Reviews

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From New York Magazine’s Grub Street, February 2011:
“This Saturday there’ll be another newcomer to the New New Harlem. Susannah “Zanny” Koteen (Zanny’s Café) and Ruben Kornfeld (co-owner of, among others, Caffe Taci, the opera-themed café that after a decade in Morningside Heights moved to the West Village before closing) are teaming up to open Lido. Their chef is Stephen Putnam, who put in time at Park Avenue Café and River Café before eventually opening the Paradise Café in Sag Harbor. His “modern Italian” fare will be paired with fresh-herb cocktails created by GM Pierre Marc Diennet, who has also designed the Italian wine list. Check out the 73-seat dining room in our slideshow and the menu below. Dinner (launching before brunch, lunch, and delivery) will be from 5 till 10 p.m. on weekdays and till 11 p.m. on weekends, with the bar staying open a couple of hours later.”

From Woman Around Town, March 29, 2011:
Everything about Lido, a modern Italian restaurant located in a rapidly gentrifying section of Harlem, is a surprise, from its mixed, though predominantly white clientele to its sophisticated food, delightful service and reasonable prices. Though unpretentious and friendly – a quintessential neighborhood place – like so many destination restaurants in newly-gentrified parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn, it will soon be on every foodie’s “to-do” list. Or should be. It’s a gem. See full review with pictures here.

From Gothamist:
Lido: Harlem is happening. In a neighborhood traditionally known for soul food (and Rao’s) Lido aims to bring modern Italian fare at casual prices. And a look at the menu shows this is no red-sauce joint. Appetizers include things like mussels in speck broth, white polenta with mushroom ragu and truffle oil, and charcuterie and cheese plates. Pastas include classic spaghetti with veal meatballs, gnocchi with truffle butter and ricotta ravioli with eggplant, mint and lemon. Secondi has classics like chicken cacciatore with mascarpone polenta, and nothing exceeds $25. The rotating wine list will feature affordable Italian selections and cocktails stay on the traditional side, with negronis and mojitos. Takeout and delivery should be up and running in a few weeks, as will brunch. —Jaya Saxena. See full review here.

From Behind the Burnor, April, 2011:
Just like back in the Roaring 20′s, Harlem is trying to make a cultural comeback by adding some new, hip restaurants to the neighborhood. Having only been open for about two months, the most recent addition to the area is a new Italian restaurant called Lido, located on Frederick Douglas Boulevard. The dinner menu has been created by Executive Chef Stephen A. Putnam, and although there aren’t too many traditional pasta favorites (the pasta and secondi are on the same list), Lido has a short, but sophisticated choice of entrees that are delectable due to the freshness of the ingredients and skilled cooking. Like most Italian menus, the ingredients are simple, but they completely speak for themselves. Putnam brings out the most in flavor out of all ingredients he uses. Portions are not huge, everything is moderate in size, just like the North of Italy. I had the grilled tuna with broccoli rabe over a sweet potato puree in a red wine emulsion. The tuna was cooked to perfection and had lovely coloring and texture. The sweet potato countered the bitter broccoli rabe (which was also perfectly cooked) exquisitely. Overall the dish had a beautiful color array with different textures and tastes that blended beautifully. The Grilled Tuna was a great healthful meal that will definitely make it hard to try something new next time I go to Lido.
See review here.

From Gotham Magazine, April 2011:
Our visit began with an herbal cocktail, dubbed Le Violette, which combined velvety crème de violette and Bombay gin with fresh rosemary and lemon. On top of being absolutely dreamy, the flowery cocktail perfumed our palate for the chef’s selection of farm stand cheese: nutty Parmigiano Reggiano, melt-in-your-mouth goat cheese and crumbly blue cheese, served with crusty bread, Marcona almonds and honeycomb. The cheese trio is part of the “assaggini” portion of the menu, which includes charcuterie, mixed olives and a selection of crostino topped with everything from salt cod, potato and lemon to fava bean and mint. Salad and antipasti selections tempt with rich Italian cheeses and dynamic flavor combinations. We sampled the organic winter chicories tossed with dried cherries, Marcona almonds, Pecorino Romano and red wine vinaigrette. Also peaking our curiosity was the marinated beet salad, dressed in Saba (a sweet, reduced balsamic) and topped with a warm Hudson Valley goat cheese fritter. See full review with pictures here.