Awesome! Last dinner with Gaetano in the kitchen. He retired and turned the restaurant over to Brady and his wife. Wish them the best of luck! Service was excellent and the setting is cozy like the kitchen in a Sicilian home. read more

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This place is a 5 other than Mel . Service is so bad I have to draw back and give a 3 this is for the class they are not open regularly anymore so, if you plan to purchase anything after the class just double check before actually sending money . She's seems nice and in shadows most of time but the money there was miss communication she was absolutely ready to tell I wouldn't be getting my money back at all .....turns out she's is bad at hearing and misheard and created a ball of drama for no reason but yeah... what can you do she's the Help after all you can't expect more from someone that clears tables and fill glasses. È la vita ! What ya gonna do ? Awesome ! food is great! beware of her (Mel) trying to scam you at the end of the night with extra purchases . Double ask before handing your card or cash . It's def giving SCAM for bottles and olive oil since she was so against anything I said even tho owner quoted me on price and i paid Venmo ........ she still didn't believe it . even though have known this place for 12 years . Food is a 5*** help you get what you get. Also expect to get back in your car and get fast food or go out to eat again ....cause you will still be hungry it's a small dish but also it's a cooking class I wouldn't expect to be full after learning a few quick dishes ! :) they will def load you up with lots of red/white wine though . read more

Will return for the ambience and home-cooked food: Farmer beef patty Veal Yummy Italian wines: Chianti and Montepulciano (?) The restaurant is homey, discreet, and hidden. It was the chef's home that he converted 18 years ago. The outdoor section isn't open. A big, heavy wine glass that reminds me of the humorous photo depicting 'one glass of wine a day' when the glass is so much bigger than the drinker. Weak ac: I'm sweating toward the end. Ok, I think I'm rejuvenated for a few minutes to have the hot flash ... ha ha ha. A small parking lot on site. read more

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What a cute spot! Very intimate setting with street parking or (illegal probably) parking at apartment complex next door. Sounds like they just reopened after having new owners on October 1st, run primarily by the chef and pastry chef who also serve you! What a power duo! Such amazing food and service, so kind and friendly as well. The previous owner of was also greeting customers and having conversation. Overall highly recommend, such a great family owned local spot with authentic Sicilian food and AMAZING service/company. You feel truly that you're in their home. read more

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Very good Sicilian restaurant in downtown Bradenton. We parked on the street directly in front. Multiple rooms give it intimacy but only one server handled the entire operation. The focaccia and olive oil was a nice starter. The menu changes weekly but I ordered a staple- Timballo which is pasta, meatballs, hard cooked egg and multiple cheeses with homemade tomato sauce. Others ordered veal and chicken with spinach and pasta. All plates were clean. The wine list is reasonably priced with Italian wines dominating the list. The chef introduced himself and wants you to feel like you are a guest in his home. Worth another visit. Smaller portions but rich in flavor and reasonably priced. read more

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This is a nice house with a friendly restaurant inside. It's like eating at someone's house. The chef is very friendly and staff is helpful. The Timballo pasta was very good. The sauce was excellent. My spicy ribs were delicious. The mashed potatoes were very good also. Prices are fair. They have wine and an Italian beer with frosty mugs. Friendly casual place to enjoy. read more

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Absolutely wonderful in every way. A terrific place to dine with friends new and old. Everything from the ambiance, the menu, the service and the fabulous food will combine to make a wonderful evening. I always find that when everything is so terrific in all the essential elements of a good restaurant, it brings out the best in all of us. read more

Atmosphere - Very good. Located in the Art District of Bradenton, the restaurant is situated in a 50s era house. The restaurant dining area has two rooms. The place is decorated with art work and collectibles representing Sicily. Service - Very Good. The entire staff is very warm and welcoming. Our server was great. Food - Very Good. The menu is relatively small, but offers some very interesting options. I ordered the Timballo, which is a baked pasta dish. The ingredients were fresh and everything tasted very good. My only disappointment was the portion size and that the entree was not accompanied by a side salad. Overall Value - Good. Although the price for my entree was reasonable, I honestly expected something more than a medium size portion of a baked pasta dish. read more

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We love coming into this area of Bradenton as it's so interesting. This restaurant is in a great little house, with seating in various rooms. They are proud of their Sicilian heritage, which is apparent throughout the restaurant. We made reservations for 8 for a Friday night and were promptly seated. There was a ceiling fan above us, which kept us nice and cool. We also had carafes of water and fresh bread on the table, which was very good. Service was phenomenal! Everyone was so friendly, and the owner spent a lot of time talking with us. I started with a glass of Sicilian red wine, which was a great pour and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were a few appetizers, but I don't usually indulge and went right to the entrees. A friend had recommended the Timballo, and it sounded appealing to me, so that's what I ordered. Our food arrived timely and was hot. That is a feat in itself for 8 people. I liked my meal, but didn't love it. The taste was good, but I had expected more based on the description. I couldn't really taste any meatballs or prosciutto, and only saw one little piece of an egg. The dish was mainly noodles and sauce. The portion was enough for me, but the bigger guys at our table would have liked a larger portion. They certainly didn't rush us, and service continued to be great until we left. read more

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The ambiance of this cozy little home and the friendly and attentive service makes you feel at home. Gaetano (owner and chef) was Ana amazing host and he took the time to even entertain our grand daughter a couple times with his harmonica skills Finally, the food absolutely delicious and prepared with love! More than a great meal it was an experience! read more

Service was wonderful! The food was delicious and affordable. I tried a dish no one had ever heard of and was thrilled with it (sorry, I can't remember the name). Very quaint atmosphere. Highly recommend! read more

This restaurant and its owner/chef, Chef Gaetano are quaint, personable and has terrific food, probably not more than 35 seats, if that. This restaurant is an old house on the edge of the arts district, has tables divided into a few rooms, so its cozy, can be romantic, and more authentic than most as the chef comes out to talk to you, as opposed to never seeing a chef at most restaurants. I'm into food and wine, both interests were well taken care of. We had a party of 10 with 2 kids. Asked about a kids menu, and one has a particular allergy, chef said no problem, what do they want and he proceeded to make them what they asked for, good size portions too. For the adults we had a variety of dishes, all were pretty authentic, some with a different take on the dish like the ribs that I had, not your usual American style but Italian style made in red wine sauce. As to the wine, very well priced, we had a Barolo that was very well priced, wish I could have tried a few other wines he has on hand. Service is good, however the one waitress can get overwhelmed easily but she worked hard to service everyone. Place isn't big enough for 2 servers, besides, sometimes the chef delivered the entrees when she was too busy. Chef Gaetano is very personable, came out several times to answer questions. He changes the menu often, so if you are a regular you won't get tired of the same old. I wish I lived nearby, I would be a regular. Think about it, how unique is it that you get to interact with the chef when you order! I get the feeling if you are a regular you could get chef to make just about anything in his realm whether its on the menu or not. read more

beautiful old home converted to restaurant in eclectic art district in Bradenton. Chef makes new dishes weekly and some regular dishes too. delicious Sicilian Italian food. read more

It was our first visit to this locally run gem. We were immediately seated in the front room at a two top in the corner. We skipped starters and went for the pork chop with Yukon gold mashed potatoes and the chicken Marsala with spinach with a side pasta. We really enjoyed the flavors of the food. Service was excellent. We finished with a dark chocolate pate with lady fingers which was amazing. The chef checked in a few times. There is definitely a family feeling. We hope to go back again soon! read more

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Everything is always excellent at Ortygia. Chef Gaetano put his love into every dish. The coziness of Ortygia is indescribable.

This is a really small restaurant with an interesting menu. Unfortunately, nothing we ordered knocked our socks off. Portions were very small. Bottle of Amorone we ordered had turned. Our waitress said the chef would need to taste the wine to see if he agreed. He concurred. I was surprised how they dealt with this. All in all not impressed. read more

Everything was excellent from the wine to the dessert. Wait staff very friendly & helpful with the specials for the night. Chef/owner stopped at our table to see if everything was good read more

Some of the best food I have ever eaten! Did the chicken marsala last night along with the onion tart. Absolutely amazing. We have been here many times and are never disappointed! Selena was our waitress and she was fabulous. All of the servers are great! We love the atmosphere of the little house that serves as the restaurant. The owner and chef, Guy, is always present and comes out and visits with his customers. I can not say enough good things about this restaurant! I recommend it to all of my friends, and when we have family and friends coming down to visit us in Florida, we always take them here. read more

Another visit, another terrific dining experience. The food here is authentic, fresh, delicious and served well. If you have not yet tried Ortygia, you definitely should. read more

Ortygia's was perfect. The food was absolutely delicious. If you want real Italian food this is the place to go. Our server was a delight and this little restaurant in the art district was so quaint. The owner/chef was so very personable. He came out and talked to us and we got a glimpse of why his entrees were so good. We will be back. read more

Great food great atmosphere nice staff. I had the boneless chicken thighs, were super - next time would like to try the cotolette di maiale alla sarda. We had a nice weekend meal here with the wife and daughter. Good spot for a pretty place like this. Will be returning someday read more

Ortygia Restaurant - pork - Mediterranean Near Me - Bradenton, Florida

Gaetano is just brilliant. What a wonderful man and the food is over the top excellence BRAVO!

What a great experience and fabulous food. Authentic Italian, service was friendly and fantastic, and the chef himself came out a few times to answer questions about dishes and just chat about our experience. Highly recommended! read more

I simply love Ortygia! It is a converted house, so the dining areas are intimate, and all the food is freshly prepared on site! It is charming, delicious, friendly... Those who prefer the more unique dining experience to the mass produced restaurants that microwave your dinner, you simply must try Ortygia read more

Woah. Chicken Parm and Veal are spectacular. Definitely worth your time to try out. The restaurant appears to be an older home and so tables are setup fairly close to each other. The food is amazing. Entrees are appropriately balanced with very good pasta- and the portions are not overwhelmingly large. That chicken Parm is out out of this world... read more

Very charming authentic Italian restaurant. The owner is personable and you feel like you stepped inside a mom and pop owned restaurant just as if you were in southern Italy. read more

What a fantastic surprise! This restaurant is so cute and welcoming and interesting and delicious! Our waitress, Mel, was simply lovely and so personable and we know we got lucky because customers hugged her and told her they loved her as they left. Maybe I will,too, next time! The food was amazing and the whole place is a hidden gem! read more

Every time we travel to the area, this is the one MUST GO TO on our list of restaurants. It's really a great experience that everyone should try. Everything I've ever had here has been fantastic. The ambiance reminds me of the family dinners we had at my grandparents. And the chef / owner visiting with each of his guests is terrific. He even remembered us from last year. One of my co-diners described his experience perfectly when he said, "I don't want this great experience to end..." We'll see you on our next visit - count on it. read more

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If you are going to the Village Of The Arts (VOTA) in Bradenton, you should save your appetite so you can eat at Ortygia. Chef Gaetano is a master in the kitchen. He cooks Sicilian style meals with love! When you walk in to Ortygia's you will feel like you are walking into a friend's house for lunch or dinner. The atmosphere is quant and the aroma of garlic and fresh food will make your mouth salivate. I had the soup of the day, cream of cauliflower, followed by an exceptional chicken dish. The chicken breasts were flattened and pan seared in a lemony sauce with fresh garlic. It was saved with spinach and accompanied with squash, eggplant, bell peppers and another veggie I couldn't peg. Our server Justin was a doll and offered us a wine tasting so we could figure out which wine we wanted. Justin was a phenomenal server and CLERLY enjoys his job. Chef Gaetano came out of the kitchen to converse with us several times and to make sure we were enjoying our meal. We came for lunch and it was not too busy. However I'm told you have to make reservations for dinner. I have been around Chefs my entire life (my Daddy is a Chef) and have to give a shout out to Chef Gaetano. Not only does he have a contagious smile, he has an awesome personality you can taste his love of food when you dine here. I cannot recommend this place enough. read more

Ortygia Restaurant - Mediterranean Near Me - Bradenton, Florida

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The best. Apps , main course dessert wine service chef everything was amazing. Go there you will love it! Felt like I was in my Italian grandma house. That's saying a lot! read more

Delicious food! Chef is amazing and personable. Mel is a delight and took good care of us. Love dining in the Village.

What a special place. In the heart of Bradenton's Art District there is a little house with a special chef. Gaetano started this restaurant 13 years ago as the Chef, Owner and writer. He wanted to bring a little Sicilian flare with a New Jersey touch to Florida's West Coast. This quaint out of the way farm to table restaurant will surprise you with its homemade Sicilian cooking. Today with all the restaurant chains, it is nice to have gem like this in Bradenton. My wife and I have not been out to dinner in over 4 months. We wanted to find a restaurant that could offer a unique dinning experience with fresh to table entrees. Well, we found it. My only regret is that I found Ortygia thirteen years later. I have often said to many of my friends Bradenton lacks true fresh Chef dinning restaurants. Maybe I was just not looking hard enough. If you want a quiet, nice dining experience, this will be perfect for you and a special someone. Ask for Penne, she was warm hearted and took care of our every need. We called to make reservations and that seemed to be the best way to ensure you got a table. Enjoy! read more

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This place was closed when I went by. Hours said it was open but wasn't when I showed up. Could have been my fault not really sure ..food seemed exciting Hope to try it next time I get to town read more

Found this restaurant on Google. We were blown away. It featured Italian music in a low key setting. The chef was Italian and his food was awesome. The menu specialties change every two days and the food was awesome, there were three of us. I ordered the pan-seared Cordova with grilled grape tomatoes. It was nice sized crispy, fillet with a savory sauce. The bread was offered as a appetizer and was very flavorful with garlic and olive oil for dunking. I shared desserts. read more

Food was good, not great as in previous visits. There was a little lag in service, I can only imagine they are still short staffed. The waitress was very friendly and polite, she was doing the best she could. Unfortunately we were in a room again with a large group and the acoustics in the house are horrible. So our intimate party of four were virtually yelling at each other to be heard. I'd be hard pressed to go back, there are other Italian resultants that have a leg up. read more

You MUST eat here if you are serious about Siscilian cuisine. This was an OUTSTANDING experience in eating and chef Guy came out and greeted my sister and I and made sure we were happy. I had the Rustic Tort and my sister had the mussels. Delish! Pairing with Italian wine! Superb! Service is fantastic and we did not have reservations.... read more

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FINALLY. After living here one year we finally made it to Ortygia. It was last on our list of all the highly recommended Italian restaurants in the area. Ortygia is definitely the best. I'm Sicilian myself and do not like to order ordinary Italian dishes that I could just cook at home. I would never make Timbalo, that's a labor of love. Let me tell you the Timbalo is simply amazing! Great service, adorable home in the VOTA and the wine list was outstanding. Can't recommend Ortygia enough. read more

I'd give it zero stars if I could. April is extremely snobby and judge-mental. She's got her nose up in the air and thinks she's better than other people. Well she's in for a rude awakening. I have never received such horrible service in my entire life, which speaks volumes. read more

Lovely patio. A true find - off the beaten path. The menu is limited, which usually means what's offered is good and that was my experience here. We ordered a simple meal and food, service, price, and ambiance made it a lovely evening out. read more

Places like this are why yelp was invented. A converted house in a residential neighborhood. Maybe 8 tables with extremely friendly service, authentic Sicilian cuisine, a decent wine list, cheap prices and a chef, Gaetano, who walks the floor making sure everyone is satisfied. Uniqe twists on bruschetta, a lamb chop lollipop appetizer, a delicious tortilla, a melt in your mouth swordfish, and a couple of amazing desserts. Really a great place. read more

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