If you want of some tiny bit of solace from the craziness of SoHo, there’s Altesi Downtown. This Italian (Tuscan cuisine, to be a little more precise) restaurant is spacious and even though it has a fair amount of diners, it never gets too loud while we were dining there on a recent evening.
The dining room features an elevated platform that can open to the street, offering quick alfresco dining. Meanwhile, further to the rear, a wine wall dominates the back of the restaurant as the seats transition into more of a cozy vibe. Visible from all seats is the star of the show – the wood-fired oven – as well as the full bar, slinging drinks.
The fare is light, healthy and seasonal menu uses locally procured ingredients to create its traditional Italian dishes like fried artichokes that were perfectly fried – delicately crisp exterior with a tender flesh. The large meatballs in tomato sauce served with fresh ricotta was very tasty and the soft texture was what I prefer for a meatball. The fresh pastas were delicious and perfectly made. We had shared two vegetarian options – cavatelli with artichoke and paparadelle with fresh chanterelle mushrooms and I didn’t miss my meat.
On the main courses, we had the roast free-range chicken with rosemary potatoes and broccolini and King salmon filet with dill and herbs. The chicken was tender, juicy and moist with a pleasantly crisp skin. The brocolini added a subtle bitterness that works nicely with the chicken. The salmon was cooked through but still retained its moisture and it’s seasoned well with the fragrant herbs.
The chocolate profiteroles were fudge-y from the thick chocolate sauce and the pastry was filled with delicately sweetened cream. It’s like eating a gooey chocolate cloud. The lemon tartufo was a pleasant lemony ice cream that had a small amount of cake in the center.
To view more photos of this visit, please view the gallery below or CLICK HERE for the photo set:
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Altesi Downtown
Website
200 Spring Street
New York, NY 10012
