A fan of this restaurant time and again. The Gnocchi in cheese sauce is so delicious, but this time I opted for the Chicken Francaise. Light batter on the chicken was not heavy at all and the sauce was perfect. On this visit we sat upstairs and while our waitress hated going up and down the stairs, we never felt neglected. The food was great and the staff was friendly. I guess I've been a few times because the kind gentleman at the door recognized me and gave me a punch card for wine - order enough and get a free glass or bottle or something... but sadly - I don't drink!
(4)
Ryan F.
I'd like to write a review refuting the bad ones. This restaurant is ITALIAN. The servers are Italian. The kitchen is Italian. And they don't move fast in Italy. Meals are meant to be savored and preparation takes a while because they take pride in their food. Personally, I've always had aloof servers who don't seem to care very much about things other than the components of their job serving and I'm ok with that because that's why they are there - to serve. The food is always good and plentiful. It's just not AMERICA - there aren't crazy drink specials and the service isn't rapid fire and happy go lucky. But there's nothing wrong with that. I encourage people to eat here as long as they know that it's Italian and therefore, different.
We had a bottle of cali riesling crab corn bisque caprese salad bruschetta filet mignon amd fra diavola and it was exquisite! We sat outside and it was romantic too!
(5)
Jenny L.
I have never sweated so much in a restaurant in my entire life. This place is a house converted into a restaurant. There's only about 8 tables inside, the rest are outside. I can't believe I'm saying this--but I wish I had a table outside (and it's July). We were sat in the bar area where there was no a/c or fans. I've also never seen ice not exist in a water glass. I ordered wine literally because it was cold. Beyond that, I ran out of water twice and unfortunately, only the first glass ever had ice. After that, the ice was clearly already melted. Ever been so thirsty you were literally were happy to drink luke warm water? I have been. The food was mediocre at best. Maybe it's because the food was warm but I was already dying of heat.
(1)
Dale P.
I read the reviews, and came (anyway). A good thing we did, as our dinner was very good. The service was good and the veal dish was very nice. I thought the prices were reasonable. I will be back.
(4)
Evan M.
Ok, I'm going to be honest. A co-worker wanted to try this place. It was right up the street from our hotel, so we walked. As we approached, I was horrified. It looked like something out of a horror movie. Like a restaurant you go into but never come out of. It was a little building, like someone's house. It had a neon "OPEN" sign in the upstairs window. When we walked in, there were literally 5 tables in what looked like someone's living room. It was very intimate. The server wasn't overly friendly. He took our order and brought our food, and that's about it. The saving grace of this experience was the food. The food was excellent. If the food wasn't good, this place would be bizarre. I checked in on Yelp, to take advantage of the check-in offer which was a free glass of wine. I gave it to the server, and he told me it wasn't valid on the glass of wine I ordered. My glass of wine was $9 and he said it was only valid on the house glass of wine for $7. I showed him that the offer didn't specify and he still gave me a hard time. The atmosphere and service were weird, but the food was great. Maybe get take-out?
Food was good, service and atmosphere poor. We arrived at 9pm, and the restaurant closes at 10pm, we felt rushed the entire meal. The server was ackwardly rude and not knowledgable. As we were eating our appetizers she was standing by the table waiting for us to finish, when I told her we were not in a rush she said, "Well your food is ready." Although we were not. We all checked in on yelp to receive a free glass of wine, however the owner only honored one. We each spent over $40. on the meal and we are locals, the least they could have done was honor the free round. Won't be back.
(2)
Montana H.
I was pleasantly surprised with the food and service. I ordered a dinner salad, it was good and tasted like it had home made salad dressing. I loved the lazagna, delicious. My biggest regret was not ordering Tiramasu for desert. Very nice place, smaller with a cozy atmosphere and efficient service.
(4)
Angie M.
For an italian restaurant, I expect more Italian choices. The place is quaint and very romantic. The food is good if you have pasta in mind. It is worth the experience though
(4)
Jordan O.
I am giving this place 1 star. That's the amount of questions the waitress answered before she stopped being helpful. I think she was upset we didn't get wine and took it out on us, that or she knew she was charging us 20% tip because we had a groupon. But that's fine, whatever reason she had to treat us like that, I'll never be back, so I hope she enjoys that tip because this place will not get another dime from me. But the fury I carry for this waste of space restaurant extends far beyond the terrible service - it includes the "food." I use quotes because the chicken piccata my girlfriend got is not something I would feed a dog. I get that they hammer the chicken down so it's flat, but then they cooked the ever-loving crap out of it so it has the consistency of rubber - and for $18, I think I can expect edibility, if not deliciousness. I got an antipasto and while the Italian sausage was excellent, there was maybe 2 oz of it and it was far outweighed by under-ripe tomatoes, some odd eggplant item that looked like pumpernickel bread and couldn't be finished by any of the 5 people at the table...the second best part of the antipasto was the Giardiniera, which I hope it made in house, but could have been from a can...maybe preferable that it comes from the can. They also charge $3-$4 is you share, which might be worth it, two friends split the veal and they seemed to like it, but no one told us about the sharing charge which I find offensive. Lastly the desserts - only a few are made in house, and while the waitress recommended the tiramisu, we didn't finish that either, we did get through the cannoli, but for 5 of us to split 2 desserts...you can be sure neither was anything to write home about. Honestly, I wouldn't go back if it were free, thankfully we had a groupon, but for that quality of food, I'd rather just go to Olive Garden and pocket the extra $20 a person.
(1)
R B.
Had dinner here on 08/17/2015. Ordered a bottle of Super Tuscan for $45 from the wine menu. The wine was drinkable but nowhere near what a Super Tuscan should be. Scanned the bottle in my wine app later and found that it retails for $11. I'm well aware of mark-ups for alcohol at restaurants but more than 4X for a bottle of wine is way out of line. Service-wise we felt rushed the entire time we were there, ordered dinner (couple of pasta dishes) and it was out in 10 minutes so it clearly wasn't freshly made nor did it taste like it was as the pasta was dried out in many parts. Was expecting a lot better for the price and definitely will not return. Save yourself some time, aggravation and most of all ....money.
(1)
Joseph C.
Great place to chill with friends. It also has a quaint romantic ambiance. I've taken my mother for the food, gone with friends for a glass of wine, and taken my boyfriend for a romantic dinner.
(5)
Lauren H.
The food was OKAY. The environment was very romantic but was shortly ruined after poor, inattentive service. I've learned to NOT share with servers that I'm using a groupon until the end of the meal. Isn't the point of groupon to bring customers in and try your hardest to retain them? They seriously did not care! We were there for 1.5 hours.. That's not how I wanted to spend my evening and I will not be coming back.. Groupon or no groupon.
(2)
Fred V.
I tried out this restaurant without reading any reviews which is something I don't normally do. I'm going to be as honest as I can with this review. I ordered the chicken Alfredo and it wasn't bad. But it wasn't great either. My wife is a vegan and she ordered a plate of mixed vegetables which she loved. So that was a good thing. While the food was ok, one thing that concerned me was the service. The guy that served us was fairly nice but seemed very short and not very accommodating. This was our 1st time here and when you go to a nice restaurant and spend good money you expect to get a certain level of care. By the time we left we felt like no one cared that we were even there. No one said anything to us as we left. We just felt kinda awkward the whole time. When my wife and I got back home, we went online to check out some of the reviews to see if anyone had experienced what we felt. And we were not surprised to read a lot of other reviewers that experienced a lot of the things that we felt and experienced. I'm not the kind of reviewer that bashes local businesses but I really hope that they take these reviews as constructive criticism. No one likes to be in a restaurant where they feel like it doesn't matter if they are there are not. If anyone would have at least stopped us before we left and said something like "hope you come back" or something of the sort, we would have considered coming back. Now it's up in air. I really would like to come back on a different night and try a different dish and give them another chance. We did come on a slow night (Wednesday) and maybe that has something to do with it. I really don't know. But it doesn't help make our decision easy when we left feeling very weird about the kind of service we got. So I guess we will see...
(3)
Jennifer W.
I hate this place. Ruined my husbands birthday and I notice the review I had written has been taken down. Came here on a Groupon after awful food and even worse service we we're charged 18% gratuity for food we didn't even end up eating took forever to receive food watched other customers walk out. Everyone was really rude, left and went to Wendy's on the way home. Just find an actual Italian restaurant in Orlando and not this crap.
(1)
Linda C.
Awesome place to eat. Very romantic atmosphere. If you are using groupon please make sure to read all the terms. I got caught up in that today. The owner is always here walking around making sure everyone is good. Sit outside and enjoy the wonderful weather.
(4)
BJ E.
Best Italian food in Orlando area. Definitely get the Cozze Santa Lucia if you like mussels.
(5)
Dirk N.
We accidentally got there a half hour or hour before they actually opened, but they let us in anyway. Awesome, awesome service (definitely one of the best I've experienced), though we were only one of two or three parties in the restaurant. A glass or two of wine got the mood goin', and it was a pleasant night overall. My seafood pasta dish was very good and my wife's tortellini dish looked and tasted amazing.
(4)
Stephanie T.
I had nearly a mirror experience as Lisa M. did a few reviews down. To start - we attempted to make reservations several times over the course of two days. No one answered the phone at any hour that we called. When we walked in to be seated, we were ignored for about five minutes. Finally, a woman asked us if we wanted to sit inside or out. We ultimately decided outside since the dining room was so small, and felt so incredibly stuffy. The wait staff did not seem attentive once they pegged us as "inexpensive" (ordered just water and had a restaurant.com coupon - let the waitress know at the beginning that we had one; we were all dressed nicely for the evening as well). It took 20 minutes from seating to when we actually had someone stop by the table and take our order. I personally felt more like a nuisance than anything else when I asked for a refill once for my water. My glass sat empty for half of my visit. Had the calamari and spicy marinara sauce - the sauce tasted like lukewarm Ragu spaghetti sauce (no spice whatsoever), and the calamari was greasy, rubbery, and salty. I personally ordered the lasagna - and you know, it was quite possibly the worst lasagna that I have ever eaten. It was EXTREMELY salty and the grease was so thick, it was a gigantic puddle inside of the bowl the lasagna was sitting in. I couldn't even get halfway through the lasagna. I asked for a dessert menu, and the waitress very quickly rattled off the list - decided on a slice of cheesecake. It was obvious that it was a small slice from a box, not homemade. She was also put off when I thanked her politely, but declined to add "homemade berry sauce" to it - she seemed annoyed that I wanted "just a plain piece of cheesecake and nothing else." When paying, we put the restaurant.com coupon on top of the payment holder, and (I assume it was the owner) a man came by to pick it up. He rudely asked, "What is THAT?" Explained it was a coupon for the restaurant, and before we could continue, he interrupted and asked how much it was for. I won't try this place again. We were there an hour and thirty minutes - the food would have been better at Olive Garden, would have been less expensive, and would have been faster. We certainly weren't enjoying the ambiance of sitting outside, either - the patio could use a good cleaning, the lights NEED to be repaired. Wait staff needs to be retrained or hire more.
(1)
Drew M.
My husband and I recently ventured here with a Groupon (and Yelp coupon for free glass of wine). After reading some of the reviews I was skeptical. Boy, was I surprised! We had a wonderful meal. Everything was delicious! Nothing was cold or over salted. We didn't wait forever for our food. And the service wasn't terrible. It was a delightful hole-in-the-wall type of restaurant with traditional Italian dishes. The Pollo Mediterranea was so rich and creamy, yet it was still very light. My husband had the Vitello Scalopini Masala. It was also very flavorful and had a robust mushroom sauce chocked full of fresh mushrooms. Both the chicken and veal were very tender and easy on the palette. If you sit inside, it can be a little stuffy. No central A.C., just one window unit for the whole seating area. If you're reading mixed reviews and can't decide whether or not to go-go! Try it for yourself and write your own review. I'm very glad we chose to eat there.
(4)
Lisa M.
I've had several group dining experiences here at their upstairs banquet room and never had a problem. However, as a normal customer, that's where things fell apart. The building and ambiance are definitely a higher-class, romantic, intimate spot. I feel that we were marked as a cheap couple as soon as we walked in, as my roommate had on a t-shirt and a (nice) pair of shorts (I was in a blouse and skirt). It took a few moments to be seated, even though there were plenty of staff walking about and quite a few empty tables. After that, it took a few more moments before we were asked about drinks. I could tell the waiter was unhappy that we ordered iced tea and coffee - no alcohol. The staff seemed to mostly ignore us and treat us with the minimum amount of courtesy since we didn't seem to be the "high roller" type of customer. I had finished my glass of iced tea and placed it near the end of the table and was half way through my water glass before finally having to flag down the waiter for a refill. The food was okay but not impressive to mark as "the place to go to for (insert dish name)". I had the Pollo Francese which had a wonderful sauce but the chicken could have been cooked a little less as it was a bit tough. The Saltimbocca ala Romana also suffered the same tough meat due to overcooking - something that should never happen with veal. For $16 and 18 respectively (or may have been 18 and 20) I feel it was a bit overpriced, especially since there was no soup or salad accompanying the main dish (meat, pasta and a small bit of seasonal veggies). I ordered a cup of the crab and corn bisque which was way too sweet but at least had nice real crab meat. My roommate ordered the spinach salad which had a pool of vinaigrette at the bottom and was a bit pricey at $10 for a bowl of spinach with walnuts, gorganzola, tomatoes, and mushrooms. I could've put my food nit-picking aside had it not been for the service. I felt very uncomfortable after we were seated - as if we weren't welcome but they were serving us anyway. I was almost embarrassed to use a Restaurant.com certificate to pay for part of our meal - but now thinking about it I'm glad I did not pay full price. I don't think I will be returning due to the service - none of the food was remarkable enough to ensure an uncomfortable dining experience at that price.
(3)
Jake P.
Here are three reason why I LOVE cafe' Trastevere: 1) Ambiance - Enjoy one of two outdoor garden patios enclosed by vine. Great for Dates 2) Food & Drink - I have had multiple dishes from their menu and have found that no matter what you order, you will enjoy it. If you don't, your Trastevere staff will do their best to correct it. Also, great wine selection at reasonable prices. 3) Economical Eats - With the many Groupon/Yelp deals Trastevere offers, you are sure to enjoy your meal without fear of your tab running up.
(5)
Jon R.
So I am new to Orlando and I love checking out different restaurants. I am a big fan of Groupon because they have such a variety of restaurants you can choose from. My girlfriend and I were in the mood for Italian . We saw Trastevere and saw it was very close to were we where downtown so we decided to go. We made a reservation and went to the restaurant and we were greeted by a friendly older gentleman. He took us to our seats and sat us. He came and gave us our menus and wine list and let us peruse the menu. He finally came back and took our drink orders. About 10 mins went by and a lady brought us some bread sat it down on the table without saying a word. The old man came back and took our order quickly and went along on his way. 20 more minutes went by and we got our food and it was fantastic I got the pollo Alla medeterranea and my girlfriend got the pollo formaggio. The service then got terrible. I noticed the old man was paying attention to other people, and recommending what they should have. He barely said two words to us the whole night. He didn't come back once after we got our food to ask how it was , or if we needed anything. Our drinks had been empty for 15 mins. He continued to ignore us over and over again. We were obviously ready to go and he just kept walking right past as if we were not there. Another table literally got up and walked out and paid there bill up front. I maintained my cool and finally got another waiters attention to get the check and a box for my girlfriend. He came back and took our check without saying anything. He set it down and we left . Absolutely one of the worst restaurant experiences my Gf and I have ever had. Its such a shame because it is a nice little restaurant with amazing food , but tainted by absolute terrible customer services. I don't think he likes young people, and didn't seem to like that we used Groupon. I'm 29 and my Gf is 25 we can afford a 60 meal. So, all in all order the food to go and you will really enjoy it
(1)
T P.
A friend recommended this place. I came in with realistic expectations and was disappointed. I called to see if we needed a reservation, the person answering just said hello and nothing which should have been my first hint. We arrived and the parking lot was empty.. Another hint. The inside smelled a bit like grease. We ordered calamari it was undercooked I had to pick through to find the crispier bits. The bread wasn't bad but burnt on the bottom. I ordered gnocchi per the waitresses recommendation and was disappointed I've bought better at the grocery store. The meat sauce wasn't bad mostly ground sausage. My hubby ordered veal he said the pasta was cooked well. I was disappointed that our server was complaining in both English and Spanish to the cook. Lastly the sever was excited about their cannoli so we ordered one and split it. The filling was okay, at least it was made with ricotta. It was covered with chocolate sauce so it was extremely sweet ruining the flavor of the cannoli. Our bill was $69 for food that wasn't better than Olive Garden. My husband felt sick the rest of the night after we left we will not be going back.
(2)
Rebecca V.
Cafe Trastevere is a wonderful little Italian spot with beautiful indoor and outdoor/garden seating. The service was great and the food was delicious (especially the crab & corn chowder and tiramisu). The prices were a bit higher than I would like, but it was an overall delightful dining experience.
(4)
Adam S.
The location is right by the road, so its easy to find. However outside seating is also right by the road. So, if you don't want to hear cars sit inside. Personally, I don't mind the sound of passing vehicles. When we entered they gave us a choice to inside which looked very nice, but is was very beautiful so my girlfriend and I decided to sit outside which was, true to the name, very cafe like. Charming metal tables and colorful flowers surround the dining area, it's delightful. Since it was my anniversary, inquired if there would be something they could do. There was no money offered; I knew what was done if anything would be minimal at best. When my girlfriend and I were seated romantic music started to float through the air, so the staff did help. The food was EXCELLENT, I had Lobster stuffed ravioli and crab and corn bisque. Now, if I had to make one complaint it was that out waiter was very attentive, he didn't miss a beat, but he was a bit standoffish. In fact, had he consistently put a smile on his face while he was serving, I would have given this restaurant a five star review. Just to be clear, our waiter was never impolite, but he wasn't polite either. In short, Cafe Trastevere is a delightful, picturesque, and quaint place to eat. It's a bit pricey, but every dollar I spent was worth it. The food was delectable and true to the Italian roots of the restaurant. Every bite of food was a savory and robust experience. Definitely a place to take a date, but only if you really like her.
(4)
Amy C.
I went to the restaurant for a birthday dinner. We ordered the Mozzarella Chicken, Chicken Piccata, and Gnocchi. The Gnocchi was by far the best, I recommend getting it with blackened chicken, though I think I could have easily made it at home. We were served raw, frozen Chicken Picatta...so there's that. The wait staff was friendly but my food was not cooked and the staff would not re-prepare the food or take it off the bill. There's better Italian food in town.
(1)
Matthew L.
We were looking for Italian food near downtown and Gargi's on the Lake was packed so we thought we would try Cafe Testavere again. The restaurant was slow for a Friday night. Should of been a sign dinner was going to be sub-par. The bread they started with was a little stale. We ordered a calamari app and it was a bit chewy even though it was barely crispy. No tentacles, all big chewy rings. Meh. The Caesar salads were bad, no flavor, and old lettuce, with a dressing that had no flavor. The entrees were good, lobster ravioli and tortellini, both done well. I guess the best advice is to skip apps and salad and go straight to the main course. Waiter was less than attentive after awhile, I guess he had other things going on. Not the restaurant we remember from last year when the food and service was very good. Must be on a decline. The cannoli for dessert was ok but at $7.50 for one, not worth getting again. Fight the crowd and go to Gargi's on the lake.
(2)
Mrs. Mary H.
This place is needs help. So many other reviewers said everything I would say. The food was not to good and the service could be much better. I thought it would be a much nicer experience. I will not be back.
(2)
Melissa D.
Downtown Orlando is a bit of a hike for me, so I really only head out that way for dinner if I have tickets to an event at the Bob Carr. Looking to try something new, I turned to my trusted Yelp app and found this lovely little gem. We were warmly greeted at the door, and seated at a table for two in the small, but charming, dining room. Our server was a man of few words, but efficient. My husband ordered the Penne al Gorgonzola, I ordered the Penne alla Vodka with smoked salmon, and we shared the La Caprese appetizer. After ordering, a basket was brought to our table with a loaf of warm, soft, perfectly baked Italian bread. The caprese salad left a little to be desired, as both my husband and I reached for the salt shaker, but the main courses did not disappoint. I was a little skeptical of the combination of penne alla vodka and smoked salmon; however, it was truly a perfect blend of flavors. Oh, and in case you envisioned a decadent pasta topped with slices of lox (what I initially was expecting and a little hesitant about), fear not: it is a smoked salmon filet that has been flaked into the rich pasta dish. My husband gobbled up every last bite of his pasta dish, and declared that this restaurant was an excellent find and a 'keeper' - especially for the value. Other than the caprese, the only other critique that I had was that when I received my water refill - it was lukewarm (the first glass was ice cold!). All in all, this restaurant was a wonderful spot for a nice dinner date and we will be back. Thank you to Yelp for the recommendation!
(4)
Aaron R.
Warm, casual but still elegant. Good variety on the wine list and menu. DEFINITELY not kid friendly -- no kid menu, and it's not really a family dining vibe. We had the daily appetizer special, fried cheese ravioli, which we loved. Perfectly lightly breaded and fried, not heavy at all. My wife had the chicken Marsala, two thumbs up from her. I had the chicken Francese, thoroughly enjoyed this tasty, lemon creamy goodness. Both entrees were served with perfectly cooked long green beans, crunchy and delicious. Dessert was an amazing slice of house made tiramisu, with espresso. Would definitely return for another date night.
(4)
Helen L.
This place is not even worth a Groupon. The outdoor eating experience was romantic but the food was absolutely horrible. We had Portobello Ripieno appetizer which was like sloppy Joe on top of a giant mushroom with melted cheese. The marinara sauce was lacking. Entrees: Saltimbocca alla Romana and Pollo Formaggio were both disgusting. The meat was chewy and the pasta and veggies were cold even after the long wait. Cafe Travesty's only saving grace was the tiramisu which was light and delicious but Edward Scissor hands could've made a better presentation. Finally, the service slow and rude! The old man was impolite. When leaving the waitress stood in our way even after looking at us dead in the eye. When she told her table that everything on the menu was good, I had the urge to tell them that it was a complete lie. This is one of the worst experiences I have ever had at a restaurant. I would not advise anyone to eat here.
(1)
Anand N.
Atmosphere - Quaint little italian restaurant. Seating inside and the patio outside. I'm Indian and my wife is British. That's important in this story, wait for it. Fare - Their calamari was nice. Not overcooked, nice flavoring. Overall the food decent. Waitstaff - Remember how I shared the ethnicity thing? Well... We were seated inside. On the right side there were 3 tables of Caucasian families and staff members and who I'm only assuming was the manager or owner kept going these tables and laughing and talking with them. On the left side was a Black couple, about early-mid 40's at the table closest to the door, the lady had a nice dress on and the man wore a suit, then an empty table, then us. It took forever for us to get drink refills. Our appetizer was dropped, nobody cleared our table from the time we finished our appetizers and PUSHED OUR EMPTY DISHES AND DRINK GLASES TO THE SIDE OF THE TABLE NEAREST A WAITER'S PLANE OF SIGHT. But noooope. Nobody came back over until we got the main course. Then a refill. One glass at a time. At the end of our meal, the men who I'm ging to assume was the manager came to our table and asked how everything was, then asked if we wanted dessert. We said no, he thanked us and then went to the table of the Black couple, spent maybe a minute talking to them and then went back to the 3 Caucasian families (2 tables now of new patrons) and laughed and talked it up with them. Again, the food was great! But perception is key, and I'm not going to dine at a place where I don't feel welcomed or attended to.
(1)
Ana B.
Mixed feelings about this restaurant. My friend highly recommended this place to me and since then I have dined here a few times. Service is always great here. It may not be a typical service where servers keep coming and checking on me. But my servers are around enough that I never ask for filling up water, removing dishes etc. Food has been inconsistent though. This time I had meatball spaghetti. Their noodle was cooked to perfection. However, their meatball smelled a bit. I think they have been frozen. Their bread was kind of funny today. It was served toasted, which never has been before. It seems the bread is not fresh so they had to toast it to cover up.. I always order tiramisu and cappuchino. Hands down for their cappuchino. It is one of the best in town. I also tried their ice cream-bad, bad, bad. Never order ice cream here. I personally like this place but have to admit some cons.
(3)
Chelsey R.
On the surface, this restaurant is great. We sat on the back patio which had lights hanging, soft music playing, and a pretty water fountain. When we took a closer look though, the paint was chipping badly, the concrete was cracked, and several of the lights were burnt out - this cheapened the place a lot. We were brought a basket of bread, some olive oil, and balsamic vinegar when we were seated. The bread was nothing special and there weren't any herbs to put in the oils. My fiance ordered the filet and I ordered fettuccine alfredo with shrimp. The steak tasted more like beef tips you would get at a family style dinner than it did a filet. It was ordered at medium temperature, but there was zero pink. Pretty disappointing for a $28 steak. My alfredo was nothing special, but the shrimp were cooked to perfection (all 5 of them that I paid $6 extra for). Normally I will clear my plate, no matter how full I am, at most Italian restaurants because I just love Italian food so much. Sadly, I left a lot of pasta behind as Cafe Trastevere. POSITIVE - The Riesling was outstanding - loved it! The meal was okay and I was really glad I had a Groupon. I would have been extra upset if we had paid full price. I can't say I would choose to go back here, and if I had to for a work function or something, I would definitely order something else.
(2)
Felix L.
Have been a regular at this restaurant quite a while. To my surprise they do have a 2nd floor. Me and my loved one had a private room to all ourselves (not busy enough to fill the 2nd floor: all seemed to enjoy the backyard).
(5)
Juli M.
I have eaten here many times over the years, and it's hit or miss the last few years. It used to be one of my favorite places, but this time was a miss, and it's been slipping. I think they must have a new chef, or cook would be the more appropriate word. The food was cooked, but not created. I won't be going back. I'd rather go to olive garden. They didn't have my reservation, which I had made online, but we got seated anyway. Nobody answers the phone or returns calls, so I hoped the online reservation would work. However, we were early. If we had been 15 minutes later, which was actually on time, we wouldn't have had a table. It got very busy, and the upstairs wasn't open. The service was nothing special, and the food was just not very good. I used to love their lasagna, which once had a bechamel sauce layered in, and was very unique. I used to crave their food, and I couldn't wait to take my friends or celebrate a special occasion. This lasagna was salty and bland slabs of pasta with nondescript meat sauce. Stouffers lasagna is about the same quality, as far as I'm concerned. My friend had the gnocchi with 4 cheeses. It was too rich, and lacking in flavor. Yes, 4 cheese sauce is going to be rich, but this was just heavy, thick, and flavorless. It's too expensive for the quality. You should at least get a salad with your meal, especially if the food tastes like it is cheaply made. We didn't really have a server. It was more like someone took our order, someone brought the food, someone else dropped off the check. We had to flag someone down when we wanted something, like bread or drink refills. I had to walk to the bar to ask for my wine. I didn't feel special at all. I was embarrassed that I brought my date there.
(2)
Kelly H.
The outdoor patio is lovely for a pretty night in Orlando. It had great ambiance with the white Christmas lights strung all around the bushes and the small fountain in the middle of the patio. They have heating lamps if you want to sit out there on a chilly night and they keep you plenty warm. The dessert was by far my favorite part to the meal. I had the tiramisu and it was definitely the best I have ever had. I wanted to lick the plate clean, but refrained since it's unladylike. I had a caesar salad before my meal which was okay. It was a bit bland for my taste and not sure I would order that again. For my main dish I had the chicken parmesan with pasta. I'm a huge chicken parm eater and I don't think it made my top 5....it's a hard thing to do though. It was still delicious and I finished my entire plate. We were able to get a coupon on Restaurant.com which was a tremendous help. We paid $40 for $100. Our table of 6 people got 2 bottles of wine, salads for everyone, 2 appetizers, a main dish, and everyone also had dessert and it ended up being $72 per couple which was great for the amount of food and drinks we had. Definitely would have been a little expensive if we did not have the coupon. I'll be going back here for just dessert and wine next time.
(3)
Ashley H.
I was so happy with my experience here that I have to give it five stars. We dined here on Yelp recommendations, and you guys did not steer us wrong! This place is adorable. It's on the bottom floor of a house downtown, and it provides a cozy romantic feel. When we walked in, we immediately saw one of the owners sitting at the bar. He hopped off his bar stool and seated us immediately at a table for two. When I checked in on Yelp after sitting down, I was surprised to find the offer for a free glass of wine! Woo hoo! Your choice is red or white house wine. Mine wasn't anything too awesome, but hey, it was FREE! You know what else is awesome and free? Hot, delicious hunks of bread brought to our table in a basket, along with balsamic vinegar (yay!) and olive oil. Can't say no to that either. We had a delicious meal. We started with the calamari, which was perfectly fried to a crisp, not at all greasy, and served with excellent marinara sauce that was clearly homemade. My boyfriend wouldn't shut up about that sauce. I was actually starting to get a bit jealous, personally, because it seems like he likes it better than mine. I have to admit, it was pretty good. For dinner, he had the veal parmesan, which he loved. I ordered the chicken francese, which was delicious and came with some fresh veggies. Yum! We did not have any room for dessert, but we will definitely be coming back to try more of this amazing food very, very soon!
(5)
Harold F.
Atmosphere is always something welcoming. Favorite appetizer was the calamari. Perfectly done with homemade sauce. A great place to visit before the Dr Phillips theatre.
(4)
Elle L.
I had a hard time remembering what this place was when it came up on my list of places to write reviews for. I had to look at the pictures to remember! While the little house and its location are very quaint and cute, their food and service is nothing to brag about. I got the eggplant parm. It was decent, but nothing I'd ever go back for. They do have some good Living Social and Groupon/Yelp deals, though, so it may be worth checking out for you fellow Yelpers. I likely won't go back.
yay, finally after a year of wondering how good of a cute little Italian place this was, I have confirmed! Such a romantic, quality and passionate restaurant. It is in an old house that was converted to a lovely location for sharing dinner with a close loved one or friends. There is seating inside (downtstairs and upstairs), at the bar inside on the first floor as well as an extended patio on the back porch (when amazing Orlando weather allows). So gorgeous. You are immediately greeted upon entering and welcomed to their establishment. You can feel their appreciation for having you visit. The service was awesome, we had a group of ladies arriving at different times and she was very accommodating and understanding. The Riesling was delicious and it was a great start with the bread. I also went with the house salad which was perfect, light and tasty. For my entree I went with the Lasagna...perfect choice. The serving was generous yet not too much, I finished it and still had room for dessert...of course =) The cheeses were velvet like and the seasoning was amazing. Everyone loved the setting and we had a lovely time. I am absolutely making this place a go to more often, delicious and beautiful!
(4)
Julie D.
LOVE IT! We've eaten here several times... sat in the dining room, upstairs, outside on both patios. It's a tiny place but I like that. It feels like home & you see the same staff each time you go! It's very nice for a romantic date as the noise level remains low since there are only a few tables in each area. The food is WONDERFUL!! Some of my most favorite pasta dishes ever!! Tortellini is my favorite, very rich & creamy. My husband's favorite is the gnocchi. We always come out relaxed, smiling, full bellies & with leftovers! Have taken many of my visiting family members here... always a hit!
(4)
James B.
I've never been to a restaurant where I "subtract" half-stars throughout the night. Unfortunately, it was a series of service mistakes that knocked this otherwise quaint, authentic italian oasis in downtown Orlando down to 3 stars. We had made an Opentable reservation and were seated promptly by the owner. There are only 6 tables in the dining room, painted a warm red with paintings on the walls. A few minutes after we were seated, a wine list was brought to us by the owner. Then nothing. 2 minutes later, finally, our waitress (well, we had to assume she was our waitress, she didn't introduce herself) brought menus and took our drink orders. Upon her return, we proceeded to order appetizers. She recommended we share salads, but only my parents decided to share the $10 spinach salad. I went with crab and corn bisque (more on that later). My sister had a small caesar, which she said had too much parmesan cheese. While we were enjoying our apps, our waitress asked for our food order (should have asked right when she dropped the apps, or before they arrived). We stopped eating to order, and requested some bread as we saw other tables had some. She told us some was in the oven. 10 minutes later, and after two tables who had arrived after us had bread, we asked the owner (who walks around the small dining room frequently) if we could have some bread. Again, we were told, it's in the oven. When we pointed out the seemingly incorrect sequence of bread delivery, he basically walked away from our table and mumbled something to the bus boy. Rude! Our waitress finally brought bread (which was delicious) as we finished our apps. Then our food arrived: Crab and Corn Bisque: This bisque was quite thin, with some sweet corn kernels and a few stings of crab meat, as well as what appeared to be some lumpy balls of flour (they probably tried to thicken the bisque with flour while it was hot). It tasted alright, and it was only $5 for a nice-sized cup. Lobster Ravioli: This came in a delicious vodka-style cream sauce. I'm pretty sure it was frozen at some point in its life, but the raviolis (5 large ones) were delicious nonetheless. Penne a la Vodka: Pretty standard, except it was served mixed with (too much) smoked salmon, at least for my taste. My sister loved it though. Grouper: Dad loved it, well cooked and came with delicious pasta in a lemon sauce. Everyone else enjoyed their pasta dishes, of which there were many to choose from. We finished with some cannoli, which tasted absolutely homemade and looked great! Then, the bill arrived. We had been charged a $3 split-plate fee for my parents' salad, which the waitress had encouraged us to split. Very tacky. Also, 18% gratuity on the entire bill (including tax) was included. Sigh. Overall, it was the food and atmosphere that saved this place. It's about a 25 minute drive from the Orlando attractions/resorts. We come to Orlando every other year, but probably won't be back to this place.
(3)
G Clay M.
I normally love this place. Food is fantastic authentic Italian cuisine. However, tonight I went to the restaurant and it was hotter inside the restaurant than it was outside. And, it was a hot August night in Orlando. I told the server and she opened the doors. There was no apology for the ac not working nor no acknowledgment there was a problem. I rushed through my meal and left soaking wet from sweat. I will return but call to make the ac is working. The cooling system needs to be fixed.
(2)
A B.
After reading reviews on several sites, I was a bit apprehensive about how our dinner would be handled. The reviews were either very good or very bad, mostly related to slow service or lack of attention. They don't answer their phone (use a machine) which can be frustrating. I think that is basic customer service. I had wanted to ensure my Open Table reservation was set and let them know it was a surprise party. I was hesitant about how this would turn out. Unfortunately, we were committed since it was a party of 8 for a surprise birthday dinner and needed a location near downtown. We went on a Thursday night. It was not terribly busy. We sat on the patio with a heater near by. It was a lovely night. The food was excellent, service was good, no problem with separate checks or the restaurant.com coupon that one of the couples used. I can attest their bruschetta was excellent, the bread provided was hearty and plentiful. My Penne alla Gorgonzola was tasty with large peices of chicken and veggies in an amazing cream sauce and then they surprised the birthday boy with a superb slice of tiramisu that I enjoyed with the others. It was the best I've had in ages. Everyone was very satisfied with their entrees and the ambiance. The owner or manager checked in with us twice and our server was available and friendly. Based on other reviews that I had read, I can see how if it was any busier, we may have struggled with quick service since this is a rather small place with minimal staffing. But all in all, the dinner was a great experience with good friends. We made some new memories and I'm certain the others would be happy to go back to Cafe Trastevere again :) Pleasantly surprised.
(4)
Leanne G.
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(1)
Sue D.
I have a very similar story as the other reviewers. I also attempted to reserve a table during the week via their website. No response back so I called and Left voicemail with my reservation. Heard nothing back. Called again and this time, an older gentleman with a heavy accent answered where I was told to not worry, everything was good as they seat all their customers and will work for us. Since I provided no reservation name to confirm, I could see this was going to be a questionable night beginning with will we get a table or not? Yes it was packed when we got there. Peak time I know, sat night at 7....but this was why I attempted several times to make a reservation. I was asked if I'd made a reservation after standing by the bar in the small cramped space where we had been ignored by everyone rushing around for 5 mins. After being asked to wait, 15 mins total stood by the bar (never once asked if we wanted a drink from the bar FYI )..we were ushered upstairs to a noisy even smaller room...cozy it is NOT on a busy night. It was a disaster night. From the 'no need' for a reservation to the service staff who were not friendly and seemed unhappy to be there, slow and not attentive. Loud, hot, stuffy room upstairs..I'm sure outside is lovely. Food was mediocre. Nothing special, nothing worth mentioning. Plain, rather bland and tasted like store bought ingredients. Overpriced drinks and how can you mess up a cannoli in an Italian restaurant? I will not be back and feel cheated out of $200.
(1)
John A.
Unfortunately, I have to give this restaurant a disappointing rating. As one other reviewer stated the service was most inattentive. In fact I will go further by saying that the attitude of the staff was unwelcoming and lacking in professionalism. We had to ask for "everything" we needed; the bread arrived without butter??? empty water glass..... fill it???? After not seeing our regular server, we asked someone who passed the table and they seemed rather annoyed that we were bothering him. Even our greeting was less than friendly. It was my second visit and my wife's first. We both left with an uncomfortable and not pleased feeling. Food: Caesar's salad was absolutely tasteless. Not sure what the dressing was but they would have been better to use bottled; theirs was horrible! chicken dinner was very dry and over cooked and they wanted to up-charge for any changes to the meal. We like to spend our time and money where we feel "welcome" and know that we will enjoy our dining experience. Not someplace where the staff does not "value" the fact that you have chosen their establishment for that evening and make their best effort to ensure a most enjoyable time for their patrons.
(2)
Gabriele A.
We have been there several times, food has always been good. A little on the pricey side but still worth the money.
(3)
D K.
The food is good but the service is so bad. The owner asked us to pass out our own menus. Next he asked us to pass out our own silverware. I thought it was a joke... But nope- to top it of the waiter brought a glass of wine with some sort of slimy white debris the size of a quarter in it. Gross. This place has the worst customer service and is too weird.
(1)
Leala V.
Quaint little Italian restaurant in the north downtown area. We have had two visits to this charming place. When you enter, you get the feeling that you have been invited to dinner at someone's house. The establishment is kind of small and it wasn't completely full but it is best to make a reservation if you plan to visit unless you want to gamble on having to wait a while for a table. I believe we were greeted and served by the owner. He is a no-nonsense kind of guy who could turn people off with his directness. I guess from his viewpoint, you are eating out and it doesn't make sense to hold back. If you want something, order it. I got the feeling he was trying to up-sell us a bit. However we dined with my Sicilian mother in law and I think it helped add to the atmosphere. I started with the Pasta e Fagioli soup and it was the right amount of tomatoes and had many of those huge cannellini beans (those beans are on my favorites list right now). For my main dish, I ordered the eggplant parmesan. Cheesy beyond belief, the eggplant was cooked perfectly and the sauce was tasty. It was a huge portion and I was able to take half of it home to enjoy the next day. My husband and I shared the delightful tiramisu. It was creamy and not too sweet. We were told it was made that morning and you can tell it was fresh. Book this place if you have a special occasion or you wish to impress out of town guests. You shouldn't be disappointed.
Food was delicious, atmosphere was romantic, staff was not overly friendly but not rude. Gorgonzola chicken and pasta was rich, creamy and filling. My hubby had the salmon and he raves about it, perfectly cooked, seasoned and moist. Had a over priced glass of wine, but overall the food was amazing. Only reason this is getting 4 stars is because our server took his dinner break before we were done eating and we watched him at the bar. He never came to get payment so we finally went up ourselves. Not a huge dent in my opinion. We will definetly be going back
(4)
Elle A.
Came here for a wedding rehearsal dinner. It is located in downtown Orlando in a charming old building with ample parking in the back. The food and service were just OK at best. Servers never looked you in the eye and kept asking if we were finished so they could take our plates away - very annoying. Sodas, water and wine refills took some time to come. We had a choice of three entrees, the fettucine Alfredo, chicken parm, and calamari fra'diavolo. The calamari and chicken both came with pasta. All the dishes were serviceable, but nothing special. They came with warm bread served with rock hard butter (a huge pet peeve of mine) and a lightly dressed salad that was fine. We had tiramisu for dessert that would have been better without the addition of chocolate sauce on top. Dinner may have been better if different entrees were served, who knows. I doubt we'll be back though, even when we come for a visit to the area, which we do quite often.
(3)
Carlos V.
Perfect place to come on a date or with your parents. Atmosphere is casual but you can dress up too. I've had the fettuccine alfredo, eggplant parmigiana and the vitello scaloppini piccata. All very good with a glass of wine...the chianti is my favorite. For dessert the tiramisu is to die for. Have some espresso with it. The restaurant is named after a neighborhood in rome. I'm usually waited on by an older man who reminds me of my sicilian grandfather, who I suspect might be the owner. Depending on the time you go it can be crowded or totally empty.make reservations to be sure.plenty of parking in the back parking lots or on the street.
(5)
Mike S.
The atmosphere(aside from being deserted) is nice. LOVE the evening lights and patio. Very European feel to it. Now to the food. Blah and more blah. I expected amazing authentic italian, instead got sub-par food. My veal marsala was like beef jerky. Sucked. I feared that the food was less than fresh. Whats weird, is as i was eating it, i was imagining Gordon Ramsey's kitchen nightmares show, and him in the back of the kitchen saying "My God! You Donkey! You can't serve this crap to humans!" The stuffed mushroom app was a 5/10. The worst part was i had bought 2 GIFT certificates to take my gf to eat here. They are not coupons, they say NOTHING about one certificate only per visit. The owner/guy straight ro-sham-bowed me and denied the use of both....sweet, now i HAVE to come back again by force. So came back for just drinks with friends the second time. Bottom line, the patio is very soothing and cute. Here's my suggestion: Come here with a group of friends before going Downtown to party. Have a little appetizer, drink some wines, then hit the town, since its only a few blocks away(quick drive, don't walk). Don't eat the jerky!
(3)
Brandy G.
Authentic Italian!! I truly love & enjoy this little Gem hidden in Downtown Orlando! Our italian meal usually consists of A Filet; perfectly cooked with Fresh mushrooms in a red wine sauce & on the side Homemade gnocchi with Alfredo(my mouth is watering just thinking about). I love the Red wine from Italy, we always get a bottle or 2 for dinner. Thank you Cafe Trastevere for always making our meal & experiences memorable;)The Restaurant is quaint, like the the back streets of Italy where the locals go; a hidden secret!! totally a place to Enjoy Family & friends with outstanding Homemade Meal ,drinks, & laughs. Allso, they have a cozy patio with spacious seating, beautiful architecture & lighting! The Owners are so kind, helpful,honest & Friendly like La Familia!! I can not say enough about this Amazing delight!!
(5)
Alexis N.
Wow! What a cute, romantic, and yummy Italian gem! I met up with several girl friends for a Friday evening dinner... We sat outside on one of the two patios. It was a lovely atmosphere! The service was great - Our waitress was very attentive and a man, who seemed to be one of the owners, was very present making sure all the tables were happy and tended to. Now, for the food. Sooo good! Great, fresh bruschetta, and I had gnocchi with grilled chicken and a cheesy cream sauce... I was so stuffed that I felt slightly ill afterward, but not from bad food - just too much of it! The bread was also to die for! I'm still craving some more of that gnocchi... Might have to make another trip soon!
(4)
Jen P.
Do NOT waste your money here for extremely underwhelming food with meats that had been previously frozen, not seasoned, mediocre salad that was swimming in untasty dressing, microwaved-like soggy vegetables, and dessert with hair in it!!! You can get much better service and food even at chain restaurants. Expect the owner to be smoking outside and waiters sitting at the bar. Surely you will have a terrible experience and over paying for it even if you had a groupon.
(1)
Tom B.
Last night was my third visit to the long-standing Cafe Trastevere (pronounced "trust-Every"). It seems that the place has been around a very long time, as my first visit was to the Winter Park location quite some time ago, now home of Rocco's Italian Grille. I often feel as though Italian restaurants are a dime a dozen, but each visit to "trust-Every" has been thoroughly enjoyable. The current location is cute -- an old two-storey house with a beautiful outdoor dining area. Our party of three chose to dine indoors in a lovely parlor with an old fireplace. The owner came by often to check on us. He was very helpful with the wine selection and menu items. Two of us had a potential award-winning corn and clam bisque -- perfect! My entree was a wonderful lobster ravioli. I almost licked the plate, it was just that good. The accompanying bread was quite nice, as was the wine list. Trastevere isn't one of those places you think of often, as it's not in any kind of restaurant row. But after this latest visit, I'll try to remember it more often.
(5)
Wendy T.
Establishment was very quaint but the wait staff did not give me the welcoming feeling.I celebrated my birthday dinner here bc of the high recommendations on Yelp. I made reservations online & when my date & I arrived we were asked where we wanted to sit by an older man that we presumed was the owner. No do you have a reservation, how are you this evening or just a simple 'hello'. After seated he said, "What do you want to drink?". We each ordered a wine & my date could see the older man behind the bar pour the wine... he overfilled one glass so he simply poured the wine from one glass to another. And wine was dripping from the glad when he brought it to the table. A waiter came up shortly after and asked, "Do you know what you want to eat". At this dpoint we just started to laugh at the situation. We decided to stay and eat because of the good reviews. The calamara was a lot of food & although the sauce was very good, the calamara was a bit greasy. There was not a dressing choice for the salad which were told was house but was mire similar to Thousand Island. It was ok. The waiter recommended the eggplant parmesan which came with linguine (aka thick spaghetti) over another choice I had. Sadly it had no flavor. I ended up not eating much of it & bringing home my leftovers & added spices which made the eggplant more flavorful. We were asked if we wanted parmesan cheese... who doesn't? Well, it wasn't fresh. We decided to order the tiramisu based on recommendations. It was good but not the best I've ever eaten. Needless to say, this what seemed to be a romantic restaurant was anything but. I'm not a fan of chain restaurants but feel a chain would have been a better choice. Both my date & I were very disappointed.
(2)
Kent M.
Very good food items here. My first time this evening for dinner. I had a cheesecake dessert, first of course!, and lasagne. Very good. The fresh bread was...just like Mom used to make!...Great. Service was perfect. Indoor or outdoor seating. I chose indoor due to cooler temps. I will surely return. Thanks folks. Well done.
(4)
Ryan N.
This is just what I have been searching for in Orlando! An authentic, family Italian restaurant that serves up amazing dishes. I was able to sample a good portion of their menu, but I have to say that the Fried Ravioli was truly amazing. It is actually something I have never tried before and was pleasantly surprised by it's fresh taste and how it was complimented by the home-made marinara sauce. The only thing that may have topped the Ravioloi was the top notch Tiramisu! It is very hard to get Tiramisu right and most places leave a lot to be desired. But this was one of the best I have ever had and certainly will make a special trip just to get another taste. The staff were also friendly and told us all about the restaurant and it's history in Orlando. They offer an outdoor patio venue that would be great for a holiday party or even a birthday. Now the only bad part is the wait until I can return again!
(5)
Cynthia P.
I'm just going to say I don't get the good reviews. First of all it was HOT inside, a window unit for AC in Sept Fl heat is unacceptable--takes away from the charm. I have been to Italy and this food wouldn't be acceptable to a true Italian. We had Chicken Marsala and Chicken Piccata...the sauces were okay but the quality of the chicken was poor (reminded me of the flash frozen chicken in bags at Publix) and the veggies were definitely microwaved cheap stuff. Maybe the pasta dishes are the way to go? I personally wouldn't waste my time here...it's such a shame because years ago it was pretty good. Good luck staying open
(1)
Carson W.
It all started with a groupon and a crave of some great Italian food. My mistake for choosing this restaurant for great Italian food. First off we are asked how many (not greeted), I said we have a reservation they say ok and walk off. Then we are led to our table in the corner by the fire exit that is locked. The wait staff was very cold and not outgoing or friendly at all. Our server decided to neglect us to sit at the bar and eat his dinner. We were then poured water and I looked in my water to discover a dead spider ahhhhh gross! I took it out and thought ok ill keep giving this place a chance. I love calamari and thought ok this will be good, OMG it was the worst calamari ever. It was squid dipped in flour and lightly fried. tasted like crap do not get it. Next I ordered the crab corn bisque, it was so so, way too sweet, tasted like they added sugar. For the main course we ordered eggplant Parmesan, which was OK. I have made better at home in 5 min in a rush, so was kind of disappointing. Then to top it off we present the groupon and my wife works the tip out of the total of our bill because thats what fair tipping on the full amount. Then when we received the bill they included the tip in and it was 20%, FOR WHAT!!! i don't know being neglected and not even welcomed. My wife was furious but I said don't worry just pay it and ill write a review. So here is my review, very disappointed, very unprofessional and not friendly place. Go here for mediocre food and non fiendly wait staff. People are being generous giving it 4 stars. I use groupons all the time and find places i love from it, this was just a side swipe with the high rating on here. Eat at your own risk. thank you
(2)
Stephanie B.
We found this place as a potential for our rehearsal dinner in the spring, and we fell in love. It is charming, has a nice menu even if on the small side, and a quaint little courtyard lit with Christmas lights. We went back a 2nd time with our daughter, and was very pleased that even though there is no kid's menu, they do half portions of whatever you like. The bread and oil is perfect and warm. The wine pours are decent (the house is particularly yummy). And so far we've tasted the Saltimbocca (my favorite! although I ask for chicken rather than veal), the Chicken Parmesan, the house's mushroom soup (outrageously good!, as good as Emeril's!), the Penne Gorgonzola, the Spaghetti Bolognese and the Carbonara. The pancetta in the carbonara was seared to perfection, flavoring every bite of pasta! And the gorgonzola cream sauce, while rich and indulgent, was worthy of bathing in it was soooo good! I like living in a city, so the 6pm traffic going by was no bother to me. There was a nice little fountain. Every server was perfectly friendly and attentive. Definitely going back! And, it's a top runner for our rehearsal dinner for 50 people! Also, for all Yelpers, they have a check in special for a free glass of wine AND a $20 for $40 certificate that you can purchase right from your phone (to show the redemption code!). Hope they keep those kinds of specials going!
(5)
Mark G.
It was OK but nothing special. How can you tell if a place is great or not? Order the simplest thing on the menu and you try it. I did just that and had spaghetti with meat sauce. Even after a day of starved travel this place seemed mediocre.
(3)
Alison M.
It had been quite a few years since my last time here and my girlfriend and I brought our daughters here tonight after a play....we were there early about 545 and hoped to be done before dinner rush since this is NOT a kids friendly place. Took almost 15 minutes for waters and bread, entrees took over an hour and my linguine with clams was okay but I make it better. Very disappointed with the service and wait for the food and drinks.
(2)
Marc G.
Haven't been here in a few years. While the food was good, that's where it ended! The service was absolutely abysmal! I think the owner basically served us. There were only a four tables & I think one waitress. In other words, she should have been busy, but not in the 'weeds.' So, this is how our meal went. As we got there the owner was just finishing eating on the outdoor patio & I held the door for him & he thanked me. That's the last time I heard a 'thank you' or 'you're welcome' from him. He did proceed to seat us quickly & literally dropped the menus on the table. I picked out a bottle of wine & since they had it by the glass, I asked if my partner could have a taste. Not a problem. We ordered the wine. It was brought over to the table for us. He showed me the back of the bottle & then just opened it, poured & left. I had to ask for water 3 times before it was finally brought to the table. We ordered dinner and were somewhat questioned about not ordering appetizers, but no biggie. The meal was decent & I was a little disappointed as the gnocchi was not homemade. My friend's dish was quite nice also & definitely nice portions. Now, to my disappointments. The original Trastevere was an absolutely awesome place on 17-92 in Winter Park. Great food, great service in a really lovely atmosphere. The original owners opened this afterward & then sold the Winter Park location. Unfortunately, the quality of the food at Winter Park was never sustained. While Cafe Trastevere is decent, it is no where near as good & there are too many other wonderful Italian restaurants to choose from. While the atmosphere is cute, comfortable & 'romantic,' I think it is also somewhat tired & worn. Sorry, but this place is past its prime in its current incarnation. That is not to say that it could not be fantastic again, but the attitude must change!
(2)
Robert W.
attempted to dine last Saturday before seeing a Book of Mormon. As we approached the door a waitress unlocked the door to serve her tables outside, we proceeded inside to a bartender/waitress. She asked what we wanted quite rudely, we asked to have dinner, to which she replied we only have "that table" oddly, to which we replied was fine, she look frazzled and the owner came out of the kitchen and reprimanded us for breaking into the restaurant by picking the lock. He literally attempted to push us out physically and said "you leave now, we are full". There was never an apology or an attempt, truly disappointing experience and will not be returning to "attempt" to eat again.
(1)
Amy B.
I'm not sure what the fuss is all about..it was nothing special. Bread was average,marinara was good but calamari was just ok.ive definately had much better. I got the penne gorgonzola pasta.while good wasn't something I would return for.my boyfriend got chicken marsala after seeing a good review on here. How disappointing, it tasted more like a broth than Marsala sauce. Decor was very quaint and intimate and would make a good place to get to know someone at. Wine selection wasn't huge though. I think it was a nice place and one of a kind but there are so many great places out there I don't know if they can compete.
(3)
Brandi B.
I always thought Cafe Trastevere looked romantic and pretty. It was but it is also cramped and hot. I'm thinking the front room is an add on and even though I was seated directly next to the window AC unit with the spray foam insulation oozing out of all sides, I was still uncomfortable temp-wise. Sadly, we were not immediately greeted upon entering the restaurant and were definitely not made to feel like I was at home. Instead of being given the rundown, I had to ask what the specials were, what the soup of the day was, what the fish of the day was, etc. How disappointing. Ordered the eggplant parm because it's something I never cook at home (too much work), it was delicious. Also ordered the house salad which comes with a spicy, but nice tasting vinaigrette. Hubs had the pork tenderloin with the cream sauce, spinach mushrooms and though not listed on the menu, zucchini (which he does not really enjoy). His dinner was also delicious. The crab corn bisque, though, was not rich enough/too watery to really be considered a bisque and it tasted exceedingly sweet. When the female server/possible owner asked how we were enjoying our meal, I advised that everything tasted wonderful. Her comment, "I know." was not appreciated. I don't think our server/possibly the owner was very fond of me. He kind of talked down to me. Perhaps it was because I was using a Restaurant.com coupon-I don't know. Maybe if he would have known that I would forget that the Restaurant.com coupon already calculates in an 18% gratuity on the total before the discount and that I would leave an additional 18% gratuity on the total before the discount myself, he would have been a bit kinder.
(2)
Nicole Y.
My husband and I decided to celebrate our 5 year anniversary dinner at Cafe Trastevere. We had our rehearsal dinner here, and loved it. We had a coupon from restaurants.com and decided to go back. We made reservations through the answering machine for 6:30pm. When we arrived at 6:20pm the owner greeted us. I told him we had reservations and he blew that off and asked if we minded sitting at a hightop cocktail round at the front door. We didn't really want to sit there, but the small dining room was already full and it was too cold for any outside seating. Strike one. When we sat there were wine glasses already on the table, and mine was dirty with something in the bottom of it. Good thing I don't drink wine. Then the owner brought us over water. Mine had something floating in it! As I was fishing it out with my spoon a male server (I think son of the owner) came over and apologized and took the water and wine glass. Strike two! Finally, the server brought back my water and took our drink order. He suggested we try the fried raviolli, so we did. The raviolli came, and the inside was still ICE COLD! I didn't see our server for a few minutes so I asked another female server walking by to get him for us. He came by and took the raviolli away. The same female server brought back the new raviolli which were mediocre, and I asked her for new plates since the cold raviolli were still on our table. She rolled her eyes and took her time getting us new plates. Strke three! I ordered the Penne Gorganzola, and my husband a steak dish.They were dropped off by the male server. Literally dropped and he walked away. I would have like some parm, but never saw him again. We both enjoyed our entree's with out the extra cheese. I was in the middle of a bite when the female server walked up to the table and asked me if I wanted a box. I told her I guess I will be needing one. That was awkward. When she brought the box my husband asked her for for a cup of coffee. She again sighed looked around, I'm guessing for our server, and then said yes we have coffee I'll get it. Really?! Strike four! I wanted tiramisu, but no one ever offered dessert. We just got our bill delivered to us by the male. I handed him the coupon, and he brought back the bill with the discount and an 18% gratuity added! We weren't planning on giving that much with the poor service and experience. Make sure you check your bill before you add a tip. So, I don't think we will be back to visit Cafe Trastevere.
(2)
Iryna S.
Loved the place! Outside patio has European feel to it if you can forget about the street behind the green fence Santos, the owner, is very personable and willing to share some life stories to cheer one up if needed... Service was excellent! And Penne Al Gorgonzola was sooooooooooooo good. Amazing inhouse made deserts... Their Tiramisu is one of the best I've ever tried
(5)
Jenn K.
What a lovely gem we discovered in Orlando! I had one of the best tortellini dishes I've ever tasted in my life here. It had a delicious cream sauce that had just the right amount of richness. I also tried my husbands seafood dish (I don't even like seafood much) and it was quite good. The service was excellent and I loved the romantic atmosphere.
(4)
G.R. M.
What an adorable, romantic little Italian restaurant! I had been wanting to try Cafe Trastevere for awhile now, but the prices are just slightly out of reach for me for a regular visit. I was looking for a spot for a special occasion dinner recently, though, and CT immediately came to mind. The night I went, CT had a special prix fixe menu, consisting of an appetizer of Bruschetta Trastevere, either a salad or crab & corn chowder, a wide selection of entrees, and tiramisu to finish. The bruschetta was very good and almost buttery to the taste. It was a little hard to eat because the bread was about the size of a Melba toast cracker, but overall it was very good. The salad was standard, although the house dressing had a really nice, peppery kick to it. My chicken Marsala was incredible, probably the best I've had in Orlando. My partner's pork tenderloin was tasty and very well-cooked, but not as standout as my chicken. The tiramisu was fantastic and not sickeningly sweet like most restaurants tend to make it. Beyond the great food, the atmosphere really sells this restaurant. There are two separate outdoor dining areas, one outside the front door with 3-4 tables facing Granada Court, and another, larger section facing Magnolia. Inside, the downstairs has a tiny bar area with a couple of high-top tables, and another dining room that can accommodate more. If you're lucky enough to get seated upstairs, you'll enjoy an intimate, quiet meal with low lighting and traditional Italian music. Our server was very friendly and efficient (shout-out to Heidi!) and rounded out the great experience. I highly recommend Cafe Trastevere to anyone looking for a romantic, authentic (if somewhat pricey) Italian meal.
(4)
Janette Y.
This little cafe is a gem! Tiny space, so small there was only room for a large group on one side of the room, and ~2 small tables on the other, but very cozy. It reminded me of the small little cafes in Italy. The girl who managed that night was impressively efficient - hostess, waitress, bartender, and I heard her taking delivery orders over the phone as well. I've never seen anybody so effectively handle all tasks simultaneously, all with a friendly and courteous demeanor. On top of this, she was very attentive to our need to feed a hungry and tired 2-year old quickly. The food is, simply put, delicious! Some of the best Italian I've had, including my time living in the NYC area. Delicious warm bread was immediately refilled once we (and the hungry 2-year old) finished it. I had the Tortellini alla Trastevere, which were excellent with a flavorful and not too heavy cream sauce. Another had the special - chicken cooked in a white wine cream sauce with mushrooms. The sauce was excellent, and I wound up begging to have a little of it with my bread. Somebody else had the Spaghetti alla Bolognese, which had a delightfully fresh and well-seasoned meat sauce. On top of this, the prices were very reasonable at $15-$16 for most plates including meat dishes. Unlike many other restaurants, they do not skimp on the serving sizes, and you will feel full after dinner. I wish I'd had room for dessert!
(5)
Dean M.
We had a very nice dinning experience here. Food was very nice, the service was great and the deserts were fantastic. From another Yelper''s advice I had the Chianti to drink and it was very good.
(4)
Angela G.
The meal was nice for a anniversary dinner. Although the food was as good my local Italian restaurant located in my neighborhood for more reasonable price.. The restaurant had an outdoor patio, although the view was of Magnolia Ave and a towering bank building. The food portions were very generous, my husband had the lobster ravioli and I had the Veal Saltimbocca-alla-Romana. Both were very filling portions and were good.
(3)
S F.
The gnocchi are excellent, not too heavy, not too fluffy.
(4)
Marci M.
This is a super romantic spot! The food is delicious as well. The service was good, but be prepared to spend some time there as it is not a fast food place. Relax, enjoy the starry night and have a glass of wine. The wait is worth it!
(4)
Orlangela A.
She said.."usually we dont throw around 5stars but this place deserved it. I thought their food was really good here. This was a good warm and cozy italian resturaunt. They have a private room upstairs if you have a lot of guests or want a private party. Good wine list, good food selection....i would definatly wanna go back here." He said...."Out of the way of the tourist land this place is legit. Yea 5 stars because there was nothing wrong with this place. The restaurant looks like a a renovated house so its very welcoming. The gonganza pasta was really good and for the price it was worth it. Very good place if you like good home cooked italian minus the tourists."
(5)
Emma K.
I had been driving past this place for months, and was so excited to take my boyfriend here on what I thought would be a romantic date. From the street, it looks charming - adorned with twinkling christmas lights and vines growing up the side of what appears to be a renovated historic house. We were first thrown off when we pulled into the parking lot by the fact that our car was the only vehicle that appeared to have not been in a collision that day. Then walking up to the front door, I couldn't help but notice the gloriously ghettotastic yellow foam insulation oozing from the back of the portable A/C unit. But that point, we had not yet judged - I think we began to judge when we walked into the place and simultaneously heard the bus boy talking loudly about how he had "a headache. no, i have HIV. no, some cancer" and realized that the place smelled like a musty rug from 1923 rather than an Italian restaurant. We were seated at the table just underneath the A/C unit, which was awkward in itself, then not given menus for a good five minutes after being seated, which was even more awkward. We were not informed of any specials, but the waitress was nice enough and good about refilling water. We are vegetarians so it was a bit disappointing to see so few veg options on the menu (literally one), but I settled for an angel hair pasta with a cream sauce and peas (had to ask for no bacon) which was actually quite good, and my boyfriend got the gnocchi that was covered in a way-too-salty cheese sauce. The portions were HUGE, but definitely not worth $15 bucks a pop. However, the free entertainment (bus boy, who also discussed whether or not he should "go smoke with those assholes from the coffee shop" while we were there) may have been enough to make the trip a win. Also worth mentioning, we were charmed by the owner's European accent (which we assumed was Italian) and found it hilarious when he told us he was from Portugal. Anyway, I would skip Trastevere unless you're down for some mediocre food in an awkward environment.
(2)
Nicole E.
I had really high hopes when I came here with my husband for our 3rd anniversary. It has some great reviews on Yelp, and the menu looked promising. That being said, I should have paid more attention to Brandi B.'s review, as my experience really mirrored hers. While we were greeted when we came in (by the owner, I think, who spent most of the evening just hanging out at the bar), that was where the attentiveness ended. Menus were dropped off and then the waiter disappeared, no mention of specials or anything like that. We were stuck in the cramped front room under the A/C vent next to the computer, so between the noise from the air and the servers clustering around our table to print tickets, dinner conversation was pretty awkward. Also, halfway through our meal a waitress came up to us, pointed at the busboy, and said "was he bothering you?!" She then proceeded to explain that he's "not right in the head". Have I mentioned dinner was awkward? The food was not terrible, but it was definitely nothing to write home about. My husband ordered the crab and corn bisque, which he enjoyed, but I found to be watery. Also, the crab and sweet corn flavors were very disparate, and there was almost no seasoning to pull them together. For main courses, my husband ordered the Penne alla Vodka (penne and salmon) and I ordered the Lobster Ravioli. My dish was very small, only 5 ravioli on the plate, but my husband's plate was piled high with penne and bits of salmon. Both dishes were covered in a thick "cream sauce". Menu note: Apparently, "cream sauce" means "tomato cream sauce" - there was so much tomato the sauce tasted more like a creamy marinara. This may sound like a minor distinction, but the sauce was so heavy that I couldn't taste the lobster in my lobster ravioli. Also, my husband ended up pulling bones out of his mouth with ever other bite. Talk about disappointing! And then, there's the "parmesan". Really, this is the nail in the coffin, and the reason I won't be coming back. Allow me to walk you through: The food just got put down. I'm slightly puzzled by the red "cream sauce" covering my plate, but think "I'll give it a shot". The waitress asks, "would you like grated parmesan?", and we nod. She disappears, and comes back holding a bowl and a spoon. She lifts the spoon out of the bowl, and I'm faced with the sight of a spoonful of nasty, green-can parmesan dust hovering over my ravioli. What?! I didn't even know they made this stuff any more! I'm speechless. By the time I recover enough to say something, it's too late - it's all over the plate. If you're in the mood for a clumsy, mediocre meal, by all means give them a shot. If not, I'd suggest passing on Cafe Trastevere.
(2)
Annette G.
Note - I haven't been here in a few years, but some dishes are hard to forget. Cafe Trastevere is a quaint Italian place downtown. The inside is like a little house, and not alot of seating. Both times I went, we sat outside. I had a New Years Eve meal and went back for a regular dinner. The NYE meal was very good, 4 courses for somewhere around $100. What I remember though, they served a roasted corn soup that tasted burnt. The rest of the meal was very good, and the tiramasu was sooo...yummmmmmmmmmmmmm... my mouth is watering just thinking about it! When I went back for dinner, the dish that stuck out the best was the mushroom bruscetta. It was like a thick marsala sauce with big chunks of different mushrooms that was in a little dish, and you put that on the toast provided. It was very good. The rest of the meal I don't recall very well. I should go back.
(4)
Michelle K.
Cafe Trastevere successfully blends intimate and romantic dining with absolutely delicate and delicious cuisine. Upon walking into Cafe Trastevere through their small side outdoor cafe, you feel as if you've stepped in a quaint little Italian cafe. The people are friendly and take pride in their restaurant. I've lived in Italy and have an Italian family and this was the first Italian restaurant in Orlando that made me feel this way. We sat in the downstairs indoor dining room which had 3 or 4 small round tables near the cozy little bar that serves beer and wine. I wish the weather was nicer because I would've loved to sit in their outdoor garden patio. Our server was friendly and attentive. The bread was served warm and slightly toasty with side bottle of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a cup of butter. :-) My entire party loved their meals which consisted of Eggplant Parmigiana, Pollo Marsala and Polla Francese. The Eggplant was thinly sliced, crisply breaded and laid over a bed of spaghetti with a rich and refreshing marinara sauce. The Pollo Francese was unbelievably decadent. The chicken was thinly pounded and battered to perfection in a egg batter. However, it was the white wine and lemon cream sauce that tempted my stomach to culinary bliss. The chicken was submerged in the cream sauce. Often I have to ask for extra so this was a huge excitement for a girl who adores sauces. It was the perfect creaminess and texture and had just the right balance of lemon and white wine. The chicken was laid over a bed of sphaghetti with the same same cream sauce and accompanied by a a good portion of asparagus sauteed with garlic and olive oil. The Chicken Marsala was again thinly pounded and cooked superbly. The sauce was great though it could've been a tad bit sweeter. Overall, this is a restaurant I will be coming back to again and again. I've actually been thinking about my Pollo Francese sauce all day today. Wonderful place for the fall months to eat outside with your love or with a group of friends!!
(5)
Jeramyn F.
Exceptional food great staff and not a chain. This is a must visit for an out of towner.
(5)
Rachael J.
Let me start by saying YUMMMM. Ok I'll say it again, YUM. We tried this place for the first time last Friday. We started with the Calamari. Great, and the accompanying marinara sauce was served hot which was a nice touch. I got the Penne ala Gorgonzola, very cheesy and rich, and my boyfriend got the Penne ala Vodka. The Penne ala Vodka had salmon which was unique but also tasty. We rounded everything off with a glass of the Chianti, which I liked very much. I will say that it was kind of hot inside. Also, the crowd was not really trendy or upscale, but that really has no weight for me as long as the food is good. Last we found a deal with the "FourSquare" app on iPhone where if you check in with FourSquare upon arrival you get a free glass of wine. Also, they gave us a frequent diners card where after 4 visits we get a free BOTTLE of house wine. We will definitely be back!
(5)
Mike S.
This place is very good. The staff is friendly and makes you feel at home. Which is good because you basically feel like eating in someone's home. It adds to the ambiance though and makes it a nice experience for a quiet date. Our food was excellent and good wine. The only thing to keep in mind is salads are not included with the meal, which we found out when the bill came.
(5)
Amanda S.
I live downtown and have passed by Cafe Trastevere many times. I work for the Orlando Weekly and when I saw we were offering half off depot gift certificates for Cafe Trastevere I bought a couple so we could give it a try. Our first experience went something like this: we walked in and asked if we would like inside or outside we chose outside and proceeded to a table. No one followed us out with menus so we sat there for about 10 to 15 minutes while one server was busy running around like a chicken with her head cut off. When she finally came by she asked what we would like to drink and we informed her we needed menus. After we ordered drinks it took a bit to get them and we got bread about 30 minutes after being there. I ordered the gnocchi my husband and our friend ordered the Spaghetti alla Carbonara. When our food came out the spaghetti alla carbonara had so much pancetta it was almost inedible my husband said. Our friend was just back from staying for a month in Italy and he said it couldn't even compare to carbonara he had there. It was really disappointing. We had two gift certificates he had one and I had the other and they would not let us use both which we found annoying but let it ago. Since we had one gift certificate left we decided to give it another try this past friday night. Our second experience went like this: we walked in and were seated inside by the owner and given to menus. The inside is suppose to make you feel like your at home but it is really just awkward and your basically siting on top of the people next you. We were never told about specials or anything. The owner took our order I ordered a house salad and Tortellini alla Trastevere and my husband ordered Pollo Francese. My house salad was mediocre the dressing was terrible my dinner was really heavy with not very much flavor. My husband liked his but it was not the best he has ever had. We used our gift certificate and when the bill came back we noticed a 22% gratuity on the bill. No where on our gift card did it say 22% gratuity is added on. I thought that it was distasteful to add on that much gratuity. We will never be back. If you like crappy awkward restaurants than this is the place for you.
(2)
Crystal R.
So I had an appointment in the downtown area and I could not help but notice this gem outside. I was like cute cafe style I am in there like swim wear. When I walked inside it was so cozy, intimate, and peaceful. The experience got even better when I checked in on yelp and I scored a free glass of wine. I opted for a wonderful smooth glass of Cabarnet. The waitress recommended the Vitello Parmigiana, which is thinly sliced veal topped with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese, over a bed of spaghetti. I am so happy that I took the waitress upon her recommendation because the food was tender, delicious, and simply a scrumptious Italian dish. Yummy in my tummy! I loved everything about this place, the atmosphere, the customer service, the food. The price ranges are anywhere from 16.00 dollars to 28.00 dollars for a plate, and this place is so worth the price. Veal is not a dish that I look forward to because not everyone makes it in the proper fashion, but this place definitely reignited my love affair with veal.
(4)
Stephen T.
Sorry!! Go to Olive Garden or carabbas!!! Overpriced crap!! Every entree overpriced by 5$ Nothing else to say!! Kitchen by bathrooms Can see into Kitchen which was filthy at 6pm with restaurant empty??? Gross!!!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Romantic Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
Kenny C.
A fan of this restaurant time and again. The Gnocchi in cheese sauce is so delicious, but this time I opted for the Chicken Francaise. Light batter on the chicken was not heavy at all and the sauce was perfect. On this visit we sat upstairs and while our waitress hated going up and down the stairs, we never felt neglected. The food was great and the staff was friendly. I guess I've been a few times because the kind gentleman at the door recognized me and gave me a punch card for wine - order enough and get a free glass or bottle or something... but sadly - I don't drink!
(4)Ryan F.
I'd like to write a review refuting the bad ones. This restaurant is ITALIAN. The servers are Italian. The kitchen is Italian. And they don't move fast in Italy. Meals are meant to be savored and preparation takes a while because they take pride in their food. Personally, I've always had aloof servers who don't seem to care very much about things other than the components of their job serving and I'm ok with that because that's why they are there - to serve. The food is always good and plentiful. It's just not AMERICA - there aren't crazy drink specials and the service isn't rapid fire and happy go lucky. But there's nothing wrong with that. I encourage people to eat here as long as they know that it's Italian and therefore, different.
(4)George D.
I met my wife here one day after work for dinner. We both ordered a fried ravioli appetizer. Very tasty appetizer that we both shared, but one of my raviolis was cool. I kind of wondered why? The Marinara sauce that came with it was very good. Our entrées were Zuppa Di Pesce Alla Romana this also was very tasty, very good, I enjoyed entire dish. but my question is, for $26, why can't I get a salad? This is such a litmus test for my wife, that she was so upset, she does not want to come back. Throw some greens on a dish will ya! Poor a little olive oil, and some vinegar on it and tell me that it's salad. The location is very quaint, very romantic, and it looks like it was a home one time. Thank goodness I had restaurant.com coupons for this evening's meal so I feel like I got a pretty good value out of it. After everything was said and done, we went home and had a cup of coffee.
(4)M A.
We had a bottle of cali riesling crab corn bisque caprese salad bruschetta filet mignon amd fra diavola and it was exquisite! We sat outside and it was romantic too!
(5)Jenny L.
I have never sweated so much in a restaurant in my entire life. This place is a house converted into a restaurant. There's only about 8 tables inside, the rest are outside. I can't believe I'm saying this--but I wish I had a table outside (and it's July). We were sat in the bar area where there was no a/c or fans. I've also never seen ice not exist in a water glass. I ordered wine literally because it was cold. Beyond that, I ran out of water twice and unfortunately, only the first glass ever had ice. After that, the ice was clearly already melted. Ever been so thirsty you were literally were happy to drink luke warm water? I have been. The food was mediocre at best. Maybe it's because the food was warm but I was already dying of heat.
(1)Dale P.
I read the reviews, and came (anyway). A good thing we did, as our dinner was very good. The service was good and the veal dish was very nice. I thought the prices were reasonable. I will be back.
(4)Evan M.
Ok, I'm going to be honest. A co-worker wanted to try this place. It was right up the street from our hotel, so we walked. As we approached, I was horrified. It looked like something out of a horror movie. Like a restaurant you go into but never come out of. It was a little building, like someone's house. It had a neon "OPEN" sign in the upstairs window. When we walked in, there were literally 5 tables in what looked like someone's living room. It was very intimate. The server wasn't overly friendly. He took our order and brought our food, and that's about it. The saving grace of this experience was the food. The food was excellent. If the food wasn't good, this place would be bizarre. I checked in on Yelp, to take advantage of the check-in offer which was a free glass of wine. I gave it to the server, and he told me it wasn't valid on the glass of wine I ordered. My glass of wine was $9 and he said it was only valid on the house glass of wine for $7. I showed him that the offer didn't specify and he still gave me a hard time. The atmosphere and service were weird, but the food was great. Maybe get take-out?
(4)Heather T.
I approach Groupon-funded meals with extreme caution, and places life Café Trastevere are the reason why. First, I don't believe the restaurant has AC. Mid-summer, and we all dressed nicely since we were going to a classy restaurant, and we are sweaty and seated an a very confined, close corner of the restaurant. Unfortunately, that was the least of this place's problems. Next, we order. Service was ridiculously slow. I think we waited 45 minutes for food, and ended up being here for 1.5 hours in all between waiting for the server to take our order, waiting for the food, then waiting for the check. My chicken piccata was pounded into oblivion. Rubbery, inedible, and had a sickly pallor to the plate making it completely unappealing. The antipasto offered a paltry serving of meat, and some unidentifiable substances to accompany. I don't know how this place is still in business. Unknowing Grouponers? Not worth the Groupon, not worth the hours of my life sitting in a sauna, or the dry cleaning bill for the sundress I wore to dinner and bore the brunt of my Florida summer glistening.
(1)Jenna D.
Food was good, service and atmosphere poor. We arrived at 9pm, and the restaurant closes at 10pm, we felt rushed the entire meal. The server was ackwardly rude and not knowledgable. As we were eating our appetizers she was standing by the table waiting for us to finish, when I told her we were not in a rush she said, "Well your food is ready." Although we were not. We all checked in on yelp to receive a free glass of wine, however the owner only honored one. We each spent over $40. on the meal and we are locals, the least they could have done was honor the free round. Won't be back.
(2)Montana H.
I was pleasantly surprised with the food and service. I ordered a dinner salad, it was good and tasted like it had home made salad dressing. I loved the lazagna, delicious. My biggest regret was not ordering Tiramasu for desert. Very nice place, smaller with a cozy atmosphere and efficient service.
(4)Angie M.
For an italian restaurant, I expect more Italian choices. The place is quaint and very romantic. The food is good if you have pasta in mind. It is worth the experience though
(4)Jordan O.
I am giving this place 1 star. That's the amount of questions the waitress answered before she stopped being helpful. I think she was upset we didn't get wine and took it out on us, that or she knew she was charging us 20% tip because we had a groupon. But that's fine, whatever reason she had to treat us like that, I'll never be back, so I hope she enjoys that tip because this place will not get another dime from me. But the fury I carry for this waste of space restaurant extends far beyond the terrible service - it includes the "food." I use quotes because the chicken piccata my girlfriend got is not something I would feed a dog. I get that they hammer the chicken down so it's flat, but then they cooked the ever-loving crap out of it so it has the consistency of rubber - and for $18, I think I can expect edibility, if not deliciousness. I got an antipasto and while the Italian sausage was excellent, there was maybe 2 oz of it and it was far outweighed by under-ripe tomatoes, some odd eggplant item that looked like pumpernickel bread and couldn't be finished by any of the 5 people at the table...the second best part of the antipasto was the Giardiniera, which I hope it made in house, but could have been from a can...maybe preferable that it comes from the can. They also charge $3-$4 is you share, which might be worth it, two friends split the veal and they seemed to like it, but no one told us about the sharing charge which I find offensive. Lastly the desserts - only a few are made in house, and while the waitress recommended the tiramisu, we didn't finish that either, we did get through the cannoli, but for 5 of us to split 2 desserts...you can be sure neither was anything to write home about. Honestly, I wouldn't go back if it were free, thankfully we had a groupon, but for that quality of food, I'd rather just go to Olive Garden and pocket the extra $20 a person.
(1)R B.
Had dinner here on 08/17/2015. Ordered a bottle of Super Tuscan for $45 from the wine menu. The wine was drinkable but nowhere near what a Super Tuscan should be. Scanned the bottle in my wine app later and found that it retails for $11. I'm well aware of mark-ups for alcohol at restaurants but more than 4X for a bottle of wine is way out of line. Service-wise we felt rushed the entire time we were there, ordered dinner (couple of pasta dishes) and it was out in 10 minutes so it clearly wasn't freshly made nor did it taste like it was as the pasta was dried out in many parts. Was expecting a lot better for the price and definitely will not return. Save yourself some time, aggravation and most of all ....money.
(1)Joseph C.
Great place to chill with friends. It also has a quaint romantic ambiance. I've taken my mother for the food, gone with friends for a glass of wine, and taken my boyfriend for a romantic dinner.
(5)Lauren H.
The food was OKAY. The environment was very romantic but was shortly ruined after poor, inattentive service. I've learned to NOT share with servers that I'm using a groupon until the end of the meal. Isn't the point of groupon to bring customers in and try your hardest to retain them? They seriously did not care! We were there for 1.5 hours.. That's not how I wanted to spend my evening and I will not be coming back.. Groupon or no groupon.
(2)Fred V.
I tried out this restaurant without reading any reviews which is something I don't normally do. I'm going to be as honest as I can with this review. I ordered the chicken Alfredo and it wasn't bad. But it wasn't great either. My wife is a vegan and she ordered a plate of mixed vegetables which she loved. So that was a good thing. While the food was ok, one thing that concerned me was the service. The guy that served us was fairly nice but seemed very short and not very accommodating. This was our 1st time here and when you go to a nice restaurant and spend good money you expect to get a certain level of care. By the time we left we felt like no one cared that we were even there. No one said anything to us as we left. We just felt kinda awkward the whole time. When my wife and I got back home, we went online to check out some of the reviews to see if anyone had experienced what we felt. And we were not surprised to read a lot of other reviewers that experienced a lot of the things that we felt and experienced. I'm not the kind of reviewer that bashes local businesses but I really hope that they take these reviews as constructive criticism. No one likes to be in a restaurant where they feel like it doesn't matter if they are there are not. If anyone would have at least stopped us before we left and said something like "hope you come back" or something of the sort, we would have considered coming back. Now it's up in air. I really would like to come back on a different night and try a different dish and give them another chance. We did come on a slow night (Wednesday) and maybe that has something to do with it. I really don't know. But it doesn't help make our decision easy when we left feeling very weird about the kind of service we got. So I guess we will see...
(3)Jennifer W.
I hate this place. Ruined my husbands birthday and I notice the review I had written has been taken down. Came here on a Groupon after awful food and even worse service we we're charged 18% gratuity for food we didn't even end up eating took forever to receive food watched other customers walk out. Everyone was really rude, left and went to Wendy's on the way home. Just find an actual Italian restaurant in Orlando and not this crap.
(1)Linda C.
Awesome place to eat. Very romantic atmosphere. If you are using groupon please make sure to read all the terms. I got caught up in that today. The owner is always here walking around making sure everyone is good. Sit outside and enjoy the wonderful weather.
(4)BJ E.
Best Italian food in Orlando area. Definitely get the Cozze Santa Lucia if you like mussels.
(5)Dirk N.
We accidentally got there a half hour or hour before they actually opened, but they let us in anyway. Awesome, awesome service (definitely one of the best I've experienced), though we were only one of two or three parties in the restaurant. A glass or two of wine got the mood goin', and it was a pleasant night overall. My seafood pasta dish was very good and my wife's tortellini dish looked and tasted amazing.
(4)Stephanie T.
I had nearly a mirror experience as Lisa M. did a few reviews down. To start - we attempted to make reservations several times over the course of two days. No one answered the phone at any hour that we called. When we walked in to be seated, we were ignored for about five minutes. Finally, a woman asked us if we wanted to sit inside or out. We ultimately decided outside since the dining room was so small, and felt so incredibly stuffy. The wait staff did not seem attentive once they pegged us as "inexpensive" (ordered just water and had a restaurant.com coupon - let the waitress know at the beginning that we had one; we were all dressed nicely for the evening as well). It took 20 minutes from seating to when we actually had someone stop by the table and take our order. I personally felt more like a nuisance than anything else when I asked for a refill once for my water. My glass sat empty for half of my visit. Had the calamari and spicy marinara sauce - the sauce tasted like lukewarm Ragu spaghetti sauce (no spice whatsoever), and the calamari was greasy, rubbery, and salty. I personally ordered the lasagna - and you know, it was quite possibly the worst lasagna that I have ever eaten. It was EXTREMELY salty and the grease was so thick, it was a gigantic puddle inside of the bowl the lasagna was sitting in. I couldn't even get halfway through the lasagna. I asked for a dessert menu, and the waitress very quickly rattled off the list - decided on a slice of cheesecake. It was obvious that it was a small slice from a box, not homemade. She was also put off when I thanked her politely, but declined to add "homemade berry sauce" to it - she seemed annoyed that I wanted "just a plain piece of cheesecake and nothing else." When paying, we put the restaurant.com coupon on top of the payment holder, and (I assume it was the owner) a man came by to pick it up. He rudely asked, "What is THAT?" Explained it was a coupon for the restaurant, and before we could continue, he interrupted and asked how much it was for. I won't try this place again. We were there an hour and thirty minutes - the food would have been better at Olive Garden, would have been less expensive, and would have been faster. We certainly weren't enjoying the ambiance of sitting outside, either - the patio could use a good cleaning, the lights NEED to be repaired. Wait staff needs to be retrained or hire more.
(1)Drew M.
My husband and I recently ventured here with a Groupon (and Yelp coupon for free glass of wine). After reading some of the reviews I was skeptical. Boy, was I surprised! We had a wonderful meal. Everything was delicious! Nothing was cold or over salted. We didn't wait forever for our food. And the service wasn't terrible. It was a delightful hole-in-the-wall type of restaurant with traditional Italian dishes. The Pollo Mediterranea was so rich and creamy, yet it was still very light. My husband had the Vitello Scalopini Masala. It was also very flavorful and had a robust mushroom sauce chocked full of fresh mushrooms. Both the chicken and veal were very tender and easy on the palette. If you sit inside, it can be a little stuffy. No central A.C., just one window unit for the whole seating area. If you're reading mixed reviews and can't decide whether or not to go-go! Try it for yourself and write your own review. I'm very glad we chose to eat there.
(4)Lisa M.
I've had several group dining experiences here at their upstairs banquet room and never had a problem. However, as a normal customer, that's where things fell apart. The building and ambiance are definitely a higher-class, romantic, intimate spot. I feel that we were marked as a cheap couple as soon as we walked in, as my roommate had on a t-shirt and a (nice) pair of shorts (I was in a blouse and skirt). It took a few moments to be seated, even though there were plenty of staff walking about and quite a few empty tables. After that, it took a few more moments before we were asked about drinks. I could tell the waiter was unhappy that we ordered iced tea and coffee - no alcohol. The staff seemed to mostly ignore us and treat us with the minimum amount of courtesy since we didn't seem to be the "high roller" type of customer. I had finished my glass of iced tea and placed it near the end of the table and was half way through my water glass before finally having to flag down the waiter for a refill. The food was okay but not impressive to mark as "the place to go to for (insert dish name)". I had the Pollo Francese which had a wonderful sauce but the chicken could have been cooked a little less as it was a bit tough. The Saltimbocca ala Romana also suffered the same tough meat due to overcooking - something that should never happen with veal. For $16 and 18 respectively (or may have been 18 and 20) I feel it was a bit overpriced, especially since there was no soup or salad accompanying the main dish (meat, pasta and a small bit of seasonal veggies). I ordered a cup of the crab and corn bisque which was way too sweet but at least had nice real crab meat. My roommate ordered the spinach salad which had a pool of vinaigrette at the bottom and was a bit pricey at $10 for a bowl of spinach with walnuts, gorganzola, tomatoes, and mushrooms. I could've put my food nit-picking aside had it not been for the service. I felt very uncomfortable after we were seated - as if we weren't welcome but they were serving us anyway. I was almost embarrassed to use a Restaurant.com certificate to pay for part of our meal - but now thinking about it I'm glad I did not pay full price. I don't think I will be returning due to the service - none of the food was remarkable enough to ensure an uncomfortable dining experience at that price.
(3)Jake P.
Here are three reason why I LOVE cafe' Trastevere: 1) Ambiance - Enjoy one of two outdoor garden patios enclosed by vine. Great for Dates 2) Food & Drink - I have had multiple dishes from their menu and have found that no matter what you order, you will enjoy it. If you don't, your Trastevere staff will do their best to correct it. Also, great wine selection at reasonable prices. 3) Economical Eats - With the many Groupon/Yelp deals Trastevere offers, you are sure to enjoy your meal without fear of your tab running up.
(5)Jon R.
So I am new to Orlando and I love checking out different restaurants. I am a big fan of Groupon because they have such a variety of restaurants you can choose from. My girlfriend and I were in the mood for Italian . We saw Trastevere and saw it was very close to were we where downtown so we decided to go. We made a reservation and went to the restaurant and we were greeted by a friendly older gentleman. He took us to our seats and sat us. He came and gave us our menus and wine list and let us peruse the menu. He finally came back and took our drink orders. About 10 mins went by and a lady brought us some bread sat it down on the table without saying a word. The old man came back and took our order quickly and went along on his way. 20 more minutes went by and we got our food and it was fantastic I got the pollo Alla medeterranea and my girlfriend got the pollo formaggio. The service then got terrible. I noticed the old man was paying attention to other people, and recommending what they should have. He barely said two words to us the whole night. He didn't come back once after we got our food to ask how it was , or if we needed anything. Our drinks had been empty for 15 mins. He continued to ignore us over and over again. We were obviously ready to go and he just kept walking right past as if we were not there. Another table literally got up and walked out and paid there bill up front. I maintained my cool and finally got another waiters attention to get the check and a box for my girlfriend. He came back and took our check without saying anything. He set it down and we left . Absolutely one of the worst restaurant experiences my Gf and I have ever had. Its such a shame because it is a nice little restaurant with amazing food , but tainted by absolute terrible customer services. I don't think he likes young people, and didn't seem to like that we used Groupon. I'm 29 and my Gf is 25 we can afford a 60 meal. So, all in all order the food to go and you will really enjoy it
(1)T P.
A friend recommended this place. I came in with realistic expectations and was disappointed. I called to see if we needed a reservation, the person answering just said hello and nothing which should have been my first hint. We arrived and the parking lot was empty.. Another hint. The inside smelled a bit like grease. We ordered calamari it was undercooked I had to pick through to find the crispier bits. The bread wasn't bad but burnt on the bottom. I ordered gnocchi per the waitresses recommendation and was disappointed I've bought better at the grocery store. The meat sauce wasn't bad mostly ground sausage. My hubby ordered veal he said the pasta was cooked well. I was disappointed that our server was complaining in both English and Spanish to the cook. Lastly the sever was excited about their cannoli so we ordered one and split it. The filling was okay, at least it was made with ricotta. It was covered with chocolate sauce so it was extremely sweet ruining the flavor of the cannoli. Our bill was $69 for food that wasn't better than Olive Garden. My husband felt sick the rest of the night after we left we will not be going back.
(2)Rebecca V.
Cafe Trastevere is a wonderful little Italian spot with beautiful indoor and outdoor/garden seating. The service was great and the food was delicious (especially the crab & corn chowder and tiramisu). The prices were a bit higher than I would like, but it was an overall delightful dining experience.
(4)Adam S.
The location is right by the road, so its easy to find. However outside seating is also right by the road. So, if you don't want to hear cars sit inside. Personally, I don't mind the sound of passing vehicles. When we entered they gave us a choice to inside which looked very nice, but is was very beautiful so my girlfriend and I decided to sit outside which was, true to the name, very cafe like. Charming metal tables and colorful flowers surround the dining area, it's delightful. Since it was my anniversary, inquired if there would be something they could do. There was no money offered; I knew what was done if anything would be minimal at best. When my girlfriend and I were seated romantic music started to float through the air, so the staff did help. The food was EXCELLENT, I had Lobster stuffed ravioli and crab and corn bisque. Now, if I had to make one complaint it was that out waiter was very attentive, he didn't miss a beat, but he was a bit standoffish. In fact, had he consistently put a smile on his face while he was serving, I would have given this restaurant a five star review. Just to be clear, our waiter was never impolite, but he wasn't polite either. In short, Cafe Trastevere is a delightful, picturesque, and quaint place to eat. It's a bit pricey, but every dollar I spent was worth it. The food was delectable and true to the Italian roots of the restaurant. Every bite of food was a savory and robust experience. Definitely a place to take a date, but only if you really like her.
(4)Amy C.
I went to the restaurant for a birthday dinner. We ordered the Mozzarella Chicken, Chicken Piccata, and Gnocchi. The Gnocchi was by far the best, I recommend getting it with blackened chicken, though I think I could have easily made it at home. We were served raw, frozen Chicken Picatta...so there's that. The wait staff was friendly but my food was not cooked and the staff would not re-prepare the food or take it off the bill. There's better Italian food in town.
(1)Matthew L.
We were looking for Italian food near downtown and Gargi's on the Lake was packed so we thought we would try Cafe Testavere again. The restaurant was slow for a Friday night. Should of been a sign dinner was going to be sub-par. The bread they started with was a little stale. We ordered a calamari app and it was a bit chewy even though it was barely crispy. No tentacles, all big chewy rings. Meh. The Caesar salads were bad, no flavor, and old lettuce, with a dressing that had no flavor. The entrees were good, lobster ravioli and tortellini, both done well. I guess the best advice is to skip apps and salad and go straight to the main course. Waiter was less than attentive after awhile, I guess he had other things going on. Not the restaurant we remember from last year when the food and service was very good. Must be on a decline. The cannoli for dessert was ok but at $7.50 for one, not worth getting again. Fight the crowd and go to Gargi's on the lake.
(2)Mrs. Mary H.
This place is needs help. So many other reviewers said everything I would say. The food was not to good and the service could be much better. I thought it would be a much nicer experience. I will not be back.
(2)Melissa D.
Downtown Orlando is a bit of a hike for me, so I really only head out that way for dinner if I have tickets to an event at the Bob Carr. Looking to try something new, I turned to my trusted Yelp app and found this lovely little gem. We were warmly greeted at the door, and seated at a table for two in the small, but charming, dining room. Our server was a man of few words, but efficient. My husband ordered the Penne al Gorgonzola, I ordered the Penne alla Vodka with smoked salmon, and we shared the La Caprese appetizer. After ordering, a basket was brought to our table with a loaf of warm, soft, perfectly baked Italian bread. The caprese salad left a little to be desired, as both my husband and I reached for the salt shaker, but the main courses did not disappoint. I was a little skeptical of the combination of penne alla vodka and smoked salmon; however, it was truly a perfect blend of flavors. Oh, and in case you envisioned a decadent pasta topped with slices of lox (what I initially was expecting and a little hesitant about), fear not: it is a smoked salmon filet that has been flaked into the rich pasta dish. My husband gobbled up every last bite of his pasta dish, and declared that this restaurant was an excellent find and a 'keeper' - especially for the value. Other than the caprese, the only other critique that I had was that when I received my water refill - it was lukewarm (the first glass was ice cold!). All in all, this restaurant was a wonderful spot for a nice dinner date and we will be back. Thank you to Yelp for the recommendation!
(4)Aaron R.
Warm, casual but still elegant. Good variety on the wine list and menu. DEFINITELY not kid friendly -- no kid menu, and it's not really a family dining vibe. We had the daily appetizer special, fried cheese ravioli, which we loved. Perfectly lightly breaded and fried, not heavy at all. My wife had the chicken Marsala, two thumbs up from her. I had the chicken Francese, thoroughly enjoyed this tasty, lemon creamy goodness. Both entrees were served with perfectly cooked long green beans, crunchy and delicious. Dessert was an amazing slice of house made tiramisu, with espresso. Would definitely return for another date night.
(4)Helen L.
This place is not even worth a Groupon. The outdoor eating experience was romantic but the food was absolutely horrible. We had Portobello Ripieno appetizer which was like sloppy Joe on top of a giant mushroom with melted cheese. The marinara sauce was lacking. Entrees: Saltimbocca alla Romana and Pollo Formaggio were both disgusting. The meat was chewy and the pasta and veggies were cold even after the long wait. Cafe Travesty's only saving grace was the tiramisu which was light and delicious but Edward Scissor hands could've made a better presentation. Finally, the service slow and rude! The old man was impolite. When leaving the waitress stood in our way even after looking at us dead in the eye. When she told her table that everything on the menu was good, I had the urge to tell them that it was a complete lie. This is one of the worst experiences I have ever had at a restaurant. I would not advise anyone to eat here.
(1)Anand N.
Atmosphere - Quaint little italian restaurant. Seating inside and the patio outside. I'm Indian and my wife is British. That's important in this story, wait for it. Fare - Their calamari was nice. Not overcooked, nice flavoring. Overall the food decent. Waitstaff - Remember how I shared the ethnicity thing? Well... We were seated inside. On the right side there were 3 tables of Caucasian families and staff members and who I'm only assuming was the manager or owner kept going these tables and laughing and talking with them. On the left side was a Black couple, about early-mid 40's at the table closest to the door, the lady had a nice dress on and the man wore a suit, then an empty table, then us. It took forever for us to get drink refills. Our appetizer was dropped, nobody cleared our table from the time we finished our appetizers and PUSHED OUR EMPTY DISHES AND DRINK GLASES TO THE SIDE OF THE TABLE NEAREST A WAITER'S PLANE OF SIGHT. But noooope. Nobody came back over until we got the main course. Then a refill. One glass at a time. At the end of our meal, the men who I'm ging to assume was the manager came to our table and asked how everything was, then asked if we wanted dessert. We said no, he thanked us and then went to the table of the Black couple, spent maybe a minute talking to them and then went back to the 3 Caucasian families (2 tables now of new patrons) and laughed and talked it up with them. Again, the food was great! But perception is key, and I'm not going to dine at a place where I don't feel welcomed or attended to.
(1)Ana B.
Mixed feelings about this restaurant. My friend highly recommended this place to me and since then I have dined here a few times. Service is always great here. It may not be a typical service where servers keep coming and checking on me. But my servers are around enough that I never ask for filling up water, removing dishes etc. Food has been inconsistent though. This time I had meatball spaghetti. Their noodle was cooked to perfection. However, their meatball smelled a bit. I think they have been frozen. Their bread was kind of funny today. It was served toasted, which never has been before. It seems the bread is not fresh so they had to toast it to cover up.. I always order tiramisu and cappuchino. Hands down for their cappuchino. It is one of the best in town. I also tried their ice cream-bad, bad, bad. Never order ice cream here. I personally like this place but have to admit some cons.
(3)Chelsey R.
On the surface, this restaurant is great. We sat on the back patio which had lights hanging, soft music playing, and a pretty water fountain. When we took a closer look though, the paint was chipping badly, the concrete was cracked, and several of the lights were burnt out - this cheapened the place a lot. We were brought a basket of bread, some olive oil, and balsamic vinegar when we were seated. The bread was nothing special and there weren't any herbs to put in the oils. My fiance ordered the filet and I ordered fettuccine alfredo with shrimp. The steak tasted more like beef tips you would get at a family style dinner than it did a filet. It was ordered at medium temperature, but there was zero pink. Pretty disappointing for a $28 steak. My alfredo was nothing special, but the shrimp were cooked to perfection (all 5 of them that I paid $6 extra for). Normally I will clear my plate, no matter how full I am, at most Italian restaurants because I just love Italian food so much. Sadly, I left a lot of pasta behind as Cafe Trastevere. POSITIVE - The Riesling was outstanding - loved it! The meal was okay and I was really glad I had a Groupon. I would have been extra upset if we had paid full price. I can't say I would choose to go back here, and if I had to for a work function or something, I would definitely order something else.
(2)Felix L.
Have been a regular at this restaurant quite a while. To my surprise they do have a 2nd floor. Me and my loved one had a private room to all ourselves (not busy enough to fill the 2nd floor: all seemed to enjoy the backyard).
(5)Juli M.
I have eaten here many times over the years, and it's hit or miss the last few years. It used to be one of my favorite places, but this time was a miss, and it's been slipping. I think they must have a new chef, or cook would be the more appropriate word. The food was cooked, but not created. I won't be going back. I'd rather go to olive garden. They didn't have my reservation, which I had made online, but we got seated anyway. Nobody answers the phone or returns calls, so I hoped the online reservation would work. However, we were early. If we had been 15 minutes later, which was actually on time, we wouldn't have had a table. It got very busy, and the upstairs wasn't open. The service was nothing special, and the food was just not very good. I used to love their lasagna, which once had a bechamel sauce layered in, and was very unique. I used to crave their food, and I couldn't wait to take my friends or celebrate a special occasion. This lasagna was salty and bland slabs of pasta with nondescript meat sauce. Stouffers lasagna is about the same quality, as far as I'm concerned. My friend had the gnocchi with 4 cheeses. It was too rich, and lacking in flavor. Yes, 4 cheese sauce is going to be rich, but this was just heavy, thick, and flavorless. It's too expensive for the quality. You should at least get a salad with your meal, especially if the food tastes like it is cheaply made. We didn't really have a server. It was more like someone took our order, someone brought the food, someone else dropped off the check. We had to flag someone down when we wanted something, like bread or drink refills. I had to walk to the bar to ask for my wine. I didn't feel special at all. I was embarrassed that I brought my date there.
(2)Kelly H.
The outdoor patio is lovely for a pretty night in Orlando. It had great ambiance with the white Christmas lights strung all around the bushes and the small fountain in the middle of the patio. They have heating lamps if you want to sit out there on a chilly night and they keep you plenty warm. The dessert was by far my favorite part to the meal. I had the tiramisu and it was definitely the best I have ever had. I wanted to lick the plate clean, but refrained since it's unladylike. I had a caesar salad before my meal which was okay. It was a bit bland for my taste and not sure I would order that again. For my main dish I had the chicken parmesan with pasta. I'm a huge chicken parm eater and I don't think it made my top 5....it's a hard thing to do though. It was still delicious and I finished my entire plate. We were able to get a coupon on Restaurant.com which was a tremendous help. We paid $40 for $100. Our table of 6 people got 2 bottles of wine, salads for everyone, 2 appetizers, a main dish, and everyone also had dessert and it ended up being $72 per couple which was great for the amount of food and drinks we had. Definitely would have been a little expensive if we did not have the coupon. I'll be going back here for just dessert and wine next time.
(3)Ashley H.
I was so happy with my experience here that I have to give it five stars. We dined here on Yelp recommendations, and you guys did not steer us wrong! This place is adorable. It's on the bottom floor of a house downtown, and it provides a cozy romantic feel. When we walked in, we immediately saw one of the owners sitting at the bar. He hopped off his bar stool and seated us immediately at a table for two. When I checked in on Yelp after sitting down, I was surprised to find the offer for a free glass of wine! Woo hoo! Your choice is red or white house wine. Mine wasn't anything too awesome, but hey, it was FREE! You know what else is awesome and free? Hot, delicious hunks of bread brought to our table in a basket, along with balsamic vinegar (yay!) and olive oil. Can't say no to that either. We had a delicious meal. We started with the calamari, which was perfectly fried to a crisp, not at all greasy, and served with excellent marinara sauce that was clearly homemade. My boyfriend wouldn't shut up about that sauce. I was actually starting to get a bit jealous, personally, because it seems like he likes it better than mine. I have to admit, it was pretty good. For dinner, he had the veal parmesan, which he loved. I ordered the chicken francese, which was delicious and came with some fresh veggies. Yum! We did not have any room for dessert, but we will definitely be coming back to try more of this amazing food very, very soon!
(5)Harold F.
Atmosphere is always something welcoming. Favorite appetizer was the calamari. Perfectly done with homemade sauce. A great place to visit before the Dr Phillips theatre.
(4)Elle L.
I had a hard time remembering what this place was when it came up on my list of places to write reviews for. I had to look at the pictures to remember! While the little house and its location are very quaint and cute, their food and service is nothing to brag about. I got the eggplant parm. It was decent, but nothing I'd ever go back for. They do have some good Living Social and Groupon/Yelp deals, though, so it may be worth checking out for you fellow Yelpers. I likely won't go back.
(2)Priya M.
My husband and I were extremely disappointed with a recent visit to Café Trastevere. We have been a few times but it has been a few years. With our most recent visit, we noticed the charm of the outside seating had gone down due to lack of upkeep. When we were seated I noticed my glass of water had no ice as my husbands did. There was also no condensation on my glass which led me to believe this was "left over" water from a previous dinner. For the first 30 minutes no bread was brought to our table when people after us had come in and had already been served their bread. Our waitress either didn't understand us or wasn't paying full attention as my husband made three attempts to order wine that night and she forgot two of those attempts. We began with the calamari fritti. The calamari tasted a little undercooked and the "spicy" fra diavolo was bland and lacked flavor. For our entree, I ordered the pollo formaggio and my husband ordered the spaghetti alla bolognese. For the pricing we expected GOOD Italian food. My husband's spaghetti tasted as if the sauce was made from a jar of Ragu sauce. By this time he was so irritated with the dinner he chose not to finish his meal. The pollo formaggio was decent, but I've had better tasting chicken Marsala. At one time this place served what tasted like authentic Italian food and now it is an overpriced, poor serviced establishment. The owner came out at one point and apparently only talks and checks on regulars of his restaurant. Needless to say you can definitely find better Italian food in Orlando, we will not be coming back establishment!
(1)Colleen B.
yay, finally after a year of wondering how good of a cute little Italian place this was, I have confirmed! Such a romantic, quality and passionate restaurant. It is in an old house that was converted to a lovely location for sharing dinner with a close loved one or friends. There is seating inside (downtstairs and upstairs), at the bar inside on the first floor as well as an extended patio on the back porch (when amazing Orlando weather allows). So gorgeous. You are immediately greeted upon entering and welcomed to their establishment. You can feel their appreciation for having you visit. The service was awesome, we had a group of ladies arriving at different times and she was very accommodating and understanding. The Riesling was delicious and it was a great start with the bread. I also went with the house salad which was perfect, light and tasty. For my entree I went with the Lasagna...perfect choice. The serving was generous yet not too much, I finished it and still had room for dessert...of course =) The cheeses were velvet like and the seasoning was amazing. Everyone loved the setting and we had a lovely time. I am absolutely making this place a go to more often, delicious and beautiful!
(4)Julie D.
LOVE IT! We've eaten here several times... sat in the dining room, upstairs, outside on both patios. It's a tiny place but I like that. It feels like home & you see the same staff each time you go! It's very nice for a romantic date as the noise level remains low since there are only a few tables in each area. The food is WONDERFUL!! Some of my most favorite pasta dishes ever!! Tortellini is my favorite, very rich & creamy. My husband's favorite is the gnocchi. We always come out relaxed, smiling, full bellies & with leftovers! Have taken many of my visiting family members here... always a hit!
(4)James B.
I've never been to a restaurant where I "subtract" half-stars throughout the night. Unfortunately, it was a series of service mistakes that knocked this otherwise quaint, authentic italian oasis in downtown Orlando down to 3 stars. We had made an Opentable reservation and were seated promptly by the owner. There are only 6 tables in the dining room, painted a warm red with paintings on the walls. A few minutes after we were seated, a wine list was brought to us by the owner. Then nothing. 2 minutes later, finally, our waitress (well, we had to assume she was our waitress, she didn't introduce herself) brought menus and took our drink orders. Upon her return, we proceeded to order appetizers. She recommended we share salads, but only my parents decided to share the $10 spinach salad. I went with crab and corn bisque (more on that later). My sister had a small caesar, which she said had too much parmesan cheese. While we were enjoying our apps, our waitress asked for our food order (should have asked right when she dropped the apps, or before they arrived). We stopped eating to order, and requested some bread as we saw other tables had some. She told us some was in the oven. 10 minutes later, and after two tables who had arrived after us had bread, we asked the owner (who walks around the small dining room frequently) if we could have some bread. Again, we were told, it's in the oven. When we pointed out the seemingly incorrect sequence of bread delivery, he basically walked away from our table and mumbled something to the bus boy. Rude! Our waitress finally brought bread (which was delicious) as we finished our apps. Then our food arrived: Crab and Corn Bisque: This bisque was quite thin, with some sweet corn kernels and a few stings of crab meat, as well as what appeared to be some lumpy balls of flour (they probably tried to thicken the bisque with flour while it was hot). It tasted alright, and it was only $5 for a nice-sized cup. Lobster Ravioli: This came in a delicious vodka-style cream sauce. I'm pretty sure it was frozen at some point in its life, but the raviolis (5 large ones) were delicious nonetheless. Penne a la Vodka: Pretty standard, except it was served mixed with (too much) smoked salmon, at least for my taste. My sister loved it though. Grouper: Dad loved it, well cooked and came with delicious pasta in a lemon sauce. Everyone else enjoyed their pasta dishes, of which there were many to choose from. We finished with some cannoli, which tasted absolutely homemade and looked great! Then, the bill arrived. We had been charged a $3 split-plate fee for my parents' salad, which the waitress had encouraged us to split. Very tacky. Also, 18% gratuity on the entire bill (including tax) was included. Sigh. Overall, it was the food and atmosphere that saved this place. It's about a 25 minute drive from the Orlando attractions/resorts. We come to Orlando every other year, but probably won't be back to this place.
(3)G Clay M.
I normally love this place. Food is fantastic authentic Italian cuisine. However, tonight I went to the restaurant and it was hotter inside the restaurant than it was outside. And, it was a hot August night in Orlando. I told the server and she opened the doors. There was no apology for the ac not working nor no acknowledgment there was a problem. I rushed through my meal and left soaking wet from sweat. I will return but call to make the ac is working. The cooling system needs to be fixed.
(2)A B.
After reading reviews on several sites, I was a bit apprehensive about how our dinner would be handled. The reviews were either very good or very bad, mostly related to slow service or lack of attention. They don't answer their phone (use a machine) which can be frustrating. I think that is basic customer service. I had wanted to ensure my Open Table reservation was set and let them know it was a surprise party. I was hesitant about how this would turn out. Unfortunately, we were committed since it was a party of 8 for a surprise birthday dinner and needed a location near downtown. We went on a Thursday night. It was not terribly busy. We sat on the patio with a heater near by. It was a lovely night. The food was excellent, service was good, no problem with separate checks or the restaurant.com coupon that one of the couples used. I can attest their bruschetta was excellent, the bread provided was hearty and plentiful. My Penne alla Gorgonzola was tasty with large peices of chicken and veggies in an amazing cream sauce and then they surprised the birthday boy with a superb slice of tiramisu that I enjoyed with the others. It was the best I've had in ages. Everyone was very satisfied with their entrees and the ambiance. The owner or manager checked in with us twice and our server was available and friendly. Based on other reviews that I had read, I can see how if it was any busier, we may have struggled with quick service since this is a rather small place with minimal staffing. But all in all, the dinner was a great experience with good friends. We made some new memories and I'm certain the others would be happy to go back to Cafe Trastevere again :) Pleasantly surprised.
(4)Leanne G.
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(1)Sue D.
I have a very similar story as the other reviewers. I also attempted to reserve a table during the week via their website. No response back so I called and Left voicemail with my reservation. Heard nothing back. Called again and this time, an older gentleman with a heavy accent answered where I was told to not worry, everything was good as they seat all their customers and will work for us. Since I provided no reservation name to confirm, I could see this was going to be a questionable night beginning with will we get a table or not? Yes it was packed when we got there. Peak time I know, sat night at 7....but this was why I attempted several times to make a reservation. I was asked if I'd made a reservation after standing by the bar in the small cramped space where we had been ignored by everyone rushing around for 5 mins. After being asked to wait, 15 mins total stood by the bar (never once asked if we wanted a drink from the bar FYI )..we were ushered upstairs to a noisy even smaller room...cozy it is NOT on a busy night. It was a disaster night. From the 'no need' for a reservation to the service staff who were not friendly and seemed unhappy to be there, slow and not attentive. Loud, hot, stuffy room upstairs..I'm sure outside is lovely. Food was mediocre. Nothing special, nothing worth mentioning. Plain, rather bland and tasted like store bought ingredients. Overpriced drinks and how can you mess up a cannoli in an Italian restaurant? I will not be back and feel cheated out of $200.
(1)John A.
Unfortunately, I have to give this restaurant a disappointing rating. As one other reviewer stated the service was most inattentive. In fact I will go further by saying that the attitude of the staff was unwelcoming and lacking in professionalism. We had to ask for "everything" we needed; the bread arrived without butter??? empty water glass..... fill it???? After not seeing our regular server, we asked someone who passed the table and they seemed rather annoyed that we were bothering him. Even our greeting was less than friendly. It was my second visit and my wife's first. We both left with an uncomfortable and not pleased feeling. Food: Caesar's salad was absolutely tasteless. Not sure what the dressing was but they would have been better to use bottled; theirs was horrible! chicken dinner was very dry and over cooked and they wanted to up-charge for any changes to the meal. We like to spend our time and money where we feel "welcome" and know that we will enjoy our dining experience. Not someplace where the staff does not "value" the fact that you have chosen their establishment for that evening and make their best effort to ensure a most enjoyable time for their patrons.
(2)Gabriele A.
We have been there several times, food has always been good. A little on the pricey side but still worth the money.
(3)D K.
The food is good but the service is so bad. The owner asked us to pass out our own menus. Next he asked us to pass out our own silverware. I thought it was a joke... But nope- to top it of the waiter brought a glass of wine with some sort of slimy white debris the size of a quarter in it. Gross. This place has the worst customer service and is too weird.
(1)Leala V.
Quaint little Italian restaurant in the north downtown area. We have had two visits to this charming place. When you enter, you get the feeling that you have been invited to dinner at someone's house. The establishment is kind of small and it wasn't completely full but it is best to make a reservation if you plan to visit unless you want to gamble on having to wait a while for a table. I believe we were greeted and served by the owner. He is a no-nonsense kind of guy who could turn people off with his directness. I guess from his viewpoint, you are eating out and it doesn't make sense to hold back. If you want something, order it. I got the feeling he was trying to up-sell us a bit. However we dined with my Sicilian mother in law and I think it helped add to the atmosphere. I started with the Pasta e Fagioli soup and it was the right amount of tomatoes and had many of those huge cannellini beans (those beans are on my favorites list right now). For my main dish, I ordered the eggplant parmesan. Cheesy beyond belief, the eggplant was cooked perfectly and the sauce was tasty. It was a huge portion and I was able to take half of it home to enjoy the next day. My husband and I shared the delightful tiramisu. It was creamy and not too sweet. We were told it was made that morning and you can tell it was fresh. Book this place if you have a special occasion or you wish to impress out of town guests. You shouldn't be disappointed.
(4)Jeff K.
I can only speak for myself with this review because I didn't taste my fiancée's dish. There's no doubt in my mind that I'll be back though, so I'll be sure to update with my experience then. I ordered the Filetto ai Funghi, which is filet mignon with sautéed mushrooms and a brandy sauce. My fiancée got a pasta dish, though I don't remember which. The service was fantastic. I'm pretty sure it was the owner that was serving us, and he was very attentive to our needs. We were treated very well. This filet was cooked beautifully, a dead-on medium rare, and the mushrooms and sauce added a delicate but excellent flavor to the already amazing steak. My fiancée, unfortunately, didn't have the same experience. Something about her pasta being a little too rich for her tastes, I don't know. I could hardly hear her over the unavoidable "Mmmmm..." noises I was making every time I took a bite of my steak. It's easily in the top two or three filet mignon meals I've had in my life. To reiterate, since I never tasted the other dish, I don't feel it would be fair to knock off a star. My filet, mixed with the great service and cute, intimate interior, was a 5 star meal.
(5)Casey D.
Food was delicious, atmosphere was romantic, staff was not overly friendly but not rude. Gorgonzola chicken and pasta was rich, creamy and filling. My hubby had the salmon and he raves about it, perfectly cooked, seasoned and moist. Had a over priced glass of wine, but overall the food was amazing. Only reason this is getting 4 stars is because our server took his dinner break before we were done eating and we watched him at the bar. He never came to get payment so we finally went up ourselves. Not a huge dent in my opinion. We will definetly be going back
(4)Elle A.
Came here for a wedding rehearsal dinner. It is located in downtown Orlando in a charming old building with ample parking in the back. The food and service were just OK at best. Servers never looked you in the eye and kept asking if we were finished so they could take our plates away - very annoying. Sodas, water and wine refills took some time to come. We had a choice of three entrees, the fettucine Alfredo, chicken parm, and calamari fra'diavolo. The calamari and chicken both came with pasta. All the dishes were serviceable, but nothing special. They came with warm bread served with rock hard butter (a huge pet peeve of mine) and a lightly dressed salad that was fine. We had tiramisu for dessert that would have been better without the addition of chocolate sauce on top. Dinner may have been better if different entrees were served, who knows. I doubt we'll be back though, even when we come for a visit to the area, which we do quite often.
(3)Carlos V.
Perfect place to come on a date or with your parents. Atmosphere is casual but you can dress up too. I've had the fettuccine alfredo, eggplant parmigiana and the vitello scaloppini piccata. All very good with a glass of wine...the chianti is my favorite. For dessert the tiramisu is to die for. Have some espresso with it. The restaurant is named after a neighborhood in rome. I'm usually waited on by an older man who reminds me of my sicilian grandfather, who I suspect might be the owner. Depending on the time you go it can be crowded or totally empty.make reservations to be sure.plenty of parking in the back parking lots or on the street.
(5)Mike S.
The atmosphere(aside from being deserted) is nice. LOVE the evening lights and patio. Very European feel to it. Now to the food. Blah and more blah. I expected amazing authentic italian, instead got sub-par food. My veal marsala was like beef jerky. Sucked. I feared that the food was less than fresh. Whats weird, is as i was eating it, i was imagining Gordon Ramsey's kitchen nightmares show, and him in the back of the kitchen saying "My God! You Donkey! You can't serve this crap to humans!" The stuffed mushroom app was a 5/10. The worst part was i had bought 2 GIFT certificates to take my gf to eat here. They are not coupons, they say NOTHING about one certificate only per visit. The owner/guy straight ro-sham-bowed me and denied the use of both....sweet, now i HAVE to come back again by force. So came back for just drinks with friends the second time. Bottom line, the patio is very soothing and cute. Here's my suggestion: Come here with a group of friends before going Downtown to party. Have a little appetizer, drink some wines, then hit the town, since its only a few blocks away(quick drive, don't walk). Don't eat the jerky!
(3)Brandy G.
Authentic Italian!! I truly love & enjoy this little Gem hidden in Downtown Orlando! Our italian meal usually consists of A Filet; perfectly cooked with Fresh mushrooms in a red wine sauce & on the side Homemade gnocchi with Alfredo(my mouth is watering just thinking about). I love the Red wine from Italy, we always get a bottle or 2 for dinner. Thank you Cafe Trastevere for always making our meal & experiences memorable;)The Restaurant is quaint, like the the back streets of Italy where the locals go; a hidden secret!! totally a place to Enjoy Family & friends with outstanding Homemade Meal ,drinks, & laughs. Allso, they have a cozy patio with spacious seating, beautiful architecture & lighting! The Owners are so kind, helpful,honest & Friendly like La Familia!! I can not say enough about this Amazing delight!!
(5)Alexis N.
Wow! What a cute, romantic, and yummy Italian gem! I met up with several girl friends for a Friday evening dinner... We sat outside on one of the two patios. It was a lovely atmosphere! The service was great - Our waitress was very attentive and a man, who seemed to be one of the owners, was very present making sure all the tables were happy and tended to. Now, for the food. Sooo good! Great, fresh bruschetta, and I had gnocchi with grilled chicken and a cheesy cream sauce... I was so stuffed that I felt slightly ill afterward, but not from bad food - just too much of it! The bread was also to die for! I'm still craving some more of that gnocchi... Might have to make another trip soon!
(4)Jen P.
Do NOT waste your money here for extremely underwhelming food with meats that had been previously frozen, not seasoned, mediocre salad that was swimming in untasty dressing, microwaved-like soggy vegetables, and dessert with hair in it!!! You can get much better service and food even at chain restaurants. Expect the owner to be smoking outside and waiters sitting at the bar. Surely you will have a terrible experience and over paying for it even if you had a groupon.
(1)Tom B.
Last night was my third visit to the long-standing Cafe Trastevere (pronounced "trust-Every"). It seems that the place has been around a very long time, as my first visit was to the Winter Park location quite some time ago, now home of Rocco's Italian Grille. I often feel as though Italian restaurants are a dime a dozen, but each visit to "trust-Every" has been thoroughly enjoyable. The current location is cute -- an old two-storey house with a beautiful outdoor dining area. Our party of three chose to dine indoors in a lovely parlor with an old fireplace. The owner came by often to check on us. He was very helpful with the wine selection and menu items. Two of us had a potential award-winning corn and clam bisque -- perfect! My entree was a wonderful lobster ravioli. I almost licked the plate, it was just that good. The accompanying bread was quite nice, as was the wine list. Trastevere isn't one of those places you think of often, as it's not in any kind of restaurant row. But after this latest visit, I'll try to remember it more often.
(5)Wendy T.
Establishment was very quaint but the wait staff did not give me the welcoming feeling.I celebrated my birthday dinner here bc of the high recommendations on Yelp. I made reservations online & when my date & I arrived we were asked where we wanted to sit by an older man that we presumed was the owner. No do you have a reservation, how are you this evening or just a simple 'hello'. After seated he said, "What do you want to drink?". We each ordered a wine & my date could see the older man behind the bar pour the wine... he overfilled one glass so he simply poured the wine from one glass to another. And wine was dripping from the glad when he brought it to the table. A waiter came up shortly after and asked, "Do you know what you want to eat". At this dpoint we just started to laugh at the situation. We decided to stay and eat because of the good reviews. The calamara was a lot of food & although the sauce was very good, the calamara was a bit greasy. There was not a dressing choice for the salad which were told was house but was mire similar to Thousand Island. It was ok. The waiter recommended the eggplant parmesan which came with linguine (aka thick spaghetti) over another choice I had. Sadly it had no flavor. I ended up not eating much of it & bringing home my leftovers & added spices which made the eggplant more flavorful. We were asked if we wanted parmesan cheese... who doesn't? Well, it wasn't fresh. We decided to order the tiramisu based on recommendations. It was good but not the best I've ever eaten. Needless to say, this what seemed to be a romantic restaurant was anything but. I'm not a fan of chain restaurants but feel a chain would have been a better choice. Both my date & I were very disappointed.
(2)Kent M.
Very good food items here. My first time this evening for dinner. I had a cheesecake dessert, first of course!, and lasagne. Very good. The fresh bread was...just like Mom used to make!...Great. Service was perfect. Indoor or outdoor seating. I chose indoor due to cooler temps. I will surely return. Thanks folks. Well done.
(4)Ryan N.
This is just what I have been searching for in Orlando! An authentic, family Italian restaurant that serves up amazing dishes. I was able to sample a good portion of their menu, but I have to say that the Fried Ravioli was truly amazing. It is actually something I have never tried before and was pleasantly surprised by it's fresh taste and how it was complimented by the home-made marinara sauce. The only thing that may have topped the Ravioloi was the top notch Tiramisu! It is very hard to get Tiramisu right and most places leave a lot to be desired. But this was one of the best I have ever had and certainly will make a special trip just to get another taste. The staff were also friendly and told us all about the restaurant and it's history in Orlando. They offer an outdoor patio venue that would be great for a holiday party or even a birthday. Now the only bad part is the wait until I can return again!
(5)Cynthia P.
I'm just going to say I don't get the good reviews. First of all it was HOT inside, a window unit for AC in Sept Fl heat is unacceptable--takes away from the charm. I have been to Italy and this food wouldn't be acceptable to a true Italian. We had Chicken Marsala and Chicken Piccata...the sauces were okay but the quality of the chicken was poor (reminded me of the flash frozen chicken in bags at Publix) and the veggies were definitely microwaved cheap stuff. Maybe the pasta dishes are the way to go? I personally wouldn't waste my time here...it's such a shame because years ago it was pretty good. Good luck staying open
(1)Carson W.
It all started with a groupon and a crave of some great Italian food. My mistake for choosing this restaurant for great Italian food. First off we are asked how many (not greeted), I said we have a reservation they say ok and walk off. Then we are led to our table in the corner by the fire exit that is locked. The wait staff was very cold and not outgoing or friendly at all. Our server decided to neglect us to sit at the bar and eat his dinner. We were then poured water and I looked in my water to discover a dead spider ahhhhh gross! I took it out and thought ok ill keep giving this place a chance. I love calamari and thought ok this will be good, OMG it was the worst calamari ever. It was squid dipped in flour and lightly fried. tasted like crap do not get it. Next I ordered the crab corn bisque, it was so so, way too sweet, tasted like they added sugar. For the main course we ordered eggplant Parmesan, which was OK. I have made better at home in 5 min in a rush, so was kind of disappointing. Then to top it off we present the groupon and my wife works the tip out of the total of our bill because thats what fair tipping on the full amount. Then when we received the bill they included the tip in and it was 20%, FOR WHAT!!! i don't know being neglected and not even welcomed. My wife was furious but I said don't worry just pay it and ill write a review. So here is my review, very disappointed, very unprofessional and not friendly place. Go here for mediocre food and non fiendly wait staff. People are being generous giving it 4 stars. I use groupons all the time and find places i love from it, this was just a side swipe with the high rating on here. Eat at your own risk. thank you
(2)Stephanie B.
We found this place as a potential for our rehearsal dinner in the spring, and we fell in love. It is charming, has a nice menu even if on the small side, and a quaint little courtyard lit with Christmas lights. We went back a 2nd time with our daughter, and was very pleased that even though there is no kid's menu, they do half portions of whatever you like. The bread and oil is perfect and warm. The wine pours are decent (the house is particularly yummy). And so far we've tasted the Saltimbocca (my favorite! although I ask for chicken rather than veal), the Chicken Parmesan, the house's mushroom soup (outrageously good!, as good as Emeril's!), the Penne Gorgonzola, the Spaghetti Bolognese and the Carbonara. The pancetta in the carbonara was seared to perfection, flavoring every bite of pasta! And the gorgonzola cream sauce, while rich and indulgent, was worthy of bathing in it was soooo good! I like living in a city, so the 6pm traffic going by was no bother to me. There was a nice little fountain. Every server was perfectly friendly and attentive. Definitely going back! And, it's a top runner for our rehearsal dinner for 50 people! Also, for all Yelpers, they have a check in special for a free glass of wine AND a $20 for $40 certificate that you can purchase right from your phone (to show the redemption code!). Hope they keep those kinds of specials going!
(5)Mark G.
It was OK but nothing special. How can you tell if a place is great or not? Order the simplest thing on the menu and you try it. I did just that and had spaghetti with meat sauce. Even after a day of starved travel this place seemed mediocre.
(3)Alison M.
It had been quite a few years since my last time here and my girlfriend and I brought our daughters here tonight after a play....we were there early about 545 and hoped to be done before dinner rush since this is NOT a kids friendly place. Took almost 15 minutes for waters and bread, entrees took over an hour and my linguine with clams was okay but I make it better. Very disappointed with the service and wait for the food and drinks.
(2)Marc G.
Haven't been here in a few years. While the food was good, that's where it ended! The service was absolutely abysmal! I think the owner basically served us. There were only a four tables & I think one waitress. In other words, she should have been busy, but not in the 'weeds.' So, this is how our meal went. As we got there the owner was just finishing eating on the outdoor patio & I held the door for him & he thanked me. That's the last time I heard a 'thank you' or 'you're welcome' from him. He did proceed to seat us quickly & literally dropped the menus on the table. I picked out a bottle of wine & since they had it by the glass, I asked if my partner could have a taste. Not a problem. We ordered the wine. It was brought over to the table for us. He showed me the back of the bottle & then just opened it, poured & left. I had to ask for water 3 times before it was finally brought to the table. We ordered dinner and were somewhat questioned about not ordering appetizers, but no biggie. The meal was decent & I was a little disappointed as the gnocchi was not homemade. My friend's dish was quite nice also & definitely nice portions. Now, to my disappointments. The original Trastevere was an absolutely awesome place on 17-92 in Winter Park. Great food, great service in a really lovely atmosphere. The original owners opened this afterward & then sold the Winter Park location. Unfortunately, the quality of the food at Winter Park was never sustained. While Cafe Trastevere is decent, it is no where near as good & there are too many other wonderful Italian restaurants to choose from. While the atmosphere is cute, comfortable & 'romantic,' I think it is also somewhat tired & worn. Sorry, but this place is past its prime in its current incarnation. That is not to say that it could not be fantastic again, but the attitude must change!
(2)Robert W.
attempted to dine last Saturday before seeing a Book of Mormon. As we approached the door a waitress unlocked the door to serve her tables outside, we proceeded inside to a bartender/waitress. She asked what we wanted quite rudely, we asked to have dinner, to which she replied we only have "that table" oddly, to which we replied was fine, she look frazzled and the owner came out of the kitchen and reprimanded us for breaking into the restaurant by picking the lock. He literally attempted to push us out physically and said "you leave now, we are full". There was never an apology or an attempt, truly disappointing experience and will not be returning to "attempt" to eat again.
(1)Amy B.
I'm not sure what the fuss is all about..it was nothing special. Bread was average,marinara was good but calamari was just ok.ive definately had much better. I got the penne gorgonzola pasta.while good wasn't something I would return for.my boyfriend got chicken marsala after seeing a good review on here. How disappointing, it tasted more like a broth than Marsala sauce. Decor was very quaint and intimate and would make a good place to get to know someone at. Wine selection wasn't huge though. I think it was a nice place and one of a kind but there are so many great places out there I don't know if they can compete.
(3)Brandi B.
I always thought Cafe Trastevere looked romantic and pretty. It was but it is also cramped and hot. I'm thinking the front room is an add on and even though I was seated directly next to the window AC unit with the spray foam insulation oozing out of all sides, I was still uncomfortable temp-wise. Sadly, we were not immediately greeted upon entering the restaurant and were definitely not made to feel like I was at home. Instead of being given the rundown, I had to ask what the specials were, what the soup of the day was, what the fish of the day was, etc. How disappointing. Ordered the eggplant parm because it's something I never cook at home (too much work), it was delicious. Also ordered the house salad which comes with a spicy, but nice tasting vinaigrette. Hubs had the pork tenderloin with the cream sauce, spinach mushrooms and though not listed on the menu, zucchini (which he does not really enjoy). His dinner was also delicious. The crab corn bisque, though, was not rich enough/too watery to really be considered a bisque and it tasted exceedingly sweet. When the female server/possible owner asked how we were enjoying our meal, I advised that everything tasted wonderful. Her comment, "I know." was not appreciated. I don't think our server/possibly the owner was very fond of me. He kind of talked down to me. Perhaps it was because I was using a Restaurant.com coupon-I don't know. Maybe if he would have known that I would forget that the Restaurant.com coupon already calculates in an 18% gratuity on the total before the discount and that I would leave an additional 18% gratuity on the total before the discount myself, he would have been a bit kinder.
(2)Nicole Y.
My husband and I decided to celebrate our 5 year anniversary dinner at Cafe Trastevere. We had our rehearsal dinner here, and loved it. We had a coupon from restaurants.com and decided to go back. We made reservations through the answering machine for 6:30pm. When we arrived at 6:20pm the owner greeted us. I told him we had reservations and he blew that off and asked if we minded sitting at a hightop cocktail round at the front door. We didn't really want to sit there, but the small dining room was already full and it was too cold for any outside seating. Strike one. When we sat there were wine glasses already on the table, and mine was dirty with something in the bottom of it. Good thing I don't drink wine. Then the owner brought us over water. Mine had something floating in it! As I was fishing it out with my spoon a male server (I think son of the owner) came over and apologized and took the water and wine glass. Strike two! Finally, the server brought back my water and took our drink order. He suggested we try the fried raviolli, so we did. The raviolli came, and the inside was still ICE COLD! I didn't see our server for a few minutes so I asked another female server walking by to get him for us. He came by and took the raviolli away. The same female server brought back the new raviolli which were mediocre, and I asked her for new plates since the cold raviolli were still on our table. She rolled her eyes and took her time getting us new plates. Strke three! I ordered the Penne Gorganzola, and my husband a steak dish.They were dropped off by the male server. Literally dropped and he walked away. I would have like some parm, but never saw him again. We both enjoyed our entree's with out the extra cheese. I was in the middle of a bite when the female server walked up to the table and asked me if I wanted a box. I told her I guess I will be needing one. That was awkward. When she brought the box my husband asked her for for a cup of coffee. She again sighed looked around, I'm guessing for our server, and then said yes we have coffee I'll get it. Really?! Strike four! I wanted tiramisu, but no one ever offered dessert. We just got our bill delivered to us by the male. I handed him the coupon, and he brought back the bill with the discount and an 18% gratuity added! We weren't planning on giving that much with the poor service and experience. Make sure you check your bill before you add a tip. So, I don't think we will be back to visit Cafe Trastevere.
(2)Iryna S.
Loved the place! Outside patio has European feel to it if you can forget about the street behind the green fence Santos, the owner, is very personable and willing to share some life stories to cheer one up if needed... Service was excellent! And Penne Al Gorgonzola was sooooooooooooo good. Amazing inhouse made deserts... Their Tiramisu is one of the best I've ever tried
(5)Jenn K.
What a lovely gem we discovered in Orlando! I had one of the best tortellini dishes I've ever tasted in my life here. It had a delicious cream sauce that had just the right amount of richness. I also tried my husbands seafood dish (I don't even like seafood much) and it was quite good. The service was excellent and I loved the romantic atmosphere.
(4)G.R. M.
What an adorable, romantic little Italian restaurant! I had been wanting to try Cafe Trastevere for awhile now, but the prices are just slightly out of reach for me for a regular visit. I was looking for a spot for a special occasion dinner recently, though, and CT immediately came to mind. The night I went, CT had a special prix fixe menu, consisting of an appetizer of Bruschetta Trastevere, either a salad or crab & corn chowder, a wide selection of entrees, and tiramisu to finish. The bruschetta was very good and almost buttery to the taste. It was a little hard to eat because the bread was about the size of a Melba toast cracker, but overall it was very good. The salad was standard, although the house dressing had a really nice, peppery kick to it. My chicken Marsala was incredible, probably the best I've had in Orlando. My partner's pork tenderloin was tasty and very well-cooked, but not as standout as my chicken. The tiramisu was fantastic and not sickeningly sweet like most restaurants tend to make it. Beyond the great food, the atmosphere really sells this restaurant. There are two separate outdoor dining areas, one outside the front door with 3-4 tables facing Granada Court, and another, larger section facing Magnolia. Inside, the downstairs has a tiny bar area with a couple of high-top tables, and another dining room that can accommodate more. If you're lucky enough to get seated upstairs, you'll enjoy an intimate, quiet meal with low lighting and traditional Italian music. Our server was very friendly and efficient (shout-out to Heidi!) and rounded out the great experience. I highly recommend Cafe Trastevere to anyone looking for a romantic, authentic (if somewhat pricey) Italian meal.
(4)Janette Y.
This little cafe is a gem! Tiny space, so small there was only room for a large group on one side of the room, and ~2 small tables on the other, but very cozy. It reminded me of the small little cafes in Italy. The girl who managed that night was impressively efficient - hostess, waitress, bartender, and I heard her taking delivery orders over the phone as well. I've never seen anybody so effectively handle all tasks simultaneously, all with a friendly and courteous demeanor. On top of this, she was very attentive to our need to feed a hungry and tired 2-year old quickly. The food is, simply put, delicious! Some of the best Italian I've had, including my time living in the NYC area. Delicious warm bread was immediately refilled once we (and the hungry 2-year old) finished it. I had the Tortellini alla Trastevere, which were excellent with a flavorful and not too heavy cream sauce. Another had the special - chicken cooked in a white wine cream sauce with mushrooms. The sauce was excellent, and I wound up begging to have a little of it with my bread. Somebody else had the Spaghetti alla Bolognese, which had a delightfully fresh and well-seasoned meat sauce. On top of this, the prices were very reasonable at $15-$16 for most plates including meat dishes. Unlike many other restaurants, they do not skimp on the serving sizes, and you will feel full after dinner. I wish I'd had room for dessert!
(5)Dean M.
We had a very nice dinning experience here. Food was very nice, the service was great and the deserts were fantastic. From another Yelper''s advice I had the Chianti to drink and it was very good.
(4)Angela G.
The meal was nice for a anniversary dinner. Although the food was as good my local Italian restaurant located in my neighborhood for more reasonable price.. The restaurant had an outdoor patio, although the view was of Magnolia Ave and a towering bank building. The food portions were very generous, my husband had the lobster ravioli and I had the Veal Saltimbocca-alla-Romana. Both were very filling portions and were good.
(3)S F.
The gnocchi are excellent, not too heavy, not too fluffy.
(4)Marci M.
This is a super romantic spot! The food is delicious as well. The service was good, but be prepared to spend some time there as it is not a fast food place. Relax, enjoy the starry night and have a glass of wine. The wait is worth it!
(4)Orlangela A.
She said.."usually we dont throw around 5stars but this place deserved it. I thought their food was really good here. This was a good warm and cozy italian resturaunt. They have a private room upstairs if you have a lot of guests or want a private party. Good wine list, good food selection....i would definatly wanna go back here." He said...."Out of the way of the tourist land this place is legit. Yea 5 stars because there was nothing wrong with this place. The restaurant looks like a a renovated house so its very welcoming. The gonganza pasta was really good and for the price it was worth it. Very good place if you like good home cooked italian minus the tourists."
(5)Emma K.
I had been driving past this place for months, and was so excited to take my boyfriend here on what I thought would be a romantic date. From the street, it looks charming - adorned with twinkling christmas lights and vines growing up the side of what appears to be a renovated historic house. We were first thrown off when we pulled into the parking lot by the fact that our car was the only vehicle that appeared to have not been in a collision that day. Then walking up to the front door, I couldn't help but notice the gloriously ghettotastic yellow foam insulation oozing from the back of the portable A/C unit. But that point, we had not yet judged - I think we began to judge when we walked into the place and simultaneously heard the bus boy talking loudly about how he had "a headache. no, i have HIV. no, some cancer" and realized that the place smelled like a musty rug from 1923 rather than an Italian restaurant. We were seated at the table just underneath the A/C unit, which was awkward in itself, then not given menus for a good five minutes after being seated, which was even more awkward. We were not informed of any specials, but the waitress was nice enough and good about refilling water. We are vegetarians so it was a bit disappointing to see so few veg options on the menu (literally one), but I settled for an angel hair pasta with a cream sauce and peas (had to ask for no bacon) which was actually quite good, and my boyfriend got the gnocchi that was covered in a way-too-salty cheese sauce. The portions were HUGE, but definitely not worth $15 bucks a pop. However, the free entertainment (bus boy, who also discussed whether or not he should "go smoke with those assholes from the coffee shop" while we were there) may have been enough to make the trip a win. Also worth mentioning, we were charmed by the owner's European accent (which we assumed was Italian) and found it hilarious when he told us he was from Portugal. Anyway, I would skip Trastevere unless you're down for some mediocre food in an awkward environment.
(2)Nicole E.
I had really high hopes when I came here with my husband for our 3rd anniversary. It has some great reviews on Yelp, and the menu looked promising. That being said, I should have paid more attention to Brandi B.'s review, as my experience really mirrored hers. While we were greeted when we came in (by the owner, I think, who spent most of the evening just hanging out at the bar), that was where the attentiveness ended. Menus were dropped off and then the waiter disappeared, no mention of specials or anything like that. We were stuck in the cramped front room under the A/C vent next to the computer, so between the noise from the air and the servers clustering around our table to print tickets, dinner conversation was pretty awkward. Also, halfway through our meal a waitress came up to us, pointed at the busboy, and said "was he bothering you?!" She then proceeded to explain that he's "not right in the head". Have I mentioned dinner was awkward? The food was not terrible, but it was definitely nothing to write home about. My husband ordered the crab and corn bisque, which he enjoyed, but I found to be watery. Also, the crab and sweet corn flavors were very disparate, and there was almost no seasoning to pull them together. For main courses, my husband ordered the Penne alla Vodka (penne and salmon) and I ordered the Lobster Ravioli. My dish was very small, only 5 ravioli on the plate, but my husband's plate was piled high with penne and bits of salmon. Both dishes were covered in a thick "cream sauce". Menu note: Apparently, "cream sauce" means "tomato cream sauce" - there was so much tomato the sauce tasted more like a creamy marinara. This may sound like a minor distinction, but the sauce was so heavy that I couldn't taste the lobster in my lobster ravioli. Also, my husband ended up pulling bones out of his mouth with ever other bite. Talk about disappointing! And then, there's the "parmesan". Really, this is the nail in the coffin, and the reason I won't be coming back. Allow me to walk you through: The food just got put down. I'm slightly puzzled by the red "cream sauce" covering my plate, but think "I'll give it a shot". The waitress asks, "would you like grated parmesan?", and we nod. She disappears, and comes back holding a bowl and a spoon. She lifts the spoon out of the bowl, and I'm faced with the sight of a spoonful of nasty, green-can parmesan dust hovering over my ravioli. What?! I didn't even know they made this stuff any more! I'm speechless. By the time I recover enough to say something, it's too late - it's all over the plate. If you're in the mood for a clumsy, mediocre meal, by all means give them a shot. If not, I'd suggest passing on Cafe Trastevere.
(2)Annette G.
Note - I haven't been here in a few years, but some dishes are hard to forget. Cafe Trastevere is a quaint Italian place downtown. The inside is like a little house, and not alot of seating. Both times I went, we sat outside. I had a New Years Eve meal and went back for a regular dinner. The NYE meal was very good, 4 courses for somewhere around $100. What I remember though, they served a roasted corn soup that tasted burnt. The rest of the meal was very good, and the tiramasu was sooo...yummmmmmmmmmmmmm... my mouth is watering just thinking about it! When I went back for dinner, the dish that stuck out the best was the mushroom bruscetta. It was like a thick marsala sauce with big chunks of different mushrooms that was in a little dish, and you put that on the toast provided. It was very good. The rest of the meal I don't recall very well. I should go back.
(4)Michelle K.
Cafe Trastevere successfully blends intimate and romantic dining with absolutely delicate and delicious cuisine. Upon walking into Cafe Trastevere through their small side outdoor cafe, you feel as if you've stepped in a quaint little Italian cafe. The people are friendly and take pride in their restaurant. I've lived in Italy and have an Italian family and this was the first Italian restaurant in Orlando that made me feel this way. We sat in the downstairs indoor dining room which had 3 or 4 small round tables near the cozy little bar that serves beer and wine. I wish the weather was nicer because I would've loved to sit in their outdoor garden patio. Our server was friendly and attentive. The bread was served warm and slightly toasty with side bottle of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a cup of butter. :-) My entire party loved their meals which consisted of Eggplant Parmigiana, Pollo Marsala and Polla Francese. The Eggplant was thinly sliced, crisply breaded and laid over a bed of spaghetti with a rich and refreshing marinara sauce. The Pollo Francese was unbelievably decadent. The chicken was thinly pounded and battered to perfection in a egg batter. However, it was the white wine and lemon cream sauce that tempted my stomach to culinary bliss. The chicken was submerged in the cream sauce. Often I have to ask for extra so this was a huge excitement for a girl who adores sauces. It was the perfect creaminess and texture and had just the right balance of lemon and white wine. The chicken was laid over a bed of sphaghetti with the same same cream sauce and accompanied by a a good portion of asparagus sauteed with garlic and olive oil. The Chicken Marsala was again thinly pounded and cooked superbly. The sauce was great though it could've been a tad bit sweeter. Overall, this is a restaurant I will be coming back to again and again. I've actually been thinking about my Pollo Francese sauce all day today. Wonderful place for the fall months to eat outside with your love or with a group of friends!!
(5)Jeramyn F.
Exceptional food great staff and not a chain. This is a must visit for an out of towner.
(5)Rachael J.
Let me start by saying YUMMMM. Ok I'll say it again, YUM. We tried this place for the first time last Friday. We started with the Calamari. Great, and the accompanying marinara sauce was served hot which was a nice touch. I got the Penne ala Gorgonzola, very cheesy and rich, and my boyfriend got the Penne ala Vodka. The Penne ala Vodka had salmon which was unique but also tasty. We rounded everything off with a glass of the Chianti, which I liked very much. I will say that it was kind of hot inside. Also, the crowd was not really trendy or upscale, but that really has no weight for me as long as the food is good. Last we found a deal with the "FourSquare" app on iPhone where if you check in with FourSquare upon arrival you get a free glass of wine. Also, they gave us a frequent diners card where after 4 visits we get a free BOTTLE of house wine. We will definitely be back!
(5)Mike S.
This place is very good. The staff is friendly and makes you feel at home. Which is good because you basically feel like eating in someone's home. It adds to the ambiance though and makes it a nice experience for a quiet date. Our food was excellent and good wine. The only thing to keep in mind is salads are not included with the meal, which we found out when the bill came.
(5)Amanda S.
I live downtown and have passed by Cafe Trastevere many times. I work for the Orlando Weekly and when I saw we were offering half off depot gift certificates for Cafe Trastevere I bought a couple so we could give it a try. Our first experience went something like this: we walked in and asked if we would like inside or outside we chose outside and proceeded to a table. No one followed us out with menus so we sat there for about 10 to 15 minutes while one server was busy running around like a chicken with her head cut off. When she finally came by she asked what we would like to drink and we informed her we needed menus. After we ordered drinks it took a bit to get them and we got bread about 30 minutes after being there. I ordered the gnocchi my husband and our friend ordered the Spaghetti alla Carbonara. When our food came out the spaghetti alla carbonara had so much pancetta it was almost inedible my husband said. Our friend was just back from staying for a month in Italy and he said it couldn't even compare to carbonara he had there. It was really disappointing. We had two gift certificates he had one and I had the other and they would not let us use both which we found annoying but let it ago. Since we had one gift certificate left we decided to give it another try this past friday night. Our second experience went like this: we walked in and were seated inside by the owner and given to menus. The inside is suppose to make you feel like your at home but it is really just awkward and your basically siting on top of the people next you. We were never told about specials or anything. The owner took our order I ordered a house salad and Tortellini alla Trastevere and my husband ordered Pollo Francese. My house salad was mediocre the dressing was terrible my dinner was really heavy with not very much flavor. My husband liked his but it was not the best he has ever had. We used our gift certificate and when the bill came back we noticed a 22% gratuity on the bill. No where on our gift card did it say 22% gratuity is added on. I thought that it was distasteful to add on that much gratuity. We will never be back. If you like crappy awkward restaurants than this is the place for you.
(2)Crystal R.
So I had an appointment in the downtown area and I could not help but notice this gem outside. I was like cute cafe style I am in there like swim wear. When I walked inside it was so cozy, intimate, and peaceful. The experience got even better when I checked in on yelp and I scored a free glass of wine. I opted for a wonderful smooth glass of Cabarnet. The waitress recommended the Vitello Parmigiana, which is thinly sliced veal topped with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese, over a bed of spaghetti. I am so happy that I took the waitress upon her recommendation because the food was tender, delicious, and simply a scrumptious Italian dish. Yummy in my tummy! I loved everything about this place, the atmosphere, the customer service, the food. The price ranges are anywhere from 16.00 dollars to 28.00 dollars for a plate, and this place is so worth the price. Veal is not a dish that I look forward to because not everyone makes it in the proper fashion, but this place definitely reignited my love affair with veal.
(4)Stephen T.
Sorry!! Go to Olive Garden or carabbas!!! Overpriced crap!! Every entree overpriced by 5$ Nothing else to say!! Kitchen by bathrooms Can see into Kitchen which was filthy at 6pm with restaurant empty??? Gross!!!
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