Giuseppe Iannotti is an Italian chef known for his experimental and technique-driven cuisine. He is the founder of Krèsios and is involved in multiple innovative culinary projects.
Giuseppe Bruno is a chef and owner of Sistina, an Italian restaurant in New York City. He is known for his extensive wine cellar, which boasts 120,000 bottles.
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A Culinary Triumph Destroyed by Abusive Hospitality at Sistina
What should have been a joyful 30th birthday celebration at this Upper East Side establishment was completely ruined by an astonishing display of unprofessionalism from the top down.
The Incident
The breaking point of our evening centered around the Sea Bass special, which arrived severely undercooked. Upon politely sending it back, the older owner—distinguishable by his limp—approached our table, aggressively slammed the plate down, and belligerently declared that the fish was fully cooked. He then had the audacity to accuse us of returning the meal for the "wrong reason." Such an unhinged, disrespectful temper tantrum from ownership is completely inexcusable and instantly soured a milestone evening.
The Kitchen's Wasted Talent
It is a profound shame that the hospitality is so remarkably toxic, because the kitchen staff is exceptionally talented. The Wild Mushroom Ravioli, served with a sweet bell pepper puree and pecorino romano, was exquisitely executed. The Busiate—featuring homemade fusilli, fresh tomatoes, basil, goat cheese, and lemon zest—was fantastic, and the Lamb Ragu was richly flavorful and delicious.
The Verdict
Phenomenal food can never justify hostile and abusive customer service. Ruining a patron's milestone birthday with an aggressive attitude is unforgivable. Until this owner learns basic emotional control and respect for paying guests, I strongly advise taking your business to a restaurant that actually values its clientele.
Old style yet updated fancy Italian restaurant.
The bread basket is award winning.
The oysters were excellent, so was the sea bream entry.
The lemon cake and the apple cake were both sublime.
Excellent wine selection.
Food and drinks was great, I have to remove one star only for desert was not serviced on time with other people at the same table with is unacceptable in this $$$ kind of restaurant, otherwise will be 5 star! Yes I do recommend this restaurant.
I loved all the artwork in this restaurant! It’s very beautiful but also quirky. The waiters are so sweet and they really want to make sure you are having a good time, they are really fun and attentive. The food is so good too, I had the fettuccine and asparagus soup. The truffle butter is amazing. And the shouffle is wonderful. The only reason I gave it one less star is because I think it’s way too expensive for the meal but still it was a wonderful experience
This is a bit of a discovery. An excellent lunch place. Not far from The Frick and the Met and the Neue Gallery. The food is really top class but you will be paying top dollar. A glass of wine is $25-$30. The main courses at lunch will set you back $30-$50. Appreciate it is expensive but above spot in Manhattan.
