Antica Pizzeria & Market — Restaurant in Altamonte Springs

It was me and my husband, around 3:30pm, nobody there and so no wait time, to be seated. Nice atmosphere.

I had for the first time, 6 Formaggi, I thought was excellent! Server knew this was my first time eating this, should have given me a heads up on the middle blob of cheese "burrata" would be "cold" (not freezer cold but like refrigerator cold). Not knowing this, I had to do some research to give this a fair rating because I really liked the flavor of the burrata but the coldness was clashing with the fantastic piping hot Formaggi (by the way, when looking at burnt spots on pics, I was hesitant about going here thinking these "black burnt spots" would make it TASTE burnt but not at all, instead it actually enhanced the bread flavor). Anyways, turns out being "cold" is the norm for burrata, BUT some said it should be "room" temp and others mention to break it open and "spread" it on the hot Formaggi as to warm it up and add flavor... Since I didn't know, I was eating it cold, and that didn't seem right, (I read, it's best "not" to bake it being it turns too watery inside so the reason why it's "not" heated up) and well just thought the server should have said something about it but not holding it against him either....

My husband had the lasagna, it was not at all as presented in pictures, where it was held tight, in layers, it was more like it was "thrown" together, making it sloppy falling all around and the bottom layer pasta was so burnt it was hard to cut through with a "knife", leaving a bad note that my husband left the bottom portion (we did show the server and he was kind enough to discount). Also served with 2 cold pieces of bread (which we thought it would have been better at least served warm or with garlic bread).

We were then debating on the Tiramisu, but went for it, and glad we did, it was to both our liking! It wasn't too rich or overpowering sweetness... and the reason why I decided to give it an overall 4 star, if not for that, I would have left a 3 star...

We found a value using the Groupon and with lasagna discount but if we would have paid the original price, we find it overpriced in portion (Formaggi, a 10 inch = $20) and poor execution (lasagna). Service was great, always very attentive... I guess, their general overall score is subjective to "personal" preferences and this is...

First, stop reading and just go straight to this amazing spot! On our first visit we found it to be empty at 2pm on a Saturday afternoon. I wasn’t concerned because the reviews I’ve read rave about the food quality, and they are all correct! We found it easy to order using our phone and the QR code at our table as they have no table waiters in the afternoon, just evenings. We met Chef Paul before our meal arrived and knew he was putting his heart into this place, this place feels special. First course was the Caprese, fresh made Mozzarella, tomato’s, olive oil and balsamic. Clean, vine ripe, creamy and simple while very full of flavor! Well worth a try. Next up the Margarita pizza! Such a classic flavor, with a perfect cook on the dough, soft and crispy in all the best ways. Sauce was slightly sweet in a really good way and Mozzarella was perfectly proportioned without weighing down the pie. The wood fired oven is excellent here, consistency is king with great pizza and as more guests arrived during our meal the pies all had a beautiful presentation. It was very hard to not consume the entire pie however I saved room for the third course, Gnocchi with my choice of Alfredo and chicken. The cheese sauce was almost too decadent, but I had no problem shoveling it in! Chicken was a good fit for this dish and the gnocchi is locally sourced (like most everything on the menu) and was spot on in taste and texture. We were already planning our next meal before we finished this one. Dare I say, this is our new favorite Italian spot, see you next weekend! Make sure when you visit to check in with Chef Paul, he is so passionate about this entire journey as an owner and chef! Make time for a visit during lunch and then come back again for dinner, this food is so ready for every audience that walks through the door. Last thing, in addition to the restaurant, they have fresh made pizza, pasta, sauces, and dessert to go in their market. We’ve determined the we will be making dinner at home during the week straight from Chef Paul’s Antica Market. ...

Decided to try this spot for the first time since they offer Gluten Free options. We ordered takeout. Walking in it was a really nice vibe. I went to the pickup counter. No one really acknowledged us we had to try and get someone attention which took a bit. Finally a lady handed me our order and I asked to make sure they were correct. I asked to open the fig pizza to make sure they had put extra prosciutto as we had paid for extra. It looked like such a small amount on there so I asked her if that was “extra”. She really could not confirm. She just reread the ticket for me which I had in my hand. At that point we had already been waiting quite a bit that I didn’t want to argue over the prosciutto so we left.

Upon getting home I opened the pizzas and we were highly disappointed even at first glance. The kids were not happy that their pizza didn’t have alot of cheese on it, it didn’t look melted all the way, and the olives were randomly placed on top falling off- so we learned it’s not a traditional pizza. The slices were not cut all the way so we recut ourselves. My biggest issue is with the fig and prosciutto pizza. I understand packing the arugula on the side so it does not get soggy, which I appreciate, but at the same time they should pack more of the balsamic glaze on the side so we can top it off properly at home so the arugula is not just dry. The pizza itself underneath the arugula was extremely dry and very hard to eat. The only positive is the gluten free crust is actually really good. All in all, for the price we paid for these 2 small pizzas- we did not enjoy. We had to make other items to go along with them since we couldn’t really eat / enjoy them. I am sure many people enjoy this place as the reviews seem fantastic… It’s just not for us. I’m sure all the other items aside from pizza...