice and soft and the oil was infused with herbs which I liked. I ordered the seafood linguine for my main course. It was very garlicky and it came with a lot of seafood but there were also a lot of small broken pieces of shells in there which made it a little hard to eat. For dessert, I ordered the apple tart and it was just okay. The flavor of the filling was pretty good but the pie crust was soft. My boyfriend ordered the chocolate soufflé which I also tried. To my understanding, soufflé is a very light and fluffy cake that's made with egg white and what we had there was nothing like that. It was very dense and just tasted like a regular chocolate cake. It tasted fine but it was not a soufflé. I was a little surprised when I read the reviews on here and so many people were mentioning their good service because that wasn't really our experience. I'm not sure if it was because it was relatively late (but they still had a new table came in when we were ordering desserts?) but the servers that day were just not very attentive. They didn't look particularly busy since a lot of time I just saw them talking to one another or preparing the utensils for next day. We finished our bottle of water for a very long time and no one ever refilled it. No one really checked on us during our entire meal until when we were leaving the restaurant and a person who I believed was the owner came and asked how was everything. Overall, the food was fine but I would expect better service at this price point.

Food is definitely good. However, while placing my take out order I asked for a side of pasta and was told they don't do that, only fully pasta dishes. The plain spaghetti was then 27 dollars which seems like a reach for just spaghetti. Then I get home and the dish already comes with a side of pasta. Complete waste. Separately, owner/manager definitely could be more appreciative of customers. Was rude to people waiting for tables and trying to find reservations (which they did have.) Customers have lots of options, let's never forget that.

If I could give a review 10 stars instead of 5, then I would for this restaurant! What a great dining experience. Food: GET THE GNOCCHI! It lived up to its expectations and more. I got the handmade plain gnocchi with carbonara sauce which had pancetta and onions. So delicious -- the gnocchi melts in your mouth and it tastes so authentic! My boyfriend got the bolognese and it was also really good! For apps we got the bruschetta (I'd recommend!!) and the tartufo (also delicious!!) Service was very friendly and attentive. I am pretty sure they served us old / stale Peroni beer but I enjoyed my meal so much it didn't even matter! I'll definitely be back!

Celebrated our 25th Anniversary here last week and I just want to give a quick review. My wife and I had the best time. The manager (Italian) sat us in a cozy corner seat and we were treated with superb service. They brought us bruschetta and the bottle of wine we ordered was superb. Everyone was just so nice. Our food was very good. My wife had the ravioli with shrimp creme sauce, which she said was the best she has ever tasted, and I ordered the fish special of the day. Very fresh and cooked to perfection. All in all it made a very lovely night and we'll definitely return here again. Thank you.

Pasta was good, but nothing to write home about. Just classic Italian pasta with sauce. The flavors in the sauces aren't particularly developed. Service was good! The environment was terrible. We booked a reservation a month out and was seated outside in a shipping container with fake plastic plants. The man who sat us was dismissive and didn't seem happy me and my boyfriend were dining in his room establishment.The wine was terrible and it was their "expensive wines" that were 50% off the price listed on the menu but were cheap wine. We paid $50 for a bottle worth $17 which is an expected markup. I wouldn't dine here again as I can find better food, service, and wine in my neighborhood for a less expensive price.

What an amazing no frills restaurant with some of the best pasta in the entire city. Great place for an Italian feast with a date or friends. I am sure all of it is good but here's what I recommend in order: 1. Gnocchi. Get with a carbonara sauce and add the pancetta 2. Squid ink seafood pasta. They load it up with so much seafood. 3. The sausage pasta. Sausage had so much flavor. 4. Start out with the bruschetta. Amazing, but the pasta steals the show Great service and very attentive. Great vibes. This is a must go for pasta lovers!

The pastas were so good! The capellini alla vodka was the star of the show. The complimentary bread and olive oil was yummy too. The service was the best though they were all so kind and friendly. Loved it!

What a wonderful experience we had last night! We were seated at the window - I live their outdoor seating in the back but it looked like a storm was brewing so we asked for inside. We were given excellent service - I needed help with the wine menu and our server (not sure, he seemed like the owner or manager) assisted me and the wine was fabulous! There was a special last night so I got the $140 bottle for $70, a great bargain! My husband and I ordered the burrata with roasted tomatoes as an app and it was so yummy! The burrata was fresh and accompanied by a bit of spring mix that has just a touch of pesto on them. The whole plate came together so nicely! I was waffling between the gnocchi and the special of burrata-limoncello ravioli and again was given the excellent suggestion to try the special and it was a wonderful plate of homemade ravioli that had me wanting more - but I was stuffed!! My husband ordered the lobster ravioli in an Alfredo sauce with shrimp. He loved his dish and he said when it was delivered he thought it didn't seem like much but by the time he finished, was completely satisfied and couldn't have eaten a larger portion. He is still raving about it today! For dessert I went out in a limb - I ALWAYS choose a chocolate dessert and there are a few choices - but I was drawn to the pistachio dessert. Again, I asked and was SO delighted with the pistachio tart(?). There were three layers - on top a light cake - I mean LIGHT! Then, a cream layer and on the bottom, a pistachio layer. This dessert was the lightest dessert and most delicate flavor. It literally melted in my mouth. I cannot describe it well enough - but you have to try it!! My husband ordered the tiramisu and he's a sort of expert on them since that is almost always what he orders in a restaurant if it's offered. He agreed that it also was the lightest he has ever had. I don't know how they take all of that marscapone and make LIGHT desserts! They were both heavenly! Overall, this experience was far & above and I want to go again & again! Try it!!

The pasta was so fresh and the perfect portion size, and tasted great. My friends and I sat outside and our waiter was pretty attentive despite the restaurant being pretty busy.

I had heard about the place and we happened to be in the neighborhood. The place was packed for a Tuesday night. Luckily, one table was available and they seated us without a reservation. The staff were very friendly. My friend ordered pasta with salmon in vodka sauce and I did the homemade gnocchi in vodka. They gave us bread which was focaccia. The food came out in like 5 mins. It was crazy. The gnocchi were prefect. I just wish there was more for the money. My friend liked her salmon dish. We got tiramisu and a soufflé to split. Both were delicious. Though my friend didn't like the ice cream. I would come back but wish it was a bit cheaper or bigger dinner portion. We ate outside on a warm day and they had the fans going. No complaints there.