Prato — Restaurant in Winter Park

I usually don't write reviews—this is actually the first one I've ever written.

Today, I decided to visit Prato in Winter Park, FL, to celebrate my wife's birthday. Despite having many great restaurants near home, we chose this place due to its good reputation. The restaurant's ambiance is very cozy, which made for a nice start to the evening.

My wife ordered the Pumpkin Ravioli in a full portion, and although she enjoyed it (which was the most important thing), the quantity seemed more like a small portion to me. My daughter ordered the Potato Gnocchi and said they were "okay," without much enthusiasm. As for me, I ordered the Mustard Spaghettini "Cacio e Pepe" and specifically requested no cheese on top.

When my dish arrived, it had cheese on top. It is important to note that the waiter who brought my dish was not the same person who took our order. I mentioned it to the waiter, and to my surprise, he informed me that the dish's base sauce contained Pecorino Romano, which I was unaware of. I believe the waitress should have informed me about this when I requested no cheese. The waitress, very kindly, offered to change my dish, and I opted for Spaghetti with Meatballs, making sure to order it without cheese.

When the new dish finally arrived and I tasted it, the predominant flavor was pure cheese. The aroma was also very strong of cheese, which I found strange. I couldn't eat it and let the waitress know. Then the manager came over, very politely assuring me that he had personally supervised the preparation to ensure there was no cheese, suggesting that what I was tasting might have been butter. Despite his attentiveness, I felt they could have found another solution, especially considering we were there to celebrate my wife's birthday.

Overall, the experience was not what I expected. While the ambiance is pleasant and the service was courteous, the food-related issues affected the special occasion. I’m not sure if I would return in the future, but I hope they can improve their attention to important...

Incredibly disappointing.

We ordered: crudo, Caesar salad, meatballs, margarita, cheese board, spaghettini, gnocchi, Squid Ink pasta, espresso martinis, salmos btl.

Caesar salad & spaghettini were solid. Crudo tasted like peanut butter and jelly and the fish wasn't highlighted at all. Meatballs were lackluster. Margherita needed olive oil. Cheese board was never explained to us, nor did we have the right utensils. Duck paté had no spoon or knife to eat with. Gnocchi was overwhelmed by truffle. It was also dropped off a solid 5 minutes before the rest of the entrees. Squid Ink arriabiata was a lemon bomb with no hint of red pepper. Shrimp tasted like iodine and felt boiled (to death). Espresso martinis had zero aeration and were so flat.

Our server Steve was awful. No touchbacks whatsoever. Forgot we ordered a bottle of wine and left it sitting at service. Didn't pour our wine. Didn't bring a club soda when asked. Had to flag him down to order. Brought hot glasses for the wine. Took our napkins/silverware but never brought new napkins. Never bussed our table. Left paper menus and dirty plates on the table for almost our whole meal.

Other fun stuff- When we walked in the gentleman in our group opened the door for us and a server actually cut us off to get in first (long hair, forearm tattoos) and didn't acknowledge us. They close at 10. At 10:02, while we were still eating, a server came over and took our candle off the table. She said "sorry I'm stealing your ambiance." The pizza guys placed their wooden butcher block on the floor and wiped it down while it was there.. on the floor. One of the pizza guys was on his phone between cooking. No gloves, no hand washing. The desserts listed online didn't match the printed menu. Steve asked why I didn't like the Squid Ink pasta. When I told him he told me that "that was the best description of a dislike I've ever heard." A manager never touched the table even after a food complaint.

The lighting is nice though. And the...

I waited for this reservation for two months. The anticipation gave it high expectations I would say Prato definitely delivered. Our waiter John was great. When looking for a cocktail, I like sweet and something that is smooth. He was attentive and knowledgeable and recommended the Cetriolo, which at first glance I would have never picked, but I took him up on it. Hands down one of the best cocktails I have had in a really long time. For appetizers, we went with the Arancini which was delicious. Everything about it was good - the presentation, the flavors, it was cooked to perfection. We also ordered the Pretzel Crusted Calamari. It was fun to try a new spin on the Calamari, but it wasn’t that different to make it special that I would order it again. Next up was the Escarole Ceaser. Again, one of the best Ceasers I have ever had. The perfect amount of garlic and dressing. For main courses, we shared the Potato Gnocchi, Sweet Potato Ravioli and the Cacio e Pepe. So good!!! I’m a pasta person and could literally eat it everyday of my life if I had to. All the flavors were different, delicious and unique for each dish. The Pasta was al dente which is my favorite way and really have it a nice chew. For dessert, we chose Tiramisu, a classic. This is where I docked one star. The dessert menu was underwhelming. After everything we had it was a home run until dessert. It just didn’t live up to everything else. It was just okay. I would love to see Prato take the dessert menu more seriously like all the other well thought out items on the menu. Maybe add a Fried Dough or a Ricotta Cake with a creamy Limonicello drizzle? I am not sure but it could definitely be more adventurous. I hope to return soon and try the other Pastas and even give the Pizza a go. I was sad I didn’t take any photos, but I enjoyed the experience so much that it was nice to have my phone away...