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  • Sotto

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Reserve at Sotto

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Sotto
Sotto

Sotto Details

  • Dining Style: Casual Dining
  • Website: http://www.sottocincinnati.com
  • Phone: (513) 977-6886
  • Hours of Operation: Dinner

    Sunday-Thursday: 5:00pm-10:00pm
    Friday-Saturday: 5:00pm-11:00pm
  • Payment Options: AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Executive Chef: Executive Chef : Jeremy Lieb, Chef de Cuisine : Danny Combs
  • Dress Code: Casual Dress
  • Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
  • Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Chef's Table, Counter Seating, Farm to Table, Fireplace, Full Bar, Gluten-free Menu, Late Night, Non-Smoking Area, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Personal wines welcome, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Private Room, Smoking Area, Wine

Getting there

  • Cross Street: Walnut Street
  • Parking: Valet
  • Parking Details: We offer valet parking directly in front of the restaurant beginning at 6pm daily.
A word from Sotto
It is a concept of casual intimacy and communal romance. Sotto is the art of simplicity, a steward of restraint. It’s undressed, gutsy and human. It is fire, meat, wheat, and laughter. Above all, Sotto is Italian.
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Awards voted by OpenTable diners
  • Diners' Choice WinnerBest Overall
  • Diners' Choice WinnerBest Ambiance
  • Diners' Choice WinnerBest Food
Diner Reviews
  • "This was my first trip to Sotto and it did not disappoint in any area. We had a party of 7 and they were very accommodating. Service was great and everyone's food actually arrived at the same time. Very cool atmosphere, great for a romantic dinner. But best of all the food was incredible! They now make almost every pasta fresh in house and you could certainly tell! Tortellini and the pork loin were unreal!! Highly recommend if you haven't been."
    Dined on 7/7/2014
  • "The goat cheese and honey bruschetta and short rib cappellacci were excellent!"
    Dined on 7/6/2014
  • "We've been hearing so much about the place and I finally was able to et a reservation. It was well worth it."
    Dined on 7/5/2014
  • "Four of us visited Sotto early Saturday night. We went with the waitress'(excellent!) recommendation of selecting 2 items from each menu category and sharing the dinning experience family style. This was the way to go! Everything we ate was delicious. We couldn't visit on a regular basis because of price--worthwhile but reserved for "special" occasion for our budget. We loved the seasonal burrata, the steak was incredible, the wine recommendation was good, and the doughnuts were a perfect ending."
    Dined on 7/5/2014
  • "This is our second time in 5 mos. to eat here. We are from Louisville and wish it was here. We specifically revolve a weekend in Cinn. just so we can eat here. Incredible pasta made from scratch. You can even watch them making it. Short rib tortellini is the best! As well as the pasta bolognese."
    Dined on 7/4/2014
  • "Having been fans of Boca for years, finally had the pleasure of dining at Sotto! Five of us could not pick just one favorite of the many courses we shared. Service was excellent. Our server was sincerely engaging and helpful. Timing of delivery was balanced. The atmosphere is charming from the moment you enter. My son in particular has dined in some of the finer restaurants across the globe and was quite impressed with the ability to present simple dishes with such lasting finish. The menu is very comprehensive without being complicated as is the wine list. Additionally Sotto is a wonderfully affordable restaurant. Looking forward yo a visit again soon."
    Dined on 7/3/2014
  • "Service was excellent. Food was great. Good value too overall."
    Dined on 6/30/2014
  • "Everything was amazing. The cocktails were great, each course was fantastic."
    Dined on 6/30/2014
  • "The staff was wonderful -- knowledgeable, engaging and very accommodating."
    Dined on 6/29/2014
  • "We had a group of 12 to celebrate my husband's birthday. The service was fantastic. Our waitress was really sweet and patient. I had brought in a cake for after dinner and she kindly brought it out lit up. Very sweet. I do re commend Sotto. The food is great and the ambience is wonderful."
    Dined on 5/19/2014
  • "fun vibe, excellent food, and very attentive staff. Its always a treat when the server can guide you through the menu and pretty much order for your entire table! we were having too much fun to pause over the menu so jessie did it for us. great experience!"
    Dined on 6/28/2014
  • "I love dining at Sotto's. The wait staff is exceptional, the food is superb, the atmosphere is delightful. If it is your first time, let the server guide you to the outstanding options. My favs: goat cheese with hazelnut honey, polenta with fried egg (must be tried to be understood), short rib cappellacci. Even my Italian son-in-law is impressed! Buon appetito!!"
    Dined on 11/25/2013
  • "This was our third visit to Sotto and it was great. We finally had the steak for two entree (make sure you are hungry as it is big) and it did not disappoint. The ricotta doughnuts are one of the best desserts I have ever had. This is really one of my favorite restaurants and I am already planning my next visit!"
    Dined on 6/27/2014
  • "Our waiter was too energetic, using too many"awesomes" and "fantastic". The food wasn't very good. None of the four of us finished any dishes. The noise level was awful."
    Dined on 6/25/2014
  • "This was a great find. Being a visitor to a conference in Cincinnati, it was walking distance from the convention center and a great experience. Great food and great service (Blaire was great!). I would definitely add this one to the MUST EAT places in Cincinnati."
    Dined on 6/23/2014
  • "I've been a couple times now and the food was as great as it always is! Our server Anthony was spot on! And he made fantastic recommendations!"
    Dined on 6/23/2014
  • "The food is wonderful! The service very good! To bad they had the music on way to loud for the already too loud restaurant."
    Dined on 6/21/2014
  • "Once again, Sotto was amazing! They never disappoint with their made in house pasta and wonderful service! They were kind enough to ale a dish they used to have when they first opened and left the fish off a couple other dishes so my husband and I could share...I'm vegetarian. Our waiter, Seth, was so amazing and so helpful!"
    Dined on 6/21/2014
  • "I have lived in Cincinnati all 26 years of my life, have eaten a lot of fine dining restaurants throughout the city and Sotto is by FAR the best dining expereince ive ever had. My Fiance and I went there for his 27th birthday and the service was absolutely top knotch. The candle lit dinner was amazing from the moment we sat down. The server we had (Seth) was truely fantastic, I dont normally remember serves let alone their names. This is also the first review i have ever written about a dining experience because we were that blown away by this place. Being Italian, I am always looking for great authentic ialtian food in the city. Sotto blew it out of the water, we will most definitely be back and probably with my entire Italian family."
    Dined on 6/20/2014
  • "We loved everything about Sotto including the food, service, and atmosphere. We can't wait to go back."
    Dined on 6/20/2014
  • "Great food, fantastic service, really nice atmosphere!"
    Dined on 2/11/2014
  • "From the moment we walked in until we left we were served by friendly, intelligent people. The drinks, food, wine, and dessert were perfect."
    Dined on 6/19/2014
  • "This was our first visit to Sotto and we had heard mixed reviews from friends so we were a bit concerned about whether we would like it. But every dish we tried was excellent. We will definitely be going back. We loved the bruschetta with chicken liver/pistachio pate. Also baby kale Caesar salad and polenta with pancetta and egg. And for main courses Bronzino and pasta with short ribs. We felt like we'd be happy to order every one of these dishes again on a future visit. It is dark and noisy but the servers carry flashlights and will light up the menu or tea bag selection for you if needed."
    Dined on 6/18/2014
  • "Between a 30 minute wait for an already-reserved table, unimpressive menu choices at a gourmet price point, and an atmosphere that is an attempt at "smoky and sultry," but comes off as "poorly lit and tacky," there are too many options available for you, the prospective diner, to waste an evening here. Go to BOCA, Nada, or Via Vite instead. Hell, go to Rock Bottom instead. This place sucks. The food won't kill you. That's a plus, I guess."
    Dined on 6/17/2014
  • "We had a nice time while dining for a birthday in the bar side of the restaurant. We had 2 kids and they made a special pasta to accommodate their needs. We peeked Around and saw several private dining areas that looked really nice as well. Great date spot as well with the low light and cozy decor."
    Dined on 6/16/2014
  • "Went to Soto with my husband as part of our anniversary celebration. Our expectations were average, our experience outstanding. The food was above average. The server attentive and the entire exeprience enjoyable. Don't miss the bruchetta, the donuts or just about anything on the menu. It was all good!"
    Dined on 6/6/2014
  • "We were celebrating my girlfriend's birthday. We had a party of 8 and were seated in a special room. It was perfect for the occasion. The service was great and the food was incredible. I can't wait to go back."
    Dined on 6/12/2014
  • "Lighting was so dim we had to use flashlight apps to read menu. Very limited menu"
    Dined on 6/15/2014
  • "Sotto offered a great dining experience. Great Food, Great Service, Reservation honored and respected on time, would definitely bring family and friends back. The only negative for the night was the music. Not sure they recognize they are an Italian Restaurant, but the music was loud and inappropriate for the experience and the ambiance. Believe it or not, they could take some lessons learned from Maggiano's. It was the only negative part of the experience, and potentially the only reason I would not return."
    Dined on 6/15/2014
  • "Our server Seth was AMAZING! He should absolutely be recognized for his fantastic personality and knowledge of food and wine. We loved him and will come back to see him. The food is always impeccable and delicious."
    Dined on 6/14/2014
  • "The arrugula and prociutto salad and kale slads are fantastic, as is the Porterhouse steak, which nicely serves 4 and melts in your mouth. Excellent atmosphere, fantastic wait staff, wonderful, retro chop house atmosphere. Two thunbs up and a woo-hoo."
    Dined on 6/13/2014
  • "We dined here for the first time for our anniversary. Our experience matched what other reviewers have said--dark ish, loud, and amazing food. Hilary was a wonderful server, attentive but not intrusive. Took our cue re how much to chat. I'm pretty chatty about things I like :) We had the bur rata bruschetta with bagna cauda. Also ordered the garlic rubbed, which gave us enough bread for the generous portion of cheese. We each had a salad--mine was the baby kale--and shared both the pasta w pepper/cheese, and the roasted branzino. Then also shared the donuts and gelato. Yes, many courses but not over filling since we shared. Every bite was truly amazing. Will definitely return."
    Dined on 6/13/2014
  • "This is an amazing restaurant. Our waiter Anthony absolutely made our night, offering selections in both food and drink, that were prepared perfectly. There was nothing that I could think to change. I am someone that avoids Italian restaurants because the menus are all the same and I cannot wait to go back to sotto.make sure you order the desert donuts. We were suggested to dip in Carmel and pistachio. But the best was doing that then dipping the whole thing in chocolate."
    Dined on 6/13/2014
  • "The food we had was amazing, only topped by the excellent service we received from our waitress, Alexa (:"
    Dined on 6/13/2014
  • "First time here. Heard it was loud, which it is, but it seemed to fade over the dinner. Food was very good and service was excellent. Very accommodating to vegetarian needs."
    Dined on 6/12/2014
  • "Outstanding food. It was too dark to read the menu at first. After a delay a candle was brought to our table. The music was too loud and not in keeping with an Italian restaurant."
    Dined on 6/12/2014
  • "Romantic ambience with candle light at the tables. The house made pastas were just like what we had in Italy. Loved the crusty Blue Oven bread served with rich olive oil for dipping and the house red wine was very good. The short rib pasta and lamb were both excellent. The grill master is fun to watch, dinner and a show!"
    Dined on 6/12/2014
  • "Expensive for what you get. Noisy, dark and musty. Kids running around and adult groups screaming just to be heard. Would not recommend. particularly if you are looking for a romantic, quiet spot."
    Dined on 6/11/2014
  • "With plenty of buzz and David Falk at the helm I was expecting great things - and some things were great, but unfortunately others were not. Good news first, the food overall was very good. I enjoyed the garlic bruschetta and lumache all'amatriciana and the donuts for dessert where oh so good. However, the décor, noise level and service were all disappointing. The restaurant is loud, very dark, surprisingly warm and the menu lacks contrast making ordering difficult. The noise level makes it difficult to have a conversation, particularly toward the front of the house. The service was hot or miss and we spent most of the evening refilling our own wine and water glasses."
    Dined on 6/10/2014
  • "Our overall experience was great. The food was delicious, service was impecable, but the portions were small for an Italian restaurant. The noise level was obnoxious. It was difficult to converse with the person sitting accross the table without shouting, we were a table of 5, so not a large group. I was hoarse from shouting by the time we left. This is a fun, trendy restaurant, but I wouldn't recomend it if you are looking for an intimate, low key experience."
    Dined on 6/10/2014
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Diners' Choice Awards
  • Cincinnati / Dayton Winners
  • Best Food
  • Best Service
  • Italian
  • Fit for Foodies
  • Hot Spot
  • Most Booked
  • Cincinnati Winners
  • Best Overall
  • Best Ambiance
  • Best Food
  • Best Service
  • Italian
  • Fit for Foodies
  • Hot Spot
  • Most Booked
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