Rocco’s Italian Grille

7pm on Tuesday night. Two tables one SLOW unresponsive Waitress didn’t even get a menu. The table behind us had beg for a menu. Horse flies flying around… went to restaurants inspection site and that was the last draw… write ups in the past for cross contamination rodents etc… We walked out before we got our menus… oh my Gawd people. This CANNOT be the best Italian in orlando…

Excellent food, service, and atmosphere! This place is not you’re average Italian restaurant, must see and try for you’re self!

My boyfriend surprised me with a visit to Rocco’s on Valentine’s Day. He definitely chose the right place! It’s an adorable little place right outside of Winter Park Village that you might miss if you blink. We were greeted by friendly faces when we walked in and seated right away (bonus points to my guy for making reservations). The hostess was an awesome older Italian lady who definitely added to the experience.
The menu had a ton of options, and a few authentic dishes I’d never seen before. I decided to go with a veal dish that had a lemon, sage, cream, and white wine sauce «made with love». Sooooo I’m pretty sure I could eat that sauce on everything for the rest of my life and die happy. I challenged my boyfriend to order something other than chicken parmesan (because mine is the best), and the grilled chicken dish he got was so well marinated.
My only regret is not ordering dessert afterwards, because I’m sure it would have been amazing as well.
Oh well — guess I’ll just have to go back to find out!

Took my girlfriend here on Valentines Day and I was pretty impressed. It’s a very unassuming spot in Winter Park but once you walk inside the interior and décor are top notch. Everything is authentic Italian including the staff. The food was amazing and not much more expensive than some other average restaurants. I’ll definitely be back.

We had a reservation at 7:30. We came in and were seated after two couples who clearly came in after we did, and we had a RESERVATION. 35-​minutes after we walk in we are seated at the same time as a couple who JUST WALKED IN. The hostess did not offer any apology whatsoever. It does not matter how the food is (which was ok) when the staff does not care at all about your experience. I will not spend my hard earned money in this place ever again.

I was fortunate enough to eat here during a special celebratory dinner and it was quite the enjoyable Italian experience. Located not far from the original 4Rivers, Rocco’s is a restaurant you go to when you’re trying to make a statement about the meal your having. When you’re interested in having a dining experience that allows you to comfortably enjoy some old favorites and new twists of classic Italian cuisine. I personally had the veal during my last visit and it was incredibly tasteful. It is however not cheap to dine here but again, this is not a place you take your grandmother for a Sunday lunch. It moderately easy to find parking, it’s clean and the staff is incredibly pleasant to deal with. Well worth the thought!

The best Italian restaurant we have experienced in Orlando Florida, the service is outstanding, the owner is amazing! We will be back for sure!!! So happy we tried this gem.

I went to this restaurant back in august for my boyfriends birthday. We had a large party and got awesome service. The food was delicious. 2 people didnt like their cheesecake for dessert but my tiramisu was awesome! I will be back for sure

Deserves full review and I’ll modify this later. I want to get in a big 5-​STAR positive. In short: Very BEST Italian in the greater Orlando area that I can find, and I’ve hit them all by now. Culinarily untouchable. Service not perfect, but it was a weeknight and slow and late at night. Atmosphere: I’m an outside diner, so not being on a lake would be an issue, except Rocco’s has the most pleasant, intimate garden you can want. You’re away from the car noise of 17 – 92 but you can still hear the live pianist inside playing and singing classic pop tunes (‘40s to ‘70s, much of it crooner stuff — just the complement to an Italian meal). Pasta is so fresh you can’t believe it, and perfectly cooked, stuffed with the finest ingredients and topped with the perfect sauces — never over– or under– topped. Bread and salads good. Desserts perfection. Get over to Rocco’s. It just hit the top of my list for Italian.

Very nice atmosphere and exceptional staff. The squash ravioli was my favorite! The lava cake could have been a little more erupting with chocolate molten goodness but the vanilla gelato on the side was fantastic.

This is what a restaurant is supposed to be. Authentic! Delicious! Great Atmosphere! Live music! Welcoming owners and staff! Solid Value as well!
Probably my favorite restaurant in Orlando!

Underwhelming and overrated. The service was okay even though they tried it was just nothing to write home about. The lombata lacked season and it was just average good. The atmosphere is an older crowd and I will not be going back.

Service and food were awesome!!! Not many places get it all right, but they did here

This is my favorite «special occasion» Italian restaurant. I always have a great meal here but my current favorite menu item is the osso buco with risotto… the best I’ve ever had! Prices are a little high, especially the pastas, but the food is delicious. Aside from the great food is the great service and welcoming atmosphere… they always make us feel like family. Looking forward to my next visit :)

Food, service, and environment was great. I’ll be a frequent visitor here!

This establishment must be Orlando’s best kept secret, because every time we visit, it’s empty. Yet, the food is phenomenal! Please do yourself a favor and give this place a try, you’ll find it’s better then most Italian places in our area.

Good food. Nice atmosphere. Would give it 5 stars but food wasn’t quite worth the price. Will come back for special occasion but not for regular dinner

This was my first time dining at Rocco’s. I wasn’t disappointed. The staff was very friendly, and even Rocco himself came to the table and announced the evening’s specials. Per his suggestion, I chose the lamb shank with saffron risotto as my entrée. I have to say that it was an excellent choice The lamb was so tender that the meat literally fell off the bone. I didn’t even need a knife! The risotto was perfect and delicious as well. The chef definitely deserves a big thumbs up.
PS: My only complaint is that the music was too loud. It was difficult to carry on a conversation with someone sitting across the table.

I have eaten here many times and I love this place. The chef is very nice and even comes out of the kitchen to ask you about the food. Favorite dish is the Penne al a Vodka

I was in search of some great Italian food last week and ran across these great reviews and I was familiar with the location because I drive by it all the time. You probably do too, it doesn’t have the best restaurant front so you may overlook it or assume it’s closed. So far from the truth. This little gem is a darling spot for a quiet, intimate and delicious evening.
Seriously, the outside does not give the inside justice. You are greeted by the Lady of the house as soon as you walk in and the smell of the food smacks you right in the face with freshness.
It was a Saturday evening so it was basically date night and everyone seemed to be having a fabulous time. There was live music and the bar was gorgeous. It took a minute for our server to arrive but he was very informative and attentive. He seemed a little stiff and scripted but I am sure it’s just the way they are there. We were visited by the Lady of the house as well as the owner (I believe) telling us to have a fabulous dinner. That was a lovely touch. It reminds me of TV shows that revolve around restaurants where the owners walk around all the time, here they actually do.
They had a prefix menu for $ 29 which was four courses, such an amazing deal. I was going to go with that but then a signature house dish caught my eye and I didn’t look back. I went with a house salad to start and it was fresh and delicious. The house dressing was creamy which I was not expecting but it complimented the salad very nicely. The house bread was warm and delicious as well; crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Now the garlic and rosemary infused fresh oil is the selling point here… just delicious. I couldn’t get enough.
We shared a bottle of white wine and it was a perfect pair for everything we had. The house entrée I was referring to was the Papardelle Alle Cinque Terre — Papardelle with shrimp, scallops and lobster braised in a white wine tomato basil cream sauce topped with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and basil. They sauce was rich but not overly filling. The seafood was delicious, I just wish the pieces were a big larger. Overall, I was overly pleased.
If you have not tried this delicious location yet, you are missing out!