Otto

the pizza here at otto is nothing to write home about. that being said...the gelato at otto is not, not, not NOT under ANY circumstances to be missed.oh my!! the texture--so smooth and rich! the flavors! unrivaled by anyone in NYC. olive oil and avocado are insanely good... especially if you get a bit of the basil lime syrup on the latter. UNREAL. pistachio and hazelnut...ooooo-eeee! and grapefruit sorbet with a dash of alcohol on top..perfect palate cleanser. chocolate, hazelnut, blackberry....they are all so good. just. go. now.

OK, the train-station-style reservation system is the most creative thing I've seen in a restaurant. I hate to say it, but it almost makes waiting for a table fun. But was it worth the long wait... We went in w/o a reservation and was told the wait was 2 hours. We knew this coming in, so hanging out in the bar was no problem. No pasta or pizza at the bar, so we ordered a few antipasti items including the cheeses and olives. It was great sharing a bar table with other patrons while discussing our antipasti and wine selections. The honey and black truffle cheese condiment had an unbelievable fusion of woodsy and sweet flavors. Who thinks of this? Once seated (our destination was Tivoli), the waitress was somewhat rushed, but the pizzas were great. And the gelato to cap it off was creamy and delightful. I'll be back in a few weeks to entertain some friends.

It was ok..not to be snobbish because i am not a critic,writer and/or chef but i love to dine and i appreciate good food and good service. That being said. The atmosphere was fun, busy and noisy. The staff was almost non existent and not very helpful considering the "non-traditional" style menu. It is tapas style. Which is fine but... anyway, the food was good. I think the only way to enjoy this type of menu and atmosphere is with a noisy group of good friends:)

Love love love otto. The staff is so gracious and knowledgable. The sommelier is top notch. What every restaurant should aim to be. The atmoshere is close to perfection of what a pizza restaurant should be... it's dark, it's loud, it's comfortable, it's fun. The pizzas are very creative, though crusts don't hold a candle to franny's, or lil' frankies or even gonzo for that matter. But it somehow all works together splendidly. Don't get me wrong, the pizzas are great, and everything else in the restaurant more than makes up for the above-average-below superior-crusts. Highly recommended.

The eggplant pasta was cold by the time it was delivered, but at least the one delicious dessert is the ice cream - the stracciatella hazelnut ice cream is out of this world.

Food is great, wines are excellent, and atmosphere is great, if you like loud, exhuberant energy and occasionally raucous table-neighbors. Ask for recommendations from the staff - they know their stuff, and are helpful in guiding you well. Festive and fun, with children welcome, dining at Otto has a laid back if a little crowded feel. (If you're looking for quiet and intimate - and more expensive - opt instead for Mario's other restaurant, Babbo.) Value is ok - for the prices of the pasta dishes, I expected more than 3/4 cup serving. But ultimately, the flavor is what wins the value argument - 3/4 cup of excellent fare could arguably be worth the few extra dollars. Also, I second the recommendation mentioned previously - the olive oil gelato is supurb.

Dined their on 1/8/06...and AS ALWAYS mario aims to please. We were a party of 8, seated within minutes and treated like Roman Kings. Salads, pizza, and gelati were all AS ALWAYS fab! I ordered the margherita pizza and while I've had better at pete and eldas in nj...i loved this also. It's a go go go go and kudos to mo mo molto mario.