It's hard to know where to begin when talking about L'Orcio... but here we go: Before quarantine, L'Orcio was the go-to spot for authentic, mouthwatering, dream-infiltrating Italian food - I'm looking at you, homemade pillow-soft gnocchi! Tuesday nights are arguable the best deal ($10 pasta?! With portions that aren't compromised to off-set the great price?! Sign me up). But any night of the week there is absolutely perfect for a family celebration, intimate dinner with friends, or to a long awaited date night. The atmosphere is elegant and cozy, the service is friendly and inviting, and the food is on-point, no matter what you get (SERIOUSLY GET THE GNOCCHI). Having only learned about L'Orcio over this past winter, I never got a chance to see the patio in full summer mode. Having heard so many good things about it, the privacy, the decor and good vibe energy the patio brought, I was disappointed that quarantine would prevent that experience for the unforeseeable future. Until yesterday... The second day that patio seating was available per the governors orders, I ventured out, mask over face, hand sanitizer on the ready. I heard L'Orcio was going $12 pastas 12pm-5pm and was STOKED. The weather was right and my cabin fever was at an all time high, and so I ventured out. We called ahead, to see if reservations were necessary and the pleasant woman on the phone said come on down and pick any table you'd like out back! We arrived and were met with some instructions on how to dine during this uncertain and strange time, which we happily followed. Walking down the alley on the side of the building and coming out into the patio was everything I'd hoped for - plenty of spaced out seating, some in the sun, some covered by the fantastic wooden pergola where string lights hung; I imagined what it would look like at night. Let me wrap this up, as it's becoming a novel admired maybe only by myself and perhaps one or two other mood and food enthusiasts -- the food was excellent (as always), the service was excellent, even given the strange circumstances, and the ambiance was perfectly balanced, a calm retreat, pushed back from the busy sidewalks and passing cars. It goes without saying, but I'll say it anyways - 10/10, would recommend. read more

L'Orcio - Insalata Di Farro, L'Orcio (Aperol Mist) - Italian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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Is it 2022? Arrived at L'Orcio with my family of 3 in the early evening, after a college visit at Yale. There seemed to be almost no one at the restaurant. Asked for outside seating and was told there is none available because there are reservations for every table, but we can sit inside. Then the white woman seated by the counter came up to the host and said something; the host turned to us and said, she just checked and there are no tables indoors either. Now we are immigrants, so is it your xenophobia/racism at play? Not cool, L'Orcio. Went on to your competitor Villa Lulu and had a good dinner in a great location! read more

Been sitting here for 75 minutes without an entree. Seems they forgot to put in the food order. No apology. No explanation. Never coming back. read more

I've gone twice now, and sadly it's been disappointing each time. Service is nice but it takes forever for food to arrive, and sadly the bread they serve to snack on is very dry and flavorless. Prices are also astronomical for food that isn't very good. There are better options nearby, and I'd save your date night for somewhere else! read more

L'Orcio - Filet Mignon (the bleu cheese sauce was SO salty...) - Italian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

We took my parents out for a birthday/ Mother's Day celebration, and it was so worth it. Beautiful restaurant, service was impeccable. We took our time, never rushed us. Food was perfectly cooked, 3 branzinos for my dining companions, and they all found it delicious cooked to perfection. I had a chicken Parmigiano, and it was delicious accompanied by what I believe to be handmade pasta. The wine was also excellent, and we had a Tempinillo(sp?) That was delicious. read more

Another amazing meal at L'Orcio Simply amazing! You actually deserve 6 stars because you are in a league of your own. Like an elite athlete that arrives well before a practice or a game and warms up and trains - L'Orcio puts more work in and produces a superior product Homemade Pappardelle!! I repeat Homemade Pappardelle!! Each bite delicate and tender - the BEST. In addition, they have even more specials. The shrimp salad with light lemon sauce was off the charts L'Orcio - you do it right, always have and always will. I love that you have prevailed thru the pandemic and love your food, ambiance(love eating outside) and staff! read more

Fantastic and delicious food! Service was awesome and the outdoor covered patio is great on nice evenings. Each meal is better than the next. Highly recommended!! read more

Stopped by for a drink & dessert. We ordered one of everything on the dessert menu and all were great. The bartender was very pleasant.

Delicious dinner and great service! Gnocchi and salmon was a home run, the gnocchi were so pillowy and light, I could eat them every day!

We had a delicious meal delivered to our house through the Dine and Donate event with Ronald McDonald House in New Haven and L'Orcio. There were two menu options and we choose the Cavatelli in vodka sauce which came with lemon chicken piccata and capers and crepes with Nutella and custard cream. Everything was delicious! The chicken was tender and so tasty, the Cavatelli were cooked perfectly, and the crepes were to die for yum. I can't wait to visit the restaurant in person, it was on our list to go to with my girlfriends for their pasta night special before covid 19 hit but we never made it. If takeout was this good I can't wait to visit even more so! read more

I always feel bad about leaving unfavorable reviews but L'Orcio's issues predate covid. First the good. The fresh pasta is the way to go on the menu. The casarecce con funghi is excellent and one of the best pasta dishes I've had since my trip to Italy. The L'orcio cocktail my fiancé had was amazing as well. The back patio is gorgeous so that's always a plus. However, many other dishes and the service are not great and put a damper on the overall experience. My fiancé kept eating off of my plate since his pappardelle al ragú was lacking flavor. I've been two other times before the pandemic and service was just as bad as it was this time. Slow, dismissive and unfriendly. We've had different waiters each time so I'm not sure what the issue is here. I will probably come back as long as that particular pasta dish is on the menu and deal with the questionable service but it's a shame. This could absolutely be a five star experience if they concentrate more on their service and the consistency of their dishes. read more

L'Orcio - Back patio vibes - Italian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

I really enjoyed L'Orcio. The food was simple, but sometimes there is beauty in simplicity. Heard about this place because it was on a list of restaurants with nice outdoor seating. My boyfriend lives in downtown New Haven so it was an easy walk to the restaurant. It's a really cute old house right off the highway. Near the ramp to get into 91-N. We started off the meal with the Erbovorio which is grilled marinated artichoke heart, asparagus, eggplant, ricotta pesto spread and Italian flatbread. It was delicious. I love the charr they got on the veggies. A good starter! We also ordered cocktails- I got the peach Bellini and my boyfriend ordered an Aperol Mist. The drinks were good! A bit strong for me but the Bellini went down easy. The entrees were delicious. I love gnocchi and it was cooked perfectly. I had a lot leftover so I was able to take it home for dinner the next night. It was still good the following day! My boyfriend raves about his dish. He loves mushrooms so his mushroom pasta was very funky. While I don't typically like mushrooms too much, I thought his pasta was yummy. I especially liked the texture of the pasta. You can definitely tell it is homemade. For dessert we ordered the charlotte, which is a chocolate mousse cake. Honestly, it was knockout for me. The rum-soaked amaretto cookies were a nice addition to the chocolate mousse cake. It wasn't cloyingly sweet, which can sometimes be a problem for chocolate cakes. Takeaways: L'Orcio is a great restaurant. New Haven has some great Italian restaurants with big names and I think L'Orcio is on par with them. It's a great place to go for date night or special occasions. You can make reservations online. They also participated in restaurant week this year so definitely worth a try! read more

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We made reservations for and were seated outside on the beautiful patio! The ambiance was awesome. The food was fantastic! Two of us ordered the Pollo al Limone and one ordered the Branzino al Forno Special. We all thoroughly enjoyed our meals!! For dessert we had the Gelato, the Charlotte (Chocolate mousse cake encrusted with rum soaked amaretto cookies & whipped cream) and the Torta al Cioccolato (Gluten Free Belgian chocolate cake served with whipped cream). Again, all were thoroughly enjoyed. Will definitely be back and highly recommend!! read more

This is a hidden gem in New Haven. Pasta is homemade. Steaks and seafood are excellent. Ambience is spectacular. Service is impeccable. I highly recommend the Amari Manhattan. read more

The entire vibe of restaurant seems catfished. Online it looks like a beautiful garden oasis but inside, it's like stepping into a nursing home. There is no color, the people are not friendly, and it's dead inside, unlike the food. My steak was so raw I had to stick my fork in it to kill it. The finger food for an appetizer was prepared just how I would imagine a 3 year old would prepare it. The pasta is amazing... NOT. It is watery, and the gnocchi was a joke. It looked like cereal floating in red milk. The frozen gnocchi I make at home is far better. You will also like the bread if you are an avid church goer and enjoy receiving the Eucharist. All in all, please avoi read more

L'Orcio - My so called medium Filetto Al Gorgonzola - Italian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

Finally had a chance to check L'Orcio our after hearing my friends rave about the place. We went for $10 Tuesday pasta night. Yes. All pastas on their menu only $10!! My friend and I started with caprese salad which was delicious along with the bread we were given. We both opted for ravioli on the regular menu (they also have pasta specials you can get too). My friend opted for the butternut squash ravioli and I hate the roast pork and potato ravioli. Both were excellent! For dessert we shared chocolate cake which had rum soaked cookies on the outside delicious! Really can't wait to come back to try more of the food! read more

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I had been wanting to dine here for a long time based on the pictures of the back outside dining. It was nice but not great. Maybe due to covid it was not kept as good. No flowers in the planters and the table under the air conditioner blows down air so on chillier nights it's not comfortable to sit there. The best seats outside are furthest from the building from what I saw making it more of a garden feel with the pretty lights. The food was very underwhelming in terms of flavor. It sounded phenomenal on the menu. Two of us ordered the lamb chops, one order cacciatore. There was very little flavor to the cacciatore. My lamb chops were good however the other persons were a little over cooked. We ordered dessert which was probably my favorite part. The cheesecake was delicious. The food took a long time to come both meals and dessert. I wouldn't return soon but I'd still try again. read more

L'Orcio - Outdoor dining atmosphere - Italian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

My friend informed me this is one of her favorite restaurants. I drove by it soon after and said "what a cute place," and wanted to try it. I went last week and absolutely loved it. The outside patio is so cute, I felt very comfortable dining out there during the pandemic. Yet it also was so pretty (not like the makeshift outdoor dining many places have to resort to). I got the eggplant parmigiana special and the fungi pasta. The latter was sooooo delicious I would go back just for that. There are so many other meals I want to try and based on the delicious ones I had last week I will definitely be returning to try them. The dessert crepe was alright, the pasta dish was the star for sure. Our waitress was wonderful, attentive perfection. read more

L'Orcio - Italian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

We went on a Friday night around 7PM without a reservation and they were able to seat us right away, though not in the back garden area. We still were able to sit at a table with direct view of the garden so it was comfortable with a lovely view. (I would recommend garden seating if you're making a reservation, though, because it looked really lovely. There were fountains and flower baskets, twinkle lights, etc.) The wait staff was a little cold (hence 4 stars) but by no means rude. They could've been more helpful when we had questions about the menu but they didn't offer much explanation. They were fairly attentive and service was normal. The wine and food were excellent! Everything was well-seasoned and the flavor profiles were well balanced. The pasta dishes didn't feel heavy even though they were cream-based. The cook on the seafood was perfect. Overall, I would return to this intimate, lovely restaurant for more delicious traditional Italian fare! read more

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The food and service is exquisite! The grilled vegetable appetizer ( special) was delicious with the ricotta pesto and homemade bread. The lamb entree was cooked to perfection. The burrata appetizer was excellent. Adonna was a true gem and thankful she was our server as well. The garden is so beautiful you forget you are in new haven. I love they don't rush your courses and allow you to enjoy the food and wine. It's like being home in Europe. I have been eating here for years and it's one of the best Italian restaurants. read more

Tried L'Orcio for the first time. Looking forward to nice meal with the family. For the most part the food was excellent. The drink menu and wine list were also excellent. Prices are a bit on the high side but was expecting that. Parking was a pain but not unusual when you look for street parking in that part of New Haven. The 3 stars are because of the service. Most of the meals came out in an appropriate amount of time, but my son-in-law's meal was very late and came out almost halfway through the rest of our meals. My wife's was even worse. She ordered off the special's menu and the waitress apparently wrote down the wrong dish. Her corrected meal did not come back until the rest of us were finished! They comped a couple of glasses of wine and were apologetic, but this is really not acceptable. I get that mistakes are made, but you would think they could turnaround one of their special dishes a lot sooner. I will need to think twice before going back. read more

Amazing , incredible and delicious. L,Orcios handmade pasta is so refreshing and tasteful, this isn't just food for the soul but food for the mind body and soul. The con funghi pasta and gnocchi are to die for. I have come here multiple nights and i cant seem to get enough. If you want to impress a date, business partner or your pestering in-laws this is the place, but be sure to get the handmade pasta. read more

We had been here years ago and had a great meal. Tonight the experience was not as good. The tone was set first by the server who was average. There was no friendly, just all business. That wouldn't have been too bad if the level of service had been great. We were a party of 10 and he was not attentive. Had to flag him down to get more drinks and he never checked back after dropping food to see how things were. He didn't even really say hello to us just started taking drink orders. Two of us ordered the halibut special. After disappearing the server came back to tell us they had no halibut. He brought a single menu for us to select something else. Neither of us were sitting near each other. He couldn't spare a second menu? Two people ordered the branzino, both whole but what was served was one whole and one filleted. One person ordered the veal and it was way over cooked, hard to cut with the butter knife it was served with and super chewy. The person told the server about it and he offered to get something else. The person ordered a simple pasta dish expecting it would be quickly prepared. No follow up or communication from the server. It finally came out after everyone else was finished with their meals. The salad with artichoke had very little artichoke and was way over dressed, more like a salad at Olive Garden. Several people in our party ordered the Frutti de Mare. It was mostly good except at least one plate had pasta that was very undercooked. The crepe dessert with Nutella was excellent as was the pappardelle dish. If the service had been better the other problems wouldn't have seemed so bad. read more

Had a nice dinner at L'Orcio the other evening. I had heard great things about the food from a friend so I decided to try. I had reservations for 7:15 and ended up leaving the restaurant close to 10 p.m. (this being the reason I am giving 4 stars). My reservation was seated in their upstairs area and it almost seemed as though we were forgotten about. Other than this, the food was very good and the drinks were good, as well. I ordered the gnocchi sorrentina and it was good. read more

L'Orcio - Formaggi - Italian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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My girlfriend and I just visited L'Orcio for a graduation dinner last Sunday. After hearing multiple people recommend the homemade pasta we decided to try it. I had the gnocci and they were like small little pillows of potato pasta that exploded in your mouth. 10/10 will go again! read more

This has been my go-to for the best Italian food for YEARS! It's ALWAYS consistently good and the food is simple, fresh and delicious. The staff is friendly and attentive and the ambiance is nice with low lighting. I will never not recommend this spot to anyone and everyone who enjoys Italian dining! read more

Having lived in New Haven for a long time, I regret not trying L'Orcio sooner. I was impressed by their restaurant week menu and chose to check it out, because it's the perfect opportunity to do so. L'Orcio sits quietly on upper State Street, somewhat out-shined by its neighboring pizza joints and long standing bars, but it's a contender in its' own right. A varied menu, quiet/calm environment and impeccable service were the standouts. I am not a big pasta eater, but their pastas are homemade which is impressive. My +1 had a ravioli dish that looked excellent and came with rave reviews. I started off with a peach bellini for $8 that was light and refreshing. All of their specialty cocktails are reasonably priced from $8 to $12. For dinner, I had the ahi tuna carpaccio appetizer, filet mignon and tiramisu for dessert. All were spot-on delectable in presentation and taste. Our waitress was also knowledgeable and pleasant and made our visit even better. L'Orcio is perfect for date night or a dinner with family/friends. Definitely don't overlook them like I did for so long. read more

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Had amazinggg pasta here while visiting CT. I never can finish my plate usually but ate every bite because it was too good not to. The outside dining area was beautiful! Vines everywhere, looked like a true italian patio. read more

L'Orcio - Italian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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Beautiful ambiance, upscale Italian food. They press their own olive oil. Everything was delicious.

I cannot say enough good things about this place. First, the food is phenomena. My absolute favorite is the ricotta gnocchi because it tastes so fresh and light. All of their pastas are phenomenal and taste so homemade and fresh. We went for dinner and got the Formaggi, Gnocchi Sorrentina, Cavatelli Ortolana, Pappardelle al Ragú, and cheesecake for dessert. Do not skimp out on desserts! The cheesecake was phenomenal and tasted much fresher, lighter, and less sugary than any other cheesecake I've had. The staff was so nice and helpful in choosing what to get. The complimentary bread was also delicious! read more

L'Orcio - Gnocchi Sorrentina with ricotta - my absolute favorite! So light and fresh - Italian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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The atmosphere and food is amazing. The outdoor section is so cute, perfect for date night. The eggplant ravioli I had was a special but it was one of the best pasta dishes I've ever had, especially with the ricotta. Highly recommend to anyone looking to have amazing Italian food read more

L'Orcio - Apps: Octopus & burrata - Italian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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Halibut special was amazing. Desserts top notch as expected. Decent Gnocchi with pear sauce and chicken potato croquettes. Really liked the ambience of this place. Glad we dined in. read more

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Really great italian food in a small intimate setting! I definitely recommend this place it was delicious. I am giving it four stars because the service could have been better. It was not bad by any means, but we waited for our drinks for 15-20 minutes. I got the pappardelle al ragu and the person i was with got the spaghetti al mare. It had sooo much seafood in it. More than ive seen everywhere else and it was cooked to perfection. We had the gelato and the lemon ricotta short cake. Both were great. I will come back for sure. read more

L'Orcio - Italian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

The $10 pasta Tuesday's here are my FAVORITE - honestly why go any other day? All their pasta dishes (normally at least $20+) are only $10 and the serving sizes and quality (large & good) remain the same. The atmosphere is very cozy inside whether you're on the first or second floor, and the outdoor patio is quite pretty with fairy lights and a small fountain. The gnocchi is my go to. I have only had pasta here and I keep returning and bringing friends. 10/10 would recommend! You can easily make reservations on OpenTable but sometimes may still have a little bit of a wait, so if you'd rather not bother just try your luck when you go. read more

We came here for dinner to celebrate my husband's birthday and had an absolutely delicious meal! We ate outside on the outdoor patio which was decorated beautifully with hanging lights and flowers. For appetizers we ordered the Erbivoro platter, the octopus and the beet salad - all were delicious, especially the Erbivoro platter - a great value for the amount of food they give you! For our entrees, we shared two pasta dishes - the Casarecce con Funghi and the Pappardelle al Ragú with fresh ricotta - both were amazing, and good portions! You can tell the pasta was fresh and handmade- it had the perfect al dente bite to it. We finished off our meal with the Belgian chocolate cake. Would recommend all the dishes we ordered and would recommend this restaurant to anyone who was looking for some good pasta or Italian cuisine. read more

L'Orcio - Casarecce con Funghi pasta - delicious!! - Italian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

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Food was very good but not particularly special. The patio ambiance was perfect for a warm summer evening. And the service was excellent- attentive but not overly so read more

"A Gift of Italy" My birthday gift from my wife this year was a dinner of my choice. We had never been to L'Orcio and it's been on my list of restaurants for a while. It was the perfect gift of Italy in every way. We were seated in the secluded garden behind the restaurant. It's so beautiful, you don't feel like you're in New Haven anymore. Seated under a pergola with flowers hanging down, flower beds around us, a beautiful lion head fountain, and surrounded by the architecture of old brick buildings. We felt like we were dining on someone's patio in Italy. While we were looking over the menu, the waitstaff would walk by with customers appetizers and dinners. I was trying to get a glimpse of every dish that came by our table. Everything smelled so good, it was like going to my nonnie's house when I was a kid. Our night began with a beer for my wife and a Manhattan for myself. Very good manhattan by the way. Everything looked so good on the menu and it took us a while to decide, but we finally settled on some great dishes. My wife had the Burrata salad. Burrata cheese, oven roasted tomatoes, olive-caper tapanade and arugula. Delicious ! I had the Polpo Grigliato. Grilled octopus with string bean potato salad, in-house roasted peppers, and a balsamic reduction. Loved it! My wife had the Pappardelle al Ragu. Handmade pasta, meat sauce with pork, veal, and beef, tomato and pecorino romano. It tasted as wonderful as it smelled. I had the Costata di Vitello. Veal sauteed in a white wine sauce served with pappardelle tossed in a sausage mushroom sauce with a hint of tomato. Incredible ! I wanted this perfect birthday dinner to continue so we both ordered dessert. My wife had the Crespelle. Crepes stuffed with mascarpone and topped with a mixed berry sauce. I had the Charlotte. Chocolate mousse cake encrusted with rum soaked amaretto cookies and fresh whipped cream on the side. A beautiful setting, beautiful food, and my beautiful wife made for a beautiful birthday. Thank you Nicole read more

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We went here for a birthday dinner and had the gnocchi sorrentino and the mushroom pasta! Both were delicious and the vibes were so fun--it was the perfect way to celebrate my friend :) read more

l'Orcio has been consistently excellent over the many years I have dined here. You can count on fresh, well prepared Italian food, professional service and superb homemade pastas. In the summer months, the backyard garden is a delight. Some dishes I can recommend include the farro salad, the fried sardine appetizer and the roasted vegetables with ricotta spread. Mains: branzino, salmon, pappardelle and gnocchi. Good selection of moderately priced wines. Parking competitive but we always manage to find a spot! Buon appetito! read more

L'Orcio - Italian Near Me - New Haven, Connecticut

A gift card for my 25 year old granddaughter's birthday, October 1, 2023, couldn't be "found" despite my numerous contacts with manager ( card was not delivered to my granddaughter, finally deposited at restaurant, despite the correct address, after a long while; nobody could find it.) I was assured Card would be ready for her to use on October 1...they found only one for $15, not the $100 one I ordered, the receipt of which I sent the manager who received it. My granddaughter and her guest were embarrassed by the server ...they paid with their money...reason manager gave me "the computer somehow didn't pick up the 100$ card". Finally , after poor server attitude and humiliation for my granddaughter, and no apology, the card was resent through computer. Very poor service for decent food. read more