This going to be my favorite Italian place. We ordered Arancini, Fiocchi, Margherita Pizza.The sauce is fresh made to order you can tell the way it tasted. I wanted to keep eating way beyond being full, because its was so delicious. The bread was good too. The Staff was so helpful and knowledgeable about the menu. Plenty of options including dessert. Awesome recommendations as well. Thank you for the awesome food and service. read more

Peperoncino - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Rudi was taking care of the whole restaurant by himself and he was so accommodating and sweet and he didn't miss a thing! He took amazing care of us! Can't wait to come back and see him and bring my whole family. The food is extremely authentic and delicious! Everything here was incredible and the menu is so vast! This place is amazing! There are drinks and dishes here from Italy that you can't really find anywhere else! You have to stop by to try the wonderful genuine Italian drink selection and all of these dishes! Thank you Rudi! You're the best! read more

Summed up in a word, INCREDIBLE. I can be a terribly critical person. I can be fussy and hard to please. But this? This checks ALL the boxes. Their bartender, when asked for an aperol spritz, recommended his own handcrafted cocktail. I accepted and was glad I did. It was delightful. The food is other worldly. The owner is from Calabria. As a Sicilian I have sought food made in the old world tradition since moving to the Orlando area. People have literally recommended Olive Garden. . I literally stumbled on this gem looking for lunch after leaving the spa. They won't be able to keep me away. 10 stars, not 5. The food is so good and the staff so well mannered I could cry. Thank you. You made my day! read more

A real treat. Small bit quaint interior. The main chef was gone but left the Restaraunt in capable hands. Food very authentic and delicious. Large portions. Would definitely eat here again. Great server read more

Let me tell my history. This is the second time that I went to this restaurant. First time, was basically one year ago, we tried both sangria (red and white), ate the ossobuco, arancini and gnocchi. I remembered that the arancini with meat was delicious, the other flavor not so much. The gnocchi was good and the ossobuco and risoto really good (except with that acidity taste at the end), but the sangrias were amazing, with some taste of basil, totally new. So, we decided to returned there today, since they have a new menu. I ordered a house wine and my husband the sangria. We thought the sangria that it came, was something of the house (that costs $6), because were boring and had nothing with the last one, but at the end, was the "special sangria", that costs $12 with a flavor of $5. The bread was really good, I got excited and waiting for the main dishes. Artichoke was a joke, just something fried with pieces of Gorgonzola (or blue cheese) on top! The bruschetta came, the ideia is really nice, but the execution horrible. Their bread are really good, but was too big, with a huge amount of Gorgonzola (no paste or sauce, just stack on top) walnut and honey,disappointed again. The fnocchi, a pasta filled with 4 cheeses (as you can see in the menu, photo there) was nice, cold inside, and as my husband said about the sauce: "just cornstarch with water and bacon". Anyway. A "steak" of almost 4 inches, and smaller than 3/4 inch high, over a pasta, for $27, another joke. And to finish the dinner, we ordered the duck, $31, for a really nice mushroom risotto (the flavor was good, for real), with 5 pieces of duck (that doesn't taste good), with 2 cherries. I will tell you, the cherries, combined with the duck and the risotto is perfect, BUT, you only have 2 cherries for 5 pieces of duck, it doesn't work! And we didn't orders dessert, because the tartufo that we ordered in the first time, it was only a boring ice cream. It was just something that I needed to share. Not a place that I will come back again. read more

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It's that time again, dinner. The vollies start between us. Where do you want to go? Repeat, repeat, you know the drill.... So we decide to try a new place Peperoncino. To say it's small is an understatement. We got lucky and there were seats at the bar. We asked for the wine list and met Raul, their Som. What a delightful gentleman. His knowledge, stories, wine selections were all great. Then there's the cuisine. Everything was authentic and exceptional. I hesitated posting this because they're so small and we'd like to be able to get a table. We hope you enjoy it. read more

I made a reservation here for my mom's birthday and came here with my family. We got multiple dishes such as the truffle gnocchi, the carbonara, the calzone pizza , the bruschetta, and a specialty seafood pasta. The star of the night was definitely the truffle gnocchi. The sauce was very rich and creamy and the dish was delicious. The pasta is made in house I believe and it all tasted very fresh and flavorful. However, a slight critique I have is that protein is an additional charge, about $10 per dish. However, even after paying for protein only a few small pieces were added. If an additional charge is being added for protein, more should be added per plate. the portions were quite filling but still pricey to not even include meat. The service was alright, but it did take a long time to place an order and then to receive the food. It was a Thursday, so The restaurant wasn't even very busy. Overall the menu did have many options that give me an incentive to come back. read more

Peperoncino - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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Fabulous! Made from scratch Italian, reminded me of my Italy. Beautiful location and very friendly service. Delish! read more

Peperoncino - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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This restaurant is my favorite Italian restaurant ever. My boyfriend and I have gotten almost the whole menu and everything was always of the highest quality and taste. Currently we are unable to go to the restaurant since we moved out of Florida. But they remain one of our favorites. Please do yourself the favor to go as they are the best in Orlando! Very much love to Peperoncino staff from NYC miss you guys a lot ! read more

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overall our restaurant experience was made especially special by raul! not only was he very knowledgeable about the food, but he made sure we were content with all of our meals, especially with that yummy shot on the house for our graduation :) I ordered the squid ink pasta which was the perfect portion with an amazing amount of bacon and squid. I highly recommend coming here for the family ambiance and food! read more

Peperoncino - squid ink pasta! - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Was craving for Italian food and some nice delicious pizza and decided to check out this authentic Italian restaurant. This is my second time coming and the food is very good. the only thing I got to say is the restaurant layout is a bit weird people are not as spread out but we still felt very comfortable. it seems like they were quite short staffed when we got there so there was a bit of a wait but overall the pizza was delicious so if you are in the mood for Italian definitely worth coming to check it out! read more

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OMG what a delight! Loved the food, loved the atmosphere. Had a mini wine tasting with the sommelier on the patio out back. Will definitely go back again. read more

This is some of the best Italian food I've ever had. I have been a regular customer for more than 10 years. I DREAM about their Fiocchi, which is pasta filled with pear. The quality of the food is always amazing and delicious. Highly, highly recommend these place. read more

Best Italian food in Florida PERIOD.... Amatricana is best ever!! If you want Wooster Street Italian, stop and eat at Peperoncino ! read more

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The Chef, food, wine list and servers are second to none. Give Peperoncino's your go to restaurant if you want freshly prepared meal. "It's Italian"! read more

So the only reason I am Not giving this restaurant 5 stars is it was way too crowded, we are in Covid-times. The tables are so close together, I would not want to dine inside even if we were not in a Pandemic! So you may ask why did we go? Well, we were the ONLY TABLE DINING OUTSIDE and as an added bonus - Beautiful view of the fountains! The food and service were spetacular, my husband ordered the lasagna, my brother tortellini and I had the Fruitti de Mar. they also had a very nice wine and cocktail menu which contained "italian" wersion of well know cocktails. Great evening and I suggest you dine outside! read more

Peperoncino - Tortellini - per my brother Yum! - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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Peperoncino is a small casual italian restaurant located in the restaurant row area. I didn't really care for the decor but we were seated right away. This was the first restaurant I've been to during covid. I was disappointed that our waitress and other staff did not wear a mask. The complimentary bread came out late and the appetizers we got bruschetta and fried eggplant dish were nothing amazing. Lacked flavor and taste. The main dish I gotten "Ricotta Gnocchi" was probably the worst Italian dish Ive ever tried. I should of listened to the previous review who also said this dish was not tasty. The inside of the gnocchi is cold and this pairing just doesn't work. I didn't want to be rude so I didn't complain to the waitress instead I took a couple of bites and called it a night. The saving grace of this meal was the Nutella tiramisu which was delicious. My husband didn't care for the mango dessert so avoid that. Overall service was good but the appetizers/main course was a disappointment and at the price point, I expected better. I won't be back. read more

Peperoncino - Gnocchi di Ricotta alla Sorrentina- Avoid this - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

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I was really looking forward to trying this restaurant, but sadly, I was so disappointed. I ordered the carbonara pasta, and it tasted like plain pasta with burnt pancetta, literally burnt. We paid over $100 for two main courses. They are very expensive for what they serve. The service and ambiance were good. read more

This is the best Italian restaurant in Central Florida, also by far the most authentic! Love this place - it is the best!

I (Aline) have lived in Dr. Phillips for most of my life, and I thought I knew every restaurant in Orlando's popular "Restaurant Row," but I was wrong. Ashley came across Peperoncino while looking for new places for us to try in the area, and I'm so glad she did. We absolutely loved this place! We had a lot of food, maybe way too much, but the calories were totally worth it. One of our favorites was a chef's special that they had for the day: Octopus & Shrimp Ceviche Bruschetta. This dish was fabulous. It was appealing to the eye, it smelled incredible, and it made our taste buds dance. The octopus and the shrimp were cooked perfectly--not chewy at all, and they were coated in a light, yet flavor-packed dressing. We wanted to lick the plate, but there were people sitting nearby that might have frowned upon that. We also tried another chef's special that we loved: Cacio e Pepe (Salt and Pepper) Pappardelle with Porcini Mushrooms topped with burrata cheese and balsamic glaze. This dish was so cheesy and delicious, and we could tell on the very first bite that they used fresh pasta... yum. There were so many levels of flavor in this dish, and every bite hit us with a new note. The creamy burrata and balsamic glaze toned down the rich mushroom flavor creating an incredibly balanced dish. My personal favorite was the Ossobuco di Maiale (Pork) with Risotto. I love Ossobuco, and this dish did not disappoint. The slow-cooked pork set on a bed of cheesy, creamy risotto that was cooked to perfection in the au jus from the pork. Each bite was pure decadence. The meat fell of the bone effortlessly, and it was a truly memorable dish. Bravo, chef. Bravo. All in all, it was an amazing experience that we hope to re-create soon. We can't wait to try more of their dishes and their Italian wines. The atmosphere in the restaurant is amazing, and the people who work there exude pride in what they represent: fresh and soulful Italian food like grandma used to make. If you're ever in the area, you should try this place. You won't be disappointed. read more

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THE BEST PASTA EVER You can taste the freshest of the pasta and the sauce is so flavorful too. read more

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On a four day visit to Orlando Found this restaurant on Yelp Many great reviews led us to try it out It is a home run in every way Delicious smells as soon as you walk in the door Friendly and efficient service Spectacular meal. Highly recommend this place read more

Where was the free glass of house wine??? Never offered. Four stars for my Margarite pizza, the rest was 1 star at best. We were told all the pasta was made in house, to me that meant homemade. NOT. The penne was out of a box and the sauce was very over cooked almost to the point of burnt. Meatballs were ok but it was not the same sauce as on the penne as it was fine and not burnt - ??? Pizza was good and freshly made. Service was very good, cook was VERY SLOW. Got there about 2, left about 4:45. Bread was ok. Be aware that a dish of penne with regular sauce is $22, tortellini was mediocre at best for $28. Ridiculously overpriced. SALADS WERE EXTRA! read more

My friend and I came for her birthday and thoroughly enjoyed our experience! Carlos took great care of us. Everything was exceptional, including the osso bucco with risotto, fiocchi, bomba and tartufo al limoncello. read more

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Food has been consistently good and I feel the quality justifies the cost. However, ordered a Negroni while waiting for my order and received a charge of $15. That price for a basic cocktail that includes Tanquerays,Martini Rosso and Campari that any other bar in town charges about $8-$9 is by any measure excessive. Were we in NY's Midtown /Village, I'd say maybe, but here on Sand Lk Rd, I call bllsht... read more

Peperoncino - a $15 Negroni? - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

I'm disappointed to say this place is terrible. I don't know if I had bad luck or what. But the two people who handled my order that night were extremely impolite. They combined 3 peoples orders in one box, and it was a small amount of food as well... so I was confused and thought we we're missing half the order. Not to mention the place is extremely over priced... the pizza and pasta is worse than most chain Italian places. To top everything off the muscles and tomato sauce in particular we're extremely salty and just flat out disgusting. I called back to clarify missing food and basically got the biggest attitude from some nasty women. $230 for 5 ppl? and gross food that was not consistent with portions. Id rather not. Save your money and eat at Frescos... much better read more

Wonderful food! Great wine! Very friendly people! Loved it! I'll definitely be dining here on our next visit to Orlando! It was wonderful! Yum! read more

Italian-American friends visited from New York city, so we went to Peperoncino for dinner. They raved about the food and said it's the best Italian food they've had outside New York City. The place gives an ambience of eating a meal in someone's home. The service is spot on. read more

Business dinner here, I love the small Italian bar atmosphere! Friendly and pleasant staff, good food. Had a nice flat iron steak, the salad on top of it made it appetizing. The Sauvignon Blanca was good, and desert (tiramisu) was gone made read more

Peperoncino - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

So delicious and authentic. Tonight I tried the special which was puttanesca with tuna on top and it was amazing. The Bolognese here is perfection and I've tried every one in Orlando so I know ! If you want the americanized bland spaghetti pasta that tastes like spagettios then don't come. If you have a refined taste in pasta and appreciate good food then pepperoncino is for you. read more

Peperoncino - Puttanesca special - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

I have been coming here for years, and each time it's equally delicious and inviting. I highly recommend the fiocchi, it's a pasta pocket with a pair flavor. I literally dream about it. They offered us complimentary amaretto at the close of our lunch. It was delicious, and so smooth! Love the setting, the staff are wonderful, and the food is delicious. read more

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This was my first time dining at Peperoncino and it definitely won't be the last! Everything was amazing! We had Leo as our server. He was professional, accommodating, fulfilled every request, knew the menu well, and had some great recommendations. The taste and quality of the food are exquisite! Not one thing that we ordered had any issues. This is the closest I have gotten to food served in Italy and I will be returning very soon! read more

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This was the best and most authentic Italian food we've had outside of Italy! My wife commented that she actually felt like she was back in Italy while dining here. Fresh pasta, delicious sauce, great wine selection, and good service. One of our new favorites in Orlando. We had the Bolonese and Carbanara - Both were Bruschetta Pomodora was great read more

This is about as close as you can get to authentic Italian food in Orlando. The ingredients are fresh, and many of them are imported. In fact, you know you're in for a treat from the moment they put down the fresh bread, because the olive oil it's drizzled with is sublime, and the dusting of grated cheese packs a ton of flavor into each bite. We tried the antipasto plate, which had a wonderful pecorino cheese studded with black pepper--probably the best pecorino I've had. I'm not much of a meat person, but my wife liked all of the meats on the plate. We also had the mussels, which were served in a tomato sauce that had very fresh tomato pieces. I'm betting these came from Italy, as they weren't the American kind that you can bounce into a semi truck. The pictures on the website show lots of fish and shellfish dishes, but the only fish dish I could find was the special, a snapper cooked in parchment, served with shellfish. The snapper was (mostly) de-boned at tableside. It was moist, but a bit of a pain to eat, and the shellfish wasn't as good as the mussel appetizer. Perperoncino is tiny, bright and noisy, not my first choice of ambiance, but on nice evenings the restaurant doubles its size by expanding onto the plaza it fronts. That's the ticket for a truly authentic Italian meal. read more

Peperoncino - Leonardo DiCaprio look-alike de-bones my snapper. - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

Food was wonderful!! Service was great! And wine and dessert, delicious!! Our favorite Italian!!

The most authentic Italian food I've found in Central Florida. I haven't met the owner but based on the menu I'd guess he's from Calabria. The southern Italian menu features dishes with seafood, and sausage which is a Calabrian specialty. I had the lasagna, and was delighted to see that it was made as it is in Italy, with a bechamel sauce. My husband had the pasta carbonara, made as it is in Rome - no cream. The pasta dishes come in entree size or half portions for appetizers. The inside of the restaurant is comfortable and home style, with dark wood and red interior. It is very small Inside. Service is friendly and informal, rather than polished and professional. This is a great neighborhood place that deserves more attention for its authentic food. PS - a comment on the review below about ham vs bacon - I can see from the photo that the dish in question used pancetta, which is a type of Italian bacon. It's not ham. I can't speak to the service experience described, but as far as the ingredient in question looks like pancetta to me. read more

If you are looking for production line chain food Italian, this won't be it. If you want authentic Italian shared from the owner/chef's (Barbara) roots, then you must come here. Carlos was a fantastic and attentive waiter (friendly, not familiar). buona mangiata! read more

Peperoncino - Frutti di Mare and wondering how I'll fit the cannoli in ma belly! - Italian Near Me - Orlando, Florida

It pains me to choose one star as, before tonight, my experiences at this cozy gem have been nothing short of stellar. What made this visit different...and disappointing? The only answer I have is the absence of the phenomenal wife, husband duo that balance work and love as owners of this establishment. They were nowhere to be seen this evening and that perhaps should have been my blatant red flag. Where to begin on this unfortunate visit? Upon arrival, we noticed that the inside didn't provide much cooling relief from the outside. We later learned that the AC unit had gone out the night prior on one side of the restaurant...the side they sat us in...in an almost completely empty restaurant. The light bulb seemed to go off directly over our servers head as he explained this before apologizing for not seating us on the cooler, and much more comfortable, side. This was at the end of our meal by the way. Speaking of meals, we were excited to start off our gluttony with a pepperoni pizza - one of our most favored items on the menu. At least it was. This particular pizza came to our table with one single slice of pepperoni PER slice and completely charred on the bottom. I love a crispy crust but what I don't love is pizza base so burned, it is completely black to the point of staining my plate, and palette, with a horrendous charcoal aftertaste. After scraping the toppings in a poor attempt to salvage, we gave up and left the slices upside down in hope so making our server and cooks aware. Pizza was on bill at the end of the night. The pasta is always perfect, as it is made by hand and with love. But by the time our main course sat before each of us, the love affair was losing traction. Because this was my first terrible experience and because the beautiful owners were not there keeping everything and everyone in check, I will give it another go next time I'm in town. However, I feel compelled to say this: Now is not the time to disappoint customers brave enough to dine out and that want to support local businesses. We were the ONLY two customers in the entire place and could have easily taken our appetites elsewhere. As restaurants are welcoming diners back, it is critical that they are putting their best foot forward. read more

Still the most authentic Italian cuisine in all of Orlando... maybe all of Florida! It's THAT good!

I visited here during the covid-19 pandemic. I got food to go. I entered the restaurant and walked to the bar area. . There was an employee there. He was not wearing a mask or gloves. I got my order and saw another employee come around the corner. He also had no mask or gloves on. I ordered the gnocchi. I did not like it. The gnocchi is ricotta gnocchi. It did not really have any flavor. We also ordered the chicken park eggplant parm combo. The chicken in this dish was huge. Not like a giant portion, but like super fat. The chicken was at least an inch tall. Normally you'd pound down chicken in a chicken parm dish. My family members who ate that also didn't like it much. My wife got the lasagna. She liked her food. read more