Bartender Sam was two steps ahead of us on every order, and seemed to know what we wanted without us asking. My brother and I were impressed by her knowledge of the cocktail menu, but also by her takes on dinner menu items, and her recommendations were spot on. We were schooled by the staff on the origins of the Caesar salad (which was delicious), and their enthusiasm for the baked clam appetizer proved contagious. A simple chicken parmigiana proved delicious, and honey gelato affogato was a great way to end the meal. Come for the food but stay for the fantastic staff. read more

Service was good and the atmosphere is beautiful. Normally, every restaurant from the Salt group is a 10/10 for me... then there's Osteria. I'll break down why this ended up being a 3-star experience. First, about three hours before our reservation, I received a text asking me to confirm my "outdoor table." I made this reservation a month in advance specifically because indoor tables were already difficult to get. When I questioned it, I was basically told it was "my mistake." It honestly felt like they were trying to push us outside due to demand. Second, the food was really disappointing. The focaccia tasted microwaved. The "melt in your mouth" wagyu was surprisingly chewy and lacked flavor. The pasta was just okay. The chicken parmesan was a massive Cheesecake Factory-style portion with almost no flavor at all. The one real highlight was the excellent wine list. Overall, really disappointing, especially coming from what I usually consider the best restaurant group in Orlando. read more

My family had dinner at Osteria Ester last night to celebrate my daughter's graduation from nursing school. I expect any product of Good Salt's to be excellent, and Osteria did not disappoint! Our server was the absolute sweetest and gave us wonderful service (I think her name was Maddie). The focaccia was the best I have ever had! When the mains came out, WOW! They smelled wonderful, were picture perfect, and were absolutely delicious! My family doesn't mind sharing a few bites here and there so I was able to try multiple items from the menu, and all were EXCELLENT! Good Salt has done it again! And Sue's interior design eye? Chef's Kiss! read more

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Syera our server was the absolute best! She was so attentive and a sweetheart! Not to mention all of her recommendations I ended up trying and loving. The food and drinks were great, will definitely come back again. The location is perfect for a girls night or date night, its so adorable! My advice is to get there 10-15 min before your reservation time because finding parking and walking over was a mission. read more

Osteria Ester - Butterscotch Bundino - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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Omg it blew my expectations right out of the water!! Starting from the great spectacular service down to the food!! Everything tasted so fresh and delicious and we had leftovers to go home with. I will always be back for more!! Cute spot on the corner in the Thornton park area read more

Osteria Ester - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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I've been there two times. Both meals were great with attentive service. Nice ambiance. Thanks!

Wow wow wow! We went to Osteria last week for my friends birthday and it did not disappoint! It's located in Thornton park (literally on the same street as Jinya), and we were so happy we ended up coming here. First all off, the food was incredible. The focaccia was fire with the balsamic and olive oil combo. We also got some carpaccio which was Wagyu and had capers, also a great choice. I recommend their espresso martini for sure! The food was so good I didn't even get pictures of everything I ate. But some of my faves from the evening included the lasagna, the focaccia, and the crispy polenta. They know what they're doing here so def check the place out if you get a chance. I'm still dreaming of that lasagna. The fresh ricotta was out of this world!! Since it is in Thornton park, chances are you'll have to park in a garage or by downtown but the vibes were very grown and sexy. I loved all of the artwork and the service was great! Totally would go back and try more of the menu! read more

Osteria Ester - Carpaccio - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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Popped in early right after they opened to snag an open table in the bar area. The decor inside is fantastic. Down to the little detail in design on the shelves and photo. I love it. We ordered 3 different pastas to try. Pappardelle bolognese is one of my all time favorite pasta dishes so I had to try it, but this one fell a little flat for me. It wasn't bad, just didn't wow me. The diavolo was actually quite spicy in a good way. Didn't expect as much kick as it did. Enjoyed that. Our top favorite was the gnocchi sardo. Delicious. The gnocchi was smaller and thinner than I am used to which is a good thing because I normally don't like gnocchi. It's usually too fat and doesn't take up much sauce, but this gnocchi tasted very much like pasta and had ridges to hold the sauce. Would highly recommend. The most amazing thing there was the butterscotch budino for dessert. I thought about it for days after. Do not skip it! read more

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We were really excited to try Osteria Ester, especially since it's part of the Good Salt group, which houses several restaurants we genuinely love. Unfortunately, this experience ended up being subpar and pretty underwhelming. We were a party of four and started with drinks: café shakeratos (2), margaritas (2), mezcal over a large ice cube with two limes (2), and mezcal with club soda and two limes (2). Things started off rough with the mezcal drinks. We specifically requested two limes per drink, yet the first round arrived incorrect (1 lime in the one with soda and none with the other). When we mentioned it, our server apologized and said she'd bring more. Five minutes later she returned to check on us and take our order -- still no limes. After asking again, she eventually brought extra limes. On the second round, we again reminded the server about the two limes each. A plate with three limes arrived, followed by drinks with no limes at all. This may sound minor, but attention to detail matters. When a simple, specific request is missed repeatedly across multiple rounds of drinks, it sets the tone for the overall experience. As for the food: Baked Clams: Not the classic breadcrumb-topped version I expected, but surprisingly delicious and one of the highlights of the meal. Braised Beef Tortelloni: Honestly horrible. The flavor was lackluster, and the pasta was undercooked. There's a difference between al dente and simply underdone. Bucatini Diavolo: Good. Nice level of spice, and the shrimp were large, plump, and well prepared. Lasagna Rotolo: Beautiful presentation, but the flavor didn't match the visuals. It leaned heavy on noodles with not enough meat or sauce to create depth. Chicken Alfredo: Very basic and forgettable. Broccoli Rabe: Overcooked, soggy, and missing the bite and texture this dish should have. Roasted Eggplant: Flavorless and mushy. Easily the most disappointing dish of the night. Cannoli Trio: The filling should be thick and creamy; these were almost watery inside, which was unexpected and disappointing. Overall, I'd be hard-pressed to return. Given the caliber of other Good Salt restaurants and how excited we were to try this new addition, this visit felt like a major letdown. Hoping it improves with time, but based on this experience, it missed the mark. read more

Went on a double date to this location. We are very excited about this restaurant since the salt group has so many other additional restaurants in Orlando that we love we walked in and the waiters and staff were super accommodating to our situation since we had two babies with us and made sure we felt comfortable at our table. We ordered some wine and some cocktails, and I was very excited that they had a Chianti Classico on the menu we then ordered a focaccia for the table. It was big enough to feed the four of us our friends end up sharing the lasagna while my partner and I got two different dishes. He got the steak and I got the alla vodka. He was very surprised by the taste of the steak and loved the sauce that it came with where I really enjoyed my pasta and could tell that it was fresh pasta handmade. Well, we didn't get to dessert this time. We're very excited to go back and try additional items off of the menu as well as finally get to try dessert. read more

Osteria Ester - Paccheri Alla Vodka - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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Food was way too salty . I had the bolognese and I had two bites and had to stop ! The baked clams was above average . I ordered a third dish too which I don't remember exactly what it was but it's not memorable obviously read more

Four stars! Great experience the atmosphere is vibrant and the service is good and speedy. Waiters are kind and well organized. Food is amazing when I went with my family I got appetizers I would not get the board but the meatballs and focaccia bread was amazing. I will definitely be back again and soon be a regular read more

Started off with the toast with ricotta cheese and the polenta sticks. The wine was delicious and the wagyu sirloin. The pasta was okay but nothing out of this world. Very minimal reservations available so I recommend you get there early read more

Osteria Ester - Amaretto sour - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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Would be 5 stars if not for the gnocchi. Honestly wanted to give 3 but that would be unfair because of only one issue. Went with some friends and everything was very good. Service, atmosphere, the food- Burrata, carpaccio, clams, multiple pasta dishes...until the gnocchi. Whenever I hear house made gnocchi that's absolutely what I'm going to order. Imagine my surprise when the dish arrives and it's basically a small shell pasta. After dinner asked about it and was told, "Yeah we do it a little differently here, we don't use potato". THEN WHY ON EARTH DO YOU CALL IT GNOCCHI ON THE MENU!? The flavor was good but give people a heads up that it's not gnocchi when they order that dish because they might actually want gnocchi. read more

The interior decor is incredible, the food was outstanding and the service was perfect. Chloe greeted us soon after we arrived at our table and gave a full overview of the restaurant, drinks, appetizers, entrees, specials and desserts. She did not steer us wrong. The bread, pasta and veal were amazing. We will be back! read more

Osteria Ester - Bread is decadent - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Loved loved loveddd my experience here. Food was great, vibe was wonderful, Paige my server was amazing. Definitely recommend going to eat here you won't be disappointed read more

Food was delicious! We were a party of 6 and ordered a bunch of meals and split them. We got the Carpaccio Piemontese, Crispy Polenta, Lasagna Rotolo, Braised Short Rib, Gnocchi Sardo, both salads, and Affogato for dessert. Everything was delicious. The lasagna was my favorite and came in little rolls, there were 5. The dessert was amazing. We sat outside which is risky, we just dodged weather that was coming. Service was good, the manager was great when she checked on us. read more

I must admit: I had my reservations (pun intended!) about Osteria Ester replacing the location of SoCo (RIP!) but I was pleasantly surprised. The Italian-based fare was fresh and well-seasoned; the rosemary focaccia and butterscotch budino deserved top billing! The staff was friendly and upbeat, and gave great recommendations. Can't wait to visit again! read more

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Food was amazing!! Ambiance was chill, kinda dark but in an expensive way. I know they put a lot of effort and creativity into their drinks but they did not hit with me. We got the martini with pasta water... no my vibe. Unfortunately, their take on the old fashion was also not my vibe. The wine was great though. The service was a little slow but I don't think it is anything that would deter me from the establishment. read more

Osteria Ester - Lasagna - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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Paige was absolutely phenomenal! Was able to guide me through to menu & answered all my questions with ease. Beef Tortelloni, Carpaccio, & the Budino are all game winners. read more

Booked this spot for my wife's birthday and we were surprised in the best way! The staff was amazing and the food was delicious. The ambiance was very classy as well. I highly recommend for a date night! read more

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I think the ambience is nice in this restaurant, but I'm a huge Italian food critic and I just do not think this place hits the spot. Every time I go, I'm not wowed and I'm just like I could've gone somewhere better. read more

Best Italian food in town! Focaccia and Caesar salad are both amazing. My wife and I came for the first time and immediately booked another reservation to come back. Ambience is also 10/10. read more

The service is amazing. But the food is just not good, it had no flavor whatsoever. The only good thing was the dessert.

I wish zero stars was an option. This was easily the worst I have ever been treated by an entire staff in my life. We decided to give Osteria Ester a Try for lunch yesterday while visiting family in the Orlando area. We walked into a fairly slow restaurant but due to rain there was a 45 minute wait so we put our name in and decided to go to the bar since there were 4 open seats. My friend and I ran to the bathroom and sent our husbands to the bar to sit down and get started. While we were in the restroom the bartender informed the men in our party that they weren't able to hold the seats while we were in the restroom for all of 3 minutes. An older gentleman approached the bar in this time and they gave up the seat without hesitation figuring we could have a drink while we waited and eat once our table was ready. Wrong. Once we got back the bartender who seemingly has never been trained in hospitality, skipped greeting us as we sat down and rudely asked if we were moving to a table, to which I said not just yet we have a little bit of a wait. Before offering us drinks or introducing herself, she stated that the person in our party that was now without a chair due to us having to give one up would not be allowed to stand with us and that we would have to leave the bar area, before we could even respond she went directly to get a manager. When the manager approached she defended the bartenders actions and gave a laundry list of excuses as to why we could not be at the bar to even get a drink after we had seats, were forced to give one up, and proceeded to not offer a single solution for our party. At this point it was abundantly clear that for whatever reason, they were not interested in serving our party from the moment we arrived. The excuses went from "your backs can't be to other guests" to "it's a fire hazard" (it's not, my significant other is a fire chief) to "we just don't allow standing". Needless to say we went to Prato instead and had an amazing experience. Maybe the staff at Osteria Ester should visit and take some notes on how to treat their guests. It is not a privilege for guests to be in your establishment, but that is 100% how they treat you. I can't imagine treating customers this way while being in a hospitality industry, or really in any industry. Usually newer restaurants go out of their way for guest experience, but not this place. We visit Orlando often but will definitely not be returning to this restaurant. read more

I could drink the braised beef tortellini broth (be sure to get a focaccia). Also, still dreaming about their rendition of an espresso martini - which featured sambuca, orgeat, & amaro! Can't wait to return! Staff were also incredible. read more

Food, service and drinks were all very good! Our Favorites Drinks: - Giostra D' Alcol: Had a sangria vibe, was a very easy sipper, not too sweet nor too dry or boozy - White Negroni: Very fun and unique twist! You can taste the white chocolate at the initial sip before it transitions to the gin and lastly the vermouth lingers delightfully - Cacio E Pepe 50/50: Another elevated cocktail, very delicious including the cheese stuffed olives -- my only complaint is I wish it was a bigger pour for the price. - Caffe Shakerato: A twist on a classic espresso martini, the amaro and sambucca really added to the taste. I'm also biased towards orgeat in espresso based drinks. I would put this in my top 3 espresso martinis in Orlando. Honorable Drink Mentions: - Limoncello and Amaro: We had these with our desserts and while yummy, VERY small amount for the price ($10ea for what seems to be an ounce pour), unfortunately will be skipping these next time. Our Favorite Dishes: - Wagyu Top Sirloin: my partner cleaned his plate on this one, cooked perfectly and the additions of the potato and onion were equally special. - Chicken alla Parmigiana: Another solid, very delicious, served on a metal plate to keep warm and generous portion (3 chicken breasts!). Sauce was balanced and the fresh basil added a nice pop of flavor throughout; the chicken was also very juicy. - Pistachio Gelato: Good, simple, delicious gelato. Can't go wrong. - (Bonus!) Mushroom Arancini: Not on the menu but part of our experience as they were testing this dish, SO good!! My partner doesn't like mushroom at all and loved it! I hope they add it to their menu soon! Honorable Dish Mentions: - Butterscotch Budino: Was very good, a bit too sweet for us personally but might be a perfect fit if you're getting an after dinner coffee. What Missed for Us: - Pizzette: It was ok, I was picturing the typical pizzettes where they're mini pizzas essentially but this was a 4 sliced small pizza/flatbread. Pesto was good but made the whole bread a bit too 'wet' / messy. Didn't have quite the 'oomph' for the price ($13) compared to their other bread offerings in my opinion. Last but not least, Service & Atmosphere: - We sat outside and it was the perfect kind of evening, a bit cooler and the music was just the right level where we forgot we were on the side of a relatively busy street. The tables and chairs were very comfortable. - Gabriel was our server and he did fantastic! He was attentive and paced our meal out perfectly, we didn't feel rushed nor forgotten. - Danny the AGM also came out later in the evening and was super kind, made us feel like part of the Ostaria Ester family. Overall, very excited to go again and this time actually take pictures :) read more

We went to their first day serving brunch! Service right from the start was amazing! Our server was Madilee which we had once before and she was great again. Order timing, drink attention, food delivery, menu knowledge, and welcomness were perfect. This time we ate inside and the table by the kitchen window was really nice. We could see Chef Cooper rocking and rolling with his team in the kitchen. For drinks the Lady Ester was exquisite. The Carpaccio was so good we ordered a second one. Our mains were delicious, with my favorite being the Paccheri Alla Vodka with an added steak protein. You can see from our pictures that we ate a ton, and it was all delicious. The sticky bun, bundt cake, maritozzi, eggs in purgatory, frittata, and buccatini carbonara I believe are all brunch specials that delivered very well. Finally, the Affogato with honey ice cream was the perfect ending, see the video for that one. Definitely will keep going here as one of the few places we repeat going to. read more

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Dined at this incredible restaurant last night! A few things stood out; stellar service (ask for Maddie), the incredible ambience thanks to Sue's impeccable interior design acumen, the convenience of the location because we were able to park in the nearby neighborhood and then attend the Christmas festivities at Lake Eola after dinner, and the variety offered on the menu. Pretty much something for everyone ranging from your classic Italian dishes to fish filet. Everything is made with love and fresh ingredients. I typically skip pasta but when I found out they use semolina flour from Italy I did not skimp my portions. Dishes that stood out- the lasagna - big enough to share and the pasta gnocchi. Their sea bream was also super yummy. My husband LOVED the bolognese. The tiramisu was definitely the best I've had in Orlando and the gelato was super high-quality and delicious. We will absolutely be back! read more

Drinks and service were very good. The gnocchi was recommended as one of their top sellers but it would have been appreciated if they said that it's not actually gnocchi. Instead it's like a shell pasta that looks like gnocchi. Good flavor but not what was advertised. Prices were also a bit high for the quality. read more

Popped in for dinner with a group of friends and we sat outside. They did have heaters which was really nice and the waiter was very friendly. Food wise, though it was very underwhelming I ordered the Wagyu sirloin medium rare which came out medium well and lacked seasoning in flavor. My friend got these pasta special, which included a pasta noodle with a muscle sauce, which was very simple, but on top had a couple pieces of pork belly and the pork belly was absolutely delicious. We also had a side of meatballs, which were good. we ordered the Buccini Diablo, which says it's spicy. I would say it's about a four out of 10. It has a little bit of spice good flavor with added chicken breast, which just felt like an average meal you could make at your house. Overall, the food was underwhelming and was brought out separately so two dishes were dropped and then it was about 5 to 10 minutes before the other two came out so we weren't all able to eat at the same time and the temperature for the food was lukewarm. I did try the specialty cocktail that is a twist of a dirty martini, but instead is made with a black peppercorn, Reggiano stuffed olives and a pasta noodle brined vodka, definitely an acquired taste. I personally was not a fan so I opted for a Dirty gin martini interestingly enough they charge per stuffed olive, even with it being a dirty gin martini which most restaurants supply blue cheese, stuffed olives with the drink here they charge separately read more

Osteria Ester - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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New addition for the locals and Wow Beautiful Decor and ambiance. Food and drinks amazing. Starting with the Bread is a must. Baked clams and Carpaccio were fantastic. Vodka Sauce pasta and Chicken parm was Fabulous. Tiramisu was also great. Drinks fantastic. Service from Manager Amanda was Superb, we recognize her from Modern, was good to see her. Recommendations from Amanda for food and drinks made the night. Janna our waitress was fantastic and attentive. Thank you Amanda and Janna truly made our Date night special. Highly recommended this New addition to Thorton. Supportyou local vendors. read more

Finally had a chance to try this and everything was great. The food, service and atmosphere were fantastic. Our server, Vanessa, was incredible! She was very knowledgeable about the menu, answered all of our questions and gave great recommendations. Can't wait to go back! read more

This place is exactly what this neighborhood needed, and as a 20+ year neighbor (been here through Hue, to SOCO, to now OE), I could not be more thrilled. The food reminds me of my youth growing up in Boston in a very Italian family. This is your "red sauce" joint - the place where you go to when you just want something solid and reliable. But it's more than that because they elevated that concept, and it works. The space is so welcoming and warm (love what ya'll did here), and the service is tops (hello Good Salt Group). Only been three times so far, but I've loved everything I've had, and can't wait to make this a part of my weekly rhythm. read more

Paige was awesome! She gave the best reccomendations, and explained the menu eloquently. Her honest feedback and overall vibe was so complimentary to our girls night! She made all of our birthdays special! Thanks for the fun night! read more

Absolutely terrible. Bartender was extremely curt. Manager was extremely rude. Staff appeared extremely selective with who and when they chose to be welcoming. Severely lacking in hospitality. read more

Food was nothing special and service was absolutely awful. Focaccia was very small and soaking in oil. Pastas were ok. Broccoli was very salty. Vibe was boring and stuffy read more

Great food, excellent service, and very reasonable prices. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, making it a perfect spot to relax and enjoy a meal. Definitely a place I'd return to and recommend to others. read more

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Food was cold, overpriced, no taste. Lasagna was like eating tomato paste on top of rolled up burnt lasagna noodle.

The food options are great--I ordered the vodka pasta, and my friend got the same dish. When I first tried mine, it was undercooked and a bit hard to chew, but I didn't say anything at first. When my friend mentioned the same issue, it encouraged me to ask if they could cook it a little longer. They did, and it came back perfect. That said, I usually don't like sending food back, so having to do that in the first place brings it down to four stars. read more