We've had a vaca home in Murrells Inlet for 5 yrs and have just made the permanent move down from NY/NJ. Caffe Piccolo is hands-down my fav restaurant (& we've dined at dozens of eateries from Little River to Pawleys Island!) The ambiance of the outside patio is magical; it's beautifully designed and impeccably maintained. The servers are lovely... very warm, friendly and attentive but not obtrusive. They all know the menu quite well, including the specials, which they explain in detail and never rush through them. Since we've dined here so often, my husband and I have sampled many entrees and have never been disappointed. The Marsala has lots of mushrooms and a delicious, velvety sauce; Piccata has a light lemon sauce w/salty capers - perfectly balanced! Our absolute favorite are the Stuffed Banana Peppers, which we have every time we visit. My husband has one complaint: the bar didn't have Bacardi rum on several occasions. read more

This was our first time dining at Caffe Piccolo, selected by our friend (for husband's birthday). Having had reservations, it made no sense that the 4 of us were seated at a table separating us by a half-wall from four service stations being the (1) entry/exit to the kitchen, (2) electronic processing for customer transactions, (3) restrooms and service door(s) and (4) 2-way traffic for active servers from bar-to-kitchen-to-one-dining-room-to-another. Acknowledging that every table/booth in every restaurant is $money$, this table for 4 we were escorted to should either not exist or would do far better being creatively encased with an added structure to camouflage both these spaces and dampen the associated noise. On behalf of "the man of honor" who deserved far better, I appealed to the hostess to be seated elsewhere and graciously, she did so, in the dining area where the bar is located, not lending itself well to relaxed conversation, however. Oh well. Making up for the initial shifts and adjustments above, our server "Hunter" and the entrés 3 of the 4 of us chose were so delicious! Starting with Hunter, Cafe Piccolo would be wise to invest in retaining his skills in any possible manner. As a server, he was attentive, knowing what we needed and exactly when. He was warm, patient, personable and gentlemanly with a charming sense of humor. I cannot figure out how he was able to demonstrate such positive qualities with the 4 of us in conjunction with attending the other diners in this completely FULL dining room! The three of us ordered one of the specials offered--seared scallops with spinach-mushroom ravioli...magnifico!! This was prepared with super plump scallops, seared to perfection and the dough of the ravioli was light and thin. One of 3 salads is offered with entrées and, without hesitation, the one with Roquefort cheese dressing was a quick choice. Unfortunately, we live over an hour north of this delicious Italian cafe so returning frequently isn't likely. But if we're ever passing through the area, Cafe Piccolo (w/ Hunter as our server, of course) is #1 on our list. read more

Lowest rating score by me at Caffe Piccolo. We ordered our usual appetizer at Caffe Piccolo, calamari. unfortunately, it was undercooked, didn't have that golden brown color, it had a different taste from the usually fantastic calamari, neither of us ate much of it leaving well over half on the table. The Bolognese and Meatball was very good. The service was fine, the bar again made the wrong cocktail, happened here another time. Why is a Manhattan difficult to make? Ambiance (patio) was fine, although the flies were very annoying. I will think again before going back, to me, it has lost its charm. read more

Caffe Piccolo - Italian Near Me - Pawleys Island, South Carolina

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I dined here for my birthday and all the food tasted very delicious. The atmosphere was quiet and intimate. You could tell they made their own pasta because the texture was soft yet firm in your mouth. I would recommend this restaurant for date night or celebrating a special occasion. read more

Great food, terrible service. Drinks took forever and server was not attentive. Seemed to be preoccupied

Excellent food . Nice relaxing atmosphere and too notch service. Our waitress was Gina. I had shrimp piccolo as an appetizer , luinguini in white wine sauce with mussels and extra garlic. My wife has scallops over risotto. It was all amazing. They have indoor and outdoor seating and it looked great outdoors but we opted for indoors. I recommend cafe piccolo highly. read more

Veal Scarpariello ~ subbed broccoli rabe & spinach for linguine. AMAZING! Pepperonis, herbs, sausage, spicy veal, Demi glaze, white wine sauce. read more

Caffe Piccolo - VEAL SCARPARIELLO ~ sub spinach & broccoli rabe. Menu. Pepperoncinis, herbs, sausage, spicy veal Demi-glaze & whit wine sauce & linguine. - Italian Near Me - Pawleys Island, South Carolina

Delicious! I got the scallop special over the veal saltimbocca and wasn't sad about it. Scallops were cooked wonderfully and the creamy lobster sauce was fantastic! read more

Caffe Piccolo - Chicken Piccata - Italian Near Me - Pawleys Island, South Carolina

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Never been let down here. Not once. Consistent quality and service. I live for the olive oil and bread. So much care and thought goes into their food. The inside is quaint and intimate, while the outside is like wandering into a secret garden. read more

Cafe Piccolo delivers a true 5‑star experience through its outstanding service, high‑quality food, and warm, inviting ambiance. Service From the moment you walk in, the staff at Cafe Piccolo make you feel genuinely welcome. The servers are attentive without being intrusive, quick to refill drinks, and consistently check in at the right times. They know the menu well, offer thoughtful recommendations, and handle special requests with ease and a friendly attitude. You never feel rushed, and you never have to wonder where your food is--everything runs smoothly and professionally. Quality of food The food at Cafe Piccolo is the kind you remember long after the meal is over. Every dish tastes fresh and carefully prepared, with flavors that are rich and well‑balanced rather than heavy or overdone. Pastas are cooked perfectly, sauces are layered and full of character, and meats and vegetables are cooked to just the right temperature and texture. Portions are generous but refined, and you can tell that whoever is in the kitchen takes real pride in every plate that leaves it. Ambiance The ambiance is cozy, comfortable, and just a little bit special. Soft lighting, intimate seating, and thoughtful decor create a relaxed atmosphere that works for everything from date night to a quiet dinner with family or friends. If you're near the fireplace or in a quieter corner, it feels like a tucked‑away neighborhood gem where you can unwind, have a real conversation, and enjoy your meal without noise or distraction. It's the kind of place you look forward to coming back to. Overall, Cafe Piccolo combines excellent service, top‑quality food, and a warm, inviting setting into a dining experience that absolutely earns a full 5 stars. read more

it had been several years since we ate at Café Piccolo. The restaurant has been totally renovated both inside and out and now has a wonderful ambience. The staff was prompt and and the food was outstanding. We highly read more

We had a wonderful meal that was only exemplified by our server Sandy (Sandra). She was polite, timely and very knowledgeable about the menu and specifically the selections we made. All aspects of our meal/evening were great! Thank you restaurant and Sandy. read more

The food was excellent and the portions were huge. My husband had the salmon special and raved about it and I had the chicken Parmesan, my chicken dish could've fed three people. I think our waiter might have been new, he seemed a little flustered and was not attentive for like drink refills and we had to wait on our check. read more

What can we say? This dining experience was awesome ! What a great night to sit outside and enjoy the night! Our server, Jacob, was new at being a server but made up for it with a great personality and a willingness to learn and be real! We really appreciated him! We ordered cocktails while looking over the menu! She had a dirty martini and I a bourbon Manhattan! Since soup or salad is included in the meal, we decided to skip the appetizer and ordered our meals! I had the Cesar salad and she had the Gorgonzola chef salad! Both were excellent! I ordered the red wine special and was informed that they were out of it but replaced it with something better! It was very tasty! I ordered the Fra Diavlo combo pasta with linguine, shrimp and diver scallops! OMG how great was that? My bride ordered the barramundi special with artichokes, sun-dried tomato, capers, lemon in a white wine sauce! What a treat!!! Jacob did a great job taking care of us and even agreed to take a few pics of us!! Love this place! read more

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Sat at the bar. They only have one bartender. Took 30 minutes to get a drink. And the drinks were half glasses and terrible. Get another bar tender. Food is too good to ruin it at the bar. read more

My family hosted an event here during dinner hours and it was so lovely. The outdoor seating was so gorgeous with the greenery and statues. It was like sitting in a garden. It was busy with many customers but still felt relaxing and I didn't even notice that every table was full. The food was delicious, and our server was so kind and attentive. I wish I could remember his name. I would definitely come here again and I do recommend it. 10/10 for an evening out. read more

I Love the outdoor seating for this restaurant. The way they creatively used the shrubs to create separation between guests and made some corner more private than just a wide open area. Service here was very friendly and attentive. Every dishes that we had here were well seasoned and delicious. We cannot wait to come back again. read more

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We had a great dinner Friday night with excellent service. Our 3 entrees were perfectly cooked. My wife is gluten free so getting GFree bread and GFree pasta was a bonus. We are big fans of Cafe Piccolo. read more

Our server was impeccable and the food was nothing short of amazing. I am gluten free and was amazed they offered gluten free bread. And it was delicious. The special drink menu offers a variety of awesome drinks and I had a delicious tiramisu martini. I then had chicken Marsala with gf pasta and it didn't disappoint. My husband had the crab cakes which were the best he ever had from Maine to Maryland through the coast. Every dish was made to perfection and the cheesecake desserts are homemade, brought in, creamy and phenomenal. Caffè Piccolo has indoor and outdoor seating and I can't wait to go back! read more

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My wife's favorite restaurant. I'm trying to keto diet so it's a little bit tough at a pasta restaurant, but I had the chicken scarpariello and it was delicious. Good selection of alcohol and. Bourbons too. read more

Chris was such a good waiter last year at this time we decided to go again during our spring vacation. The food is still great. Small local restaurant ambience is a plus. I had a salad for a meal with added grilled chicken,fresh mozzarella, strawberries, arugula with an ice tea. My wife ordered the shrimp scampi on pasta. They are open on Monday which is a plus. read more

Caffe Piccolo - Shrimp scampi with pasta - Italian Near Me - Pawleys Island, South Carolina

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Made a last minute Valentine's reservation at Caffe Piccolo for my girlfriend and I. We were recommended by some foodie family friends but I, myself, cannot recommend this place enough! For Valentine's, they had a limited/special menu so I'm really curious to see how their other dishes fair. Our server was amazing, the food was wonderful and reasonably priced, and the dim candlelit style interior is a really cool vibe. Not even a 35-40 minute drive from Socastee, I would personally consider Caffe Piccolo's location a little out of the way for me, but certainly worth the trek. We started off with two cocktails and they were both great. Excellent selection of whiskeys, bourbons, and wines. They DID NOT skimp on the alcohol with either of them and were a pleasant compliment to our meal. I had a tomato soup and she had a side salad to start, soup was nothing to write home about honestly but the salad had a gorgonzola dressing that we talked about on the drive home it was so good. We both shared, between us two: ragu with an extra side meatball and veal piccata. The ragu sauce was nice and did not have the overbearing taste of meat [which some people enjoy, just not me] yet, was still packed with flavor and warmth and a ridiculous portion size to satisfy my hunger that night. The veal was nicely cooked with all the right notes that make up piccata. Both dishes came with either fettucine or angel-hair pasta that was cooked perfectly al-dente. Total flavor bomb for me that night. Our server was a young gentleman and he was extremely well mannered, kudos. He made sure we were stocked on plentiful baskets of hot, toasty, and fluffy bread and olive oil to dip, and had the drinks topped off as needed. Recommend Caffe Piccolo for a quiet and romantic date night! A couple of parties had [younger] children with them but I noted that the other servers were playful and friendly with the kids, again, kudos. Had a memorable Valentine's Day dinner for less than $75 [before tip]. Will come and continue coming again whenever I'm in town! read more

If you decide to have your birthday celebration here, be aware they charge you a "cake fee" if you bring in an outside cake. Guess it wasn't enough that they got at least $50/person for the meals/ drinks. read more

yummy vodka pasta!! sometimes when you order this dish at restaurants they are timid with the spices-- this one was so flavorful!! the service was smooth, attentive, and friendly. read more

I was looking forward to going to Caffe Piccolo and made an early reservation. Highly disappointed! Starting with the very young teenage girl (wearing a mini skirt not appropriate for the workplace) trying to accommodate our request from outside To indoor seating. She insisted we would be under an umbrella if it rained. We were saved by another hostess and we were showed to a booth without eye contact or pleasantries. The menus were a little sticky with visible fingerprints and food. Our server, Johnny was pleasant enough but needed to iron his shirt. He brought the bread basket lined with a napkin that looked like it was reused for a week. But the bread and oil was tasty. We ordered the Veal Saltimbocca and the Sausage with broccoli rabe over penne. The saltimbocca had so much thick mozzarella and dark sauce it looked like mashed potatoes and gravy and the linguine was overcooked. The dish had no flavor. The sausage dish was dry and penne was chewy. It needed some sun-dried tomatoes and FLAVOR. The balsamic dressing on the salad was straight balsamic vinegar. That was a surprise! I was so disappointed with my meal I decided to order the Limoncello Cake for some happiness. The cake was a 5 out of 10, at best. It tasted commercial and the whipped cream was breaking down. So unhappy to pay over $100 for subpar food and service. Oh, one more thing; when rolling utensils please be sure Dinner fork, a Salad fork and a knife (NOT 2 salad forks). Johnny was scarce during the evening and MIA when it was time for the check. We left a 22% tip because it was not the server's fault the food wasn't very good. We left and got a pizza to take home. read more

Food was outstanding. Service was not on par with food or ambiance. Not fine dining service.

The food here was amazing. I ordered the chicken Alfredo, and it was very good. The bread and oil was to die for, and all the desserts we tried we great, as well. The outdoor patio was amazing. Our only issue was the service was a little slow to start. We sat down for probably a good 30 minutes before someone stopped by and throughout the night she was a little slow, but that was mainly just because she seemed really busy. The waitress was helpful. She suggested the chicken Alfredo for me even though it was not on the menu because she could tell I was looking for something more different from the other chicken dish they had. Overall, between the food and atmosphere, this place was great. There are lots of great Italian restaurants in the area, but so far this has been up there with possible our best experience. read more

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The food was very good and tasty! Best chicken piccata! Service was also very good. We went a little early and the service was spot on. read more

My first visit and it was an amazing one. Even though it's not the greatest look inside and it feels a little too cramped the food tonight was remarkable. Divers scallops with a sweet corn roasted red peppers risotto topped with real bacon. The best scallops I've had in this area and the best risotto I've had as well. The mozzarella caprese led the way and was very good. Finally the service from Jacob was also outstanding. Will definitely put this place into the rotation. read more

Made late afternoon reservation for Fathers Day fully expecting there to be limited availability for an early dinner but with the added request for a specific dining area. Trying to accomplish this on a recorded line was a challenge as the choices were inside or out. After each question and my response I added, "old dining room only please". My plan was to call the restaurant once they opened to confirm my requested reservation and cancel if there was no availability in that specific area. To my surprise, Chris from the restaurant called me before I had the chance to and told me they had indeed received my request and we would be seated in a booth in the old dining room at 6:30 PM . Perfect! We arrived on time and after a minimal wait while our table was being bused, we were seated, water brought to the table and our server, Kennedy, came to introduce herself and gave us time to lookover the menu and blackboard specials while the breadbasket and dipping oil arrived. My husband and I each had a glass of wine, shared an appetizer, and he chose the soup while I had the Ceasar Salad. Kennedy checked in with us but was never intrusive. Our dinner entrees were Veal Marsala for my husband and the Mussels in a garlic white wine sauce over linguine for me, another glass of wine each and I sheepishly admit we both cleaned our plates. Limoncello cake and coffee finished a lovely evening where inspite of it being a holiday and the restaurant being very busy, we were neither rushed nor ignored. This is why we have been coming here since they first opened! Always welcoming, offering an interesting and fresh ingredient menu and at a fair price, be it a holiday or just an evening dinner out! read more

Delicious food and a beautiful setting. The outside seating is just lovely too! You won't be disappointed

Food and service were outstanding. The clams in a fra diavolo sauce were perfectly spicy. Good portion for the price. My wife also got the burrata salad. This was also a hit. Everyone in our group was pleased with the food and our server Julian. The only issue was fruit flies surrounding the wine in our glasses. I finally went and got cocktail napkins so we didn't have to use our hands to cover the wine. read more

Amazing from start to finish! The appetizers were phenomenal! The fish and pasta were perfection and i want their lemon cake to be my last meal!!! Can't wait to go back! read more

My husband and I have been to Caffe Piccolo a number of times over about 3 years. Our friend who we see only once a year was here on 3/23 and he has loved the crab cakes. In fact, the 3 of us ordered the crab cakes last night. What a HUGE disappointment. DRY, spiced strangely, including what I thought was cilantro. UGH! I know crabmeat is crazy expensive, but the platters were $39 each and should be recognizable as crab. To say we were disappointed is a huge understatement. We've been very happy with our selections over the years and have recommended the restaurant to a lot of people. I'm sure we're not the only customers to be VERY disappointed in the crab cakes. Reconsider your recipe. Make them smaller, just use the old recipe! This was an expensive check, including a pricey bottle of wine. So sad.... read more

We arrived early to our reservations but our table was ready. Our waiter was so attentive and kind. The menu was amazing- generous appetizers, salads that we didn't even make it to the entrees. We had crab cake appetizer- it was the largest crab cake I have ever had. It came with side spring salad and it was a perfect entree for my MIL. My daughter had the calamari in marinara- it was a large bowl enough to share with family. Her Caprese salad was large enough for 3 with fresh thick tomatoes with generous slices of mozzarella. I had the burrata salad with side of peaches. It was refreshing with the crunch of the nuts, the creamy cheese, the salt from the prosciutto and the sweetness from the side of peaches. Did I convince you to try it? We finished the meal with a large piece of tiramisu to share and it was light layers of soaked lady fingers with the perfect taste of expresso. We are going back since the pasta entrees looked amazing and I want to try the meatball appetizers. read more

Caffe Piccolo - Burrata Salad - Italian Near Me - Pawleys Island, South Carolina

Absolutely marvelous from start to finish!! Atmosphere is laid back and elegantly charming... I ordered Limoncello for my cocktail lol, being a second generation Sicilian, I've always wanted to try, and it was exceptional, kick in the butt exceptional! We had the Piccolo Shrimp as a delectable appetizer and with a house salad both dressings were phenomenal! We both had scallops my husband scampi and I having pappardelle they both were so delicious!! To think we had no idea the place existed and happened upon it very much by divine intervention to find one of the best meals we've had in our lifetime!! HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND read more

The VERY Business restaurant in PI....the VERY best food and the BEST service......PERIOD! Been there six times and every time is better than the next!!! read more

Piccolo was recommended by friends who live in Pawleys and though we did not think Italian when we were on vacation for the week, we were so glad we tried it! Jeremy was our server and he did not disappoint! He was engaging and has a great sense of humor. He was very knowledgeable and helped us narrow down our choices for our party of 6. The calamari was excellent. Some of our entrees included, Piccata, Linguine with Mussels, and the Burrata salad. I wish I had taken pictures because even the presentation was amazing. We did not know about the beautiful, covered patio outside and our only regret was making the reservation for inside. I know we will be back! read more

Food consistently good & it is our go to restaurant for celebrations. BE WARNED, they cancelled our reservation, which we had for 2 months, because of the possibility of rain & their an inability to accommodate all diners indoors. We had planned this meal for months to celebrate birthdays of our 2 adult children, who came from out of town, & our 35th wedding anniversary. They made no offer to change the time or day of reservation, or to move to us to their sister restaurant. Incredibly disappointed & will keep in mind if we go back. read more

Really poor service situation. We were seated outside but other than a kid filling water glasses no one acknowledged our existence. We waited for a while for "Joe", who was supposed to be our server, to come to the table. After a good 10 minutes with no Joe, one of the four went to the bar to order drinks. The bartender was not permitted to do that but instead said something to the hostess, who arranged to have a server from inside come out to take the order. Joe never looked our way the entire evening. The restaurant was busy, but a server should at least come to the table and explain whatever the problem is. There is never a good excuse for ignoring customers. Frankly, if a restaurant is so busy it can't handle a full restaurant (and actually it was never completely full), it shouldn't be seating so many people. read more