SORTINO
Cucina Italiana

Sortino Italian restaurant is a casual and convivial place where people can commune with friends over fantastic Italian food. The meals are affordable and the efficient staff treats clients like they would treat guests in their own home.
As you walk into the spacious dining area, you’re greeted with sunny walls decorated with paintings of the Italian countryside. Windows run along the length of the room giving the restaurant a bright, airy look. The open kitchen with it’s traditional pizza oven is on one end, and tables and booths span the rest of the rectangular restaurant. It feels like the layout was designed specifically to encourage socializing. Ever since the lively opening party in early Feb, the place has been packed with satisfied customers who’ve already become part of the regular Sortino family. Click here to see all the photos from the opening party!
The food at Sortino is tasty and authentic. It should be, as the Italian chef and owner, Santino Sortino, is a true connoisseur of his country's cuisine. Chef Sortino previously worked at the Peninsula Restaurant at the Lotte Hotel and his wife, Sonja, earned her Italian food experience at Il Mare in Cheongdam-dong. Together with love, passion and hard work, they’ve created a wonderful family-style eatery for the whole community to enjoy.
For starters try the scrumptious salads like tomato caprese (tomato mozzarella), Caesar’s salad, or shrimp with rucola (a.k.a rocket or arugula). The dressings are divine! There are also 3 types of bruchettas: tomato basil, fresh roasted pepper and porcini mushroom. If you’re in the mood for a heart-warming soup, you have a choice of tomato, pumpkin or mushroom.
For the main course there’s a seafood risotto or a bacon and mushroom risotto. There are popular pastas such as spaghetti and meatballs, spaghetti vongole or carbonara. One of the most popular spaghettis is ‘spaghetti alla Santino’ with rock shrimp, porcini mushrooms, shallots and gorgonzola flavored with a thyme cream sauce. You can also choose from different penne, linguini, fettuccine and fusili dishes.
The enormous thin-crust pizzas, baked fresh in the traditional wood brick oven, are big enough for two! There are 12 types of pizzas to choose from. Veggie lovers can go for the 'Orlatana' with zucchini, eggplant, mushroom and bell pepper. Another favorite is the 'Rustica alla Campania' with tomato, buffalo mozzarella, prosciutto and rucola. Or why not try the 'Aglio et Olio' with oven-roasted garlic, black truffle oil, tomato, fresh spicy pepper and mozzarella. Of course there's always the classic Margherita.The pizzas are between 12,000-18,000 won and considering the size, it's a fairly good deal. If you don't want pizza or pasta for your main course, there's also sirloin steak, beef filet, salmon, and red snapper.
If you still have room for dessert, don't forget to try the tiramisu or the panacotta. Sortino has an extensive wine list of mostly Italian wines. Bottles start at 32,000 won and you can get half bottles or house wine by the glass.
A restaurant like Sortino proves that food doesn't have to be complicated to be good. At Sortino, don't expect any of the fancy fusion food which is all over Seoul, instead you' ll find fresh, simple Italian dishes which will have your taste buds singing "Mamma Mia!"
Sortino is on the main street of Itaewon by the big staircase near the Cheil building. 02) 797-0488
www.sortinos-seoul.com