Try the risotto with gorgonzola, speck and porcini mushrooms or the pasta with figs and scamorza. This is real Italian food. Their menu is a little odd, but the food is good and authentic (my father a man that spent 26 years living in Italy approves). The pizza we tried was made with arugula and prosciutto and was good. The ambiance is nice as well. They did a really nice job of making the place feel elegant. This was the second time i've been here. I'm glad to see that they increased their portion size. Last time I left hungry, and this time I left stuffed. This is not the best restaurant I've been to, but I think it has great potential and its authenticity is unquestionable. Its a rarity to find an Italian restaurant run by Italians. I don't know where all the bad reviews come from! I can understand someone saying that their expectations weren't surpassed, but to say it was bad or disappointing is a little shocking! read more

Yesterday I went to OC Kitchen- Bar for dinner and had a great experience. I ordered the gnocchi with eggplant and it was delish! It was packed with fresh herbs, cheese and lots of flavor. This place looks really cool and the owner (Lorenzo) was so very personable and checked in on me throughout the night. Evelyn treated me like we were old friends which made me feel very welcomed. The live music was the icing on the cake. This was a nice spot and I will be back soon! read more

Haven't been in awhile due to COVID and so happy to go back. Food was incredible, service was great, the new chef personally came out to ask how the dinner and apps were. The fig martini was so delicious! Will go back very soon! read more

Such a great addition to the restaurants/bars in town & unlike any others (in a good way). The food is very authentic and fresh and the service is outstanding. Great vibe! I definitely recommend checking it out! read more

This was our family's first visit. We had a luncheon after a family members funeral. Everything was delicious. The staff was great. Thank you for everything. read more

Was probably one of the worst lunches I've had in a very long time. "Celebrity Chef" my ass. PEI muscles were slop in a bowl. Had the lunch special of a "pulled pork panini". Was burnt caramelized onions and chunks of some kind of fatty pork. Mostly bread. Feel horrible complaining but SUCKED!!! Also bartender wouldn't shut up about herself. Never going back for sure. read more

Really loved this place which we found on Yelp. I'm an artist and the decor was outstanding. The staff couldn't be friendlier. And yes the happy hour was perfect - good wine, delicious pizza made in a brick oven. Very happy read more

Went to dinner last night and the food was delicious. I didn't see pasta with vodka sauce on menu but waiter said we can do that for you, I asked for shrimp to be added. I received a delicious plate of spaghetti in vodka sauce and shrimp. The pasta was cooked perfect and shrimp was perfectly cooked also. The waiter was so very nice and attentive. We will be back soon read more

Awful horrible service number one her name was erica Secondly My two friends and i came in March outstanding menu and the service at that time was great Now My friends which I suggested for my 60th bday gathering came to be awful just awful One of my friend is GF had to ask the chief again to see if they can do anything and they didn't Thirdly My two friends ordered a watermelon salad awful no greens nothing the waitress didn't even mentioned to them that it won't be enough for lunch Honestly For the amount of money that my friends had to pay I will never ever ever step into this place Honestly I hope you can give them something in return Awful awful and awful read more

Omg so happy to have tried this place again after many months! Definitely under new management- beautiful menu- delicious food! Astounding! Really, how can you have exceptional calamari? They do! Burrata pillows appetizer out of this world! Tiramisu the best I've ever had! Desserts are wonderfully done, not too sweet but wonderfully flavored cannoli and chocolate cake. Really so happy this little gem is back up and running! If you've had a bad experience here come back! It's better than it ever was! read more

OC Kitchen-Bar - Italian Near Me - Rocky Hill, Connecticut

The atmosphere at OC Kitchen is very comfortable. The bar staff is very friendly. The food is good, but can be pricey for the portion size-especially the appetizers. Overall though, it's a great place to grab a bite to eat and a martini. read more

OC Kitchen-Bar - Italian Near Me - Rocky Hill, Connecticut

Awesome job goes to Daryl our waiter on Friday night! He went above and beyond in service! All waiters should be like him! He kept the drinks coming during happy hour, food out in a timely manner and did an amazing job explaining the history of O.C as well as letting us know all fresh veggies, herbs etc come fresh from local garden to plate. We were so impressed! Also the Italian chef ( who marries in Sept) was awesome too and what an amazing cook! So so impressed! Thanks Allyson Z read more

All your Italian classic food with a great imported twist. Very friendly staff. Risotto is the signature pasta, and with vegan vegetarian and even gluten free choices. The atmosphere is relaxed and welcoming. The partial owner of O.C. is famous in Italy, André Mainardi, world class Chef, serves in Italy at his restaurant, which has only ONE TABLE with multiple seats per reservation for party of #??. They bring this concept to patrons right here at Rocky Hill, CT. Inspiring and wonderful. Pizza Too! read more

OC Kitchen-Bar - Italian Near Me - Rocky Hill, Connecticut

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Great food. Wonderful atmosphere! Great neighborhood place! I had the salmon with Brussel sprouts! Delicious! read more

Sad to say OC has changed a lot since it first opened. The menu changed significantly, the staff turned over and the food is just not the same. read more

Nice decor on the outside but cheesey neon lights inside but still decent looking. Was here w a group of 6 and the food was average. I ordered pasta and ordered a protein to be added --shrimp. $3 on menu. I got two shrimp with my pasta but I didn't complain cuz I thought $3 was low. When I got the check, they charged me $6 cuz I had two shrimp! They charged me per shrimp!!! Note The waitress didn't ask me how many shrimp I wanted when I ordered. When I complained, they cut it down to $3 as posted. They took care of the complaint so I'm glad for it but it's unheard of to charge per shrimp unless it's big shrimp cocktail. Pasta sauce was sour and has room for improvement . Please go to treva in west Hartford to see how it's done. Prices are about the same but the tomato sauce is awesome. read more

Nice big parking lot, very cool interior. Staff is overly friendly at table service. Food was OK but not great. I heard HH is where its at so we will return for that and give it a second try. read more

OC Kitchen-Bar - Chicken Caesar salad - Italian Near Me - Rocky Hill, Connecticut

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Best Italian food in the area!! Service was excellent, as was the food! Ambiance is beautiful, rustic with a vintage Italian twist. Great patio for nice days, nice wine selection and nice people! The owner and bar manager speak Italian to each other, even makes you feel like you're in Italy!! Try it out! read more

OC Kitchen-Bar - Italian Near Me - Rocky Hill, Connecticut

Came in on a Friday night for drinks around 830pm. Place was empty. Staff was hanging out at the bar and seem surprised that customers showed up. We went to sit at a table near the bar only for staff to run out to start clearing and cleaning from previous customers. Maybe do that instead of hanging out? Ordered a bottle of wine but had to wait while they washed new glasses. I use the term glasses, but these were closer to plastic goblets I drank out of in college. The waitress never came to refill our glasses as she was eating dinner herself (the only person I saw eating). If I had to guess this place will be closed soon. Avoid. read more

We go out to dinner often until Covid of course. and of all the places out there the OC is Expensive and the food is average at best , then if your fussy like me and ask for extra stuff like say cheese or butter it can take as long as the meal itself, the service is worse than the food . While the staff is friendly I suspect the only thing keeping this place open is the profit margins are so high. but eventually people like me wont be back and they wont be able to stay open! There are way to many cheaper and better options out there!!! read more

Terrible service... Pretty good food. Except that they didn't have bread made for dinner? They were "making it" and it was 6:30 and not even crowded. Waitress had an "I couldn't care less" attitude. Forgot about us half the time. No one could figure out where she went.. It was empty in there. Too bad... I want a go-to place near Cromwell. This won't be it. read more

I like this place nice people great real italian food like at home... I recommend this place if you wanna eat handmade pasta, risotti... They change every day the special to try..!! I read the other comments and I think people have to give another opportunity to this nice restaurant.. read more

Large alcohol menu, short food menu. Food and appetizers were great. We had salads and 13" pizzas. Atmosphere was great, ask for "triple D Debbie" as your waitress, she was a top ten! read more

I've read the reviews and am here to say you really need to try this place. Tonight I had one of the best tuna dinners yet. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Don't hesitate to try this little gem. read more

OC Kitchen-Bar - Italian Near Me - Rocky Hill, Connecticut

First time here and the service and food was very good. We all had pasta dinners and a couple of apps. The coconut chocolate tiramisu was delicious. Prices are reasonable. We'll be back. read more

OC Kitchen-Bar - tagliatelle pasta with Bolognese sauce - Italian Near Me - Rocky Hill, Connecticut

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There is beautiful detail in the decor- steam punk-ish with Italian design with white tablecloths and candle light. The music is on but quiet enough to hear the person you are sitting with and the waitress. The food is fantastic! Just like when I was in Italy. The risotto was cooked perfectly! Even Chef Ramsey would have complimented it! The polenta with sausage appetizer was so good, we ate so much of it and needed to take home most of our meals. The Gorgonzola pancetta pasta was excellent! You can tell all the ingredients are fresh and homemade Even the cheese sticks are melt in your mouth heaven. Worth every penny! The waitress are attentive and willing to go over each meal select and dietary limitation. They even have gluten-free Omission beer Plus if you signup for their newsletter on their website- you have a chance to win gift cards AND you get free pasta on your birthday! Free is always a wonderful thing. read more

What a gem in my own home town. The atmosphere was amazing. The food was authentic well plated and pretty quick to the table. I never felt rushed. I had the Amatrician (sause with onion tomatoes and bacon) with tagliatelle (a type of pasta). My husband had a the pork cheek, which was a recommendation from our server. I couldn't get over how tender the meat was. It has the most modern lighting and the decor is unbelievable. Turning an old garage into a beautiful restaurant/bar....who would have thunk it. The owners really pulled it off. Service was spot on. She was attentive and took her time explain the menu and any questions I had since alot of the menu has Italian words. She was great with me! I will be sure to be back it is totally worth a visit! read more

A while back I called in and asked if I could place an order from the happy hour menu and was told I could not. I then placed an order for the TARTUFATA (Absolutely outstanding), MARGHERITA (good) and CAPRESE (ok and tasted fresh) the cheese was a little broken and the tomatoes were very watery. I requested a little balsamic glaze on the side (excellent), which they didn't charge me for (bonus). When I arrived (25 minutes later per their instructions) my order was ready but incorrect; they made the happy hour size TARTUFATA and forgot the Margherita pizza entirely and they did have my caprese. I was prepared to take it with the missing pizza and smaller pizza as I was in a rush but the gentleman insisted on making the two full size pizza's for me indicating it would take 7 minutes. I told the guy it was ok as I was in a rush but he insisted so I said ok. While waiting I asked to pay my bill as to not further delay my company that was waiting in my driveway at home. At that time I inquired about some small side of warm some warm or crusty bread to serve with the caprese, they said they could comply for 4.00. I agreed and requested they bring the bread now as to not further delay my order and proceeded to pay the $46 bill. 10 minutes passed and the food was not ready and the guy said it would be just a few more minutes. At that time I reminded the guy about my bread, but he still didn't bring it. About 5 minutes later they brought out my pizza but didn't bring out the bread. I inquired about the bread and they said I had to wait another few minutes. Unfortunately I couldn't wait and instructed them to forget it. They did tell me to keep the happy hour size TARTUFATA and were apologetic and polite. I was however frustrated that after asking for the bread 3 times and communicating my rush they still forgot it. Especially considering they weren't very busy; however a party of 8 had walked in while I was waiting and the guy who was helping me was tending to them as well. I thought the pizza was pricey for the size and I thought the MARGHERITA would include fresh mozzarella (which it didn't) my bad for making assumptions! I wanted to actually give 3 1/2 stars but figured Id rather be a little generous than a little unforgiving as this was my 1st experience with them and it was my fault that I was in a rush so I don't want to penalize them for my poor planning. Recap - Good Intentions and Effort with Poor execution Item. Taste Value TARTUFATA A+ B- MARGHERITA B B- CAPRESE B- B Balsamic Glaze. A+ N/A read more

Ok this place is beautiful! Great atmosphere!!! Perfect place for a date night. My husband and I shared a Ceaser Salad, pizza and scallop and pea risotto. The food was delicious! Only complaint was my cappuccino came after my dessert was finished and it wasn't hot. Portions are small but the quality was excellent. I would suggest adding a burger of some sort to the menu..for those with a non adventurous palette. Over all I thought is was great and will go back for sure! read more

We stopped in during their soft opening. Cozy and modern, limited seating inside however there is a large outdoor area. Too my surprise it turns out that it is a risotto bar! They also added a stone pizza oven. We tried the 13.00 OC signature drink it was an interesting mix that I would have had many more but it was way over priced. We started with a meat and cheese platter, the portion of meat was appropriate including prosciutto, soppressata, speck (dry cured ham) and mortadella. Cheese portion was a little small it included spicy goat, sheep's milk cheese and a third I can't recall. It was served with gnocco fritto (Italian fried dough) and giardiniera. Over all the price, about 12.00 was fair for the quality and portion. However here is where we met the "paper plates" they look like wood but are weightless and disposable. It was quite a challenge to eat from them as they move while you are trying to eat off them and just over all made everything that as on top of then feel cheap. We next ordered a fig and smoked cheese risotto, it was delicious, well portioned and priced around 15-18$ but on a "paper plate". Last we ordered a pizza it was topped with arugula, prosciutto and a lemon drizzle. Pizza was fine, nothing so breath taking that I'm going to run back for it but I will go back and try another. Overall I very much enjoyed the food and atmosphere. The 5th star could be added if the plating was better. Don't let the "paper plates" discourage you, pull in and enjoy traditional northern Italian food!! read more

OC Kitchen-Bar - The OC signature drink - Italian Near Me - Rocky Hill, Connecticut

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I would not recommend. Our server was friendly, but very slow. The entire meal lasted for two hours with barely any guests there. We felt like we were just waiting for drinks half the time. Even when we asked for the bill it took about 20 minutes to get it back. I ordered four mixed drinks, but they didn't have the ingredients for two of them, and the menu was fairly small. Of those, the mule was extremely weak... tasted like water and I couldn't taste the ginger. I asked for a medium rare steak that was pretty much just rare when it came to me. Overall, the server and staff were nice, but not worth the $125 bucks. read more

This is the worst Italian ever! Came here with my family, it took them an hour to serve us, it was a Tuesday night and there was barely anyone here. I hoped since they took so long the food would be good, it was the worst food I had ever tasted, I ordered Tuna fish, it was hard as a rock so I decided to order a pizza, it took another hour, by the time my other food came my family left, they came back with "Brick Oven Pizza" it tasted like run down gas station pizza, service was horrible they would not even awnser us when we wanted a refill on water, this is the worst place I've ever been to, if your reading this, do NOT go here. read more

Update: My initial review may have been flawed. It was a first time visit at a VERY quiet hour. Server was pleasant, pizza was good. ***In retrospect, the pasta dishes were not inspiring, way over-priced, and would not order again. ***In reading recent reviews, I see the issues and agree with some of them. Service was fine as I said, but the restaurant was almost empty. I WOULD RETURN FOR PIZZA, BUT LIMIT IT TO THAT. read more

Went for dinner. Really small portions for the price. Antipasto was mediocre. Wife had Caprese salad with chicken and the chicken looked fake. Small and No flavor. Fresh mozzarella was decent. I had pasta and was ok, but vet small portion. Overall better Italian restaurants i would rather drive to. Service was ok but no conversation with server. Very cold where we sat. read more

Well i can only give this place three stars! Food was very underwhelming! I do have to say the home made Mottz was amazing and the waiter was on point! For the money there just are way better Italian places bread was under cooked as well as the pizza, prob won't go again! Maybe try dinner time instead ! Seemed way to slow for silly mistakes ! Every place has an off day though. read more

Great place for happy hour and the food is awesome too. They will substitute food items for you. Ask for Darrel as your waiter.

Great quality food and atmosphere. We enjoyed the fact that its right in our backyard without having to travel into the city. Caprisi Salad with buffalo mootz was wonderful - recommended to the staff that try introduce fresh cracked pepper for an extra touch. Risotto was perfection and we'll be back again soon! read more

Have eaten at the OC three more time since my last review. I've yet to be disappointed! My husband and I have brought people with us two of the three time and they hit it out of the park every time!!!! read more

Always nice to welcome a new restaurant to our little town! So here's the review: pros: nice use of old space, comfortable atmosphere on the terrace, well lit (minus the weird LED lights on the bar). cons: tiny portions that lack flavor-particularly for the price, service is incredibly slow, unattentive and not personable, draft wine not great, hostess stand is in an awkward place, 'breadsticks' on the table were a bit stale--and 'foccacia' is literally pizza crust sprinkled with seasoning and sliced thin (or which there is a charge) This place has a ton of potential, I sure do hope they work out the kinks. read more

I thought OC was fantastic. Love the beautiful, hip interior. I split a pasta dish with a friend as an app and it was delicious (tomato, onion, bacon)! The steak was marinated and seasoned to perfection. Came to me as medium rare...just the way I ordered. The side was perfectly prepared green beans and polenta wedges crusted with sesame seed. Tiramisu.... served in a glass ramekin was creamy and light...delicious. Here's the scoop on the "paper plate" comments on Yelp. There are only certain dishes where these high end paper products are used. The table clothes look at feel like linen, so do the napkins made of green, environmentally friendly paper. Same with the few paper bowls. My meal (steak) was served on a lovely glass, rectangular plate. I didn't think it was really pricey...it's pretty much the same as most other fine dining establishments (maybe even less expensive that most). Will definitely be going back. read more