What a delightful restaurant along the river on water Street. We celebrated a birthday here with an extensive wine list and homemade pasta. I sampled all that came to the table and it was delicious. The ambiance is enchanting and the wait staff impeccable. This is a go-to restaurant. The only problem reservations can go out for days and days and days. It took us a while but we got in. They are opened as walk-in downstairs on Thursday or Friday. I haven't tried that yet but I do recommend trying to get a reservations here. read more

The ambiance and service reflect a quintessential New England charm, with lovely views overlooking the Squamscott River. The restaurant is clean, tastefully decorated, and genuinely welcoming. The staff are well‑mannered, attentive, and congenial. Two critical reasons we continue to dine at Cornicello are Josh, the chef, and Sophia, the bartender. Josh is truly a master of his craft, and Sophia brings warmth and skill to every interaction at the bar. Together, they elevate the entire dining experience. It's the rare kind of place where skill, warmth, and atmosphere come together to create a meal you genuinely look forward to. Advanced reservations are strongly encouraged. read more

The finest place for dinner in downtown Exeter! We had a lovely meal here. I don't quite remember the name of my dish (the menu changes frequently depending on local provisions), but it was a rigatoni with Italian sausage and cheese that was delicious, with the pasta perfectly al dente. My wife and daughter also greatly enjoyed their dishes. The ambience is casual and bustling, and service was friendly and prompt. Parking is easy, both on the street and in a nearby parking lot across the street. read more

Cornicello - Italian Near Me - Exeter, New Hampshire

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Server was friendly, beverages refreshing but the food could use improvement. The bread in the bag was very disappointing and was not what we expected. Expected warm, crunchy Italian bread. While my husband enjoyed his lemon pasta, my pasta was undercooked & the eggplant tough. Did not realize restaurant was under new ownership since our last time dining. Wonderful atmosphere but definitely not as good as our experiences with former owners. Disappointed which is a shame as we live in Exeter. read more

Incredibly delicious Italian food. Fresh ingredients with a twist. Small and cozy atmosphere. Friendly service. read more

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Sottocello is incredible! We kept failing to make a reservation for Cornicello, but the downstairs bar, Sottocello, doesn't take reservations and we managed to just walk in on a (cold, snowy) Saturday night without issue. The menu is the same - absolutely incredible, and the drinks are perfection! The vibe is also great, I enjoyed talking to the bartender and nearby people, it's the perfect layout for that. My favorites were the funghi bruschetta and the duck pasta entree. We will definitely be back! read more

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Very average. Not worth the wait for a reservation. Had to sit at the bar, which is ok, but it was grossly sticky. The service was just ok. My dinner was a bowl full of mush. It was also very warm and wait staff just proclaimed that air conditioning system didn't work very well. Not impressed! read more

Last minute came across this restaurant while searching for an Italian restaurants for Valentines Day. To no surprise, there were no available reservations for the foreseeable future. I discovered they have a downstairs location, Sottocello that is a "speakeasy" restaurant in the downstairs area of Cornicello that serves the same menu as the restaurant above. No reservations, first come, first serve. We decided to give it a shot to see if we could get a seat. Since it was Valentine's, they did have the majority of the tables at Sottocello reserved but they had one large table (seating for 8) that was a "community table" for people who arrived on a walk-in basis. That is where we sat, at first hesitant, we came to really enjoy our stranger's company and towards the end of our meal became friendly with the others at our table. We started our meals with the brushette which was ample amounts of tomato, and for $2 more, added mozzarella which seemed to lack in quantity of the cheese. For the entrees, I ordered the rigatoni dish with short rib and my boy friend a nother pasta dish with ground duck. We both very much enjoyed our meals, although the pasta was a bit more on the al dente side than I would've preferred and wished the servings were bigger for the pretty penny the meal cost us. We enjoyed the wines we ordered for our meals and ordered their pistachio/olive oil cake for dessert which was not too sweet. We were impressed with our meal and hope to return back again but to save this place for special occasions. read more

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On the second visit I remembered (but just barely) to take some pics of the deeeeelicious food. Lindsey was delightful and her wine pairing suggestions were spot on. A lovely atmosphere and zero reasons not to try it. Because ... try it and you'll like it! read more

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What a find! I travel quite a bit but rarely write reviews, but I thought it was important to share this location with you. From my warm greeting, to the comfortable decor, my initial impression was that of QUALITY. This continued with an eclectic menu of Italian food all made daily from scratch. So many unique pasta types and ingredients, I had to keep Googling them.. Once I honed my choice it came out quick & was amazing. The bar tender Maggie also was super warm & knowledgeable. The dinner choice was braised duck with a unique square hand made pasta (tucci?), then the olive oil drenched pistachio cake (must try this!!). Chef Josh also came out & asked how the meal was. This is a great sign that they actually care & appreciate feedback to improve on their offering (I don't know how honestly). I will be back & recommend this place above any others in the area. read more

Cornicello - Braised Duck - Italian Near Me - Exeter, New Hampshire

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Our server, Jillian was attentive and very personable. Made excellent recommendations and the service was outstanding. The food was amazing - very well seasoned. Diverse menu and able to handle food allergies safely. The chef came by our table and it is obvious he cares about putting out a unique menu with superior quality. Fresh ingredients, very thoughtful recipes and you could taste the different components of the dishes. The salmon was perfectly cooked and the hand made pasta was perfection. The olive oil/pistachio cake was light, fluffy and incredibly flavorful. We will definitely be back!! read more

Here I am again, where I belong, enjoying out of this world culinary excellence. Be sure to make a reservation. We had a delectable artichoke appetizer with lemon aioli. Again, we had the bolognese and I tried the LINGUINE con FRUTTI di MARE all'AMALFITANA fresh ME lobster & sustainably harvested Ecuadorian shrimp in a buttery, lemon & wine "piccata" sauce, Sicilian capers, melted leeks; w/egg yolk rich linguine, basil, garlic breadcrumbs, stracciatella drizzle. Out of ALL my reviews, this restaurant knocks it out of the ball park including restaurants I have been to in the north end of Boston. Honestly, if I lived next door, I would be here every night! read more

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We absolutely love coming here! We start off with the prosecco on tap with the broo-sketta. Then usually order two to three entrees to share between the two of us. Always split the pistachio cake to eat at the end and order an extra to take home. read more

Cornicello - Bolognese with homemade pasta - Italian Near Me - Exeter, New Hampshire

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Meh, there are better Italian restaurants within driving distance. Food wasn't bad, just not remarkable and worth the month to get a table nor the 200+ dollar bill for my wife and son to have dinner. My dish per the waitress "was so spicy people return it." Yet was so bland and zero spice somehow. My son's swordfish was great and the winner, was tasty. My wife's and mine was bland and super lacking in flavor. Oh well. Service was excellent, ambiance was lovely, wine was good, food was ok, just not 200 bucks and a month wait by any stretch of the imagination ok. read more

Cornicello - Menu - Italian Near Me - Exeter, New Hampshire

Tried Sotocello (downstairs room of Il Cornicello restaurant). They don't take reservations at the downstairs venue but we had no problem getting a table on a Wednesday evening. Same great menu and service as upstairs. No noticeable delay in getting drinks (there is a bar on the lower level) or food. Great addition to restaurants in Exeter especially since it is quite difficult to get a reservation at the upstairs restaurant. read more

Delicious Italian haute cuisine efficiently served in a friendly atmosphere. If you've ever wondered how Catherine di Medici could have revolutionized the crude French cooking of the mid-16th century, Cornicello will suggest how. The French have made great progress since Catherine worked her magic on them, inventing "cuisine moderne" in the mid-18th century and "nouvelle cuisine" in the 20th. But the cuisine and table manners of 16th century Tuscany were what galvanized the French drive for culinary excellence. A meal at Cornicello is a reminder that the best northern Italian cookery can hold its own with French or any other great cuisine. Cornicello is noisy but the quality of its food and service more than makes up for that. read more

The restaurant is small and nicely laid out - tables are spaced from each other and do not feel cramped. There are huge windows offering a beautiful view of the rushing Squamscott river. At night, the illuminated back porch of a neighboring restaurant adds to the ambiance. The service is excellent! We were taken care of by Lindsay who is competent in describing the dishes and making informed recommendations. Menu: The items change on a regular basis. Some items are constant while most rotate. Therefore, my review may not be applicable in 2 weeks. This restaurant has gained a reputation for its homemade pasta and it's well deserved. Why 3 stars? - The execution of almost every dish had me wondering what was going on in the kitchen. We had outstanding stuffed dates, but everything after that was a disappointment. The bruschetta is served on toast and it was soggy on the bottom. The bread was served cold, like refrigerator temperature. The campagna oil is bitter!! The bread lacked salt. The presentation of my ravioli was just plain ugly. It was soggy and completely off balance. It was a struggle to finish. The Pasta with lemon sauce had a peculiar umami flavor and was sticky and unpleasant to eat. We asked for crushed pepper and it came in a black pepper jar whose holes were way too small (we needed to manually open the bottle and shake out the pepper). Our dessert was a pistachio cake that was soaking in the bitter campagna olive oil. It was not enjoyable. Perhaps it was a bad night? I see the menu has already been updated for the following week so I won't discourage anyone from making a reservation. I hope you enjoy! If the food doesn't impress, the service and ambiance will. Make a reservation and get a table!!! read more

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First the disclaimer. Middle aged (66), 12th generation NH, regular guy who would not normally dine in downtown Exeter, much less a place like Cornicello, which I assumed correctly would be a Euro style eatery designed to cater to the beautiful, over-educated, mostly from away, people of, or who visit, the Seacoast and Phillips Exeter Academy........don't like fish, drink wine or eat slowly. Made a reservation at the bar for 5P because that's all we could get a week out and it was the wife's birthday. Quaint, small upstairs dining area with nice ambiance and views of the Squamscott River. As you might expect, entrees consist of pasta, pasta or pasta......just a matter of sauce and additions. Don't remember what she or I ordered (mine started with a Z). Both were very good. Pistachio cake for desert. Again, very good. Only negative was no bread, which seemed strange for an Italian restaurant (fewer calories I guess, fine by me).....wouldn't go there by myself or a bunch of guys but a legit couples place if you need to make amends. read more

The homemade pasta was the best I've ever had, the service was efficient and friendly, and the atmosphere was delightful.

Just came back from my first dinner at the highly-acclaimed (and correspondingly high-priced) I'll Cornicello Italian restaurant. But in typical fashion, the actual experience did not meet expectations. We were seated in an east-facing table where the bright lights from the adjacent restaurant and on-coming traffic shined directly into my eyes. As for the entrees - the homemade pasta in the Papparedelle con Genoese Napoletana was thick and undercooked, which ruined the whole dish. My husband's Bucatini con Pollo was bland and the sauces was thick annd gooey, with a bland taste. I can't remember the last time I sent a dish back, as I usually eat & love just about everything. But I sent my dish back tonight. It was not good, which is too bad since the atmosphere was descent (except for the blinding lights) and the service was quite good. read more

Simple old world recipes that are not found in most Italian restaurants. Home made pastas, plus dairy and gluten free options which my wife appreciates. If weren't for those we'd be eating elsewhere! read more

Great meal at Il Cornicello in Exeter, and you have to give kudos to those adventurous to start a new restaurant during the pandemic! We've wanted to dine here for some time now but it is a very small restaurant and reservations are tricky to get. Strongly recommend that you plan ahead. We found this to be a very enjoyable evening with very good food, service and a lovely dining room and atmosphere. They even have a little bit of a market out front if you want to take home some products (fresh pasta is not available for take home however). We started with one of the delicious bruschetta choice on the menu. We chose one with olive tapenade and burrata, which was very tasty. We noticed almost every table ordered a variety of the bread. Note that a bread basket is not provided, so perhaps that is the reason. Next time I want to try the garlic version! We also enjoyed the Alitalia cocktail, which was delicious and well balanced. Our next course was a green salad with roasted delicata squash, simply delicious, not overdressed and had just the right amount of apples and cheese. Fresh in house made pasta steals the show here, and we were impressed with the tender delicious pasta bolognese. The sauce was creamy and delicious, and if I have to find any fault with the dish, perhaps a little less salt would have made this dish 5 stars. For dessert we tried some of the home made cookies, which were just delicious, light and made me feel like I was in an Italian pastry shop. This was a really good dining experience all around, and we look forward to visiting again. read more

Cornicello - Pasta Bolognese - Italian Near Me - Exeter, New Hampshire

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What an amazing meal!!!! We started with the mustard bruschetta and the insalata. Both were delicious. The green in the salad were crispy and fresh and the dressing was light but flavorful. We ordered ravioli which was delicious but the star of the night was pasta with mushrooms and white truffle sauce. it was incredible. I am still dreaming of that pasta. Cannot wait to go back!!! read more

Cornicello - Gemelli di San Miniato - Italian Near Me - Exeter, New Hampshire

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If you haven't checked out this little gem in Exeter then you need to put your reservation in today. The food, service and ambiance are outstanding! Homemade pasta dishes that transport you to a memorable Italian experience. I put in my next reservation upon leaving as not to miss out on another chance for a great meal. Stanford Cross, Exeter NH read more

Formerly 11 Water Street, Cornicello is a cozy Italian eatery, which serves up dinner a few nights a week in Downtown Exeter. They offer a limited selection of fresh creative pasta dishes, salads, a few small plate appetizers such as bruschetta, mussels, stuffed dates, and fried artichokes and desserts. Most starters in the $6-$12 and pasta dishes $18-$27. A full wine list is available. The place offers indoor dining and takeout with the dining area and bar area in the back room overlooking the Exeter River, a great view for dinner. In the front street side window, you can see fresh pasta being hand made from scratch. I stopped by Cornicello recently for dinner takeout. I ordered the Carciofini Fritti ($10 plus tax) and the Corzetti Con Pesto e Pollo ($23), which was ready in about 15 minutes after placing my order. The Carciofini Fritti was comprised of 8 lightly fried artichokes (hearts & stems) in a seasoned batter, dusted with pecorino romano, lemon garlic aioli, served with mayo for dipping. The Corzetti Con Pesto e Pollo was a small portion, which had fresh pasta "coins-patterned" in a basil pine nut pesto sauce, goat cheese, and corn with pieces of boneless grilled chicken (from Commonwealth Farm). Other than the small portion for the price (paying for the very fresh made pasta), the food I ordered tasted pretty good! read more

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A hidden gem in downtown Exeter. We planned to have dinner in Exeter before the show at The Word Barn. We saw Cornicello and decided to try it. Reservations are highly recommended. We got a table and bottle of wine and sat at the bar. The food from the eggplant app to the lobster and shrimp cake to the carbonara were an absolute delight! A must is their signature dessert, pistachio cake. Delish! The wait staff were great and the ambiance was cozy and warm. I was shocked to learn they change their menu daily (except for the pistachio cake...phew). Before leaving the restaurant we made a reservation for the next week. Can't wait to go back! read more

Love this place. The food was amazing. The pasta is made on site and it shows. Service was outstanding. Attentive but not overly so and we were not rushed. The restaurant itself was attractive, the lighting was subdued and the seating was comfortable and we were not crowded despite it being small. It has become one of our favorites on the seacoast. read more

It's tough to get a reservation. It's not clear if that is because of their voicemail system, but we only were able to get a confirmation because someone in our party stopped by the restaurant earlier in the week. Almost every table has a view of the river, which is lovely, especially around sunset. The dining experience was a little odd. The server would not let us order appetizers until we put in a full order and then dishes came a little too quickly. This was likely because our 7:30 reservation was the last of the night and the restaurant was nearly empty by 9:00. Not quite the leisurely dining experience I anticipated. Food and drink were fantastic for the most part. The Classic and Salciccia Bruschetta were both delicious. Mains were good. Portions varied a bit with some folks getting a rich bowl of pasta and others getting light, springy haddock on asparagus and pasta. Only gripe is the sourdough to start was a little spongy. read more

Delicious The lobster tortellini I had was some of the best pasta I have ever eaten! Lisa, the bartender was sweet and amazingly attentive and funny. Will return soon and recommend 15/10 but you have to make reservations because of very limited seating and very good comforting food. read more

We have been here multiple times since February, and have brought a bunch of our friends, all who love the food. Their bruscettas are out of this world, and frankly, I intend to try all of them at some point. This last time we went on Saturday, we had the mostarda, along with salsiccia and 'nduja one. They were all EXCELLENT - my personal favorite was the mostarda one - I'm a sucker for fig and pistachios. For pasta, my fiance actually ended up getting Cornicello's pork chop dish on the menu that night and I tried it - it was DELICIOUS. I got a rapini-basil-pea tendril pesto pasta with sunchokes, oyster mushrooms, and burrata. It was so delightfully fresh and summery/fall-y. I feel like every time we come here, we have a spiritual pasta experience. Their new winter cocktails are also excellent - my favorite was the Unattended Child, but I also tried the Spritz and had the percolator with dessert. As always, we got pistachio olive oil cake for dessert. I love that cake. I wish I could make it. It is always so good and so delicious, I don't think I've ever had a better pistachio cake. Also, the last few times we've gone, we've always gotten Lisa as our server and I'm always surprised she remembers us. She is wonderful and sweet and just an amazing server and you can tell she is a wonderful person as well. read more

Delicious from the first bite, classic bruschetta, to the last, pistachio olive oil cake and everything in between. The staff is terrific too :) read more

We finally had an opportunity to eat here and it was well worth the wait. Small and intimate, the restaurant is located on the river in downtown Exeter. Our waitress was the ultimate professional balancing a personal touch while ensuring our experience and food exceeded expectations. We tried a bread, appetizer, main course x2 and dessert x2. It was all fantastic. The food was perfectly portioned and presented and the flavors were outstanding. Similar to others before us, we booked a reservation for 2024 before leaving. :) read more

I know that everyone saids it's a hard place to get into, but the I had I would happily given up my seat to the next person. The restaurant is very nice, but I had the worst seat in the place. I spend the night with my back to everyone behind the bar, staring at a window and my reflection. If that wasn't the worst, having to twist to talk with our server left me with a twisted neck. My girls meal was exceptional and the bruschetta was the best I ever had. I would recommend that you take the table and cut it in haft, so a couple can face each other. You could have two tables for couples in that corner. read more

My boss told me about this Gem. Handmade fresh pasta to order. It's like you are transported to Tuscany. The bar is vibrant with craft cocktails and a friendly staff. From the appetizers all the way thru to the desserts you will experience an amazing adventure of your taste buds. You will need to book a reservation two months in advance but the wait is well worth it. read more

Two weeks to wait for a reservation but seriously worth it. If you love olive oil you need to get the pistachio cake for desert, oil drizzle is amazing. We had bruschetta for an app and shared an entree. Everything was flavorful and fresh. Wouldn't hesitate to make another reservation! read more

I love love loved this place! I just came home from Italy and honestly, I thought I'll Cornicello was much better than most restaurants in Italy. Everyone in my party really enjoyed their dinners. Bonus: the leftovers so we got a second treat! read more

Cornicello - Crostini, we tried all 3 - Italian Near Me - Exeter, New Hampshire

Amazing food and staff. Fresh ingredients. Pasta made in house. Drinks, appetizers, entrees, and desserts were delicious!

Great food, ambiance, and servers---but I'd advise you to pay with cash to avoid the Credit Card Processing fee of 3.5%. While I understand why they must add it, nothing on the menu or anywhere in the restaurant warns you about the fee. It's just a lovely surprise on the final bill. read more

First and foremost you will never experience this level of finesse, freshness and quality at this price point EVER. I mean really, I was foolishly expecting a more rustic meal but was blown away by the delicious subtly, the freshness of the ingredients and the knowledgable unpretentious service. If you think I'm bullshitting read my other reviews, I'm honest to a fault. Okay, we sat at the bar and the first engagement with our server/bartender was a question and recommendation. I prefer to start my meal with a white wine, most often a Sancerre. Since they don't carry a Sancerre or Sauvignon Blanc our server/bartender suggested a Friulano - Friuli Colli Orientali, which was perfect, complex but not pretentious, a perfect paring with my first course. I enjoyed this lovely and perfectly balanced starter of flavorful fresh pea shoots against the char of artichoke and Umbrian chick peas (they are smaller than what your used to and packed with flavor.) If it weren't gosh, I would have used a spoon to get all of those flavors in my mouth at the same time. My forever partner order the bruschetta made up of grilled bread, fresh burrata and prosciutto. On their own all of these components were delicious, however I found the saltness and the char overpowering the burrata and prosciutto. I'm being very very particular on this point only because I grew up eating this stuff. So its more of a personal preference than a critique. Let's move onto the entrees which arrived at the perfect time as a result of the impeccable service - bravo girlfriend, you killed it. Forever partner had a deliciously delicate halibut filet partnered with fiddleheads, coin pasta and a deliciously balanced lemon sauce. I went out of my comfort zone of ordering anything and everything with red sauce and order this wonderful melee of lobster, asparagus, violin spaghetti and goat cheese that remained memorable with every bite. We kept switching plates because we couldn't get enough of the wonderful and perfect blends of taste profiles. You can do this unabashedly after 29 years of marriage. Anyway, what more can I say other then the flavors were superb and the service was excellent. I don't care how in advance you have to make a reservation - DO IT!!!! read more

Amazing!! Looking forward to going back for more. Drinks and food and service and location is excellent