Cafe Prima Pasta

We made a reservation 24 hours in advance. I had a mishap with a waiter there… He thought I was “cutting in line.” You arrive and they make you wait for everyone in your party to be there… (There were 12 of us) if we weren't all there, they wouldn't give us a table. We were waiting in a small space between the bar and the front window… My family arrived and someone came to locate them… I got distracted by a purse on the floor, trying to notify them and find out who the owner was. When I realized my family had “lost sight,” I went in the direction “I thought” they had gone… and there, a local person stopped me and asked: “Are you from the 14-person reservation?” “No… but…” (He didn't let me explain) The follow-up question came: “Are you from the 10-person reservation?” “No” (I was almost ready to tell him… My family was already in)… ——all this in Spanish——- Suddenly, following the thread of questions and answers… -“Oh, wait over there, they're going to admit you. Don't be a SNEAK…..” Whats????😳 Oh…. How mad I got😡 I listened to him and waited…. The ladies and gentlemen at the entrance were jammed up…. A space was made, and I told them, very angrily…but respectfully—they had no idea, they knew nothing— -“my family is inside, could you guide me?” When they found my table, they called a man to escort me to it. And on the way, I told that person how angry I was…. that “I WASN'T A SNEAK,” that he should treat me with respect and that I deserved an apology…. None of that happened. I looked for the man throughout the entire dinner and didn't see him again… I only knew it was a waiter because I saw him perfectly. Then the person who took our order was very kind and friendly, offering to help us with my celiac disease and finding a pasta with vegetables menu for a friend, telling us, "It's not on the menu, but we can make it for you, of course." And thanks to him... WE HAD A BEAUTIFUL EVENING... otherwise... I would have left. Telling me, "DON'T BE A FOOL?" That was so bad... At least you see someone walking alone in your restaurant... You're not one of the reservations you asked for... He asks, "Which reservation are you from?" At least... It's CAFÉ PRIMA PASTA!!!

What a wonderful gem we found tucked away on 71st Street. We walked from our hotel and had an amazing experience. Andreu was a perfect waiter who was attentive to us with such great detail, including making sure our gluten free preferences were completely followed. The Ruccula salad was amazing and I paired it with a gluten free veal piccata with vegetables. My husband had the specialty of the house (fiocchi rapera) and cannot stop raving about it about the unique fusion of sweet and savory. Andreu was a perfect host for the evening. We sat outside with the fans keeping the temperatures comfortable. We thoroughly enjoyed the fantastic fresh food, the relaxed atmosphere and the attentive service courtesy of Andreu. We will definitely be back!! What a memorable evening. Thank you Cafe Prima Pasta!!

The pasta was delicious! Also, I’m vegan so I ordered the gluten free pasta and it was fantastic.