We visited Ristorante Ottaviani shortly after Christmas, and it was such a cozy, memorable experience. From the moment we walked in, the ambiance set the mood perfectly--dim lighting, warm and inviting, with Sinatra Christmas tunes playing softly in the background. It felt charming and intimate, especially welcome given the extremely cold temperatures outside. Our waitress was incredibly friendly and attentive, checking on us regularly without ever feeling intrusive. The cocktails were excellent and did a great job warming us up, which was very much appreciated. The food was absolutely amazing. Everything we tried was rich and flavorful, with a standout Gorgonzola sauce that was truly delicious. The creamy burrata with pesto and balsamic was perfectly balanced, and the scallops were easily some of the most delicious we've had--cooked beautifully and full of flavor. Ristorante Ottaviani is such a comfortable, charming place to enjoy high-quality Italian food. A wonderful spot for a relaxing, special meal, and we're already looking forward to going back. read more

See all

Great service and good food. A solid choice for dinner in downtown Cumberland. The lamb chops are amazing.

Definitely a solid choice in Cumberland! My family has a cabin nearby and my husband and I came on a rainy Wednesday evening. This place attracts everyone from the blue collar worker to the high roller, which I love. The ambiance here is a little odd. We were seated at a table that faced the bar AND the kitchen/bathrooms, so you could just see and hear the staff coming in and out of the kitchen. Not great. I wish this place was located somewhere different. Our waitress was super friendly and attentive (thanks, Lexi!). I had a glass of the Montepulciano and my husband had another wine; brachetto? I believe? Both were delicious, but the fact that EVERY wine is $13 is weird. We ordered the greens & beans but they were never delivered, at no fault of Lexi's, but the computer. No biggy. We were already just about to get our dinners! But would love to try them next time. I had the Abruzzo Salmon with asparagus and fingerling potatoes and it was very delicious. The salmon was just a hair overdone, but otherwise, highly recommend. My husband had the Americano pizza and it was outstanding. The only other comment is that for downtown Cumberland, the cocktail prices match that of Virginia Beach which is just outrageous. I wouldn't pay a dime over $10 for anything on the cocktail menu. Very vodka heavy and not appetizing. We would return for the pizza alone! read more

WOW! What amazing food! The stuffed Gnocchi in the vodka sauce was heaven on a plate! Perfect Tiramisu! Superior service despite being packed with St. Patrick's Day crowds. The atmosphere is calming and elegant without being pretentious. Everything you could hope to find in a top tier Italian restaurant in a big city, but with perfect small town charm. DO NOT MISS!!! read more

Ristorante Ottaviani - Italian Near Me - Cumberland, Maryland

What a great place to eat. The food is amazing and so is the service. We had a large party and sat outside on the patio. It was a perfect night to be on the patio and mixed with the music makes a perfect ambiance. They offer a lot of good appetizers. We ordered several of them. The abruzzo scallops were very good. read more

See all

The room is beautiful. The service is very friendly. The food is fine: Not terribly authentic and generally heavy, with rich sauces and cheese toppings even on the meats. If that's your thing, you'll be very happy. If it's not, you'll have to hunt a bit but you can still find a few things to your liking. read more

See all

What a gem for this town! We visited on a snowy night with a larger party and they were very accommodating. All their dishes sound delicious so it might be difficult to choose. I opted for the abruzzo salmon with risotto which was amazing! Their traditional Italian dishes also sounded very good and portions are generous. If you're big on calamari, definitely give those a try. Not to mention they offer hot bread to start. Highly recommend this place if you need a nice dinner in town! Also, if you're curious, definitely get the butter cake. Served warm with vanilla ice cream, you will not be disappointed. read more

Ristorante Ottaviani - Italian Near Me - Cumberland, Maryland

See all

Great service, food, drinks, and atmosphere! We look forward to dining there again! Highly recommend!

The atmosphere was aspirational fine dining. They did their best with the outdoor patio which offered a few strands of party lights and a mural that was nice. The food was good but nothing impressive. The service was abysmal unless you are very obviously a familiar there. Our server was not only slow but almost entirely absent. I would absolutely not recommend to someone just passing through, as there's two different service levels; one for friends and one for strangers. Additionally, they advertise as a family friendly restaurant but it appears our server was oblivious to the simple needs of a toddler, leading us to ask numerous time for things like her own cup of water, utensils, and napkins. TL/DR: Food is good Priced over value Pass if you're a stranger Service was lackluster Edited to add direct message by owner. Very classy read more

Ristorante Ottaviani - Direct message from owner - Italian Near Me - Cumberland, Maryland

This restaurant is great! It offers wonderful service and atmosphere with the opportunity to dine outside during the nicer weather Great Food and staff! A+++ read more

Nikki our server recommended the fresh burrata salad as a starter and it was delicious and perfect with the bread for two. Got the Bolognese and Chicken Parm and they both were delicious and the right portion. She also brought us a small sample of the abruzzo sauce and it was very rich and although we didn't go with an entree with it would try it next time. Overall love supporting small family business and with the construction downtown don't let that keep you away. Friendly staff and thanks from the kitchen staff when leaving. Great carb load if riding the Gap/C&O Trails! read more

I was so happy to have gotten back with old friends to catch up. Let me tell you. I ate myself thru this restaurant. Not sure but I housed all the things and didn't even document. I've never eaten like this in my life. Bottomless pit not sure. My friend who lives in Hawaii after growing up here really enjoyed this place. I got scallops abruzzo special HOLY FISH this was good. We shared lamb chops - Devine. I got a basic white wine which was perfect for me. Server expressed she was new so she didn't know what to recommend. Had ricotta style app which was SO GOOD I INHALED IT And I got dessert which was a lemon cake that YOU GUESSED- inhaled. read more

The food is good. The service fine. A very pleasant experience. I really in truly enjoyed eating at Ristorante!!!!! I will hopefully remember when I go out. read more

The first time I came to Ristorante Ottaviani was in 2010 while on a work trip. I had the best cioppino when I was there. Recalling that meal to my husband, he took me there to celebrate my birthday and it was the BEST experience ever! After 14 years, the cioppino was not on the menu when we arrived. But when I inquired, the manager said they would gladly make it for us. Everyone involved in making our meal went above and beyond expectations. The service was outstanding. Our server, Reagan, was incredibly polite, extremely helpful and attentive. Jimmy, the manager, went out of his way to see that I had the perfect birthday experience. He over delivered on everything to make this a most memorable celebration. Mike, the chef, is obviously the person (along with his staff) who made this meal so incredible. Five stars is not enough to express just how wonderful the whole experience was for us. We've been to Gordon Ramsey's restaurants, Bryan Voltaggio's restaurants including his chef's table at Volt, Tom Colicchio's restaurant in NY (and more) and by far, this meal at Ristorante Ottaviani exceeds all of them in flavor profile with perfectly cooked seafood, a rich combination of antipasto offerings and generous portions. By all standards, this should be a Michelin star restaurant. I won't wait another 14 years to experience this great food. My memory of that wonderful seafood dish brought me back and now we plan on making the trip (which is several hours) more frequently. read more

This place was FANTASTIC!! The food was so delicious and wow the salad was unbelievable!! The service was also great!! I think anything you order from here would be amazing! I highly recommend this restaurant and I would definitely go back! read more

Ristorante Ottaviani - Amazing salad!!! - Italian Near Me - Cumberland, Maryland

The downtown is under revitalization so parking can be hassle. Looking for live music lead me to Ottaviani's, which is one of the nicer restaurants, in downtown Cumberland It has an inviting rustic restaurant interior. The interior is enhanced with red theatre style curtains, exposed brick walls and leather couches. In the warmer months they offer an outdoor patio with a few murals and umbrellas for shade. Ottaviani's house specialty is "Abruzzo chicken " made with chicken, arugula, mushrooms, Gorgonzola and balsamic vinegar. I went with the Abruzzo chicken pizza and it didn't disappoint , however, next time I would ask for balsamic on the side, I feel a heavy kitchen hand drizzled the balsamic on the pizza. Good music and good food ! read more

See all

Ottaviani's is a cute little Italian joint right in adorable downtown Cumberland. Everything here feels cozy and homey, which I love. It was nice weather when we were there, and although we didn't sit outside, it looks like such a great place to eat that I'll be back just to enjoy the outdoor seating area. We got pizza from the regular menu and it was great. Hard to beat a wood fired oven pizza, and Ottaviani's doesn't disappoint. Prices are a little on the steep side, but it's a nice restaurant so it would be a good place to come for a date or something special. Service was ok. Reading other reviews it seems like people had similar experiences with sort of aloof servers. There are worse things to have and the food makes up for it! read more

Lovely atmosphere, friendly and attentive service, and the food! What a wonderful find! The abruzzo sauce was amazingly delicious and highly recommend. Seasonal options were delicious and can't say enough good things about this amazing find. Highly highly recommend! read more

What a great restaurant. I love everything there. I have the gnocchi. It was packed with flavor. Came with a big group and everyone tried a bite and all couldn't have enough. The calamari was nice and tender and crisp. The pastas were also amazing with a large amount of seafood. read more

See all

Very good, authentic Italian food and nice ambiance. It can get very crowded and loud. Reservations are a good idea on the weekends.

Went for dinner while visiting family. All of our meals were delicious. Pizza was outstanding! Sat outside on the side patio. Very pleasant.

I had a spectacular birthday dinner there. It is extremely clean . Food is HOT when staff places it in front of you. Exquisite Italian food. Make this local Italian Restaurant a must!! read more

Delicious Italian food. First time there and I had meatballs with linguini (as i always do when first time at an Italian restaurant as a way to determine if I'll return) Outstanding service, lovely ambiance. My friend had the burrata and it was heavenly, light and a tiny bit of a refreshing pesto on top. Can't wait to return! read more

Great Italian restaurant what a surprise to find this restaurant. The staff was amazing and helpful and the food was excellent.

I only tried it once. Super expensive for this area and the food wasn't something I would go back for.

The food is great, the staff is wonderful and the owner of this restaurant is beyond amazing. My wife and I arrived by bicycle, prior to taking Amtrak to Pittsburgh to ride the GAP trail. We were warmly welcomed without reservations , our meal was expedited due to our need to catch the evening train... and, then the storm of the summer arrived- pouring rain and lightening without letup! We were assured help was on the way and sure enough the owner who we did not personally know, came and escorted us with our bikes through the restaurant to his pickup and hauled us to the Amtrak station- all while getting himself soaked!! I could not believe it! We can't say 'Thank you!' enough!! read more

Exceptional food! Come hungry the portions are generous. I loved the Caesar salad, the dressing is so yummy. We sampled a variety of dishes and they were all really, really good. Nice wine selection as a bonus. read more

Ristorante Ottaviani - Yummy brick oven pizza - Italian Near Me - Cumberland, Maryland

See all

Get your behinds down here tonight Friday 10/6. The Cod Loin special is so freaking good! Bonus - there is music and vendors in the street! read more

Ristorante Ottaviani - Setting up for Live Music by Mike Whitehead. - Italian Near Me - Cumberland, Maryland

We recently took a trip down to Cumberland to visit a friend who lives there and this is one of his favorite restaurants so he offered to treat us. Since we went for lunch, we were actually on the other side from the Ristorante Ottaviani proper, and in their bar/cafe side instead. I suspected it would be pricy so we offered beforehand to cover any drinks. They ordered a charcuterie board before we got there and while the cheeses and meats were good, I was surprised they had no cracker or bread to accompany it... perhaps that's normal? But I have never experienced that and would have preferred to have some sort of bread or cracker on which to eat the charcuterie. We wanted a bottle of wine, so our friend picked his favorite type and the server said she wasn't sure if they had that one but they had another type that she let us taste (it was not that good). Our friend said he'd rather have the original so she went to the other side and got a bottle (so they did have it). It was a good wine but I was a little surprised at the cost (~$40 seems high but I'm no expert in Italian wines). Next was the pizza- I did enjoy our pizzas very much and I got the Hawaiian pizza. However, and again, the cost seemed quite high for what it was and considering we were just in some random city in Maryland... A few other issues I had- the service I honestly thought was really not good at all. The woman we had serving us was pushy about things that they had on the bar side (which was much more limited) when they had exactly what we wanted on the restaurant side that they were using to prepare our food anyways. It just bothered me and she was overall not as pleasant as I would have expected for a restaurant of this caliber. The building itself is well decorated and looked like a nice place for a drink some evening. They had a guy playing music that was just the right volume (could still carry a conversation). I highly doubt if it were up to me alone that I'd ever go back here and spend that much money on the service and food. It wasn't necessarily a terrible experience but it just didn't seem worth the cost. read more

Tried this place last night and the hostess was awesome when we showed up without reservations, she recommended the Tasting Room which serves the same food, a little loud though. Our server, Keegan was very nice, on top of things and personable The drinks were Prosecco based but the bartender used Voga Still Prosecco, I want bubbles when I order Prosecco! ! The food started off not so great, warm salads and a Peach Starter that had no flavor and small pieces of bread BUT the main course was Filet and a 30 oz Porterhouse that was AMAZING! Cooked perfectly and the flavor was out of this world! read more

See all

Plentiful, attentive and accommodating staff! Red house wine was exquisite. The filet and famous cream sauce are spot on.

Ristorante Ottaviani was so amazing we ate there both nights while staying in Cumberland for a two day bike ride. Tony, the owner, sang happy birthday to my boyfriend then welcomed us back the next night. The food was delicious. I had the chicken Marsala and my boyfriend had the pork Abruzzo which he said was one of the top three meals he ever ate. So he ordered it again the next night. The wait staff were friendly and attentive. Thank you Kelsey for taking good care of us. The bar was great. I had an IPA while my boyfriend enjoyed a well-made Manhattan. Get a reservation because they are always busy. But they take their time with you and the food is worth the wait. We can't wait to go back. read more

Peaches is a must stop if you are near by Venice, FL. The food is amazing and the prices are so reasonable! Staff are so wonderful and provide top notch service. Love the atmosphere of the restaurant it is so warm and welcoming! Loved the pineapple upside down pancake, Yummy! read more

See all

Hubby and I came here thru a recommendation by our friend who lives in this town. I checked the review and made a reservation for two. It didn't look like hard to find a table for two. Reservation accepted and we showed up. We were greeted and escorted upstairs. We got the highest floor. Hooray! We had Sara as our fine waitress. She was courteous and attentive. I got everything that I ordered. Hubby has chicken with pasta and spinach and I had my favorite fruitti di mare. I also had kale and spinach on the side. Let me tell you about my greens! They were exquisite! After having kale and spinach, green becomes my favorite color! I think they sprinkled some sea salt at the end, not during cooking. The EVOO was one of the best too. Between the EVOO and the sea salt, I think we have a winner here! I tried Hubby's chicken and that didn't disappoint either. The chicken was tender with a nice juicy taste. My fruitti di mare? It was delicious! I finished everything! I did it! Everything I do, I'll do it for you... Ooops, sorry! Getting emotional here. The restaurant seems like one of the best restaurants in town. The location is at the heart of downtown Cumberland. This should be a place to try while you're in town. read more

See all

We have been visiting Ristorante Ottaviani for the past three years and each meal is delicious. The entrée selections are very generous portions with amazing pasta, chicken, meat and fish entrées. Excellent selection and frequent specials that round out the menu. Service is occasionally slow on the busier nights but with reasonably priced wine and tasty cocktails the time goes quickly. The atmosphere is amazing, beautiful, old, renovated building, and the outdoor patio as well extra seating in the adjacent building allows for large gatherings (we typically have 8 to 10 in our party.) the quality of the food is well I would typically expect at a Metropolitan restaurant. Always one of my top selections when I'm in the mood to relax and enjoy. My wife's favorite. read more

this place was amazing. we opted to eat local vs at the Rocky Top rest. So glad we did! the food was amazing and reasonably priced. Loved pour waiter Lance! so delicious! and the spumoni dessert was so refreshing. loved everything. read more

Ristorante Ottaviani - Bolognese-so good huge portion ! hubby took half home ! - Italian Near Me - Cumberland, Maryland

See all

First time at Ottaviani. I highly recommend it. I was in town on business and just took a walk through town and the place had a nice crowd. I sat at the bar and had terrific service from the Bartender who actually was the manager of the joint although he was very busy he provides great service and good conversation. The owner also stopped by great dude. Ate an app of greens and beans which Was excellent I think it was 100% kale no bitterness and the beans were tender Seasoned perfectly. I had the Del Nonno and added shrimp it was actually very light with the olive oil garlic and excellent sun-dried tomatoes which gave it a little sweetness. I added some hot pepper pepper flakes to round it off it was excellent. I can only assume it was homemade pasta again was excellent. Forgot to add to be honest first bite of shrimp texture felt like they might be slightly undercooked that is soon as it hit my mouth I realized it was cooked perfectly. If you are staying at the Fairfield you can walk over I highly again recommend this place some of the best I've had if not the best. Cheers everyone read more

Ristorante Ottaviani - Del Nonno added shrimp greens and beans - Italian Near Me - Cumberland, Maryland

Hidden gem ! Excellent cocktails and dining experience. Food was delicious. Will visit again!

Pretty disappointed with our most recent experience at Ottaviani. I feel like most times I've been here, it's been a solid 3 star experience, give or take. However, some things to note--on our most recent visit, there was no AC so the inside of the restaurant was super hot and stuffy (where it felt the same outside as it did inside on a warm and humid summer evening.) When we were seated, half of the menus were different and so we had to ask our server, who didn't know which was the correct menu, and didn't know the difference between any of the wines on the list. For an "authentic" Italian restaurant, the servers should know how to describe the wines to customers. The food was decent but nothing was stand out. One stand out however was that they charged a "credit card processing fee" ($8.00) which we have never seen at a restaurant before. read more

Highly recommended! First of all, when you walk in the visual is sooooo welcoming. Tiered levels. Low lighting. Bustling atmosphere. Aromas! (And we were there at opening.). Thank goodness we had made a reservation. We were seated immediately. The drinks menu has something for everyone as does the food menu. There is even a separate pizza menu and specials menu. Bread with accompaniments were all very good. We ordered bolognese and linguine with red sauce. Food was fabulous and reasonably priced for quality of food. Service was top notch. Keegan was totally on top of things. He was not only pleasant and personable but quick, helpful with the menu, and efficient with timely service and special requests. Very professional but also genuinely friendly. read more