Cotenna Reviews

NYC has a reputation of being expensive but not here. Prices so reasonable. Had linguine vongole. Fresh & tasty. This is my favorite Italian meal and have been disappointed many times since I moved to FL not to mention canned clams & overpriced. Take advantage of the blue point oysters at $1 a piece. It's in a great location with a pleasant decor and excellent professional friendly Brazilian waitress. Wish I was there now.

We visited this eatery on our first night in New York after my partner had visited here previously on a business trip a month earlier.As one of the first experiences of eating out here it was a fabulous start.The restaurant is bijou but has lots of character and the food was superb.It was very busy but this added to the atmosphere and the staff were helpful in recommendations. Essentially what is Italian tapas I can wholeheartedly recommend the Pappardelle Cinghiale....wild boar pasta it was scrumptious. A great find and ever back in New York a repeat visit would be on the cards.Booking is recommended.

This was recommended to us by some friends and I would highly recommend it, we ate here twice during our NYC stay. The special prosciutto and burrata is to die for and the pasta dishes are sensational, we tried the truffle Mac and cheese and the shrimp, garlic and tomato pasta - both we recommend. Wine is also a highlight here. Service is also very good. Only criticism is the tables are very close together so can be very intimate with other parties.

We were a party of seven and had a simply wonderful time. Seven different entrees, three or four appetizers shared by the table. All were wonderful, with even the native NY-ers suitably impressed. I am a NJ native, and I must say that theirs was the best lasagna I have ever had. The wines were reasonably priced and the service sharp, friendly, and attentive. This is not a large place, so be sure to call ahead for a reservation!

We called to reserve a table for 2 at 7. We were told they didn't take reservations for only two people but that st that time we should be able to walk in. We arrived a few minutes before 7 and were told all tables were reserved and there wouldn't be any tables available for 2 people.

i had gone to cotenna a few times before deciding to take my entire team (9 of us) for dinner and drinks. Spent close to a $1000. I neglected to take the receipt so the next day, i called the owner and asked for a copy. She said no problem. It didn't come. I waited two days and called back. She said she was having issues with their system and would be sent out same day...nothing. I called back and asked her what additional info she needed to provide me with a receipt. She proceeded to tell me that she does not owe me a receipt and that she does not need to take my attitude and hung up. I called back and to keep it civil told her that we must've been disconnected. She repeated again that she doesn't appreciate my constant calling and she doesn't have to give me anything. I was really shocked and very disappointed. I explained to her that i had spent a substantial amount at her restaurant and all i wanted was a receipt and that she might want to reconsider how she treated her clientele. She ended up hanging up. All this to say, there are so many places in the city where the people are lovely, the management is gracious and the food delicious. I wouldn't return based on how i was treated. Wanted to share my experience.

NYC has tons of Italian restaurants. But none of them can compare to this one; not even the ones in Little Italy. This is a very small place with great service. The owner (French?) goes to you table to explain you every dish in the menu (which is printed in y our paper sheets), and also some specials that aren't in the menu. I ordered gnocchis in tomato sauce. These were delicious, but we also ordered some appetizers, like the prosciutto & cheese samples, and some octopus. Everything was expectacular and made with great and fresh ingredients. Tip: make a reservation.

We were here for lunch, which was pretty quiet. The place is small, and when it is cold, whenever someone opened the front door, I felt I had to put a jacket on, despite sitting in the back of the restaurant. The food itself was very good, and at a very decent price for NYC. I look forward to coming here again, just not on a blistering cold day.

Found via the Michelin Guide as not local. Arrived for our reservation 5 minutes early and had to wait outside as there were no seats. We were sat a little after our booking. When I booked, I requested an indoor table, but we ended up at the bar. Which would be fine, but the stools are not comfortable or conducive to a nice meal. They can't help it, but the building is 6 feet too thin ! Everyone is on top of each other. Constantly banged into by waiter's, runners, and other guests. There is cosy, and there is packed in. I have never seen a bar where guests sit on the same side as the team who are working! Food on the other hand was good. I would have stayed longer/eaten more if the general ambience was better. Initial service was fine, but everything on was very slow. They could have turned tables if they paid more attention to who had finished. Everyone sat with plates long after finishing. The waitress didn't want to clear them and shouted for the bus boy to do it ! Bill was $120 for 2. The food great value, with a slightly out of sync wine list, odd to pay $18 for pasta but $60 for entry wine All in all, I wouldn't rush back, but maybe Saturday night isn't the time to go.....

My wife and I come here all the time. The food is good. The atmosphere is great, cozy and feels like An Italian trattoria. Love the eggplant, gnocchi, orata.

Yes it is a place recommended to have a good branch. the food was very tasty and we really enjoy it. good.

Great food, great service at a good price. The owners make you feel at home. The selection of wines is good.

When in the village, don't hesitate to dine at Cotenna's. The food is truly delicious and it is fairly priced, which is a treat. Do try their lobster ravioli and boar pasta! They also offer many creative appetizers, all of which are delicious. It's a very tiny restaurant...and you'll be sitting VERY close to the neighboring tables... but all of this adds to the overall neighborhood feel and ambiance of the cafe. Buon Appetito!

My husband and I went there during Christmas week. We figured it wouldn't be too crowded. Were we wrong! Got there around 6:45P, there were a couple of tables. By 7P, the place was mobbed. The layout is a long bar on one side where you can eat, and a row of tiny tables opposite the bar. The tables are around 4" apart so having any kind of "private" conversation is out of the question. However, the food is unique and good. We had 2 small plates to start: wild boar with polenta (excellent), and slow-cooked ribs (tasty, but the meat was not "fall off the bone" tender). For mains, we had gnocchi with tomato sauce (gnocchi were tasty and tender, sauce was nothing special), and garganelli pasta with osso bucco sauce (delicious and very meaty). If you like gnocchi, get it with the osso bucco sauce. The wine list is average. For a similar experience, more room and good food, try DaTommy Osteria directly across the street. And they have individual pizzas.

I was strolling round looking for a restaurant close to my hotel and stumbled upon this gem. The place is tiny but I got a seat at the window counter, and realized I beat the crowds by about 30 seconds. The grilled octopus salad was amazing. In fact, all the Italian small plates on the menu looked incredible. They were out of the lobster risotto special but the shrimp pesto risotto was just fine.

We enjoyed a romantic dinner at Cotenna yesterday. We started with a crusty artesian bread and olive oil paired with a sweet red wine ($11 pg) recommended by Philip which was lovely according to my companion (I don't drink alcohol so I enjoyed tap water). We shared the daily special luscious mango salad ($16) with fresh micro greens in a balsamic vinegarette with a panco encrusted fried goat cheese slab. The tastes were fresh, bright and well balanced. For our entrées we choose osso buco($12) and the daily special spaghetti carbonarra ($15). Both were tender and the hand made pasta in both were particularly sumptuous. While we loved both we really fell for the osso buco. The restaurant is so charming with exposed wood beam ceiling, exposed brick, white subway tile counters and a rustic and chic feel. It was clean and neat as a pin. The only downside, which seems inevitable in NYC, is that the place is over-filled with too many tiny tables, too many patrons, and too little breathing room. Not large-frame patron friendly.

I have traveled to New York 8-10 times this year and since finding this place it has become a regular stop. That is saying a lot for a city with so many great places to eat. The food is always very fresh well prepared and truly delicious. The atmosphere is wonderfully small and energetic, just as a new your restaurant should be. This is a can't miss if you are looking for great food and a fun place.

I tried this italian restaurant as it was recommended to me by a friend of mine. The place is a little small as already emphasized by other reviewers and I understand that it can get noisy when busy but fortunately I was alone when having a late lunch there so it wasn't a problem (two women came later on to have a quick snack but it was obviously still very quiet). I got a chance to chit chat with the manager there (Yoann) who is a friendly chap from the South of France, it was a nice to have informal and non intrusive discussion while I was enjoying my wild boar risotto. He also warned me that the portions are big when I was about to order a side, this was a sensible piece of advice indeed as I was full with the main. The food was tasty, the wild boar correctly cooked and paired nicely with the super toscan I ordered. Overall it is a nice place to have informal lunch/diner with friends, it offers good value for money, rare thing in Nyc. Note: apparently the place is crowded in the evenings and takes a more party atmosphere, so depending on the kind of ambiance you prefer, lunch or diner can be more suitable.

I got the wild mushroom risotto which definitely did not disappoint. Creamy and cheesy and basically on point! The vibe was typical NY restaurant which was great. Would recommend this gem of a place

When you step into this place, you definitely realize it's New York vibe. Narrow, close, but yet feels really good. The food was delish - the thing to remember tho, is that this is a small plates kinda place. If you aren't careful, you will spend a lot of money, albeit on really good food! The head waiter/manager for this evening was great with wine suggestions. The ladies beside me tasted 5 or 6 different wines before settling on a bottle. He never lost patience. Highly recommend this place.

Contenna delivers on pasta. Several types of gravy, sauces and types. Since it was a pre-marathon dinner, it did take two entres to fill up the runner, Spaghetti Polpette X2 and a beginning app of Salumi Soppressata. I ate the veggie offerings around the antipasti and an order of Rigatoni e Gamberi. Mine filled me right up. $90+ for two with one glass of wine. Moderate for NY.

DONT GO PLS very inconsistent food. I got the Spaghetti Vongole about four times now, and every time I have it it tastes different. My friend for the fettuccine ai funghi which was tasty and my other friend got the pasta with broccoli rabe and sausage and that was also really bad. Get Italian food elsewhere

That's a joke - that's what Eric Ripert said on his TV program when he ate Cinghiale (Wild Boar) - but it's what we said when we ate the Wild Boar with Polenta. I love Aria, the sister restaurant on Perry Street (and our server told us there are other restaurants in NY and South Beach so this is planned boutique) but it is a really, really good place to eat. We ate lunch at 3:00 today, and had Cotenna pretty much to ourselves - that is to say, it was not totally packed. Ah, I should mention, the menus are exactly the same. Having just been in Venice I can say that it is very much like a true cicchetti restaurant. Small, local, and with excellent food. We ate like - wild pigs! And drank a bottle of very good Ripasso, I think it was? The meatballs, the eggplant, the boar, the pasta, the dates stuffed with gorgonzola and wrapped in Speck were deliciious. And in the way of tapas, each dish is around $8-12 so depending on how much you eat you can either nibble or pig out (sorry I'm on a roll here!). We had tickets to a play later so we strolled back for a nap at the Four Points Soho, our favorite hotel, which was a hot three or four blocks away. We passed it on our way home at 11:00 and it was packed to the gills.Great location, one of the best in NY if you love the west village and soho area, which we do, Highly recommended.

So, we stumbled upon this tiny, charming restaurant after an okay experience at another larger “trendy” restaurant. I was intrigued because although it had no name on the outside , it was lively and packed in side. And everyone seemed happy. So i wandered in and booked a table for the next night. Wow. Food was italian exceptional. Prices soooo reasonable and the wine list curated and extensive. We ordered a few small dishes and a pasta to share. No complaints here! One thing to note... the tables are small, so if you are a larger party i would recommend asking to sit at the higher bar top counters ( two sided) which looked comfy and roomier. Enjoy!

Great food, atmosphere and staff. Portions are sensible and deliciously fresh. I loved the veal scaloppine.

Lunch on the terrace, the street is quiet The welcome is warm and the service gracious The dishes are good Italian cuisine and are tasty With our picky French tastes we highly recommend

The food at Cotenna was creative and the prices are very palatable. A true Italian experience. The wild boar was out of this world and our best dish of the night. A very intimate restaurant which made conversation difficult (which is why a 5 star was not given) but, if you like lively, this is it. I

We found Cotenna on the recommendation of a flight attendant who lives in the area.There is no sign outside, but it doesn't seem to need one. The Saturday lunchtime gathering was sparse and mostly local, but, allegedly, it's almost impossible to get a table in the evenings. The maitre/owner is French, who rules his domain from under a pork pie hat with a soupçon of Parisian surliness. (He seemed to be having a bad day, with a number of his staff not having shown up for work.) But his demeanour adds to the atmosphere more than it detracts, and beneath his indifferent exterior beats the heart of someone who really cares. The pasta is sublime and, washed down with an excellent glass of red, was some of the best I've every had.

Reluctant to review this "hole in the wall" lest it become even harder to get in. I eat there often. As GBS is reputed to have said, what makes a good restaurant a great one is where the food is good and they know you. This is that kind of place. Hard-working and congenial staff. Often packed. Some great appetizers -- where else would you get two tasty and lean lamb chops for $10 or oysters for $1 (for early meal)? Wonderful spaghetti carbonara. The danger is that some dishes are so good you want to come back to them again and again rather than try something new. Reasonable Italian wine list -- adding a Primitivo would be nice..

Was in NYC for 3 days and my friend that lived there suggested Cotenna, what an absolute Gem!! great cocktails, delicious Italian food , paired with full body wine, not to mention one of the best creme brulee' and all at a great value. Without the inside knowledge we never would have stumbled upon this restaurant, so here i am putting it out there!!

Very good food however the staff were a bit on the slow side.They are friendly but it’s so small and crammed in there it can get a bit awkward. Food was excellent and portion sizes were great. Despite being so small the atmosphere was great and we really enjoyed the overall experience. Just be warned it’s not that spacious but once you get over that it’s a really good dining experience.

A very pretty interior with candlelight, but very cramped. We were the early so the fact that there was so little elbow room didn't matter but I would NOT choose to go there at peak hours unless I was going for the wine bar only. We ordered salad and a dinner entree. Both were good, not exceptional in any way. Given the potential capacity and the sense that it is a popular spot, the restroom situation is awkward, to say the least: you have to go down a rather steep stairwell, at the bottom of which is one unisex restroom. To the side of that stairwell is the kitchen; dirty dishes were parked in full sight! A downer. I doubt that we'll be going back.

Loved the food at this place - space, not so much! This is a tiny restaurant, and despite booking way early, the 3 of us were crammed at the bar by the door - but the food made up for it! The linguini vongole was one of the best I have ever eaten - the sauce was light but very flavorful and the fresh linguini was cooked just right. We also had the cheese with prosciutto - the cheese was superb, the prosciutto was ok. The large portion of fresh grilled octopus on top of celery and tomatoes were perfectly done - delish! The grilled lamb was my favorite in a night of excellent food and we finished off with creme brule - very fine and not heavy - well done! The bottle of wine (nebiollo grapes, but forgot the vitner, recommended by the bartender) went very well with the meal too! Definitely return when I am in the area - very noisy though so you will have to shout to be heard. Make reservations, else you won't even have a seat by the bar!

My son took us here and we had a wonderful meal and enjoyed the terrific friendly service very much. The food is delicious and the portions are generous. We shared a few appetizers, the grilled octopus was perfect, and then we each had a pasta dish. Everyone loved their choice. This restaurant is very small so a reservation is a must! This will definitely be added to my list of favorite restaurants in NYC!

Great food. Excellent Carbonara. Very good service. A bit loud and make reservations. Wines are very reasonable and so are the prices.

This is a very tiny place where you are literally dining with the people next to you. This is fine though and to be expected in New York. The pasta and salad were great, as well as the green beans. My only complaint is that the server was rude. She acted as if she were doing us a favor by waiting on us. When I asked for the check she quickly showed me the electronic device and asked me to sign she watched as I added the tip which I gave 20% but if I had had a second to consider I would have not tipped that much due to her rude behavior. There are so many great restaurants in the area, no reason to go back to a place that does not seem to be welcoming.

- This was my most terrible restaurant experience for a long time. Where do I start? The place is small and clearly the owner is willing to make as many bucks as possible out of it, to the point of sitting so many people that the place is just totally uncomfortable and noisy to the extreme. We're all used to busy and noisy places in NYC venues, but this place is way over anything you can expect - so noisy and packed that it really makes you wonder from the first minute you get in why you're inflicting this to yourself. And by the way, despite the 20% mandatory gratuity, you're handling your coat and bags yourself and no, don't expect a coat rack (ok if you look for it you'll find a hook under your table so that you can spend your evening stepping on your coat). At this point, you're thinking the food must be amazing for so many people to be here. You receive a menu that has some hand written additions - the so-called "specials" - and very quickly you get plates and bread (I believe this is the part that is supposed to justify the mandatory 20%). Most of the food was disappointing: we ordered pasta carbonara - a classic italian recipe - that was part of the specials of the day. The carbonara was made with cream and onion, which would give an heart-attack to any italian grandma. But the worse part is not that it was not traditional carbonara, but that it just had no taste. The sauce was sugary and I'm pretty convinced that there was not a single ounce of parmesan in my plate (oh and I did not mention that of course neither parmesan, nor salt, nor pepper was brought to the table - I guess you need to be at 30% gratuity to expect such luxury service, and I did not mention either our struggle to get a bread refill). We also ordered another special - that from the description and expected price we believe would be a risotto with some osso-bucco meat and sauce. It turns out it was a full blown osso-bucco along risotto- another major italian classic for which I have strong expectations. The cooking of the meat was good, but the sauce and risotto very disappointing: the sauce had the taste of canned tomato paste (tip to chef: add orange peel to the sauce and you'll turn your second rate osso-bucco into something much better), the risotto was flavourless (again, it does not seem there is parmesan in the house). The biggest (bad) surprise turned out to be the bill, and this is where the bad restaurant story becomes a shameless rip-off: the menu is structured into several categories, each having a single pricing printed for all the dishes of the category. You would therefore expect the handwritten addition in each category to have the same price as the other dishes listed in the category - or, you think, the price would also be written if it was different. You're wrong, and your expected $12 risotto becomes a $27 dish on the bill. Beyond this, all wines are very expensive, a mix of over-priced basics and possibly good wines the food does not deserve. So if you have a bit of expectation for either the food you eat or the honesty of the places where you go eat, STAY AWAY from this place.

Stumbled upon this restaurant while walking around and decided to stop for lunch, we were pleasantly surprised! Such a small and cozy restaurant with a great ambience. Our food was great, the ingredients seemed to be high quality and fresh. The wait staff was very attentive and the restaurant seemed clean. Overall a great experience and highly recommend!

This charming little gem of an Italian restaurant was a wonderful surprise! We started by asking the owner what appetizers were a don't miss and we ordered them all and shared. What a treat that was! We did the same with our entrees! We opted to order bottles of wine for our table that were very well priced. The Manager brought us a dessert we couldn't miss on the house. Enjoyed these: lamb chops, Bolognese & Linguine Vongole all wonderful. I can't wait to go back and try some more dishes!

Started with the soppressata and cheese. Great prices. Lobster ravioli was great and so was the boar!

The service, food, ambience was beautiful. Nice lunch special which included a glass of wine. Had the truffle mac & cheese, my friend had the fettuccine. Really special xx

Ate at Jean Georges yesterday in the Trump Tower and this has it beat by a long shot. Full of flavor and VERY REASONABLE

We happened to pass by and accidentally looked into the window and saw a quaint but elegant dining area. There was very little signage on the exterior. We decided to go into this wine with an Italian menu of small plates of appetizers, past and salads at reasonable prices. It turns out the plates were not so small. Everything was excellent. The service couldn't have been better. It was not crowded since was late afternoon so the owner stopped by to get our thoughts on the food. It is a small well designed space with excellent background music.

This is our second visit to this wonderful tiny restaurant that serves amazing Italian food in a fun and festive atmosphere!

Exceptional food, wonderful service and a friendly welcoming atmosphere. Genuinely impressive! The lamb chops were absolutely delicious. Highly recommended.

Very good Italian restaurant in West Village. True homemade Italian food. Proactive and positive service. Fair, but limited selection of wines.

We stopped by for a (very) late lunch on Sunday afternoon and almost had the place to ourselves. This benefitted our visit as the location is very small. The entire table had to be moved in order for someone to get in and out if they were seated against the wall and I'm not sure if that would be manageable when the place is full. However, it was worth the visit because the food was excellent. I ordered the Garganelli Osso Buco and my husband ordered the Pappardelle Cinghiale. Both were delicious with perfectly cooked pasta, although I think the Osso Buco was slightly more flavorful and complete as a dish. We left wishing we had time for dessert and with a strong desire to return to try more of the menu.

We visited with a booking for 8 and found the staff very obliging and food very good. It's must be very popular as it was full all night with the staff trying hard not to turn "walk ins" away. Would definitely recommend. Plus there is no name at the front of the restaurant - so search hard to find it as it's worth it.

I went here with my boyfriend and sat by the bar. Because the place is pretty small it can become really loud. The food was alright, the setting was cozy, and price wise it's totally fine. Given the location though I'd choose Murray's Cheese Bar in a heartbeat.

We were told about this place by one of the locals that love there and honestly the food here is incredible we had wild boar pasta and the last time I found this dish was in Tuscany and it tasted exactly the same!! wish we would've visited this place sooner. you will over look the fact that you're squashed like a tin of sardines

First time at Cotenna. I have to admit, I was impressed. This little Italian neighborhood restaurant looks more like a trattoria (high tables with bar stools and a few regular tables) than a proper restaurant but the food and the service make up for it. I had the shrimp with polenta and lentils as a starter (delicious), the spaghetti carbonara as a main dish (very good although the size could have been a bit larger). My friend had the Vongole pasta. Good selection of wines by the glass and professional service- all for less than $100 tax and services included. I will go back

Went there on 1 May 2016 (party of three) The food, service, atmosphere were excellent! Although it was crowded and very busy, service was courteous prompt and exacting--no shortcuts. Excellent choice of wines. Great value. Definite worth returning again and again.

The restaurant in incredibly charming with a unique vibe and great people working there! The spaghetti carbonara was the best that I have ever had in my entire life! For a few hours we felt to be in Florence! We will come back!

Beautiful and intimate, this restraunt was a fantastic find, hidden away in Greenich Village. Highly personal service and Hugh quality food that was simply delicious. A huge range of wine and the head waitor made some very good suggestions. A friend paid so I can't speak too much about prices but what I saw seemed quite well priced, not cheap but by no means overly expensive. A real treat and I will certainly be back.

Met with some friends to enjoy dinner. The food was good, but the atmosphere was dreadful: We were in the basement and it was Hot and Loud. The ground floor was similar, but much more crowded. Again the good was good, but nothing to warrant this level of patronage.

Dropped in just for a coffee to try and warm up, but as the food looked good ended up having a minestrone soup as well. Excellent flavoursome soup with plenty of vegetables. Good service and reasonably priced. Well worth a visit.

Despite the name, the manager there speaks French (no Italian)and is very friendly! Great food! Great ambiance. Less than half full when we were there (on Sunday night).

We came because a good friend of ours echó lives in NY AND is Italian, recommended it. It’s a small, cozy, not pretencious place. Ask for the Tortelloni d’Aragosta (lobster ravioli)!!! ñam ñam

Great little spot and I mean little. The tables along the wall are about 4 inches away from one another! The bar had seats around 3/4 of it so you might be seated right in front of the cash register. There are also a few tables downstairs in a little dark room across from the kitchen and to the right of the restroom. All in all it is a very homey feel. The owner Bruce is a nice French man, he provides very good service and adds a fun vibe to the place. The bread service was great - soft crumbed, dark edged French bread with a plate of olive oil with a few spicy, small olives. We tried the octopus bruschetta which was tender and nicely seasoned albeit a tad fishy smelling which it should not be. The fresh mango salad had paper thin slices of slightly greenish mango with vinaigrette seasoned arugula and a fried hockey puck of goat cheese. The breading had a hint of that "time to change the fryer oil" taste. The fettucini with bolognese was good, not great with a hint of warmed over flavor. The pappardelle with wild boar however was amazing! Tender, flavorful chinks of pork with a tasty tomato sauce. The pappardelle was perfectly cooked with a good bite and also tender enough No cheese was offered for the pastas and we did not ask and should have. The beets side dish was very good, tender beets with good flavor.the polenta however was a real disappointment. Although the squares were crispy on the edges and soft in the center they really seriously lacked flavor, salt and creaminess. Dessert was a chocolate "soufflé" with vanilla ice cream snd strawberries with a light sauce. In actuality this was a chocolate lava cake - really dark, chocolatey and rich. Really good! We hear the mushroom bruschetta is amazing and hope to return to try it.

We were here 2 of us a few weeks ago on saturday. The food was good, the staff was very helpful and friendly. We were sitting at the bar and had a table of 10-15 people behind me who were about finishing their dinner. There were very loud and pushing me and my chair everytime when passing by. It was very annoying. The bill included 18% of service change which wasn`t optional so we paid it. But I think I should decide how much I want to leave...

Fresh ingredients make for well prepared dishes. Excellent experience...half due to the quality of the food and half due to the intimate atmosphere and the most charismatic, friendly, funny, charming manager....Bruce. He made the night a memorable one.

An exciting village restaurant. We had excellent and personal service from Christoff. Get reservations as difficult to walk in.

Excellence food very large portions so be hungry and very friendly efficient service. Easy ambiance. Highly recommend

This is such a great little Italian place with a lot of New York energy in it. Small and narrow, they make a lot of people in one room feel very cosy and as the evening goes on even seat diners around the bar. The result is a very New York experience where you meet people and get into a good social vibe. Despite the place being packed throughout it never felt cramped and service was super prompt and friendly. The food is very good, with some nice unusual choices together with Italian classics on a modest but well diverse menu. Had a great time, will definitely come back if I can !

Believe the reviews! This place was is a pleasant dinning experience. The service was very good and the food was delicious. Diverse and interesting menu. The Arata (fish) was so good that I will have it again. Can't wait to go back. Wine by the glass is a tad pricey but the selection is good.

It's small. It's Subtle. But so attractive that we stopped and check it out on the way to another Village restaurant around the corner. We changed our plans so we could come back to Cotenna. There was no way we were going to miss the charm that drew us in. We are very lucky as it was early on a weeknight, which gave us a fighting chance to get a table. We sat by an open window on a very pleasant late April afternoon. Service was prompt and professional. Essentially Cotenna is a wine bar with a delightful Italian menu. We both enjoyed a couple very tasty wines... a dry white and a full bodied smooth red. A couple of small plates, a shared salad and clam linguine rounded things out. All in all it was a friendly, high quality and very cozy experience. Enjoy. Mangia!

Truly a special place for a social meal in the West Village. Traditional and popular dishes and wine list that will satisfy everybody.

Located in the heart of the West Village on charming Bedford St, it’s classic Italian pasta and it’s delicious. Highly recommend. The prices are even reasonable, considering the quality and that it’s NYC. If could afford to live in the neighborhood, I’d go there all the time. One item of note, it’s *very* cozy (but not stuffy), so if you need elbow room, go during off-peak hours. Make time to walk around the West Village. Gorgeous city homes.

One of the most authentically European restaurants I've been to. Even the table arrangements felt like a neighborhood trattoria. We split several starters and pastas. Everything was fantastic. The shaved octopus crostini is the best I've had. Period. Full stop. I will go back just for that dish, but not sharing next time...

Honestly, a great spot, perfectly New York. The food is to die for, probably my best Italian meal in a long time. You really can't go wrong, everything is super fresh and well made- overall a great choice for a dinner with friends, family or business.

Really disappointed in this restaurant. My girlfriends and I went here for a birthday and although the food and prices were good, the overall experience was subpar. Our food came out LITERALLY 5 minutes after we ordered. The whole point of going to a restaurant is to have a nice, experience and chat with friends but the restaurant rushed us so much that we were out of there in 50 minutes (including getting dessert). They didn’t even give us bread before our meals while all the other tables did get bread. Also my booking was for 8pm so it’s not even like they had to turn over the table. Confused and disappointed, especially it being a special birthday event.

My friend and I ate here after we discovered they had GF pasta. Initially, it's a VERY small restaurant and the tables are very close together. However, you get into the spirit of the place and I loved it. My pasta dish was soo good and our waiter was so kind, adding spinach and pecorino cheese at no additional cost. The drinks were yummy too. Would come back here next time!!

My son had happened upon Cotenna while exploring the neighborhood and loved it so we decided to give it a try and we were not dissappointed. The burrata and prosciutto was fantastic, fresh and flavorful. As were the tagliatele bolognese and truffle gnocchi. The place is tiny and somewhat loud, but it does not detract from the food. The service was excellent as well.

Italian food with a modern twist - you cannot book a table but it is worth waiting those 30 min before sitting down and enjoying all the menu ! do keep some space for the tiramisu...

We loved this place! The food was delicious and so well priced. The atmosphere was warm and inviting. It has the buzz and vibe that you would want from a little NYC eatery. We would highly recommend this lovely restaurant.

Went in on a weekday for team lunch, food was very tasty and met our expectations. However, lunch portions are a little small.

Unfortunately I had a very unpleasant experience at Cotenna. The place always looked as a very cozy neighborhood Italian so I decided to take a friend visiting from abroad. The waitress Marina was rude since the beginning but I was not shocked (after all, it is NYC). When we asked for the check and said we would pay with cash the lady was completely out of herself, aggressive, speaking loudly etc We asked if we could help her calculate the change so we could pay in cash and suddenly she started acting very aggressivly, shouting out loud a lot very rude words in front of the whole restaurant. I felt embaressed and humiliated in front of my guest. She might act like this frequently because the staff was not shocked with her bad atitude. I feel said for Cotenna.

Went for lunch today whilst over from London. I first visited last September and it was as good as I remember. Great food, very good value and the guy who served us (French) was so helpful. We enjoyed it so much we are going back on Monday (something we never do). Definitely recommend this to anyone who wants unpretentious, well cooked Italian food in a relaxed, friendly setting.

Our kids are getting married in NYC and we were checking the place out for a potential rehearsal dinner location. Ordinary food. Tiny location. Oppressively hot in the restaurant. Server didn't care if we lived or died. I hope I convinced our children to find another location for their wedding rehearsal.

It's charm is also it's downfall. Because the place is euphemistically cozy, you're likely gonna have to wait a while or move on, but if you're lucky to grab a seat, the food is pretty good, all dishes are super reasonably priced, and the staff are friendly. Great find in the West Village.

It is an Italian restaurant serving super fresh and tasty small plates. The set up is interesting: there is a regular bar (with I think only 5-6 seats), then two large communal tables with either larger groups sitting there or separate parties of 2 or 4 (so this is not good table for solo diners), and then several "usual" tables. This combination is flexible and gives the restaurant a nice, slightly funky, look. The restaurant itself is tiny and is (intentionally) not well marked. We had various pastas, cod fish, sausages and everything was excellent. The price was quite reasonable for the quality (about $80 per person including wine). Service was quite friendly.

I loved this little place on Bedford! Small, intimate atmosphere, a few tables and a long bar where you can sit "inside" where the bartender works. Good wine list, great selection of pastas and tasty desserts. I went for a glass of wine one evening, and came back for dinner a couple of nights later - lgreat food and great service! It has all the charm you`d expect from a local Italian place - would go again. Lobster ravioli is super tasty!

A very cool west village spot..yes its tight. More than tight. Last night it was hot. Very hot. The weather didnt agree and the windows dont open. However despite that we loved our food, the service and the overall vibe. Really felt like we were in a downtown homey place, so different from other parts of NYC. Reasonable prices, easy to share and food comes hot, well cooked (al dente pasta)....we could talk even though the place was full so its not so horribly loud. Some specials listed outside might be forgotten as the menu is expansive but I had one of them..spaghetti carbonara which was excellent and quite as in Italy. Not always the case. And the servings for pasta were quite large. We did not do dessert. Go and enjoy.

We had lunch at Cotenna, cozy little place. Our meals tasted well, but the portions are too small, so small - we ordered second plates...

We were a party of five, place is very cute, small and cozy. The food was very underwhelming and not memorable. We tried many plates, appetizer and few pastas. We returned some dishes like the mussels. The pasta with clams we took three bites and that is it. On top of that it is not cheap at all, I understand it is NYC but come on, very few bottles of wines in the $50-$60 range and those were not good so we had to go to the $70 range. Service is great no complaints. For NYC there are many better Italian restaurants in that area and others.

I recognized the wall of wine bottles and set-up similar to Aria in Hell's Kitchen. Sure enough, it's the same ownership. They serve "small plates Italian style" and it's well-priced to allow diners to share or enjoy dishes individually. The appetizers and pastas are lively and delicious. Our bottle of Montepulicano D'Abruzzo was inexpensive and satisfying. Service was warm, prompt and friendly. I would definitely return to Cotenna!

Intimate service, excellent food and good wine list. Charm of an authentic Italian place. Negroni cocktail is one of the best, quite authentic. The place is small and gets crowded / crammed so make sure to go early. Tiny space of perhaps nine 2-top tables and a small bar to eat at.

We found this spot after a walk about in Soho and it was perfect! The food was wonderful, the service was so friendly, and the ambiance was intimate. We’ll go back for sure on our next trip! A must!

Very good food. Staff is very kind. Food fresh and cocked on the spot. Everything was very tasty. The place is Cousy and intimate atmosphere

I've been here a couple of times and have always sat at the bar. It's a pretty small space, but perfect for a romantic evening or catch up with a small group of friends. The food is unbelievable and the prices very reasonable for the quality and serving you get. My husband and I loved the Wild Boar Papperdelle which was rich and exploding with flavour. I also enjoyed the Shrimp Scampi, lobster salad, and Octopus dishes. All top-notch fare. One of my favourite places in NYC!

We loved Cotenna. It is very small, but we were so happy with the food, the wine, and the prices. I had the burrata and the spicy pasta with shrimp and both were excellent. We went as a group of three friends but it would be a great place for date night.

I will absolutely return to this restaurant. The service was great and the food was excellent. Fresh pasta, very good appetizers, and nice wine selection

We waited a short while when we arrived at our booking time. However the wait was worth it. First impressions were a bit challenging....the place is tiny, the tables need to be shifted around to fit you into the seats along the wall and there are even some people seated behind the little bar. Don't be put off though, the food is well made, first rate Italian with good serving sizes. I had the Osso Buco which was excellent. Others similarly enjoyed various pasta dishes.. Service is attentive and prompt. Together with a good bottle of red the bill came to a very reasonable amount for the four of us.

Very good Italian place in NY The staff was ok Our table wasn't available for 1 HR, they offered us some prossecco and kept repeating it was from the house Taste food but a little over price

This quintessentially romantic neighborhood spot is ideal for couples who don't mind being packed in like sardines to savor anchovies, fresh aromatic pastas and unforgettable mushroom bruschetta with montasio cheese. Twinkling white lights on the building and a warm and friendly hostess welcome you in, and the waiter who appears to be an owner or manager, moves quickly from table to table advising you on what to order and share. We started with a couple of glasses of red vino and the Bruschetta Funghi ($10) and an order of the beef meatballs in tomato sauce ($10) and an order of buratta - which were all nicely portioned, fresh and flavorful. The homemade bread is well worth the carb count and for sopping up the appetizers. Mama Mia! We're gonna spend a little Euro and gain some poundage tonite! We moved onto the pasta - sharing the Tagliatelle Bolognese ($12) and Gnocchi Sorrentina ($12). The pastas were cooked and seasoned to perfection and we could see why this little place is fast becoming a favorite in the hood while earning rave reviews. We ended with tiramisu and coffee and despite the tight quarters and noise, enjoyed some nice conversations with the millennials dining cheek to jowl on either side.

My friend and I had a great lunch there. I had a risotto with wild boar and my friend had pasta with truffle . We both enjoyed it . The service was great and the French owner attentive .The specials are a little more than the normal items listed on the menu . I loved the decor as well

The meal was good but it's crowded and noisy. I'm American but was with 3 British people and their custom is to tip 10% and back home that's a good tip. As we were leaving the waiter actually chased us down with a sarcastic "thank you for the tip" remark. Only after did I realize what had happened as I had already moved to outside so wasn't there to remind them what's customary here. I know the custom is 15-20% but they didn't know that. A tip is at your discretion and 10% is still a tip. To be chased down is so uncomfortable, especially considering the waiter is French and knows the custom in Europe and should have figured out that there was no ill will meant. For him to run after us for a few dollars is embarrassing for him and the restaurant.

The restaurant is very small but the food and service are wonderfully generous. They have interesting daily specials and all the food is delicious. The staff is friendly and helpful. We had a multi generational dinner and everyone was pleased . The atmosphere is cozy and welcoming.