Had a wonderful experience starting with drinks and appetizers with friends followed by staying for dinner ordering from sister restaurant Trattoria Delia next door. Noise level and ambiance mimic a cozy living room, perfect for conversation. There are only a handful of tables and no reservations so get there early or keep trying. It's worth it! We started with the grilled artichokes, crispy calamari and Castelvetrano olives and capped this off with the Spaghetti Al Vongole and the spicy, succulent shrimp pasta. The wines were delicious, even the herb butter that came with the bread was a treat. No room for dessert but we'll be back. Highly recommend! read more

Sotto Enoteca - Spaghetti Al vongole and shrimp pasta - Wine Bars Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

I may have just had the best bowl of pasta ever! Spaghetti con Polpette! The perfect amount, not too much, just enough to savor every bite! The Nonna's meatballs were delicious! Atmosphere at Sotto is intimate yet comfortable. The best part of the evening was the service. Our server was friendly, attentive and had a great handle on keeping everyone happy! Highly recommend it! read more

Sadly, my first experience will be my last. Firstly, dirty entrance from St. Paul Street; I wasn't even sure if it was the entrance to a restaurant it was so disgusting. Taking my seat at the bar with a friend, i've never been so ignored by a bartender. He eventually managed to provide us with food and drink, but once that was served, we never talked to anyone again until we had to ask for the check. At the bar. Very disappointing experience: snobby bartender, who from time to time just disappeared. Terrible service and really too bad. read more

I won a Localvore Insta contest for a gift card for Sotto/Trattoria Delia. I asked another local Italian friend if she'd like to go. We showed up about 6 at Trattoria and the place was packed; I hadn't thought to even make a reservation (I forget what eating out in Burlington on the weekend is like), so as the next seating wasn't available until 9pm, the host graciously offered us seats at the bar or we could head over to Sotto. We figured it'd be easier to chat at a table, so we let him guide us to Sotto instead (they share bathrooms and a menu, although the menu is condensed at the latter). We were in the mood for wine and apps, versus a full meal. We ordered the carciofi grigilia (grilled artichokes), antipasto misto (Italian charcuterie, fresh local cheeses, eggplant caponata, bread and butter pickles, pickled mushrooms, two types bruschetta, one with fresh goat cheese) and calamari fritti which we opted to get with both the salsa de pomodoro fresco and the apricot agrodolce. Everything was delicious and fresh. It was clear the calamari was fresh and hand breaded. The apricot sauce was very good, as was the pomodoro fresco. There was so much food that we had couldn't eat it all. Service was excellent. It is a bit pricey, but the quality merits giving it a go. I'd definitely try and reserve a table at Trattoria some night. It was very warm and cozy with the fireplace and dark wood interior. A great venue for a romantic date night. read more

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I continue my quest for good Italian food in Vermont. While daughter two lives outside of Boston. I know it's not fair. I was coming Into downtown and decided to have dinner. Checking around for interesting places and my local daughter and my neighbors had both recommended this place. It's trendy. I looked it up online and checked out the menu. I was in town early so didn't have to worry about crowds. I got there just a few minutes after opening and got a seat at the VERY SMALL bar. No problem. What I didn't know after looking at their website is that their menu is identical to that of trattoria Delia , their sister restaurant next door. The website is misleading as it shows different menu items. I really wanted the cacio e Pepe on their site. But alas they didn't have it. No worries. The sister restaurant had a nice menu. I went there a couple of times in the past. A long time ago (7 yrs?) they were awesome but later on (4 yrs ago?) they were disappointing. They seem to have their groove back. Sotto is a tiny space that claims to be a wine bar but given their bar is 4 seats, I beg to differ. Everything else is set up for dinner. It's a small restaurant. Intimate - yes. Although when I was there a party of 11 were also there. It wasn't noisy but it definitely has the potential. The din was moderate when I left at 6:20 pm. Ok on to the food. I was alone so couldn't do much in the way of sampling. They had a couple of specials - a squid ink pasta with a mussels fra diavolo sauce which almost won me over. But as I am not ready for summer to end, I chose the tagliatelle with peas and butter and guanciale. I started with the olives which were really nice. I asked the server to pace things as I wanted to finish my Prosecco before my pasta arrived. Alas that did not happen. I know pacing is important and as I do neither dessert nor coffee, (which I told the server), I'm out relatively quickly. At any rate, the pasta arrived with a third of my Prosecco still there. No problem. I chugged it and then set upon my meal. Plus- it was really light and tasty- the flavors were just right Minus - it was more of a linguini than a tagliatelle- quite narrow. Also it was rather dry. I don't like super saucy pasta, but this reflected our current drought...it could use a bit more wine or butter. Service - I had a few folks attending and it was prompt and professional- I cannot say it was friendly. I'll go back and try other things but I'll probably go over to the main restaurant as this place doesn't really have a better value proposition. read more

Sotto Enoteca - Tagliatelle- thinner than expected and a bit dry - Wine Bars Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

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Strangest dining experience of my life We were looking to try something new in the area on our annual visit to Burlington and came across Trattoria Delia. We walked in and were told that it would be an hour and 15 minute wait for a bar seat, meanwhile there were several open tables on the floor. We decided to walk over to the restaurant next door named Sotto Enoteca and we were seated within a few minutes. We immediately recognized some of the staff from Trattoria Delia as they were seating groups in the same dining room as us and we were very confused. Later on, the waiter confirmed that they were the same restaurant. We felt uncomfortable knowing that the hostess in the red dress at the sister restaurant told us it would be over an hour wait, but she continued to seat other guests in our dining area. We found it strange that when we were initially turned away at Trattoria Delia, she didn't offer us the option to seat us in their second dining room at Sotto. She avoided all eye contact as she passed our table several times.That set the mood for our dining experience. We ordered calamari, filet mignon, and lobster pasta which were all mediocre. The steak came out rare when we had asked for it to be medium well. The lobster tasted old which was disappointing considering the price. Towards the end of our dinner, a group of 4 young women walked in asking if they had seating available and the waiter turned them away and told them the only open table had a reservation. We left 15 minutes prior to closing and nobody sat at that empty table. It seems like young individuals are not their preferred clientele. Spend your money elsewhere for better service and food! read more

Do I recommend it?! 1000%! It was a weekday night and I headed to the Italian restaurant next door. I was solo but there wasn't a seat available, even at the bar. But the greeter suggested I try their sister restaurant Soto in the basement next door. There is a sign but somehow I'd overlooked it. I walked down the steps to a pretty low key door and walked into a fairly small space with a large table and just a few two/four tops and some bar seating. The large table was full of tech execs sampling the large and well curated wine collection but the bar and other tables were open. This was a much more intimate place and was simply decorated and furnished. They share a kitchen with the place next door but have a simpler menu, though I believe you may be able to punch from the other restaurants menu for certain things, like if you needed a vegetarian or gluten free dish. I was warmly greeted and received my drink while i perused the menu. There was no pressure to place my order so i carefully considered what i wanted. I got the local mushrooms as an appetizer and they were unbelievable. After that I decided to get the special which was veal chop with potatoes. It was a very large and thick chop, cooked to perfection. I thought I'd wind up packing half of it home but it was so delicious that I finished the whole thing, nibbling even the bone. The server was very attentive but also let me have my space. This is a great place for a romantic or quiet dinner or if you want to treat yourself solo. Don't let the modest looking door from the street fool you; enter and prepare yourself for a fantastic meal. read more

Sotto Enoteca - Sotto from the street. - Wine Bars Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

I really love Sotto Enoteca. It's a wine bar located in a little basement on St. Paul Street, but it also serves small plates of food and has a wide variety of beer and craft cocktail offerings. The setting is small, warm and intimate. Maximum seating capacity is probably around 30 people. Owned by award-winning Trattoria Delia (located just next door), Sotto offers many of the starter items located on Trat's menu. There is a salumi plate, cheese, plate, duck confit, snails. In total there are about 10 small plates to choose from with occasional specials offered. Sotto's wine selection is extensive. Tratorria has won awards for its wines and is showing its affinity for good wines by opening Sotto. Sotto, besides being a place one can just go for a drink to start out or end the evening, can be a dinner destination in and of itself, or serve as a waiting room if you are having dinner at Trattoria next door. The food and drink quality at Sotto is very high. In many ways it reminds me of some of the better Enoteca's I've wandered into while exploring towns in Tuscany and northern Itally. I'm torn between giving Sotto a four or five star review. In my estimation it's five stars, but I realize that it may not be for everyone (not everyone wants to eat snails and have a $10 glass of wine). Also, when it's packed it can be quite noisy and in the winter when the front door opens a cold breeze may blow in and give you a chill. If you are into fine food and enjoy wine and/or beer, you are sure to find something at Sotto that will appeal to you. PS. Sotto doesn't yet have a website. On its Facebook page it links to Trattoria's website, which is a very old one and doesn't seem to mention Sotto at all. Trat should consider contacting Flavor Plate, a local restaurant website company that offers quick and amazing customizable Web templates for just $40 a month; at this point most of the restaurants in town are happy customers. read more

Sotto Enoteca - More wine please! - Wine Bars Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

A lovely quaint wine bar! The wines range in price and variety. We really enjoyed the antipasto. There was A LOT on the board - hot and mild salami, bologna, prosciutto, mozzarella, pecorino Romano, a third cheese, pickled fiddleheads and cucumbers, some chopped eggplant mixture, and two different types of bruschetta. read more

This was the best italian food I have had in New England. Their wine menu is lengthy and their mixed drinks were expertly executed. Romantic vibes and great service. read more

I will preface my review by saying that we wanted to have dinner at Trattoria Delia next door, but when we called for a reservation they asked if we'd mind sitting in their wine bar. We said that was okay as long as the menu was the same (which it is) - and were excited for our visit... until we actually arrived. We walked in the door of Trattoria Delia and were brought down a back hallway to Sotto. When we were walked into Sotto, the vibe was TOTALLY different - a stark contrast to the beautiful, cozy, warmly colored, fireplace-laden Italian place next door, this place was cool and almost industrial looking. Not our idea of romantic. It certainly didn't help that there wasn't a single other person in the place besides the bartender. We reluctantly sat down at our table of choice and began perusing the menu. When the bartender came over to take our drink order, I tried to order something non-alcoholic - starting by asking for a Shirley Temple, which they couldn't make because they didn't have grenadine (really? a bar with no grenadine???) and then I asked what else they could make that was non-alcoholic and was offered a Mexican Coke. I decided to stick with water. My husband ordered a beer, and we continued on. We should have probably just left right then and there. From that point, we decided to order some calamari. It arrived and was okay - a bit chewy - but not terrible. The bread and butter was also decent, but again, nothing spectacular. By the time we ordered dinner, I was happy to see a few other patrons in the establishment; although they were all brought in the same way we were, meaning that no one actually came into this place intentionally - we were all people who really wanted to dine next door. We ordered our meals and as we were waiting, we heard the bartender assisting other patrons with his favorite saying of "we don't have that" or "we're all out of that". He must have said one of those two phrases 10 times while we were there in about an hour's time. Really? It was a Saturday night at 7:30pm, and this place (from what I heard) is pretty brand new - how can you be out of so much?? Anyway, on to dinner. I ordered some sort of "pasta parmigiana" which sounded from the description like eggplant parm over pasta with meatballs and sausage on the side. When it came, it was more like a meatball/sausage stew with some pasta mixed in, covered with a couple slices of fried eggplant and coated in cheese. It wasn't terrible but definitely not what I was expecting, nor what I really wanted. Also, the meatballs had a very strange and interesting taste - I think they were veal, which is fine, but they had a weird spice in them that I wasn't a fan of. My husband had the homemade pasta with duck, which was actually pretty good but I felt like the noodles were a little too thick and doughy. He liked it, though. By the time we were asked if we wanted dessert, the place was packed with people either eating here because they couldn't get a table next door, or people waiting for their table. And due to the fact that there was still just one bartender to wait on all of us, there was a lot of grumbling and discontent going on. The people sitting behind us waited at least 20 minutes to place a drink order, and would have left if not for the fact that they were just waiting for their table next door to be ready. Needless to say, I wouldn't recommend this place and will not be returning. read more

Excellent!! Very tiny place but so cute and classy. Felt like a little piece of Italy!! Wine was amazing. read more

Sotto Enoteca - Wine Bars Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

Snug spot. Very big city. Sophisticated wine offerings, and the food's from Delia--what's not to love? Bartenders are very much of the current craft-y persuasion. I'm sure the cocktails are good, but I'm always there about the wine. Great addition to the scene. read more

Sweet little place with a good wine list. Food is excellent though limited compared to Trattoria. Service could be more attentive so one star off. Don't sit near the door. Drafty! read more

Ummmm- we LOVED this place! My boyfriend and I just moved to the neighborhood and decided to go there for a glass of wine and a few appetizers. Our bartender/waiter was so gracious and knowledgeable. He was also incredibly friendly and he had wonderful taste in music:) By the way that "glass of wine" started as cocktails, then moved to wine, then a beer. I didn't really want to leave. Enoteca is separate but attached to Trattoria Delia, but has a vibe of a place where you can hang out and nurse cocktails and order small dishes as you go along, rather than formal dining. Our cocktails were great, the wine was delicious, and the calamari and our prosciutto wrapped mozzarella were to die for. It is a small and intimate place and highly recommended! read more

Great little wine bar! So friendly. Had a gorgeous sauvignon blanc with a tiny snack plate of pretzels. No ordinary pretzels. Try them - so yummy. read more

4.5 stars. This is an intimate, classy, and small wine bar that also serves delicious appetizers from Trattoria Delia's menu. The waitress was really accommodating and helpful. She recommended a white wine and red wine, which were both good. She also came around all the time to make sure everyone was good. She was fantastic with refills. Another thing I loved about her is that she stayed open past 11 pm, which is past their normal closing time because she didn't want to kick out the customers. For the food, she recommended several delicious looking appetizers. I ended up getting the Scamorza, which smells, tastes, and looks delicious. The description of it is "prosciutto di Parma, smoked mozzarella, extra-virgin olive oil." This took some time before we finally got it. The portions are really small, but it was absolutely delicious. I love all the ingredients and together, they make a wonderful impression on all your senses. The one qualm I have about this place is that it gets really cold if anyone opens the door. I wish they could get rid of the door directly linking it to the outside. Visitors can get in through Trattoria Delia. Overall, the ambiance, service, wine, and food are excellent. I would give this place 5 stars if it weren't for the coldness. Of course that's hard to help. The atmosphere is still very casual even though it is a classy place. It's dark and romantic inside, which is perfect for a date. read more

Small, odd location. Very friendly, the server was nice and conversational. It had a romantic feel, but still comfortable for a family dinner. The steak I had was easily the best steak I've ever eaten, and it was so tender and the sides were amazing. Everyone enjoyed their meal, and I even had an artisanal soda which was amazing. The food wasn't too pricey for the quality. Loved it. read more

One word excellent! great food, great service. Small unassuming place in the basement of a building.

A wonderful little room just around the corner from the Flynn that specializes in Italian wines, a few creative cocktails and high-end beers, and a menu of apps and small plates. Highly recommended not just for the quality of the food and drink but also the knowledge and attentiveness of the bartenders. On a super-charged weeknight in Burlington (Bernie Sanders' official Presidential campaign kickoff) Sotto Enoteca was an oasis of calm and quiet celebration. read more

One star for the ambiance and the decor- very quaint and cute and small and cosy, just loved it. One star for the super service and the delicious wine and lovely pairing suggestions. The food was disappointing. I had the duck confit which was at a perfect cuisson, tender on the inside and crispy on the outside, but sadly on the salty side. The eggplant had fabulous flavour until, again, a mouthful of salt tore into my taste buds. My dining partner had the calamari, which sadly felt like freezerburnt, soggy, chewy bites. Lacked in flavour and left you with a watery and bland taste in your mouth. The pomodoro accompaniment was light and decent but I would've paired the calamari with a sauce that had some bite to counteract the blandness of the squid. I do have to admit I have had worse- but never at such a seemingly classy place, these were almost on par with a take-out Greek fast food joint. I will try something different next time. read more

I love the ambience of this place. Cozy and classy...feels like it belongs in the theatre district of NYC. I can't speak for the food but the cocktails were great. read more

Great Atmosphere. Small, but masterful, food selection. One great beer on tap (many wines, but I hate wine). My first time in Burlington and I found this place by accident. I won't even look for another place when I come back to town. read more

Excellent food with a great beer list. Remarkably uncrowded. There are very few places that combine high end Italian food with beer like Sotto does. We had dinner on a Saturday night and would not change anything about it from appetizer through desert. read more

Fantastic service and great food! We tried this place for restaurant week and we are so glad we did. The decor maybe left a little to be desired and it was a bit drafty, however, our server was probably the best I've had anywhere. Warm and attentive; I felt very taken care of. Our food came out promptly and with good timing. It was all delicious. Thank you for a wonderful evening! I have been telling people about the place all week! read more

I was in September 29th to meet a few friends. I arrived first and sat at a table. The bartender came over and asked what I would like to drink so I asked him about the wines - a full bodied red specifically. He started to explain one of them then continued to say, "or there is this one, but I dont think you will be able to afford it". Rude and unwarranted. The last friend came and heard the story and we all decided to go to another restaurant-where we prefer to give our business with friendly servers. HIghly disappointed by this RUDE server. read more

Good selection of wine and beer. However, the service was horrible. The bar tender was not attentive even though we were the only patrons in the entire place. She was chatting with a friend for most of the time we spent there. Kitchen staff were coming in/out (the space is connection to Trattoria Delia). Seemed like a place where kitchen staff from Tratt go to hang out. Not impressed at all. read more

One employee for the entire restaurant. If you want bread, you have ask. When dinner is served it is disappointing at best. No pepper or parm is offered with you Italian entree. the prices are outrageous for the portions. Avoid this place at all costs. read more

The food is pretty tasty here-this is more a review of the service I received while a patron. I don't consider myself a picky person when it comes to service; as a server myself I like to give the benefit of the doubt & generally over-tip. However, again while the food was good, the service from our two tag-teaming servers was pretty awful. We were one of just 3-4 tables the whole night so the staff didn't seem too busy and they spent most of the time chatting together at the bar-not even looking over to check on their tables and completely inattentive. They wouldn't clear our plates long after we had finished eating, only refilled half of our table's waters which I thought was weird, and admittedly forgot to bring food out. In addition, we had split the check 3 ways-a pain, I know- and had written down the totals, they had knowingly overcharged one of the folks at our table-said if we didn't like it they could go back and void it. read more