Max

Traditional Italian dishes served in a very small dark restaurant. The tables are crowded close together and lots of diners are smoking away regardless of the no smoking rule. Simple decor that one never remembers after walking out of the restaurant. Volume in Max is loud and crowd is young.

Max located on Avenue B between 3rd and 4th streets. Since no reservations accepted, one ends up waiting outside on the sidewalk. Cash only and few ATM machines around so make sure to bring cash.

Overall:
Food:
Ambiance:
Service:

Typical ? 8 / 10

The wait to be seated at Max was typical in the NYC restaurant experience. One is told that the wait is 20 minutes and the wait ultimately ends up doubling while the hostess pretends she has been straightforward about the wait, easy when she isn't the one waiting out in the cold. There is barely enough room to eat in the restaurant let alone allow people to crowd inside to wait. But the wait was worth it. I like to stick to basic Italian dishes when I try an Italian restaurant for the first time. I ordered the Insalata Caprese, a salad of fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese, sliced tomatoes and a few leaves of basil. Delicious it was and reminded me of my vacation in Campania, Italy. The bruschetta appetizer, bread w/chopped tomato and basil, was also excellent. The pastas were also simple and tasty. The spaghetti with a basic tomato and basil sauce was fresh and light and the special vegetable ravioli of the day was homemade and full of flavor. The wine list is decent and one can find reasonably priced wines to go with the cheap (relative in NYC) meal. The restaurant is extremely crowded as the tables are small and very close together. The service was decent but unfriendly. The crowd is East Village cool and hip with everyone puffing away, and some chain smoking. So one bothered by cigarette smoke must quietly suffer (I focused on the food to forget about the smoke in my face and I was successful since the food was great.) or become the only person in the restaurant complaining while everyone else glares at you since the tables are close together and most everyone is smoking. Next time, I plan to arrive for either an early or late dinner as the wait during the dead of winter, may just not make any dining experience worth it if I am thawing throughout dinner.

Max
51 Avenue B
New York, NY
(212) 539-0111

NYC Restaurants

East Village

Italian

Max