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Guastavino's Reviews

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Reviews

4.9 out of 5 rating
4.9 out of 5 rating
11 Reviews
99% recommend it
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Awards

11
  • Stacey
    Stacey C. Sent on 01/25/2023
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    A Wedding to Remember!

    From the start, our experience with Guastavino's was top notch. We got married on December 10, 2022 at an off-site ceremony spot and had our reception here. Quick response, set up a site visit, and fell in love with this spectacular venue. Not only is the venue itself breathtaking when you walk in the doors, the staff is so professional, attentive, friendly, and pay very close attention to detail.

    Onto one of the more important aspects of any wedding: the food. We were very thankful to have done a tasting at Guastavino's to narrow down their delicious selections. It was a very tough decision because everything was amazing but all of our guests were pleased with our choices. The cocktail hour was spectacular. What a start to the event! We did 4 of their standard stations and last minute added on their seafood tower. Our guests were amazed by the quality, taste, and display of the food. The seafood tower was a show stopper and elevated the event! For dinner we opted for the Filet and Salmon and both were a hit. You have several options to choose from for first course, main course, and dessert. Instead of doing a full dessert hour, we wanted guests to remain on the dance floor so Guastavino's was kind enough to change to a passed dessert style of seven options which was amazing! And included one of my favorites - Magnolia banana pudding.

    The cake was also included in our pricing and the baker they work with creates absolutely delicious and beautiful cakes! We opted for a cake with flavors and designs that were included in their standard package. It was a 4-tier tall round cake covered in white fondant with a white satin bow to match the bow on my wedding dress. We chose the dark chocolate cake with strawberry cream filling. SO delicious! Guastavino's also handled this aspect of the tasting and coordination with the baker so we did not have to do anything for it which was great.

    One of the things we appreciated most was the honestly and realness of the team. When we first visited Guastavino's we were feeling discouraged from a prior visit with another venue that did not go as expected and were turned off with how snooty the person was. We initially met with Joseph Gabis and he was wonderful! Coming from Long Island, we were used to having several dinner options offered for guests but in NYC the standard is only 2 options at most venues. Joseph offered to add a 3rd option for an upcharge but advised that there would be plenty of food throughout the event that we could save that money and use it towards something else for the day. He eased my mother's worries about lack of food and there was more than enough for everyone to enjoy the day of!

    Huge shout out to Joseph Gabis, Joseph De Jesus, Victoria Bongo, and the rest of their incredible team for taking such great care of us during our most special day. Everyone was always happy to answer our questions, fulfill our requests, and make accommodations for us where needed. You will truly be in excellent hands when working with Guastavino's.

    All of our guests can't stop raving about everything! We are already hoping to use this venue again one day for future events. You will not be disappointed and are getting your money worth!
  • Jared
    Jared M. Sent on 10/29/2019
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    Quite Easily Manhattan's Best Wedding Venue

    Guastavino's is right in line with the top wedding venues in NYC like The Plaza and The Pierre and after having our wedding here in September, I can easily say that Guastavino's tops both of those across all categories: class, service, food, flexibility, size, personality, luxury, the list goes on and on...

    Throughout our process of exploring venues, we did look at other top venues like The Plaza, The Pierre, The Essex House, and others. We also attended weddings previously as guests at all of these venues. We were never guests at a wedding at Guastavino's so in that sense, we were going in blind.

    When we first walked into the space, we were in awe. It is so unique in its architecture, layout, and feel, and is very iconic New York. Built right into the arches of the Queenboro Bridge, it doesn't get much more Manhattan than that.

    Besides falling in love with the space instantly, what put us over the top was the attentiveness, personal care, and obvious experience from every single person we interacted with from day 1. I will add, this feeling and attentiveness did not subside for one second throughout our year long process leading up to the wedding and even after. It is clear that owner John and his staff really understand what service means and they certainly understand how to put on an exceptional event.

    What's even more impressive is that, while the price is not by any means cheap or budget, it is absolutely reasonable. Reasonable in the sense that it's not outrageous, you fully understand every single cost without any secrets, shadiness, or question at all, but also the entire team actually cares and listens to your budget concerns, vision, and ideas and does everything in their power to make it all come together. And if for some reason they cannot, they are transparent and let you know. We cannot say the same about ANY of the other venues we looked at.

    Beyond that, when I say that Guastavino's has done it all, seen it all, and can handle literally any request you can think of (even if its the week of the wedding), I really mean it. There were several occasions where I asked "can we do this" or "is this possible" knowing well that the answer is likely no, but the answer was always "yes absolutely" or "we've never done that, but we will make it happen."

    What makes Guastavino's really special is the staff all led by John as I mentioned. John is a real New Yorker, not a pushy salesman, and it's clear he is a family man. It's also obvious this is the culture he engrained in his team. I can honestly say, whether I was interacting with John, our talented coordinator Megan, our awesome host Joe, Abdul (who needs no title), our attendant Erica, or ANYONE else on the team, WE felt like family.

    Ok, so the food... Have you ever been to a wedding and said "wow the food was great?" Probably not, but your guests absolutely will. The best way to describe it is that Guastavino's went into a top New York restaurant, hand picked the chef and his entire team, and brought it to Guastavino's. The food is actually incredible, and your guests will tell you. Warning: they may never stop telling you. We left our tasting a little skeptical of how they could possibly deliver that elegance, flavor, and experience the night of our wedding for 220+ people, and believe me when I tell you, they absolutely did. Dishes are creative, flavorful, HUGE PORTIONS, and all around just 5-star.

    I will leave it with this: you absolutely get what you see at Guastavino's and if you want an honest, luxury, top 5 NYC venue, you MUST at least give Guastavino's a look. Arguably, I didn't even need to write this entire review, because I know that the second you step foot in the space and interact with the team, you will experience the same magic we did and then, and only then will you understand (and ask yourself "why didn't I check this place out sooner?").

    Thanks John, Megan, Joe, Erica, and the entire team at Guastavino's. You really are the best in the business.
  • Cristen
    Cristen L. Sent on 01/04/2019
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    Highly recommend!

    We were married at Guastavino's on 12/15/18 and the entire day went by so smoothly.

    Megan and Annmarie (the event managers) were so thorough, organized, creative, and attentive throughout the entire process. They are open to any request and make you feel at ease.

    The food was outstanding -- you get a large qty of cocktail hour choices (all of them amazing) and entree choices. The food doesn't feel mass-produced like at some other venues. Every dish seems like it was made special for you. My only complaint is that I wish the cocktail hour was more than an hour! The stations and pass-arounds were exceptional.

    The bar service exceeded expectations -- the signature drink at the cocktail hour was served as guests left the ceremony so the bars didn't get jammed, plus there were plenty of trays of champagne and wine for people to grab from. The bars never really formed a line. Not to mention, Guastavino's only serves top-shelf brands. The reception service was treated the same way...servers came around with wine/drink orders, wine was on the table, plus guests can go up to the bar.

    Music -- we chose Cafe Wha (also outstanding) and the acoustics/partnership between the band and Guastavino's was perfect.

    General flow of the day -- soooo organized, on-schedule, and seamless. I can't name one hiccup.

    The best part is that Guastavino's assigns both a day-of coordinator to make sure you stay on schedule AND a bridal attendant (she was incredible. I felt so spoiled!).

    Highly recommend!
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  • R
    Rachel Sent on 01/13/2019
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    Unbelievable

    Guastavino's was so amazing. The whole team worked so hard to make our wedding dreams come true, in fact the whole day exceeded our wildest dreams. Everything went so smoothly, my groom and I were able to enjoy every minute without a worry. The whole wedding planning process was fun, stress free all leading up to the most beautiful day in our lives. Wish we could do it all over again!!
  • S
    Sara Sent on 12/18/2013
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    The most beautiful space I have ever seen. John, who first toured the space with us, was attentive, responsive, and did not leave a single stone unturned when discussing what our wedding would include. Holly, the event coordinator, was responsive, so very professional, and supportive when it came to even the most mundane of questions that we had. She thought of everything, and when I sent her a list of what I wanted done with all of the elements that I'd planned, she did exactly what I asked, and intuitively did things that I did not even know to ask for. It was as if she understood the details that I envisioned in my dreams, and made them a reality. On the actual night of our wedding, Sandra, the Bridal Attendant, made me question whether or not I should ditch my plans to marry my groom, and marry HER instead! She was two steps ahead of me at all times, making sure that everything I needed was provided before I even asked, and that the magic I'd planned for all along would be the reality of the night. Joseph, the maitre'd was spectacular. My husband believes that Joseph is the reason our guests are describing our wedding as "absolutely perfect." He made sure every single move of the night was perfectly coordinated on the part of the staff at Guastavino's. Our timeline was orchestrated like that of a marching band; every member of the team at Guastavino's had a specific role or job there, and when they all worked together, what was produced can only be described as absolute magic.
  • A
    Amanda Sent on 08/20/2013
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    We had an amazing wedding at Guastavino's. We really wanted a cool event space with a great NY feel and Guastavino's was the perfect fit. We planned our wedding pretty quickly (less than 4 months) but the professionalism and helpfulness of the staff helped make our event seem like it was in the works for years.

    The actual event was so seamless, I didn't need to worry about a thing. There was no need for an outside day-of coordinator - the event planner (Holly) helped me through everything. During the event, if I even looked up in a quizzical manner either Andrea (my appointed bridal attendant) or Joseph (the maitre'd) were at my side to see if I needed anything.

    We got so many gushing compliments from our guests (many of whom have been to many NYC weddings to compare it to) on how beautiful the space was, how abundant and delicious the food was, and just how well run the event was.
  • C
    Corinne Sent on 09/06/2013
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    From the site visit with Joseph Gabis, to the tasting with Holly, our event planner and Joseph, our Maître d'hôtel, my husband and I were treated like one of the family at Guastavino's. They made planning our wedding reception a true joy. They were flexible with our changes and requests and truly cared that the event was a success. As an event planner, who invited her bosses as well as at least 6 other event planners to the event, I was beyond impressed with the execution of the day. It was flawless, and I never say that. I am recommending every bride come check out the space, which is breathtaking on its own, but when you add in the amazing people you'll work with, it makes the whole experience. I cannot wait to do more events there on a professional level!
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    Anna Sent on 05/25/2010
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    We were extremely pleased with our wedding at Guastavino's. The food was excellent and the venue really went above and beyond for us.

    The bridal room was a perfect little lounge to hang out in well we got ready for the festivities. I also liked how the bridal suite is sort of hidden with all those mirrored doors so guests did not find themselves there. The luncheon was comprised of little sandwiches, fruit, and cookies accompanied by soft drinks and tea. Robin, the bridal attendant, was awesome! Without my request, I saw her aligning our escort cards, offering to steam not just the bridesmaid dresses but some of the groomsmen who had some jacket wrinkes... throughout the wedding, she always appeared next to us with a tray of water (or alcoholic beverage) or a reminder that our meal was hot. We did eat at our wedding!

    We enjoyed the tasting (and being able to bring two friends) and while it was hard to make the selections, we were very happy with our choices: risotto, tenderloin, and the choc molton cake. We opted not to have a cake (as I find the cutting to be a bit cheesy) and had passed choc covered strawberries instead. The appetizers and 3 food stations during cocktail hour were great; I especially liked the lamb chops (who doesn't like lamb!), grilled cheese, and tuna tartare.

    The space is beautiful and unique. The tennis bubble outside of the window didn't bother us at all though we could see it at our altar. The light/sound guys did a good job (exclusivity). The staff quickly transformed the ceremony room into the reception room during cocktail hour downstairs. The dance floor was the perfect size and the venue worked well with all our vendors.

    We really had a blast at our wedding and loved Guastavino's so much we're trying to think of what else we can do there (corporate event, 10 year anniversary dinner, etc?).

  • J
    Jeff Sent on 08/22/2012
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    We absolutely loved Guastavino's. John and Holly went out of their way to work with us to make our wedding about us. They were flexible and allowed us to personalize our event. The space and location are tremendous (read any review). The food was the best surprise...the cocktail hour was an A+, the desserts and apps were as good as during the tasting! And everyone has been commenting about how great the filet mignon was (no rubber chicken at this venue). Strong recommendation!!!!!
  • V
    Victoria Sent on 12/30/2015
    4.8 out of 5 rating
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    I had my wedding at Guastavino's on 9/19/15. My expectations were high, and somehow Guastavino's managed for FAR exceed them!

    They have wedding timelines down to a tee. The night was structurally flawless, from set-up to tear down. Having a bridal attendant on the day of was literally the best thing ever- Sandra was always one step ahead of us, from having my flats ready to change out of my heels to sewing a button back onto my husband's tux; honestly, this takes a lot of stress off both family and the bridal party. Our maître d,' Joseph, was great at coordinating all the vendors and ensuring the night ran smoothly. The evening of our tasting, he ran out to purchase a bottle of wine my parents were interested in trying because they didn't have it in house at the time. Holly, the wedding coordinator, answered all of my questions and assisted with the planning in the days leading up to the wedding. When we ran into a minor roadblock along the way, she worked with us to come up with a solution.

    The food was also delicious! And they did an incredible job with our cake.

    The only downside was that they have an exclusive lighting vendor, Gala Productions, who I'd never recommend to anyone.
  • J
    Jenna Sent on 06/12/2013
    4.6 out of 5 rating
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    Gustavinos did above and beyond! I had a personal attendant who was the best thing a bride could ask for!!! The food and service was absolutely amazing! The servers all seemed so happy and excited and attentive. They really looked out for all of the needs of myself and my guests.
    If you want a classy NYC wedding this is the place!
    One downfall is you must used BMl blackbird for lighting and sound and they charge a fortune to turn on a light switch and its just something you can not get around, you need lights!!!