Ortine

Recommends

babystevienick

Joined 4 years ago

Always A Great Meal. I have to say after reading the reviews, mostly positive, of Ortine, that I wholeheartedly disagree with the one negative review. First off, the restaurant is quite small, making employee work space quite tight, and to have small children weaving and winding or "skipping" is very difficult to do your work as well as dangerous for the kid, what if coffee was spilled on the poor child? I was a waiter myself, and in a family welcoming environment, no less, and it can be a daunting task to serve (as well as do side work, when you are not incredibly busy) and to have frenetic activity go on around you. Secondly, for the "park slope parent" comment I do not think that is a fair assessment of the waiter's character, URBAN parents often forget that they are not the only people in the world considering they are immersed in public spaces more often than say Suburban parents, that being said I myself have witnessed a sort of self-entitlement among this community, and I don't dislike children, I work with them, if you have children, it doesn't hurt to speak to them about proper behavior in public before you go out to enjoy a meal. Since when is running/skipping/galloping/etc... acceptable indoors? But I always enjoy my meal when I go, usually for brunch, the waitstaff is friendly and competent and the atmosphere is cozy and warm. I suggest the Belgian waffles, they are phenomenal! I live in the neighborhood and feel this a great addition! I will definitely be coming back!

Doesn't Recommend

Entrada

Joined 11 years ago

Unwarranted hostility by employee. On 10/22/09 at about 7:30pm, I popped into Ortine for my third (and last) time since it opened. I was with my two children and a friend was with her son. The restaurant was empty but for one customer sitting by the window. Our kids skipped toward the garden in the back. The man working there at the time looked at me and I smiled, apologized for the skip, and asked the kids to slow down. He replied with a scornful, world-weary tone, "That's okay, I also work in Park Slope," implying that there was something innately annoying about the Park Slope/children connection, which was blatantly offensive, considering he knew I was a parent myself. He turned to the kids, who had already slowed down at that point, and said too brusquely, "WALK. Don't RUN." Note to self: never again walk through these doors.

Incidentally, the next day I had a frighteningly awful experience at the Tea Lounge in Park Slope involving my daughter and - lo and behold - this selfsame employee.

Recommends

ChrisM13

Joined 4 years ago

Much needed addition to neighborhood. Have had dinner there a few times and enjoyed all the entrees I've sampled so far.

The space is very cosy and has a very warm, country-home feel. I'm told they have a nice garden space too (according to the hostess, Ortine means garden in Italian), but I haven't checked it out yet, hope to if spring ever comes around

Generally the servers have been friendly, were pretty knowledgable about the wine list and made good recommendations (not the most expensive one on the menu like a lot of other restaurants typically push)

Recommends

Josh Ozersky

Joined 5 years ago

A mutli-national mom and pop Brooklyn eatery, cozily catering to Prospect Heights shut-ins.. Up and coming Brooklyn neighborhoods like Prospect Heights are especially fertile fields for the growth of little mom-and-pop bistros like Ortine. It isn't French, it isn't Italian, it isn't New American or Haute Barnyard: it's just a small, ecelectic, homey little place where there aren't enough restaurants to go around. Set in a narrow, sparse space and tended to by Keith McNally veteran Sarah Peck. Her husband Steve Guidi is in charge of the beverage program, and her mother in law cooks during the day. The room is cutely haphazard in the way you might expect, with cream walls, a line of globes and a mere 35 seats.