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Cotto Modern Italian is a refined dining establishment featuring upscale Italian cuisine, located in the heart of downtown Gainesville. Prepare your palate for innovative flavor combinations, authentic pasta dishes, and wood-fired pizzas that are sure to tantalize any Italian food enthusiast. The full bar offers a variety of Italian inspired cocktails and a vast wine list featuring over 50 wines. Open for dinner throughout the week, the restaurant also serves a brunch menu on weekends beginning at noon every Saturday and Sunday. Reservations are suggested, but not required. Walk ins welcome. Cotto Modern Italian has been voted best Italian restaurant in Gainesville and Hall County, two years running in 2024 and 2025.
Hours
| Sunday | 12–9 PM |
| Monday | 5–9 PM |
| Tuesday | 5–9 PM |
| Wednesday | 5–9 PM |
| Thursday | 5–9 PM |
| Friday | 5–10 PM |
| Saturday | 12–10 PM |
Address and Contact Information
Address: 106 Spring St SE Suite 100, Gainesville, GA 30501
Phone: (678) 310-2071
Website: http://cottoitalian.com/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Reservations: cottoitalian.com
Photo Gallery
Related Web Results
Cotto Modern Italian
Voted best Italian in Gainesville Georgia … Downtown gainesville 106 spring st, suite 100, gainesville, ga 30501. Contact.
Cotto Modern Italian (@cottoitalian) · Gainesville, GA – Instagram
2470 Followers, 43 Following, 107 Posts – Cotto Modern Italian (@cottoitalian) on Instagram: “High-end Italian Restaurant in Gainesville, GA.
Cotto Italian | Gainesville GA – Facebook
Cotto Italian, Gainesville. 2148 likes · 12 talking about this · 1516 were here. Cotto Modern Italian offers an upscale dining experience with…
Reviews
Carolyn SCHELL
Fabulous family dinner.
The restaurant has a elegant feel and the layout gives it a cozy atmosphere.
I would definitely recommend making a reservation as the restaurant is not large and was busy the entire time we were there.
Our server (Nancy) was pleasant, knowledgeable and attentive without be intrusive.
We had cocktails, appetizers, main course and dessert. Everything was excellent. Lasagna was superb. Calamari was tender and delicious.
We will definitely be back to try some more dishes!
… moreThe restaurant has a elegant feel and the layout gives it a cozy atmosphere.
I would definitely recommend making a reservation as the restaurant is not large and was busy the entire time we were there.
Our server (Nancy) was pleasant, knowledgeable and attentive without be intrusive.
We had cocktails, appetizers, main course and dessert. Everything was excellent. Lasagna was superb. Calamari was tender and delicious.
We will definitely be back to try some more dishes!
L P
We started with the calamari and the bruschetta cotto—both were excellent and highly recommended. I ordered an espresso martini and the bartender did a great job… once it arrived.
Full transparency: it took over 20 minutes to get our first round of drinks after being seated, and our appetizers beat our cocktails to the table. I’ve been here for an hour and still don’t have a buzz, which definitely set the tone for the night.
My Caesar salad also came out at the exact same time as my entrée, which was disappointing from a pacing standpoint.
We were a little late to our reservation and were told we had to be up by 7:00 PM for the next table. We were respectful, closed out early, and moved to the bar to finish our drinks—only to find out our table wasn’t seated for another 30+ minutes, so we ended up standing at the bar unnecessarily.
Shoutout to Miriam, our waiter, who did an excellent job and was attentive and friendly throughout—she wasn’t the issue at all.
For entrées, I had the lamb lollipops and my husband ordered the veal, which absolutely blew the lamb out of the water. Overall, the food had highlights, but between the slow drinks and awkward pacing, the experience fell short of what we expected.
… moreFull transparency: it took over 20 minutes to get our first round of drinks after being seated, and our appetizers beat our cocktails to the table. I’ve been here for an hour and still don’t have a buzz, which definitely set the tone for the night.
My Caesar salad also came out at the exact same time as my entrée, which was disappointing from a pacing standpoint.
We were a little late to our reservation and were told we had to be up by 7:00 PM for the next table. We were respectful, closed out early, and moved to the bar to finish our drinks—only to find out our table wasn’t seated for another 30+ minutes, so we ended up standing at the bar unnecessarily.
Shoutout to Miriam, our waiter, who did an excellent job and was attentive and friendly throughout—she wasn’t the issue at all.
For entrées, I had the lamb lollipops and my husband ordered the veal, which absolutely blew the lamb out of the water. Overall, the food had highlights, but between the slow drinks and awkward pacing, the experience fell short of what we expected.
TK
Me and My wife went decided to give this place a try, since I am picky when it comes to a lot of types of food. Especially when it comes to Italian. We started off with two Antipasti that were the same yet different styles of Bruschetta & Bruschetta Cotto. Both were incredibly delicious with both hanging it’s own unique flavors. Then we decided to share la Minestra which was pretty good and went well with the both Bruschetta’s. My lovely wife had the Cacio e Pepe with chicken, which she told me it was the best she’s had and had me try it. I can concur that is was exquisite. I order the Seafood fra Diavolo, and I must admit that it was also exquisite and perfectly flavorful. The shrimp was perfectly tender and melted in my mouth like butter, the mussels where perfectly cooked and the calamari was so tender it was impressive. The Noodles and Sauce were Perfectly seasoned & cooked. I then had to try their Lasagna since the reviews gave the Lasagna high marks. And I can also concur that it was so good it brought back childhood memories, absolutely exceptional. Then, when decided to have some desert. My wife order Tiramisu which was absolutely delicious and I had the Torta di Cioccolato which not only was rich, but also perfectly balanced. Our waiter was very professional and did his job very well. We both highly recommended this place a must go to for lunch or dinner.
… moreAlbert
In one word, I’d describe Cotto Modern Italian as pleasant. Our dishes were enough to be filling, but tasted light and refreshing. Strongly recommend reserving ahead of time if you wish to sit inside, but it was a beautiful day outside so the outside seating we had was wonderful. Highly recommend!
… moreMegan Wimbish
My husband and I booked a reservation for our anniversary dinner at literally 10:00 PM the night before. I simply added, “We’re celebrating our 1st wedding anniversary.” Due to the short notice, I genuinely didn’t expect much — boy, was I wrong.
We had never been to Cotto, and I didn’t even know the cute little Town Square of Gainesville existed (and we’ve lived 25 minutes away for the last three years!). This place is a hidden gem, in my opinion.
When we arrived, there was a “Happy Anniversary” card on our table signed by the entire staff, and every single team member who came by wished us a happy anniversary. I don’t know about you, but I thought that was freaking cute.
Our server, Andrew, was phenomenal. He was knowledgeable about the menu items and helped us choose our meal based on his own experiences.
The cocktails were soooo good. Like, “complimenting the bartender across the restaurant” kind of good. It’s been so long since I’ve had a well-made cocktail.
Overall — Cotto is amazing. If you haven’t tried it yet, what are you waiting for?
What we ordered:
Cocktails: Cotto Sour (mine — so good!) and the Tuscan Ember (a seasonal cocktail, featured in the photos)
Antipasti: Cozze and Burrata (both featured in the photos)
Secondi Piatti: Pesce alla Puttanesca (the sea bass) and the Costolette d’Agnello (lamb chops) — also featured in the photos
… moreWe had never been to Cotto, and I didn’t even know the cute little Town Square of Gainesville existed (and we’ve lived 25 minutes away for the last three years!). This place is a hidden gem, in my opinion.
When we arrived, there was a “Happy Anniversary” card on our table signed by the entire staff, and every single team member who came by wished us a happy anniversary. I don’t know about you, but I thought that was freaking cute.
Our server, Andrew, was phenomenal. He was knowledgeable about the menu items and helped us choose our meal based on his own experiences.
The cocktails were soooo good. Like, “complimenting the bartender across the restaurant” kind of good. It’s been so long since I’ve had a well-made cocktail.
Overall — Cotto is amazing. If you haven’t tried it yet, what are you waiting for?
What we ordered:
Cocktails: Cotto Sour (mine — so good!) and the Tuscan Ember (a seasonal cocktail, featured in the photos)
Antipasti: Cozze and Burrata (both featured in the photos)
Secondi Piatti: Pesce alla Puttanesca (the sea bass) and the Costolette d’Agnello (lamb chops) — also featured in the photos
John Hornick Chef’s Apprentice
Category: Fine food, Italian. We discovered this sleek, atmospheric Italian bistro by attending a wedding rehearsal dinner. The candelabra chandeliers and obscured-light sconces set a romantic tone throughout. Our beautifully-set table for 30 (yes, 30) stretched the entire length of the dining room, leaving only the semi-circular banquette booths for other guests. I was pleasantly surprised to see that we were allowed to order from the regular menu. Usually, groups of this size must order from a set menu offering limited choices. But each of us ordered anything we wanted. Usually, ordering and serving for a group of this size also takes forever. So I was also pleasantly surprised that our wine order was taken quickly, the wine was quickly served, our antipasti order was taken quickly, the food arrived in a snap, our primi/secondi orders were then promptly taken, and they arrived shortly thereafter. Excellent service, at every step. My most pleasant surprise was that all of the food was well-prepared, well-plated, and delicious, which is difficult with a group of this size. Sarah and I tasted only the frito misto, burrata, Cacio e Pepe, and lobster ravioli, which were excellent, especially the lobster ravioli’s sauce. But our friends also reported that their dishes were excellent, especially the lamb chops and the pizza. I noticed that the long bar was buzzing when we arrived and when we left. For warmer weather, there’s also a large, umbrellaed patio with strings of Edison bulbs. Though we don’t live nearby, we would certainly return to this spot for a romantic meal, or for another dinner for 30. YouTube’s Chef’s Apprentice
… moreAmanda C
Edit from visit on 02-19-26
This time we went to celebrate my birthday. Our server, Jack was absolutely amazing! He made my birthday extra special. So funny, attentive, knew the menu and was kind enough to spend a few minutes making my day extra special. Thank you so much, Jack! You seriously brightened my day even more. We need more people like you on the service industry. I know this because I too work on the service industry just a different field. This was my second time here and each time has been wonderful. Fun, friendly, and knowledgeable service, tasty drinks, and amazing food. I also can’t thank the chefs and kitchen staff enough for their amazing dishes and desserts. And the bartender. Thank you
From start to finish, this place was absolutely amazing! We actually arrived 30 minutes before our reservation and were seated almost immediately. Our server, Madison, was so warm and welcoming. They were able to answer and questions and knew the menu top to bottom. We came to celebrate my partners birthday since I’m busy working all the time, this was the only evening we could go before his work trip. Upon finding out it was my partners birthday, Madison took it upon themself to have the entire staff signed a card for his birthday which was very sweet and thoughtful. Kudos to Madison for being absolutely perfect and an amazing person!
The atmosphere of the place is very warm and cozy yet modern. It felt very welcoming, clean and stylish. It’s right around the block from the parking garage which is another plus and well lite outside.
The food was absolutely amazing! From the drinks, to the appetizer, to our main dishes then followed by desserts! Just perfect. And thank goodness for Madison and her knowledge. I typically don’t get dessert, but my partner has a sweet tooth. I decided to try something new for both my entree and a dessert I’ve never even heard of. They explained the dessert I was thinking about trying in perfect detail, including ingredients and texture. She was spot on with everything.
I can’t wait to come back again in the future. Since Covid dining out has been severely lacking at most places, from the food to the service. This place went above and beyond my expectations. Keep up the amazing work! We will be back in the near future.
… moreThis time we went to celebrate my birthday. Our server, Jack was absolutely amazing! He made my birthday extra special. So funny, attentive, knew the menu and was kind enough to spend a few minutes making my day extra special. Thank you so much, Jack! You seriously brightened my day even more. We need more people like you on the service industry. I know this because I too work on the service industry just a different field. This was my second time here and each time has been wonderful. Fun, friendly, and knowledgeable service, tasty drinks, and amazing food. I also can’t thank the chefs and kitchen staff enough for their amazing dishes and desserts. And the bartender. Thank you
From start to finish, this place was absolutely amazing! We actually arrived 30 minutes before our reservation and were seated almost immediately. Our server, Madison, was so warm and welcoming. They were able to answer and questions and knew the menu top to bottom. We came to celebrate my partners birthday since I’m busy working all the time, this was the only evening we could go before his work trip. Upon finding out it was my partners birthday, Madison took it upon themself to have the entire staff signed a card for his birthday which was very sweet and thoughtful. Kudos to Madison for being absolutely perfect and an amazing person!
The atmosphere of the place is very warm and cozy yet modern. It felt very welcoming, clean and stylish. It’s right around the block from the parking garage which is another plus and well lite outside.
The food was absolutely amazing! From the drinks, to the appetizer, to our main dishes then followed by desserts! Just perfect. And thank goodness for Madison and her knowledge. I typically don’t get dessert, but my partner has a sweet tooth. I decided to try something new for both my entree and a dessert I’ve never even heard of. They explained the dessert I was thinking about trying in perfect detail, including ingredients and texture. She was spot on with everything.
I can’t wait to come back again in the future. Since Covid dining out has been severely lacking at most places, from the food to the service. This place went above and beyond my expectations. Keep up the amazing work! We will be back in the near future.
Jennifer Koban
My coworkers and I visited this Italian restaurant while in town for business, and even though we didn’t have reservations, the staff was kind enough to seat us right away. They let us know we had a limited amount of time at the table, which was completely reasonable—and honestly, we appreciated the transparency.
The service was exceptional. Our waitress was not only incredibly sweet and attentive but also genuinely impressive in how well she handled everything. She made the entire experience feel effortless and welcoming.
The food and drinks were absolutely top‑notch—worth every penny. Each dish was rich, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. We all thoroughly enjoyed our meals and left completely satisfied.
Another bonus: the restaurant was within easy walking distance from our hotel, making it super convenient after a long day.
Overall, it was a fantastic dining experience, and I’d definitely go back next time I’m in town.
… moreThe service was exceptional. Our waitress was not only incredibly sweet and attentive but also genuinely impressive in how well she handled everything. She made the entire experience feel effortless and welcoming.
The food and drinks were absolutely top‑notch—worth every penny. Each dish was rich, flavorful, and beautifully prepared. We all thoroughly enjoyed our meals and left completely satisfied.
Another bonus: the restaurant was within easy walking distance from our hotel, making it super convenient after a long day.
Overall, it was a fantastic dining experience, and I’d definitely go back next time I’m in town.
Kennan K
We enjoyed dining at the bar, since they didn’t want to sit us in the main dining area. Although, it was empty for the entirety of our meal…
We ordered the mussels, caesar, cacio e Pepe and bistecca fiorentina.
The steak was a thin cut T-Bone, far from any bistecca fiorentina I have ever had. It was also cooked to medium, borderline medium well. So it was tough to the chew.
Salad mussels and pasta were tasty though!
Hostess can try harder next time with seating guest in the dining area. Even with a few reservations, you have plenty of seating.
… moreWe ordered the mussels, caesar, cacio e Pepe and bistecca fiorentina.
The steak was a thin cut T-Bone, far from any bistecca fiorentina I have ever had. It was also cooked to medium, borderline medium well. So it was tough to the chew.
Salad mussels and pasta were tasty though!
Hostess can try harder next time with seating guest in the dining area. Even with a few reservations, you have plenty of seating.
Amanda Workman
My husband and I came here for our anniversary tonight. It was absolutely incredible. I don’t usually leave reviews, but I felt compelled to after our dining experience. Every single thing we ordered (drinks, appetizers, and entrees) was delicious. Our bartender/server Gabriel was fantastic. Very attentive and pleasant. We will definitely be back!
… more