Cotto Modern Italian

Delicious food, great atmosphere, amazing service

I was watching the press about Cotto since before they opened and I finally ate there for a late Sunday lunch. It's a beautiful restaurant, with a great looking bar. The menu is very authentic Italian, with a few exceptions. The wine list offers a great selection of Italian wines, along with wines from California, New Zealand, Argentina, and more. The food was tasty and well executed, with a couple of missteps. The service was friendly and attentive, but also had a glitch. We started with the fried calamari, a glass of Soave, and a glass of Vermentino. The calamari was perfectly cooked and served with a spicy marinara and a creamy aoli. Next I ordered a speziato pizza and my friends ordered spaghetti and meatballs and lasagna. The pizza crust was nicely done and the toppings were tasty. Despite the name and description, there was no hint of spice. I'm a fan of spicy food, but my friend can't take heat and she agreed that there wasn't any heat. It was still tasty. Next time I'll ask for a drizzle of Calabrian chili oil, which they have on the menu elsewhere. The meatballs and sauce were very good, but the pasta was well beyond al dente. It was closer to Wednesday night spaghetti at church than to Italy. The lasagna is traditional Italian with béchamel and Bolognese sauce. It was very tasty but the pasta was even more overcooked than the spaghetti. It was really mushy. The service issue came when the food was dropped. Someone other than the server dropped the food and split. My buddy wanted some parm and I wanted a glass of red wine. We tried to get the attention of our server. And then any server. And then anyone. There were a lot of employees. We were gently signaling, trying to make eye contact, etc. At one point another server walked by our table and my friend said "excuse me" a couple time. I did the same and she continued to walk past us. I finally caught the eye of someone standing by the bar and put my hand up a little so she knew we needed something. She came over and my friend asked for Parmesan. She said ok and quickly turned and started to walk away. I called her back and told her I needed a glass of wine. I was the one who called her over and she apparently didn't think I had anything to add. I was pretty frustrated at this point, and it showed. She was nice and promptly took care of everything. The rest of the experience was good. I'll definitely try them again. It's a great addition to Gainesville. I just hope they get better at cooking al dente pasta. And the staff starts paying more attention.

Excelente menú

I went with my friend to celebrate her birthday. Everyone was very nice and accommodating. The food was delicious and the tiramisu was WOW! So good!! Thank you for making our night so special!

Love the atmosphere here. The food was delicious. Our waiter and one in training were the "best".

My husband & I went here for a date night last week. The food was AMAZING. It was the new authentic Italian meal we've ever had. Recommend the specials menu. Love the intimate atmosphere. Our server, Luca, was the best we’ve ever had. Made great recommendations & checked on us frequently. I got up once to use the restroom, & when I came back, my husband said Luca had folded my napkin nice & neat so it would be ready for me when I returned. We will definitely make this a regular date night spot!

One of the best Italian meals we've ever had. Couldn't get a reservation so we went early and asked for a seat at the bar. By 6pm the whole place had filled in around us. Wife had the salmon special and loved it, thought it was maybe the best salmon she's ever had. I had stuffed pasta that was a delight, and added Meatballs for extra protein. Bartender Manuel did a great job taking care of us and all the diners at the bar. Can't wait to eat here again someday.