Here are my thoughts on Tortoni, which I visited after it came up in multiple conversations and travel recommendations.

Summary: Consider going once. Be patient, go for the interior view, expect average service and food (be surprised if you get a good waiter!)

Atmosphere: Without a doubt the space is very interesting! It's historic and there are multiple rooms that are like mini-museums. You can't just walk in to see the space, so to see it, you have to wait in the line for a table.

Food: eat a real meal elsewhere and just get chocolate con churros or dessert here. The chocolate con churros (as expressed by other reviewers) were delicious and by far the best thing. The savory items were average at best.

Service: Go with the right mindset and low expectations. There will be a wait (line outside), and the length of time for the wait is not predictable or well communicated.

Service is highly varied. No one was attentive to my table, so I had ample time to observe, look at the displays, and practice patience. There was 1 waiter who was fantastic, and I wish I had been seated with him. He was friendly, funny, hard working, and his tables all left with smiles on their faces. (I also saw multiple people slip him tips and gratitude.) The rest of the wait staff that I could observe were much less engaging and slower (mine included).

The part that was most upsetting was the front staff. (The 3 couples in line in front of me bonded over this shared complaint/frustration.) 1 host was letting multiple groups cut the line to enter (we assume these are his friends?). Not just 1 small groups either, mutiple groups and at least one was 6+, which delayed the line significantly. He also did not communicate well with the line (like ask for the next few party sizes and give updates). Once inside, the front staff points parties to a direction (they do not walk you to your table or give you a menu), and then the 3 front staff mostly socialized with each other, while the wait staff did everything. (They didn't help with cleaning or setting tables, so many tables sat for a while until the waiters could bus them. They also were rude to customers asking questions.)