Cotto Modern Italian - Gainesville (GA)

4 /5 L P: We started with the calamari and the bruschetta cotto—both were excellent and highly recommended. I ordered an espresso martini and the bartender did a great job… once it arrived. Full transparency: it took over 20 minutes to get our first round of drinks after being seated, and our appetizers beat our cocktails to the table. I’ve been here for an hour and still don’t have a buzz, which definitely set the tone for the night. My Caesar salad also came out at the exact same time as my entrée, which was disappointing from a pacing standpoint. We were a little late to our reservation and were told we had to be up by 7:00 PM for the next table. We were respectful, closed out early, and moved to the bar to finish our drinks—only to find out our table wasn’t seated for another 30+ minutes, so we ended up standing at the bar unnecessarily. Shoutout to Miriam, our waiter, who did an excellent job and was attentive and friendly throughout—she wasn’t the issue at all. For entrées, I had the lamb lollipops and my husband ordered the veal, which absolutely blew the lamb out of the water. Overall, the food had highlights, but between the slow drinks and awkward pacing, the experience fell short of what we expected.

5 /5 Carolyn SCHELL: Fabulous family dinner. The restaurant has a elegant feel and the layout gives it a cozy atmosphere. I would definitely recommend making a reservation as the restaurant is not large and was busy the entire time we were there. Our server (Nancy) was pleasant, knowledgeable and attentive without be intrusive. We had cocktails, appetizers, main course and dessert. Everything was excellent. Lasagna was superb. Calamari was tender and delicious. We will definitely be back to try some more dishes!

5 /5 John Hornick Chef’s Apprentice: Category: Fine food, Italian. We discovered this sleek, atmospheric Italian bistro by attending a wedding rehearsal dinner. The candelabra chandeliers and obscured-light sconces set a romantic tone throughout. Our beautifully-set table for 30 (yes, 30) stretched the entire length of the dining room, leaving only the semi-circular banquette booths for other guests. I was pleasantly surprised to see that we were allowed to order from the regular menu. Usually, groups of this size must order from a set menu offering limited choices. But each of us ordered anything we wanted. Usually, ordering and serving for a group of this size also takes forever. So I was also pleasantly surprised that our wine order was taken quickly, the wine was quickly served, our antipasti order was taken quickly, the food arrived in a snap, our primi/secondi orders were then promptly taken, and they arrived shortly thereafter. Excellent service, at every step. My most pleasant surprise was that all of the food was well-prepared, well-plated, and delicious, which is difficult with a group of this size. Sarah and I tasted only the frito misto, burrata, Cacio e Pepe, and lobster ravioli, which were excellent, especially the lobster ravioli’s sauce. But our friends also reported that their dishes were excellent, especially the lamb chops and the pizza. I noticed that the long bar was buzzing when we arrived and when we left. For warmer weather, there’s also a large, umbrellaed patio with strings of Edison bulbs. Though we don’t live nearby, we would certainly return to this spot for a romantic meal, or for another dinner for 30. YouTube’s Chef’s Apprentice

5 /5 TK: Me and My wife went decided to give this place a try, since I am picky when it comes to a lot of types of food. Especially when it comes to Italian. We started off with two Antipasti that were the same yet different styles of Bruschetta & Bruschetta Cotto. Both were incredibly delicious with both hanging its own unique flavors. Then we decided to share la Minestra which was pretty good and went well with the both Bruschettas. My lovely wife had the Cacio e Pepe with chicken, which she told me it was the best shes had and had me try it. I can concur that is was exquisite. I order the Seafood fra Diavolo, and I must admit that it was also exquisite and perfectly flavorful. The shrimp was perfectly tender and melted in my mouth like butter, the mussels where perfectly cooked and the calamari was so tender it was impressive. The Noodles and Sauce were Perfectly seasoned & cooked. I then had to try their Lasagna since the reviews gave the Lasagna high marks. And I can also concur that it was so good it brought back childhood memories, absolutely exceptional. Then, when decided to have some desert. My wife order Tiramisu which was absolutely delicious and I had the Torta di Cioccolato which not only was rich, but also perfectly balanced. Our waiter was very professional and did his job very well. We both highly recommended this place a must go to for lunch or dinner.

5 /5 Megan Wimbish: My husband and I booked a reservation for our anniversary dinner at literally 10:00 PM the night before. I simply added, “We’re celebrating our 1st wedding anniversary.” Due to the short notice, I genuinely didn’t expect much — boy, was I wrong. We had never been to Cotto, and I didn’t even know the cute little Town Square of Gainesville existed (and we’ve lived 25 minutes away for the last three years!). This place is a hidden gem, in my opinion. When we arrived, there was a “Happy Anniversary” card on our table signed by the entire staff, and every single team member who came by wished us a happy anniversary. I don’t know about you, but I thought that was freaking cute. Our server, Andrew, was phenomenal. He was knowledgeable about the menu items and helped us choose our meal based on his own experiences. The cocktails were soooo good. Like, “complimenting the bartender across the restaurant” kind of good. It’s been so long since I’ve had a well-made cocktail. Overall — Cotto is amazing. If you haven’t tried it yet, what are you waiting for? What we ordered: Cocktails: Cotto Sour (mine — so good!) and the Tuscan Ember (a seasonal cocktail, featured in the photos) Antipasti: Cozze and Burrata (both featured in the photos) Secondi Piatti: Pesce alla Puttanesca (the sea bass) and the Costolette d’Agnello (lamb chops) — also featured in the photos