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How Nello Ended Up Getting a Reputation as the Worst Ripoff in NYC

Known as one of the most expensive restaurants in the world, Nello also ended up getting a reputation as the worst ripoff in NYC.

By Ossiana TepfenhartPublished 7 years ago 6 min read
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Reputation is everything in the restaurant industry. If you don't believe it, take a moment to consider how many restaurants and chains have made it big solely based on the fact that they were spearheaded by celebrity chefs or restaurateurs. For example, would Bobby Flay's Burger Palace really have been as widely known if Bobby Flay himself didn't have his spots on television?

There are some restaurants that have coasted along for decades thanks to a reputation for elegance, great food, and sophistication. Just as there have been restaurants that have attributed their success to their sterling rep, there are also restaurants that have gone down in history as major ripoffs.

Nello, located in Manhattan, is one such restaurant. In fact, it's still considered to be one of the biggest ripoffs in New York City. Most people know that city restaurants tend to be overpriced, but they don't often realize how overpriced they can get. New York, in particular, has quite a few restaurants that with a global reputation for their price tags.

Considering that the most expensive restaurant in the world is in New York City, it's hard to imagine what it wold take to be called the biggest ripoff in the Big Apple.

Thankfully, the story of Nello has taught us exactly what it takes...

An Oddly Vacant Restaurant

Eva Longoria Having Lunch At Nello Restaurant

Considering its proximity to Park Avenue, restaurant visitors who go to Nello can't help but notice that it's often somewhat vacant compared to other restaurants lining the street. Those who do go in seem to be unusually well dressed and exceptionally wealthy.

During earlier years, restaurant waiters would even stand outside of Nello's facade, beckoning in unsuspecting tourists. Locals, of course, know better than to go inside - unless, of course, they're trying to be "seen."

One thing is for sure: among New York City locals, it's been established that going to Nello is more about social status than it is about the food.

Terrible Food at Premium Prices

In 2010, a New York Times restaurant critic decided to pay a visit to the restaurant - and made no issue about telling the world how bland and poorly prepared the food really was. Writer Sam Sifton explained,

"They ate sawdusty chicken livers lashed with balsamic. They sipped at lentil soup familiar to anyone who owns a can opener and shared too-salty saffron risotto, correctly yellow, of no particular flavor...Only an arugula salad with fontina and pears could have been mistaken for something good to eat."

If you can't guess from the review, Nello's food has a very well-established reputation for serving food that is mediocre at best, and corrugated cardboard at worst. Considering that a typical entree is priced over $50, you'd probably expect better food, right?

One could possibly say that this negative review could be the wrath of a lone angry writer - but this doesn't seem to be the case. Yelp reviewers who have claimed to go to the restaurant have said similarly bad things about the quality of the cuisine compared to the exorbitant pricing:

"The Main Courses tastes good but not wonderful. Just OK. And they are very small, VERY. You will probably have to have some snack before and after going to Nello." - Ricardo H.

It's not just Ricardo, either. Another guest wrote:

"The Italian food, well, it is ok, but nothing particular. There are so many other Italian restaurants in New York that are far better! If you go there make sure you are there as a guest. If you pay for the lunch/dinner yourself, be prepared for a heart attack when the check arrives! Completely overpriced and almost comparable to a tourist trap!" - Carl J.

The bottom line is that the food isn't good for the price. That alone could be forgivable, since there is a market for restaurants that cater to people who want to "price out" those who aren't in a certain socioeconomic strata.

After all, this is the kind of restaurant that caters to people who like to flaunt their money - and that means that these people don't want to be seen with the "hoi polloi." The best way to prevent people who actually have to work for a living entering a venue is to make sure it's too expensive for them to do so.

However, that isn't what caused Nello to get such a soured reputation in the culinary world. Rather, what kicked off Nello's reputation woes was a scandal that began with a "gift" given to a restaurant critic from Page Six...

The Bribery That Shook the New York Post

Back in the early 2000s, most of the glowing reviews for Nello always seemed to come from Page Six of the New York Post. It later came out that gossip columnist Richard Johnson had been bribed by Nello's owners to talk about the many celebrity goings-ons that happened at the venue.

Bribing the press is bad enough, but it gets worse. Apparently, this was a common habit of Nello's. The Daily News gossip queen Joanna Molloy later revealed that Nello "sent them a bag of money" when they mentioned that Paris Hilton was spotted at the restaurant.

With the bribery going on at Nello's, it became clear that getting honest reviews isn't something that guests could expect. Johnson, who was at the forefront of the scandal, quickly dissociated from the restaurant.

Dubious Pricing According to Critics who Weren't Bribed

Bribery aside, the major issue that critics have with Nello's business model is the pricing. Plain and simple, not every food item on the menu has prices displayed - and many are shocked to find that even tapwater will run you about $15 per refill.

BoingBoing writer Rob Beschizza explained that even a modest meal at the venue will quickly top hundreds of dollars, as he had found out when he decided to drop by in 2012:

"We ordered a couple of dishes we thought were $30 or so: expensive enough! But a salad turned out to be another $49. Coffee was $12 per tiny little cup. Refill, sir? No, thank you, I'll just have water. Water was $15."

If a waiter just comes by and refills your water glass, that means another $15 got tacked on. But, Beschizza's experience at Nello turned even worse than that. According to him, the restaurant tried to charge him for food he never ordered!

The worst, though, are the house "specials," which never appear on the menu and are given as a "hard sell" to diners...

"The pasta dish cost $275."

Another scandal happened in 2012, when another New York Times writer by the name of David Seagal had decided to answer a frantic letter from a person who had paid a visit to the restaurant.

A very concerned man by the name of Craig Tall had been unwittingly looped into the restaurant while out touring New York with two friends. To his utter shock, the bill for their very simple dinner was $400.

When he asked how the bill could be so high, the waiters explained that the pasta dish his friend ordered was $275. When he confronted the waiter, the stunned letter writer explained,

"I was told that Nello never discloses the prices of specials and that it is the customer’s duty to pipe up with questions.

David Seagal told Tall all about Nello's reputation as a "flytrap for tourist dollars," and also noted that owner Balan Nello was infamous for skirting scandals and hiding major problems from the press.

"The $47,000 Tab"

To a point, it seems like the obsession with Nello is about its big prices, and there are plenty of receipt pictures on the venue's Yelp page that prove that point. After all, Nello is a restaurant that's about wealth - not taste.

One big spender somehow managed to spend a whopping $47,000 on a visit to Nello's - at least, according to a photo that has made its way on Yelp. How could six people run up a tab worth an upscale car?

Well, if you look at the picture, it becomes clear that it happened because they ordered $35,000 worth of wine. Yes - a single bottle can run upwards of $10,000 at this restaurant, so order wisely if you dare go.

Employers and Former Business Partners Speak Out

Restaurant owner Nello Balan

Along with ripping off people wth sky-high prices, Nello's has had major scandals break out over restaurateur Nello Balan's treatment of business associates. Even the IRS had shuttered his restaurant over nonpayment of taxes.

The more you look at the lawsuits stacked against Balan, the more they seem to multiply. He's been sued over skimming tips from waiters, and sued by artist Jerome Luciani over a work of art that was supposed to be sold on his behalf.

That being said, Nello Balan himself has left the Manhattan restaurant scene to open a separate four-story lounge elsewhere. Even so, the original Nello is still alive and well...waiting for people who are foolish enough to set foot inside.

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About the Creator

Ossiana Tepfenhart

Ossiana Tepfenhart is a writer based out of New Jersey. This is her work account. She loves gifts and tips, so if you like something, tip her!

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