Otto

Just dined at Otto..what a terrific experience. Grabbed a few drinks at the trendy bar before dinner. Table for 2 was waiting for us when we were ready on a crowded Wednesday night. this is not a typical pizza joint. if you want a "slice" go somewhere else. this place is top notch. they make the majority of the ingredients on the menu in house. we r talking amazing cheese. we r talking black truffle honey. the pizzas r amazing..but only after you've had some of the best prosciutto the city has to offer. the olives..ridiculous. the pasta. this is as close to being in italy as u can ever imagine. if you r looking for a more casual yet completely authentic italian meal...please try Otto. it is amazing!

I understand the reviewer's frustration with the wait but the food, service, experience is well worth the wait. While you wait there are many tables to stand at, a great bar and a fantastic wine menu to choose from. The food is always delicious. I have been here with both small and large groups and leave extremely satisfied every time.

I went here because it was recommended to me and I went back two days later because it was that great! The pizzas are delicious but what truly is the best are the antipasti!!! Since then I have been there numerous times and when anyone visits me in the city this is the first spot I take them to!

I've heard good things about this place so my party of six was excited to go. We got cheese as appetizers which was good, but kind of hard to screw up so I'm not giving them much credit for that. I ordered pasta primavera, which was DISGUSTING. It was so salty that I literally had to wash every bite down with water. Also, me and my friend, who were the only ones who ordered pasta, agreed that the noodles were way too al dente- al dente is only good when done CORRECTLY, and I expected such a popular restaurant to get it right. Instead, the pasta just tasted undercooked. My other friend ordered the goat cheese and asparagus pizza and asked if he could get fresh chiles on top as well, only to be told that the chef refusd to modify dishes because he did not like his creations 'meddled with'as if goat cheese and asparagus pizza is some innovative concept (not). Anyway, his pizza was kind of strange, it was dried out so it was almost like eating bread. Not that pizza should be greasy, but in Italy they usually put lots of olive oil on pizza. All in all, it was kind of a pretentious place. It's hard to read the menu because they intentionally use obscure ingredients so the waiters can tell you ALL about them just to make them seem more informed, but it was just kind of obnoxious because he kept asking "do you have any questions about the menu?" every five seconds. They played this really obtrusive techno music that I seriously thought was that "nothin but mammals" song for a while. I wanted to try something new, but all I got was pretenious waiters, a desperately trying to be modernistic and trendy atmosphere, and really really bad food.

I seriously cannot fathom the thought of ever dining here again. Why is there so much hype around this place? Rushed service, salty pizza, pre-packaged breadsticks mediocre salad way-too-loud dining room where we couldn't converse without screaming over really bad music. We ordered a $40 red wine and they served us the $125 bottle listed directly above it on the list (without us realizing it until the bill came). That's how loud this place is... they can't even take your order correctly, and then to top it off (after explaining to them that they messed up), they made us pay for their mistake!

I don't recommend this place for dinner, they are very unorganized and the atmosphere is chaotic. Nobody seemed to know what was going on and nobody wanted to communicate with the customers that were piling up. The bar was jam packed with frustrated, hungry people, some waiting for over 2 hours past their reservation! We had a 9:00 dinner reservation and were finally seated at 10:30 after we insisted on sitting! I don't even know if the food was any good since we were already so disappointed with the place.

I know the Mario idea from Mozza in LA - and it's a great idea. What is better than rustic pizza paired with wine? Nothing. Unfortunately the NYC Batali fails big time at delivering. The wine selection IS extensive and although they have way too many $90+ bottles of so-so wines they also have some very affordable good/great wines. That said, the food is not up to par. The pizza comes out from the kitchen cold, cheese rubbery, meats and vegetables not fully cooked, and the result is not acceptable. Too bad because this should be the main draw. Odd too that in LA, at Mozza, where pizza is not as easy to do they get it right. Pasta is not recommended as it is generic in taste and presentation. The gelato IS however a highlight, but odd as it isn't really what you go to Otto for, especially if you're having wine. The restaurant itself is noisy and full which is nice, there is good energy there, but the lighting is bizarre - full on maximum brightness as if you are sitting in a cafeteria at noon. I would recommend this place ONLY for after work/before dinner somewhere else drinks and apps at the bar. In by 7 out by 8.30 and never leave the front of the place and you'll like Otto.