Trendy NYC Restaurant Review - BAD ROMAN

Bad Roman is the hip new spot from Quality Branded, the restaurant group behind Don Angie (my all time fav) and Quality Italian. This restaurant has gotten tons of hype on TikTok and Instagram, but is it really worth it? I went twice, and I’m here to tell you about it!

Bad Roman is weirdly located… at a mall in midtown. The interior looks sort of like a Las Vegas hotel lobby. It’s one of a kind, to be sure.

The food is memorable. The filet mignon topped with a cacio e pepe raviolo is certainly a good photo opp, and pretty tasty - the molten cheese serves as sort of a sauce for the steak. That being said, I’d be ok if I never ate this again. Trying it once was enough — it’s not a combination that needs to exist!

The pepperoni cups are exactly what they sound like — very straightforward, but fun and tasty. The lemon cheesecake was not just cute to look at but very yummy — it was coated in tempered white chocolate and the cheesecake was incredibly smooth and creamy. The tomato burrata was also adorable, and was one of my favorite dishes; if you love burrata you can’t miss this one. It’s filled with pesto and smaller pieces of tomato, and the flavors blended so nicely.

The lobster pasta is a sight to behold. The pasta itself was a little over cooked but the lobster was perfect and the sauce was delicious, a creamy vodka sauce with just a hint of spice. My favorite pasta would probably be the penne luongo alla gricia, which is a Roman specialty that is sort of like a mix between carbonara and cacio e pepe. This pasta was perfectly cooked and so decadent and savory.

The divorzio pasta - tomato and pesto with stracciatella in between to dip - was great in theory but the sauces were nothing special. But if you’re a burrata lover it is worth it anyway!

The roasted garlic babka was very creative and tasty and a great way to star the meal.

The strawberry cocktail was a little sweet for my taste but was a fun twist on an Aperol spritz, and came in the cutest cup!

All in all, I’d say Bad Roman is worth a trip. Don’t go expecting Don Angie quality, and do expect a little gimmickiness, but if you’re down for that the restaurant vibe and the novelty of the dishes alone makes it such a fun experience—and if you love pasta, I guarantee you’ll find something here to enjoy.

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