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Home > Restaurants > OTTO Enoteca Pizzeria

All Reader Reviews of...

OTTO Enoteca Pizzeria

1 Fifth Ave., New York, NY, 10011
at 8th St.
212-995-9559

Avg. Rating

7
Food: 7
Service: 6
Décor: 7
"Recommended"

Average Reader Rating on a Scale of 10.

60% would go back.

 Write your own review

Pizza and Antipasti, a new level

By adam on 4/4/2003

  • Overall Rating: 9
  • Food: 9
  • Service: 8
  • Décor: 8
  • Yes, I would go back!

Dinning is entertainment, Otto's menu is creative and fun. Diners design their antipasti in a variety of ways that make sharing fun while combining tastes and textures. The pizza is this with a quality crust. The array of toppings and combinations are enough to satisfy the traditionalist and the adventurous. Enjoy.

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254 out of 469 people found this review helpful.

Pizza bravo! Service freddo.

By sensei on 4/4/2003

  • Overall Rating: 7
  • Food: 8
  • Service: 4
  • Décor: 7
  • No, I would not go back!

Great expectations led us into Otto, the decor, reminiscent of Italia, but much New Yorkerized. Appetizers were in categories of cheese, vegetable, seafood and meats, each fairly good size, though varied in taste, texture, and appeal. The swordfish resembled chunky cheese cubes and were pickled beyond recognition. The pizza which more New Yorkers argue about than whether or not we should be in Iraq, was really quite good. It's a good, crispy, oven fresh flatbread with unique and classical toppings. The service though was cold and pompous. With no other patrons waiting for the seat next to us at one of the communal tables at an odd hour on a Sunday pm, we were coldly instructed to remove our handbag in the off chance someone might want to sit there- someday. The specials were announced in a manner so cool it was as if the waiter'd rather be out having a smoke. It was a disappointment, and a far different attitude than at our beloved Babbo.

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253 out of 471 people found this review helpful.

good, but not for the pizza

By dtulsa on 4/1/2003

  • Overall Rating: 7
  • Food: 7
  • Service: 6
  • Décor: 8
  • Yes, I would go back!

you could call it the coolest vibe in the city for a pizza place, but if you think of it as a pizza place you'll be disappointed. great bar, wine, apps, and gelato. not so great pizza. so what. if you want pizza, get a slice at joe's.

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210 out of 420 people found this review helpful.

Raises the flattest pizza to new heights

By zeecee on 3/16/2003

  • Overall Rating: 8
  • Food: 7
  • Service: 9
  • Décor: 10
  • Yes, I would go back!

We managed to get in without waiting on one of those cold, winter nights by going at 6:30, but the place started to fill up after 7 (this was a week night). The moment you enter the bar area, an unusual array of marble stations with the kitchen opening to it, you know you're in good hands. You're led to one of the many tables in the rear, passing nicely set up wine stations. The grilled pizza is excellent. The smaller dishes weren't much.

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266 out of 477 people found this review helpful.

Pizza as you've never had it before

By elrot on 3/11/2003

  • Overall Rating: 9
  • Food: 10
  • Service: 8
  • Décor: 8
  • Yes, I would go back!

The very best olives I have ever tasted! The clam pie is fantastic but you have to like playing with your food because the clams are in the shell. I wanted to try every single thing on the menu.

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197 out of 395 people found this review helpful.

Mario does it again

By Baratti on 3/10/2003

  • Overall Rating: 7
  • Food: 7
  • Service: 6
  • Décor: 7
  • Yes, I would go back!

Always love a good Italian wine list with lots of offerings by the glass. Quality of most menu items reminded me of Lupa and Babbo - but the pizza is hardly my favorite. Good for hanging with friends.

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199 out of 403 people found this review helpful.

a bit overrated

By yuckyuck on 3/6/2003

  • Overall Rating: 7
  • Food: 6
  • Service: 8
  • Décor: 6
  • Yes, I would go back!

i read the other reviews and noticed people criticizing mario's pizza compared to italy. he actually makes his pizza as they do in italy where they use very little ingredients. we're just used to the americanized version with heaping toppings therefore making it easy for us to judge. i thought it was mediocre especially since mario is a celebrity chef. i expected a bit more flavor from every bite but the portions are nicely sized. i would go back but probably order the cold apps instead.

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231 out of 425 people found this review helpful.

Overrated!

By Bendelow on 3/4/2003

  • Overall Rating: 4
  • Food: 2
  • Service: 6
  • Décor: 9
  • No, I would not go back!

The pizza is a joke. Tastes like a soggy saltine w/ minimal topings. What on earth was Mario thinking? He's been to Italy, right?

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209 out of 411 people found this review helpful.

Lardo (Pork Fat) Pizza . . . Yum!!

By ah123 on 3/3/2003

  • Overall Rating: 9
  • Food: 9
  • Service: 9
  • Décor: 10
  • Yes, I would go back!

Lardo, more common in Italy as a choice of salumi, is boldly given its due course at Otto as a pizza topping. Contrary to the obvious, the pizza is not greasy or cloying. In fact, it is rather light on Mario's griddle-cooked, thin-crust pizzas with a dash of black pepper and olive oil. Fabulous antipasti, especially the caponata (so easily overlooked), and salumi platter (all the meats except the prosciutto are house cured, according to our waitress). Also try the clam and garlic pizza - the flavors just meld together wonderfully. The olive oil gelato has a mild but distincive flavor, enhanced by the crunch of the specks of sea salt and the cinnamony blood orange compote. An absolute winning dessert in simplicity, flavor, texture and temperature. Service was excellent - everyone from the hostess to our busboy were courteous and friendly. The restaurant itself was warm and inviting, with beautiful red antique meat slicers. In a town glut-full of restaurants, kudos to Mario for generating such buzz and once again living up to it. Definitely going back to try the daily special bruschetti and fritti (fried stuff).

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223 out of 456 people found this review helpful.

Everything is great.. except the pizza

By Voldar on 3/2/2003

  • Overall Rating: 6
  • Food: 7
  • Service: 5
  • Décor: 4
  • Yes, I would go back!

Best thing about Otto is the phenomenal well priced wine list. Great selctions from almost all regions of Italy (which is hard to do)at generally retail pricing. Appetizers were good (lardo bruscetta is especially good, except it is killer on the arteries).. pizza was beyond mediocre (Pizza Hut is better)..deserts however were excellent the blood orange sorbet . sea salt combo (which sounds scary) was unique and tasty,, go early and hang out the bar up front with a bottle of 99 rosso di montalcino

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200 out of 386 people found this review helpful.

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