Bar Veloce…hot or not?

A friend and I met up at Bar Veloce after work for dinner and drinks tonight. I had high hopes for this New York magazine’s “Critic’s Pick,” but I left disappointed.

First, there is no table service. We sat down at a table, decided what we wanted to eat/drink, and then we had to get up and walk to the bar to order our dinner and wine.

Then, there are only about four or five tables that seat about four people each. Towards the end of the night, the bartender/server(?)/host was stuffing random people together at the tables.

We each ordered a bruschette, a panini, and a glass of wine. The food and wine were good and very reasonably priced. A server (not the bartender/host) did bring our food to the table and clear away our plates.

However, this is not a place to linger. The bartender/server(?)/host was already giving our table away while we were still finishing our wine. He split our check incorrectly, and then while we were trying to figure out the tip (since our bill had been totaled incorrectly), he proceeded to hover and watch us.

Before I could finish signing my name, the bartender was taking the check and moving other people to our table to sit down.

All in all, Bar Veloce made the “Not” list for me. The food and wine were good, but I don’t think I’ll be going back again any time soon, if ever.

On a happier note, I used Gilt City to purchase two deals to brunch at De Santos and dinner at In Vino for “The Boyfriend” and I. We’re super excited to try these two new gems out, and I’ll be sure to let you know how they are!

Does anyone else use Gilt City for deals on special experiences? I obviously use the New York site, but I’m curious to know how popular the web site is in other cities.