I'm a sucker for wine inspired restaurants! Â Give me exceptional service, yummy food with wine, in a place decked out with wines and vines, and I'm happy! Â
The lightly breaded lamb chops with risotto were very tasty! Â Loved how there's the recommended wines next to each entree on the menu. Â Our server was very helpful in helping me pick 1 from the list. Â I loved it! Â Hubby chose the filet mignon which he was super impressed with, Â the sauce and pomegranate blew him away (which never happens). Â The goat cheese filled zucchini blossoms were scrumptious, and so were the crispy calamari. Â We ended with a light, fluffy, sweet tiramusu.
The bar area looked chill and inviting, perhaps a return visit for HH is in order, since we can't be dropping benjis with every meal! Â
BTW: I was a little nervous trying this place because of all the mixed reviews, especially the one about the restrooms smelling like porter potties (I was afraid to use it), but I'm glad I wasn't swayed. Â They could put more into decorating it but it wasn't dirty or stinky, rather clean and stocked, so I won't knock them for that.
If I could, I would give NO stars!!! I purchased a Groupon as a gift for my MIL and her husband. The Groupon was for $60.00 for four people which got you 4 appetizers and 4 flights of wine. Â My MIL and her husband decided to go on a slow weekday night and was seated at the bar. Â She came home and said that the service was subpar and the food was mediocre. Â As we were discussing about their experience, she mentioned that they were only served two appetizers and two flights of wine. Â She asked the server and was told that the Groupon was only good for two appetizers and two flights of wine. Â I then decided to call the restaurant to explain the situation and hoped to reach a fair outcome. Â The owner called back and immediately started ranting about how he shouldn't have partnered with Groupon and how his dealings with Groupon customers were BS. Â I was shocked by his disgruntled attitude and professionalism or lack thereof. Â He didn't give me a chance to speak and basically said to take it up with Groupon. Luckily, I was able to get a full refund for that Groupon and 2 additional ones that I had purchased as gifts. Â I have not dined here and do not plan to ever. Â The owner is straight up nasty and rude. Â He lacks business sense and had a major dosage of anger issues. Avoid at all costs.
Review Source:I was surprised to see so many negative reviews for this restaurant, because I have always had excellent service and meals here. I see many of them are a result of a Groupon issue, which I have never used, but it seems like I often read negative reviews based on a Groupon experience. I think the only one who benefits from Groupon is Groupon, but that is a separate topic.
If you are trying to grab a quick, cheap bite this is not the place for it. I have never had a meal here that lasts less than 2 hours and isn't pricy...but it is SO worth it. The food is always delicious. Zucchini blossoms have been mentioned here before, but it bears repeating; get them if they are in season. Also during truffle season get the truffle special whatever it is. I also love the Filet with pomegranate seeds in the reduction. Â They don't have an issue with special ordering. They accommodate my kid's picky choices when I choose to bring them along. I have never had a customer service issue with them.
If you go in with the proper expectations (long, delicious, Italian style dinner, not easy on the pocket) then I think you will enjoy yourself. If you're hoping for a Nick's Pizza and Pasta experience (a place I also frequent and enjoy), go there. This place is really best saved for special occasions or date nights. It is a food journey well worth having!
Great place for date night. Â If you're not a wine drinker like me, the food is enough to keep your attention. Â If you are a wine drinker, they have a lot to choose from.
***** (5 Stars)- Amazing, zero flaws, a must go! (Not given often)
**** (4 Stars)- Memorable, strongly feel you should visit
*** (3 Stars)- Above average, worth a visit
** (2 Stars)- Average, some pro's and some con's
* (1 Star)- Opinion is do not go, below average
I cannot say enough about this amazing restaurant! A friend of my husband's recommended we go try it out when we moved to the Newport area & we have gone back once, twice, as many times as possible every month! The menu is seasonal & changes - awesome! The wine list - wow! You can get great wines at great prices - on both ends of the spectrum. Massimo, the head chef & owner treats every table like family - he is always happy & singing & full of life! My husband is pescetarian & I am a strict vegan & they go above & beyond to make every meal tailored to our needs & restrictions. We always leave there happy & full. I wish there were more places to eat like this - but I suppose that's what makes Onotria stand out. & I may kick myself for sharing this, but ask for Sergio - he's the best waiter there & a great guy!
Review Source:Let me start off by mentioning that I have a major garlic allergy, and this place was able to cook EVERYTHING that we wanted to try from scratch to accommodate that. The service was excellent as well. I really enjoyed the Red Tuna Carpaccio Tower with Arugula, Fennel, Infusion of Citrus EVOO. We also tried the Spinach, Butter Lettuce, Seasonal Pear, toasted Almonds Salad with Passion Fruit Dressing, which was meh, the dressing had way too much oil in it and the salad could have been a bit more colorful. We shared one of their specials, shrimp and some sort of fish, that they made from scratch for us to avoid garlic, the sauce and the shrimp was amazing, however the fish was a bit too burned for my taste, however my sister liked it.
What's cool about this place is that they have their own vineyard and they have house wine, but they only do tasting events once a year :(
Definitely worth trying the place out, but I doubt I'll come back
Before you order, take a trip to the bathrooms and breathe in the worst urine smell you're likely to experience this side of a Porta Poddy.
We sat next to the bar where there was a heavy door that slammed against the bar every time the staff came and went with drink orders.
The 18 dollar pizza I ordered was small and bland. It tasted store bought. 1 topping. Nothing on this pizza warranted the price.
My date ordered a salad and soup. Both bland. Both tasted like cafeteria food. The wine service was fine, though very expensive. The decor, while comforting, felt contrived and looked like a dressed up, noisy, corporate food court.
This restaurant serves low end ingredients dressed up at high end prices. If you're seeking a genuine $$$, go elsewhere. Scam alert.
FYI, this is my first review. Yes, this restaurant was bad enough that it encouraged me to learn how to post on Yelp.
We landed here on our way back to the airport and from the outside, we didn't have high expectations. Â The inside is very open, with high ceilings, stucco walls and gave a much better impression. Â
I was pretty hungry and ended up with a grilled chicken with cous cous. Â Out came a flattened chicken breast, with some slices of lemon, and a small bundle of cous cous off in the corner of the plate. Â
I must admit, I thought it was pretty tasty. Â I could have eaten more and regretted not opening up with a small salad. Â It was a bit on the pricey side for $18 but it was good. Â There's a large selection to be had on the menu and I wouldn't hesitate to come here again and try some other items.
Went here for Valentine's Day. Was able to get a reservation three weeks before. Not a lot of people go  here for some reason, but its a nice little Italian restaurant that you will enjoy if you aren't looking for something super fancy. Its romantic and simple for the people who are looking for that sort of thing.
Its really close to South Coast Plaza and not too far away from the beach.
If you don't know a lot about italian food menu is a little hard to navigate but waiters are all pretty nice and I've had a good experience.
its also nice having a complementary valet!
Not a italian food expert or insane fan, but if you just want something simple and nice i would definitely recommend this.
Went there with my wife and had a Groupon. Â Immediately treated like a 2nd class citizen. Â Manager loudly complained about Groupon users, to what I can only surmise were regulars, who chimed in with their 2 cents. Â We were there early enough to get a spot in the bar area. Â Those who came in later had to wait for an open table even though the restaurant was empty. Â The blonde waitress was helpful and nice. Â The manager strutted around like a peacock and generally was an a-hole. Â The food was good and the wine (what little we received) was good too. Â I won't be going back nor recommending this place to my worst enemy.
Review Source:Work chose it and I really didn't know what to expect from this place so i went in with an open mind.
Started out nice. Weird location but it is very nice inside. However a little too open, makes for a lot of noise when other groups get loud. We were promptly seated and the server was very friendly and helpful. Appetizers were on point. Meat and cheese plate was amazing. Calamari was good. Next came the meal.
I chose the special, "fresh" yellow fin tuna. I asked for it seared rare (the only way to go) and the severs said of course that's the only way it comes. Â It seemed to take forever for the food to come out. Yes we had a large group but 50 plus minutes is a bit long. Mine came out and looked good. Tuna was covered in a tomato type sauce but was nicely seared. WOW was the sauce over powering for the fish! Â All i could taste was garlic and tomato. The cut of fish was very sub-par too. It was no where near sushi grade. More like canned tuna. For what the special cost you expect a lot better product for sure. Wine selection was impressive but very expensive.
Over all it was just so so. The service was good. People were friendly but the food was not worth the huge tab at the end.
This was one of the worst dining experiences my husband and I have ever had. Â Is the owner always in such a bad mood? Â The owner was rude, belligerent and mean. Â While we were there four parties left the restaurant and will never come back. Â The food was mediocre at best, service poor and the ownership horrible. Â Hard to stay in business with this type of customer service.
Review Source:To make a long story short, THEY SOLD MORE GROUPONS THAN THEY COULD HANDLE.
I went there two times, both times using groupons, and both times the bar was way too busy and we sat there for 20 min. before we were acknowledged by the bartender.
The bartender seemed very capable and efficient, however it was so busy that it was impossible for him to provide acceptable level of services.
Every little task took him so long to deliver. Â The first time around, I gave this restaurant the benefit of the doubt, but by the time we finished dining there for the second time, it was obvious that this restaurant just wanted to lure lots of customers in and make $$$ but never intend to provide good services. Â I do not want to return this restaurant ever again.
Too bad there is no option for 'Zero star' for rating.
"Your customer doesn't care how much you know until they know how much you care."-Damon Richards
I bought a Groupon for this establishment even though my last experience here was mediocre. The Groupon was for $60.00 for Four people which got you 4 appetizers and four flights of wine. Â We tried several times to use this to no avail as even though restaurant is always half-empty, they only honor Groupon in bar or patio and both are too small. Â Arriving tonight at opening, finally got a seat in the bar but was told by the owner rather smugly that they wouldn't accept it for just two people. Â It's the next to last day and you arbitrarily decide not to take it? Â What difference if there is 2 people or 4 people? Â We already paid and it has already been too hard to try and use this. Â He essentially said to go take my business elsewhere. Â Obviously this man is a few tacos short of a combo plate. Â
What a short sighted and moronic attitude! Â He had a chance to win a customer back and gain a new one, my friend with a rather large expense account, and instead he took the prick route. Â No wonder he has to run deals and no wonder his restaurant is never full. Â This attitude, plus the mediocre food I have had on previous experiences, illustrate that in spite of the nice interior and nice staff that a complete amateur is running this establishment. Â Almost every one of my Elite friends has give this restaurant 2 or 3 stars so if he is giving that poor of a experience to foodies than he will not be able to fool less educated diners much longer.
This review will be placed on as many websites as possible and he will be shredded when the new Zagat voting starts too. Â Do not visit this restaurant! Â When it closes maybe the owner will decide to actually learn what it means to be in a service industry.
Oh, and when we left he said "take it up with Groupon". Â I have but I also disputed with American Express my original and as a Gold Card Member will get my money back through their Customer Satisfaction program. Â So this genius will lose the $60.00 bucks too. Â He doesn't care about his customers and he just f#%*ed up his marketing too. Â What a display of pure restaurant mediocrity...I'm awed.
My man knows I love wine, so it made sense that he chose this place for our Valentine's Day dinner. I was excited, I have been driving past this place for years, and at one point I had it bookmarked. Then Sidney S reviewed it poorly, and since I trust him, I had deleted it off my bookmarks. Too bad BF didn't pick a place off my bookmark list!
Service - Our waiter was awkward and lacked knowledge. He would come stand at our table and stare at us instead of asking if we wanted to place our order. Just stare. He didn't know what beers they had and he told BF to go to the bar and look at the list on the wall. He didn't know if the Veloute sauce was a fish stock base, or anything about it for that matter, except that it "tastes good." Okay.
We also saw the chef come out and schmooze with many tables, apparently if you aren't a friend of his, he will not ask you about your meal or stop by to say hi.
My Chardonnay was good. It paired well with my food and it was reasonably priced for the glass. The beer that BF selected off their list on the wall? Well, they were out of that one, so he just got an iced tea.
We started with some sort of mushroom medley appetizer that was served with a tomato sauce over bread. I liked this, although it could have used some salt. There was no salt on our table, so we ate it how it was.
BF ordered the Filet served over risotto with a cherry and port wine reduction. It was tasty, although overcooked, I should have ordered that. The risotto was great, loved the sauce. His dish bumps them from one star to two.
I ordered some sort of seafood pasta with prawns, scallops, clams, and mussels. The pappardelle pasta was cooked perfectly. The Veloute sauce that "tastes good" according to our awesome waiter was very bland. I make better sauces at home. The real problem with the dish though, was the seafood.
I have never had clams before, so I don't know what they should taste like, but I didn't like them. That may not be their fault - they tasted like nasty sea water...but I won't blame them for that as I have nothing to compare clams to. The mussels? Yeah, they had sand in them. The scallops? They tasted okay, but also weren't cleaned properly, as I found the tags on them, it's not hard to remove those, I do it all the time at home. My jumbo prawn (yes, one) was massive and had the shell on. Pain in the ass to remove. Maybe it looks nice, but it was a hassle. The prawn itself tasted okay.
We opted out on dessert, we just wanted to go home. The bill was $122 before tip and I did not feel like this meal was worth that much. At least the valet guys were nice!
I bought a groupon for a wine and tapas flight to Onotria and finally decided to cash it in.
We sat at the bar and enjoyed the lamb and beef meatballs and the frite calzone as well as 3 different white wines as part of our deal. Â All of it was quite delicious. Â We also ended up ordering a dessert which came with dark chocolate, whipped cream and berries. Â It was small and hit the spot.
I really  wanted to give this place 4 stars, but it only gets 3 due to the service.  It was just very sub-par.  When we sat at the bar it took at least 10-15 minutes before the bartender acknowledged us, and after he took our order and poured our first wine flight he basically ignored us for the evening.  We sat with empty wine glasses until the owner came over and filled our next two flights and took the time to provide recommendations as to which wine to try, which I definitely appreciated.
When we were done with our meal we sat around waiting for our check and had to remind the bartender at least twice which was a bit off putting.
The food is really good here but the service is not so hot. Â If we come back I definitely will not be sitting at the bar again.
Updating this review to 2 stars since I recently found out we were scammed with our Groupon and when I emailed the manager about it I got a rude response back.
I'll keep this short.
We had a groupon, and got a table in the bar area to have tapas and wine flights. We waited for about 20 minutes without any acknowledgement. We flagged down an employee and asked for menus. We waited 10 minutes more and never received any menus or even a hello. We went out to ask the hostess for menus. She told us that the bar must just be busy and we should come back some other time. Pretty poor service all around.
Groupon was wonderful and allowed us to cancel the groupon because we have no interest in returning.
A real disappointment given the many 4-5 star reviews. Â Should have filtered and read the Elite reviews which were lukewarm, at best. Â
We had reservations for 5:30pm, and were seated near the bar. Â Onotria is in the former Arnie's Deli building, albeit, remodeled inside. Â The high ceiling and tile floors make for a harsh and noisy environment, not to mention tables that are placed rather close together. Â As the evening wore on, we were practically sharing 'space' with the foursome next to us. Â Okay, I have to put this comment in to the service staff: Â The tables are close together - I get it. Â However, Â when you are taking orders, please consider the proximity of your behind to the person behind you at the next table. Â I really didn't appreciate having your derriere practically in my face or dodging your elbow!
We ordered appetizers - the special yellowfin tuna carpaccio. Â We really wanted the cured boar prosciutto but they were out. Â The appetizer was quite good - nice citrus dressing, and a generous portion. Â
For dinner, I ordered the lamb with risotto and Hubby went for the slow-roasted duck with couscous. Â We ordered a side of asparagus. Â It took over 20 minutes after we finished our appetizers for the main course to come out. Â Know now why: Â it took that long to overcook it. Â We should have sent it back, but we didn't have time to wait (show tickets after dinner). Â My lamb chops (lightly breaded and pan seared in olive oil) were dry and WAY overdone...tasteless. Â Hubbies duck came out a dark, dark brown on the outside, and very, very over done on the inside. Â The couscous tasted more like corn meal, and my risotto was undercooked. Â Asparagus? Â Well, it was swimming in an overly rich cream sauce, and over-drizzled with truffle oil. Â A cacophony of competing and clashing flavors.
Service was meh. Â Neither bad nor good with exception of the derriere incident. Â The place was not full, thus, the kitchen probably wasn't that busy....which explains the inordinate amount of time we observed the chef strolling around the dining room. Â It's unfortunate - the menu sounded so promising, and some of the write-ups in the papers were oozing with accolades. Â For us, especially after dropping a couple bills, we expect more. Â
Wavered between 1-2 stars, but ended up with a generous second star since the bread was delicious! Â An establishment of this caliber gets one-bite of the apple from us. Â First impressions are lasting, and our impression of Onotria....we weren't.
My husband & I came here with friends on a dinner double date before our theater show @ Segerstrom. We were seated in the bar area because I came with a tapas + wine flight Groupon.
We ordered the following tapas:
- pizza w/ pork sausage & mushrooms: spicy tomato base sauce, large portion, good to share
- frite of calzone w/ marinated eggplant: reminded us of a chicken bake from Costco, but lighter on bread & cheese
- bresoala w/ arugala: refreshing
- veal sausage w/ port of wine: our expectations were probably too high, but it tasted like a gourmet sausage
We were yelp-vised to order the pressed chicken w/ olive oil & lemon as the entree. My husband had to ask for a lemon slice, as it didn't come w/ the dish ... The chicken was moist, but the skin was not crispy as we would have liked.
Our meal also came with wine flights for all of us. The bill came out to be $170 for the 4 of us. Overall, it was a great evening of surprisingly good food and company.
Exceptional service and exquisite flavors! Â A group of us went here for a friend's birthday celebration and from the wine suggestions to having the owner and master chef, Massimo, check in with us and entertain us, to every bite we took, we had a great experience!
The ambience is romantic, but not too romantic. Â
The limoncello cheesecake was light and just the way I like it.
Another dish that really stood out was the garbanzo crepes with a spinach ricotta filling, melts in your mouth!
The only thing I would say is that I felt that some of the appetizers were a bit overpriced, but main courses were reasonable and appropriate.
Definitely worth trying out, I would return!
Five of us went for a birthday, sat at the bar, and ordered various tapas and entrees and shared.  Appetizers: Bruschetta  tower, dry aged prosciutto, Veal sausage grilled with port wine reduction. Entrees: potato pumpkin gnocchi, pork medallions. The siete cuchillos malbec is a delightful full bodied red wine. The owner and head chef  was entertaining and educated us all the food in the restaurant.  The Tiramisu
and Limoncello Lemon Cheesecake was very good. The Tiramisu was light and flavorful, probably one of the best tiramisu's I have ever eaten. I really enjoyed Onotria. The place is pricey but it is a great treat out and happy hour offers some good deals. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. Â The decor is beautiful it looks like a restaurant in Europe.
We came here since we were gifted a groupon for christmas for two wine flights. Â I would have given the place 5 stars but:
We waited almost ten minutes without getting bread or water to our table. Â We were at a small cocktail table in the bar section, but we got passed by at least four-five times. Â
The wine was great, but the food was not memorable. Â I might go again with a special, but I would rather spend money on a fine dish elsewhere.
This review is of the tapas in the bar. I have been here once for happy hour and once on a Groupon.
*****The veal sausage tapas in port sauce was delicious.
*****The decor reminds me of Paso Robles and the wait staff is always friendly and helpful.
****Happy hour in the bar until 7. 3 wine pours for $15.
**** Pizza tapas was excellent too
***The goat cheese and peppers was yummy, although I would have loved a little bread.
*** Spicy Seafood in a red sauce from summer menu
*** Fried Calamari
Don't expect Onotria to take you back to an elegant dinner you might have had in Napa. It definitely tries to re-create that feeling though with some successes and some misses.
They do have a great wine selection and it seems to be a popular place on a Friday night. Their ambiance needs a major makeover because the tile flooring and high ceilings makes the place very loud. My husband and I had to sit right next to each other to hear each other! The huge paintings of grapes and the fake ivy need to go, although I gotta hand it to them... the real grapevines and real vines outside is a nice touch!
Zucchini blossoms - pretty standard, yummy but felt we liked our homemade ones better
Cheese plate - wonderful! loved the bread with it & full bodied white wine....the only weird thing is that their Olive Oil was subpar :P....and for some reason they didn't have balsamic vinegar? not sure if that's not truly Italian but I was surprised they didn't have ANY?
Arugula & Romaine Salad - very basic but refreshing.
Filet Mignon - Cooked medium rare - a bit too pink for me but the port reduction was wonderful
Have yet to try our Tiramisu - we took it home to go! Probably won't be going back anytime soon but it wasn't bad to try. In the end our bill was $100. Again, too pricey for a loud kind of cheesy ambiance.
Onotria is a "blink and you'll miss it" kind of place. Honestly, if I hadn't driven by there on my way to the 55, I wouldn't have known there was a restaurant there.
I came here to celebrate someone's birthday. I made a reservation in advance, but did not get a confirmation call for my reservation. Â When arriving, had to valet the car (which is free), and entered to the smell of a barbeque (with nothing on it).
The restaurant was not full and dimly lit. We were 1 of 5 parties there. Seated with water and bread and given a menu that told us which wines paired well with which meals (I liked that touch). Â We chose a fennel, cucumber and avocado salad served over slices of bread, with a pomegranate dressing. Really delicious and something I've never had before.
We also had their house bread which was yummy. I did order a coke, and they brought it in the can. I thought that was a touch tacky.
For dinner, with so many options to choose from, I ended up deciding on the bison ragout with penne. I was cautioned that it might be spicy and it certainly was. The bison acted as a tasty meatball and it was a really flavorful, almost puttanesca style pasta dish. The birthday celebratant had the pesto pasta and enjoyed it very much. It's a gluten free dish which might appeal to those who are GF. Â Our dishes were big enough to take home leftovers (which tasted even better the second day).
Since it was a birthday, the staff brought out a complimentary tiramisu with a candle. No singing, but a very hearty piece. Very yummy too.
All told, it came to about $60, not bad. Â I'd go back if someone invited me, but wouldn't be a place I would think of off the top of my head. We had some loud dining companions at the table behind us which destroyed the mood for us.
Note: if you check in on foursquare you can get a free item from their appetizer cart. We chose the feta cheese and peppers and it tasted great with the bread.
Two words........zucchini blossoms! Â Grown on site and perfectly stuffed with mix of ricotta and other cheeses then flash fried lightly with great sauce and I'm hooked.
Steak is killer too,...pricey. Â Big place so most everything is pricey.
Great bartender staff,..know their wines.
Some of the best food in OC!
Authentic central Italian country restaurant. Typical cuisine of the central parts of the Italy with modern updates. Authentic in food and ambiance, the table is yours for the evening. Rushing would diminish the table conversation and the flow of good food enjoyed over a period of time. Service focuses on delivering food at its moment of readiness among the tables. As in Italy, no one rushes over to coddle a customer if food delivery is in action somewhere. The food has the simplicity of superb Italian cooking, excellent ingredients enhancing the main focus without hiding it. A quick meal here would miss the point entirely, but they can do it if needed.
The portion of the menu with pasta dishes brings "al dente" when it should be and soft when not, a pleasant combination of almost Milanese sensibility and central country style.
Fish dishes focus upon the fish without flavor-obscuring sauces. Meat dishes often have sauces in the spirit of the meat.
This is not a chain restaurant Italian place in America, it is the real thing..
Savor the moment.
Not impressed. Won't be going back.
I should have known better than to get the lamb. Â But it's my FAVORITE, when it's done right. Â This place... not where you go to get it done right.
Tough, fatty, bland, small portion, over priced.
Risotto was toothsome (in a bad way) and fishy. Ewwwww.
Slow service even with and empty restaurant. Â :(
We decided to go here for dinner as it was our last night of training with Apple and we we determined to spend our WHOLE per diem. It was close to the hotel, pricey and got good reviews. SO the four of us made reservations and were seated by a very polite young girl as soon as we arrived. The valet guy was very nice, too.
Unfortunately, the niceness stops there. The place was half full of affluent older clientele. When our waiter arrived, he greeted us with a smile and took our drink orders. I mentioned that we were on business and would need four separate checks. His face instantly turned sour. He then proceeded to tell me that their system wasn't set up to take separate checks. LOL. After talking to him and another waiter (for some reason the couldn't seem to find the owner or manager) I asked what type of system they had, since I worked for a computer company and had ran a restuarant myself for years. Paper checks! No commuter, but hand written checks! Give me a break! So, the "system" was basically him being LAZY. So I asked if he would rather write 4 different checks or have a table that would spend at least $200 on our meal, leave. Well, guess which one he chose!
To say I am disappointed with the lack of concern for the customer and the restaurant by the wait staff is an understatement. I really hope the owner reads this review as we were not allowed to speak to him or her that night. I called Ortica Pizzaria which was my second choice. They were amazing. The food and staff were A+ and we spent the entire per diem plus some. Take a lesson from your competition, Onotria!
The perfect dining experience.
Tucked nicely away in its own little area, this place is perfect for having a really special meal. Â We came here for Mother's Day after reserving a table. Â Also had the brilliant option of having flowers delivered at your table before you sit down! Â We ended up seated in our own private area and had all the attention of the servers. Â They weren't overly friendly which would have helped, but not entirely necessary. Â They had a special Mother's Day menu and all of our party opted for this. Â
The food: Â spectacular. Â The first course was a salad. Â Pretty plain tasting, but that was fine because the dressing was an olive-oil based one and not some fatty, processed bullcrap. Â The second course was gnocchi in an incredible alfredo sauce and penne pasta with pancetta: bomb. Â The main was perfectly braised beef in a thick bbq type sauce with prunes, chicken with pine nuts, and grilled vegetables. Â The chicken wasn't superb, but everything else was. Â Finished off with the best tiramisu (no joke) I have ever had. Â If you come, you must try it. Â Tasted hints of Amaretto in it and it was such a nice touch. Â Only thing I would have liked to have would have been a cup of cappucino or espresso. Â It wasn't offered and this would have been the ideal complement to our dessert.
I can't comment on the wine because we brought our own (2008 Caymus Cabernet, NO BIG DEAL) and didn't try any of the ones they had.
Overall Mother's Day experience? Â Perfection.
My girlfriend and I celebrated our anniversary here a while back, and we were surprisingly underwhelmed. The night had it's ups and downs, but in the end I do not feel that it was worth the price and will probably not be coming back.
We had reservations for a Saturday night and we were promptly seated when we walked in. The place is gorgeous and has a very intimate feeling. The hostess gave us the option of sitting at the first table right when you walk in or we could sit in the back room. We opted for the back room because it was away from the traffic of the restaurant and it was raining and cold outside and we wanted to be away from the draft.
After a few minutes our waiter walks up and just stood at the side of our table without saying a word. This continued throughout the entire meal and led to a very awkward night. My girlfriend and I felt extremely rushed the entire time we were there, which is surprising since there were still quite a few tables open.
The wine list, while very overpriced, is extensive and is half of the reason for me giving Onotria 3 stars. The other half of my reasoning comes from the parmigiano risotto that came with the lamb chop. That risotto was simply amazing! The lamb chop, on the other hand, had so much rosemary on it that it masked the flavor of the meat and the sauce.
My girlfriend had the agnolotti pasta and also had mixed feelings about her dish.
If only the rest of our food and the service matched the quality of the risotto, then we surely would have left very happy customers.
Great service. Elegantly prepared tasty food. Outstanding high quality ingredients being used. Fabulous wine selection intelligently arranged to provide for optimum food-wine pairing.
Only one downside was the noise. I think the tile floor and simple interior reflect the sound making it hard to hear and talk with the person that is only 18 inches from you.
Great place but I wish it was quieter to allow you to talk to the person next to you.
Prices are way to high.
Food is seriously mediocre at best
I got the Penne with wild boar sausage. it was sweet and small in proportion.
the gf got the Trip. that was tender and juice but had a buffalo glaze which was really sweet too.
Had some other things but nothing really stood out.
Wine is way over priced.
meh oh well, wont be coming back.
shoulda went to bucca...
Went here on a Saturday night and the place was actually not that crowded (I think they might get a theater crowd sometimes since the Performing Arts Center is close by). Had the zucchini blossoms as an appetizer and loved it. The bread didn't come with olive oil or olives as other reviews had mentioned...we had to ask for olive oil. Our group ordered very different entrees from chicken, to seafood to beef dishes (and of course pasta) and everyone liked their dishes a lot. Will be back to try other things on the menu. It's valet parking at night. Their wine list is extensive if you are into wine.
Attire was suppose to be dressy, but seemed slightly less formal than that--think nicer European restaurant.
Finally!!!
I finally have a favorite OC restaurant.
After 6 months of searching for delicious, fresh, organic, and reasonably priced cuisine in OC, I stumbled across Onotria. Let me start by expressing my delight with a quote from a favorite TV character:
"Woah!"
Yes, "Joey", from the TV show Blossom sums up my experience perfectly in that short, but sweet expression of pure, unadulterated joy.
I was impressed with Onotria from the get-go. First, they have valet parking, which I always appreciate. The restaurant itself is stand-alone, so you won't be eating in a strip mall next to a Starbucks (unlike other "upscale" OC restaurants).
The food at Onotria is simply delicious. They specialize in rustic Italian food, prepared with fresh and organic ingredients. The menu is large and eclectic. It was one of the rare times that I read through a menu and could not decide on anything.
We started off with a fantastic grilled eggplant pizza. It was a perfect appetizer, very tasty and not heavy at all. For my entree, I finally decided on a pasta dish until our server mentioned the evening special - a Veal Chop prepared with a wine reduction and mushrooms. Sold! It was also served with some type of deconstructed quiche. I ate the whole thing and enjoyed every single delicious bite. Â My husband had the Veal Ossobuco braised in a porcini mushroom ragout. Yes, we apparently love veal. And, yes, I do feel bad about it.
For dessert, we ordered a cheese plate with Manchego, Pecorino Tartufato (with a honey drizzle), and Parmigiano Reggiano served with wine soaked cherries and Marcona almonds. Heaven on a plate, I'm telling you.
Everything about our meal was flawless - fresh, perfectly cooked, perfectly portioned, and reasonably priced. The service was great and we never had to ask for a thing.
I was debating between a 4 and 5 star, and finally decided to go with a 5 star because of the outstanding food and service. However, I did have one minor complaint. Â Although the interior is nice, with a very simple and "rustic" ambiance, the acoustics are terrible. The place gets very, very loud. Â Fortunately, we were seated in the back room, which only has 4 tables. It was much more quiet than the main dining area, which definitely made our evening more enjoyable. Â That said, this place is perfect for groups but, if it's just the two of you, ask for a table in the back room.
Mangia, Mangia!
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