Tortino

Typically I don’t eat out at Italian restaurants, but in those rare moments when I crave pasta, this is where I go! Fresh homemade pasta, homey atmosphere, and good noise level. The seafood linguini is delicious! i got to snuck in bites of my friends’ lamb osso bucco, braised short ribs, and fettuccine alla bolognese and they were all stellar.
Tortino is located on a more quite street so it’s always been pretty easy driving in and finding street parking which is a huge plus for me!

A hidden gem indeed. You certainly get what you pay for, and will not be disappointed at all. Tortono Salad with goat cheese was amazing, and so was their Chicken with potatoes and brusstle sprouts. Very clean and fancy-​like environment. Definitely a great place for a date.

I live in the neighborhood, but I certainly don’t come here enough. I stopped by the other night to have a drink and bite during happy hour and I’m very glad I did. For $ 6, you can order very nice wine or cocktail selections, and the bar snacks are amazing. I ordered the chef’s special, which happened to be grilled octopus on a bed of arugula salad. I’ve found that octopus can be easily over cooked– rendered gummy– so this was a test. And Tortino passed with flying colors. The octopus was perfectly cooked, the salad was bright– the citrus balanced the char on the octopus perfectly. The bartender was kind and attentive. All in all, a lovely experience.

This is a great Italian spot in DC. The food was delicious, the service was fun and friendly, and the desserts were yummy! Definitely on the pricier side for a plate of pasta, but that’s to be expected. Everything was fresh and tasted home made. We enjoyed the burrata for an app. I had the ravioli and it was amazing! Exactly what I wanted. The desserts were yummy, but nothing I would get too excited over (tiramisu is my favorite dessert, so I’ve def had better.) A great date spot and make sure to get a bottle of wine with your meal!

This place is a solid 4.5. The night we were there, service was impeccable. Wine was a fair price and the food was definitely some of the best I’ve had in DC. I had the Kale ravioli, which sounds disgusting, but was quite delicious. Our server was busting his tail trying to keep everyone happy and was doing a darn good job at it. Décor was a little off-​putting. Beige walls with minimalist features. If there had not been tables, I would have thought I was at a funeral home. Tables are really tight against one another, too. I heard all about the old ladies’ back problem while I was having dinner. That’s not really their fault though– I don’t blame them for packing in tables.
Everyone was pleasant and made sure we were taken care of. Food was absolutely delicious. If you have a huge appetite, you may need to order an appetizer. My main course was plenty for me, but Americans love to overindulge so I could see how the portions could be a complaint of some. Overall, wonderful experience.

The service was great. The bartender/​server was very knowledgable about the menu and answered our questions happily. It was a Sunday night and it wasn’t very crowded. We were a half hour early for our reservation and got seated right away.
I ordered the special, the branzino in a lemon-​caper sauce. It was really delicious! It came with sautéed escarole that was also delicious.
My boyfriend had the lamb shank with spinach mashed potatoes and really enjoyed it. However, his Malbec was nothing to write home about. It tasted cheap and it was the only Malbec. That’s why I stuck to vodka!
We had the chocolate cake for dessert and it was pretty good. Nothing out of this world but it was pretty tasty.

Because I love Italian, I booked Tortino on OpenTable for another birthday dinner. I had never been before, and I had friends in town who were open to trying it with me based on the reviews.
The food is a 4, but the service was a 1.
Service was horrendous. We all arrived on time at 8:30, But, it took us about 45 minutes to finally get seated… After about 20 minutes of waiting, I asked if the maître d’ could let the table know that our party was waiting. He said that he felt bad saying anything, but that they had already paid their bill. My friend who was visiting in town for a conference noticed that the women at the table had the same conference badges. They were all just on their cell phones and looking at conference paperwork… So, I asked again if he could say something. He came back to us telling us that he was victorious and that the women weren’t mad… We then watched as it took ten minutes to get staff to reset the table. Then we were finally seated.
The waiter took our wine and appetizer order as we were very quick to make some decisions and be fed… The $ 55 Pinot Noir was not very good, but other choices were way more than we were willing to pay for. It was about 9:30 when we asked if we could also have some bread. The bread came out about ten minutes later, without butter or olive oil. The bread wasn’t even warm to have warranted the wait. The specials were given, but the descriptions all rolled into each other and none of use could await the delay of ordering further. We asked for oil or butter again…
Then, we were underwhelmed with the appetizers, which are definitely a rip off… Five tiny pieces of octopus on arugula and chopped tomatoes. A quarter cut of burratta on another bed of greens… (I highly recommend Dino’s Grotto if you like and want a delicious and lovely-​sized portion of Burrata). I’m really confused as to why the waiter wouldn’t have mentioned that these portions were super small for a party of five…
Then, they cleared our table, and we waited yet again to eat our main courses for a few minutes because we couldn’t get someone to bring us new silverware. They even made a mistake with giving my friend the risotto instead of the pork special. They offered to replace the plate, but he was so starved that I knew he didn’t want to hold us all up from eating. We did have to wait for silverware anyways… I was surprised that they did not remove that from the bill…
Last, their chocolate salami was definitely overhyped by the waiter, and it was a microscopic portion. They, unlike every other restaurant on OpenTable who reads the notes about special occasions, didn’t put a candle in any of our desserts…
If you plan on going here, expect a very disorganized staff… I do highly recommend the sweet potato gnocchi and the cheesecake… They get 2 stars for those. *Their Osso Bucco flavor was good, but it was drier than most restaurants… Possibly reheated too much that the outsides were hard and sinewy).
I highly recommend Dino’s Grotto or Ghibellina instead…

I’ve been here twice (last night was my second time). I definitely echo previous reviewers’ mentions of the quality of food: it’s fresh, it’s all homemade (nothing frozen), and it’s super delicious. Worth every penny. Price wise, costs are comparable to other DC Italian places but the quality here is better IMO.
Major points: it’s not a loud place so you can actually have a conversation with your friends here! I’ve been to my share of loud DC restaurants and it can get exhausting having to talk over noise sometimes.
The food: The first time I went, I tried the Black Ink Taglierini (aka squid ink) with shrimp and it was superb. Last night, I tried the Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Lamb Ragu: again, yummm! I’ve never had sweet potato gnocchi before so I enjoyed trying something different.
The service: Both times, the service was also great with constant attention on re-​filling waters, replacing silverware, etc. So I’m not sure what other reviewers are talking about there BUT maybe the restaurant is making sure to up their game because my experiences were really good [insert «100» emoji].
Try them out!

Came here for my fiancé’s birthday dinner based on the great Unilocal reviews. I saw that there were some complaints regarding service, but we are pretty low maintenance diners so I figured we would be fine. Well… we weren’t, and this turned into quite possibly one of the most disappointing dining experiences I’ve ever had.
What amazes me the most about this place is how a single large party (about 10 people) seemed to paralyze the entire wait staff. As we waited and waited and waited (20 minutes just to get our server to come around to take our order), we saw every single staff member cater to the larger party, several of them hovering there at once. Not only did we wait entirely too long in between courses, but my fiancé sat there with an empty glass throughout the majority of our meal because we didn’t have anyone come and check on us until it was time to clear our plates. I understand that executing larger parties isn’t easy, but when there are only 3 other tables and 4 servers, it really shouldn’t be this much of a challenge.
As far as the food. It was good. No complaints there. My fiancé called his meal (the gnocchi with lamb ragu) one of the best meals he’s had in a restaurant. We got a complimentary tiramisu for his birthday, and it was delicious (I don’t even like tiramisu that much.) With such great things to say about the food, it’s a shame that the poor service was what stood out.

1 star for getting my kids plate right… plain penne pasta.
1. Our wine was priced at $ 45 & we got charged $ 54.
2. We asked for burrata & received a beef carpaccio with mozzarella.
3. Wife asked for Parpadella Bolognese and received fettuccini.
4. I asked for Osso Bucco with risotto and received lamb shank with green mash potato. The worst part was the waiter tried convincing me that it was a special risotto the chef made me. Sorry but no.
As a 3^rd generation chef/​restauranteur it’s very hard for me not to find a flaw in a F&B establishment. Those who are consistent and proud of their cuisine take the biggest prize, a happy customer!
But as a CUSTOMER, It’s very disrespectful to under mind clients, you never know whose dining at your restaurant.
Unfortunately Torino is low to under average. You can get more consistent Italian from Stouffer’s.

Wow. My italian side of my family definitely drew me to the right restaurant last night! This place has become one of my top italian restaurants in DC. Although its not a big venue, I believe that’s what makes it all around better, it’s so cozy yet elegant. The light is dim enough to make you feel as though you are at home— a very charming home haha! Being restaurant week the options selected were very appealing, which is why it took us probably a good 15minutes to decide! In the mean time we ordered a bottle of Malbec (Mendoza ’14) for the table, that was our first perfect order.
Eventually we decided and two of my friends ordered the Black Ink Crab Meat Lasagna which they loved. Another ordered the Seared Chilean Sea Bass and he loved it as well. As for myself, I had the Jumco Lump Crab Meat Ravioli: Served with Cherry Tomato and White Wine Sauce… IT WAS DELICIOUS! I probably ate too quickly because I was already like, «more please and keep it coming» I kid you not, I couldn’t stop ranting it to my friends! Definitely one to try if you ever decide to stop by.
For dessert, everyone ordered the usual, Taramisu and Ricotta Cheesecake, since I was still feeling frisky after the amazing meal I decided on the Chocolate Salami. Ladies and gentlemen, that dessert gave me wings! I was happy to know that although everyone enjoyed their meals, mine was the most envied! I win– yesss! I will definitely be coming back here very very soon!

(3.5 stars) This restaurant is beautiful and you can tell truly it cares about customer service. I wasn’t a big fan of my dish (more on that below) but the rest of the food was quite good. The atmosphere is peaceful and its definitely a place for an intimate meal.
The fettuccine alla bolognese was really tasty. Homemade pasta that was hearty and served aldente style. A filling dish but not too overbearing. My dish on the other hand was rather underwhelming. I ordered the braised boneless short ribs, and I really think it just came with the wrong meat because it really didn’t have the tenderness and richness that shortrib usually does. The sides were tasty and the sauce was okay, but the meat was hard to look past.
Although I didn’t enjoy my dish, the restaurant was more accommodating than I could have asked for. I didn’t exchange my dish or tell the waiter because I felt I had eaten too much of it already, but I brought it up afterwards that I was really disappointed with it. The waiter and matradee apologized and wished I had brought it up earlier because they would have happily exchanged it for a different dish. To my surprise, they offered to take it off the bill. It was the kind of customer service you hope to have from every nice restaurant and why I would happily return. Next time though, I’m going with the homemade pasta.

I loved this place. Really. After fighting through the crowded DC restaurant scene for the last few days, Tortino was such a welcome relief. The restaurant is charming, a great spot for a date night or a small group outing. Don’t bring your kids here– spare us, please.
As I was dining solo, I sat at the bar, and was well taken care of. I had a delicious Italian Cabernet (a first for me), recommended by the bartender, who was also quite knowledgable about the food and made excellent recommendations.
My dinner was outstanding. They had fried calamari as a starter, and it was extremely tender and delicious. Then I got a steak, taters, and sauteed spinach, all of which were cooked perfectly. I couldn’t find a single thing to complain about, which is unusual for me :)
The next night, faced with another dilemma about which crowded, overpriced restaurant to go to, I almost went back to Tortino again. But I didn’t, and regretted that decision later.

Service: A+ staff extremely friendly and helpful
Food: Real fresh, feels authentic! Starters were nicer than pasta mains but they were still really good
Atmosphere: very cosy, romantic and intimate feel, could be great for both dates and a family meal out.
Price: A+
A really nice restaurant a non pretentious atmosphere and tasty food.

We went to this place on a Wednesday evening for dinner. We went to Italy in February so have definitely been on a quest to explore homemade pasta in the DC area. The ambiance is great, definitely a reminder of our time in Italy.
We started off with wine and appetizers. We had tuna tartare and a trio dish with scallop, shrimp, and calamari. Both dishes were pretty good. For our main courses we had a crab pasta dish with white wine sauce and a crab ravioli. Again both dishes a were good, just not as good as being in Italy. I would visit again. The customer service was pretty good.

To my surprise on a Saturday night I was about to get a table without reservations half an hour after opening. I called a few restaurants and finally was able to get a helpful person. He told me that if I was able to get here before 6, that it wouldn’t be a problem to accommodate me and my husband. We walked a mile and half and was happy to get seated right away.
We were greeted promptly and given the daily specials. I felt this the waiter was trying to only sell us on the food. He kept asking if we wanted wine or alcohol, firmly suggested that we get an appetizer, and at the end kept asking about coffee, cappuccino, etc… even after we ordered dessert. Other than that, the service was great. The food came out quickly, hot, and our drinks were always topped off.
The seafood linguine came with a ton of clans, mussels, and 2 decent size lobsters, and a few shrimps. The sauce wasn’t the best I’ve had, but it still had a great flavor. Bit pricey ($ 28) for the meal, especially since I left hungry, even eating dessert and breads.
The crab ravioli was really good! The sauce was probably better than the seafood linguine, in my opinion. The portion for $ 24 was ridiculous small.
Overall, I gave this place 3 stars because the food was good, but:
–service could improve to a dining experience, not a selling.
–Price, I understand if the quality of products was high, but it didn’t seem to be organic, local, etc… I didn’t get the indication that it was but I could have missed it.
–portion…how the hell do you go to an Italian restaurant and leave hungry?

I went here with my super foodie parents who after coming back from European travels only suffice with good quality food.
So the food here is super amazing. Between the ravioli that you can taste serious truffle in and the gnocchi that has just amazing amounts of flavor and density — the pasta is superb, as in just as good as Rome, Italy (I just came back from there superb).
This place is a bit too loud though and the way the specials are organized it was just too much to remember. Putting it out there with the chalkboard would have been better.

3.5 Stars.
Food is good but atmosphere is weird.
Basement of a house with a strange bar in the back.
Waiters were nice and food was good… I just wasn’t blown away.

Came here with a few friends for dinner on Saturday evening with reservations in advance. The ambience is DEFINITELY a date night kind of place with candles and romantic music. The portions were reasonable and the food was all in all not bad.
Pros:
— Duck: Delicious! This was my favorite dish for the night. The potatoes were perfectly cooked and the duck was moist and really well seasoned. I would definitely get this again.
— Beef Carpaccio: Beef was good, mixed with the pesto, cheese and other garnishes, it was a good appetizer to start.
The other things we ordered off the menu were okay, but not really memorable. Since it is an Italian restaurant, I was expecting the pasta to be amazing, but I wasn’t too impressed. I would definitely come back for the duck again though!

My husband loves this place. Our friends introduced it to him first and then later he brought us all here. We came here on a Friday night with reservations thru opentable.
When we arrived we noticed people sitting outside in the heat. It was hot too! There is limited seating outside
Here is what I liked:
1. The scallops were really good
2. The chocolate salami was really good.
3. The ambiance and décor was also nice
What I didn’t like:
1. The risotto of the day with saffron and lamb. It was a strange taste. I can’t describe it
2. Our waitress brought us the wrong dessert. We ordered the seffrido or something related to that. But they brought the chocolate salami. We already started eating it by the time the waitress arrived to tell us it was the wrong one. She apologized profusely and even offered to bring out the right one but we declined.
My dish was the braised kale ravioli in marjoram butter. It was not as delicious as I hoped but still decent. It had a lot of thin sauce and the ravioli needed to be soaked more in the sauce at least because it was bland without the sauce.
The service here was overall very good. They always filled up our drinks and water when we were running low. I think our waitress was new but she made a decent effort overall.
I’m sure we will be back.