Nick & Toni's Cafe

On Saturday March 14, 2015 we had tickets to see Les Contes d'Hoffmann. We chose Nick & Toni's Cafe @ 100 West 67th Street NYC for our pre-show dinner because it offered a variety dishes, it had a reasonable Prix Fixe menu, and it was close to the Metropolitan Opera.

We arrived on time for our 5:30 reservation and were seated immediately.  The interior had a cozy mediterranean feel with the dining area predominantly to the left of the entrance and the bar area to the right.  While the cafe was mostly empty when we arrived it filled up by 6 pm.

After reviewing the menu, we decided the Prix Fixe would be too much food for us so we decided to order an appetizer to share and individual entrees.  The appetizer we selected was the zucchini chips which were very tasty. For our entrees, my partner ordered the risotto and I had an arugula salad. Once again, the flavors of our respective dishes did not disappoint.

For dessert, we shared an Olive Oil Cake. The cake was very moist and was nicely complimented by a fruit compote and an olive oil gelato.

Each dish was so well proportioned that we were full by the end of the meal.

For me, a good dining experience is a balance between the food quality and the service received. When it comes to service, I don't like to be seated and ignored, nor do I like to feel badgered during my meal.

Our server was a little over attentive for my taste. She approached us numerous times while we were clearly still reviewing our menus. Once we placed our orders she seemed to give us a little more space yet still interrupted us a few more times.

A pet peeve of mine is when I am unable to find someone to refill my water glass. That was not the issue here. Instead, the busboy kept our glasses of water full by reaching between us numerous times while we were eating, conversing, and trying to enjoy our meal.

I understand the server and the busboy were both trying to provide good service to us, yet both of these situations were overly intrusive to our meal and comfort.

In my opinion the food we sampled and the ambiance make Nick & Toni's worth a visit as long as you don't mind the possibility of excessive disruptions during your meal.