Otto

I've been frequenting Otto for over a year and love it. The food is outstanding - very tasty and well priced. The atmosphere is awesome too. I've never had a bad experience there - and its even better now that they take reservations. I highly recommend the restaurant!

Well, what can I say....first of all, I called to make a reservation and was told that they were not taking reservations over the phone., but that we should get to the restaurant and put our names down. We got there at 720pm, granted it was a saturday night, so we expected it to be busy, but what we experienced what utterly exasperating! We stood around the bar area and had some drinks and appetizers, which incidentally were really good, but having to wait 3 HOURS to be seated made the whole experience tedious. We couldn't leave because we didn't think we could find anywhere else and besides we wanted to check out the food and see what was enticing people to stay for so long to be seated. To top it all off, when we told the hostess that we tried to make reservations, she smiled nicely and said that they only take reservations for half of their tables because they rely on walk-ins for the other half! The food was terrible! There was no flavor to any of our dishes. In fact the best thing on the menu were the cheeses - and they didnt have to make those! All I can say is that if you're a mario batali fan, go for the atmosphere and wine, but don't go for the food. My husband sugggested that we should open our own restaurant across the street and name it - "Still waiting? Come over and actually get to eat today!"

Delicious verdure (vegetable mixtures), interesting pizzas, unusual gelati, marvelous wines, and a lovely warm decor make for a friendly visit. However, problems occur with the wait staff. Aside from one friendly waiter, there are 3 or 4 bored bus boys with nothing to do other than whisk the food from under your fork! I experienced this all 3 times I visited Otto.

The food is "elegantly simple," the uncomplicated preparation allows the flavors to soar thru. There are wines for all tastes and price ranges and the service is warm, deep, and friendly. A very knowledgable staff from waiter to Maitre D' to the Sommy, etc. A nice friendly place to share amazing food beautifully priced. And the bar up front is great for just wine and apps, its a scene. A real NY treasure! Take it from a foodie. And Mario is always around in his orange clogs and shorts too.

The best place to eat if you don't have time for Babbo.

For what it's worth, the pizza is pricey but I have no complaints. The past dishes are priced moderately, the wait staff is not that great, but I guess that's what keeps prices down. As for the comment about the pasta not being cooked all the way through... I don't know what kind of Italian you are, but it's called 'al dente' in my family. Che un peccato.

Otto's not for everyone. If you're looking for great 'pizza' as you know it you would probably be better served hitting a local pizzerria - there are hundreds in this city that make a capable pie. But if your looking for new, interesting and bold flavors you may find a gem in Otto. Minimize your focus on the pizza and try some of the winning appetizers - the eggplant and calliflower ones come to mind, as well as the shaved meats - prosciutto here is as good as it gets. Save room for gelato as well as the excellent cheese plate. As for the bad reviewer below "Who cooked the pasta" you know to stop reading a blistering critique of italian food when the reviewer complains about anchovies in their puttanesca. Seriously I think they have an Olive Garden in Times Square for folks like that.