Convivium Osteria

This is one of those severely underrated restaurants, which should stand among Brooklyn's best. Al Di La seems to garner most of the attention on 5th, but this place is superb, in my opinion. It's a great date spot...very romantic and the food and service have always been fantastic.

Well worth a visit!!

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I've been here twice and enjoyed both meals.

I've had the quail, and it was quite good. The space is dark and subdued. Definitely a good place for a date or quiet dinner with an old friend (as long as rabbit, boar, and quail don't seem like scary menu items to you).

I look forward to going again.

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We take people here when they are visiting and we REALLY like them- this is a very special place- and probably the best restaurant around.

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It's a good place, and as noted the wine cellar seating is especially different, if not unique. Food is very good, service unremarkable, and overall a very good value.

Well I must disagree with those opinions that the food is good. We went for dinner last month and the food was not bad, it was awful! We could only guess that the chef was out of town, but for such a highly touted restaurant, or any restaurant actually, this is unforgivable.

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Pierre,

In looking at your other comments, you also seem to hate nearly every other restaurant highlighted so far on brownstoner (most of which are ranked some of the best in the borough), so either you are a chef of a competing restaurant or you are impossible to please.

Been here a few times great menu, very interesting. Loved the Boar. Very comfortable and quiet. Stands up along with all the best of slope.

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CO suffers from the flaws of most Italian restaurants in the United States (dishes are not sufficiently simple and clean), but no worse than most. The Portuguese dishes too lack the feel of traditional Portuguese cooking, although since the US generally does not know this kitchen as well, it passes under the radar. That said, it is reasonably pleasant and not too expensive. It just isn't Italian or Portuguese or, for that matter, particularly European.

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One of my absolute favorites. Great food, great atmosphere. Along with Rosewater, it's a go-to restaurant for a special night out with friends or as a date.

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The negative comments on this thread don't seem particularly genuine to me, but I suppose anyone could register and bump a rating up or down if they wanted to. But anyhow...

Convivium is one of the standouts of the Park Slope scene. The atmosphere is unparallelled, the food generally delicious and the prices proportionate to the quality of the experience. The service can sometimes be a little too aloof when they are extra busy, but otherwise it's an excellent place.

I was just there last week with an out of town guest and she thought it was magical.

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Granne...That is your only comment ever made on Brownstoner.

You decided to make your first and only comment on this website a diss on this restaurant...?

How interesting...

I LOVE CO. It is one of the "under the radar" gems of Brooklyn. I don't care if the food is authentic anything - all I know is that it's fantastic. I leave anticipating my return. I have felt this way for years... There just last month and had to kick myself for not having been back sooner. The pasta dishes and the rabbit are fantastic.

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11217,
So gruff...I did like Saul's (and stated so). Btw, there are many restaurants in Brooklyn I do like - am waiting and willing to write on them when they are mentioned.
oh, and I'm not a chef and I have no agenda other than giving my opinion. Our food that evening at this place was rank. Other blogs have indicated that others have had the same experience as us.

Been to Convivium Osteria once-- and unfortunately, did not have the opportunity to go back and give them a second chance. The food we had there was very uneven-- one dish was quite good, the other was positively awful. Granted, this was several years ago, and they may have improved since then-- but the dish we had was some kind of shepherd's pie, with fish-- and it was literally frozen in the center, and remained frozen even after a request to the staff to reheat it. Inedible, to say the least. The decor is lovely, I'm sure the staff are nice people, and I know other folks who love this place-- but whoa! Wildly uneven.
I'm not a foodie, but I love a good meal, and I love many restaurants in Brooklyn-- big fan of Rosewater, Al Di La, The Farm on Adderley & Pomme de Terre, Moutarde, Applewood as well, Blue Ribbon, etc. etc. Wanted to love Convivium as well, but kind of felt... burned. My 2 cents.

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I don't think somebody has an agenda if they don't like CO. We've been there 3 times, which means we gave it plenty chances, and we had the same experience every time so I feel confident in giving my review.

I like the rustic decor and ambience the best. High marks for that.

Food is uneven. Around the table, one person's dish would be brilliant but another's mediocre. Happened on each visit.

Also on every visit much to our dismay, the WORST attitude from management and waiters. It's ridiculous and it's offensive. My husband is literally the kindest person on the planet so it's not us. It was never in reaction to anything we did or said. On other websites I have read this same comment many many times about CO.

Lastly, the prices are really high, very possibly the highest in Park Slope. I would think the CO prices would be equal to Al Di La and other top places, not more, comparing all things including the overhead which at CO is much less than the other places, having one waiter, a tiny space, and a few scattered small tables. Makes me sound cheap but we are very willing to spend big money on a great dining experience, and yet I just can't help making note of this at CO each time.

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I've been there many times for as long as they've been open (over 5 years). I've never had a bad or mediocre meal there. Not sure what you guys are ordering.

That said, it is expensive and I only go there on special occasions. It is not more expensive than Al di La, about the same.

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In the last 20 years I've eaten in many of the best restaurants in NYC, often while entertaining business clients. I also enjoy local joints, ethnic discoveries, greasy spoons -- indeed all the gastronomic wealth the city, and our borough in particular, has to offer. This is a pre-amble to saying that I have never, ever been so poorly treated as I was at Convivium Osteria a couple of years ago. I went one Saturday evening with my gf. We waited and waited for our food. We weren't even given bread to stave off our hunger. After 45 minutes I checked in with our waitress who dismissively said the food was on the way. After another 10 minutes, I went to look for her again (we were in the backyard). She was furious that I dared to ask her again . Then the chef came out of the kitchen to publicly scream at us because we had apparently been rude to the waitress -- although I swear I was completely polite -- who, of course, turned out to be his wife! We got up and walked out while he continued to scream at us and demanded we pay for the meal we never received. Absolutely unbelievable. Incidentally we were two women together and I gotta believe that made us an easier target for the guy's anger. The real problem was simply that the place was heaving with people and he and his staff couldn't cope.

I've eaten here twice and have been underwhelmed both times. Given the prices and competition in the area, 2 strikes and you're out. The food is OK but not great. Dishes are just plain and flat.

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