Our meal, drinks, and service were outstanding. Orto's staff really knows how to be friendly without trying too hard. The menu isn't gimmicky or trendy - just well-thought-out dishes prepared with great care. I would ask that the kitchen use a tad less salt, but that's something most restaurants could stand to do. Kudos to the chef for offering vegan versions of several dishes even though I'm pescetarian and my husband is an omnivore. The guests here are diverse, both ethnically and in age, and very stylish - we didn't see any ripped jeans or sports jerseys. We came here several times before the pandemic hit and it was great to be back.
Omar Z.
Nice spot, but dont understand the reviews. The restaurant had an interesting menu and we were excited to try, but the food was subpar. Nothing was notable or worth trying again. Service was nice, but no one in our party had any enjoyable dish. We tried all but one of the appetizers, three pastas, and two meats.
Sharday J.
Oh friends! You have to try this new restaurant. If I remember correctly, it replaced the old Bottega, BYOB Italian restaurant. Now, for the review: Ambiance- this place is so quaint, tucked in, sexy, swanky. They have a beautiful chandelier, simple decor, lovely tunes, and it's perfect for a party of one. I felt so peaceful enjoying my solo Sunday dinner... delightful. One recommendation is to paint the tacky bathroom door...a bit of an eyesore. Service- excellent! My waitress and chef were so accommodating. I told them what I wanted and although it wasn't on the menu, the chef created something comparably satisfying. The bartender was so kind and helpful, stopping what she was doing to take pictures of me, and she did it with pleasure. Upon leaving, I realized I had left my artisanal water bottle (still water, $8?) and the manager brought out a fresh one to my car. These kind acts make me want to cry of joy! Good people do still exist and take pride in creating memorable experiences, catering to your needs... Le sigh... Food! Hello! Delicious... okay!?! I got the ribeye... ummmmmm... cooked to perfection. They actually know how to cook it at the exact temperature you request. For some reason, many restaurants struggle with that. Not them! The nectarine/tomato salad, ummmmmm, my friends, the flavors were so robust, enchanting. This place definitely gets my recommendation, and I will certainly return to indulge in these delectable treats. This place provides a very full experience.
Tori B.
Amazing experience! Everything was delicious and very vegan friendly. Jacob was phenomenal and elevated our experience. Will visit again!
Karin Kriel
Oh absolutely divine. The wine, the menu choices and the dessert and coffee.
Caroline S.
Been coming here for the last 18 months, last night represented a significant change in food quality and service. The Caesar salad was delicious, but our mains were...Lawd, where do I begin. The Amatriciana was Smuckers jam-sweet, and somehow managed to make beautiful guanciale taste of wet cat. It was truly inedible and got sent back. The scallops in broth tasted of salt and grit and were genuinely unpleasant, and the lamb sugo was quite flat, with gummy pasta. The service was confused. We ordered 2 glasses of wine, were given 3 by mistake, then told that the 3rd would be complimentary, not realizing until the next morning that we had been charged for it. The owner came by to check on us, bending over with his hands on his knees with all the charm of a lobotomized kindergarten teacher, but really only managed to be smarmy and ineffectual. I live quite close to this restaurant and am sad. Please get a new chef and hire an actual manager.
Nitasha K.
My husband and I came here for our anniversary dinner last night! Overall great and intimate ambiance and service that was attentive. Complimentary champagne for a special event was appreciated. The classic and white Negronis were made well and we enjoyed the drink menu and variety. We started with the steak tare tare which was flavorful and was served with light chips which we prefer over heavy bread. The Caesar salad was delicious (my husband thought it was a little heavy on the lime and could have used more dressing than parm) but otherwise it was a solid portion. We had the ricotta cavatelli before the main course and this was paired with mushrooms. All in all I thought the pasta was very good and the mushrooms were a great touch. It's a little heavy on pesto so if you're not into that flavor I don't recommend it. The portion is smaller but it's a creamy dish so didn't feel like it was too small. We shared everything. For our main course we did the scallops and beef pappardelle. These were by far our favorite dishes. The meat in the pasta was cooked well and paired nicely with the pasta. The scallops were served with a few clams and some quinoa and all in all was my favorite dish. It's a light entree but the flavor and the way the dish came together was impressive. We ended our meal with the flourless chocolate cake which was rich and delicious if you're into that. Between the two apps, two pastas, main entree, and dessert I felt the portions were sufficient but again we shared everything. I would definitely come back for a nice dinner.
Britteny Jc
In the lovely neighborhood of Mt Vernon on the same block as the historic Charles Theater is the absolutely stellar little restaurant named Orto. The food is fresh, always in season and prepared & presented with more creativity than I’ve ever seen in an Italian restaurant. The ambience is fun, inviting and hip. So after you’ve picked your crabs at lunch, take that 10 minute ride north on Charles for an Italian dinner you won’t forget.
Yotam Cohen
Short version: Orto is fantastic and I would strongly recommend.Long version: My fiancé and I, along with two of our friends, dined at Orto last Friday. For appetizers, we had the beef tartare and the arancini. Both were excellent, but the arancini was particularly outstanding and was perhaps the best arancini I've ever had. The four of us each ordered a separate pasta dish (carbonara, papardelle, campanelle, orecchiette), and we all shared them. Each one was fantastic, with my personal favorite being the campanelle, which was dressed with the most amazing pea and lemon pesto. I then had the scallops as my entree. The farro-stuffed vidalia onion was delicious, and so were the scallops. However, the scallops were noticeably slightly chewy. I don't think this is a failure of the cooking, but rather just that the scallops weren't of the best quality and/or perhaps not as fresh as they could have been. Despite that, I still enjoyed them, but would probably order a different entree in the future. I also had two cocktails: the sconoscuite and the scozia. Both were delicious. Our waiter, John, was fantastic. He checked on us at just the right frequency, and he was extremely friendly and knowledgeable about the menu and cocktails. The interior of the restaurant itself has a very cute/casual yet classy sort of feel that's kind of hard to describe. It fits right in to Baltimore city. Overall, we had an excellent dinner and experience at Orto, and I would strongly recommend them.
For the price point of the pasta dishes, the portions are small and barely contain any protein stated on the menu. Cocktails are weak and watered down by a lot of ice. Our waitress was pushy as hell when the restaurant indoors was essentially empty. It felt like we were rushed. 2 stars as the food tasted good and the Saturday male host was kind.
Nelly G.
This is a lovely small place that has great modern Italian food. The inside is simple but cozy with a beautiful bar. The drinks here were also creative and delicious. Some of the pastas that we tried here were outstanding including the braised lamb sugo rigatoni. We also really enjoyed the beef tartare. The carbonara and orecchiette were a little underwhelming. However, the service was excellent, and this is one of the better Italian spots in Baltimore!
Rushabh S.
One of the best Italian meals I've had anywhere. Really enjoyed the tartare, crudo and porchetta. Mezcal cocktail was excellent too.
Sam M.
Would highly recommend Orto. It's intimate, calm, and comfortable. It's like Tagliatta, but better! The cocktails here were phenomenal and beautifully presented. They brought my wife the wrong cocktail but were super nice about it, and let us keep both free of charge. Our only complaint is that the portion sizes were a bit small. But that doesn't detract from our overall enjoyment of the restaurant. We just left a bit hungry, so I had ice cream afterwards. So maybe the small portions aren't that bad after all if it opened up stomach space for ice cream. But the flavors were incredible. Kudos to the chef. And lastly--their desserts. We ordered all four of them. They were all so good. I wish we could've gotten a second round of desserts but we aren't animals.
Joshua Creech
Fantastic restaurant. The food was packed with flavor and came at the perfect temperature. Very fast service.
Our meal, drinks, and service were outstanding. Orto's staff really knows how to be friendly without trying too hard. The menu isn't gimmicky or trendy - just well-thought-out dishes prepared with great care. I would ask that the kitchen use a tad less salt, but that's something most restaurants could stand to do. Kudos to the chef for offering vegan versions of several dishes even though I'm pescetarian and my husband is an omnivore. The guests here are diverse, both ethnically and in age, and very stylish - we didn't see any ripped jeans or sports jerseys. We came here several times before the pandemic hit and it was great to be back.
Nice spot, but dont understand the reviews. The restaurant had an interesting menu and we were excited to try, but the food was subpar. Nothing was notable or worth trying again. Service was nice, but no one in our party had any enjoyable dish. We tried all but one of the appetizers, three pastas, and two meats.
Oh friends! You have to try this new restaurant. If I remember correctly, it replaced the old Bottega, BYOB Italian restaurant. Now, for the review: Ambiance- this place is so quaint, tucked in, sexy, swanky. They have a beautiful chandelier, simple decor, lovely tunes, and it's perfect for a party of one. I felt so peaceful enjoying my solo Sunday dinner... delightful. One recommendation is to paint the tacky bathroom door...a bit of an eyesore. Service- excellent! My waitress and chef were so accommodating. I told them what I wanted and although it wasn't on the menu, the chef created something comparably satisfying. The bartender was so kind and helpful, stopping what she was doing to take pictures of me, and she did it with pleasure. Upon leaving, I realized I had left my artisanal water bottle (still water, $8?) and the manager brought out a fresh one to my car. These kind acts make me want to cry of joy! Good people do still exist and take pride in creating memorable experiences, catering to your needs... Le sigh... Food! Hello! Delicious... okay!?! I got the ribeye... ummmmmm... cooked to perfection. They actually know how to cook it at the exact temperature you request. For some reason, many restaurants struggle with that. Not them! The nectarine/tomato salad, ummmmmm, my friends, the flavors were so robust, enchanting. This place definitely gets my recommendation, and I will certainly return to indulge in these delectable treats. This place provides a very full experience.
Amazing experience! Everything was delicious and very vegan friendly. Jacob was phenomenal and elevated our experience. Will visit again!
Oh absolutely divine. The wine, the menu choices and the dessert and coffee.
Been coming here for the last 18 months, last night represented a significant change in food quality and service. The Caesar salad was delicious, but our mains were...Lawd, where do I begin. The Amatriciana was Smuckers jam-sweet, and somehow managed to make beautiful guanciale taste of wet cat. It was truly inedible and got sent back. The scallops in broth tasted of salt and grit and were genuinely unpleasant, and the lamb sugo was quite flat, with gummy pasta. The service was confused. We ordered 2 glasses of wine, were given 3 by mistake, then told that the 3rd would be complimentary, not realizing until the next morning that we had been charged for it. The owner came by to check on us, bending over with his hands on his knees with all the charm of a lobotomized kindergarten teacher, but really only managed to be smarmy and ineffectual. I live quite close to this restaurant and am sad. Please get a new chef and hire an actual manager.
My husband and I came here for our anniversary dinner last night! Overall great and intimate ambiance and service that was attentive. Complimentary champagne for a special event was appreciated. The classic and white Negronis were made well and we enjoyed the drink menu and variety. We started with the steak tare tare which was flavorful and was served with light chips which we prefer over heavy bread. The Caesar salad was delicious (my husband thought it was a little heavy on the lime and could have used more dressing than parm) but otherwise it was a solid portion. We had the ricotta cavatelli before the main course and this was paired with mushrooms. All in all I thought the pasta was very good and the mushrooms were a great touch. It's a little heavy on pesto so if you're not into that flavor I don't recommend it. The portion is smaller but it's a creamy dish so didn't feel like it was too small. We shared everything. For our main course we did the scallops and beef pappardelle. These were by far our favorite dishes. The meat in the pasta was cooked well and paired nicely with the pasta. The scallops were served with a few clams and some quinoa and all in all was my favorite dish. It's a light entree but the flavor and the way the dish came together was impressive. We ended our meal with the flourless chocolate cake which was rich and delicious if you're into that. Between the two apps, two pastas, main entree, and dessert I felt the portions were sufficient but again we shared everything. I would definitely come back for a nice dinner.
In the lovely neighborhood of Mt Vernon on the same block as the historic Charles Theater is the absolutely stellar little restaurant named Orto. The food is fresh, always in season and prepared & presented with more creativity than I’ve ever seen in an Italian restaurant. The ambience is fun, inviting and hip. So after you’ve picked your crabs at lunch, take that 10 minute ride north on Charles for an Italian dinner you won’t forget.
Short version: Orto is fantastic and I would strongly recommend.Long version: My fiancé and I, along with two of our friends, dined at Orto last Friday. For appetizers, we had the beef tartare and the arancini. Both were excellent, but the arancini was particularly outstanding and was perhaps the best arancini I've ever had. The four of us each ordered a separate pasta dish (carbonara, papardelle, campanelle, orecchiette), and we all shared them. Each one was fantastic, with my personal favorite being the campanelle, which was dressed with the most amazing pea and lemon pesto. I then had the scallops as my entree. The farro-stuffed vidalia onion was delicious, and so were the scallops. However, the scallops were noticeably slightly chewy. I don't think this is a failure of the cooking, but rather just that the scallops weren't of the best quality and/or perhaps not as fresh as they could have been. Despite that, I still enjoyed them, but would probably order a different entree in the future. I also had two cocktails: the sconoscuite and the scozia. Both were delicious. Our waiter, John, was fantastic. He checked on us at just the right frequency, and he was extremely friendly and knowledgeable about the menu and cocktails. The interior of the restaurant itself has a very cute/casual yet classy sort of feel that's kind of hard to describe. It fits right in to Baltimore city. Overall, we had an excellent dinner and experience at Orto, and I would strongly recommend them.
Wonderful food. Outdoor dining
Restaurantji Recommends
For the price point of the pasta dishes, the portions are small and barely contain any protein stated on the menu. Cocktails are weak and watered down by a lot of ice. Our waitress was pushy as hell when the restaurant indoors was essentially empty. It felt like we were rushed. 2 stars as the food tasted good and the Saturday male host was kind.
This is a lovely small place that has great modern Italian food. The inside is simple but cozy with a beautiful bar. The drinks here were also creative and delicious. Some of the pastas that we tried here were outstanding including the braised lamb sugo rigatoni. We also really enjoyed the beef tartare. The carbonara and orecchiette were a little underwhelming. However, the service was excellent, and this is one of the better Italian spots in Baltimore!
One of the best Italian meals I've had anywhere. Really enjoyed the tartare, crudo and porchetta. Mezcal cocktail was excellent too.
Would highly recommend Orto. It's intimate, calm, and comfortable. It's like Tagliatta, but better! The cocktails here were phenomenal and beautifully presented. They brought my wife the wrong cocktail but were super nice about it, and let us keep both free of charge. Our only complaint is that the portion sizes were a bit small. But that doesn't detract from our overall enjoyment of the restaurant. We just left a bit hungry, so I had ice cream afterwards. So maybe the small portions aren't that bad after all if it opened up stomach space for ice cream. But the flavors were incredible. Kudos to the chef. And lastly--their desserts. We ordered all four of them. They were all so good. I wish we could've gotten a second round of desserts but we aren't animals.
Fantastic restaurant. The food was packed with flavor and came at the perfect temperature. Very fast service.