I don't know how anyone could rate this place less than 5 stars. Food is spectacular! Service is top notch. Atmosphere is cozy and wonderful will eat here every time I'm back in Baltimore! read more

Sotto Sopra offers excellent italian food outside of Little Italy. Fancy, but not overly expensive, with delicious far more casual lunches.

I don't know why I don't frequent this place more since I live only a couple blocks away. Each time I go I am always blown away by how great everything is. I think it makes my top ten, maybe top five restaurant list in Baltimore. My last visit I had the best grouper I have ever tasted. read more

Ok I like the restaurant atmosphere however the space is just way to compact, I literally have limited space and movement. My server was a guy and he was great, very talkative lol but nice guy. I ordered the salmon and had a salad as appetizer bad tipped it off with a chocolate soufflé which was amazing, really good and my salad was amazing, I wasn't impressed with my entree but I'm a picky eater. Would I come there again...maybe.. read more

Great food and good service! I can't speak on my parties food but my seafood Ciopinno (not sure on spelling) was fresh and so flavorful with the lobster broth. It also didn't feel super heavy. Our server was pleasant and knowledgeable. For dessert I had the chocolate molten cake. It was tastes and very rich. All in all a great experience. I'll definitely be back. read more

Overpriced and poor service...Grilled Veal chop was excellent. Agnolotti special was mediocre with a sauce that was bland. Waitress had to be asked for butter twice before we received it. Also had to request bread and drink refills multiple times. I get better service at Macaroni Grille where I spent half as much. read more

Hard rib Ravioli and watery Bolognese, guys bring also some salt to your table if they let you! Disappointed!

I think I am a fan...a now poor fan, but a fan. It seemed a slow night at Sotta Sopra but the wait staff was fabulous and knew their stuff. We were a bit miffed why the chef visited every other table but ours but hey...maybe he had to cook at some point. We both had the Gazpacho, which was quite flavorful. We ordered two pasta dishes...Agnolotti di Vitello (veal stuffed agnolotti, bacon sauteed spinach with veal jus) and the Ravioli D'aragosta (lobster with brandy shallot reduction and fried leeks). The veal dish was so flavorful, however there was nothing to slop up the lovely jus with. The bread they serve is a little disappointing to me...breadsticks and a homemade focaccia type bread. While my friend liked it, it didn't do much for me and didn't help work for me at all. The lobster dish was subtle yet flavorful. Both dished were just enough we thought. We split the "liquid center" chocolate cake dessert...which while was not horrible had no liquid center to be found! First time at a place I have wanted to try for a long time...a bit pricey but I may try again...the food was great and the pasta FRESH and not overcooked which was most refreshing! read more

One of the best Italian places in the city. Service is fantastic, food is even better. Great bread and apps. Prices are pricy but worth it if you are out for a night on the town. It won't disappoint. I don't recommend their early bird dinner specials. Portions are tiny. Makes them look cheap. read more

went on Black Friday and had a fantastic dinner with a large group of friends and family . Some service issues in the beginning but all was forgotten once the food arrived. If you want a place that is charming and without pretense then give this place a try . read more

Had dinner there last night....excellent knowledgeable friendly professional service by Alex that was only topped by the delicious food he served us...our party had four different dishes and all were great! read more

Food was very good, but the service was a problem. Surprising given this place's reputation in Baltimore. We had a reservation, it was on Valentine's Day weekend, but they made us wait nearly 30 minutes past our reservation time. The hostess wasn't friendly about it. We passed time at the bar and had to work to get the bartender's attention to get drinks, which were mediocre. Once seated, we were near the entrance and it was a frigid night and every time the door opened, cold air blasted us. The staff didn't even notice and absent-mindedly chatted with customers while holding the door open to the outside. When we ordered they put in my dish incorrectly and tried to serve me something I didn't request. Now I was faced with eating something I didn't choose or eating separately from my wife. They were apologetic and did their best to fix it by giving me a free entree, but it's just a hard one to get over. read more

Came here to celebrate a friend's birthday while visiting Baltimore. Wanted to treat her to a nice dinner but ended up feeling terrible for not taking her somewhere else. When we walked in we were amazed at how beautiful the restaurant was and how sweet the hostess was. She let us go to our table even though we were early and recommended some places for us to grab drinks after dinner. She was the only decent part of our visit. It took over ten minutes for our server to even greet us and even when he finally came he seemed rushed. Our drinks took over 15 minutes to arrive and the three Moscow Mules we ordered each tasted like a completely different drink. One of them was so bad we had to say something - the server did not seem apologetic at all just asked what she wanted instead. We attempted to order apps multiple times but he would ask me to wait a minute or walk away in the middle of me ordered. The calamari was undercooked which was unfortunate but we were completely disappointed when not a single one of the five people we were with liked their entree. We wanted to complain but our server was no where to be found until we decided to just ask for the check. He was nice enough to bring out desserts for a birthday we had but that whole process added on an unnecessary 30 minutes that we didn't really have to wait. Beautiful restaurant but service and quality of food could really use some improvement. Definitely will not be coming back or recommending. read more

I've been to Sotto Sopra twice, and each time was an excellent experience with top-notch food. Excellent service, perfectly cooked fish, beautiful interior, well worth the price. read more

Best food I have had in Baltimore. The apps were amazing. The entrees were not as good as the apps. Please don't take this as them being bad. Just maybe next time I will get a ton of apps. read more

I am giving this place 5 stars mainly because of the fried polenta it is miraculous! Fried with marscapone and salted with truffle salt. Yup, it was polenta on steroids. I had the seafood stew and it was great! We ordered like 4 appetizers including fried calamari and they were all very good. Not cheap but made with love and good wait staff! read more

I rarely give 5 stars but Sotto Sopra rates them. It was so good we ate there two consecutive nights. We were staying at a nearby hotel so it was a short walk. We were a party of four and everyone oohed and aahed the whole meal. As usual I looked through Yelp to find a great meal and we were not disappointed. One night I had the Branzino and it was done perfectly; my wife had scallops and loved it so much she ordered the same the next might. The pasta is truly fatto mano - anyone who knows fresh pasta will love it. As one appetizer we had fried polenta which was to die for - the mussels were incredible with a coconut milk curry - the broth was superb! Overall if you are within 50 miles of Baltimore, IMHO it's worth the effort to dine there. read more

My boyfriend and I spent the weekend in Baltimore from Richmond for his birthday (he loves the aquarium) and decided this would be our nice dinner spot, judging by the 5 star overall rating and high number of reviews. Made reservations for 7:45 on a Saturday night, were seated at a tiny table stuffed against the wall in a nook backed up to the hostess stand. A little cramped, but hey. I get it, no big (this is kind of a running theme for us; always getting a small table and we don't look like it, but we tend to order A LOT of food). We ordered 3 app's: fried polenta, fried calamari, and the Prince Edward mussels. We really normally aren't big fried food people, but they both sounded so good on paper. I'm a big polenta person, and I felt like the edges of the polenta definitely could have been crispier. Calamari was standard, nothing to write home about. We actually enjoyed the mussels the best out of the 3, which is surprising because even my bf liked them and he hates non-fried and breaded seafood. The curry sauce was delicious, and I'm glad we hung onto the leftover bread from the starter to dip in the remaining sauce Our entree's were noted as the two best entree's on the menu, according to our food runner: the duck leg confit and the ricotta gnocchi with pesto sauce. I will admit they were very delicious. The gnocchi was soft and pillowy with a s creamy sauce and a few cherry tomatoes throughout. the perfect amount. Duck is our favorite protein, and this did not disappoint. Our server was very polite, even picked up on the fact that is was my bf's birthday and brought our dessert with a candle! Overall, would definitely return again. read more

Food was fantastic. Staff was really knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the food. Delicious homemade pastas and the desserts were great as well! read more

Fantastic meal across the board. Had reservations for my sisters bday. They put a nice note on the table acknowledging her special day. We were seated in the back bar area and were greeted right away. Started with burrata and a special prosciutto with fried artichokes. I had pasta with osso buco ragu, sister had wild salmon and hubby had tenderloin. All of us were oohing and aahing over everything. For dessert, strawberry rhubarb shortcake and a sorbet assortment. The orange clover sorbet was amazing!!!! Wanted to take a pint home for later. Awesome meal and service. Can't wait to go back!! read more

Sotto Sopra is fabulous. My friends and I came here on a day outing to Baltimore, and we were so impressed. Our server, Tavis, was AWESOME! He was so helpful and friendly. He talked us through the menu and gave us suggestions based on what we liked (for both food and drinks). Every suggestion he had was perfect. The food was phenomenal, and the overall atmosphere and ambiance was great. Everyone was friendly and the food/drinks were worth the price. read more

Third time I have eaten at Sotto, and the third time I haven been thoroughly impressed. Def worth a try if you haven't been there.

Divine food and fantastic service in an elegant old world setting. Pricey but well worth it. Never was a water glass empty or a dirty dish left on the table. The pork osso bucco with truffle oil and porcini mushrooms was wonderful and our favorite. Hand crafted pasta with interesting flavors and a diverse menu make for lots of delicious choices. The semolina cake with fig sauce and almond flavor was deliciously unique. This is the place for a memorable night out or to wow your date. read more

Great presentation and service, however, food is not great. It's just okay. Place is too dark and if you're used to good Italian food- you won't enjoy it much read more

Have no idea how their food was - since nobody would even acknowledge we were there. We walked in and stood for several minutes - with 4 wait staff near the door! There was only one table that was taken and they had menus - so they were certainly not too busy to have at the very least acknowledged that we were there. We left. read more

The food was fantastic. The best meal I've had in a long time. I definitely want to come back the next time we are in Baltimore.

Didn't get to try the food. Had a reservation for 7:45 got there at 7:30. hostess was very rude and after waiting for 15 minutes with a reservation she said it would be another 25-30 minute wait and accused us of being late when she wasn't even by the door. read more

Visited Baltimore for a convention in late September, had lunch on Monday and was so impressed that I had lunch again on Tuesday and Wednesday and dinner on Tuesday. Guests included three native Italians who all agreed it was the best and most authentic Italian cuisine they had experienced in the states. read more

Excellent! Thanks Yelpers for sending me to a terrific restaurant. I was stressed out and needed some pasta and some wine. This place hit the spot. The soup was an authentic minestrone, perfectly seasoned. They recommend ordering 3 courses, plus dessert. I opted for a soup, a pasta (spinach stuffed ravioli), and dessert. Service was great. About my only complaint was that it was freezing every time the door opened, but what are you gonna do? Highly recommended. read more

We went here for lunch during restaurant week - the food was good but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here again - especially not for full menu prices! Also, we had to bug the waiters for bread and refill on waters and the murals were a little creepy. read more

Hmmmm- where do I start? Make reservations for sure. The decor is cool. Visually appealing- nicely decorated, dimly lit, relaxing atmosphere. It was a very busy night- we ate at the bar and the service was a bit slow, but since we were in no hurry it did not seem to matter. Nice bar area, and a very good wine list. Our server made a great wine recommendation to go with our various appetizers. The polenta with gorgonzola and mushrooms was excellent- I highly recommend it! The calimari was above average. Overall another good dinner. read more

Delicious food and delightful presentation. Good value for lunch during restaurant week. I had a tender baby octopus on creamy polenta, scallops on pesto risotto and pistachio creme brulee. read more

Sotto Sopra's menu is extensive, offering countless Italian favorites. Even the specials menu takes up the front and back of a standard page. We were warmly greeted by a friendly waiter and a beautiful interior. Even on a weeknight, the restaurant was bustling with energetic diners and staff. We ordered appetizers and cocktails (The Sotto Sopra, a sweet rum drink, and the Bourbon Tea, which is sour and strong). Both drinks were pleasant and the calamari appetizer was perfectly prepared. Crunchy grilled bread soaked up the flavorful sauce. The tender squid nearly melted in our mouths. We ordered the lamb gnocchi and seafood and porcini black spaghetti as our entrees. The flavors of both were light and delicious, but there were some problems of texture. The gnocchi were a tad softer than fluffy, but still quite good. The braised lamb was perfectly shredded and balanced well with the sauce. Our disappointment was with the crawfish in the seafood pasta. The mealy, overcooked morsels were clearly neither fresh nor, we believe, had the chef tasted them that time of night. Not an unforgivable flaw, but it caused the dish to fall short of perfection. It is also notoriously challenging to rid lump crab meat of shells. I found three small pieces. Again, no unforgivable sin, but a surprise given the obviously high standards of the restaurant. Another flaw, which really did taint the experience, when moving the table slightly to get out to excuse myself, I noticed a lump of soft chewing gum under the table. This is not really the restaurant's fault, but shame on the diner who left that surprise. My dining companion peeked under the table to find more than a half dozen of such deposits. A note of caution to all high-end restaurants -- check under your tables for gum. After a grappa and a pleasant chat with our server, we left satisfied, but not blown away. We will probably be back, but not with the same enthusiasm that accompanied our first visit. read more

We've been eating at Sotto Sopra for at least 10 years and love it. It has become my "must eat there" place when I'm in Baltimore, knowing that it will be a first rate experience every time. My partner and I went there in mid-May on a weeknight, with a reservation. It was comfortably busy, but not packed. The first table they gave us was a little too close to the music speakers, and although the music was fine, we preferred a quieter location. No problem. We were re-seated quickly and courteously to a much quieter table. Our drinks came promptly and we were ready to order our meal. I had the STRACCETTI AI FUNGHI (pasta with a lovely wild mushroom sauce w/veal reduction). Absolutely wonderful! Perfectly prepared and served. My partner had the BRANZINO CON SALSA AL BASILICO E FINOCCHIO CON BURRO ALL'ARANCIA, (Branzino with basil fennel sauce and grilled vegetables which was also wonderfully moist and tender. Perfectly prepared fish is always a favorite of mine, and Sotto Sopra knows how to prepare fish. The building is a beautifully preserved old Baltimore townhouse. The bar in the rear was added to the original room when it opened, but they duplicated all the original moldings/columns so it looks as though is was always this way. Gorgeous colorful large paintings and beautifully framed oversize mirrors adorn all the walls up to the high ceilings, and beautiful drapes help to define the dining room from the bar. It has a rich, old world feel while remaining casual and comfortable. Also, it is a good value for your $. I can confidently recommend Sotto Sopra, knowing that I will be back here myself when I'm in town next time. read more

I started coming here with friends for flight tastings. Got out of the habit, but I was hooked from then on. I took my family there to celebrate my graduate school graduation. My mom still talks about, my aunt and sister do too. They are very accomodating with food allergies (mine is dairy). read more

A great looking place but the tables are so crammed together that you end up sharing your conversation with the strangers on either side of you. Portions are on the small side. Tried the lamb ravioli but wasn't impressed. read more

I have NEVER had a bad mean or poor customer service here. Gnocci was prefect, great cocktails. I would highly recommend

Service was competent, the atmosphere is cozy and not noisy, and the food was quite delicious, especially the veal dishes.

Went here based on the great Yelp reviews. This place was outstanding. I had the Fettucinne Osso Buco and it was superb! I highly recommend it as a place prior to the Symphony as it is only a few blocks away. read more

Normally I don't give out five-star ratings just because it creates unreasonably high expectations. BUT given the dearth of dining options in Baltimore I was extremely happy with everything about this dining experience, from the friendliness of the staff (Note: we were there for my girlfriend's birthday) to the wonderful food. Was at Aldo's, another Italian restaurant in Baltimore with high reviews, a few weeks ago and would recommend Sotto Sopra ten times out of ten. read more