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Ratings and reviews

Travelers' Choice2022
RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere

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  • The Best Things to Do in Cincinnati Right Now | Jetsetterjetsetter.com

Details

PRICE RANGE
$20 - $50
CUISINES
Italian, European
Reviews (798)
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778 results
Traveler rating
603
115
39
12
9
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LanguageEnglish
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Traveler rating
603
115
39
12
9
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All reviews pasta ricotta donuts black kale fusilli panna cotta octopus bread steak our waiter salted caramel menu items special occasion underground dipping entrees cincy
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Reviewed 2 weeks ago

Simple looking dishes that wander through the flavors of family, friends and childhood. Nothing is as simple as it seems. The short rib pasta rests in a light, elegant sauce that we ordered extra bread to finish off as we didn’t want it to waste....The pasta pomodoro dissolves into layers of subtle tomato, spice and warmth. The fig Old Fashioneds are familiar yet exotic. Desserts were equally simple looking yet not what they seem; complex textures and flavors in donut holes? Seriously? Art. I just spent a week in Florence and a week in Rome and didn’t have food of this caliber. Michelin, are you listening?More

Date of visit: March 2023
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Reviewed 4 weeks ago via mobile

Arrived about 6:00 pm without a reservation. Only available seats were at the bar. Very noisy. The food (food tartare and insulate) was wonderful and served very quickly. I will return for different selection.

Date of visit: February 2023
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Reviewed December 14, 2022

Wanted a family dinner for a special occasion and Sotto was definitely a good choice! Ordered two bistecca steaks and several large sides and it was like a gourmet, home cooked meal. The private room was icing on the cake and glad we reserved in...advance, 8-10 people fit no problem. Their wine selections are exquisite with knowledgeable staff. A special occasion must!More

Date of visit: November 2022
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Reviewed November 26, 2022 via mobile

Outstanding dinner. Fantastic, helpful, attentive servers (we loved Charles). Wonderful food. Great wine pairing. Dessert was so good. Order the tuna bread app! Absolutely delicious. The octopus was sublime. Short rib pasta melts in your mouth. Black truffle pasta was ridiculous. Homemade doughnuts were phenomenal....Even the manager was awesome (he spotted my OSU sweater vest, took my menu, and gave me a replacement with all of the “M”s crossed out). The attention to detail at Sotto was very impressive.More

Date of visit: November 2022
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed November 11, 2022 via mobile

Was in town on business and decided to try. Reservations were booked out so we got there right at open for bar seating. Drinks were fantastic. Tried the goat cheese honey grilled bread, fusilli, and salted caramel arrogate. All were excellent. Good atmosphere for an...intimate, casual setting.More

Date of visit: November 2022
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed November 4, 2022

First let me say we will definitely return the next time we are in Cincinnati. We liked this unique, interesting restaurant. Our server Mitchell was efficient, pleasant and handled our problem well. We started with a Caesar salad and wonderful bread. Drinks were good an...Espresso Martini and my husband's Glenlivet Scotch, also good prices on the drinks. They have good choices of pasta fusilli, rigatoni and papadelle. My husband's rigatoni was fine, my fusilli was almost crunchy. I have never been served such undercooked pasta ever!! When Mithcell returned to our table I told him and he actually tasted it, he said it was way undercooked. They replaced it and comped my meal. Donuts for dessert were delicious. I would have given them 5 stars if the pasta had been prepared properly. That certainly was a first for me.More

Date of visit: October 2022
Helpful?3  
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Reviewed October 6, 2022 via mobile

First time. Made a reservation for 5:00. Our server, Paxton, was amazing. Went with all of his suggestions and we were not disappointed. Garlic bread, Caesar salad, spaghetti, capperlacci, donuts…delicious! Best Italian food I have ever eaten.

Date of visit: October 2022
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Reviewed September 13, 2022 via mobile

My husband and I have been to Sotto many times but this was a first for my son and his girlfriend. So our waiter went into quite a bit of detail about the menu… Way too much detail. I know that’s their thing there but...we could’ve Had a lot less of that. We really did everything tapas style. we had the tartare, the prosciutto and melon and the goat cheese appetizer. For our mains we had the porterhouse steak (Delicious) Which they grill and then cut into pieces, the shortbread pasta dish and the pork tenderloin. Only the pork dish fell short for me. I felt it was dry. We always ask to sit in the bar area because for some reason it seems quieter over there than the main room.More

Date of visit: September 2022
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Reviewed August 21, 2022 via mobile

Excellent. The food was outstanding! Can’t stop thinking about the awesome meal we had there! The pasta was so delicious The donut dessert was yummy.

Date of visit: June 2022
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed August 18, 2022 via mobile

Romantic setting. Food that melts in your mouth. Great wait staff. Perfect dining experience. We took a 9:15 reservation because that was all we could get. Totally worth it.

Date of visit: August 2022
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed July 29, 2022

My husband took me to Sotto's for our anniversary. It was our first visit, but certainly won't be our last. It's a little difficult to find, it's actually in the basement of the building; but once you descend the steps its so cool. The atmosphere...is great; I loved all the candles. Our server, Mackenzie was great, she explained everything to us since we were newbies. We started with the charcuterie board which was huge and excellent, definitely enough for several people. We both ordered pastas but different ones, mine was the mushroom pasta and it was delicious. We had heard all about the ricotta donuts so of course we ordered them. They were just fantastic and came with 3 dipping sauces. We will definitely return to Sotto and order the donuts again.More

Date of visit: July 2022
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed July 23, 2022

I couldn’t remember this building until I went down the steps! It was a wonderful steakhouse called La Normandie and on the top floor was the venerable Maisonette which was Cincinnati’s only 5 star restaurant. Sotto now occupies the space and we snagged a hard...to get reservation for a Monday night. We started with a goat cheese melt for our app and I followed up with a black kale salad which was different and very good. My partner had the house salad and was not impressed. I had the ravioli stuffed with shortbread which was delicious and my friend had the Tajarin Con Ragu which she thought was so-so. Dessert was their hot donuts with 3 sauces which was fun but I wouldn’t order them again. The service was excellent and my partner enjoyed her wine selections. We were not hurried or rushed and it was a nice cozy evening. With wine, dinner for 2 was over $200 so when we asked for some bread to go with our entree, I was shocked to find a $7 bread charge, really? Music did not fit the space or diners and the steps down to the restaurant are very poorly lit and dangerous. We are seasoned travelers and dine at lots of very nice restaurants; so will we return? Probably not. It really isn’t special enough for a return visit.More

Date of visit: July 2022
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed June 26, 2022 via mobile

Made a reservation way ahead. Park valet or use nearby parking lots. upon arrival we were promptly greeted and seated, downstairs in a larger room. There a several smaller rooms. Bare wooden tables, no cloth covers. The menu is Italian style, yet easy to choose...with or without help. All food was presented nicely, at the right temperature and tasted good. Waitstaff was dressed professional, friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. The noise level was too high for an easy conversation. The decor is rustic, classic Italian inspired.More

Date of visit: May 2022
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Reviewed June 17, 2022 via mobile

Best Food I’ve had in Cincinnati and one of the very few places that live italien cuisine! Pasta Vongole was excellent, so was the salad upfront. Panna Cotta clearly a delight and a real Espresso ! Thanks to the staff and our knowledgeable and inspiring...waiter. Will for sure be back next time round.More

Date of visit: June 2022
Helpful?1  
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Reviewed June 11, 2022 via mobile

First time at Sotto and the dining experience was a treat. Excellent service and the meal was very flavorful. The black kale Caesar salad was a unique way to start with the short ribs ravioli as a great entree. When back in Cincy, will make...the effort to return.More

Date of visit: June 2022
Helpful?
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Questions & Answers
Ask a question
Pathfinder776966
December 12, 2018|
AnswerShow all 4 answers
Response from SANCarolyn | Reviewed this property |
Yes. Only one size. Sorry. But it’s delicious! Great to take home leftovers.
0
Votes
anthonywM1253CT
October 15, 2018|
Answer
Response from frugalm0m | Reviewed this property |
huh?
0
Votes
831clayb
June 24, 2018|
AnswerShow all 5 answers
Response from George B | Reviewed this property |
I wouldn't say so. My wife and I wore nice casual clothes, and that was fine. Some people were wearing business dress, because we were there on a weekday.
3
Votes
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Sotto, Cincinnati - Central Business District - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about Sotto

Sotto is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travelers:
  • Food: 4.5
  • Service: 4.5
  • Value: 4.5
  • Atmosphere: 4.5