Santi

Santi is a fine-dining Italian restaurant starring Chef Michael White. What was most noticeable for me was that he co-opened Marea, which ended up getting multiple accolades, including a coveted 2 Michelin Star. This restaurant is located very close to the 5th Ave and 53rd subway, and reservations were quite easy to get a few days in advance. The outside seemed different in that it felt like it was a side entrance into a place on the side a building.

Ambiance & Service

The interior at the front has a u-shaped bar counter. When we checked in, we were led into the main dining room which was small and posh. The tables were somewhat close together. As the night went on, they seated people adjacent to us, and we can easily hear their conversations. This was a bit distracting as the night went on. With alcohol and liqueur, the adjacent people got louder.

In addition, the clientele was stereotypically bougie. What appeared to be the host continue to mingle with 2 upper-20s women next to us, and to the right, was a Silicon Valley bay area person boasting about his achievements and how wealthy he was.

The service started out great, as our host was very attentive on keeping things in check. As the night went on, we waited a bit for the dessert menu and the check. The timing completely fell apart, and I can only assume.

Food

The glass of Oddero Barolo ($37) was a Nebbiolo from La Morra, Piemonte, Italy 2021. Despite it being expensive for a glass, this had very aromatic notes of cherry and crushed stone. It was very balanced and finished smooth with some nice aftertastes of cedar and earthy minerality. I ordered this primarily to complement with the veal chop, and I didn’t want to go for a cabernet.

The Fig Fiamma ($24) came with Diplomatico Reserva (rum), Hamilton Pimento Dram (rum liqueur), Vicario Monk’s Secret (herbal liqueur), Fig Saba (sweet cooked grape with figs), fresh lime & orange, and Angostura Bitters. This was on the sweeter side, but my partner really enjoyed this.

Throughout the night, they offered complimentary bread. This was the focaccia, and the butter and olive oil were both very good. Later, I also asked for the white sourdough and the multigrain. Neither was as good as the focaccia though.

The very first course as an amuse they offered was this bluefin confit with marigold on top. This tasted similarly to one of those tuna salads out of a can, but without that can flavor. I also think of it as fresh tuna salad, but without much fat.

The Polpo ($36) came with grilled octopus, sunchoke romesco, salsa verde, and hazelnut. This was a surprisingly, large piece of octopus legs. The thick side of the leg was chewy and very meaty. It just reminded me of how much more I enjoyed the octopus at Jungsik. The thinner pieces of the octopus legs were very tender with a nice char.

The Garganelli ($38) came with ragu bolognese and parmigiano reggiano. This was also very tasty. The garganelli was cooked perfectly, and the ragu bolognese was a bit different than what I am used to. The broth is a bit more watery, but it’s quite flavorful.

The Vitello ($78) came with pan roasted veal chop, treviso, and pancetta cream. This was cooked perfectly with a nice char on the edges. The veal itself was very flavorful, and the sauce that came on the plate was a great complement.

The Cioccolato ($25) came with parre 68% dark chocolate souffle tart, prunes, and armagnac. This souffle was piping hot, but it was very delicious. It wasn’t super sweet, and there was some type of gelato on it too. It reminded me of a perfectly sweetened lava cake with dark chocolate. The prunes added an interesting flavor where you get some of that sweet fruit flavor, but it was surprisingly synergistic with the flavor profiles.

For the final dessert small bites, came from left to right:

• Allspice Bonbons - this had a very full spiced kick to it, and a very gooey chocolatey center. It had some peppery elements to it, reminding me a bit of Mexican spiced chocolate. It was quite good.
• Mandarin Jelly - this was very mandarin orange flavored forward.
• Cranberry Financier - this reminded me of a soft biscotti with some nuts and dried cranberries.

Overall Impression

Santi was very delicious overall. Aside from the inconsistent service and the louder than not ambiance, the food we ordered was quite delicious. This would be a great place to check out with a date or for a special dinner, especially since reservations are easy to get and it’s located near the E train subway entrance.

Yelp & Google Jabs

Buyer Beware Cold Food. Tiny Portions. Horrible Service. 2 Hour Wait while seated. Unfortunately the worst dining experience we’ve ever had anywhere.

Depending on your server, the wait was definitely spotty at times. The food for us fortunately was served hot. I disagree with the tiny portions unless you ordered the crudite. We noticed that was quite tiny, albeit I’m assuming it’s supposed to be super fresh.

there are a lot of staff, which was great because they were attentive, but there is nowhere hidden or out of the way for them to stand so our waiter and some of the bussers were ALWAYS within a couple of feet of our table which was a little annoying

I was sitting facing the wall, but I noticed my partner’s eyes glancing around. There were a lot of bussers waiting to clean and move things quickly. I can tell there was a lot of movement, which can be quite distracting. They definitely kept the plates and table cleaned, but they did not keep the waters filled and timely deliver the food.

Revisions

1. Nov 21, 2025 - Initial revision.