SESAMO - Italian Restaurant Hell's Kitchen NYC Reviews Summary

Cocktails & Drinks

Pros:

• "The amaro spritzes were fabulous and all of the food top-notch."
• "I'll definitely be returning for more of those fantastic cocktails and the welcoming ambiance."
• "Gorgeous, well balanced cocktails- the Pompeii Sunset margarita was so delicious with citrus notes and floral hibiscus."
• "Big fan of the cocktail I was recommended too, the Dragonella!"
• "The Dragoncello (Vodka, Pomegranate, Tarragon syrup & Lemon bitters) was delicious."
• "Also got the memoirs of a geisha cocktail and it was delish! Nice and refreshing."
• "The best Negroni I’ve probably ever had."

Cons:

• "Both white & red wine sangrias were too sweet."
• "The drinks were some of the worst margaritas I have ever had, alcohol forward, tasting more like scotch than tequila and not much other flavor other than a hint of lime."
• "The Smoked Old Fashioned was far too sweet for my taste. Not poorly-made - just too sweet."
• "Drinks were delicious but can’t say the same thing for the food."
• "I ordered a drink (mixed sake) cocktail but found it too sweet and i could not taste much alcohol."
• "The drinks are disgusting too, the only thing that I like was the appetizer im not going to lie."
• "Both these were boring, watery, and just didn't really have any character."

Service

Pros:

• "Our Server was friendly and efficient."
• "The waiter we had was attentative and really accomodating, ready to answer any questions we had."
• "Phill gave me exceptional service."
• "Our host/bartender/waiter Sam didn't miss a beat even though he was handling the entire front end of the restaurant on his own."
• "Sam was super nice and helpful."
• "Our server Varsh was very accommodating, with plenty of great recommendations and knowledge about the dishes."
• "Our server, Melanie, was incredible. She had great wine recommendations."

Cons:

• "Service not bad."
• "Service, however, was lacking."
• "We waited about 20 minutes for the waiter to bring us menus, then another hour for the food to come."
• "They forgot my drink, twice."
• "Shannon was our server who was visible having something to eat at the bar while serving us."
• "Our server also communicated a lot of strange rules to us."
• "The junior overall service sets it back."

Ambiance

Pros:

• "The atmosphere is low lit and takes from an intimate Italian ristorante mixed with Asian influences."
• "Place had a nice vibe and overall great service."
• "Lovely atmosphere and a very impressive outside structure that can accommodate a lot of people and still remain classy."
• "Beautiful, Italian rustic inspired ambience for any kind of date you wanna impress."
• "The atmosphere inside is SO cozy & warm and the staff are so accommodating."
• "Great music, design, and a cozy atmosphere."
• "The ambience is nice and romantic."

Cons:

• "...it was still hard to hear each other because of the noise level around us (music combined with speaking level of Americans in general)."
• "Quite chilly inside."
• "Just be warned there is a weed shop a few doors down and scent from smokers can reach into the restaurant."
• "Only criticism is to keep an eye on the temperature it was a bit warm in there."
• "We might have overlooked the energetic atmosphere(it was really loud) if the food had been better."
• "A little crammed."
• "Didn't work out well."

Food

Pros:

• "The coconut miso salmon had a nice presentation, and the flavor was dynamic, I love the subtle kick to it."
• "The food was too good here."
• "All of our meals were divine."
• "The dishes were flavorful and unique."
• "The food is a unique fusion of Asian and Italian cuisine and you taste both in the dishes."
• "Their steak was really good and flavorful."
• "Food was very tasty and had unique flavors combining Italian dishes with Asian spices."

Cons:

• "This Asian infusion meets Italy just does not mix at least here it doesn’t."
• "Tried the “Matcha Tiramisu” last night and it was overpriced, tiny and not good."
• "I would not go back. Food and drinks were solidly mediocre."
• "All the main pasta entries we had lacked flavor while the appetizers/ salads were too robust."
• "My fried chicken was pink and undercooked."
• "The sea bass's meat lacked flavor, and there were scales on its skin so the skin couldn't be eaten and the flavor couldn't sink into the meat."
• "The spaghetti looked yummy but was very bland almost like tomato juice over noodles."