great food - truly awful service. my boyfriend and i have been anxiously awaiting to try ottava via. we've heard good things and love to try new, cool places. it sounded like it could be our new favorite place. we decided it would be a perfect spot to go on valentine's day. we called ahead since they don't take reservations which was fine. they were very accommodating over the phone. we were on our way there and received the text that we were on deck to be seated so we called and said we would be there in 20 minutes. they were fine with that and said see you soon. when we got there we loved the atmosphere and vibe right away. it has a romantic, vintage yet modern decor. we went to the host stand to find out our name had been taken off the list and neither of the hosts knew of the call. they added our name back on the list, we were 3rd to be seated, which is totally fine. we are flexible and easy going.
we went to the bar to get drinks only to be served by a bartender that was less than personable. he wasn't friendly or welcoming whatsoever, was short spoken and acted like he was way too cool for us. the drinks were good. i got a text within 5 minutes to be seated again. the host offered us 2 seats at a large family style table with many other people. i thought she was joking but she wasn't. it's definitely an authentic and different feature they have there but some people might not be comfortable sitting with a ton of strangers. there was no forewarning so it was kind of embarrassing and we felt awkward. on valentine's day i want to sit with my significant other and have a nice, intimate experience so we requested a two top that was open.
after being seated we were greeted by our female server. she was nice and we were ready to have a great experience and shake off the awkwardness. after selecting a bottle of wine we were interested in the server let us know they were out of the first and second bottles we wanted and would check on the third and fourth options. they were out of all 4 bottles of wine. after 20 minutes of back and forth we finally got the 5th selection.
we scrolled through the menu and were a little unimpressed with the entree options available. there wasn't many larger meals, more small plate options. the server answered our questions and gave us some recommendations. we decided to go with the melted pecorino cheese plate for an appetizer, and would split the italian pizza and penna alla arrabbiata for our entrees. the appetizer was great. i would recommend it. however after looking around while we were enjoying our appetizer we saw a sign listing valentine's day specials......... which the server completely failed to tell us about. there were specials that we would definitely have gotten like scallops & lobster or the veal chop. we asked the server if those specials were going on right now and she simply replied "yes" and walked away timidly. she knew she messed up by not telling us. from this point on you think that she would apologize and try to make up for it. instead she backed away and treated us lesser than her other tables. we were the only table without a large glass bottle of water. she would come check on the older couple directly next to us and be super courteous but wouldn't say anything to us. i got the feeling she didn't think we would tip her well being a younger couple so she didn't really care about our service. it was very rude and made us feel undermined. we continued to be very happy-go-lucky and not let it ruin our experience. we were in no way rude to her throughout our visit.
i have to say it was disappointing because our pizza and pasta came out at a good time even with the restaurant being so busy. the pizza was phenomenal. it had amazing flavor and was cooked perfectly. the pasta was also very good. you could tell it was all fresh and homemade. we decided to get the special valentine's day dessert "salted carmel chocolate torte" which was served with gellato. also very good. it's also a very affordable place, not very expensive.
after giving our server the card she returned and left with a cold "have a good night". we noticed she purposely turned around and bid the older couple next us a warm friendly goodbye. we walked right past her leaving and she purposefully ignored us. we left without a single simple "happy valentine's day" or ounce of enthusiasm from her. it was really disappointing having been a server for 5 years myself. that is not the way i want to be treated or the experience i am looking for when i go out to eat, especially on valentine's day. we go out to eat a lot and always tip over 20%. sad to say that our tip reflected the service we received.
i want to return for the food, but the experience i had ruined my view on the overall establishment. absolutely disappointed in a place we thought we would love. i never write reviews but i felt the need to after this unfortunate experience.