Ornella Trattoria Italiana

The service was excellent here. The owner took great care of us. The food was a lot to finish so I had some to take home and our drinks were very generously poured. All of the staff had great customer service. I recommend this place for anyone looking for good Italian food in a cozy atmosphere.

This was a random choice of a restaurant to go here and it was a great decision. It very welcoming inside, and family owned. The owners sons were very nice. Our waiter was PINO! He was super nice and attentive to us.
I ordered the pesto pasta and for the life of me I cant remember what my friend ordered. Both the dishes were great!
Greeting: Yes
Food: Very good
Service: Attentive
Attire: Casual
Ambiance: Warm and welcoming
Pricing: Affordable ($$)
Bathrooms: Hilarious, just go into them lol… and they were clean!
Would I go back?: Yes

Was so looking forward to showing this place off to my mom when she came to visit for my birthday. I’d had such a great experience before, but coming here for birthday dinner (or as a way to show off the culinary delights of Astoria) was a mistake. The atmosphere felt burnt out and lifeless, whereas before it was vibrant and charming. The food was oversalted and minimal on the flavor. The seafood was rubbery. The service was very disappointing. Gone was the kind, attentive enthusiasm from my previous visit.
All that said, it’s still kind of cute and they have some great specials, like two-​for-​one pasta night (just don’t get the seafood). Would I come here again? Yes. For a special occasion? Definitely not.

Im a restaurateur, not a UnilocalER !
I had dinner last night at this fine Italian ristorante. I walked in and was greeted by a gracious host, later to find out he is the owner. As an appetizer Fresh mozzarella and tomatoes followed by Veal Piccata. Excellent !! The owner has his eyes on every table ensuring a great dining experience. BRAVO !!

Went here with my boyfriend and was pleasantly surprised. We walked by and it was packed and looked cute so we went for it. Food was amazing!
Started with the calamari and it was delicious, lightly fried and melts in your mouth. Highly recommend!
For dinner, had the penne vodka with chicken ($ 10 pasta Thursday’s! Can’t beat it). My boyfriend had the big ravioli stuffed with veal, spinach, chicken and mushroom. I can’t remember the name of it, but it was amazing.
All in all the food was great and the staff very friendly. Have to say they were a little bit slow towards the end, so ask for your check right away when you’re ready. We ended up sitting for 20 minutes and got up to make them notice we were ready to leave. But friendly nonetheless. Will definitely be back (Wednesday is BYOB!)!!

Wow! Everything was incredible! Giuseppe (the owner) and his sons (the servers) were absolutely delightful. My husband and I used to order take out from them all the time and after the old school Italian place in our neighborhood closed we were on search of a new go-​to spot. Thank god we thought of Ornella.
Everything that hit the table was mind blowing good, and the service was excellent Some people on Unilocal complained about price. The check was under $ 200 for four people for a liter of wine, appetizers, entrées, desert, coffee, and after dinner drinks… you can’t beat it.
They also post their bad reviews and their responses in their bathroom. It’s hilarious.
Do yourself a favor. Eat here, come hungry, and indulge. You’re going to love it!

I made reservations for my family on Christmas night. Props to this cute and classy little joint for being open (and crazy busy). The painted walls and indoor environment evoked stories of the 2 weeks that my mother spent in Italy about a month ago — she felt like it reminded her of the little café’s that lined many of the streets throughout her travels. I’m not sure that’s quite the ringing endorsement I mean it to be, but just know that middle-​aged jewish women may find the ambiance to be very authentic.
The food is FANTASTIC. Everything is presented in a very appetizing manner, and the smells really draw you into each dish. The portions are beyond healthy (no one at my table was able to finish their whole entrée). I had one of the evening’s specials — a pappardalle with short rib ragu. And wow. Just wow.
To me, it’s wonderful when a place isn’t a caricature of it’s origins — like any pizza joint that serves eggplant parm and shows up on a list as being Italian food (not that there is anything wrong with that at all, I LOVE pizza) — and Ornella’s eclectic menu, full of more than just the standard «Italian» fare, hits all the rights notes for me.
However, some of my party are more picky eaters who were less impressed with the range of dishes on the menu. Problem, right? Wrong! When my aunt started to fret that everything was a little too «different» for her taste, we came across a little note on the menu — if you’re looking for something more standard, just ask for chicken parm, or any of the staples, and they’ll be more than happy to accommodate.
Our servers were prompt and friendly, and clearly working hard with a packed house on their holiday evening. Cheers to them!
The only hiccup on the evening was the timing of our reservation. We arrived a few minutes early for our 6:30pm and we were acknowledged, but then stood around for about 40 or 45 minutes before we were seated. While it was nice that the owner wasn’t blowing smoke about how it would only be another few minutes, just another few minutes only to be kept waiting, it was a little aggravating that he suggested we order while we were standing around, crowded in by the door. I appreciate that it was a very busy night, and Christmas to boot, but even a tiny apology for the wait would have been nice — certainly more warm and fuzzy than «hey, maybe if you order now, you won’t have to wait when you sit». Like everyone else who had a table, we wanted to sit and wait — it’s why we made reservations at your restaurant!
Not that this will stop me from coming back. Even if I was that angry, the food means that I have to come back — there is too much more deliciousness left on the menu to try!

Wonderful food, wonderful staff, wonderful experience.
Wanted to take my parents out for a nice dinner while they were in town and remembered Ornella from when I used to live in that part of Astoria. The take-​out was always superb. I had high expectations. Did not leave disappointed.
Highly recommend the chestnut pasta, homemade nduja and gnocchi with gorgonzola cream. But I didn’t eat anything on my recent visit that was not exceptional. Feels like the kind of place where you can order anything with confidence.
Prices and portions were more than fair, too. We spent less than $ 50 per person including appetizers, entrees, desserts and wine. I will absolutely be back. It’s a go-​to spot, and if you’re lucky enough to live nearby you should consider becoming a regular.

Cozy little charming place. Great atmosphere, wonderful host and stunning food. I’ve been there twice in the last 6 weeks and we all had a really great time.
First time I had the Delizia Salad & Parpadelle a la Bolognese. Second time I had the Duck Meatballs and Tagliata. Especially Tagliata is the way to go if you’re into having good meat.
The vine menu is well chosen and delivers both, affordable and more upscale ones. I’d suggest to go with the italian ones. They do know their vines over there.
We finished the nights with a great selection of desserts. Tiramisu, chocolate cake, limoncello cake, cheese cake — your choice. They were all delicious. Oustanding dishes.
If you are into chocolate based desserts ask for Guiseppe’s special dessert. I’ve never had anything like it.

Hands down, some of the best (if not THE best) Italian food I’ve ever had. I don’t normally like duck at all, but their duck meatballs are insanely delicious and I could have eaten them all night. I also got Cordon Bleu and, again, they hit the ball right out of the park. I sampled some of the other dishes that my family got and was impressed by all of it, especially the risotto.
This place is family run, which I really like. The servers were all friendly and helpful, which was nice. I also appreciated that they were open on Christmas Day… running around like that on a holiday making food for other people can’t be fun, but they did it and they did it well.
I gave this place four stars but could very well change it to five after future visits. The reason I gave it four is because we made reservations and still had to stand around for an hour before being seated. I get it, it’s a small place, it was Christmas and therefore very busy. However, I don’t really like the way it was handled. Not once did the owner apologize for the wait, but he actually handed us menus and wanted us to order while we were standing cramped in the entrance! I thought that was kind of rude; it felt like he was trying to rush us because they were backed up.
I will hands down be going back here because, overall, I had a great experience and the food is something I definitely want to eat again.

Always fabulous!!! The owner and his family could not be more warm and inviting!!! And I have ALWAYS had fantastic meals! There food here is first rate and I have NEVER been disappointed.

Update:
I had the chestnut pasta and it was as good as what other Unilocalers have said. Also his tiramisu is the best I ever had:)
I went with a group to have a bizarre eating night, where we ate off menu items. I tried tripe for the first time… well, the tripe and pasta is on his menu, but had it not been a fixed price menu of 7 things to try, I would have never ordered it because I heard such bad things about it. I know that Americans typically refuse to eat tripe, but you have to try the tripe at Ornella… it’s not chewy and it’s really tender and goes well with the sauce.
With this being said, the liver is the best I’ve ever had. Unlike most liver, the taste isn’t overpowering, so it’s subtle and pleasing.
I wish he’d put the lamb head on the menu, but I understand that not everyone wants their food smiling at them:)
Giuseppe and his staff are nice and attentive, and they take pride in their food and the quality they serve. I am intrigued by their chestnut pasta pasta, which I will try next time I go.
It’s 100 yards from the N and Q train, so there’s no excuse not to go!

So they post all their negative Unilocal food reviews on their bathroom. LOL. Maybe it’s some weird tactic to keep people from posting negative reviews or the owner must be as salty as his foods… yikes. Lets see if I make the bathroom hall of fame.
I was actually going to give this place a 3 or 2 star till I got my check… Continue reading or just read the bottom part and you’ll see why I gave just a single star.
Before I begin, a message for the owner. If you were to put in half as much effort into making your foods as you put into obsessing over Unilocal reviews, your food would probably taste MUCH better.
Literally, 5 stars better.
Anyhow, I went here with 3 friends for a birthday dinner since two of them are December babies. We had a reservation and were seated right away. Though it was Wednesday night so the place was fairly empty. The owner seemed like a nice dude and so did our waiter.
The food… the apps were great.
Duck meatballs — a bit sweet but pretty good.
Prosciutto with cheese, pears, and walnuts — also solid. Nothing to fault here.
The main meals were just okay.
— The chestnut pasta was on the heavy side and required some wine to eat properly. I get that this is the Italian way but drinking wine with food should not be a requirement. The wine should enhance the experience not be necessary to consume the food.
— The stuffed pork chop was underwhelming. My friend regretted not getting the rib instead.
— The clam linguine was similarly underwhelming. I expected more of the clam flavor to be in the pasta but was instead met with a fairly flavorless dish. I needed some cheese for it to have any flavor. Speaking of which, they don’t grate their cheese… they just sprinkled on powdered parmesan… are you kidding? Even cheesecake factory grates their own cheese… Legit Italian… Yeah, okay.
— The chicken/​tomato pasta was meh. At 17 bucks, nothing to write home about.
So at this point, it was going to be a 2 or 3 star depending on how the rest of the dinner went. I sneaked off to ask the waiter if they did anything for birthdays and they said yes, would a tiramisu work? I replied, great. The waiter came out with the tiramisu and it was extremely tasty and a great finish to the meal…
And then he charged us for it. I’m okay with getting charged for desserts but this was a bit out of the blue as most restaurants (even high-​end ones) tend to not charge the dessert for birthday events. I wouldn’t have minded paying for it if he at least just mentioned to me that it would not be complementary.
It’s so strange since everyone else seem to be praising their top-​notch service. I personally don’t think it was worth the trip from Bayside. For the price point and how the food tasted, I can’t justify dining here again. Friends should have stuck to DiWine…
Edit: LOLOL I made it guys! Are you kidding me? Who’s gonna order a bottle in the middle of the week when everyone has to drive back home… DUI is not cool. I also don’t recall harping on the pricing at all, just that at the given price point, the food’s not all that great. I mean, especially in this area! I don’t mind paying $ 50, $ 100, $ 500, etc. for my food but I expect them to taste to match the price. Christopher C. down there put it best, «Overall I can make better food at home which is the point of going out.» Pretty much sums up all of the pasta dishes…
And did you seriously write this to another reviewer who gave you a negative review? «My suggestion to you is that next time just review the owner and not the food» I have no idea how there are so many good reviews.
I don’t give out stars for free food, I give them out for good service and good food relative to the price point. Stop being so salty, Giuseppe. Use your time to trim down your menu to just the well received foods and focus on improving those. You are not doing any favors for your restaurant with this nonsense.

What makes this place stand out is the wonderful service and hosting of it’s owner Guiseppe and his staff. Guiseppe is a great host at this restaurant. Attentive, caters to the guests, and offers some stories on the neighborhood and a cup of complimentary espresso if you are waiting for take out. Service goes a long way in my book. They have nice, flavorful dishes as well. Favorites for me are the veal parmigiana. Nice melted cheese on a great piece of veal over spaghetti with a wonderful red sauce. Also there fettucini with bolognese sauce is wonderful as well. Lot’s of meaty sauce to flavor the large noodles. Nice spot for a neighborhood italian dinner.

Totally digging this place. I don’t know why I didn’t visit this little gem sooner.
The pasta is great, the service is personal, and the prices are reasonable. As a recent bandwagoner of the gluten-​free train (not by choice), it was awesome to have a variety of delicious and interesting GF pastas to choose from. They were even happy to change up my dish with a different pasta to accommodate my dietary needs.
Also, check out the bathroom. I had a nice giggle.

Dear Guiseppe,
We order out from you more than we come in, but I just wanted to make sure to give you a high five on Unilocal.Some of these reviews are HILARIOUS, and I have no idea how these people could call Ornella anything but fantastic! Also, good for you standing up for yourself to those bad reviews! Everyone thinks they are a food critic these days… they probably haven’t had a proper Italian meal in their lives!
Happy holidays! We’ll come in for some duck meatballs and imbustata soon :)
Warmly,
Your Neighbors

So My Bf and I started back on our Gnocchi hunting and Ornella came up as one of the best Spots! So after carefully reading other reviews, We decided to give this place a shot!
The Décor: very warm and cozy and very casual, which we loved!
Service: Great Service and loved to see that it’s a family business, owner and son were both working that night and were very welcoming.
The Food:
The Duck Meatball was Fantastic! just a little fresh cracker pepper and it’s the perfect meatball, loved the cheese and the middle.
So we both order the Gnocchi, I ordered the short ribs with gnocchi and my BF order the Gorgonzola cream Gnocchi. Both Gnocchi were slightly bland but very good and texture, they were like little fluffy clouds and your mouth. I would of preferred them a bit smaller in size so that you can get that perfect bite. I was more of a fan of my BF gnocchi rather than my own. The short rib is unique but i guess i like the classics more :) I loved that the owner was kind enough to tell me next time i can choose which sauce to pair with my gnocchi!
Price: Great Wine prices! Bottle and by the glass, As for the Menu, pretty much everything is 20 plus. But the portions are huge. we could not finish both of our dishes, so be careful of over ordering.
Ornella’s was a great experience! it’s a type of night if you want to have a nice once in while date with your Friends, partner, etc. I will try this place out once more when i just want to come and wind down and have a good meal.

I went here for living social deal. It was a great deal and I always wanted to try this place.
I loved the vibe: very Italian rustic. The food was fantastic: let me clarify. Pasta was good. I had stuffed pork and i honestly did not like the pork. It just wasn’t my cup of tea. The meat was chewy and there was a spinach like stuffing that just wasn’t my Cup of tea.
However the pasta on the side was so delicious. My date had short ribs. It was a lot better than pork! And the gnocchi was seriously so good. We had duck meatballs: i loved the meatball but it was smothered in sweet sauce. I would ask he sauce on the side rather than on the plate.
Would I go back? Yes. I would go back and get pasta. And try the duck meatballs with sauce on the side. The portions are huge!

Came upon this place because another italian restaurant i was going to go eat at was busy. i’m glad i found this place. The food and service was good and i would definitely come back.
The only complaints i would have is that the caesar salad was in fact not romaine lettuce. It was iceberg lettuce. Also i found the fried calamari to be just ok but the sauce was good. And the mushroom risotto was a bit sweet for me. Also i would have preferred for the pancetta to be cut differently. They cut it where the meat and fat is separate. It just doesnt taste well to get just a bite of fat. But that is merely my preference.
But overall it was a great dining experience.

I came here for dinner on pasta night Thursday’s! $ 10 for pasta dishes. The food was amazing along with service. I’m very picky when it comes to calamari but this is my top 2 places for it as the other place is in cape cod, a must try! All the pasta dishes we ordered were delicious, very tasty, sauce everything was perfect. The spaghetti carbonara and seafood linguine is a must try.
Funny there was a Unilocal event here at the same time. The owner was very kind and offered us dessert and coffee during this time as we had to move tables to make way for the event.
This place is close to the n/​q train on 23^rd and is an Astoria Italian restuarant hidden gem!