At last, my mom and I finally decided to hit Risotteria after years and years of only throwing glances of interest as we passed by. The place always gave off the vibe that it’s a good restaurant, but it always looked to packed to find a place to squeeze ourselves in amongst the crowd.
We went around lunchtime and had to wait about 10 minutes for a table. The place resembles a very, very small diner, with a counter of desserts the moment you walk in. There are literally about 6 or 7 tables, and each table can only comfortably fit two, and thus they push tables together to allow you to sit with a larger party. I felt comfortable at my table, but my neighbor was still only an elbow away. 

Regardless, their menu is pretty straightforward. Everyone essentially gets pizza or, well, risotto. Given the fact that the restaurant is called Risotteria, my family and I made daringly bold move to order risotto. They hit you up with some bizarrely shaped breadsticks the second you sit down.

We ordered three different types to share. Two were specials, with one having calamari and lemon and the other one having prosciutto, arugula, and truffles. The third one was a classic mushroom risotto that my mom had always dreamed of trying. 

Well, it’s definitely a risotto restaurant! The risotto was spot on, and each dish actually tasted distinctly different from the next. They gave a huge helping of prosciutto, but it tasted fantastic with the truffle infusion. My dad was very skeptical initially about the calamari and lemon risotto, but he was impressed and blown away by how much the flavor a worked. I used to adore risotto in general, but I think that I became less inclined to love it throughout the years, but it’s still an extremely comforting food. 

  
The portions work well, since risotto is a thick and filling dish. They’re great to share, or eat entirely if you are starving. We were able to take a good portion of risotto home, and it didn’t lose too much of its greatness in the microwave. 

It’s plain and simple — if you are in the mood for as good plate of risotto, Risotteria is the place to go.

Also, interesting enough, Risoterria is gluten-free. I only came to this realization after taking their business card. I’m pretty sure that everything at the restaurant is gluten-free, and they sell and ship gluten free products to their customers. It’s a great place for those looking with gluten dietary restrictions, especially considering I could never guess that my risotto had no gluten.

All in all, although the atmosphere isn’t particularly noteworthy, the restaurant is a cool and comfortable place to grab some pizza or risotto. The smaller the party the better, and a table for 2 is the most appropriate and convenient party for them. It’s a gluten-free haven, and the service was caring and always available with only 7 or so tables to serve.

  
Risotteria is at a corner, and there’s something about the inviting sign and glass doors that make me want to go in and grab some risotto. The area around is not one to ever get bored at. Dessert is all over, with GROM at the end of the street and Popbar around the corner. Risotteria is right by John’s Pizza of Bleecker Street, and the area has enough shops and attractive stops to make for a nice walk to burn off all that risotto!