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313 N. Highland Ave. (At Elizabeth St, Virginia-Highland/Little Five Points)
Atlanta, GA 30307 33.7631 -84.3577

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Neighborhoods: Poncey Highlands, Eastside, Eastside

SOTTOSOTTORESTAURANT.COM

Years in business

Established in 1998

Hours:

Mon-Thurs 5:30pm-11pm, Fri-Sat 5:30pm-midnight, Sun 5:30pm-10pm

Price:

$$$

Last updated 1.08.12

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Romantic Dining, Special Occasion Dining, Fine Dining, Notable Wine List

Cuisine:

Seafood, Italian

Smoking Permitted:

Yes

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Sotto Sotto

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

In Short – Sotto Sotto sits in a revived brick storefront next to sister restaurant Fritti. Step inside, and you're greeted by a quick, busy view of the kitchen and a lot of dark wood, distressed plaster and low-wave beats. Comfortably cramped, it's both a top-notch neighborhood spot and a crosstown destination. The kitchen generally eschews popular Americanizations for simple ingredients in authentic combinations. And starters, pasta, and risotto are where it really shines. Sample a variety of rare imported olive oils for $3 per, or get a half-portion "small plate" of an entry as a…

Editor's Tips

The Extras:
Though no prix-fixe menu is set, waiters will tailor a shared tasting menu for tables if requested. No discount is offered, however.
Parking:
Let the complimentary valet park your car. A couple of lots in the area that appear legitimate are known for towing vehicles.
What to Drink:
Prefer specialty cocktails to wine? Sotto Sotto offers interesting combinations such as espresso and Nutella martinis.
ambiance
94.44000244140625% positive
  1. “The services was outstanding and the atmosphere extremley friendly.”
  2. “It was great place for a girls' night out and it looks like it would be a nice spot for a romantic dinner unless you are seated at one of the many banquettes which seem to be much too close together -- like your earting with the couple next to you!”
  3. “Great food, comfortable chairs, most pleasant waiter in the world, great food.”
  4. “The ambiance is elegant.”
  5. “Casual but elegant atmosphere and excellent food”
  6. “Highly recommend Sotto Sotto to fans of Italian food and atmosphere.”
  7. “great place for a romantic evening.”
  8. “We had a wonderful meal, not a romantic setting thought.”
  9. “The menu is not very large, but the food is all good and the ambience is great!”
dessert
50.0% positive
  1. “And finally, the chocolate soup, I would go there just for that (and I'm not a big chocolate fan).”
  2. “Dessert; ricotta cheesecake not so good.”
  3. “Everything from the bread and oil served to the ricotta cheesecake was impressive and delicious!”
  4. “The chocolate soup dessert is as good as advertised.”
drinks
82.1399974822998% positive
  1. “Good wine selection.”
  2. “Last night my wife and I had the best Itlian food and wine in the city.”
  3. “The wild mushroom risotto is the best and also a great wine list.”
  4. “Otherwise sit back, relax, enjoy a bottle of wine from the fantastic wine list and get ready for a gastronomic treat like none you've had before.”
  5. “GREAT wine list!”
  6. “The waiter came by to check on us several times to make sure water was full and if we needed more drinks.”
  7. “Sotto's wine list can be overwhelming, but the servers are pretty good at helping us find something new that we like.”
  8. “If you aren't familiar with Italian wines, just ask, they have given us fabulous suggestions each time.”
  9. “Had good drinks and foods themself are not so bad ,,,however,,, tableware/dinner plates and foods are not to go togather.”
  10. “great food,awesome wine list”
  11. “It's hard to find and hard to park, but the food is always good, the wines reasonably priced and they take reservations for as few as 2.”
  12. “Server was professional friendly but very limited knowledge of wine list and apps.”
  13. “Undeterred, we had a great and very expensive meal with all courses and wine.”
  14. “Great food, great wine list, and great service.”
food quality
89.82999801635742% positive
  1. “My limoncello cosmo was excellent, my pear and arugula salad was dull and flavorless, the tortelli di mele was excellent and my orange custard was only so-so.”
  2. “The antipasto dish and the pastas were delicious.”
  3. “Without a doubt, the best Italian food in Atlanta!”
  4. “Excellent food, made me think I was back in NY.”
  5. “In comparison to horrible food and service at Fritti next door, Sotto Sotto is a unique and well-run restaurant.”
  6. “The chocolate soup dessert is as good as advertised.”
  7. “The consistency of the food and service make this a great regular food experience.”
  8. “The pasta is really good.”
  9. “The crispy fried sage gave a great depth of flavor to the butter sauce.”
  10. “The beef was rich, thinly sliced, and served with an accompanyment of arugula and a slightly acidic dressing to balance the heaviness of the meat.”
  11. “Great food, great service on Saturday night.”
  12. “The special, wild boar with pasta was very good.”
  13. “Sotto Sotto is pricey, but nobody else in Atlanta comes close to really authentic Italian food.”
  14. “Here's all you really need to know about Sotto Sotto: it's the best Italian food in Atlanta.”
  15. “The lasagnette was tasty if not spectacular.”
  16. “Excellent food, especially their risotto dishes.”
  17. “spent a summer in Italy and have struggled to find truly "authentic" Italian since my return.”
  18. “It's sooo easy to spend oodles of money here, but you're having such a great meal, you probably won't mind.”
  19. “Sotto Sotto serves good freshly perpared italian food.”
  20. “Last night my wife and I had the best Itlian food and wine in the city.”
  21. “The food was very good, we enjoyed our selves and we will definitely tell our friends about it”
  22. “Undeterred, we had a great and very expensive meal with all courses and wine.”
  23. “Yes, the place can be noisy & I would recommend a reservation, but if you're in it for the food.”
  24. “Although it took a while to get a table even with a reservation, the food was excellent.”
  25. “The wild mushroom risotto is the best and also a great wine list.”
  26. “The food was very good.”
  27. “The mushroom risotto is rich and flavorful.”
  28. “You'll have a delicious meal at Sotto Sotto.”
  29. “The food is exceptional, service attentive.”
  30. “Great food, comfortable chairs, most pleasant waiter in the world, great food.”
  31. “The seafood risotto, the acid test for many was delicious.”
  32. “The menu is not very large, but the food is all good and the ambience is great!”
  33. “We had a wonderful meal, not a romantic setting thought.”
  34. “The food is wonderful, authentic Italian.”
  35. “The Tagliatelle with fresh heirloom tomatoes and Ravioli with eggplant are to die for.”
  36. “Great food, but too bad.”
  37. “Well, I liked the food.”
  38. “In most cities, a restaurant like Sotto Sotto, which plates amazing dishes (killer mushroom risotto, tender tortellini filled with mascarpone and artichoke), has slick service, a sleek space, and is run-through with the sexy energy rightfully implicit in ”
  39. “As for the food, I'm stuck on "a favorite recipe from his letters," the Tortelli di Michelangelo, ravioli stuffed with veal, chicken and pork and come in a butter-sage sauce.”
  40. “On the recommendation of a friend from Italy I went here with several girlfriends from work and we thought the food was fantastic!”
  41. “The specials are typically pretty good, and they have some great unusual (by American standards) italian dishes.”
  42. “If you are looking for all you can eat soup and salad, or a place to bring your babies, may I suggest The Olive Garden?”
  43. “We had the risotto, which was incredibly creamy and delicious, salads (house greens excellent, caesar marginal), and fish and lamb for entrees (which were prepared perfectly).”
  44. “Highly recommend Sotto Sotto to fans of Italian food and atmosphere.”
  45. “And finally, the chocolate soup, I would go there just for that (and I'm not a big chocolate fan).”
  46. “Even the bread they served was mediocre.”
  47. “The food was pretty good, but I don't recommend the Tartelli (dry).”
  48. “On top of the creative, consistently prepared, delicious food, the prices are very reasonable.”
  49. “The risottos are a nice texture, and well seasoned, particularly the mushroom.”
  50. “Great service, good food”
  51. “This would all have been worth it if it was the best meal I had ever had.”
  52. “It's hard to find and hard to park, but the food is always good, the wines reasonably priced and they take reservations for as few as 2.”
  53. “Casual but elegant atmosphere and excellent food”
  54. “great food,awesome wine list”
  55. “This, along with the excellent anti-pasta (misto plate and olive oil tasting), is what I had been craving.”
  56. “Great food”
  57. “Great food, great wine list, and great service.”
  58. “Really good food but just not such a great dining experience that I'd forgo giving some other highly rated restaurant a pass.”
  59. “Everything from the bread and oil served to the ricotta cheesecake was impressive and delicious!”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “Wine list is very extensive, but a decent bottle (one I couldn't buy at publix for $9.99) starts around $65.”
  2. “Good wine selection.”
  3. “The menu is not very large, but the food is all good and the ambience is great!”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “not a good place for a date.”
  2. “am sick of hearing Atlantans sully a great restaurant's review column with their whiny gripes about "cramped confines" and "noisy neighbors”
  3. “It was great place for a girls' night out and it looks like it would be a nice spot for a romantic dinner unless you are seated at one of the many banquettes which seem to be much too close together -- like your earting with the couple next to you!”
  4. “great place for a romantic evening.”
  5. “Really good food but just not such a great dining experience that I'd forgo giving some other highly rated restaurant a pass.”
  6. “Very nice place.”
  7. “My husband and I went to Sotto Sotto on our first date and it's still our favorite restaurant in town.”
  8. “was excited to try what I heard was the best Italian restaurant in Atlanta.”
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. “Would I decide that despite all the other great untried restaurants popping up daily in Atlanta that I'd rather go back to this one?”
  2. “spent a summer in Italy and have struggled to find truly "authentic" Italian since my return.”
service
74.07000064849854% positive
  1. “The only downfall was the duck breast, which by the way our server did not recommended (perhaps intentionally).”
  2. “Sotto's wine list can be overwhelming, but the servers are pretty good at helping us find something new that we like.”
  3. “The waiter came by to check on us several times to make sure water was full and if we needed more drinks.”
  4. “Impeccable service”
  5. “Great food, great service on Saturday night.”
  6. “Once we were seated, the service was slow and uncaring.”
  7. “Manager/support staff was quite rude.”
  8. “Great food, comfortable chairs, most pleasant waiter in the world, great food.”
  9. “The service was great.”
  10. “In comparison to horrible food and service at Fritti next door, Sotto Sotto is a unique and well-run restaurant.”
  11. “The service was good.”
  12. “The service was excellent.”
  13. “The wait staff were pleasant, but the management seemed grouchy.”
  14. “The food is exceptional, service attentive.”
  15. “Great service, good food”
  16. “Service was very friendly and efficient.”
  17. “Atmosphere, and service were fine; what I'd expect for a relatively expensive restaurant.”
  18. “the service was so poor a 6 year old could have done a better job.”
  19. “Great food, great wine list, and great service.”
  20. “The servers are attentive and kind without being obtrusive.”
  21. “In most cities, a restaurant like Sotto Sotto, which plates amazing dishes (killer mushroom risotto, tender tortellini filled with mascarpone and artichoke), has slick service, a sleek space, and is run-through with the sexy energy rightfully implicit in ”
  22. “WOnderful service by a friendly knowledgeable staff.”
  23. “Server was professional friendly but very limited knowledge of wine list and apps.”
  24. “The consistency of the food and service make this a great regular food experience.”
  25. “The services was outstanding and the atmosphere extremley friendly.”
  26. “One's ability to build a nice rapport with a server is to me a central factor in a fine dining experience.”
  27. “good service, etc.”
value
68.75% positive
  1. “Oh, portions were good.”
  2. “Undeterred, we had a great and very expensive meal with all courses and wine.”
  3. “On top of the creative, consistently prepared, delicious food, the prices are very reasonable.”
  4. “We can give you the best price based on equal conditions in China.”
  5. “It's sooo easy to spend oodles of money here, but you're having such a great meal, you probably won't mind.”
  6. “Sotto Sotto is pricey, but nobody else in Atlanta comes close to really authentic Italian food.”
  7. “Atmosphere, and service were fine; what I'd expect for a relatively expensive restaurant.”
  8. “This would all have been worth it if it was the best meal I had ever had.”
wait time
0.0% positive
  1. “Seated right before they closed on a slow weekday night.”
  2. “Once we were seated, the service was slow and uncaring.”
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

12/14/11

Best Italian I've had in Atlanta

by timetoeatdecatur

I went to Sotto the other night with friends and everything was perfect. Great atmosphere and Chris our waiter was excellent. We had an array of singular portions of the first course entrees and they where spectacular. Great wine list and and overall excellent experience. Thank You Sotto Sotto!

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

09/02/11

One of my top 5!

by LauraB2010

My husband and I have been coming to Sotto Sotto for many years. We love the ambiance, food, service, everything!

1 Star Rating: Poor

02/12/11

Sub Par Service

by Chaun Walker

Didn't get a chance to taste the food. After making a reservation 3 days prior and confiming the day before,we were greeted by rude and unprofessional hostesses. We checked in and were told the wait would only be a moment. After 45 minutes and noticing that people were being called that arrived after us, we asked how much longer. The hostesses then tells us we were not in the system. How could we not be in the system? We checked in 45 minutes ago. Highly disappointed, I asked to speak to the manager. She was not much help either.But she did offer me a complimentary glass of wine. She told us she was trying to find us a table as the hostesses continued to seat other people. We decided to leave after waiting another 15 minutes. On the way out I politely told the manager to forget it and I would be sure to write a review about this.I have never experienced such piss poor service at a restaurant. Should have gone to Cafe Intermezzo.

2 Star Rating: Below Average

10/07/10

Not exactly great Italian food

by annalisab

Over rated. I'm Italian, so I may a bit 'biased', but the Pepata di Cozze (mussel appetizer) needed some flavor and the 'cappellacci di zucca' (pumpkin ravioli) were literally re-fried in butter. Truly bad. The butter sauce was way overcooked and overall they tasted bad.

The bread was very good and the dessert, offered by the house, with mascarpone and amaretti was delicious (and authentic).

The pizza at the neighbor fritti is a far better deal.

2 Star Rating: Below Average

08/09/10

Way over hyped.

by darrelltwo

Unfortunately Inman park has a lot of this going on. Honestly, I can't figure out what the hype is for. Our meal was "Italian inspired" at best, and not much flavor to speak of. We had bread brought to our table that was basic wheat loaf, stale olive oil, no garlic, no ground pepper with the oil. This is basic poor start right there. Then my caesar salad had no flavor beyond a light mayonnaise taste, and, no kidding here, the pepper mill used to put "Fresh ground pepper" on my salad only begot regular powder pepper like you get from a shaker at Waffle House! No joke. Ok, so for the main dish - we both ordered "half orders" of 2 dishes so we could sample a little of everything as suggested by the waiter. The sea-food risotto had been raved about. It was ok. The lasagna was only lasagna in so much as flat pasta had been used, the sauce was just some hunks of meet smashed in the tiny flat layers. This resembled a noodle based pita. I can get past the flatness, but the flavor again was absent. Lets skip to dessert. The waiter recommends Tiramisu. What we get is a parfait with no resemblance to Tiramisu. We were warned there were no lady fingers, but the substitute biscuit cookies were not soaked in coffee and the rum was replaced with "something" (we don't know what). Again, no flavor. I really could not have cared less had it just been called "Italian Parfait" or anything other than Tiramisu. So, $70 later with one glass of house wine (that was actually pretty good), we had eaten some bland noodles with an Italian inspired theme. If you like your food a little more bland than average, this place will probably rock your world. Otherwise, it's just hyped and apparently people like to keep the thrill going so they can tell their friends they ate somewhere trendy. NOT one of Atlanta's best and I can't help but wonder how legit some of those reviews are for the below average experience this place offers.

The Details on Sotto Sotto

Place Categories:

  • great italian food
  • great service
  • love seafood risotto
  • favorite italian restaurant
  • great place
  • great meal
  • not recommended servers
  • great regular food experience
  • too bad great food
  • very reasonable prices
  • divine asparagus risotto
  • flavorful wild mushroom risotto
  • not pleasant experience
  • enjoy bottle
  • unpleasant texture
  • comfortable chairs
  • authentic italian
  • impressive everything
  • very limited professional
  • great wine
  • nice ambience
  • pleasant wait staff
  • really good pasta
  • great italian dishes
  • good flavor

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