Roc Restaurant

ROC definitely is in the top 3 of Louisville's fine Italian dining options. The food was impeccable, from their wonderful specials (both apps and mains) to their menu items. Flavors were amazing, pasta was fresh and perfect. We started off with two special apps, stuffed dates and fried mozzarella. The dates were some of the best the table had ever tried. The moz was good, but the fried zucchini strips that accompanied it were even better, especially in the spicy (almost like an arrabiata) dipping sauce. For mains, I had to try the Tuesday special, Cacio e Pepe prepared tabelside. Not only was the show and presentation top notch, but the meal was extremely creamy and perfectly seasoned. Others at our table had the butternut and sausage rigatoni and the bolognese pasta. Both of those were excellent in flavor, portion, and the right amount of pasta to non-pasta components. The pairing of butternut squash to sausage just worked, and the bolognese was wonderfuly rich and meaty, as it should be. Service was very good throughout the meal. Deserts and cocktails were also good, with the restaurant having many, many options, including an extensive bourbon menu. Highly recommend it for dinner date or just when you're craving some amazing Italian food. We will definitely be going back.

Years ago I had written a negative review, but recently I decided to take a date there and have decided to delete it. Both myself and my date enjoyed our experience very much. The server was very friendly and attentive without overdoing it. The salads and entrées were outstanding. The atmosphere is really nice, very modern and clean. That's one thing that hasn't changed since they opened. Overall it made for a very nice evening for both of us (it was a first date so having this experience was so important) and I will definitely return.

Really cute homey joint with perfect mood lighting. Drinks are made perfectly with the perfect mix of flavor and alcohol. The food is absolutely amazing and fantastic portion sizes. The salmon was flakey and juice and the skin was perfectly crispy. We came here for mother's day and I would have to say it was a great pick made by my boyfriend.

I love ROC! We have never had a bad experience here. Tonight we brought some friends who were visiting from Nashville. We started the evening with some delicious cocktails, both the Paper Plane and the Old Fashioned. For starters we had the Buratta and the Beef Carpaccio. They had a special that added freshly shaved black truffles to the carpaccio. The truffles we presented in a wonderful glass jar and shaved tableside. Great presentation that I forgot to take a picture of! For mains we had the Gnocchi, Pappardelle shrimp with a pistachio sauce and a special Pappardelle with a mushroom sauce topped with Buratta. Incredible house made pastas. The meals were portioned perfectly, everything was hot and fresh and the service was impeccable.

This is based on our first visit on a Saturday night. We compared the food and value here to similar dishes we have tried in other cities and restaurants. We noticed Italians in the restaurant so thought it must be legit. Food: 4/5 Our waiter informed us all sauces and pasta are made in house to order, so it's preferred to order starters and the meal at once so the chefs can get the sauce started. I can appreciate in house pasta and sauces! We got the salmon carpaccio, yellowtail special, veal scaloppine with spinach, fettuccine bolognese/ meat sauce, clams and linguine. Salmon carpaccio was tasty! We both liked it, pretty fresh. Yellowtail special- tasty as well. Good starters so far. Veal scaloppine- veal was delicious. Spinach is just spinach. Fettuccine bolognese- pasta was al dente, could definitely taste the difference. Sauce was meaty. I felt it was still pricey for $20. Linguine and clams- our biggest disappointment. Almost wish we didn't order it since the other dishes were pretty good. It was bland, and we basically ate the clams and tomato. Maybe I just don't understand a fine olive oil dish. But this is my review/opinion. Price/ Value: 3/5 We expected more for the price. Portions are fine, depending on your appetite, you may take home leftovers. Higher prices can be justified by the in house labor and overall quality of food and experience. Service: 5/5 Our server Patrick was helpful and attentive. Our glasses were always filled. Everyone helps each other. You may even get to speak with the manager/owner (funny and charming, definitely Italian) Ambiance: 3.5/5 Pretty casual. There's a bar area, indoor and outdoor seating. It is a tight space. You may unwittingly eavesdrop on the tables around you or bump something. Overall: 3.75/5 (will round up to a 4) Pretty good experience overall, though we won't be in a hurry to return. Worth a try or for a date night.