Al Dente

Because bathrooms do exist in locations other than our home and bars, here is the bathroom at Al Dente, a very nice Italian restaurant on the Upper West Side. The restaurant itself is a bit small, as are most in New York, but that leaves very few options in the way of bathroom placement. Unfortunately, the designers of Al Dente decided to place the bathroom in the main dining room. Yes, they may have one of those fans that will protect diners from normal bathroom sounds, but still, one fears that should a "problem" arise in the restroom, the rest of the dining room may know. In the small space they do offer some sweet smelling soap, a hand-dryer, and a mirror, so at least when you emerge from the bathroom with a guilty expression on your face and an audience of diners with distraught expressions, you will look and potentially smell your best.

• Cleanliness - 2 flushes
• Aroma - 2 flushes (since you can smell the wonderful meal sitting at your table)
• Overall experience - 3 (points taken off for awkward bathroom placement)
• Amenities - hand-dryer and nice smelling soap

Photos were taken by our foreign correspondent Yuli Vladimirsky...from Connecticut.