My friend said it best: “This is what luxury looks like.” Ai Fiori, located on 5th Avenue in Midtown, is an Altamarea Group masterpiece and even has a Michelin Star to its name! I’m typically not a fan of fine dining. What can I say? I’m more of a comfort, casual-food kind of girl. However, this is NOT the case at Ai Fiori. Portions are actually sufficient (unlike most high end restaurants), the service is excellent, and the food pairings are unique yet classic!…
The menu at Ai Fiori is suggested as a 4-course meal: an appetizer to start, a pasta or risotto to follow, a pesce or carne, and lastly a dessert. To begin, I ordered the shrimp appetizer and it was absolutely delicious. I had my eye on the octopus, which was gluten free when you asked for no farro, but as I am dairy-free too, I had to sit that one out. My friends, however, ordered the octopus and said it tasted as PERFECT as it looked. In terms of pasta, gluten free pasta WAS offered at the restaurant, and the kitchen recommended using that pasta with the spaghetti dish (blue crab, lemon, bottarga, and chillies). The risotto was also gluten free! For my main course, I ordered the Branzino on sunchokes, which was a crowd favorite, as was the butter-poached Nova Scotia Lobster. To round out the meal, ice cream, sorbet, and fruit were gluten free and the perfect note to end on. The kitchen also brought us little chocolates and candy that completed my food-coma.
I couldn’t have been more pleased with my evening at Ai Fiori, and I highly recommend bringing your out-of-town guests to this classic spot. The restaurant is affiliated with the Langham Place Hotel, so it definitely attracts tourists visiting New York City, as well as true New York City foodies who appreciate quality cuisine, excellent service, and a quintessential NYC night.