I actually wrote this one awhile ago and held off on posting it as I wasn't sure if I should continue with restaurant reviews considering the current situation but I should try to maintain some sense of normalcy here and have learned that this restaurant is currently open for delivery and takeout so here it is.
Casual Italian dining at its best with menu offering many choices from antipasta to desserts. Uni pasta simply best, lots of uni. On Sunday night, place was packed of families with kids, turning tables over within an hour. Genuine Italian with a touch of Nippon. What more to say
One of my colleagues, Abe, has been talking about Basta Pasta for a while and so, Jodi and I decided to go there for dinner. Little did I know that this place first opened in Tokyo, back in 1985, with the concept of having an open kitchen so diners could enjoy a sort of cooking show, offering entertainment as well as good food. Five years later, they opened their Chelsea location, where Chef Takada crafted a creative menu inspired from classic Italian dishes.
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One of the best Italian food I had in New York.
Ambience:
The place is in the upscale locality of Manhattan in New York, which is in itself a style statement.
The Restaurant houses an Open Kitchen and an Island bar. The deep freezers which are also on the side wall have been decorated with sleek wood finish.
Service:
What is an Italian restaurant without impeccable wine.
They have a vast and supreme Wine Collection in their cellar. The waiters are trained with the wine culture and the way it has to be served.
We tried one bottle of the Rose Wine, but couldn't get a repeat order for the same, as that was the last one on their shelf. The waiter in turn suggested us to go for a Red Wine Bottle which again was very flavourful, although not a Vintage Wine.
Food:
The best part and visually appealing is the Spaghetti which they serve hot after mixing it with Parmesan Cheese in a half wheel of cheese right before serving.
The Garlic bread with olive oil served in the beginning is also an added advantage to this restaurant.
Another good part was that they were able to serve Balsamic Vinegar which a lot of restaurants fail to do so.
I am definitely going to dine at this restaurant again soon whenever I am back in NYC.
Thanks for the amazing evening I had there.
For starters, Basta Pasta is in a great location. It's close to union square and flatiron. Once you go inside, it's like you're in a different country as there are no windows and what you see (interior design) is what you get. The ambiance is amazing. I've tried quiet a few different dishes and all have been phenomenal. I love that you get a taste of Japan and Italy all in one plate. Service has always been impeccable and tables aren't too squished together that you're able to hear the conversation of various different parties at a time.
Pasta straight out of a cheese wheel? YES PLEASE. This place also has excellent Uni pasta for the seafood lovers. Always crowded, but a must try in New York City
Basta Pasta was established in Tokyo Japan 1985, which was designed after the TV program Iron Chef with a totally amazing menu, now available in NYC. If you love pasta this is one if the best places I've been. The pasta is made with precision and the seafood on or in the pasta is mind-blowing
One of the best fusion restaurants that I've been to in NYC!
Subtle aspects of Japanese cuisine are blended together in perfect harmony with earthly and homely Italian flavors.. Farfalle Con Salmone E Crema (salmon bow pasta) and Spaghetti Ai Ricci Di Mare (sea urchin spaghetti) were truly delicious: balanced and rich in flavors - they even have a huge cheese wheel in which spaghetti is stirred up and served.
Top this off with their heavenly tiramisu or cheesecake with freshly grated Parmesan.
An ideal if you are trying to pinch your pennies but don't want to compromise on quality food!
This place combines Japanese and Italian into something creative and delightful. We had the uni (sea urchin) pasta, seafood pasta and sea bass pasta. The uni pasta is a speciality at this place and was creamy and flavorful. Portions are a bit small, though. It was very cool to watch the kitchen operate on the floor. The restaurant is brightly lit and has a lively and cozy atmosphere.
My new favorite restaurant in NYC!. My sister and I went to Basta Pasta for my 40th birthday. The food, atmosphere and service couldn't have been improved upon in any way. My favorite moment was the Japanese staff singing "Happy Birthday" accompanied by a ukelele -- only in New York!
Delicious meal! Every bite was so very tasty! We had the scallop crudo, grilled octopus, and burrata to start. Had the seafood squid ink pasta and risotto as our mains. We were hoping to try their infamous sea urchin pasta but was told it was seasonal and not year round. Food was well balanced and each bite felt well curated! The risotto was creamy but not heavy- the peas and asparagus and a hint of citrus help balance it out to make it a really enjoyable dish! The pasta was perfectly Al dents with great bounce and chew and packed with flavor! We had the almond flan with passion fruit saffron sauce- this too was well balanced and scrumptious to the last morsel! The staff are super attentive and friendly! Thank you for a great meal and even greater experience!
I went there for their sea urchin pasta. It’s creamy and nice although I’d like to taste more sea urchin. It’s expensive so I understand. The restaurant has a nice ambient, staff is very friendly. Great service:)
Good portions, decently priced for NYC, and tasty appetizers. The actual pastas were not that great, and the ones we had were cooked way too “al dente”
Fabulous meal in a wonderful clean and welcoming environment. Wait staff was pleasant and very helpful. Appetizers were phenomenal. Had the smoked sliced duck breast salad. WOW. Beautiful compliment of flavors. We also had a tuna appetizer that was to die for. It came with a mini potato salad that had wasabe in it. I had the sea urchin pasta. It tasted very good but the sea urchin didn't add much. My companion had the squid ink seafood pasta. It was very well done and incredible. Will return again.
Great pasta place love the parmesan dishes. Good service but it can get crowded. Tip: plan your visit as the line forms by the bar and it can take some time to get seated. The pasta dishes are consistently good as are the specials. There is limited wine selection but the offerings are generally reasonably priced and good.
Visited here with a friend and the whole experience was good. We both had appetizer, pasta, and dessert. But it might because of the dishes I ordered that day didn’t hit my preference, I think overall was ok, lacking something.
I had the special that night, grilled squid, for my appetizer. The portion was small compared to other ones and the taste was nothing special.
For the pasta, I had the roe pasta with shiso which was also good, but missing something in the taste. The pasta was cooked just at the right point tho.
Last, I had almond flan for my dessert. Pretty much the same, good but that’s all. Only a small drip of raspberry sauce on the top.
Don’t know why I skipped all the famous dishes this time, but if there was another chance, I would like to go back.
This is my go to spot for a nice dinner after an hour or two of karaoke at the karaoke lounge that is just a couple of doors down. The seating is kind of tight but it's comfortable. The food is outstanding, although I have to admit I've only gotten one item - it's so good that I've ordered it every time. I've only had samples of other dishes off of my friends' plates :-) It's one of those places where I always bring guests when they visit the city... I just love the pasta in the cheese wheel yum yum yummmm :-o
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Great atmosphere, flexible service, and a nice experience overall.
I've visited a couple of times and enjoyed each visit. My favorite appetizer so far is the Octopus, although I haven't really tried all of them.
The pasta served in the parmesan wheel, is always *chefs kiss*
However, some of the other pastas have been lacking a little. Either too bland or the dish is too distracting by the added parsley.
The Spaghetti Nero and its accompaniment looked good, however, it felt like it was put together just because they can. It felt like it was lacking either seasoning in the toppings or in the sauce.
The Spaghetti Uova di Pesche was good, but the bare shiso leaves threw me off a little because I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be eaten or decorative. I assume eaten because it was draped all over the dish. But it was tasteless and raw, not an issue itself. But mixing it with a hot dish, it didn't seem to mesh well. The dish itself felt light, perhaps if the clam juice was also made creamier or thicker it would add to the overall taste.
I hope they make improvements in the dish.
I admit it. I love their “Parmesan cheese wheel” in which they dunk your pasta in a hallowed cheese wheel pulling in the flavor. This is a neighborhood pasta place that is very good with their pasta at a reasonable price (for NYC). It is often crowded so if you come during prime time prepare to wait.
I LOOOOOOOVED the parmeggiano plage!! Did not expect it to be submerged in a big parmeggiano wheel, but that made it extra special. The wine and beers were really good. The service was also really great! Different servers kept an eye on us and made sure we didn't wait too long before they were able to help us. The only disappointment was the black spaghetti since it wasn't as creamy or flavourful, but I will come back for the parmeggiano dish.
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