(Notice: This review was written a long time ago and is finally being released from the drafts)
I visited Bad Roman twice in 3 months in 2025. This may not seem like a big deal for people who live in NYC or relatively close to it, but for a person of my self who originally booked this place for my partner on her birthday who not only loves Italian food, but also loves me driving everywhere, this was kind of a big deal. I think the fact that we are willing to make the hour and a half car ride to it and backk, that alone should tell you my thoughts on it, but lets break it down even further.
Bad Roman is an Italian Restaurant located in Columbus Circle, more specifically inside the Shops at Columbus Circle on the 3rd floor. Being under the same roof as other notable restaurants such as Per Se and Momofuku Noodle Bar, Bad Roman stands out as a chic, playful, experience of a restaurant. There’s something elegant and colorful about visiting this restaurant at night, but walking into the restaurant and just being a part of the atmosphere is gorgeous. The atmosphere/environment features colorful vibrant shades of orange, greens, yellows, and flowers, patterns. It’s also worth noting that this place will always have people, and music, and there will be a wait time. In both times I’ve visited and had a reservation beforehand, it took a couple of minutes to get a table as the restaurant is just that popular and it takes a while for people to leave.
First Visit
1st Visit. For my first visit, this is what I had.
The Cappelleti Bistecca(pictured above) was great. It was a meat stuffed dish paired with a light white sauce. The Balsamic Vinegar gives it a nice tang to balance out the meat and pasta.
The short rib pasta was absolutely amazing. I loved the bread crumbs paired on top to give it a nice crunch.
It was my girlfriend’s birthday the first day we went, so we got a lot of desserts that day. In order, this is the deserts from least to greatest:
Tiramisu- just a simple tiramisu, nothing more to say.
Lemon Cheese Cake- I love the design of this dish, it’s very playful and literal. I’m not a huge cheesecake fan in general, I appreciate the concept behind this. The graham cracker crust being the “dirt” layer of the cake is a nice touch, but the overall lemon flavor of the cheese cake combined with it is phenomenal. It’s more lemon forward than what you’d expect for a cheesecake, similar to Key Lime Pie but lemon in a ball if that makes sense.
Olive Oil Chocolate Cake Ice Cream- I am not lying or exaggerating, this may be one of the best, if not the best dessert I’ve ever eaten. It’s so simple but effectively a good pairing. The chocolate tart is very rich and decadent, but the main star of this dish is the olive oil gelato. Similar to the Lemon Cheese Cake it has a strong olive oil forward component which isn’t too overpowering considering there’s cream/milk with it. It’s very pleasant, mildly sweet, and a tinge salty. Comparing these two for a bite is just a match made in heaven.
Second Visit
Bread- Roasted Garlic Babka. The bread was pretty good. I wish there was butter or oil to pair it with, it had a good garlic flavor overall and was very warm. I was a bit sad since my girlfriend didn’t let me order the $11 dollar Pepperoni Cups and Ranch. Who does not like giant curled up Pepperoni combined with Ranch, the best pizza condiment?
Filetto. I ordered the Fillet Steak with the Cacio e Peppe Raviolo on top. It’s cute looking but overall pretty good. The steak was cooked medium rare and the pasta a nice cheese and pepper filling, though I’m not sure if it was worth 67 dollars.(58 for the fillet and 9 for the raviolo) Cutting the ravioli makes the sauce all ooze down which I liked.
My girlfriend ordered the Cappiettolli again so no comments there.
Dessert- Tart and Olive Oil Cheese cake again. No comments.
Final Thoughts & Rating
Overall, Bad Roman is a really amazing restaurant and one of the better Italian restaurants I’ve been to so far. If you’re looking for a nice night out with a date or friends and want some really amazing food and desserts, beautiful atmosphere and music, surrounded by illuminated views of Central Park, then go make a reservation asap.
aLC Rating: