Coro — Restaurant in Orvieto

Edited 9 July 2025: I appreciate your reply, one year later. However we visited this restaurant almost one year ago to the date -- it was for my birthday July 2024 unfortunately. Not 2 years ago. My review was updated because I received notification of user reactions and upon re-reading it, I found a few typos that I chose to correct. I think you're saying that when the restaurant first opened, the culinary experience wasn't the best and I should try it now? I appreciate the offer.

Original Review: I'm the first to not rate this place with five stars, and regrettably so. I must say that we have visited their other, more casual, property for lunch and it was decent. For Coro, the service, staff and ambience are satisfactory as well. I preface low-score reviews by saying I choose business and personal holiday destinations based on Michelin, 50 Best, Forbes, Harden's (and other) guides for hotels, restaurants and bars -- having visited over forty Michelin star, Bib Gourmand and other highly rated properties in Europe, the Emirates, Africa and Central America, including another Michelin-selected restaurant here in Orvieto.

For Coro, the food was not close to exceptional. Out of our party of three, all three of us did not enjoy a single dish. Some dishes were "ok" but I have an expectation to enjoy delicious, innovative, refined cuisine and for me, there was faint delight in what we ate. The satisfactory dishes were the canapé offerings brought to the table before the meal: a boat with tomato, cheese puff, artichoke and potato pastry. The bread was fresh, warm and delicious. I didn't see the point of the spelt; a very small quantity just to taste would have made the spelt passable. To present it like grissini is questionable because it is not pleasant to actually chew and eat; being bland as well. The chard with olives and chickpeas was unimaginative (I had some dehydrated ginger remaining from the canapé dish and adding it to the chard allowed me to actually eat it). The pasta was ok - the delicious char on the mussels was probably the highlight of the night. The fish was "ok" however the sauce was too sweet for the smokiness and savoriness of the fish. I didn't finish it. Discouraged, I didn't really indulge in the desert which was a chocolate croissant a bit too hard on the exterior to eat and just not elevated as one would expect in a place like this; the fruit was but a memory. I was surprised with a birthday cake and it was light, airy and pleasant; but again I didn't really eat that either. The flavor profiles were simply lacking.

Other notices: I've watched this place be transformed from a historical Orvietana chiesa, for over one year and a half, to this restaurant which is a welcomed new edition in Orvieto. While rustic design is not my aesthetic, Coro is beautiful inside. I appreciated the intimacy of the space, cozy yet vast with tall ceilings and spacious seating; modern-minimalist interiors, the understated yet bold front-entrance facade and the doorbell that exudes invitation-only (and prevents tourists from wandering in, as Coro is centrally located). Flatware, ceramics and other plating/serving choices were beautiful.

We wanted to love it. We just did not. And being that my experience is so polar opposing to the other reviews here, I can't reconcile 'how' that could be. Nevertheless, thank you to the staff and as this is a new establishment, I do wish their...

It pains me to write this...but...we did not have a good experience and I would never go back.

Let's start with some positive before we get into it. The ambience is very nice, in an old church. Lighting is really what makes the atmosphere. It creates a very intimate dining experience.

Service. Highs and lows here. Our server was spot on with pairing wines with my order. I asked her to simply bring what she felt would pair best with my food, and it was fabulous. However, when we originally placed our order, she didn't write anything down. Sure enough, 5 minutes later she came back asking what we ordered because she said she had forgotten. Now, for the next part, I totally know that waiting for the check is common in Italy. I'm cool with that. But, waiting for FORTY FIVE minutes after you are done??? As in, the table had been cleared, we said we were done, and then sat there and stared at each other for the next 45 minutes watching all of the other tables getting served, including bringing their checks. By this point we were completely over the experience.

Food. Presentation was excellent. Taste was 'ok.' I had the mussels and pasta dish. The description should have said 'mussel and pasta dish.' ONE mussel, served on the side. What? So I basically just paid for an overpriced pasta dish. One mussel in a restaurant of this caliber? My father and I both got the lamb as well. The flavor was very good, but the meat could have been a little more tender.

My recommendation: spare your wallet and your time, and go somewhere different for dinner, there are many wonderful...

Coro Ristorante dove la Storia Abbraccia l'Alta Cucina a Orvieto. La nostra visita al Coro Ristorante non è stata una semplice cena, ma un'esperienza memorabile incastonata nella storia di Orvieto, un regalo d'anniversario reso ancora più sentito dal ritorno nella città natale di nostra figlia e delle nostre origini. Il Coro è un luogo che parla al cuore ancor prima che al palato. L'Elogio della Bellezza Silente. Varcare la soglia del Coro significa immergersi in un'atmosfera di rara suggestione. Ospitato in una chiesa sconsacrata del Cinquecento, il locale conserva una sacralità palpabile che dialoga in modo sublime con l'arredo contemporaneo. La sensazione è quella di partecipare a un rito di alta gastronomia, in un contesto di eleganza senza tempo e profondo rispetto per la memoria del luogo. È proprio questa caratteristica a rendere il Coro un unicum nel panorama della ristorazione. A tavola, la promessa di eccellenza è stata mantenuta con maestria ineccepibile. Lo Chef Ronald Bukri eleva la materia prima a protagonista assoluta, con una predilezione notevole per l'elaborazione dei vegetali. I piatti si distinguono per massima raffinatezza, equilibrio impeccabile e marinature magistralmente curate, ogni portata è un saggio di tecnica ed eleganza, dove l'attenzione al dettaglio si sposa con sapori netti e identitari. A completare l'esperienza enogastronomica, l'abilità della Sommelier, la cui competenza ha saputo disegnare abbinamenti perfetti con le etichette del territorio, esaltando con sapienza i profumi e il carattere di ogni vino. Ospitalità e Passione che Trasforma fin dall'accoglienza. Abbiamo percepito una professionalità impeccabile e un calore autentico. L'esperienza ha trovato il suo culmine nel generoso e motivato coinvolgimento del proprietario, Francesco Perali, essere "coccolati" dalla sua passione, culminata in un'eccezionale visita dietro le quinte, dalle cucine all'attigua area bar, con i suoi occhi carichi di energia e visione, è il segno distintivo di un progetto che mira all'eccellenza. Il progetto C.O.R.O. Convivialità, Ospitalità, Relax, Orvietana questo è l’acronimo che vorrei designargli per una filosofia pienamente realizzata. Il consiglio è uno solo: mantenere inalterato questo splendido equilibrio tra storia, alta cucina e servizio. Il Coro è un indirizzo imperdibile per chi cerca a Orvieto un'esperienza che nutre l'anima oltre che il palato. Un vero inno all'ospitalità italiana di altissimo livello. Grazie...