Like other reviewers, I am also a transplanted New Yorker looking for great Italian food in the central Florida area. Â We were hoping Rocco's would fit the bill, but alas it did not. The ambiance was vey nice. We had a house merlot by the glass which was lovely. The waiter asked us if we wanted a "bottle" of water (which means if you want water, you have to pay for it - and we did @ $5.50 a bottle). We started with the caprese salad which was not up to our expectations. Â The serving was small (all the portions that night were small for Italian food!) Both the tomatoes and the mozzarella cheese were wedge shaped, which I had never seen before, and pin-wheeled on the plate not even touching each other and with not much flavor. They brought a bread basket with a few small pieces of bread in it, not even enough for two people. I ordered linguini with white clam sauce which was pretty bland, no garlic flavor, way too much parsley, and these teeny-tiny clams still in the shell. I asked for some parmesan cheese and the waiter made a face. My husband had veal saltimbocca (small portion) with a shredded squash side which was very tasty, but he would have liked a little pasta on the side and none was given. There was a salt shaker on the table and when my husband asked for pepper, the waiter said 'no, there is no pepper'. We were still a little hungry after dinner and inquired about the dessert menu. The waiter said there was no menu and he would tell us what they had. I didn't understand some of what he said and when I asked for cheesecake (a staple in any New York Italian restaurant) he said 'no' they didn't have that, so we had no dessert. Overall, we were disappointed and will not be going back. We are still looking for great Italian food......
Review Source:We are Orlando residents and we've been looking for an Authentic Italian restaurant and this was a promising place. We went there on a Friday night and the place was not very busy; normally, we'd not stay in a restaurant that's not busy especially in a Friday night, but having read the reviews, we decided to give it a shot. We were first greeted by who seemed to be the owner's wife and she was a very nice Italian lady.
The decor and ambiance were very romantic with brick walls and lighting that was dim, a perfect setting for a romantic night.
We ordered the mozzarella caprese salad and it was OK. The cheese seemed homemade and tasted better than anywhere else in town but not the best.
Now for the food, unless you're a pork eater there's not much to ask for especially in the pasta section. Having said that, my wife ordered the daily special of beef and veal stuffed ravioli and sage butter sauce. My wife didn't like that much and said it was heavy. I liked it though. With the limited choice I had, I ordered the chicken parmigiana which was a complete disaster. Although there's not much to it as an Italian dish preparation wise, it was absolutely bad. The chicken was deep fried instead of lightly breaded and pan fired as the description puts it, which was OK for me. However, what threw me off was the terrible frying taste it had which reminded me of McDonald's nuggets and its likes. I told the waiter about this who said, it is fried and that's why it had a frying taste. However, that taste was like the oil has been used for so many time to fry with. He offered me an alternative dish which was the grilled chicken. I liked it, but it was not worth $17 for a grilled chicken dish.
Anyway, the worst part of our experience was when we got the check and paid for our dinner. Though I rarely do that, I paid with cash and required change. When I received my  change it was missing $5 which might have been a mistake, but didn't seem that way when I asked the server. First, the server was trying to avoid coming back to us and avoiding eye contact. Then, when he came back to us and I asked him he seemed prepared and didn't even look at the money. He got the five dollars from his pocket and gave it back to me. Obviously, I didn't leave more than 10% in tip which was barely deserved.
Don't plan to go back and would not recommend this place unless you are a pork eater and paying with a credit card.
Still looking for a good Italian place in Orlando....
Best Italian restaurant in central Florida and equal to any I have enjoyed in Chicago, Boston and other major cities. Â Apart from great food,the restaurant has a limited but very good/fairly priced wine list. Â Â This a restaurant focused on repeat, local business and everyone is made to feel welcome by Rocco and his team.
Review Source:went to Orlando to visit now coming from New York we eat dinner at what ever time we feel hungry for dinner especially on a Saturday night ! so we get there 9:30ish we see the chef on a smoke break walking in and ask if the kitchen is still open he looks at his watch and says yeah no problem ! that was music to our ear, we walk in there is a gentleman playing music a one man band really very nice, the waiters were extremely nice even though we were going to keep them late, the food was very good, now coming from new york thats a compliment ! the best of all was the service they took care of us all the way through and did it with a smile which made dinner taste better ! the place was packed when we got there and we were the last to go honestly if I am in Orlando again i will go back and have dinner there one more time but this time i'll go a little earlier ;) Â btw they made a plate of just pasta and butter for my picky eating daughter they didn't have to but they did ! thanks guys your the best
Review Source:Rocco's is a real traditional Italian restaurant, one of the best original Italian food restaurants in the Orlando area. As a matter of fact, I know only one Italian restaurant in the area that is a match to Francesco 'Rocco's. That is Francesco's located at 400 South Orlando Avenue Maitland, Florida. However, Rocco's prices are higher than Francesco's. The quality of the cuisine at both restaurants is superb !!!
Review Source:I've lived in Orlando for 19 years now and didn't discover Rocco's until 2 months before moving out of state. Figures! I'm so bummed because this place is seriously the best authentic Italian I've had in Otown. The papparadelle is amazing and the rigatoni with the cream sauce is a close second. Compliments to the chef. The service is fantastic and the location offers both indoor and patio seating. Highly recommend.
Review Source:I was in search of some great Italian food last week and ran across these great reviews and I was familiar with the location because I drive by it all the time. You probably do too, it doesn't have the best restaurant front so you may overlook it or assume it's closed. So far from the truth. This little gem is a darling spot for a quiet, intimate and delicious evening.
Seriously, the outside does not give the inside justice. You are greeted by the Lady of the house as soon as you walk in and the smell of the food smacks you right in the face with freshness.
It was a Saturday evening so it was basically date night and everyone seemed to be having a fabulous time. There was live music and the bar was gorgeous. It took a minute for our server to arrive but he was very informative and attentive. He seemed a little stiff and scripted but I am sure it's just the way they are there. We were visited by the Lady of the house as well as the owner (I believe) telling us to have a fabulous dinner. That was a lovely touch. It reminds me of TV shows that revolve around restaurants where the owners walk around all the time, here they actually do.
They had a prefix menu for $29 which was four courses, such an amazing deal. I was going to go with that but then a signature house dish caught my eye and I didn't look back. I went with a house salad to start and it was fresh and delicious. The house dressing was creamy which I was not expecting but it complimented the salad very nicely. The house bread was warm and delicious as well; crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Now the garlic and rosemary infused fresh oil is the selling point here... just delicious. I couldn't get enough.
We shared a bottle of white wine and it was a perfect pair for everything we had. The house entree I was referring to was the Papardelle Alle Cinque Terre - Papardelle with shrimp, scallops and lobster braised in a white wine tomato basil cream sauce topped with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and basil. They sauce was rich but not overly filling. The seafood was delicious, I just wish the pieces were a big larger. Overall, I was overly pleased.
If you have not tried this delicious location yet, you are missing out!
My husband and I tried this restaurant out due to a Scott Joseph deal we purchased and the excellent reviews we read. We were certainly not disappointed.
We went on a Saturday night. The restaurant definitely had an upscale, intimate and romantic setting. They even had live entertainment- a guitarist that would go around and serenade tables. Nice touch.
Our waiter also had a strong Italian accent. It was almost like we were IN Italy!!
We started off with an appetizer, the bruscetta sorpresa. It wasn't your typical bruscetta. It had sauteed onions and some kind of cheese with a distinct smokey flavor, we think gorgonzola. Â Delicious! Â We also decided to each try the soup of the day, creamy asparagus. We we very pleased. It tasted like it was freshly prepared. Definitely not out of a can.
For my entree, I went with the open faced seafood lasagna, lasagnette alla genovese. Every bite was pure heaven. My husband who rarely eats alot of meat decided to go all out and ordered the filetto de gorgonzola. He ate the whole entire thing!! Â We made room for dessert. My husband had the bread pudding while I had some kind of puff pastry with fruit and custard. Â Perfect ending to an excellent meal.
We were so happy to try out this place. The food is delicious, the servers are attentive. Perfect place for date night but do prepare to spend more than an average meal.
Great authentic Italian fare. Â If they have a special, get it. Â The menu items are good but the specials never disappoint. Â The pesto is jawdroppingly good and SO FRESH. Â Great service too, Sylvannia is a riot ;). Â Only downside... pretty expensive. Â Except for the pesto pasta... $14 iirc.
My preferred date spot for sure (When she's worth it!), and best Italian I've had in Orlando.
DO NOT OVERLOOK THIS GEM
Taylor street cozy old world Italian in Orland Park! Â I have had so many dishes that I have enjoyed - one of my favorites is the Chicken Vesuvio - pan seared to perfection with all of the fresh herbs and garlic infused into the chicken breast accompanied with potato wedges with encrusted cheese and garlic YUMMY. Â Don't overlook the Specials (hand written on the chalk board) They Are Special! Â The wine selection is very nice as well - it can be limited, however they do keep some nice blends and are very good with recommendations.
Family Owned and Family Run
Rocco's won the Sentinel Food Critic's award as best Italian -- what the ...?
Three of us dined here recently and received a warm and gracious welcome from Mr. Rocco himself. We began with some decent calamari, good rigatoni, but mediocre gnocchi. Â However, the main courses, two veal and one fish, were uninspired, and that's being kind. Â My veal (rather ironically) had an "old" taste. One dining companion said that his had no taste. The fish was too "fishy," Â We told the previously warm-and-gracious Rocco that we were disappointed. Mr. warm-and-gracious copped an attitude, suggesting we didn't know Italian. Â By the way, this joint is expensive!
This was my first visit and my last.
I made the trip to Rocco's recently because I know one of the chefs that works there. I was dining alone so he recommended the Chef's Tasting menu 4 course meal for $30. You get a choice for appetizer, pasta dish, entree and dessert. For appetizer I got the calamari which was a bit on the salty side(my only complaint). Alternatively I believe a stuffed mushroom appetizer is available or soup of the day. For the Pasta dish I had the gnocchi in an amazing aurora sauce. Other choices were rigatoni or fettuccine. For the entree I had the beef tenderloin which was also great. Veal and fish of the day are alternatives. For dessert I had the tiramisu instead of a cannoli.  Rocco and his staff have great hospitality and service. Everything about this place says first class(including the prices) but I think $30 for  a meal of a king is a great deal.
Review Source:I came here with family for dinner one night after it was recommended to us as the absolute best Italian restaurant in Orlando. Â
When we arrived we were seated promptly and the service was excellent. Â Our server was attentive, and brought us our menus and wine list. Â She explained the specials and took our wine order. She brought the wrong wine, but it tasted good so we kept it anyway.
The food was quite good, but I wouldn't say it is the best in Orlando. Â The Anitpasti platter we ordered tasted fine, but was nothing special. Â I had the open faced seafood lasagna, which was the best dish at our table. The pesto dish tasted like something I've made at home numerous times with about $8 worth of ingredients. Â The filet was good and well prepared, but again nothing extremely special.
Atmosphere is very nice, and romantic. Â Service throughout was excellent.
The reason I gave this 3 stars instead of four is the price for the quality of food you get. Â If they cut their prices by about a third, I would have given four stars. Â If they would kick their food up a few notches, it would have been 5.
I think this is the best Italian restaurant in Orlando. They have delicious homemade pastas, particularly the gnocchi and cheese ravioli. The soups, including a hearty pasta e fagioli, have also been great. The outdoor dining area is charming and quiet and the service is attentive. This is not a cheap night out, so don't go here on a day that you are feeling broke. I had dessert once and it was not spectacular, so feel free to fill up on the yummy pastas.
Review Source:Came for magical dining month (3 course meal for $29!), damn good stuff. Â
Goat cheese bruschetta topped with artichokes. Â Chicken stuffed with mozzarella and prosciutto, on top of wilted spinach and incredibly perfectly diced tomatoes. Â Dessert? Â A petite cannoli with a richly flavored orange cream filling. Â YUM!
Don't know if I'd be able to afford this place had it not been for the price fixed menu, it's pricey otherwise.
Having an Italian last name, the pressure to find good Italian food is daunting, especially in a town where it's not always prevalent.
Rocco's up in Winter Park does the trick. It can be a bit tough to find over on 17-92, because the traffic an glitz from Winter Park Village across the street can obscure the sign. However, once inside, you are greeted by a classy Italian woman and you begin the adventure.
It's a good date spot, a really good date spot with the dim lighting, small tables, and light jazz playing in the background. It's pricey, as most Italian date spots are, but the service is superb, and the food is even better.
If I had three thumbs, they'd all go to Rocco's, but I guess the best I can do is 5 stars.
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