Lauren DeSteno is a Corporate Executive Chef for the Altamarea Group, overseeing fine dining operations, events, and international ventures for restaurants like Marea and Ai Fiori. She honed her skills at the...
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Local ModernItalianAmericanBurgersSeafoodFine diningBreakfastBrunchLunchDinner
Last updated: 8/24/2026, 4:13:07 AM
Key Information
Ai Fiori, meaning 'Among the Flowers' in Italian, is an elegant restaurant located on the second floor of The Langham Hotel on 5th Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. It offers a sophisticated dining experience with a focus on modern Italian and French Riviera cuisine, complemented by an award-winning wine list and signature cocktails. The ambiance is described as beautiful, elegant, warm, and inviting, making it a popular choice for romantic occasions.
Customer Perception
Customer feedback highlights the delicious and refined food, with particular praise for dishes like lobster, ravioli, various pastas, beef tartare, and seafood. The ambiance is consistently lauded as beautiful, elegant, and romantic. While service is often described as attentive and professional, some reviews mention occasional delays, attempts at upselling, or issues with food preparation (e.g., undercooked burgers). However, the restaurant is also noted for its professionalism in addressing and rectifying customer concerns.
Additional Details
Ai Fiori is recognized for having 'NYC's Best Hotel Bar & Burger' and is considered '5th Avenue's Most Romantic Restaurant'. It boasts an extensive, award-winning wine list and a selection of signature cocktails, enhancing the fine dining experience.
Ai Fiori is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Early Sunday evenings have been noted as less crowded, potentially offering a more relaxed dining experience. It is a popular spot for special occasions like Valentine's Day, though this can lead to longer wait times.
Came here with a group of friends and the service was terrible.
We ordered our food, but the waiter immediately tried to upsell us by insisting we get a pasta and a salad to share. I found that incredibly tacky. He clearly just wanted to increase our bill for a larger tip. In the end, we got a pasta and side to split but the entire interaction was very awkward.
The pasta was good. Then the burgers came. Almost all of them were undercooked. I ordered medium and got medium rare, and another person at our table ordered medium and got rare. Not only is this not what we ordered, but it is also unsafe to eat raw or undercooked ground beef. We sent them back and waited at least another 20-30 minutes. The waiters came back with the food, but forgot the fries. I had to ask for them before they brought it back.
For such a seemingly high end institution, the service was atrocious. It was also very slow despite not even half the restaurant being full. Would not recommend.
We had an incredible experience at Ai Fiori, and my girlfriend and I truly can’t say enough good things about the team and the level of hospitality they showed us.
We dined there on Valentine’s Day, and while there was a delay with the set-course meal, which was a bit disappointing in the moment, the way they handled it completely turned the experience around. The staff acknowledged the delay sincerely and professionally, and they went above and beyond by inviting my girlfriend and me back for dinner on them.
When we returned, everything was exceptional. The food was absolutely amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed every plate on the menu, especially the lobster and ravioli!
What impressed us most was their professionalism and integrity. It’s not every day that a restaurant takes responsibility in such a generous way, especially during a busy holiday service. That level of care speaks volumes about their standards.
My girlfriend and I would absolutely love to come back again, and we’ll be recommending Ai Fiori to everyone, friends and family included. Wishing them continued success and all the best moving forward.
3
Visited during the winter restaurant week. First, the service was quite disappointing, as we waited a long time for our food. We were extremely hungry and had to ask multiple times for pre bread, which was a bit frustrating. I hope they can improve the service in the future.
In terms of the food, everything was delicious, although the portions felt a bit small—especially after such a long wait. The soup was excellent, and I really enjoyed the fish I ordered as well. The dessert was also tasty, not overly sweet, and a nice way to finish the meal.
4
Overall a top notch restaurant. Definitely a 4.5. We went early Sunday evening so not crowded but they sat us at a window at our request. Open and airy and beautiful. Flowers add a lovely pop of color to the room and it didn’t bother me that they were artificial but I did notice it. Service was attentive and friendly. Fell off a little later in our meal but I think he was the only server and they had a few tables. Beef tartare was classic which for me is perfect. Great knife cuts and very tender meat. Brussel sprouts were very good but I need to stop ordering them because if done well they are all the same. We each had a pasta and they were both delicious. I have said this before but believe it is true. Simple is the hardest thing to do. The pasta with red sauce was cravable. Perfect al dente and rich flavor. Pesto pasta also great. Pasta cooked well and the nuts added great texture. Overall we really enjoyed this restaurant and will definitely return. We tend to be bar people and this bar is lovely but dark. The tables by the window are a lovely way to enjoy some cocktails and good food. Also focaccia was spectacular and white bean dip it was served with was great.
5
Absolutely loved our experience at Ai Fiori. The flower decorations and overall ambiance are beautiful, elegant, warm, and inviting. The food was outstanding: the lobster bisque was rich and flavorful, and both the Maine lobster and the ink squid dishes were absolutely delicious. Even the coffee was excellent.
Special shoutout to Ismail, our server, who provided exceptional service, attentive, warm, and professional. Everyone we encountered was friendly, and the hospitality was truly top-notch. A wonderful dining experience from start to finish. Highly recommend.
