I am all about supporting local business, but when they try to rip me off, then no. Pasta dishes were over priced and lack in flavor. Ordered placed in 11/28/20. Order 2 linguini white clam sauce $24 x2, 1 spaghetti with meatballs $20 and 1 mussel app $22. The ratio of pasta to protein was 70% pasta and 30% protein. The container was completely filled with pastas. About 1 cup of clams and 2 small meatballs. The only decent dish was the mussel app, but still lacks flavor. read more

Ortobello Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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I'm not sure what I'm giving two stars for, but I am going to stay generous. The food here is MEDIOCRE. We ordered seafood salad, artichoke, Mozzarella sticks , rib eye, and veal parm. Everything tasted bland or over salted, no in between. Everything will get an individual rating. Seafood salad 8/10 Artichoke 4.5/10 Rib eye 5/10 Veal parm 5.5/10 Spaghetti on side 4/10 Water with lemon 10/10 Service 2.5/10 Salad dressing 10/10 * the thickest mozzarella sticks ever, check out photo* Oh yea the two stars I left, the dressing earned it. Guys if you have taste buds, and value your money, walk away. read more

Ortobello Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Old school, quiet, great food ... Exactly how I like my meals to be outside. My wife and I were feeling some good Italian food on a weekday, so we decided to take a trek out. After seeing the number of positive reviews on Yelp, we decided on Ortobello. Man, did it live up to all the great reviews. We walked in at about 7pm on Thanksgiving Eve and the restaurant was pretty empty. There were just 3 other tables occupied, although considering how small the restaurant was it was a decent amount of people. It seemed that the restaurant could only accommodate about 40 people. We were seated immediately by a casually dressed gentleman with an Ortobello t-shirt on, who seemed like the owner/manager. Following him was our waiter, a much older fellow who was extremely pleasant to us throughout the evening. Even though the menu was just 1 page, front and back, there were SOOO many dishes to choose from. Luckily, they offered a prix fixe menu on the back, which gave the choice of an appetizer, soup, entree and dessert for just $32/person! Yes, $32 for all of that, not to mention that they gave more than reasonable serving sizes too. And from the well-rounded choices offered, it was hard to resist, so we jumped at it. Here's a quick run-down of what we ordered. BREAD I have to mention the complimentary bread because it was that damn good. Every table gets one and the bread was piping hot and crispy when it arrived at the table. There was nothing special on the bread, but it the fact that it was hot made a world of difference. We liked that they heated up the bread prior to serving, which is a common mistake restaurants tend to make by not heating up bread. APPETIZERS - Chopped Baked Clams and Mussels Marinara There were 6 clams in the Chopped Baked Clams order. It seemed a bit small, compared to the huge order of Mussels Marinara, but they were still very tasty. We could have used a few more clams considering how good they were. As for the Mussels Marinara, excellent. We were surprised at how large the order was since it was just an appetizer. There must have been 20-30 mussels in the order and there was plenty of sauce in the bowl. There was so much marinara sauce that we asked for more of their delicious complimentary bread to dip in. ENTREES - Chicken Marsala and Chicken Parmigiana The chicken for both orders were delicious. For chicken breast, they were tender, juicy and we loved the flavors of both dishes. Chicken Marsala is my wife's favorite Italian dish, but she can be very critical of restaurants that do not make it well, however she loved it here. The Chicken Parmigiana was just 1 piece, but massive. For the geography nerds, it looked like it was in the shape of Pangaea (aka the supercontinent that existed before modern continents were formed). Anyway, it was one of the best Chicken Parmigianas I ever had. It was breaded perfectly, had plenty of cheese on top, was still tender/not overcooked and had lots of flavor. There were also pastas that came with our entrees. I ordered Ziti and she got the Spaghetti. All perfectly cooked with some marinara on top. DESSERT - Tiramisu and Italian Cheesecake Loved .. I repeat we loved the desserts. Although our dessert was straight from the refrigerator, it was amazingly good still. The Tiramisu had a dollop of whipped cream on top and it was so delicious. It didn't look pretty and wasn't presented in any type of fancy way, but who cares because it was very tasty piece of Tiramisu. As for the Italian Cheesecake, it was the 1st time we ever had Italian Cheesecake and were surprised at just how good it was. It was so diffferent than regular cheesecake because it was made with ricotta cheese and had an orange tang to it. Each bite was so light, but flavorful. To be honest, I don't think I can go back to regular cheesecake anymore after having Italian Cheesecake. We expected good things from Ortobello, but they obviously exceeded our expectations. The homey atmosphere was perfect for the cold night and our waiter made us feel right at home with his excellent service. He was kind, friendly and our food came out on time. As the evening wore on, more and more people arrived. By the time we left at 8:30pm, the restaurant was 3/4 full. The experience we had here was great and we would definitely come back whenever our stomachs are feeling for some Italian food. read more

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On the outside, this place doesn't look so great but on the inside, it was a pretty homey place. It wasn't big but it gave off a great vibe - but if you come with a bigger party (I came with a party of 7), others might listen into your conversations (because we had a lady overhear PART of our conversation and not the rest but she still chimed in her two cents - which, we just nodded). That aside, the food was great. There was a seafood pasta dish that can feed 2-4 people (our table had ordered 3 but they never responded on how BIG each order was....). I had the spaghetti and meatballs which was decent. The apps we ordered included baked clam, calamari and mushrooms. I think the calamari was my favorite of the three. Everyone else that I ate with loved their food as well. However, every portion was a bit big so we each had a take home container (in the case of the seafood pasta dish, they had a tray to take home LOL). read more

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Great food, huge portions, good service. Will be bacK. Great food, huge portions, good service. Will be bacK. read more

Ortobello Restaurant - Vitello alla Sorrentina with spaghetti - Italian Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

The food is absolutely to die for..... Little place 5 tables food is absolutely incredible read more

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Restaurant has been here forever. Yes you can consider it hole in the wall cause it is small but those are the best places. Open for dinner only and i would say best bet is to come early so you dont have to wait. Dont come if you are impatient and expecting food in minutes. You are getting freshly made dishes and that takes a little time. Mozzarella and carozza is fantastic and i would suggest asking for it in vodka sauce. Main courses are huge portions and be prepared to take home. If you get more appetizers i suggest getting something you can use their homemade dressing on such as fresh mozzarella and tomato or a cold antipasto. Chicken parm as you see is the entire plate and comes with a side of spaghetti or potato croquettes. If you have room for dessert they make their own tiramisu or Italian ricotta cheesecake. Andy also sells 7 inch cheesecakes are certain times of the year and i took one to go for Christmas. Try not to fill up on the bread. They also do takeout read more

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Old school Italian restaurant in bensonhurst been there multiple times always excellent food never let down.

I've eaten here before, years ago, and it was okay. I ate here tonight, and the veal was virtually inedible. The appetizers were not any better. We informed them (after being super gracious the entire meal) about the veal and it was crickets the remainder of the meal. Old school. read more

Ortobello is very old school. Decor is very dated- think That 70s Show's livingroom. Portions are big! Service is good. Very warm and the older waiter likes to crack jokes. You don't really see places like Ortobello anymore as everywhere in NYC is gentrified and washed out. It's quite delightful and refreshing to go to a place like Ortobello. The wait was around 25 minutes and the restaurant is quite small. The penne alla vodka with shrimp was delicious. Sauce was on the lighter side and the penne was al dente. The shrimp was cooked to perfection. It cost about $30. The meatballs were very good and not like the regular meatballs at other restaurant. The calamari with marinara sauce was delicious and the calamari were crispy and fresh. Plus the warm complimentary bread goes well with the sauce. This was about $20. If you have to choose between the veal parmigiana and the chicken, go with the veal. It taste a lot better. It's around $25 and it comes with a side of pasta. The baked clams $20 had a small piece of clam meat covered in breading. It was okay. The sauce that it came with was delicious and great for dipping bread. read more

This is probably one of my favorite italian restaurant in the neighborhood. its portion is ~!!!!HUGE!!!!~ must make reservation!! cash only!! read more

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What an amazing dinner from start to finish!!! I saw some video on tik tok and we decided to take a ride in from long island!!! We were celebrating our friends 50th birthday, so I made a reservation for 7pm , we got taken right away! Our waiter was super nice , ordered our appetizers, didn't rush us to order our entrees, then I asked what his favorite dish was and I'm so glad I did!! It was penne ala vodka with chicken cutlet on top, it was by far the BEST ala vodka sauce I have ever had!!!! Andy the owner was so nice and we even chatted about long island, we will definitely be back!!! read more

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Great food, we always came here for the prix fixe dinners and they are no longer available. Therefore we will no longer patronize. Hopefully one day it will come back. read more

Been going here for years when living in the area. And yet it's still so good even when you order take out, the taste doesn't change a lot over time. Very local and family owned business. read more

Danggggg this place was so good! Went with a big crew for a birthday dinner and got tons of dishes. We usually go to Spumoni Gardens and always compare our foods to there but we were impressed with the food quality AND quantity of Ortobellos! Although I didn't get a pic, the baked clams were phenomenal. So good, I could eat that as an entree alone. Split chicken parm with spicy vodka and chicken sorrentino for entrees. Great quality, huge portions, amazing flavors, and nothing like a family feel. Definitely will be coming back! read more

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The Food was good and the service was too !!! Being going here for years and plan to do so in the future

I've heard about this little gem for years. If you want old world top quality superb Italian food then this is the place. Great service, great portions make this The place you must check out.. 5 stars !!!​​​ read more

Wow can't rave about the food and ambiance enough. For authentic Italian food that won't leave you heavy this is the place to go. Cash only and the service is spectacular read more

Horrible customer service Cold food took over two hours to come. Food was cold and was missing two items from my order. They do not pick up the phone and when they do your on hold then get disconnected. When I called back they kept telling me that it's on it way and one minute away. This place was and is just a dump. The food is salty and mushy. Best if they close down. read more

I highly recommend Ortobello, I have been going there for years never had a bad meal always had a great experience Andy and staff are great. Highly recommend them. It's not the fanciest restaurant but it's like you're sitting in a friend's house. read more

First thing you should know, they DO NOT take reservations, so if the place gets crowded, you will need to wait about an hour to be seated. Secondly, you would rather pay CASH, otherwise, they will charge an extra 4% from a card. Thirdly, they have an older silver headed waiter that is rude or do not speak English to explain any questions that we asked. We came here on Friday night, the place was full and pol waiting outside, which is a good sign for a hole in a wall place. The place inside is very simple: tables and chairs. The owner (or manager) apologized for waiting so long several times, which was really nice of him. The food here is awesome and portions are really generous. We ordered mozzarella with papers as an appetizer, the cheese was so fresh and papers had a ton of flavor that complimented mozzarella very well. Lasagna that I ordered was so cheesy and just one amazing experience in the land of flavors! We also tried Tiramisu - highly recommend, it one of the best that I ever tried!!! read more

Ortobello Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

The absolute best Italian restaurant in the neighborhood. Food is made from scratch so if you don't hurry, don't go.

First time ordering from Ortobello after hearing raves from friends who grew up in the area. We were told we had to order the chicken parmesan, and we ordered the mixed green salad and the ravioli ala vodka. The delivery was fairly delayed (1 1/2 hours) but it was a busy night, so just a point docked for that. The food came well packaged and the portions were enough for the two of us to have several meals. Incredibly tasty, and we will be ordering again soon read more

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Came here one Sunday afternoon with the bf and his parents to try it out for the first time. I've lived in Bensonhurst my whole life and used to pass this place on the way to school on the bus each morning, never thinking it was a place to eat. It has one of those old rusted looking signs, but that just added to the authenticity of how long it's been there. We walk into a small but intimate space with an "at Nonna's* house" type of feel (exercising my 7 years of school taught Italian and Bensonhurst upbringing ). We must've gotten lucky because no one else was there so we had free choice of seating. Only half way through our meal did a couple walk in for their lunch. We ordered the "best mussels in town" in red sauce, baked clams, linguini with red clam sauce, chicken parm and rigatoni alla vodka and a bottle of wine($35). The mussels were ok, but was a large portion and the sauce was very good. The baked clams were great! Tender and the breading and sauce were delicious. The linguini with clam sauce was also very good with good flavor. The rigatoni was good, but a little too creamy. The chicken parm was heaping and pretty good as well. Most things were priced decently for the portion size and they also have 3 course meals where you can pick an app, entree and dessert starting at around $27.50 and I believe you can also get this to go. Portions were big so we had some leftovers for lunch Wouldn't mind trying it again and would definitely get the baked clams! read more

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After hearing from numerous people how amazing the food was at ortobello, we finally went on a Tuesday night out of nowhere! Old school delicious Italian food!!!! No skimping on portions, felt like made to order in terms wanting something made a certain way. Priced right! And the owner Andrew is such a pleasure!!! So I have been there 4 times in 2 weeks lol! I am in area that is flooded with Italian restaurants wish I would have tried this sooner! Baked clams Seafood salad Angel hair stassi (sp)? Pretty much everything was amazing! read more

Hidden Gem!! Food was fantastic! Not cheap with their portions at all. I had the penne eggplant and my boyfriend had the chicken parmigiana. Service was great and friendly. We were so pleasantly pleased. We are definitely going back!! read more

We came in a bit early they just opened around 1:00 on Sunday. They were setting up with a reservation it didn't take a min we were seated. Service was excellent I would say more old school style, music went on a nice selection of oldies dinner music. They aimed to please in evey way. Began with fresh garlic bread , shared a salad with white balsamic dressing it was very good. I had chicken franchise hold the wine they did. I came home with 2 pieces the portions were huge. My friend had veal it came with side of spaghetti. He demolished it said it was soft and excellent . It was from a special lunch menu. More then enough choices. I was full but we shared an ice cream triple flavor ball type of delicious ice cream dipped in chocolate with whipped cream. Delicious! Staff A plus clean followed all Rules Covid related. I felt safe and full. Not familiar with BKlyn but learning I recommend and will return. read more

I have to say that absolutely everything we had from here exceeded our expectations. We ordered from here a few weeks ago for our anniversary. The portions were a nice large size, food was incredible. I am a big artichoke fan and the stuffed artichoke from here was no joke. It was huge and stuffed to the max. I enjoyed every single bite. The stuffed clams were phenomenal! Staff is super friendly and eager to make your experience one to remember. We can't wait until things go back to normal so we can dine in here. I highly recommend this place to anyone who is a foodie and wants to eat well. You will not be disappointed! read more

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there is nothing I can complain about this place! the food to die for! the service amazing! always checked up on us to make sure we were good and it wasn't in an annoying way like most places do! so happy I made the choice to come dine at ortobello's Will definitely come again! read more

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This place is authentic. It is So authentic that when I walked in with my family...we felt like we don't belong and only the Italians should come here. Warning: they got BIG portions!!!!! Me, my wife and our two kids ordered the Mozzarella Logs, mussels in white sauce and baked clams as starters; then we had spaghetti with meat ball, seafood risotto and chicken cutlet with mozzarella cheese and salad over it..... The portions were so huge that we barely made a dent, so be mindful when you order. Let's talk food: The mozzarella logs are not your typical mozzarella sticks! These logs are HUGE! One log is probably equal to 3-4 of the regular sticks combined and a order comes with like 8-10 of them..... We each had one and packed the rest. The mussels..... I normally don't eat mussels...its my wife and daughter's thing. But these mussels were sitting in a buttery sauce loaded with garlic, fused with lemon that is simply irresistible. The baked clams.... Hmm.... Where do I begin? These are not your average Joe stuff either! Fresh clams stuffed with garlic and stuffings baked to perfection on top of garlic sauce ...did not expect this level of foods coming out of this small, old local restaurant. --------------------------------------- Main course: Spaghetti with meatball: the meatballs pack a subtle yet elegant flavor.... Not the best I have had but definitely sits in the top 5. The sauce is really what made it special. I like my spaghetti just a little hard so I felt their spaghetti was a bit over cooked and soft. Seafood risotto- OMG!!!!!! Soooo good!!!! Shrimp, mussels, octopus, abalone!!! The flavor was incredible! So delicious. All the yumminess of the seafood got soaked into the rice..... Need I say more? For $30 it is a gigantic plate!!!!! Mozzarella + salad over fried chicken cutlet was decent but nothing special, although it is good I would still say skip it and order something else. Our waiter has to be at least 60. Good, old fashioned clean service with that true local flare. Love it love it. He came by and said "if you guys finish all the food I buy you cheese cake on the house!" Laughs and walks away. Hahahah. Great dinner, great service, great food. These local jewels need to stick around for at least a few more generations. read more

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I had high expectations after reading some of the reviews of this being one of the best places to eat. Truthfully, there's not a lot of Italian restaurants left in the area so when I read about this one, I ran there to eat. Unfortunately, I didn't like my meal. I order the gnocchi Sorrentino style which is tomato-based and basil. Instead I got about a tablespoon of sauce and what appeared to be yellow cheese instead of mozzarella cheese. I was very disappointed. On top of that, the prices are different than posted on the website and there is a 3.25% service charge fee when you use a credit card. $25 dollars later, half my meal went to the garbage. read more

This food is so delicious. The portions are huge. From the second you walk in you can tell your in a real deal italian spot. It smells like my grandpas kitchen on a Sunday lol. They dont take reservations for a party of two. But if you have more than two people in your party be sure to make a reservation. Its very small on the inside. There is a wait for your main dish to come out. But its well woth the wait. read more

I want to start off saying that this place based on the reviews it has was far from good. I want to start off by saying the food was very salty and bland. I ordered the artichoke which was not worth $20. I felt as if it was over cooked and way too much breadcrumbs. I got the seafood salad which was okay but tasted like ROE from crab in vinegar. I ordered a steak and was expecting it to be juicy succulent steak but I was sadly mistaken. The waiter asked how I'd like my steak cooked and told him medium but when I took a bite it was dry and charred. My highlight was the salad with their homemade dressing. Nevertheless we also had a huge piece of veal parmigiana and the same issue TOO MUCH BREADCRUMBS and a bland taste. The mozzarella logs stay away from. Too much breadcrumbs. Presentation of the food was good. Not a big place. Old school. I wouldn't return I also asked for some dressing to go and I got charged $12. I was never told the price. read more

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Nearly ruined my Valentine's Day. The waiter in the restaurant was very short and rude. He was an older gentleman that either had a sassy remark for you or totally ignored you. He stacks plates on top of your water glass to make room... who does that?!! Not even in Applebee's... when asked for another glass he said "This isn't fine dining, we don't give new glasses. This is brooklyn, you're on Bay Parkway." As if we were asking for too much! He was extremely off putting. I have been a waitress for over two years while finishing up college and I would never treat anyone like he did. On to the food.... the baked clams tasted fresh but they were thickly covered in breading. Which normally I'm into but it didn't have much flavor or texture to offer anyway, mushy stuff. Still enjoyable enough. We waited SUPER long for our food considering it was just some chicken and the menu had pre-fixed options for the night. And yet, the pasta sauce was really yummy! Tasted hearty and homemade. The pasta was good too. The chicken parm was savory and had just enough cheese and crunch to it. The chicken Marsala my date had was also enjoyable and my date had no complaints other than the waiter. Which is all that mattered to me, in reality. Only reason it wasn't a total loss. I had to return my chicken parm to the kitchen after eating not even 1/8th of it cause I found a hair under it. It was small and I'm sure it was an accident but... SHEESH! I was already extremely thrown off by my server and I was banking on the food to save the day. I'm glad they took it off the bill (without me asking) cause that truly would've been the last straw. My point is, although the owner is fabulous and the food is decent, I have had way better food with far better service for way cheaper too. The service that waiter provided wasn't even bare minimum. He was nasty and everyone in the restaurant was blatantly put off by him. read more

Ortobello Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

No answer phone or callback. Maybe out of business. Was good neighborhood restaurant. Shame to lose it.

Yes, the portions are indeed HUGE, but I'm not quite sure that all of the food is equally delicious. I eyed the adjacent table's giant seafood platter ($45), which 6 people were sharing happily. Perhaps I would've been raving about Ortobello and giving it 5 stars if I had been eating that instead. Unfortunately, I meant to celebrate a joyous occasion with my mother and brother, and the entrées that we ordered fell rather flat. The calamari was excellent - flaky, fresh, and addicting. Very good for the price, though I was puzzled about the sauce that accompanied it. I THINK it's supposed to be their homemade tomato sauce, but I didn't taste anything particularly special about it. :( I definitely would recommend the calamari, though; it was pretty delicious. (As an afterthought, we regretted that we hadn't ordered the clams, which they seem to be famous for). By the time the three of us had finished the calamari, however, we were already pretty full. Yikes! We ordered the spaghetti with meatballs and the farfalle al salmone (both slightly under $20), and I reeally, really wish Ortobello did half portions for half the price. The spaghetti with meatballs was disappointingly plain - nope, I still don't see anything special about the tomato sauce ... - and although the farfalle's sauce was delicious, the salmon was overcooked and really quite mediocre. I was very disappointed with the salmon pieces themselves, and wished that I had ordered shrimp or clams instead. We ended up taking most of the entrées home. The next day, when I reheated the farfalle on the stovetop, the sauce had unyieldingly separated and refused to emulsify. It grossed me out a little to see the copious amounts of butter coating my farfalle. I was also pretty disappointed with the bread and butter that they gave us; at classier Italian restaurants like this one, I would've expected warm bread and room-temperature butter at the very least, if not roasted cloves of garlic. The waiter was very kind, and this might just be a nutrition slant, but I did not appreciate that he wanted us to eat even more food. No, these portions are ridiculously huge! It's not okay to eat this much. :( I would want to come here again, but either with a) more people so I can try the seafood plater or b) only one order. read more

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I can't believe I've been living in this neighborhood for more than two decades and a few nights ago was the first time I've been to Ortobello. This place does not disappoint. Super OLD SCHOOL and authentic! Ordered the arugula salad to start off with, then had baked clams and fried calamari and then finally had chicken parm and linuine con vongole in red sauce. The food was amazing. Super authentic and the portions were generous. FOOD WAS GREAT. Calamari was light and tasted great with the sauce it came with. Arugula salad was a great palette opener, and the linguine con vongole had so much flavor from the garlic and the clams. To finish the dinner, we also had a cappucino which was very generously doused with whipped cream and a tiramisu. For a table of four we were stuffed and had to take half of the chicken parm dish home. If we are ever craving Italian, we are running here no questions asked. There aren't many Italian restaurants that I know of in Bensonhurst anymore so I hope this place stays open forever. My expectations were met every step of the way. read more

Ortobello Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Some of the best Italian food you will EVER eat. We ordered almost everything. It all tasted like my grandma made it. Fresh. Delicious. If you haven't had it, your missing out. read more

Ortobello Restaurant - Here's some of the aftermath - Italian Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

This place is a gem. The most authentic Italian food in Brooklyn. Great food and great service. The portions are super generous and the patrons are friendly. I am so impressed! Give them a try, you won't disappointed! read more

Ortobello Restaurant - Veal and shrimp parmigiana. - Italian Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Almost like a hole in the wall, hidden gem but also kinda hard to miss kind of spot. But one thing for sure; if you don't walk in you're missing out! The food is absolutely delicious and a nice heavy portion! The sauces are flavorful, pasta boiled to the perfect softness, the ravioli stuffed with cheese that taste hand made! I think anything on the menu would be a great choice, the seafood fresh, tomato sauce fresh, bread served warm with butter. Our server was completely humorous and welcoming! Making jokes, offering to take photos, a real family feel in this restaurant, it's small but seem to make things work without a wait. Very nice area, I'll return soon! read more

Ortobello Restaurant - Italian Near Me - Brooklyn, New York