Forno Osteria & Bar Montgomery

I indicated that we were there for a birthday, but no mention was made. The restaurant seems to have a few too many tables and was physically crowded and maybe a bit understaffed as service was a bit slow. My wife ordered a glass of wine which they forgot to bring.

The noise level was off the chart. The waiter was practically yelling to describe the food. Our table was in a terrible spot, my chair kept getting bumped. Two people got pizzas and felt that they were
just ok. My fish was very very good. Wish the bread was warm on a cold evening. The big problem was the awful noise level and the seating.

Maybe it was an off evening, but our reservation was at 7:30 and we still did not have our food at 9:10. It was way too loud to carry on conversation amongst the six of us, so that was way too long to wait. The food was good when it arrived and I only gave a lower service level because the kitchen was so slow in getting the food out. Our waiter was decent and not much you can do I suppose about the slow kitchen. He forgot about the delivery of bread he offered honest, and did not check back with us in a timely manner to find out one of our party wanted pepper and was not offered that like the others were.

We enjoyed a wonderful dinner Forno Osteria & Bar. Everyone in our group of five people was happy with their dinner selection. The menu is authentic Italian with many creative elements and delicious ingredients. The wine pairing suggestions were also great. Our service was impeccable and our server, Mark, was attentive, knowledgeable and very courteous. The manager was also attentive and courteous and checked on us during our meal. This was our third visit to Forno this year and we hope to return soon!

Great soup and appetizers. Also enjoyed my wine and the arrabiata sauce on the pasta.

Service is very good, from reception to serving. The Orange Cosmo is delicious, fresh and perfectly mixed. The Cab I chose was also really good. The Veal Scallopini was a bit chewy and a little too salty. On other occasions I've had the Gnocchi and it is perfection. I love it. My friend had a pizza he shared and that sauce was delicious, flavorful fresh crust. Overall I enjoy Forno.

Same good food as the original location. Very busy on a Friday night. Reserve in advance for weekend dining. Noise level was a bit high making conversation difficult. (I don’t care for Open Table’s description as “energetic”)

We enjoyed the food, ambiance, and staff at Forno's Montgomery location this evening. My husband and I both loved the meatball and artichoke appetizers as well as the short rib entree. We were celebrating a special occasion and it was great to be able to have a nice meal in a "date night" atmosphere, but to also be able to comfortably enjoy the experience with our toddler. So many staff members were friendly to her, including bringing her a ball of dough to play with at the table- genius! Great service. Get the tiramisu for dessert. We will certainly be back!

We enjoyed our meal. Great food. Also came here for brunch on Sunday that was very good as well

Great food and service, but too noisy for conversation.

We had an excellent meal. The bone-in pork chop is massive and not adequately described in the menu. It is pounded flat and breaded to consume the entire plate. It sits in a cream sauce and topped with capers and roasted cauliflower. Wonderful dish, but I took 1/2 of it home with me.

Only disappointment was in the men's room where the soap dispenser sprayed my suit coat. Dispenser nozzle shoots out at the patron instead of into your hand. Very aggravating.

Location is across the street from famous Montgomery Inn.

The food was perfect and the staff was very accommodating! Short ribs, veal, Caesar salad, wine, all outstanding. We’ll be back!

Everything was perfect 👍

I love this place. I do, and I’m glad they are super busy on Friday nights. I love that the owner is buzzing around like a bee, gladhanding everyone. It shows he’s invested and cares. His staff, all of them, are very professional. What I do t like is having an 8:30 reservation and being seated at 9:15.

We arrived at 8:00 and were told that they were on time, so seating us at 8:30 would not be a problem. Wrong! We were seated at 9:15. Another 20 minutes until the appetizer, another 30 for dinner. It was very loud, and by the time we were done, we were just tired and wanted to go to bed. The solution is to go during the week for a quieter and quicker service.

The food here is particularly outstanding. I would recommend the short ribs and the bolognese. The tomato, avocado on bruschetta is great and the artichoke soup and eggplant Parmesan are to die for. I think about them all week long!

Great feel, they make you like you are part of their big family
Wine wonderful
Food outstanding

It took too long to get our food and when it did come, some of the dishes were cold! Didn't like getting charged for the bread ! The creme brulee was the best!

Everything was spectacular. Will definitely be going back again and again.

Loved everything about this new restaurant! The menu had a wide range of choices from protein, pasta and pizza. The atmosphere was nice and I loved that the owner was visible and greeting tables.

Forno's food is always good! At the both locations!

I ordered the pork chop. Horrible!

I've gone to Forno in Hyde Park many times and have always loved it. The food great, service great, patio my fav.
Checked out the Montgomery location because it's closer for me and had never been. But to be honest I thought the food we ordered was very bland, not very flavorful. Even tried another entree but I'm sorry it just wasn't that great. My salad was delicious though.

Another local gem! Classy casual vibe. Great menu, complemented by a helpful wait staff.

Exceptional, loved our server Scott and the owner was incredible.

Very busy night. Service was slow but worth the wait.

This was our first visit and we’ll be back. Great food, good service and vibrant ambience.

Great food. Owner makes his presence known and truly cares

Authentic Italian Food, Expertly Prepared It was ONLY recently, at the Montgomery Forno Osteria, that I enjoyed as fine a cut (huge - 35oz) of similarly, traditionally, expertly sourced-cut-and-prepared meat, OMG. Tender. Flavorful. Succulent. Beautifully plated. Ordered medium rare, brought to the table MEDIUM RARE, a true Bistecca alla Fiorentina, as experienced in Firenze. The House Salad was so-so, the accompanying potatoes, a Chef's Special, really quite good, but that steak ... Oh My! WOW! Overpriced? - at $85.00, yes. But NO COMPLAINTS here, it's a showpiece item, something I've looked for elsewhere in the States and I've not found. So I'm very happy to pony up, smile, and enjoy. Worth it? Absolutely! The premium Scotch we ordered to start the evening, well, unfortunately I forgot to bring my magnifying glass with me and therefore had great difficulty seeing the booze in the glass; it was there, just not much, in other words, NOT a 'generous pour' - lower the price or put more in the glass. This is NOT the only restaurant in Cincinnati. Yes, the steak was shared and still a lot was brought home to enjoy at another meal. Others in the party enjoyed their Veal Scallopine and the Gnocchi. The Creme Brulee for dessert was a nice finishing touch. The house Wilamette Valley Pinot Noir was good, and a better value than the premium liquor. Will we return? I said to the Lady and our companions I sure am glad I don't live in Montgomery, because if I did I'd want to dine at Forno Osteria EVERY NIGHT. We cannot wait to return, we're informed on what we need to watch out for when we do, and the rest of the authentic menu awaits to dive into. This review is 4-star, but I rate Forno Montgomery as 5 - Excellent, because with a little planning of our order, we can make it hit that mark. The food and service are there, one just has to exercise some care. Sorry the review is so long, but Essex never wants to mislead.

Fabulous! Loved everything! The two of us ordered one dish and four sides. It was so good we ate everything plus a delightful dessert. Going again for sure!

A bit pricey but we enjoyed taste of our selections. They charge for bread which rubs me the wrong way given price of the food. It came with plain olive oil - would suggest they add some some spices. My guest had heirloom salad, tortellini and a sprite and her portion of bill was $35. Eggplant side was nice and Caesar salad was plentiful.

If you are a "foodie" ... if you like comfort food ... this is your place. If you like Sotto or Boca, I feel confident that you will like the food quality of Forno.

We went on Saturday night. It was undoubtedly energetic. The restaurant space has always been intimate. There isn't much Christian, the owner, can do about the noise level. It does not rise to the level of objectionable, unless you have "enthusiastic" patrons near by. Christian made his presence known throughout the dining room. He CLEARLY made you feel welcome and appreciated.

Polly Campbell gave Forno 4 stars in her review, so we thought we'd give it a try. Excellent decision.

We had a green salad, "Ensalada Mista" (light and nice), octopus (would have liked a bit more octopus on the plate - it was very good), Eggplant Parmigiana (light-excellent), swordfish (very good), pizza (very good & lighter than your normal pizza), decaf coffee (FYI -worth drinking) and for dessert, Basil Pannacotta (excellent). We had two good glasses of wine as well.

While at the restaurant, we came across a friend who said his favorite dish there was the bolognese.

Service: we had Melissa as our waitress. She could not have been more accommodating, kind, attentive or pleasant. I suspect she doesn't have too many bad days. We also came across an old friend (waitress), Michelle. She stopped by the table and helped Melissa on occasion. Michelle is another gem.

I would encourage you to ask for either Melissa or Michelle. They are both simply lovely people that you want to be around.

Note to Christian: GREAT decision to hire them both. They represent you and Forno very well indeed.

Bottom line: today, if you eat out, the meal equates to just food. Plain. Run of the mill. Unmemorable.

I feel VERY confident you will appreciate the various complex flavors Chef Christian weaves together at Forno. I hope you enjoy ... I know we will continue to for years to come.

This restaurant is my new favorite! The food is amazing in a casual fun enviorment. Wonderful cocktails and wine selections. Great starters, pizza, pasta and entrees. We love the Cod, short rib, gnocchi and bolognese.

I took my boyfriend here for his birthday. I made sure to make a reservation as it got very full around 6:30. Our waitress was attentive and got food to our table in a timely manner.
I got the special, Pesto Linguine which was very good. My boyfriend got the pasta Bolognese which he said was good, but very greasy (possibly from the meat). We shared the tiramisu which was good, but not worth $8 for it being in a cup. It was very sweet that our waitress sung happy birthday to him. Unfortunately, the couple that sat right next to us waited 19 minutes to get served and had a pretty bad experience. Overall we would go back to try it again.

Too crowded! Each table is only about 2 inches from the other tables and they put large crowds within all of the other tables..might as well have picnic benches

We went back here to give this restaurant another try. It was perfect! Great service, great food, and more than I had hoped for. The manager Catherine has been very receptive to feedback. We hope to return soon!

Fabulous service and food. Great place to dine for two people or a small group.

Food is very good! Service was a little slow. Overall a great restaurant!

We ate here yesterday, being regulars at the Hyde Park location since it opened. The Montgomery location has a similar menu to the original, but we think tasted even better. Portion size is excellent. The eggplant was amazing and the cod preparation was delicious, perhaps the best fish dish we have ever had in Cincinnati and we are locals who frequent restaurants. Our server was congenial and knowledgeable and highly competent. We are already planning a return visit!

Too noisy... uncomfortable table..too many of the staff going around the table constantly...better to remove that particular table for four.it was in the middle of the room.

Great experience

Food was very good and service was excellent. Noise level bordered on unacceptable. We had 1/2 and 1/2 truffle and corn pizza--both delish. Antipasti was just OK. Wish they had less dishes with veal--I can't think on anyone I know who still eats veal. Overall worth returning.