We tried out Sotto last night and were extremely impressed with the food! Have to admit that we were underwhelmed in the beginning with the very small sign on the exterior coupled with the extremely plain door leading you to some overly dark steps. It honestly makes you wonder if you accidentally entered in the back door by mistake! Perhaps the very dim stairs wouldn't have been as unwelcome if we hadn't gone in while it was still light outside and had no time for our vision to acclimate. It's surprising that nobody has fallen while making their way to the hostess area. Because sotto is so popular, you definitely need to call far in advance of going. I made reservations 2 weeks earlier and our choice was to eat at a large common table at 6 pm or a private table wasn't available until after 9. However since we were going to the aronoff, our decision was pretty much made up for us. The noise level was less than desirable as it was at times difficult to carry on a dinner conversation. But enough of the negatives- let's get to the good part. From what we could see, the rustic decor suited us with exposed brick and candlelight. Our server, Jessie came over to greet us. She was knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. As per her suggestion, we ordered 2 items from most of the categories and shared them. To start us off, we had the bruschetta along with the chicken liver mousse with pistachios. Very flavorful from what we had of it though it wasn't a lot for the 4 of us. The 2 antipastis we ordered were the baby kale caesar with anchovies & parmigiana along with an order of arugula, prosciutto, parmigiana & lemon oil. Both salads were quite tasty, but not to be outdone with what followed. Our first primi was the short rib cappellaci with shallots, amish butter & thyme which were delicious little "hats" of pasta filled with the meat. Secondly, we had tonnarelli cacio e pepe which were square sided spaghetti in just the perfect balance of butter, black pepper & cheese. This dish is so simple in that it requires so few ingredients but belies how wonderfully decadent these flavors come together. I will think about this dish until the next time we go there. The secondis were essentially the proteins. We ordered the wood fired Branzino (European sea bass) with bulgur wheat, roasted tomato & kale and braised beef "peposo" (stew) with tomato, red wine and polenta. My husband preferred the fish while I savored the beef stew over the creamiest polenta ever. If we hadn't been short on time we might have tried dessert per other yelpers recommendations. You will definitely need your server's help in translating the menu items. Besides our amazing meal, I did want to point out a few things. First, upon going to the ladies room, it was interesting to see a small sign that said simply "WC". In parts of Europe this is short for water closet (restroom). Not only were the sinks very nice but there were real fabric hand towels, too. As you leave the little hall that houses the WCs, there is a large windowed room where someone was preparing all that fresh pasta. It's kind of fun to see. Okay, this next part is probably TMI, so skip it or don't say I didn't warn you. When my hubby came back from the men's room, he noted the fact that there were real hand towels but also that there were ice cubes in the bottom of the urinal - what? Perhaps a more refined person wouldn't have asked but curiosity got the better of me. (you know you want to know now, too). Apparently, it keeps things smelling nice!? Now, I've heard everything. Anyway, I would definitely recommend sotto and look forward to returning. read more

Amazing food and service. Our waiter was very knowledgeable about the wine and menu. Great location and ambiance as well. Would recommend for sure. read more

This place is like a hidden gem tucked in in between two restaurants. They have this unique ambience. Feels like you're in an underground raven somewhere in Italy. Or a underground VVIP exclusive bar in Hollywood (lol). It was a bit dark, mysterious and chilly vibe. We were seated by the wine cellar which kinda looks like a stairway down to an underground cave, which was also kind of the kitchen. Or we felt like it. Which was amazing. Food was amazing! Had food coma after. read more

'Please sir, I want some more!" I mean really? This is a pretty freaking phenomenal restaurant. I love the dungeoness, but romantic vibe. The ambiance is super swanky and awesome. I love the long shared tables so you can be super creepy checking out everyone's food around you and strike up conversations with strangers. The cocktails rock my socks right off and they seemingly get everyone drunk because I had a very entertaining experience in the bathroom listening to 2 drunk girls talk about who knows what. Super classy and equally entertaining. I've come here multiple times for some cocktails and only once for dinner. My dining companion and I got multiple plates and shared everything. We were in heaven the whole time and just wanted to keep ordering more food. Definitely got my gluttoness side to show. Everything is cooked to perfection and all the flavors are spot on. I want to go back and experience more flavor explosions in my mouth! MMM... I'm hungry. read more

Great quality food, servers are friendly. I ordered the pork chop and was amazing. Place is nice

Sexy. It's the best word I can think of to describe Sotto. The ambiance, the staff, the food...all are top notch! I have fond memories of the space as I went to LaNormandie many times when I was young. While you may have a flashback for a second while walking downstairs, those memories quickly fade and you immediately know you'll be creating new ones. The room is somewhat dark, rustic, homey and comforting. You can have very different experiences depending on where you sit. Communal tables, romantic booths for two, private dining rooms or at the bar - whereever you end up sitting - you'll love it. We have had the pleasure of eating at Sotto a few times now during training and after they opened. From the first training night, you would think that the staff has been working together for years. Service is seamless and friendly and our first server Hillary remembers us and has said hello each time we've been in even though we weren't at her table. Knowing the level of professionalism this restaurant group expects, I wasn't surprised yet pleased that it wasn't stuffy or pretentious. The General Manager David seems to make regular rounds throughout the restaurant as he has stopped by our table during every visit. Asking the usual "how is everything" questions, but then some. We were asking about the space and he offered to take us on a tour of the restaurant so we could see everything. When we couldn't decide between two dishes, he helped us pick one and then kindly sent over the other dish as a surprise so we could enjoy both. Great sense of humor and clearly respected by his team. And then there is the food. Where to begin! Having been a few times now, I've had the opportunity to try a lot of items and honestly couldn't pick just one to recommend. You must start with a bruschetta, my favorite being the chicken liver with pistachio. The goat cheese & honey is amazing too as is the porchetta with a grainy mustard. Brussel sprout antipasti is a must but the kale ceasar salad is garlicky, peppery goodness as well. The short rib pasta is by far my favorite with the carbonara a close second. I wasn't a huge fan of the salmon dish but the branzino or chicken dishes are definitely worth trying. I mostly drink red wine but tried the Amalfi cocktail which was refreshing and kind of like an Italian mojito. Sotto is definitely my new home away from home. Whether it's girls night out, on a date or even with a large party (2 great private dining rooms) - this is your place. Amazing food, perfect service and reasonable prices, you won't be disappointed! read more

Sotto - Italian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Sotto is an absolute banger of a restaurant. Top 2 places to eat in Cincinnati, and it's NOT 2. When I say the food smacks, I mean it. It will hit you right in the mouth with some absolute great flavors. Get the house wine to start and the ricotta donuts to finish and you'll have yourself a night. read more

UPDATE: Since I wrote this review I have received a harassing comment disguised as a compliment from a fake Yelp account based in the tri-state area. ORIGINAL REVIEW: I expected much more. Beware: 1. Loud: Music blasting, and it's not cool: The Who. Led Zeppelin. No soundproofing, so it's noisy. Really noisy. 2.: Small-ish Tapas style servings: These are not traditional Italian-style serving portions. You need to spend a lot of money to get full. The Food is very good, though. 3. Service: Waitstaff was friendly and attentive, but cleared plates without asking, with food still on table, twice. Also, we spilled a $10 glass of wine into a plate of $13 pasta, and they didn't bring new glass of wine. Manager brought us a new pasta, and acted as if he was doing us a favor. Our bill was upwards of $500. IT'S PASTA AND SOME OIL. Give me a break. 4. When I mentioned all of this to the general manager, he was like, "well you should have known the music was loud because it's all over social media." When complained that our plates were taken, he sarcastically said, "well, I'll bring you all new hot entrees." To the manager's credit, he did turn down the music significantly and moved our table so we could almost hear one another talk. I know that the sum of those transgressions doesn't seem to warrant two stars. But I chose the place for my 40th birthday party with my family, was really looking forward to it, and ended up very disappointed. I'll never go back, and that's largely due to the music volume and choice and the management's attitude. I don't understand why an upscale, candle-lit restaurant going for a classy but hip vibe insists on blasting WEBN-style music at volumes that rival a sports bar. Then again, it's Cincinnati. I will save my money for New York, and cook for the family next time I'm in town. read more

Hopefully this review is helpful for all groups considering making reservations at Sotto. **PLEASE NOTE - This is not a review of the food or servers but rather their very, very backwards reservation system** In mid August, my spouse and I tried to make reservations for a birthday party for a group of friends. The date would be a Saturday in early October. All total, we would have a headcount of 12. Open Table would not let us book online (even eight weeks in advance) and cited our group size was too big, we had to call the restaurant for reservations. Upon doing so, we learned there was a special "group coordinator" for groups of our size. We'd have to leave our contact information for her to call us back. We did receive a call back 48 hours later, gave the details and thought we had made the reservations successfully. Keep in mind that: *We did not request a special room *We were open to times between 7-9:00pm *We didn't have any special needs guests *Other than sitting together, we didn't have a table preference Days and weeks passed with no email confirmation, no call backs to confirm, nothing. Finally we nervously reached out today and there was absolutely nothing on record. Our reservation was non-existent and as such, the plans were ruined. The Boca/Sotto restaurant group openly claims to be the most sophisticated in Cincinnati. Can I not simply make reservations with the host/ hostess? Can I get an email to confirm? Can I get a call to confirm? Can I get an apology? Is there anything that can be done? Is there a manager checking these details? I'm very, very disappointed. I strongly urge caution to all parties booking at Sotto. Please get something in writing from these people. Even if you have to go to the restaurant yourself to get it. read more

This hidden Gem is great. Everything is homemade even the pasta. We had a group ~12 people and reserved a room for us. The family style dinner was wonderful. Everything I tasted was good. Their server we had was amazing. The only downside was the time it took ~3hrs, other than that 5 star rating read more

Say it with me: Soh-toh Also, if you're looking for it, you'll probably miss it and that's by design. So, look for Nada and realize it's next door. There's a small stairway leading down below street level to a door with Sotto written on it. If you want to make reservations, expect to book them at least a week in advance. You can do that on opentable if you prefer that to calling. So, this place blew me away. It's probably the most visceral response I've had to a restaurant in Cincinnati. I was transported. I could have been convinced that I was in a major city such as DC, NY, or in CA. It's definitely dark and rather loud, so keep that in mind. The mood lighting is swanky and you feel like you are in a wine cellar. They have a full service bar with quality bar staff, excellent liquor selection. They serve the full menu at the bar as well (which is first come seating) so, if you really want to check the place out and can't get a reservation, you can always try this option. There's a special private room nestled off to the side behind a curtain that would be great for smaller groups. The food is amazing, both in flavor and presentation. And I don't say that lightly. I had plenty, but still was left wanting more. I started off pre-dinner with a Plymouth gin martini up. It was made expertly and the quality olives didn't detract from the supple flavor of the gin. The meal began with bruschetta; obviously. I had the goat cheese & hazelnut honey. Hot damn! I mean seriously, this melted in my mouth and was well balanced, delicate and bold all at the same time. This was followed by pennette vodka (spicy tomato & vodka cream sauce). I wanted to lick the plate and suck on my spoon. The sauce really was that good. And previously I was unconvinced there was an Italian restaurant in Cincinnati worth going to. The handmade pasta was also perfectly prepared. So, as a vegetarian, there aren't really that many options. But, to be fair, that's par for the course in Cincinnati. Still, the choices here are actually so good that I didn't leave thinking about it at all. Is it a little expensive? I mean sure, some of the dishes are. However, at this price, there are many other places you could go but you would miss out on the flavor, the preparation, the quality, the presentation, the atmosphere... The wine is good, but of course this is where you'll shell out the extra bucks. You can bring your own bottle, but keep in mind the corkage is $25/bottle. So...you better be bringing something amazing. For dessert, the ricotta donuts were. the. best. thing. ever. And I'm not even really a donut guy. They just melted into your mouth and were oh so satisfying without leaving you feeling stuffed or assaulted by some harsh sugary flavor. We also had the selection of gelati and they were quite amazing. Heck, after a show at the Aranoff, walk your special someone over here for a glass of wine (or spirits) and share the ricotta donuts. I will be surprised if passion does not ensue. And trust me, the ensuing is the best part of the passion. read more

Things you have to order: Octopus Short rib cappellacci Spaghetti and vongole Bruschetta with honey, goat cheese and hazelnut Brunello Almalfi cocktail Probably one of the best Italian restos I've eaten at. I love the ambiance and the service was exceptional. I'll be back for sure. read more

Oh, ricotta donuts. How effing delicious. I was expecting a plate of maybe 3 teeny mounds of fried dough, but nope, we got a platter with SEVEN donuts the size of munchkins. And you can dip em in three different sauces: salty caramel, pistachio, or chocolate. Mm mm mm. I was double dipping into that pistachio like cray (my friend was doing the same with the caramel). Gooey pistachio donut--reminds me a little of the Doughnut Plant in New York, which I sorely miss. Ok, as you can tell we came here fully prepared to save room for dessert. So between the two of us we got 1 antipasti and 2 primi (pasta dishes) to share. We didn't look twice at the secondi, as we had heard it's all about the pasta at Sotto. ANTIPASTI Baby Kale Caesar Salad. So simple, so fresh, so good. The croutons had a nice crunch, tasted like chips. PRIMI (1) Short Rib Cappellacci. This is a no-brainer. If you like beef, you will fall in love with this. The beef/pasta combo reminds me of beef stroganoff, but the fact that the meat is embedded inside the pillowy pasta makes this ALL THE BETTER. Sauce is pure buttery goodness. (2) Pennette Vodka. I picked it, even though the server called out the Lumache as their other specialty and even though I know I could make penne vodka myself. But sometimes you just have to listen to your cravings. And I'm glad I did--turns out, I cannot make this by myself. The vodka cream sauce with a very subtle spicy kick was simply the best I've ever had. This was such a satisfying dish. DESSERT: (1) Ricotta Donuts. My eyes popped when they brought these out, then glazed over when I took the first bite. See first paragraph. (2) Chocolate Terrine. So silkyyy. And I love the crunch you get with the pistachios (I'm nuts for pistachios if you can't tell!!!). But I didn't think the olive oil did much, seemed kinda weird to me. So yes, dessert was almost 50% of our meal. And nope, no regrets there. Overall, I love that the atmosphere is unpretentious for a restaurant of its status. Did not think it was too dark like some other reviewers (the candle lights are nice--goes with the fancy dungeon look--and I could see everything I put in my mouth). Bill came out to be under $55 for two. Tip: If you skip secondi, which is at least double the price of primi, you can save a whole lot of $$ (and belly room for dessert). Oh and it was nice that the server offered us espresso on the house! read more

Sotto was everything and more! We were recommended this restaurant from several people after recently moving to Cincinnati. Even though we didn't have a reservation, we were able to find four seats together at the bar on a busy Saturday night. Perfect spot for a date night. Pricy, but worth it for the authentic Italian food! read more

My night at Sotto has easily reached the top five of my all-time favorite dining experiences! After spotting this place on Yelp, justifying a special reason to come, and waiting weeks for my reservation, everything finally came to fruition as I arrived with my boyfriend on Saturday night. We planned to eat early in order to hit up the Festival of Lights afterwards and arrived promptly at 5PM. Going down the steps of Sotto reminded me of walking into an underground wine cellar. The lights were dim, the walls mainly exposed brick, and the furniture filling the room was comprised of wood and iron. While the place was empty when we arrived, it quickly filled up with large and small parties. We ended up sitting in what I would describe as a larger private dining area - a big table sat in the middle with four smaller tables along the walls. This room, while somewhat sectioned off from the rest of the restaurant was just the right mixture of a quiet dinner and engagement with other customers. After having our server go over the menu (almost) in its entirety, we settled on a few things to order: 1. The Goat Cheese and Hazelnut Honey Bruschetta - OMG. This stuff was amazing. If I could have it at every meal, I would, without a doubt. What works about this bruschetta is that no flavor is overwhelmingly dominant, but each of them melts into a single nutty, sweet, and savory experience. I took my time with each bite because I could not imagine eating anything better (but then I definitely did). 2. Gemelli con Pomodoro - Their first pasta on the menu was the perfect complement to a cold night. The spiral pasta was topped with a San Marzano tomato sauce, ricotta cheese, and breadcrumbs, and just delicious. The San Marzano sauce was thick and airy, and in perfect proportion to the noodles, which made it easy to eat (not messy, watery, or too much). The breadcrumbs provided excellent texture to the dish as a whole, and again I was left thinking what could be better? 3. Short Rib Cappellacci - This. This was better. If you read any of these Yelp reviews, they are going to say the same thing: Eat. This. Dish. And their advice does not disappoint. After asking the server to serve our pastas one at a time, and eating the bruschetta, the first pasta, and multiple helpings of bread, I doubted my ability to enjoy the Short Rib Cappellacci with the same hunger as before, but it was easy. Each ravioli positioned on the plate is filled with tender, juicy short rib meat that literally explodes with flavor in your mouth. It is also covered in the best tasting alfredo-butter sauce, which we enjoyed dipping bread into even after we finished our pasta. 4. Ricotta Donuts - Last, but certainly not least, we ordered the Ricotta Donuts (+ dipping sauces) and coffee, and once again, love/heaven/everything good in this earth took the form of food in their donut holes and dipping sauces. Exceptionally bursting with flavor that you could easily eat these donuts by themselves, we loaded them up in the sauces: Chocolate, Salted Caramel, and Pistachio. The chocolate was simple, but as a lover of all things chocolate, was still amazing. The Salted Caramel was overflowing with flavor, and it was easily our favorite. The salty caramel just complimented the sweetness of the donuts the best and lead to an out of this world experience. The Pistachio was the only 'meh' item we encountered, but with our overflowing appreciation of the other sauces, it was easy to ignore. In total, our bill came out to be around $85 (we also ordered a bottle of wine), but overall, I can definitely attest that each penny we paid was extremely worth it. Our two-hour dining experience was filled with some of the best food I have ever eaten, delicious wine, high quality service, and many more memories that will make this a night I want to experience again and again! This is the place for celebrations, memories, and evenings that you want to cherish forever. read more

When I asked our waiter, who looked like Dave Matthews but talked like Mitchell from Modern Family, what the difference was between Sotto and Boca, his exact words were: "Boca is a very formal crowd, Sotto is a more casual and livelier crowd." I can't imagine what Boca's clientele looks like, because most of Sotto's patrons looked like they went to kindergarten with Betty White. With that said, let's talk about more relevant restaurant topics, like food. Actually, let's start with drinks: Get the Amalfi. Ok, now on to food: Similar to people's confusion between alligators and crocodiles is my life-long confusion with prosciutto and bruschetta. No pneumonic device in the world can help me remember, so when it comes to ordering, I tend to order wrong. We ordered the Goat Cheese/Honey Bruschetta and the Fried Zucchini with Feta. We ordered wrong. Luckily, our waiter also accidentally brought us someone else's Polenta with fried egg. Someone else ordered very right. If you like tasty things, you'll LOVE this. For the main course, our waiter explicitly said that only their pastas are worthwhile, so we explicitly listened. But buyer beware: trusting waiters is tricky, since we don't know anything about their tastes or habits or maiden names. Based off his recommendation, we ordered the Short Rib Capellaci, the Pennette Vodka, and the Trenne con Rapini (nonconsentual pasta). The Short Rib Capellaci was definitely the best, but if I had to live life again, I wouldn't have unequivocally trusted his suggestions. Luckily, he won my heart back by giving our birthday girl a complimentary dessert - Chocolate Budino. This was the second-best dessert we tried (out of two), only to the Banana Tiramisu. Though the serving dish makes this dessert not fit for the messy adult, its deliciousness will drown out the sound of any spillage. If you have questions, sorry, those are all the answers I have. Enjoy! read more

Preface: My visit was back in October, so thinfs may be different now. The atmosphere of this joint is a whole star itself. It feels half like a speakeasy, half like a dank basement scene from a horror film. But they decorate the place nicely, so its a dim lit romantic seeming vibe for surface value. We sat at the bar because it was a Friday night and they didnt have any tables until like 945 or so. Which is fine, can't expect a seat on a busy night. Our bartender was overtly dismissive of me and my girlfriend. Our drinks were empty for a solid 10 minutes while sitting at the bar...where the drinks come from. The food was the other 2 stars. The bruschetta (sp) we got was really, really burnt. I tried to scrape the burnt parts off but the flavor had seeped into the very core of this bread. I kept trying to be overly nice to the bartender, maybe he just had a rough day. Maybe he needed some smiles in his life. Apparently he didnt, because when I thanked him and told him to have a great rest of his evening, he looked me up and down with the most smug look on his face and ended our night with the most charming response of, "Yeah." read more

One of my all-time favorite restaurants and the most credible dishes. I love the atmosphere and try to go as often as I can

I will start with positive things. While walking around Cincinnati, I saw this restaurant and walked inside to realize that there were no seats available. It made me want to go Sotto more. So, next day I called for reservation. It was easy. I made requests to start the table with champagne and wine. It was perfect. The day of reservation, they were ready with right champagne and wine. Music and Ambiance of this restaurant is awesome. I was really excited to try their food. But then, I realized I will never be back to Sotto. Service was bad. Waitress was forcing us to gulp our wine and champagne. We felt that they wanted us to leave asap. Then Food was salty and bad (just bad, I cannot think of any other word). I wanted some peppers and some other waiter brought peppers on a plate and threw it over the table. It was rude. Overall experience was bad. I may come back to sit at the bar and enjoy a glass of beer but I refuse to dine here again. read more

This is one of my new favorite restaurants in Cincinnati easily slid into my top 10. To start I had the black kale Caesar salad. The dressing was thick and creamy and close to perfected the Caesar dressing. I also liked that rather than too this with coupons they topped it with a generous portion of thinly sliced parmesan cheese. Don't be fooled though, they say it can be shared but if you share it you will be disappointed because it it so delightful you will want the whole thing plus it is about perfect size to compliment the portions of Sotto's main courses. For my main course I had the wood fired Bronzino which is a Mediterranean Sea bass. It was perfectly cooked and had a light buttery taste with just a hint of garlic. The side was I believe minced kale which in my book was the perfect side for this dish. This was a great place to eat with a wonderful atmosphere. I tried 4 different dishes and all of them were amazing especially the truffle pasta. I will be coming back here hopefully sooner rather than later. read more

If you are looking for a date night, Sotto is the place to go. The atmosphere and energy of the place is almost electrifying. Don't let this dimly lit basement fool you. It is extremely cozy and sets the mood for an extremely romantic night out. I've taken my girlfriend here the last 2 years for her birthday. It was the first place we went when she moved back from New York. The plan this year was to go to Sotto's sister restaurant, BOCA; however, we loved Sotto so much that we had to come back again this year. The menu is laid out perfect to share a 5-course meal. The wait-staff does an excellent job bringing you fresh plates for each course and everything is easy to share. For starters, the Goat Cheese and Hazelnut Honey Bruschetta is a perfect way to start off the meal. Another must is their Short Rib Cappellacci (ravioli). It literally melts in your mouth. I was a little dissapointed that the Prosciutto Polenta was not on the antipasta menu this time, because it was surprisingly amazing last time. The roasted chicken with crispy fingerlings, broccolini and kale almond pesto exceeded my expectations. Everything about this main course was cooked to perfection. The breaded pork loin was good last time, but I would personally recommend the roasted chicken. Finally, if you leave without trying the ricotta doughnuts, you are committing a sin against humanity. Seriously, don't do it. They are that good no matter how overly stuffed you are. read more

I went on the official opening day, knowing there'd be kinks that need to be worked out. I go to many restaurants in the first week, and you really have to give a bit of benefit of the doubt. Not at Sotto, though. The entire night was remarkably kink-free. The location is amazing. It's in a basement, one that isn't hard to imagine was incredibly creepy not too long ago. But they cleaned it and fixed it up and, honestly, it's one of the best looking locations in Cincinnati. I'm a huge fan of anything that takes the building as it is, and that's what Sotto does. It's beautiful. I did enter with the same fear I have from Boca, though - leaving hungry. I've learned how to deal with that in Boca (spend more than you want to, given that the menu offers the ability to spend less), and wasn't sure what to expect here. Would I be overordering? The drink menu is mostly Italian. Italian takes on current drinks, Italian wines, and Italian beers. I went with something else Italian and rare - complimentary sparking water. I can't stress enough how happy that made me. We somewhat copied the other Yelp review. We began with the goat cheese and hazelnut honey bruschetta. It was indeed a flavor explosion. A bit too sweet relative to our other appetizers, but it was indeed full of flavor. We also went with the brussels sprouts, which were delicious, and a special which was polenta with a fried egg. I dubbed this "breakfast," but it was extremely delicious. For entrees, well, I felt I knew better than the first review. Pfft, she doesn't know how much I love short rib, so I'm ordering this! Well, she was right, the dish was a bit small. Tasty, but small. One of my friends ordered the lumache all'amatriciana, which was a better value. Larger, and tastier. Which isn't to say the short rib pasta wasn't tasty, overusing the word it was delicious, but just a bit less so. We also ordered a clam pasta that my friends loved, but I do not eat seafood so I cannot comment. At this point I was concerned. I had entered starving, and still felt hungry. My friends, however, were stuffed. I decided to move on to dessert. My friend split a banana tiramisu, and I went with a chocolate covered with salt, pistachios and olive oil. Both were excellent, but mine really hit the spot. It was a perfect end that I highly recommend. My concerns disappeared at that point, as well. The pasta, and the dessert, settled, and I was definitely stuffed. Happily stuffed. In all we walked out stuffed, and for a third the amount we spend at Boca. We walk out of Boca very happy. We walked out of Sotto at least as happy. The food was great, the service was great, etc. I'll be going back regularly - this place was a huge hit. read more

The Top 100 restaurants in the country is no joke. Had one item from each of the menu sections and everything was delicious. The ricotta doughnuts were awesome and the perfect dessert with the meal. Even better than the food, was the service. I made a reservation for my girlfriends birthday and had mentioned in the reservation comments that we were coming for that occasion - with the caveat that they could feel free to embarrass her for being old of course. Our server, Seth, was awesome in not only making her birthday dinner a lot of fun (he organized a group of employees to sing for her, which I'm told they do not usually do), but he made us feel very welcome in a restaurant with a menu that we were not extremely comfortable reading (I'm usually pretty simple with my food choices). He took the time to explain everything and did not judge us at all for asking questions on what certain items were or mispronouncing italian words, unlike some other places I have been to. I will definitely go back again - even just to chow down on the dessert menu. read more

Love love love this place! Beat atmosphere in town and the food is never disappointing! Great wine selection!

I think this place is overrated. Food and service is good but nothing special. Also, the atmosphere is a bit too much. It was so dim that it was almost hard to see and somewhat uncomfortable; especially since it's In a dungeon. I got the pistachio chicken liver spread. It was the best chicken liver spread I've had to be honest. I was very surprised at how sweet and fluffy the spread was. The pistachios complimented the spread very well. However, I'm not a big fan of the grilled bread. It was too hard and somewhat hard to eat. The charred taste was a bit too bitter. My gf and I got pasta dishes. I got the short rib ravioli and she got a pasta dish in vodka sauce I believe. It was okay. I've had way better short rib ravioli in Chicago for half the price. My gf's dish was good but overpriced for what it is. Donut holes were very good. The sauces were really good. It's worth a try but I would not go here too often. I will return sometime in the future for a 2nd opinion but considering how my first experience went and how overpriced the food is, it might be awhile. If you have money to blow, give it a try. If not, go upstairs and eat at boca which is 3x as good for the same price. read more

A good friend and co-worker invited my wife and I out for dinner here last night and what a great recommendation. As soon as we entered the warm, dark atmosphere was inviting and comfortable. We met our friends at the bar and had some wine and bourbon. The bartender was friendly and drinks were very good. Our reservations were at 5pm but we didnt sit until 5:20pm. They informed us that our table was reserved until 7pm which was fine. We started off with a bottle of Chianti Senesi, Montenidoli, '10 which was amazing according to my friends and wife. I preferred Four Roses on the rocks to start myself. We started by ordering 3 dishes of Bruschetta, the goat cheese & honey, tuna w/egg and blue oven tortano bread. Everyone shared and we all agreed the goat cheese with honey was the best. The tuna/egg bruschetta was a close 2nd and I finished off the last 2 pieces of tortano bread. We ordered 2 pasta dishes and the breaded pork for dinner. Once again we all shared portions so everyone could taste. The waiter recommended the lumache all'amatriciana - guanciale, onion & tomato sauce and it was delicious. My friend's wife is Italian and she makes many Italian dishes from scratch. She was very impressed with the red sauce but I loved the bacon flavor the best. The tonnarelli cacio e pepe - butter, black pepper & pecorino simply melted in your mouth. I took a little extra in my portion hoping nobody noticed. :) The breaded pork was very moist and excellent to mix in with the black peppered Tonnarelli cacio e pepe. With every bite you could hear pleasurable moans from everyone at the table, I simply couldnt believe food could be this good and made from scratch. I told my buddy that I saw some donuts on a Yelp review and that we should order some for dessert. Sure enough they brought out the delicious pastries stuffed with Richotta cheese along with 3 dipping sauces, Pistacchio, caramel and chocolate. Even the ladies couldnt resist going back for more after tasting. We ended up requesting a 2nd order they were so good. At that point we were all full and happy. The service was excellent, I always enjoy when a waiter makes a strong recommendation. He was very attentive to our needs and kept our water glasses full all night long. I look forward to going back, a really great place to eat and comfortable atmosphere. read more

Tonight I returned to Sotto with my parents and we had amazing service from Sarah. From the time she came to our table introducing herself as our server for the evening, taking our drink orders to explaining the menu in detail to my Mom who can be a picky eater, pairing out the courses and selections we had a wonderful evening. The food is so good starting with bruschetta - try the goat cheese & honey - it melts in your mouth, followed by fresh flavorful salads, the arugula salad is so good, love how the peppery kick of arugula matches perfectly with prosciutto and parmigiano. Then the pastas - so many to choose from, so its good to order a few plates and share. The tonnarelli cacio e pepe - butter, black pepper & pecorino is so simple yet divine! My Mom enjoyed Sarah's recommendation short rib cappellacci - shallot, amish butter & thyme, which she told us is Sotto's most popular pasta dish. My Dad enjoyed the breaded pork loin and my brother enjoyed every bite of the wood fired branzino w/ bulgur wheat, 27 roasted tomato & kale. Thank you for a wonderful evening! read more

I don't normally write reviews, but I thought this was really important. My family and I were so excited to try this restaurant and my parents traveled from out of town to come here. Unfortunately, we all ended up getting really sick for days following eating here. The only item that was shared by everyone was the Charcuterie Board. My parents, husband and myself all became extremely ill following eating this. We ended having to be Covid tested and my mother almost ended up in the hospital for dehydration. We know that it was from the restaurant, because the children were not with us and so they never got sick. Please think twice before eating here. read more

Great food, fantastic service and wonderful ambiance. Only downside is it is so popular, it's hard to get in.

By far my favorite restaurant, not only in Cincinnati, but anywhere. Anyone listing this as fewer 4 stars mystifies me. It is a fine dining experience, and as such, expect it to be on the pricier side, with reasonable (read: not oversized, but not micro-plate) portions, and carefully honed preparations. If you're craving a big plate of over-sauced pasta and a never ending basket of bread, this is not the place you're looking for. I've been to Sotto several times, with just my husband, with small groups, even as part of a large group for my bridal shower. The accommodations were perfect regardless of the size of our crowd- intimate enough for a couple but roomy enough at the large table in the back room for a pretty vocal group to have fun without feeling like we were imposing anyone else's night. Despite the size of the crowd, or the day or season we visited, I've never found my food to be anything less than amazing. Take, for example, my last trip; my husband and I visited in the fall for my birthday. We were greeted by name, the server even commented that I'd visited for my previous Birthday as well. Upon viewing the menu, we saw blood sausage featured. We both agreed that if we were ever going to try blood sausage, this would be the place to do it. And...amazing. Sotto has a very warm atmosphere- a cellar-like, wood paneled, softly lit hideaway that feels private even if you're sitting in the middle of the room. Just the smokey, aged smell of the wood when you walk in is enchanting. I can't say enough about Sotto. It is an incredible dining experience, from House-Cured Salumi to Antipasti (at the risk of sounding cliched and pretentious, the Polenta is transcendent) to the pastas (Short Rib Cappellacci!), you really can't go wrong. Oh, and by the way, if you're too full for desert, they're happy to bag up an order of Ricotta Doughnuts (with extra caramel!) to take home. Enjoy! read more

Oh My! I was staying a a hotel nearby and stopped in for dinner. Wow! The Vibe - Super cool. You enter through a basement door and it has a speakeasy feel to it. dark, candles, rich rood and stone. Great bar and the bartender made a proper Negroni. The Service - friendly and helpful. Everyone went the extra mile to talk with us about the menu and the community. The Food - It blew my mind! We had the Polenta, Short Rib Cappellacci, Pennette Vodka and Garlic Bread. I could go on for an hour but I'm just going to tell you that it was all amazing. I all most didn't go here because the pictures of the food on Yelp aren't great but I'm so glad I did. read more

Sotto - Polenta - Italian Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Unreal. After dining here a few times, I think it's my new favorite restaurant anywhere. Motivated enough to even write a review - that's how amazing! Other reviews have said it's loud and dark - both very true. Other than some of our group having to lean into the beautiful real candle centerpiece to read the menu, I'm not sure how either of those things were a negative. Great ambiance, great vibe. We shared everything in a group of 8, but things I would write home about if I wrote home about food: The table bread was stellar. Polenta with delicious egg and brown butter is real parmigiano - unreal. Short rib cappellacci - beautifully hand made and stuffed with amazing short rib - this was our first dish of many we literally cleaned the plate with bread. Braised beef "peposo" - so magical. The shared Porterhouse Steak was huge and brought to the table prepared /cut perfectly to share. Italian beers and house wine carafes were delicious. Desserts as well - just amazing. We actually sat at the table for two and a half hours but it felt like no time at all, and didn't feel pressured or rushed by our server. Great time to talk with friends over an amazing meal. read more

Having moved to Cincy from Chicago recently, my wife & I are into carving out our favorites list. Sotto currently occupies the top restauant spot. Been twice (ate once at bar, once in restaurant). Yes, its dark, but somehow the atmosphere works. Its a great vibe with great food and inventive cocktails. Some below wrote "go, just go". Couldnt have said it any better. Bon Appetite! read more

Whoa how have I not made it here yet. Sotto is an outstanding Italian restaurant located below Boca. Bottom line, I agree the ricotta doughnuts are a must but do not overlook the bonet (chocolate amaretti bliss which I am pretty sure also has fabulous espresso). The entrance to Sotto is a little different. It is a basement. Have no fear, just walk down the steps. If you would like to sit at a table, plan ahead and make a reservation. If you like fly by the seat of your pants like me, dine at the bar. The restaurant itself is gorgeous, with dark woods. The bar top is brass and the lighting is perfect for romance (but it would fine for family too). We started with bread (Blue Oven) and olive oil (Cretan)- of course this was delicious. Next I had gnocchi (without sausage) and my boyfriend had the short rib cappellacci. The gnocchi I am used to are little balls (not really that shape, they are more like the tip of your tongue) of pasta, but this was a set of three large round gnocchi (like the diameter of a pop can). They were divine. I am not sure if this magic is in the sauce or the pasta but these lovelies melted in my mouth. I snagged a couple of the cappellacci- their sauce is amazing! We tried a red and white house wine with this course. Both were very good, but we especially liked the red. Our bartender had suggested more food, but little did he know I had planned on ordering two desserts for my boyfriend's birthday. I had heard about the doughnuts and our bartender had mentioned that the bonet was unbelieveable so we ordered both. The doughnuts are amazing (and I don't usually get excited about doughnuts), but the bonet, oh my gosh amazingly decadent. The bonet is richly chocolate with notes of espresso and is surrounded by a generous serving of amaretto (with whipped cream and a bit of crushed graham- I think). Amazing. We sipped a bit of limocello and orangecello with dessert- house made and fabulous! I cannot pick a favorite here, but I will definitely be back! read more

Best Place In Cinci: If you are looking for amazing food at a terrific price search no further. Although the average price for each diner is around $25 (no drinks) the food and service here couldn't get better. I've dined here twice now and both times I went the food was the best I've ever tasted. I would highly suggest coming here on a date or coming to celebrate. The gnocchi is out of this world as well as the cacio e Pepe. I would dine here everyday if I could afford it. If you are hesitant on going, I definitely recommend it as I don't think there is a better place to eat at for the price. read more

The best part of this place is the atmosphere. It felt and looked like a basement hoarding cheese, just like the ones I've seen on tv. Strangely the music doesn't match, but I don't know if I would of noticed without it being pointed out by another reviewer. Service was good, nothing bad, but nothing that made me say wow which is a summation of my visit. The service left us mostly alone, which is what I like. I ordered a Manhattan like cocktail, and again, nothing bad, but no wow factor. The second best part, the food seemed to be completely authentic. My girl friend informed me that on her trip to the bathroom, she discovered you can watch a chef hand make all the pasta. No spaghetti and meatballs here. The food though, good, but left me unsatisfied. We started with bread, oil and a dish of salt. The bread is from a local baker, and you could definitely tell. It was strange when we had a dish of salt with a spoon brought out with the bread. I was confused if we were to salt the oil or bread, or if this was just a replacement for the salt shaker. If a restaurant doesn't follow the norm and we inform you it's our first time visiting, I think you should be explain, no matter how obvious. I had to pay for the bread which is a double edged sword. Glad it's price is not hidden in my meal, but I also expect more having to pay. I've certainly had better olive oil and at the end of the day, bread is bread. I'd preferred butter to grocery tasting olive oil. The prosciutto and escarole salad was fresh, and fun -- the way it was wrapped in prosciutto. Flavor wise, boring, salad was boring just like most bread, and the bread here, although fresh. Soup? The salads boldness was in these onions that I think were supposed to be pickled. They needed to be pickled longer though, very oniony, and not in a good way. I expected more depth from this place and a $13 salad. I imagined how much better the oil would be if soaked and lightly heated with lemon rind or some other flavor. I got the short rib pasta due to do many reviewer recommendations. Was certainly good, and I enjoyed the fresh pasta. Pamesean combined with the beef is excellent. But it just seemed safe, all the flavors were mild and a combination of background notes. Last was the seabass/branzino. Again, good, but nothing bold and no flavors popped out. At this point I was bothered, as I was still hungry. So figured I might as well get a desert. My girlfriend wanted the chocolate dish, so we ordered the mouse. Tasted like chocolate, but I liked the hazel nuts. I think it would of been better with espresso mixed in. As a foodie, I basically taste the same things on a weekly basis. Everything was cooked and prepared very well, but I thought the dishes were boring. There was beef heart as an appetizer and octopus in a salad, possibly too adventurous when plates are meant to share. One might be more daring than the other. Great atmosphere, and good food if you don't have a broad palette. Pricey for what you get. read more

Wow, I was incredibly impressed with my experience at Sotto. A group of us went for dinner on a Thursday night. We had reservations and were seated promptly in one of the round booths. Our server, Cyrus, came by within minutes to offer us still or sparkling water. When our whole party arrived, he explained the menu and specials, offered his recommendations and left us with the difficult choice of deciding what to order. Between the four of us, here's what we ordered: -House red wine. The four of us shared a liter. I don't know what it was but it was tart and dry, the perfect thing to whet our appetites before a delicious meal. -Goat cheese bruschetta. A simple and lovely appetizer on perfectly grilled bread. -Black kale Caesar salad. The salad consists of shredded black and baby kale, dressing, croutons and cheese. A solid pick. -Melon salad with proscuitto. This was one of the prettiest dishes we ordered, and it was flat-out delicious. Melon and prosciutto is a classic pairing, but the feta and almonds take it over the top. -Pasta. We each got our own, and to be honest, no one wanted to share! With good reason. My tagliatelle con tartufo was to. die. for. I love anything with truffle, and the sauce was just perfect. But the pasta was the real star. You can tell it's freshly made, just the right amount of chew. The last time I had pasta this good I was eating in an alleyway in Rome. -Garlic bruschetta. Cyrus suggested this after we'd started on our pastas, so we got two orders for the table. Again, perfectly grilled bread with a bit of a char and a strong scent of garlic. -Ricotta donuts. We closed out the evening with two orders of donuts for the table. The donuts are round and light, almost like a beignet, but so creamy in the center! The caramel dipping sauce was our favorite, followed by pistachio. Some members of our party may have polished off the sauces with spoons when the donuts were gone. I can neither confirm nor deny. On the whole, the food was fantastic, as was the service. We were there for 2 1/2 hours, but it didn't feel that long at all. The pacing of the courses was perfect, and we never felt neglected or overwhelmed by our waiter. Cyrus did a great job making suggestions, keeping our glasses full, and more or less accommodating our every need. He even split our complicated bill at the end, without even batting an eye. My tips for dining at Sotto: 1. Make a reservation. 2. Plan to be there for several hours. 3. Order bread or garlic bruschetta for the table or you'll wish you had. (I've seen some reviews mentioning complimentary bread, but that doesn't seem to be the case anymore.) 4. Order any pasta. Do not share. Or do, whatever. 5. Portions are smallish but not tiny. Most people would be satisfied with an appetizer or salad, a pasta dish, and bread or dessert (or both, if you're me). You can get by without the pricier secondi dishes, which I'm sure are also delicious. 6. Channel your inner Shia LaBeouf and JUST DO IT. read more

I'll start with this- I felt like a sexy vampire eating here. This awesome restaurant is located in a basement of the building and when you walk down the stairs they are lined with small white candles. This sets the ambiance immediately for what you are about to walk into. The restaurant is all exposed brick with arched doorways and long stem white candles on the tables. The lights are dim and the private dining area can be closed off with red velvet curtains. I almost got the Phantom of the Opera vibe and loved it! This restaurant is somewhat small inside- probably why the reservations fill up so quickly but it's one of those places that doesn't need to be anything more. I came here in a group of 8 before a show at the Aronoff and we were told that most parties our size take about 3 hours to eat...we did it in 1..5 hours! The staff was nice enough to cook our food at a faster pace because they knew we were going to the show. We started with 2 Carafes of wine which amazingly weren't that expensive. We also ordered 3 bread plates and 2 orders of the goat cheese and honey bruschetta. The bread is awesome and they are large slices. I don't like goat cheese (I know, I know, how un-american) but the bruschetta got rave reviews at the table. Our waiter also informed us that people usually order and share their meals with everyone but we opted to get our own and try bites of others if we wanted. Only a few of us ordered salads but if you do order one I loved the Citrus Salad! It was refreshing and light before eating a bowl of pasta. A handful of us ordered the short rib cappellacci with shallot, amish butter, thyme and by far that was the best thing I tried! The portions are smaller but absolutely perfect. The pasta is handmade (you can definitely tell) and extremely light. The sauce was perfection. I am imagining eating this dish all over again as I write this review. It was that perfect! I knew I was in for a fantastic meal when anyone I saw over my weekend trip asked where we were eating before the show. I would say, "Sotto" and they would just gasp with excitement and tell me how amazing it is. I am now one of those people who will react the same way!! read more

Loved it, absolutely loved it! This place honestly seems like it was picked up and moved from Chicago or NYC and plopped down into the middle of Cincinnati. The atmosphere is incredible, the food delectable, and the service was on point. I really like that this could be an everyday $50 meal, or you can make it special and turn it into a $200+ meal for two people. Best of all, it seems like they treat you the same regardless. The goat cheese bruschetta was ridiculously good - almost made me want to order another one for dessert. Instead, we finished with the ricotta donuts with dipping sauces... a very pleasant and subtle end to the meal. In the middle of it all, we had some antipasti, the short rib pasta, the roasted chicken, and the wood roasted fish. I might have skipped the antipasti if I had realized the portion size of the chicken. I never order chicken at restaurants, but this one was fantastic. Lastly, the wine list was well priced with some impressive selections in the $40-60 range. I have no complaints. I can't wait for Boca to open up next door. The bar has been raised for downtown dining in Cincinnati - made even better by Sotto's very reasonable prices. Good work Mr. Falk! read more

What took me so long to experience the wonder that is Sotto!? Goodness me! The atmosphere is literally incredible. I would be happy to go to Sotto simply to enjoy the ambience and nothing else. How fun that you have to go downstairs to enter the restaurant, and it feels like you are sitting inside a castle. From start to finish the staff made us feel like we were their most important guests of the evening. Being first-timers, I really appreciated how long our server spent with us going over the menu and making suggestions. We decided to go with all of the suggestions given to us. We started out with the goat cheese and honey bruschetta. I truly could have eaten an entire loaf! Sometimes goat cheese can have a really strong flavor, and paired with the local honey, the flavor was mild and wonderful. Then we ordered the seasonal antipasti: buffalo mozzarella with prosciutto and marinated eggplant. I never knew I liked eggplant as much as I did! I think that eggplant can get weird and soggy, but this eggplant was spicy, vinegary, and delicious. I was kind of disappointed that I had to share this dish with my husband because I wanted it all to myself! For our pasta dish we went with the short rib cappellacci. According to our server this is one of the house specialties and is a must order. Melt in your mouth short rib wrapped in a pasta pocket with a shallot, Amish butter, and thyme sauce. Wow. It literally tasted like the best pot roast I've ever eaten wrapped inside pasta. I'm still dreaming about it and want to eat this dish on a weekly basis. Stick to your ribs good. Next we went with the grilled quail with salsa verde. Whoa baby. First of all, I felt like a giant eating these cute little quail, and I loved everything about it. The dish is served wth two grilled quails on a bed of seasonal veggies. The salsa verde on top of the quail carried the perfect amount of spice and the meat was super tender and delicious. I would order this again. And finally, the grand finale that is the ricotta doughnuts. Apparently these are legendary and they didn't disappoint. Now to be honest with y'all, I'm not a dessert eater. At all. Ever. But I figured, I'm at Sotto, I better give them a try. If you're in to doughnuts, like my husband is, then these are for you! The are made to order and delivered to your table piping hot and served with three dipping sauces: mixed berry, pistachio, and salted caramel. The pistachio was my favorite because it didn't even carry a hint of sugar, it was all salt, which is my thing! I also enjoyed the caramel because it was more salty than sweet as well. The mixed berry was down right sweet and was David's favorite. We couldn't believe that by the time we left we had been dining and enjoying the food and atmosphere for two and half hours! It's truly an experience that we can't wait to enjoy again soon!! read more