I hadn't been back to Otto in the last five years so I was delighted to find myself in Chester a couple weeks back. Otto was a must-go for lunch! It was past peak lunchtime so the restaurant was pretty quiet and we were seated quickly. My husband and I started by sharing a classic caesar salad, which was excellent, and selected a medium pizza to split. Tough decision here, as all of their pies look phenomenal, but we settled on a red pie with eggplant, red onion, basil, scamorza, and garlic. The pizza was absolutely amazing - great flavor combination with a perfect balance of ingredients. If Otto wasn't nearly an hour away I'd find myself here much more often. Still, it was wonderful to stop in after such a long time! read more

Otto - Pizza Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

One of the best pizza crust I have ever tasted. Nice outdoor seating for night dining!

Delicious NY style pizza with fresh ingredients. We got take out so we didn't try anything else on the menu, but it looked appealing.

Met friends at Otto for lunch today. Sat outside under the tent. It was a lovely afternoon. Hubby and I were there first and had looked at the menu, our friends had only been there a few minutes when the waitress approached us and rather rudely we felt asked "what are you having" (rather than something like 'can I get you something to drink'.) she seemed a little put out that we said we had to look at the menu before we ordered our meal. The beers were good but the wine was served in plastic (reusable) glasses that don't look clean. Water was brought to us in a large plastic (disposable) bottle with plastic (disposable) cups. I did ask for more water and was surprised to see that there was a charge of $1 for the "bottled" water. We got one red and one white pizza and we all enjoyed them. read more

If you're looking for authentic style, pizza run away . My wife and I live in Chester Connecticut and this is the second time we've tried Otto's . on both occasions the pizza was burned. I mean black. When I say burned, the top was burned the sausage was burned, but for some reason the pizza was raw I don't understand how you can do this. We have been to Italy several times and know what good pizza is and this is not that. read more

We ate outside which was great. Comfortable and casual atmosphere with happy and friendly service. The salad tasted like it had been picked out back five minutes prior to serving. SO FRESH! The croutons were fought over by my adult sister and her husband lol. We had several kids of pizza and all were better than any I've had in New Haven! And I love New Haven pizza! Thin crust but everything just tasted fresher. Delicious! Will be back often!! read more

Excellent pizza, great crust and also great service. Are the pizza outside as the area is very rustic.

What can I say other then awesome! Everyone talks about New Haven pizza(which I love) but driving there parking and waiting in line.... and it honestly is not any better then Otto's. A group of our friends joined us here and it was fantastic. Pizza is on point the staff were extremely friendly and the Greek salad was the best salad I have ever had hands down. Give it try but don't tell to many people I don't want to wait in line. read more

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Waitress was lovely. Pizza very good. The eggplant parm was not good. Watery and served in a to go container. And tasteless. Hopefully this will remedy. read more

We stopped in for lunch and got two pizzas, guacamole and their brisket plate. The guac was under seasoned and basically smashed avocados lol. Pizza wasn't bad, I like the style and how it's baked but it still sealed the sauce was underwhelming. My brisket was a little dry but I did have slices from the flat and I've been smoking lots of briskets so I'm kinda picky anyway. Overall it's not a bad spot to stop and the ambiance is quite nice! read more

EXCELLENT, want to go back next time we are in Connection! Best pizza ever Even leftovers were good too read more

Great atmosphere and very friendly staff. Not to mention some killer pizza. Couldn't recommend coming here any more. read more

Otto - Pizza Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

Otto has by far the best covid-19 dining experience I've had thus far. Spread out tables, disposable dinnerware, a quick screening from the hostess, outdoor kitchen... they're following the best practices for dining during the pandemic. They must have put a ton of money into revamping the space in back. There is an enormous tent, outdoor kitchen, garden... it's beautiful. I hope they keep it this way long after covid, and honestly it's surprising they didn't use this space sooner since it has a great view as well. I don't need to tell you how good the pizza is, other reviewers have that covered very well! It's definitely up there with the top tier pizza places in Connecticut (which is an elite pantheon). Pizza is a very polarizing food, evident from some of these low star reviews, so be sure that you like the CT style (well done on the outside, soft on the inside). read more

Otto - Pepperoni and Margherita pizzas in the new covid-19 seating area (nice view in back!) - Pizza Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

Wonderful vibes, Good pizza and apps and really charming garden. Because of the pandemic places get extra points if they're clean and keep to code, which Otto does, and they're so nice! Would be a good date night if you're itching to get out of the house ;) read more

On a cold winter's night we (finally) ventured to Chester for a long anticipated visit to Otto. It was freezing outside, but it was toasty warm inside Otto, with heat from the pizza oven and pleasant smiles of the staff greeting us as soon as we walked in. There were no tables available when we first got there, but we sat at the bar for a few minutes and a table opened up. We ordered a bottle of wine (very reasonable prices) and the olive appetizer. I did not expect the olives to be warm, but they were amazing! A great little snack with your wine while waiting for your pizza. We ordered two pizzas, my husband picked the red pizza with pepperoni and rosemary. I had been craving a pizza with egg on it, so I got the pancetta/egg/potato pizza. His was okay, but mine was amazing! It was like breakfast on a pizza. The egg was runny when you bit into it, potatoes were mandolin thin and the pancetta was crispy. Definitely in my top 5 pizzas of all time. We will definitely be back again to try out other pizzas. It's only 20 minutes from Middletown, and definitely worth the trip! read more

Otto - Egg, pancetta, potatoes, thyme, ricotta, and grams padano - Pizza Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

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The food here is very good. We ordered pizzas and even the plain cheese was excellent. We waited a LONG time for our food -- something about a large party that arrived right before we got there. That put a damper on things. I felt like maybe they could have thrown the kids extra sodas as compensation. Pizza was excellent though. Outside has a cool vibe. read more

Meat Pizza and eggplant casserole! The sauce is incredible! I was completely impressed by how fresh everything tasted. read more

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I went to Otto's Pizza on probably their busiest day of the month, the First Friday in Chester CT. I ordered at about 7:30 and pizza was done by 8:25. (Faster than estimated time) I ordered two pizzas. They were both amazing. They were perfectly cooked and the waiters/waitresses were extremely nice and patient. The outdoor seating is very comfortable and pretty. read more

We absolutely LOVE OTTO! Take out or dine in you can choose. No reservations but you shouldn't have trouble or a long wait if you are a party of 2. There is bar seating and outdoor seating when the weather is nice. Drinks: beer and wine Appetizers: the hot olives are incredible and we get these every time. The shaved fennel salad is probably one of my top 5 salads over time and they will even split the salad for you if you mention you are splitting the dish. Sooo good. Dinner: they have 3 pizza sizes to choose from. Our all time favorite is your classic margarita or pepperoni. The pizza melts in your mouth as it is light and the brick oven texture of the pizza adds oh so much flavor. We also absolutely love getting the eggplant parm which is out of this world. I don't like eggplant but i eat this, ricotta, parm, red onions, basil, and eggplant all baked in the oven definitely get this. My husband and i normally get a medium pizza and the eggplant parm. Dessert: we have never been crazy about their tiramisu but teaches own. read more

Every time we visit our Chester family, we order pizza here. They have some very unique combinations of ingredients. We tend to favor the white pizzas, our favorites being mushrooms and caramelized onions or the egg, bacon and ricotta, although the meat lovers is awesome but I typically get outvoted. We have never eaten there, preferring to take it home and crack open a good bottle of wine, but the garden area is certainly inviting. We like to order the night before we leave, so we have some extra slices for the car ride back to Washington DC area. It's damn good cold the next day. read more

Bought three pizzas (two large and one 14" cheese pizza) for pick up and the bill was $80!! This restaurant automatically charges a 20% gratuity on a take out delivery. No mention of that on their website or menu. I generally leave a tip when I pick up a pizza but 20% when I wasn't served and I picked it up myself? Pizza crust was burnt black and the toppings were kind of meager. Won't be back. read more

One of the best pizzas in the area! This isn't your football night pizza joint... it's gourmet, wood fired pizzas with creative, local, fresh ingredients (or at least whenever the toppings are in season). The crust is the perfect combo of crispy and still fluffy on the inside, which I prefer better than the NH pizzas. If it's your first time here and you're not very adventurous, get the pepperoni. Whether you're a fan of pepperoni or not, it's a million times better than any you've ever had! If you are excited to try something different, see if they have the one with corn on it, usually it's seasonal and it is my favorite! If they don't have that one, the four cheese prosciutto is also fantastic! read more

Great service and great pizza. Loving the outdoor seating. Our pizza took flight yesterday and fell into the ground, the staff was quick to problem solve. You are all wonderful! read more

Although they have a beautiful outdoor area now service and quality have gone down. Drinks forgotten, pizza almost cold and sloppy. Time for a break from Otto. read more

Pizza was great and our server was friendly and knowledgeable. The overall experience however was a bit odd as this restaurant requires you to clear your own plates which was very unusual and has not been something that I have encountered at a single restaurant while dining out. Sitting with dirty plates when the next course arrives and having to get up and touch an overflowing disgusting trash can was pretty gross. I work in the hospitality industry and cannot imagine asking a guest to clear their own tables. If they are so concerned (and I don't blame them), they should put on a simple pair of gloves or sanitize or wash their hands after clearing a table like every other restaurant does. I also didn't enjoy drinking my wine out of a plastic cup. Would give it another chance but only as take out for the time being. read more

Visited Otto with my friend for lunch recently and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the pizza! We each had a glass of wine (hey, it wasn't a workday!) and two slices each of the small lunch pizza. It was warm, fresh, and absolutely delicious. I can't wait to get back! read more

They don't take reservations- we waited 30 plus minutes for a table for 4. It was hot in the restaurant because of the pizza oven and how small the place is. The apps were delicious. Meatballs and polenta, salads and marinated olives- yum. The homemade pasta was very good- great texture and light sauce. The pizzas were tasty but a little heavy on the toppings which made them a bit soggy. Some crusts were burnt. The server was pleasant and good beer choices too I would try it again and get a pizza with less on it. read more

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Lovely little pizza shop with amazing service. The pizza was outstanding, the salads delicious and innovative, and our waitress super attentive. I would go back in a heartbeat and recommend it wholeheartedly. read more

Good New Haven-style pizza in a small, comfortable atmosphere with friendly, attentive service. Make sure to get here early because the place is small, the staff is limited, and the tables fill up with people who like to stay for long periods of time. We enjoy Otto and come here often. read more

Wow, Otto has amazing pizza. It's different than any other pizza I've had here in CT. It's a good different. They have their own unique twist on it. It's wood fired, and I've had my share of wood fire pizza before, but something about it makes it stand out so much more! It's a very small place, but we were seated right away. They also outdoor seating too. They have a lot of variety of specialty pizzas too. They have a lot of their own specialty pizzas, which is great. Even the traditional pepperoni pizza (which we had) had so much flavor. It was incredible. They also use scamorza cheese in additional to the normal mozzarella. Plus, they use chiles as a topping. You can get it without it. It wasn't spicy at all, but just had that extra little kick of flavor. Plus, one of the best parts was they use rosemary! It's standard on the pepperoni pizza. I LOVE rosemary. It is by far my favorite seasoning. Our server mentioned not everyone knows that it's rosemary. Sometimes he is asked, "Why are there pine needles on my pizza?" I wish I was joking. The staff was amazing, and they all worked well together. Very informative. Our server answered all of our questions. I wasn't sure exactly what scamorza was, or the chilis if they were ground up, or huge pieces. (grounded up, you couldn't even see them!) Described everything perfectly. He said the chilis were a spicy level of 3 of a scale of 1-10. I think that was a perfect number he gave. I love spicy, so it just more flavor! They don't have coke or pepsi products. However, they support locally owed Avery sodas. Nice to see a locally owned place supporting another. I can see why it is rated as high as it is. Otto truly deserves its high rating. Highly recommended. read more

Otto - Pepperoni pizza - Pizza Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

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OK it was just a matter of time until somebody jumped on the pizza bandwagon and opened an upscale wood-fired pizza joint in the center of Chester. And it's not surprising that the gang at the River Tavern were the ones to do it. Their main restaurant has been a mainstay in town for the past twelve years. Otto's pizza isn't New York style. It isn't New Haven style. It isn't Greek style. The best way to describe it is the pizza style you'd find in Italy today. It's sort of artisan style. So how's the pizza? It's very good. Is it the best pizza I've ever had in my life? Well that's hard to answer for someone who's lived in both New Haven and Manhattan. I can happily report that Otto's pizza is appropriately charred. Now many New Jersey and New York folks would likely describe it as burnt but that's because they just don't know better. Anyone from southern Connecticut or southern Italy will tell you that some foods like pizza are best served slightly burnt. Yes slightly burnt. No doubt Otto's will receive a few complaints from the clueless minority and I just hope the owners turn a deaf to them. My recommendation is that Otto makes every pizza exactly like the charred one I had a couple days ago (perhaps they can add a tad more sauce though). Their metal wood-burning oven is located smack dab in the middle of the restaurant. The whole place is sort of cramped but that's a hard reality of most buildings in Chester. Many were built during its sawmill years and 21st century dining wasn't exactly on their minds at the time. Inside there's only a handful of small tables and seats at a counter. It's not very conducive towards group dining. For a pizzeria, prices are a little pricey, but hey, I get it. It's Chester and the entire restaurant is geared towards evening dining only, complete with dim lighting and soft background music. Wines and salads are available. From what I can tell, the wines are fairly reasonably priced with many near $20 and $30 a bottle. Pizzas are just one size and the basic cheese version starts at $12 and other combo's start at $15. Just an FYI, compared to pizza prices in NYC, particularly at Lucali in Brooklyn, Otto's pizza prices are a downright bargain. Lucali charges a ridiculous $24 for a similar size pizza and it's no better than Otto's pizza. I wish the good folks at Otto's lots of luck. This is just a hunch, but I bet someday they get VPN certification from the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana. I mean, why not? I think they meet all the criteria required for the cert: wood burning oven, made-in-Italy flour, etc.. By comparison Keste in NYC has VPN certification and of the two Otto's make a better pizza. Yes, I can picture it now. New Yorkers are reading this saying OMG with a *gasp* face. But the god's honest truth is Ottos' beats the pants off many of those big fancy pants city pizzerias. That's something your typical New Yorker will never admit (and believe me when I say they flock to Chester like moths to a flame during the summer time), but I have no problem admitting it. read more

Oh, Chester, you never fail to impress me and my stomach. First it was River Tavern, then it was Six Main, now River Tavern's new venture: the new pizza place Otto Pizza. Seriously, if I ever lived in this town like I've joked about doing, I'd never leave. Now onto Otto. River Tavern is my favorite restaurant. And when RT mentioned on Facebook they were opening up a new venture only down the street, I quickly liked and started following Otto Pizza's progress. I missed the grand opening. :( I've been wanting to go here obviously even before it opened. And on a very cold, January, mid-week night, the 2WDC (2nd Wednesday Dinner Club) made it's way to this great spot. Somehow this night was kismet because if you know Chester at all, it's a cute, quaint, river town. With a LOT of good eating packed in its center. Parking right in center is tough to find and good to know where the several free parking lots are. This night, a spot opened up right as I came into Main Street. I called Otto around 5 to see about making reservations. They don't take reservations. They warned it can be packed so to anticipate a wait. This night, I walked in, and the best seats at the bar opened up within 15 seconds of my getting there. Coincidence? I think not. My dining partner got there within a minute of my arrival. We sat down and quickly started perusing the menu. It changes every day. It's very simple with several salads, about a dozen house pizzas and a few desserts. Drinks are on the back. If you follow them on FB, they will post the daily rotating menu on there. Good job on the social media! We got to watch them make the pizzas which was pretty fascinating. The staff were friendly and funny, and they didn't miss a beat. When the water bottle got empty, it was quickly replaced with a refilled one. They were observant but didn't hover. The lamb meatball/pecorino/ricotta/mint pizza was first choice. We added the margherita pizza for good measure. We enjoyed the red wine by the glass that wasn't the Pinot noir. The margherita came out first and I found the first slice to be salty. The second slice tasted awesome. I think my taste buds had to adjust. Then the lamb meatball pizza came out and it was game over. So good. The right proportions of sauce to toppings. The crust is pretty thin. Get ready that it might flip and use your plate and fork to catch any deliciousness. The oven bakes the pizzas in about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. They keep it fired up to 825F. We watched the chef use a heat reading device to check the temp. Just really cool to watch them do the food prep. I never eat the crust on my pizza. Here, I was eating the crust. I know another reviewer stated the same. They kept my water glass filled. Big gold star. So, Otto Pizza hit all eight cylinders on this one. We sat next to two different groups of patrons and both were super friendly and chatted with us about what they had eaten in the past and being from the general area. Chester, you have my heart. Otto, you have my stomach. read more

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took us a few weeks to get out and try Otto, glad to have made it out and have another excellent option for dining out nearby .. yah, I have been to a place called Otto in Portland, Maine and also one in NYC, they are not related but are equally as enjoyable. Otto is in Chester, in the quaint downtown area where all the other restaurants also are. At meal time parking can take a few minutes. We drove by once and saw no spots and opted for the public town lot up the hill from Otto, it has a path that leads across the street from the pizzeria. All the tables and bar spots were occupied when we arrived, so we put our name on a list and walked around the cute little town for 20 mins, got back and our table was ready. Menu is pretty straightforward and changes constantly. Ordered some beers and checked out the menu .. (a can of Back East Golden Ale and a bottle of Leffe Blond) We started with a fancy salad and ordered the basic cheese red pie and a white pie with green onions and ricotta and chili oil or something like that, all the food was top notch at Otto - seasonal, local, fresh kinda stuff. This style of pizza isn't the kind you get at the mall - one size only, about 14 inches, not perfectly round and maybe a bit of that delicious char and spotting on the underbelly. A reasonable thin crust. Wood-fired oven, pizza cooked right in front of you. Worth checking out, worth waiting for. Service was quick even at capacity. One thing I wasn't super crazy about was the beer list.. all pretty unexciting to me. Get some interesting Italian beers on the menu! Also, when we were here there was a table in the doorway - totally not safe in case of a fire. The people sitting in the doorway blocking it were seemingly going out of there way to make entering and leaving the restaurant difficult.. read more

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I discovered a new rating system at Otto Pizza: the "Oh, my God" scale. Basically, you count the number of times people use that phrase after their first bite of pizza. Between two of us in the SWDC (Second Wednesday Dinner Club) and two more folks sitting near us at the pizza bar, we achieved five OMGs over three types of pizza in less than ten minutes. It's that good. My dining companion insisted that she doesn't generally eat pizza crust even as she munched happily away on them. I didn't say much, because I was munching happily away, too. We sampled two pizzas. The one that arrived first was a margherita style with liuzzi mozzarella and basil. The simplicity of the topping really brings out the superb job they do with sauce and pizza crust. Then came the lamb meatball with ricotta, pecorino, and mint. Oh, my God. I can't remember a pizza ever coming together like this. It was simply superb. All this lusciousness happened in full view of the wood fired pizza oven, which stands within the U-shaped bar with its opening out toward the customers. We could watch the chefs shape the pizzas, top them, bake them (at near 900 degrees, for only a minute or two!), and slice them right in front of us. I confess that we kept hoping that the next one was ours. I was so fascinated by that pizza oven that I simply didn't notice the decor for quite some time. It's simple and a little quirky, with a rough-and-ready feel. A wine rack lines one wall, and they had some nice selections by the glass. They had the good sense to retain an entry vestibule, which means that entries and exits don't mean a blast of cold air onto the customers. All the staff were friendly and attentive, and even called around to the River Tavern (they share their owner) to reserve us a table and get them started on a dessert for us. And if that isn't good enough, the sides of the pizza oven are covered with children's drawings. How cool is that? Parking in downtown Chester can be a challenge. I found a space in the Maple Street lot, though, which was great - once I found the Maple Street lot. I'll just say that the challenge was more than worth it. OMG. read more

Otto - Pizzas cook in less than 3 minutes in the wood fired oven. - Pizza Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

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Otto's was adequate. I would recommend it as an option for a quick and convenient meal for Iocals. The atmosphere and decor is simple yet quaint with a nice bar area.I wouldn't make it a destination. If I were looking to have a more memorable pizza, I would drive past Chester. The crust was doughy and soft-somewhat undercooked. Not the strongest flavors. Our pizza selections included: Bel Paese white with mushrooms, onions and sage (sage was a little overpowering), corn & zucchini, cheese with bacon (super thick chunks of bacon) and sausage and cheese. The service was good-our server was very attentive and everything was brought out promptly. Not cheap-average price of a small (individual size) is $14. read more

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Best wood fired thin Pizza in the area. Great salads. Beautiful putside seating in the summer. Staff is super friendly.

Their Margherita pizza might be the best in the country, and that's coming from a "traditional New Haven Apizza Guy". Phenomenal pie read more

Otto - Margherita pie - Pizza Near Me - Chester, Connecticut

This is some of the best pizza outside of New Haven. Connor is amazing and really knows his pizza. I'd recommend anything with the sausage on it. All of the pizza is delicious. read more

Yuck!!!! The pizza was terrible. Half cooked and flavorless. The anti past was a dozen olives heated up. Obviously people that love this place have never had good pizza. Sorry Otto. read more

Great food. Lovely cocktails. Nice garden. Why do they continue to use plastic cups and plastic water bottles? It cheapens the experience and is terrible for the environment. Would love too see more reusables like the other restaurants in town. read more