Orsino Restaurant

Orsino is one of the swankier establishments on this stretch of Church Road in Hove and it’s better known as a restaurant but you can also have a great drink here too. I do like a whisky sour.
They have a nice covered patio area, looking out onto the street and I like to take Mrs SussexSpy for a drink, accompanied by some delicious Italian nibbles on a pleasant evening. You can also dine here, and their set menu is excellent value and very tasty too. Never had a dud meal here in many years.

The food at Orsino is pretty average Italian fare, however, the service here is what pushes this restaurant to a four star rating.
They have a really extensive menu here so it’s always a safe pick if you are out with fussy friends or people with varied tastes. Like the menu, the dishes vary hugely in price, from around £8 for a pizza or pasta dish, to £20 for the Chef’s Specials. I have to say, I’m always happy to pay money for good food, but I just can’t can’t bring myself to do it here!
On this occasion I went for the classic avocado prawns, flavoursome avocado but could have done with a few more prawns. For main course I chose the fish cassoulet with saffron rice, a decent enough dish but it didn’t blow me away.
The restaurant is fairly large and was pretty packed out, people without reservations were left with quite a long wait for tables. I have been here a few times now and they are always pretty busy so they must be doing something right. This did cause a bit of a delay in the delivery of food, but we were having a good time so this didn’t really matter.
Being a group of four girls, we certainly received a fair amount of attention from the waiters. In fact, they were hysterical and fully living up to the stereotype. We were there for a birthday celebration so it was great fun to go along with. We had brought in a cake for the birthday girl, but the waiters cheekily switched the 3 for a 7, making her 71!
Overall, average food but a hugely entertaining night out.

They offer a cheap set menu during weekdays. For the money [between £5−7] the set menu is pretty good. The pasta dish Penna Amtaricanna came with a tasty sauce, and on the pizza the toppings were cooked fairly well, although a little soft in places. Oddly the base was aerated more like a bread than a pizza base. It reminded me of a Pizza Hut pizza I have to say.
Orsino was let down, unfortunately, by the service. The waiter who served us had a haircut like an American soldier, and behaved like one to boot. When my dining partner asked if the pizza was vegetarian he snapped «it says so on the menu», when in fact it didn’t specify its ingredients. He then brought a sharp knife for the pizza but handed the knife to me saying, «can we trust this women with a sharp knife». Comments like weren’t ever funny, and it says something about you and the restaurant if you’re still making them in 2010s.
The slightly aggressive chauvinistic service continued until the end of the meal at which point our soldier, sorry waiter, disappeared and we were left waiting to pay the bill. I eventually went and asked if we could pay.
Ive given it 2 stars as the food was good [overall 7/​10], shame the evening was spoiled by the idiot serving us [2/​10 for service]. There is another Italian directly opposite so cant see myself frequenting Orsino again anytime soon [better check they don’t own that one too!]

Located opposite the suspiciously similar Otello, Orsino is yet another Italian restaurant that delivers exactly what you expect. There’s no shame in that, as the food is always cooked and seasoned to perfection and the service is great. The only thing is that it neither breaks boundaries nor does real justice to traditional Italian cuisine. What can be said is that the atmosphere is always good and the price isn’t extortionate. It’s certainly a safe bet for any occasion.

Great central Hove location, you cant really go wrong with Italian and Orsino doesn’t disappoint. You can get some bargains with their set menu… last time I went it was £8.95 for 3 gorgeous courses. This establishment is going for the slightly higher end of the market, which makes a change from all the budget £4 a pizza joints that the city is full of! Perfect for dates as well as family dinners.

I think the menu is great as I have a very picky family so whenever we go out there is always someone who doesn’t like this or that. Except me which stops from eating from great places so it is either find somewhere we can all eat or forget them. Fortunately, for them I stick with them as eating alone is no fun!
The menu here is varied and offers a lot of choice. Those who are pretty relaxed about what they eat can get 3 courses for £8.95 which is great value. As Samantha says, the portions are pretty good so it is good value for money. It is ok for a first date if you want somewhere relaxed so you both don’t feel really awkward.
Plus the location just off george Street means you can find a nice bar to suit in order to start on the right foot.

Like two feuding families, the two Italian restaurants of Orsino and Otello sit opposite each other, competing for the spoils. Unfortunately neither place does itself justice. Orsino is by far the better looking of the two and as such you’d expect better quality food. However, this is only marginally the case. While Otello clearly aims for the budget market, Orsino aspires for something better but only really achieves it in aesthetic. The waiting staff are all perfectly capable and friendly and the atmosphere is always good. In terms of décor Orsino is faultless but ultimately the same cannot be said of the food. It’s definitely worth visiting for a decent value Italian. Just don’t expect it to be anything special or mind-​blowing.

Although a popular establishment you can usually grab a table, i’m inclined to think Orsinos is busy because of its location rather than the menu. The food can be hit and miss as they can sometimes overstretch the chef abilities with dishes like chicken stuffed with lobster?! But generally I always enjoy my meal.
The portions are huge so its a great place to go if your famished. It has quite a romantic atmosphere so great for couples but welcoming to families and groups as well. They also do a gorgeous set menu to save those pennies.