Sartiano's
Sartiano’s opened around June 2023, replacing the former The Mercer Kitchen. The menu is helmbed by James Beard Award-winning chef Alfred Portale. This is located near the SOHO shopping area right across the street from Lure Fishbar. I easily made a reservation for 2 for 5:30 PM a few days in advance.
Ambiance & Service
The interior is very dark, just like the former Mercer Kitchen restaurant. In many ways, they did not change much of the ambiance here. It felt like a very glowing, happening night spot for a nice night out.
The service was very prompt, and the food came out very quickly. We were in and out within 1.5 hours easily.
Food
The Florence + The Evolution ($21 - left) came with vodka, aperol, lychee, alpe genepy, lemon, and makrut lime leaf. This cocktail was alright for my partner. It was sweet and refreshing, but not the best they’ve had.
The Big Table Farm Pinot Noir ($27 - right) came from Willamette Valley, Oregon 2019. I very much enjoyed this pinot because it was easy drinking and very balanced. It had some espresso and plum tastes in it, and it had some nice spice.
The House-Made Focaccia ($12) came with taggiasca olive, sicilian oregano, and whipped ricotta. The focaccia was very airy and fluffy with a nice crisp. The whipped spread was very delectable. The bread was very delicious, although for the price, it is on the more expensive side.
The Baked Clams ($22) came with six littleneck clams, smoked bacon, pancetta, and wild oregano. Each of the clams tasted pretty good thought it skewed towards more salty notes.
The Cavatelli Verde ($36) came with jonah crab, confit tomato, meyer lemon, and uni butter. They gave a good amount of crab in this, and the seasoning of all the entire sauce was very delicious. The lemon and uni butter provided a very good blend of acidity and sweetness. The cavatelli was also perfectly cooked too. Overall, I thought this dish was one of my favorites, and I’d highly recommend ordering it especially if you like crab and a nice balance of flavors.
The Heritage Pork Chop ($42) came with jimmy nardello peppers, grilled summer peaches, and creamy polenta. The pork chop was very tender and flavorful. With the peppers and sauce, it was sublime. I really enjoyed the sweetness the summer peaches offered and also the starch of the polenta. Just like the cavatelli verde, this was very good.
Overall Impression
Sartiano’s was overall pretty good for an Italian restaurant, priced appropriately for the SOHO area. If you’re in the the shopping area and would like to try some upscale Italian food, this is a great place to try out. It also has a good lively atmosphere if you’re into a night crowd.
Yelp & Google Jabs
However, I gave 4 stars bc it was my birthday and they did charge for dessert… I got the whipped ricotta w/ foccacio which was nice but not spectacular. The foccocia was alot harder than expected.
This Elitist rated this down because they charged for the dessert. That might speak to some entitlement. The focaccia had a crispy exterior, but the interior was very fluffy.
The recipes clearly come from deep cultural knowledge.
First off, this is probably more of an American Italian theme than pure Italian. I’m not sure if “cultural” is the right word here, but the chef definitely has a good blend of experiences in the culinary world to have an idea of how to combine the ingredients together.
Revisions
- Sep 26, 2025 - Initial revision.