Address: | 271 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014, USA |
Phone: | +1 212-243-1500 |
Site: | kestepizzeria.com |
Rating: | 4.4 |
Working: | 11:30AM–11PM 11:30AM–11PM 11:30AM–11PM 11:30AM–11PM 11:30AM–11:30PM 11:30AM–11:30PM 11:30AM–10:30PM |
AL
Alessandra Peters
Great pizza, but one major complaint: unnecessarily snobby. Ive lived in NY for 8 years and been blessed enough to go to some wonderful restaurants, and I never mind a place that takes themselves seriously (its typically a sign of exacting quality). Further, my family operates one of the best artisan pizza places in the country; I know how the cornicione is meant to come out, the importance of balanced protein content in the flour, and the ideal timeline for fermentation for the dough. These pies are good, though Motorino is better. On the other hand, I also know youre not supposed to ask for pecorino Romano. I like it anyway, and have never had a problem asking for it, not even in Naples... Well, this place is the only that has ever refused to give me a side of it. Upon being surprised by this ultra-orthodox approach, I simply asked for salt (in order to dip my crusts in olive oil and a bit of salt). Again, the waiter refused, saying "they dont do that here". While I understand the merits of "educating" your customer base, Im requesting that the management become more lenient. I spent $22 on a pie that I didnt enjoy as much as I should have, and thats enough to keep me going to Motorino instead (Motorino is also better at giving their pizzas proper char). As a customer, if you can secede control over whether you are "allowed" to have a salt shaker, the pies are quite good.
RA
Rachel Wilson
I went to Kestè on July 7th with my mom. She was visiting NYC for the first time and I really wanted to show her real Italian pizza. We arrived around 7pm and were seated immediately. We ordered burrata as a starter and each ordered a pizza and glass of wine. The burrata never came, but the pizze arrived quickly so I asked to cancel the burrata since we were happy to begin stuffing our faces with pizza. The waiter was very apologetic as he had missed the burrata and gave us each another glass of wine on the house. Very kind. At a later point, the staff needed to shuffle tables to accommodate a larger party that had arrived. They asked if we could move down one spot, then brought us a large piece of tiramisu for the inconvenience. Despite the few minor inconveniences, I felt this was some of the best service Ive had in NY since I moved here 6 months ago. In terms of the food, I ordered the Pistacchio & Salsiccia pizza and it was delicious. The sausage had a nice flavor, and I especially enjoyed it with the chili oil I drizzled on top :) The tiramisu is worth mentioning as well. Close to being the best tiramisu Ive tasted outside of Italy. Thank you to the staff for making this a really enjoyable evening with my mom. Grazie mille.
ST
Steve Soldwedel
I came here right as they were closing the kitchen between lunch and dinner. Now, Ive heard of such a thing but, Christ, its so annoying. I realize that to say such a thing makes me entitled, etc., but if I go to a restaurant at 4 p.m. and its closed, Im going to go somewhere else, not wait for it to reopen. Theyre not selling Ponce de Leons Everlasting Life Pizzas. That little diatribe aside, I did get in the door, just before the wire, and I enjoyed my gluten-free pizza. The sauce was tasty, the crust was rather good and the cheese, while nothing to write home about, was suitably textured with the right amount of salt to flavor it. Still, it wasnt mind blowing. Im not the sort to crow nor self-aggrandize, but I have to disclaim because thats exactly what the following will seem like. Im no master chef, by any stretch of the imagination, but I make gluten-free pizza for myself all the time, and Ive made it for guests, and my gluten-free pizza beats any (gluten-free pizza) that Ive had at restaurants in this city. I think its just the nature of the gluten-free life: if you can cook, youll eat better at home than you will while out.
NE
Neil Zielinski
I finally stopped in the other day after wanting to try it for a while but usually a big line. I got there at a good time on Saturday around 1230. I was seated right away by a friendly hostess and quickly waited on my a waiter. The menu had a nice selection. I opted for a traditional margherita pizza (Diavola) with tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, hot sopressata, basil, extra virgin olive oil. it was enough for 2 not too hungry people or one moderately hungry person. I was alone so some of the pie went uneaten. As for the taste of the base, it was perfect. It wasn’t crispy as the pizzas Brooklyn has evolved into but it was well done and a perfect combination of dry and moist at the same time. The taste was good and the bottom was not charred as some of the coal and wood fire imposters always end up screwing up. The crust was airy with air pockets and all! Very good! The mozzarella, sauce, sopressata, and seasonings was fantastic. Overall, I loved this place and probably is the best I had.
PA
Paolo Iancale
ITA: semplicemente fantastico! Una vera...e dico vera pizza napoletana nel cuore di NYC. Ottima qualitá anche per gli standard italiani. Moretti e Menabrea come birre. Solo il vino un po caro. Consigliatissima per sfuggire alla tristezza della cucina made in USA. ENG: simply fantastic! A truly pizza napoletana in the hearth of NYC. Best quality even for the italian standard. They serve Moretti and Menabrea beer. Wine costs is quite expensive. You must try!!!!
JE
Jess T
My wife, daughter and I went to the keste location on 66 gold st in the Wallstreet district and from the moment we walked in we felt as if we were like family. We were greeted as we entered by the hostess and the owner. That blew me away that the owner would be so humble as to get involved and welcome us with such warmth. We were seated right away by our waiter nicolai who was very friendly and proffesional. There was so much to choose from on the menu but nicolai asked us what wed to eat and he gabe us some recommendations that were suited for us. When the food came we were amazed at how beautiful the food looked. We were blown away with the taste of our selections. We had some wine, and one of there signiture drinks and everything was so perfect. I truly recommend this place to anyone looking for a touch of Italy . This place takes pride in their food and customers. A must for everyone to go to.
GI
Gianni G
WAY Overrated. I have been to Naples several times...any establishment there serves you amazingly better pizza than this. With ingredients that are simply divine and flavors unexpected. I am not sure where they came up with this Naples-style definition...pizza in Naples is nothing like this. They use what I can only call Nouveau NYC-style bread dough not pizza dough. It puffs up, bubbles out and burns very easily, is way too gummy and soft, overwhelms the toppings and kills the whole thing. The menu gives you the spiel about the owner from Napoli...well? Where is he? I expect him to be there making pizzas! The oven is run by your standard set of exploited Mexican workers just like any other franchise in the US. The whole thing seems just another overhyped americanata so that all the singles thirtysomethings in NYC can tweet the great find with their iphone. Disappointing.
CA
Cameron Hernandez
I cannot begin to describe how amazingly fresh, crisp, and delectable this pizza is. The dough is simply made of yeast, salt, and water... nothing else. It is then left to ferment for 3 days before kneading, forming, dressing, and cooking the best pizza youll have on Bleeker street. The cheese is made fresh on the premises, and the tomatoes are just chopped and raw before being cooked. The marinara sauce is impeccable, and if you like fresh, mouth-watering cheeses, youre definitely in the right place. Prices are reasonable, especially for the Margherita (12) and Marinara pizzas (9). I recommend the Margherita pizza especially if you are touring the pizza in the area. Very light, airy, yet filling. Try with spicy olive oil lightly drizzled over the top. Now put your thumb and pointer finger on your mouth and give a nice Italian kiss because bon Appétit!!!