61 Osteria — Restaurant in Fort Worth

Overall experience - needs much improvement! The mishaps here should not have occurred for a restaurant group with two other restaurants. We have reservations for Valentine’s Day at Grace and I don’t want to go!

We couldn’t locate valet easily from the street because ALL three of the guys were huddled inside and out of sight like it was 10 degrees outside.

Our server was polite; however, it was very apparent that she had little to no fine dining experience as she 1) didn’t know the menu well enough to know if any entrees could be customized for food or allergy purposes, 2) she literally took our drink order of TWO DRINKS, wrote them down and then came back 15 minutes later asking if my husband ordered salt or tajin with his spicy margarita because “she couldn’t read her own handwriting” and 3) didn’t even know if fresh ground black pepper was available for the Caesar salad. So.. we requested black pepper for the salads (which barely represented a Caesar salad at all and were very dry) and we NEVER received the pepper. We waited so long, tried the salad and put them aside.

Making matters worse, throughout this time, our server literally walked past our table 2x, glanced at us, went to another table to check on them and NEVER said a word! This would be a theme for the night when any mishaps were made- not they way to handle adversity. When she finally came to the table, we told her we were done with the salads (after one bite) and asked if our entrees were on the way.

*Note: The bar was extremely slow. We waited at least 20 minutes for drinks and the spicy margarita that was orders came back as a regular margarita so we sent it back. The server should have noticed doubled checked the order before bringing it to the table.

*Note: Management made it VERY apparent that if you weren’t a regular from Grace or ordered a bottle of wine, you weren’t worth even a hello. A manager never stopped by our table to greet us as we’ve experienced at other restaurants regularly until it was recognized my entree wasn’t served properly.

Entrees arrived sans the cacio e Pepe I ordered. The server came and apologized stating it was on the way. Nearly done with the other part of my meal, and after the server walked past our table a couple of times without acknowledgment, I called her over and told her to cancel the cacio e Pepe. A few minutes later, she brought pasta anyway stating it was on the house and said she she could pack it to go because “it was so good she wanted me to try it”. Deflated and ready to go home I agreed; however, I should have checked my bag before leaving. SEE PHOTO of the mozzarella and bread I got instead of the cacio e Pepe. #really?

3-stars for the following good reasons:

The front desk hostess (young lady, African American, red plaid slacks) greeted us with warmth, grace and professionalism. She was extremely kind and was a welcome sight to see in comparison to some of the jaded, weary hostesses I have experienced lately.

The food was good, although for some reason I expected amazing and expected an evident wood-fired taste, which wasn’t there. The arancini were perfectly cooked and the marinara was flavorful although a tad over salty and over garlicky.

Our server was very polite, perhaps we now know why. (See above re: makes up for lack of...

My husband and I had just endured an extremely disappointing experience at another downtown establishment. Seeking to salvage our evening, we decided to give 61 Osteria a try, conveniently located just around the corner. Without reservations, we opted to sit at the bar, and what a delightful choice that turned out to be. While the photos of the bar may not convey a cozy ambiance, you immediately sense its warmth and security when you take a seat on the comfortable barstools. Gazing out of the tall windows, you're treated to a charming view of Burk Burnett Park, especially enchanting during this time of year with the beautifully lit trees. Our bartender, Kelly, was an absolute gem. We struck up conversations with some friendly patrons sitting next to us, a testament to the overall positive vibe of the place. We began our evening with drinks, and I couldn't resist trying their 61 Espresso Martini, which turned out to be absolutely delicious. It set the tone for a delightful dining experience. For an appetizer, my husband ordered the Pork Belly Spidini, and it was a pleasant surprise. I've had pork belly prepared in various ways, but this one truly stood out. The presentation was elegantly simple, and the texture was just perfect - not overly crispy or chewy, but a delightful balance, with flavors that burst in your mouth. Overhearing rave reviews about the Wild Boar Pappardelle, I decided to give it a try, even though I'm not usually one to order wild boar. To our delight, it exceeded our expectations. The wild boar was tender without any hint of gaminess, and the pasta itself was cooked to perfection. My husband, a devoted Bolognese fan, ordered the Tagliatelle Bolognese, which was also delicious, but I must admit I preferred my Wild Boar Pappardelle. If you're torn between the two, go for the Wild Boar - you won't regret it! Now, let's talk about their bread; it's intriguingly good. The consistency strikes a perfect balance between soft and chewy, but what sets it apart is the grill-kissed flavor that adds a unique dimension I hadn't encountered before. Finally, dessert was the moment I had eagerly awaited - the Sexy Italian, a Limoncello sorbet whipped with prosecco, prepared in a copper bowl. It transported me back to Italy with its flavors, and the cool, smooth finish was the ideal conclusion to a fantastic meal. However, I must mention that while the Sexy Italian is technically a dessert, we couldn't resist trying the affogato as well. If you visit 61 Osteria and can only order one thing, make it the affogato; words can't do justice to its perfection in texture and flavor. At 61 Osteria, we had an evening that was nothing short of superb. From the friendly and genuinely nice staff to the exceptional food, the entire experience was a delightful night out. If you're pondering where to dine in downtown Fort Worth,...

I like to go for dinner at the places I know and love, but fortunately, Mrs. S. drags me to new places, especially on special occasions. For our anniversary this year, we went to 61 Osteria. We been to its sister establishments - Grace and Little Red Wasp - and loved them, so, it was about time!

We arrived a few minutes early and the Valet guys were super! Opened/held doors for us like we were celebrities! They’re great! We were seated quickly and greeted by our server, Brandon. Great guy! Personable and polished. We felt quite lucky. He started us off with drinks and Mrs. S enjoyed an Italian Cosmopolitan. I was a bit disappointed as they had Beefeater Gin on the menu, but not in stock. I picked some other gin - I don’t recall the name - but it wasn’t to my taste.

We had studied the menu earlier in the day and had a good idea about what to order. As an appetizer, Mrs S had the Rosemary Focaccia. She loved it and gave me a taste. It was WONDERFUL! I had the Hearth Meatballs. They were absolutely perfect.

Because our entrées varied, we asked for the Sommelier. Dave was extraordinarily knowledgeable and came up with a Cabernet Franc that was perfect. Mrs. S had the Serpente. The dish looked exactly like the video on the web site and was absolutely delicious. I ordered the Dover Sole Piccata and unfortunately, here’s where things took a bit of a bad turn - sorry this is long.

Dover Sole is delicious. You really can’t change the wonderful taste of the fish itself. But this was the worst I’ve ever had. We can start with the fact that the plate was covered in slices of artichoke. I don’t care for artichoke and would never order ANY dish where it was featured. Unfortunately it was not listed as part of the dish on the menu. Worse than that, the presentation, the way everything was plated was terrible. It says the Sole is served with a lemon-caper emulsion. No. The Sole is SWIMMING in a lemon-caper emulsion! It covered the entire plate! The broccolini, shallots, and bits of fingerling potato were drenched in the emulsion. I’ve seen McDonald’s Filet of Fish served more elegantly on a bun. It was pathetic! Mrs. S chided me that I shouldn’t have ordered something like that in an Italian restaurant. It’s a lesson learned. I would strongly recommend that you avoid the Dover Sole Piccata. You will be disappointed!

Because it was our anniversary, Brandon graciously offered us a dessert on the house. We shared the Chocolate Torta with crème fraiche and powdered sugar. It was VERY rich and delicious!

All in all, everything was good! It was VERY loud, but Mrs. S reminded me that it’s an Italian restaurant. The staff was fantastic and most of the food was delightful. The inaccuracies in the menu were troubling and my entrèe was terrible. Should you give 61 Osteria a try? ...