Otium Cucina Italiana Restaurant — Restaurant in Ghent

We had an awful dining experience here. Shocking to see 4.5 stars for such sub-standard food. It's probably the worst Italian restaurant I've been to (touristy places in Rome, Amalfi etc included). My bf chose the meat menu and I chose the fish one - but I cannot eat raw or semi-cooked fish (the waiter was aware) so I switched to the veggie appetizer. Which was a very sweet and solid onion soup with chantarelle mushrooms - served with sand. Gross. My bf had foccacia with ham, figs and buratta, all covered in a thick layer of honey. He disliked the combination but it was overall edible. My main dish was a bad cut of swordfish (with a third of the "stake" dark red colored from all the blood that was not properly removed) more raw than cooked with chickpeas. I had to return it cause it was awful - the waiter disregarded the poor quality and focused on the cooking: such fish needs minimal cooking so it doesn't become chewy as a shoe. I agree - but that goes only for bad chefs and they had one in the kitchen. He kindly offered the veggie main dish but that wasn't better either - store bought ricotta ravioli with a fat store bought mushroom sauce. Unedible. Bf had very rare beef (questionable quality) with pumpkin pure and oven baked potatoes that had a crust as if they were cooked too long ago and warmed up for too long. The deserts were surprisingly good though. But for an 140 eur dinner (incl. 2 drinks each), we left quite annoyed. Do yourself a favor and...

Great Italian restaurant. We've visited Otium several times, on our own or with friends or family. We've never been disappointed, on the contrary : we witnessed every time the warm hospitality and care for every guest and enjoyed the delicious authentic food, according to season and based on the cuisine of Southern Italy, served with nice Italian wine. The only advice we can give is to take enough time to enjoy all the taste that has been obtained by apparently simple, but very pure and fresh ingredients, and you will like it even more. A restaurant you would like to discover when you are abroad : a nice place, frequently visited by local people, where you find the best authentic food for the best price and where you may share the relaxed atmosphere created by very friendly hosts and their staff. (posted by...

We recently dined at Otium and was thoroughly impressed by both the exquisite cuisine and the impeccable service. The menu showcased a variety of innovative dishes, blending bold flavours and beautiful presentations. The wine manu is also very wide with tasty Italian wines. We chose the 4 course meat menu and fish menu, and both were very delicious and presented in chique plates. The attentive and knowledgeable staff ensured that our meal was a memorable one, providing excellent recommendations and ensuring our satisfaction. We felt like we were on holiday in Italy. I recommend this place for a fantastic dining experience. We are looking forward to coming to Ghent again to visit this wonderful restaurant.👌👌👌👌 by the way: send our compliments to the...