This is BYOB! Date night never disappoints... My husband and I ordered everything that was recommended, and we were so glad we did! I tend to eat on the lighter side, so I was pleasantly surprised by how filling everything was. I enjoyed every bite! The toast with wild honey gave the ricotta such a lovely, creamy flavor. The Angry Chicken was incredibly tender--the meat practically slid right off the bone, with no effort needed to separate it. The pasta was absolutely fresh and perfectly cooked. It wasn't overcooked at all, which made such a difference. For dessert, the cake had just the right amount of chocolate without being too rich, and it paired beautifully with the chocolate frosting on top. The frosting was where most of the sweetness came through, and honestly, I just wish there had been more of it on the cake! Overall, everything was delicious, thoughtfully prepared, and incredibly satisfying. We enjoyed every dish! read more

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Fun and popular local neighborhood spot in Jersey City. Though parking is a bit of a pain in the area the food and warm, welcoming atmosphere make it worth the hassle. While the inside of the restaurant isn't large (note they have a larger back patio area as well) it's cozy and parties of two may share a larger, communal table which can be a nice way to make friends should you choose. As others have noted it's a BYOB place with a convenient local wine-shop just a minute or two nearby. The menu changes regularly though we got many of the classics that have stayed on the menu (only missing the Angry Chicken which we'll get next time). The pastas were delicious though I wish the rigatoni was a bit saucier and really enjoyed the ravioli which had a lighter, mid-summer flavor with some pine-nuts for extra texture. The ricotta bread and honey was tasty though a large portion for two people and we felt that the standout was the halibut. My only complaint is the 3% mandatory card-processing fee (which at least is prominently displayed). Please also note that this restaurant calculates tips based on the total, not pre-tax amount and the waiter tends to hover while you swipe your card which can feel a bit overbearing. read more

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Stopped by for dinner. Ordered the ricotta and honey toast plus the smoked mortadella to start. The toast was delicous. The ricotta cheese was really good. Paired with the honey and peppercorn were *chefs kiss*. Just a perfect shareable app. The mortadella was also good but smaller than I anticipated. I'd maybe pass on this next time. Honestly this would have paired perfectly with the toast but it was brought out after the toast was finished. We ordered two pastas: the rigatoni and the malfadine. Both were great and cooked perfectly. The quality of ingredients were a standout in both of the dishes. Pork pampanella was the most tender pork I've ever had. Basically melted in your mouth. Very fatty and heavy (a little too heavy...) but delicious. 4.5/5 overall. Some of the dishes were missing a little something to take it all the way but I'd still recommend this spot tho. Also it's BYOB! read more

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Corto is absolutely incredible and a must visit if you are in the area. Came here for a birthday celebration and sat at the chefs table, aka where you get a view of the folks making your food! Number 1, the staff was very knowledgeable and helpful about providing recommendations. Corto is very amenable to any dietary restrictions. If you come to Corto, you have to get the pasta. Fresh, bursting with flavor and will want you wanting more. It's also BYOB, which is such a great addition. Also, don't forgot to go for dessert! Will absolutely be back read more

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It was a private post marriage celebration and the food was absolutely phenomenal. The service was 10 out of 10 and absolutely love the ambience. It's very cozy. Great location. Parking could be a little hard, but it's not worth finding one. read more

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Amazing experience every time we go to Corto. Today's menu was delicious. We loved the food and service. Can't wait to go back. read more

Corto - Don't remember the name of the dishes but amazing! - Italian Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

Cozy Italian restaurant highlighting simple local fresh ingredients & authentic Italian food . The beet salad was fresh crunchy & felt like all the ingredients were sourced from a farmers market. The ricotta toast even though had honey on it was perfectly well balanced not too sweet. Loved the addition of the pink peppercorn on top .The bread was hearty too .We ordered 4 varieties of pasta all all of them were cooked al dente to perfection. They were flavorful well seasoned & yet felt light to eat .Its a BYOB restaurant. Our server was excellent with recommendations knew every aspect of the menu. The server will ask you to place the entire order for the table at once so please a note of that ! The olive oil cake was to die for and should not be missed. P.S they had an open kitchen which just exhibits transparency which i appreciate a lot. read more

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Made an 8:30 reservation on a Thursday. The first dish was out in 15 minutes. I highly recommend getting the rutabaga leek appetizer ($16) while available. This was creamy, fresh, and absolutely delicious. The now classic honey ricotta toast never disappoints ($14). They currently have my favorite, the Malfaldine with speck, grana padano, and black pepper ($22) - Get this. They no longer have the baccala and potato skin with chive ravioli. This was a fun play on potato skins. Some of the pasta had the baccala while others had the potato mascarpone. Although entertaining, it was less memorable than the other dishes. The smoked paprika pork shoulder was a dish that could feed 4. It's a massive cut of meat. While I did enjoy this, I needed more of polenta or a sauce. As anticipated it was very meat forward ;) For dessert I highly recommend their classic olive oil cake. This was moist and had a small Tablespoon of a guava sauce. For $10 don't miss this. The salted chocolate cake was a bit dry, but satisfied the sweet tooth. This went well with a double espresso. We stayed until closing and in fact were seated 15 mins past closing. Our waiter was kind and charming. He gave us his recommendations. Despite the menu being small and rotational, it always feels like there is something new and exciting to try. The Rutabaga and leek was that for me this time. I assume this is a winter dish. I recommend trying this before they move to a Soring menu and I wouldn't miss it! read more

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My good friend recommended that I come here and mannnnnnn, did it deliver. All of the dishes were so fresh and flavorful. The pasta was all so delicate, delicious, and you could tell it was freshly made. My favorite was the Campanelle with pesto. Some of the best pesto I've ever had to be honest. The servers were amazing and the interior vibe was nice. Would definitely come back next time I'm in JC! read more

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This cozy BYOB spot in Jersey City's Heights neighborhood is fun. The staff is attentive and thoughtful (ie, they saw our beers and said they'd bring us an ice bucket). We went a little starters heavy with Honey Ricotta Toast, Burrata, and Little Gems salad. The first two were fantastic and the waitress was thoughtful and brought us extra bread before it was served because she knew the two pieces that it comes with isn't enough. The salad was ok. We got the ragu pasta and spicy rigatoni. The ragu was cooked well and tasty, but a tad salty. The rigatoni's spiciness had a bit of a slow burn. The patio is open during the warmer season and was quite enjoyable. read more

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Small family run Italian spot on a quiet street In the heights. Great homemade pastas. Menu changes regularly. The cheese & salami appetizer is super. I had a great pasta with local corn. Friendly service Tasty and ubique. Highly recommended read more

Well, ain't this a gem of a middle-of-nowhere place? Blocks away from the unremarkable "hub" of the West Side and across from a nondescript park with stunning views of Manhattan is Corto, an Italian-American pasta factory to make your nonna proud (or at least complain less). If you come during warm times, you have the added bonus of choosing between sitting in the rustic chic interior that looks like the cover of any Giada De Laurentiis/generic American woman's cookbook, or the mostly-covered, plant-filled patio that looks like the cover of any issue of Home & Gardens (Spring Issue). We enjoyed the wonderfully al dente Rigatoni, which didn't skimp on the Calabrian chiles and came wonderfully infused with fresh basil and mint. The Spaghetti was a worth adversary, loaded with local mushrooms, butter, thyme, Grana Padano, and truffle. Gun to my head, I'd pick the Rigatoni because I'm a red sauce girl, but the fungi lover in me would not be upset with more of the latter dish. We also gorged on the pricey-but-worth-it Whole Sea Bream. I've had a lot of whole sea bream/branzino in the past few years, since it seems to be one of the easiest (and trendiest) ways for restaurants to charge a 200%+ mark-up for otherwise inexpensive fish. But I haven't had one that came with a sauce made with local corn, heirloom tomatoes, shishito and serrano peppers. Suffice it to say: La salsa was unbelievably delicious, and the addition of the sweet and crunchy corn was the perfect touch. Service was friendly and attentive despite our being tucked away in a corner of the large patio. Would most definitely come back. read more

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Service was excellent,we were a group so we ate family style,which was great because we got to taste all the best things on the menu.everything was delicious, it's small ,so make a reservation I took a handful of pictures the chicken fell off the bone ,and the pork could be cut with your fork read more

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Not only is the food spectacular, but the service is honestly top-tier. Extremely consistent. Extremely fresh. Some of the best food I've had ever. I've been here a few times and each time I've been back it's better than the time before. read more

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4.5 starts Pleasantly surprised by this not so hidden gem in Jersey city (the heights). I walked into Corto for an early lunch & it was well worth the drive. I snagged a seat at the pasta bar & got a front row view of the chefs prepping and working their magic in the kitchen. This simply designed small restaurant is very cozy, offers comfortable seating, and also has a very nice outdoor patio set up in the back of the restaurant. I tried the Ricotta & honey toast that was spectacular. All the ingredients tasted fresh and blended together perfectly. The ricotta gnocchi was DELICIOUS, every bite was better than the last was not drenched in sauce & the meat complimented it so well. The citrus olive oil cake with strawberry jam was truly the perfect way to end my meal. A light but dense cake that had freshly made jam & whipped cream was a knock out treat. The service was welcoming & top notch. Not only did both servers come to check how the meal was going, the chef also checked on me periodically being that I was seated right in front of the kitchen, leaving me to enjoy my meal but when they did (pop in) they were very informative & gave me little bits of information on each dish that I had. To keep it short, Corto is a neighborhood gem tucked into the heights that everyone all over the city (or state) should know of & visit at least once. I look forward to visiting in the VERY NEAR future. read more

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The service was out of this world! Extremely attentive. Our server really took care of us. The rigatoni was to die for and we tried the angry chicken... The meat fell off the bone, and it was extremely delicious. We ended with the regatta cheesecake which was so tasty and decadent. I will definitely be coming back here again and again and again. read more

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I came here with a friend last year and have wanting to bring my fiancé here for a while. We started with the meat and cheese plate and ricotta toast. When the server brought it out he explained where each of the meats and cheeses were from which was a nice touch. The meats and cheeses and toast were all delicious! I'd come back just for the meat and cheese plate. I had a pasta with pancetta (I forget the exact name) and my fiancé had the smoked pork shoulder. Both the pasta and pork were good. For dessert we shared the cheesecake. The food this time was good but I was slightly disappointed. The pasta dishes my friend and I had the previous time I were here were out of this world. They rotate the menu so you'll always try something new which is a nice touch. Service was great! read more

Corto - Smoked pork shoulder and a pasta with pancetta (forgot the name) - Italian Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

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Came across this restaurant & wanted to give it a try. I love to support any business & their menu gave me an appetite so I definitely gave it a try. Their service was so fantastic, they were so welcoming & it felt like family. They seated my partner and I right away when we walked in, the host was kind. The waitress was so friendly and knowledgeable she was also so helpful towards the menu & caring by asking us what we were allergic to. I wish I remembered her name! Ambiance was very calm & a chill vibe! This place is BYOB, other than that they do have homemade tea. I did try the raspberry tea, it was perfect because it wasn't sweet at all, which I loved. For our main, I ordered a sea scallops with blueberry agrodolce, grits & micro green. This dish was placed so stunning & the flavors were so rich. The blueberry gives it such an amazing & different flavor that you don't see in other restaurants. I never had a blueberry flavor with sea scallops, it made this restaurant so unique with others. The scallops was cooked perfectly. My partner ordered a Strozzapreti, this dish was so tasty & the mushrooms gave it an extra touch on the dish. These dishes were absolutely distinctive. 10/10 for this place. Would recommend going here for a family dinner or nice date, they do have a patio outside as well. I can say I would love to come here again and try other dishes. read more

Corto - Sea Scallops - Italian Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

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Didn't think Corto could get any better but than we secured a spot at the chef's table! You can't go wrong with any dish you order - the ricotta and honey toast is always a must. Their pasta is so fresh and perfectly al dente. The Casarecce pasta dish is a must if you're a mushroom lover like me! Love this place for a date night!! read more

Corto - Italian Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

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Everything is from a farm and the staff has passion. Chef is incredible and it will inspire you when you visit. Angry Chicken is my favorite thing on the menu. Fresh pastas are also great. read more

Corto - Fresh! Everything! This is a place you eat at and you wonder what you were eating before. - Italian Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

Amazing service, love that it's BYOB, and the food is solid. I had the rigatoni, spaghetti, and angry chicken. The pasta was a bit more al dente than my preference, but was very flavorful. Also had the cheesecake for dessert, which was delicious. read more

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BYOB spot with fresh pasta in Jersey City. They change the menu everyday, but the rigatoni and angry chicken are always on the menu. read more

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It's worth it to hassle through finding parking two blocks or so away from the restaurant to eat from this gem. Every bite took me back to Italy; it was such a precious experience. Reasonably priced (~$14-$32 + tax per person), I would come back in a heartbeat. For appetizer, we got the Ricotta and Honey Toast ($14). The bread was so perfectly baked, it was difficult eating the complimentary bread after having this toast. For our entrees, my friend and I both got pastas. She got the Spaghetti ($26; ragu di fegatini [meat based pasta]). It was perfectly al dente and so flavorful for something that looked so simple. I got the Tortellini ($26; birchrun blue crema stuffing with mortadella [a type of ham], pistachios, chives, olive oil) and thoroughly enjoyed it. The Spaghetti had a little edge over the Tortellini, but both were delicious. It seems their menu changes frequently; I came in wanting to try their mushroom ravioli, but am satisfied with my meal today! They also have many vegan friendly dishes I want to try. Service was great. Our waiter was quite the salesman; he quickly picked up on the fact that we're easily sold and recommended us espresso/americano to go with our desserts, which he also convinced us of. We were seated at the bar, and the chef that prepared dishes in front of us chimed in on conversations here and there. Super friendly and comfortable. I have to come back with my husband. He'll be thrilled! read more

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This restaurant is a gem in Jersey City. We walked in for lunch around 12:30pm on a Sunday. I was greeted with pleasant smiles and service. We decided to eat on the terrace, which was a cozy area for an afternoon lunch. Our server, Felipe was very informative on the menu options and spoke highly of every dish offered. We ordered the angry chicken and the lamache and honey ricotta toast. Every dish was beyond delicious and flavorful. We will definitely return to this establishment to enjoy some divine Italian cuisine. read more

Corto - Lamache & Angry Chicken - Italian Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

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Good food quality, friendly staff, and a relaxed setting combined for a satisfying experience. A few minor improvements could help, but overall the visit was enjoyable and dependable. read more

Corto always delivers and I am never disappointed with a meal here. Hot tip, visit the wine and spirits store right around the corner. The lovely staff member there was familiar with the seasonal menu of Corto and was able to recommend a great wines for us to enjoy with our dinner. Very relaxed atmosphere, it was perfect for friends to enjoy a weeknight dinner. read more

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Short: Corto is one of my all time favorite restaurants. Cozy atmosphere, friendly service paired with a tasty seasonal menu. Long: I have been to Corto a few times over the past couple of years and it never lets me down. First, the service is welcoming and extremely friendly. The next thing I love about the place is the atmosphere, super cozy indoors and out. Lastly the food, each time I visit I am super impressed. The menu does rotate as it is seasonal but some of the classics stay the same. My favorite classic is the Rigatoni, a little bit of spice, but full of flavor. Olive oil cake for dessert is a must! Overall, I highly recommend visiting! read more

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I love it here! Food is wonderful and the restaurant is so nicely decorated. I will definitely be back

The handmade rigatoni is cooked perfectly and the tomato sauce tastes very fresh. This cozy spot is my favorite place for a comforting Italian dinner. read more

I had a lovely lunch at this cute Italian restaurant in Jersey City Heights this afternoon. Super friendly service and tons of veggie options. They were really accommodating of us with the stroller, and every pasta on the menu was vegetarian except for one, which could be made vegetarian! We ordered: Ricotta and Honey Toast: Try if you like ricotta. The bread and ricotta were really nice, but this would be even better with some chili oil IMO. Rigatoni: Skip. This usually comes with pancetta, but they made it without meat for us. Basic pasta with red sauce that was too dry. Agnolotti: ORDER!!! One of the best pastas I've had in a long time. I would go back just for this, especially if you like corn. Chocolate cake: Not a must try, but fine if you're craving something sweet. The cake was a tad dry but the chocolate ganache layer on top was really good. They also have an outdoor seating area that I didn't see but looks really nice in pictures. The weather was a little too iffy to sit outside, but hopefully next time. I'll definitely be back to try more dishes and obviously for the agnolotti! PS - they're also BYOB. read more

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I don't care if you're local or if you live 1000miles away. Corto is 11 out of 10 amazing. First, the space. UGH gorgeous inside and out. The chefs kitchen is right in the dining room. Backyard is shaded and lovely. But I especially love the pasta bar seating. It's a coveted spot (so make sure to RSVP for it). You sit right by the expo and see everything. As foodies and service industry people, we're fascinated to see the BOH environment come to the front. The chefs works so well together, it's so clean and creative and organized. I'm fascinated. Forget all the cooking shows on TV, come see how REAL chefs operate. BOH is great, but so is FOH! Staff is so welcoming and accommodating. Vegetarians, babies in strollers, very full family friendly. They do a lot of work but everyone is so chill and happy and efficient. Beautiful blend of casual and trendy dining. Feels like I'm eating at my nice Aunt's kitchen. Also it's BYOB! and they'll bring an ice bucket too. Now food. GURL the food. Flavors are always top notch, their menu is seasonal/whatever they got that week. So it's always changing! So you gotta keep coming back to see what's new. As a vegetarian, my fave is the cheese stuffed ravioli with mushrooms in a sage brown butter sauce. Bruh...I mean the name says it all....when I tell you these are the most juiciest mushrooms I've ever had...I mean just look at the pic. I know they have a rotating menu but please never take this off. Also they have meat stuff too! Meat menu looked really unique. What I love about this menu is there's items I can easily make vegetarian. And also the vegetarian options aren't just like "hey here's a salad". Like they put THOUGHT into it. Veggies in all the dishes shine. We've had asparagus, tomatoes. Artichoke, mini squashes, beets. Their appys always change and have a new veggie for me to try. As a long time vegetarian, I love that I'm still being surprised with what veggies can do. Desserts are also homemade and change every so often. Good range of desserts too, so whatever floats your boat, they got it. I'm so fortunate to be a local so I can come here all the time read more

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Our friends had been telling us about Corto for a long time now and we finally got to go with them this past weekend for lunch on Sunday and it not only lived up to the hype but also exceeded it! It's a great place to go and share meals, where everyone can try a little bit of everything. We practically ordered the whole menu. The tomato soup was one of the best I've ever had and the seasonal squash with prosciutto was delicious. Everything is so fresh and used such unique combinations of flavors that are so well executed. The rigatoni is a classic staple you can't go wrong with. The pistachio spaghetti had a hint of citrus served with the Italian sausage but was overall nutty so you gotta be into that. The favorite pasta was the truffle strozzapretti by far, I can't wait to go back and have it again! We then had the angry chicken which was perhaps the juiciest chicken I've ever had and the pork shoulder was so flavorful and tender. We will certainly be back!! read more

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Loved everything about Corto. The mushroom spaghetti was one of the best pasta dishes I've ever had. read more

Corto - Honey ricotta toast - Italian Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

great food, thank you for your service, this was lovely. very good food, great service.

Everything is soooo fresh here. Farm fresh ingredients and locally sourced food. Pictured is ricotta honey toast and ravioli with bianco di napoli tomato, pancetta, calabrian chili, basil, mint, pecorino romano. Sit outside in the their completely heated and enclosed area! Waiters are knowledgeable. Service good! Check them out. Parking can be a challenge, but after a few loops around the block you should be able to find a spot. My only complaint is portion sizes are pretty small for the price read more

I came here because it was highly regarded as one of the best Italian spots in NJ online. I ordered one of the recommended pasta dishes by the server which had lemongrass in it. I was super excited to see that since it's a staple in lots of Vietnamese dishes. I found the dish to be very dry and while there was a lot of lemongrass, it wasn't very strong in lemongrass flavor. Lemongrass also has a gritty texture and get stuck in teeth easily. I suggest steeping the lemongrass in sauce then straining it out to retain the flavor without the obnoxious texture of eating it. The pasta was slightly overcooked as well. I requested a side of any sauce to mix in (marinara, alfredo, whatever works), but they said they couldn't give any to me. I didn't want to finish the dish as is, so I took it to-go and mixed in some marinara at home. I ordered a squash dish as an appetizer which was pretty good. The saltiness of the anchovies contrasted well with the sweetness of the squash. I love that this place is BYOB. I might give this place another chance if I'm in the area. read more

Corto - Italian Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

Fantastic. I made a reservation a week or so in advance. I had the rigatoni and the person with whom I was with at the time had a seafood dish if I remember correctly. I loved my dish. read more

Corto - Rigatoni - Italian Near Me - Jersey City, New Jersey

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Finally was able to make it over to this restaurant that I've heard so much about I have to say that it was a very cute date spot or a fun place to hang with friends! It's BYOB, and if you forgot your bottle, there's a wine shop around the corner! Service: 5/5 Excellent service! Very attentive staff, everyone was so friendly, and caring. What we ordered: Cucumber blueberry salad: 3/5 Refreshing, first time eating a salad with blueberry dressing...didn't know what to expect, however it did work well with okie another. The basil was delicious! Asparagus: 3/5 Tasted good, but there was no wow factor for me here. Ricotta & honey toast: 5/5 Delicious and a MUST if you come here. I would suggest asking to remove the pepper if you're not a pepper fan. I wish I had just a tiny bit more honey, but otherwise ricotta was fresh tasting and the bread was great. Angry chicken: 3/5 Really wanted to love this dish, however I have to say that the chicken was extremely tender, but it didn't have as much flavor as the staff made it seem? And the presentation looks so different than some of the older pics that I've seen from here. Overall a good dish, don't think I would order this one again. Scallop Ravioli: 4/5 Delicious, just a tad on the fishier end which was not my fav, but interesting because the filling was more like ground scallops. Wish it came in a cream sauce. Pistachio cake: 3/5 Not a huge sweet tooth, but they did a great job in terms of creating a cake that almost had a carrot cake like feel without carrots and instead tasting more citrus with pistachio nuts. Despite not loving every single dish a much as we expected, we definitely will come back because I really want to try their rigatoni. Something nice about this restaurant is that they like to change their menus on a weekly basis, so you'll always get to try new dishes! read more

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Probably the best Italian restaurant in Jersey City. Fresh made pasta. Incredible chefs. Polite staff. All around great experience. Will be back, read more

Corto is a cute little home ish vibe spot in heights. You could probably miss is as it fits into neighborhood. It is a casual spot where you feel like you at home which is comforting and different for a restaurant. Definitely recommend having reservations as it is small inside and they have some seating outdoor which is cutely decorated as well. The service was a 5/5 as they are very helpful and explain menu especially if its your first time. They have a few signature dishes that are always on the menu but the other dishes seem to change based on ingredients available for the season. Its almost like a farm to table concept. After reading reviews and how hyped this restaurant is, I been wanting to try it for a long time! I think we expected to be wowed based on reviews and I thought the food was 3.5/5. We got the ricotta and honey toast for appetizer as was popular dish. The peppercorn on it gives it a funky taste which I didn't love so I would suggest ordering it without if your not into that flavor. The ricotta was fresh and bread was warm and crunchy otherwise. For main dishes we ordered rigatoni and cappelletti. The rigatoni have flavor and little spice level to it. The cappelletti with brow butter sauce & mushroom was mediocre as there wasn't much flavor. The pasta seemed fresh along with ingredients which I appreciated! I really wanted to try the angry chicken as I always seen pictures of it but unfortunately the chicken is stuffed with pork inside so I couldn't order it. Overall, I would rate this byob spot a 3.5. I wanted to love it like everyone else did. I will go back to try other dishes as menu changes based on the season and available ingredients. Only downside is finding street parking in heights. read more

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