Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Corto

    4.2 (363 reviews)
    ModerateItalian
    Closed 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM
    Updated 3 weeks ago

    Corto Photos

    CORTO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Hipster
    Casual
    Trendy
    Intimate

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Corto

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Michael C.

    My good friend recommended that I come here and mannnnnnn, did it deliver. All of the dishes were so fresh and flavorful. The pasta was all so delicate, delicious, and you could tell it was freshly made. My favorite was the Campanelle with pesto. Some of the best pesto I've ever had to be honest. The servers were amazing and the interior vibe was nice. Would definitely come back next time I'm in JC!

    Spaghetti
    Regina D.

    Just excellent! Food was amazing! Phillip was just great! This is our third time visiting this restaurant Can't wait to go back!!!!

    Ricotta and Honey Toast
    Elisa C.

    This cozy BYOB spot in Jersey City's Heights neighborhood is fun. The staff is attentive and thoughtful (ie, they saw our beers and said they'd bring us an ice bucket). We went a little starters heavy with Honey Ricotta Toast, Burrata, and Little Gems salad. The first two were fantastic and the waitress was thoughtful and brought us extra bread before it was served because she knew the two pieces that it comes with isn't enough. The salad was ok. We got the ragu pasta and spicy rigatoni. The ragu was cooked well and tasty, but a tad salty. The rigatoni's spiciness had a bit of a slow burn. The patio is open during the warmer season and was quite enjoyable.

    Ambience
    Anusha M.

    Cozy Italian restaurant highlighting simple local fresh ingredients & authentic Italian food . The beet salad was fresh crunchy & felt like all the ingredients were sourced from a farmers market. The ricotta toast even though had honey on it was perfectly well balanced not too sweet. Loved the addition of the pink peppercorn on top .The bread was hearty too .We ordered 4 varieties of pasta all all of them were cooked al dente to perfection. They were flavorful well seasoned & yet felt light to eat .Its a BYOB restaurant. Our server was excellent with recommendations knew every aspect of the menu. The server will ask you to place the entire order for the table at once so please a note of that ! The olive oil cake was to die for and should not be missed. P.S they had an open kitchen which just exhibits transparency which i appreciate a lot.

    And more pasta
    Fjames R.

    Service was excellent,we were a group so we ate family style,which was great because we got to taste all the best things on the menu.everything was delicious, it's small ,so make a reservation I took a handful of pictures the chicken fell off the bone ,and the pork could be cut with your fork

    Rigatoni
    Nicole A.

    Not only is the food spectacular, but the service is honestly top-tier. Extremely consistent. Extremely fresh. Some of the best food I've had ever. I've been here a few times and each time I've been back it's better than the time before.

    Josephine L.

    Well, ain't this a gem of a middle-of-nowhere place? Blocks away from the unremarkable "hub" of the West Side and across from a nondescript park with stunning views of Manhattan is Corto, an Italian-American pasta factory to make your nonna proud (or at least complain less). If you come during warm times, you have the added bonus of choosing between sitting in the rustic chic interior that looks like the cover of any Giada De Laurentiis/generic American woman's cookbook, or the mostly-covered, plant-filled patio that looks like the cover of any issue of Home & Gardens (Spring Issue). We enjoyed the wonderfully al dente Rigatoni, which didn't skimp on the Calabrian chiles and came wonderfully infused with fresh basil and mint. The Spaghetti was a worth adversary, loaded with local mushrooms, butter, thyme, Grana Padano, and truffle. Gun to my head, I'd pick the Rigatoni because I'm a red sauce girl, but the fungi lover in me would not be upset with more of the latter dish. We also gorged on the pricey-but-worth-it Whole Sea Bream. I've had a lot of whole sea bream/branzino in the past few years, since it seems to be one of the easiest (and trendiest) ways for restaurants to charge a 200%+ mark-up for otherwise inexpensive fish. But I haven't had one that came with a sauce made with local corn, heirloom tomatoes, shishito and serrano peppers. Suffice it to say: La salsa was unbelievably delicious, and the addition of the sweet and crunchy corn was the perfect touch. Service was friendly and attentive despite our being tucked away in a corner of the large patio. Would most definitely come back.

    Dianne K.

    The service was out of this world! Extremely attentive. Our server really took care of us. The rigatoni was to die for and we tried the angry chicken... The meat fell off the bone, and it was extremely delicious. We ended with the regatta cheesecake which was so tasty and decadent. I will definitely be coming back here again and again and again.

    Menu
    J S.

    4.5 starts Pleasantly surprised by this not so hidden gem in Jersey city (the heights). I walked into Corto for an early lunch & it was well worth the drive. I snagged a seat at the pasta bar & got a front row view of the chefs prepping and working their magic in the kitchen. This simply designed small restaurant is very cozy, offers comfortable seating, and also has a very nice outdoor patio set up in the back of the restaurant. I tried the Ricotta & honey toast that was spectacular. All the ingredients tasted fresh and blended together perfectly. The ricotta gnocchi was DELICIOUS, every bite was better than the last was not drenched in sauce & the meat complimented it so well. The citrus olive oil cake with strawberry jam was truly the perfect way to end my meal. A light but dense cake that had freshly made jam & whipped cream was a knock out treat. The service was welcoming & top notch. Not only did both servers come to check how the meal was going, the chef also checked on me periodically being that I was seated right in front of the kitchen, leaving me to enjoy my meal but when they did (pop in) they were very informative & gave me little bits of information on each dish that I had. To keep it short, Corto is a neighborhood gem tucked into the heights that everyone all over the city (or state) should know of & visit at least once. I look forward to visiting in the VERY NEAR future.

    Smoked pork shoulder and a pasta with pancetta (forgot the name)
    Rosalie C.

    I came here with a friend last year and have wanting to bring my fiancé here for a while. We started with the meat and cheese plate and ricotta toast. When the server brought it out he explained where each of the meats and cheeses were from which was a nice touch. The meats and cheeses and toast were all delicious! I'd come back just for the meat and cheese plate. I had a pasta with pancetta (I forget the exact name) and my fiancé had the smoked pork shoulder. Both the pasta and pork were good. For dessert we shared the cheesecake. The food this time was good but I was slightly disappointed. The pasta dishes my friend and I had the previous time I were here were out of this world. They rotate the menu so you'll always try something new which is a nice touch. Service was great!

    Sea Scallops
    Kenya R.

    Came across this restaurant & wanted to give it a try. I love to support any business & their menu gave me an appetite so I definitely gave it a try. Their service was so fantastic, they were so welcoming & it felt like family. They seated my partner and I right away when we walked in, the host was kind. The waitress was so friendly and knowledgeable she was also so helpful towards the menu & caring by asking us what we were allergic to. I wish I remembered her name! Ambiance was very calm & a chill vibe! This place is BYOB, other than that they do have homemade tea. I did try the raspberry tea, it was perfect because it wasn't sweet at all, which I loved. For our main, I ordered a sea scallops with blueberry agrodolce, grits & micro green. This dish was placed so stunning & the flavors were so rich. The blueberry gives it such an amazing & different flavor that you don't see in other restaurants. I never had a blueberry flavor with sea scallops, it made this restaurant so unique with others. The scallops was cooked perfectly. My partner ordered a Strozzapreti, this dish was so tasty & the mushrooms gave it an extra touch on the dish. These dishes were absolutely distinctive. 10/10 for this place. Would recommend going here for a family dinner or nice date, they do have a patio outside as well. I can say I would love to come here again and try other dishes.

    Katie C.

    Didn't think Corto could get any better but than we secured a spot at the chef's table! You can't go wrong with any dish you order - the ricotta and honey toast is always a must. Their pasta is so fresh and perfectly al dente. The Casarecce pasta dish is a must if you're a mushroom lover like me! Love this place for a date night!!

    Angry Chicken
    Hillary B.

    Amazing service, love that it's BYOB, and the food is solid. I had the rigatoni, spaghetti, and angry chicken. The pasta was a bit more al dente than my preference, but was very flavorful. Also had the cheesecake for dessert, which was delicious.

    Angry Chicken

    See all

    16 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    26 days ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 day ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of J S.
    31
    111
    191

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    20 days ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    I love it here! Food is wonderful and the restaurant is so nicely decorated. I will definitely be back

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 2

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Melody T.
    43
    27
    14

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Staff is pretentious and was really forceful in suggesting we had to order more food. We would never go back, overhyped spot food as well.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Nan P.
    0
    37
    1

    10 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 27
    Thanks 0
    Love this 24
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Bjorn P.
    2
    851
    1078

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 10

    Corto Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Corto

    Is the outdoor space heated?

    Yes, there are propane heaters under the tent. They work reasonably well but bundle up for colder nights.

    Any vegan options?

    Sorry there are no vegan options on the menu.

    Are you BYOB?

    Corto is BYOB, as of April 2023

    Is there parking nearby?

    There is only street parking.

    Are there gluten free options?

    View All 8 Questions

    You might also consider

    Ita Italian Kitchen

    Ita Italian Kitchen

    4.5
    (345 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$

    If you're looking for a small piece of Italy in Jersey City, Ita Italian Kitchen is it…read more This place has become my go-to and for good reason. The moment you walk in, the hospitality wraps around you the staff genuinely makes you feel like family. That kind of warmth is hard to fake and even harder to find. I started with the Focaccia with Garlic Oil simple, perfect, dangerous because you'll eat the whole thing before your entrée arrives. Then the Spicy Rigatoni with Shrimp? Absolutely not to be skipped. The sauce has the right amount of heat, the shrimp were cooked perfectly, and every bite just made sense. I've been back multiple times and it never misses. If you haven't been, you're late...go fix that.

    I really wanted to love this place, especially because I absolutely loved their sister restaurant,…read more"Wing Bar." I had very high expectations going in, but unfortunately, this experience was a major letdown. The food was just not good. The pasta was bland and needed extra salt and pepper. The arancini balls tasted like they had been frozen and lacked flavor. The steak and fries were tough, and the only noticeable flavor was a strong peppery taste. The restaurant itself is cute, and I do recommend making a reservation. The open/close concept is a nice touch and adds to the atmosphere. Unfortunately, the service was also disappointing. Our server seemed confused, and another staff member had to step in when we mentioned the arancini. We were told they were supposed to be that way, but arancini should have a warm, cheesy pull -- not a frozen texture. I had high hopes because of Wing Bar, but this visit did not come close to that experience.

    Photos
    Ita Italian Kitchen
    Wings
    Wings
    Ita Italian Kitchen

    See all

    Del Porto Ristorante

    Del Porto Ristorante

    4.7
    (188 reviews)
    10.3 mi

    This is one of my favorite places! The restaurant is very…read morewell decorated and has a real classy Italian modern vibe (with an incredible outdoor area in the summer). Staff is very professional and friendly, always making sure everyone is having a good time. Honestly, all the food is great here but some of my favorites are definitely the carpaccio and calamari appetizer (the calamari is the BEST I ever had, hands down) and their coffee panacota for dessert is also out of this world, just amazing! If you are a bread lover just know they make their own bread in house. 5 stars always!

    I went here for lunch today with my husband and brother-in-law. The ambiance outside was very nice…read more It reminded me of the islands. The food, however, is another story. For appetizers, we got zucchini chips, fried calamari and mussels. The calamari was fried too hard and it had a very salty, spicy Chilean type sauce over it. The zucchini chips were thinly sliced, lightly battered with Parmesan cheese sprinkled over them. They were decent but nothing to write home about. In fact, after having about six or seven of the zucchini chips I began to experience heartburn from the grease. For entrees, my husband had the chicken parm. He said it was too thick and should have been flattened more before frying. It was also very breaded. My brother-in-law ordered the chicken and waffles and he said the chicken tasted day old so after having a bite of one piece of the chicken he pushed the chicken aside and called it a day. I called the waiter over and informed him about the chicken tasting day old. He didn't try to change it out or take it off the bill or get a manager. He just apologized by saying I'm sorry. My crab Mac and Cheese was decent. It wasn't seasoned the way I would have liked but the huge, plentiful chunks of crab made up for that. I ate a third of my dish and packed the rest for home where I will doctor it up to my taste. I've never been to this particular restaurant before. The only reason we came today is because my brother-in-law was here on business and staying at a hotel in the area.

    Photos
    Lychee martini
    Lychee martini
    Fried Calamari
    Fried Calamari
    Del Porto Ristorante

    See all

    Laico's

    Laico's

    4.2
    (341 reviews)
    4.0 mi
    $$

    You will get in a car & drive what seems an unreasonable distance- through a marsh, through a…read moregraveyard on both sides of the road with views of Lower Manhattan. Suddenly you'll arrive in a neighborhood, second-guessing the address. Which is correct. Laico's is in that class of restaurants that exist unto themselves, in a neighborhood rather than a typical city district, with the look and feel of a home. The kind of place you go to really understand where you are. The salad is charming, the bread a little stale. The eggplant parm fills the entire plate in 3 layers, an excellent rendition. The accompanying linguine plays nicely. Great service. The chicken piccata is also perfectly executed. We dined nearly alone in the back (save for a local, possibly family, table). On leaving another couple in front remarked "oh, so we're not the only ones here." It might seem dodgy to get to; you might have second thoughts when you walk in to find it pretty empty. Stick with it- you won't be disappointed.

    Your boy has a real appreciation for an old school Italian spot, especially the kind that feels…read morelike it has stories to tell and maybe a few mob legends tied to it. This place checks every box. My guys and I kicked things off at the bar with a couple of vodka on the rocks, setting the tone before sitting down for what turned out to be some of the best food I have had in Jersey City. From the moment you walk in, you can feel the history. Tucked away on a quiet side street with barely any foot traffic, yet still thriving. That tells you everything you need to know. They are doing it right. I will not run down every dish because honestly it does not matter. Everything that hit the table was on point. Do yourself a favor and trust the wait staff. Let them guide you. They know exactly what they are doing and will not steer you wrong. This is the kind of place you keep in your rotation. I am already looking forward to coming back, next time with the family.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    House salad
    House salad
    Birthday  Dinner

    See all

    Birthday Dinner
    IL Tavolo di’ Palmisano

    IL Tavolo di’ Palmisano

    4.3
    (280 reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $$

    Today we were craving some rigatoni pasta and to my surprise, not alot of places are open for…read moredinner here on Monday. But this place was and it looked great so I was so excited to try! First impression of the restaurant, there is a lot of seating and everyone was nice! We didn't know we came for happy hour so that was a happy surprise, we ended up ordering the shrimp app on the happy hour menu and it was DELICIOUS, then we got the spicy rigatoni with grilled and breaded chicken. Also AMAZING! Talk about huge portions, honestly we should have shared (rookie mistake on our part) but the portions for the money is such a good deal. We had a lot of left overs we can't wait to eat this week! We will for sure be back to try everything else on the menu.

    My in-laws were coming into town for Father's Day and because it was super last minute, my pickings…read morewere quite slim for Friday night dinner with reservations for 6 people in Jersey City. My friend who lives in Hoboken gave me a few options for Italian restaurants and Il Taviola took reservations, had space for us, and had a very good menu at decent prices. I had thought I had never been to Il Taviola before. But the moment I stepped into the restaurant, I was like, well, actually I have been here before and I just straight up forgot. Woops. Well, it was a pleasant surprise to be back and I actually had an even better time this time than last time. I had the spicy chicken parm with rigatoni and wow, it was actually quite spicy. It was really good, but super spicy! My SFIL absolutely loved it though and killed the rest of my dish that I couldn't finish. Most of the group had the lamb ragu orecchiette and thought it was quite good. Both burrata appetizers were really good and thoroughly liked by the table. Service was attentive and we were never rushed. I really enjoyed that the restaurant wasn't super crowded. There were other tables but they were far away enough that we didn't feel like we were on top of each other.

    Photos
    Bar Area
    Bar Area
    IL Tavolo di’ Palmisano
    Entrance and hostess desk on right Bar area on the left

    See all

    Entrance and hostess desk on right Bar area on the left
    La Fiamma

    La Fiamma

    4.5
    (214 reviews)
    5.8 mi
    $$

    We found this place by accident a few years ago on a work trip and had to come back again. It is an…read more"old school" family recipes, incredible service, fantastic food, and simply an amazing restaurant. My only concern is that they don't see to be busy enough for how good they are! We had 6 of us. Every single thing everyone ordered looked incredible. (I mean, I don't really care for muscles, but I could absolutely see the love cooked into even that dish.) I wish them every success and I'm already looking forward to visiting again next time I'm in the area!

    "Would you like some lemoncello? Orangcello? Anythingvello?"…read more Angelo, one of the owners, is talking to the table next to us, but already I know I've found a second home. "You won't want to cook anymore" he tells us a bit later. He's not wrong. I had the fish special, cod, served puttanesca, with mash potatoes and spinach. He had the rigatoni bolognese. Perfectly cooked pasta. "Everything is homemade," Angelo explained later. Smart and fairly well-priced wine list. We asked why the 2020 Carparzo Brunello di Montalcino was so low priced, and learned the wine has been priced the same since their father closed their Upper East Side location and the kids opened in Newark. "New York food at NJ prices," Angelo explained. "I've never had tiramisu I've liked better", husband told me. "I've never had flan Ive liked better" I told him. (It is coconut flan.) Great service. Wonderful spot. And Bon Jovi has been in twice, most recently he brought his wife. Enough said.

    Photos
    La Fiamma
    La Fiamma
    We were coming from a Jets game and looked up good Italian restaurants on Yelp. Everyone mentioned La Fiamma. It's great!

    See all

    We were coming from a Jets game and looked up good Italian restaurants on Yelp. Everyone mentioned La Fiamma. It's great!

    Corto - italian - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...