Vibe/ambiance: casual standard Italian spot Service: great! pastas could be portioned / split into two plates if sharing Reservation: did not make a reservation Items ordered: Tagliatelle verdi 9/10 read more

Piccola Cucina Uptown - Tagliatelle verdi - Sicilian Near Me - New York, New York

This was hands down some of the best pasta I've ever had. We got three and split them (tour of Italy style) and all three were hits. The pasta was cooked absolutely perfectly, and the sauces were flavorful and light. My fav was the cavatelli, and the ravioli was a close second. This place is legit and although it is definitely on the pricey side, it is 100% worth it. Highly recommend!! read more

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Would overall give Piccola a 3.5 and solid spot for an Italian-style dinner! Lovely ambience - dimly lit with warm lighting and great service - our server was really sweet. I'd recommend sharing mains together and trying out the different pastas! Calamari (3/5): the squid was cooked to a nice tenderness, but imo I don't think calamari goes too well with guacamole, there was also a bit of a bitter aftertaste with the squid. Bucatini cacio e pepe (3/5): The pasta was very al dente, maybe a little too al dente, but in general it could have benefited from something else because its doused in cream and cheese with some black pepper which can get very heavy and redundant. Tagliatelle verdi (4/5): ragu was a lil salty but I liked the pasta, it tasted healthy because they def put a vegetable in there, but personally the truffle didn't need to be there, changed the whole flavor profile of the pasta and overpowered the ragu. Pistachio pesto (5/5): I've never had pistachio pesto but loved the sweetness of the nuts that complemented the savoriness of the sauce and salmon. I liked the creaminess of it, and the choice of pasta was fun. read more

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Wonderful experience here with delicious food! The focaccia was a standout although I saw the table side cheese wheel pasta and table side tiramisu and it made me want to come back Quick service and cute restaurant. It's small and tight but we made a reservation ahead of time. The pasta in the walls was so cute as decoration read more

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Stopped by this restaurant for an afternoon snack. I had a wonderful tableside made tiramisu. Great ambience, service and the tiramisu was amazing. read more

Piccola Cucina Uptown - Tiramisu - Sicilian Near Me - New York, New York

Great atmosphere! Wonderful service! I ordered 2 of the octopus caprese. Octopus and burrata are my 2 favorite foods! I thought it was going to be AMAZING but it was just ok. The octopus was chewy and bland. I'm sure other things on the menu are great but the octopus just didn't live up to expectations. read more

Piccola Cucina Uptown - Outside - Sicilian Near Me - New York, New York

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Really great food. Their fugassa con tartufo was amazing. We also tried the cacio e Pepe and it was delicious, but the best dish was hands downs their tiramisu! My mom and I LOVED this place. The service was superb and the place had a great ambiance and vibe. read more

Piccola Cucina Uptown - Tiramisu - Sicilian Near Me - New York, New York

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4.0 / 5.0 This is an Italian restaurant I've been interested in. I went around 1pm on a weekday and it was pretty empty. I was able to bring two strollers in. $20 for bread and pasta is a good deal. The staff and the atmosphere are cheerful and welcoming. I'd like to try their other pasta dishes. read more

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Warm greeting at the door. The inside looks just like trattoria in Italy. They offer a nice selection of seafood and pasta. It's a little too dark. It was hard to see my food. They brought a basket of delicious bread with 3 dips. I really liked their hummus and carrots. Their house olive oil is outstanding. We started with the fish skewers. I thought it would be swordfish, but it was mixed with salmon and squid. The pasta with 3 types of shellfish tasted fine, but it was odd. There were lots of little shrimp, a piece of lobster tail in shell (messy to eat), and a bigger shrimp head - was the rest chopped into the dish? The pasta was perfectly cooked. The grilled salmon was well-made, a big portion, and came with a salad and generous portion of spinach. The bussers kept our water full. Our server didn't contribute much to our experience. They didn't have English Breakfast tea. They give our excellent cantucci as you leave. 5 stars because I almost always give an extra star when an establishment gives you bread at the start. read more

Piccola Cucina Uptown - Salmon and spinach - Sicilian Near Me - New York, New York

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I feel like I have a hard time finding great spots uptown and I was honestly thrilled with this place. The atmosphere is warm and inviting with a cozy Italian atmosphere. We ended up transferring our table reservation to the bar because we found the sweetest bartender, Juan Carlos. The house wine was lovely and I enjoyed several glasses. The tagliatelle with the wild boar was insane. The pasta was so fresh with just the perfect amount of truffle. The portion was generous and enough to take home for a lunch bite today. I plan to return soon when I am extra hungry so I can enjoy more menu items. Side note, we struck up conversation with a couple of others at the bar and they expressed that they eat there on a regular basis, and that to me is a huge indication that it's one to keep on the short list. read more

This place is a great spot for a date night! The lasagna was really good very creamy and delicious. The tiramisu prepared on the spot was incredible and absolutely delicious, which made the experience even better. Overall, a very enjoyable meal and definitely worth trying if you're in the area. read more

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Stopped in for their lunch special, was nearby and it's been some time since I've been here. Ordered the Fusollini di gragnano as usual with a bottle of still water. Service was good, food was great as always. Was hoping to try an appetizer that was on the lunch special but prices did go up again so now the lunch special is $20 which is still a great price. The bottled water went up also to over $10 which was a bit of a shock when I saw that price. I'll make sure to come back with more money so I can try an appetizer next time as well. read more

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Celebrated our little munchkins birthday here, because our little one said, he had a great time here with his mom and dad! Was a no-brainer given the perfect service we experienced on our previous visit. We got lucky with their upstairs seating this time around, and were seated in a cozy 4-person seating. Ordered some crudities (delicious), fried fish which has a good amount of shellfish, and their amazing mushroom pasta which you can't go wrong with. When we said we are going to share the pasta - the super thoughtful staff ensured we got two portions served, something that we really appreciated! Order the Tiramisu for dessert and watch it being prepared in front of you for a unique experience! Service was spectacular, including playing a kiddie happy birthday song for our little one which made him feel absolutely special. Can't ask for anything more! Will be one of our favorite places to go to, thanks to the excellent service, great experience, and excellent food! read more

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Beautiful spot with wonderful food, incredibly authentic. The service was incredibly wonderful. I went with my Italian coworker and she helped explain the origin of everything and if it was authentic or not. She confirmed! The wine selection was great and they had specials. All the food was delicious and beautifully plated. Fantastic little spot read more

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DELICIOUS !!! The service as great as the food! I need to come back and try the other dishes. read more

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I want to cry I miss this place so much. I live in Hawaii and genuinely good Italian cuisine is very far and between, not to mention insanely pricey. So naturally my goal on our MYC trip was to find a good Italian restaurant. After much research through tik tok I chose this place. And it was one of the best dining experiences I've ever had. It's a cute little 2 story restaurant uptown. Upon entering I was worried there was no room and they'd turn us away or we'd be waiting long bit they quickly walked us upstairs to our table. The vibes are kind of different between downstairs and upstairs too. The upstairs area felt a little less fancy and more fun, so we were glad. Our waiters were quick and attentive, and extremely friendly. I wish I got their names. Now onto the food. The complimentary bread comes with a bunch of different dips and toppings and they were all heavenly and well thought out. They even gave us a refill?? I was surprised. We also ordered the fennel and orange salad, just to try something a little adventurous. It was light and refreshing but became a little much about half way through. O think the fennel was little too much for my taste but my fiance loved it. I had my eye on the boar ragu with tagliatelle and my god it did not disappoint. Perfectly cooked hand made pasta and delicious soft wild boar with saiteed fresh herbs. Im also not a truffle girly by any means but it wasn't overpowering at all. A little rich but we ended up taking half back to our hotel anyways. My fiance got the oso buco ravioli. Beautifully soft pillows of veal, and an incredibly generous portion! We're so used to a ravioli dish coming with 5 pieces of ravioli and leaving hungry but we actually had to take most of it home lol. For dessert we ordered the apple torte with hazelnut ice cream- a sweet delightful end to our meal. I'll be dreaming of this meal for a long time and recommending it to every person I know that visits New York. read more

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I have been to this restaurant multiple times. They have the best pasta! Love the seafood pasta. What I enjoy the most the service and let's not forget the table side tiramisu. The nest in town. I did take one star off because I think their salmon was nit the best. read more

Piccola Cucina Uptown - Sicilian Near Me - New York, New York

Had an excellent experience dining at Piccola Cucina Uptown! Dined here on a rainy Wednesday evening in August, the last day in the city for me and my partner. The restaurant was full that night. Multiple parties on date nights with various candlelit two tops across the restaurant. Some larger parties, but most of them were two or four tops with friends occupying the tables. We weren't sure if we would be able to dine in, but the hostess was able to find us seating at the bar. This probably saved the entire experience (more to come later). The service from the bartender was phenomenal. The bartender was a Hispanic man (built with tattoos) who didn't speak much English. But he was whipping out mixed drinks from behind the bar all night long without losing steam. He greeted us right away and got us situated with drinks. I got a Dirty Martini and my companion got a Mixed Drink (forget what) that the bartender recommended. The mixed drink was delicious and my partner enjoyed it. The martini tasted as it should and was made to par. After sipping on our drinks for a bit he asked us if we wanted any apps. I put in for oysters as I love them and we ended up getting a dozen. Not sure the variety, but whatever was served was quickly finished. Including the shell (jk). For mains, the menu as Piccola Cucina is expansive. Not obstructively so, but enough to make entree picking a bit more complicated. So asking the bartender for recommendations, he easily provided a special of the day (swordfish) and more suggestions. I usually go for white fish options so I had my mind made with the swordfish or sea bass (branzino). But my partner got a bit intimidated by the Italian heavy menu. The bartender could sense that out and asked her what she liked to eat. When she mentioned a basic pasta with sauce, he knew exactly what to order. He recommended a simple spaghetti with red sauce. Later on, he explained that is what his wife likes to eat, something simple but carb forward and went with that for a recommendation. Well it didn't miss. Per my partner 'that was some of the best pasta I've ever had' My swordfish was good and I was starting to get full off of it. Between that and helping my partner with her food, oysters, and the complimentary bread I was starting to fill up! But you don't visit New York City, eat great Italian food, and leave without dessert. They had a couple options and we went with the tiramisu. Once we ordered it, our bartender came over and made it from scratch. The recipe was simple with lady's fingers dunked in espresso, layered in a small cup, with mascarpone cream in between/on top, topped with espresso powder. I have a video of him making it, took a solid 60 seconds. The creation of the dessert in front of us added a small/quaint element to the experience. Not the best tiramisu in the world (we LOVE tiramisu so have high standards for it), but it was really good. Overall, the bartender that served us was friendly, affable, and had stellar recommendations. When walking into a somewhat nice restaurant in NYC without reservations, you never know how bar seating is going to. This night went without a hitch with great food, even better service, and was considered the nightcap on our trip to NYC. High recommend Piccola Cucina Uptown! read more

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Nice date night spot for the last night of our trip to NYC! We got the branzino appetizer which was delicious, in addition to the complimentary bread and dips. The tagliatelle was delicious and a large portion! The short rib was good but mashed potatoes could use some more flavor. Wished we had room to try dessert! Service was great on a Saturday night and we were able to get a reservation within a few hours. read more

Piccola Cucina Uptown - Branzino Alla Griglia - Sicilian Near Me - New York, New York

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If you're looking for an unforgettable pasta experience in NYC, run to Piccola Cucina Uptown. From start to finish, everything was delicious, cozy, and beautifully curated. We ordered the Bruschetta di Pomodoro, Bucatini Cacio e Pepe, and Gnocchi di Ricotta con Pomodorini Giallo e Spuma di Mozzarella, along with a round of mocktails that were refreshing and tasty. The bruschetta was a standout starter: fresh, vibrant, and served on warm bread. It was so delicious we found ourselves cutting the last piece in half just to savor every bite. The Cacio e Pepe was prepared tableside in the cheese wheel, which added such a fun and elegant touch to the evening. While it wasn't my personal favorite of the night, it definitely elevated the ambiance. But the gnocchi? Absolutely to die for. The ricotta gnocchi was impossibly soft and pillowy, swimming in a rich, flavorful sauce with sweet tomatoes and an airy mozzarella foam that tied it all together. Truly one of the best gnocchi dishes I've ever had in my life. The atmosphere is warm and intimate, perfect for a romantic date or a special night out with friends. I can't wait to go back. The service was great as well, highly recommend! read more

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Lovely restaurant and nice bar, very authentic Italian. Staff is amazing, manager came to check on us, she was also having a great time with other patrons. There were some that were definitely regulars. It was a very entertaining dinner. And delicious. I had the Rigatoni con ragù d'agnello, carciofi, pecorino e menta: Rigatoni, lamb ragu, artichokes, mint and pecorino. It was delicious, so much lamb in the dish. Got dessert we had the tiramisu that they make table side from scratch. I will definitely be back when I return to NYC. We made a reservation and glad we did. It was full when we were in there, the signs of an excellent restaurant. read more

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This Piccolo Cucina location lives up to their standards like the sister locations. Food is authentic. The fennel salad was really good but very fennel-forward, just shaved fennel and orange and missing a little something (like some baby gem) to balance it, while the pasta dishes are as great as the SoHo locations, with the tagliatelle verdi still a fantastic staple, the staff could use a bit more training - when I asked for something spicy for my pasta, they offered Tabasco. The staff is great. The location is two floors and probably the biggest set of all of them. read more

Piccola Cucina Uptown - Sicilian Near Me - New York, New York

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One of my go-to spots for Italian on the Upper East Side. From the moment you walk in, the energy is warm and welcoming--the hostess always greets you with a bright smile, like an old friend. I always go for the lobster linguine--it's not on the menu, but worth asking for. The seasoning is spot-on, and the lobster is consistently fresh and satisfying. Also, don't skip the wine selection--a great glass of wine takes the whole meal up a notch. I've been here many times and always had a great experience. Highly recommend and will definitely be back. read more

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Cute Italian place, but food was kind of bland. The artichoke carbonara had a fishy aftertaste, the lasagna was terrible, the ragu was fatty, and even though the service was good, they couldn't make any good accommodations for substitutions. Just not the best experience, disappointed. read more

Piccola Cucina Uptown - Artichoke carbonara - Sicilian Near Me - New York, New York

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We came here mainly for the tableside tiramisu, but it happened so fast and to the side, that we basically missed the whole thing. The tiramisu itself did taste authentic though. The food overall could have been more flavorful. The little side sauces for the bread looked promising but were pretty bland. The gnocchi was very soft but did not have much flavor either. The tagliatelle was the most flavorful of everything we tried, but even that could have had more depth. The server's attitude could have definitely been a little nicer, and less snarky as well. read more

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My go to lunch restaurant in the UES. They have an awesome lunch special where many of their amazing meals are $19. Most recently we visited and had a huge plate of fried sardines atop a beautiful fennel salad. We also had a wild boar pasta with green tagliatelle and truffle. We ended the meal with table side tiramisu. The service is friendly and charming, they will always have a nice conversation with you. The ambiance is warm and homey. read more

Piccola Cucina Uptown - Tiramisu - Sicilian Near Me - New York, New York

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This place was such a cozy little gem. Beautifully decorated with that warm Italian neighborhood feel where you immediately feel comfortable. It was busy but not so crowded that we could not get a seat which was perfect energy wise. We were actually sent here by the hotel concierge and he absolutely swore by it. He was not wrong. We ordered the lasagna and the wild boar bolognese and both were outstanding. Rich flavors, perfectly cooked pasta, and the kind of food that feels like it was made with care, not rushed. Service was friendly and attentive without hovering, and the whole experience felt relaxed and authentic. This is exactly the kind of place you hope to stumble upon when traveling. We would absolutely come back and would recommend it without hesitation. read more

Piccola Cucina Uptown - Quaint - Sicilian Near Me - New York, New York

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Checked out Piccola Cucina Uptown for a late Friday dinner in NYC. I'm usually not one for Italian food -- but this might've been the best Italian (technically Sicilian) meal I've ever had. We had a 9pm reservation and were seated immediately upstairs. The ambience was intimate and elevated without feeling stuffy. Dim lighting gave the space a cozy warmth, and the second floor felt noticeably calmer and more spacious than downstairs. - prosciutto crudo di Parma Dop e burrata - beautifully plated in an intricate flower shape, silky prosciutto wrapped around a creamy burrata center, finished with olive oil, arugula, and tomatoes - lasagna della Mamma Rosa - layers of meat ragu, tomato, and béchamel sauce; rich, hearty, cheesy in the best way - pacchero ai tre crostacei - paccheri pasta with langoustine, lobster, and shrimp; super flavorful seafood-forward dish, the pasta shape soaked up the sauce perfectly - tiramisu - tableside tiramisu performance (!!) made with espresso-soaked ladyfingers, mascarpone cream, and cocoa powder; layered, rich, and the perfect bittersweet finale They also brought out complimentary bread with a trio of dips -- elevated and flavorful, not your average bread basket. The restaurant sits just a few blocks from Central Park, making it an ideal spot after a stroll or MOMA visit. Even the bathroom was cutely decorated -- minimalist with chic Italian touches. Absolutely coming back next time I'm in the city -- this one's a gem. read more

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My wife and I took a weekend trip to the city and our criteria for our restaurant selections were dim lighting and an ambiance to match, good food, not ridiculously far from our hotel, and a bill that wouldn't leave us broke. Our research led us here. We opted to order the cacio e pepe, even though we had seen some reviews saying that it was bland. The tableside service, where our waiter prepared the dish in a parm wheel in front of us was entertaining, but we both agreed that the warnings of its blandness were accurate. The flavors didn't wow us and overall, this is a dish we would skip if we return. For the main course, I picked the braised beef short rib. It was tender, flavorful, and overall delicious. It came with a side of mashed potatoes which I didn't end up finishing. While it wasn't exactly a bad addition to the short ribs, I did feel like it took away and diluted the meat's flavor. My wife ordered the tagliatelle verdi, which was a pasta dish that came with a wild boar meat sauce. This was a different, but equally delicious meal as my own. Both entrees were solid options that I wouldn't mind having again. Now for dessert, we both wanted the tiramisu, which was also made tableside. Unlike the other meal made tableside, this one had flavor that deserved the show it received. Tiramisu purists may not love it as much, but it was more than good enough for us. Other details worth mentioning are that the staff was polite, we were able to be seated upstairs by request, and we were given a serving of free bread. All in all, a more than satisfactory dining experience that I would recommend to someone in the area. read more

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Solid place. Welcoming service. Excellent wine list. Rice ball ragu appetizer was great. House salad definitely worth getting; enough for two. Cavatelli and cacio Pepe pasta entree very good. Generous portions. read more

VERY DISAPPOINTED with my experience today. I had a restaurant gift card with remaining balance, but they REFUSED to accept it just because it was "over a year old." I checked both federal and New York laws -- there is NO rule that allows a gift card to expire after one year. This is NOT OK. The manager at uptown store showed me an email that someone else supposedly received and said it was my problem. I explained several times that no one ever told me about any expiration when I bought or used it before -- I was even told it would NOT EXPIRE. She just kept saying "that's not possible." I ended up paying out of pocket. Later at home, I checked their website -- and it says NOTHING about any expiration date. This is completely MISLEADING and feels like FRAUD. UNACCEPTABLE customer service and dishonest policy. read more

Piccola Cucina Uptown - when I arrived at home, checked that there is no any policy said only one year for the gift card when purchased. - Sicilian Near Me - New York, New York

I would have never ran across this place if it wasn't for Yelp. Had a reservation for 8pm but then had to cancel for another day and glad that I did as it was the best Italian in NYC. If you don't have a reservation good luck getting in because this place was busy the whole night. The Pacchero ai tre crostacei was the best thing on the menu as the pasta went perfectly well with the sauce as well as there was so much shrimp and lobster. Honestly never heard of the pasta that was used for this dish but it was perfect. I have to say starting with the fried calamari was the best thing to begin with because it was all perfectly cooked. I am glad that we chose the calamari for a starter. The waiter and hostess were the perfect combination as our waitress was a really good help on figuring out what to get for wine as well as dinner options. Overall Will definetly be coming back for some amazing Italian food as well as some amazing choices of wine. read more

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Delicious and quite the pivotal experience for eating Italian food in Manhattan. The owners are from Italy and clearly dedicate their passion towards the overall experience. Their menu is expensive and you will find incredible options like fettuccine pasta with a mushroom cream sauve, original Suppli with tomato flavored rice, and a Caprese salad that has authentic mozzarella do buffalo drizzled with high-quality olive oil. The dishes, especially the pasta, come served in imperial looking silver bowls. The upstairs seating area feels cozy and I prefer it to the downstairs, busier atmosphere. In the summer months, there is a lot of outdoor seating as well, but overall this restaurant fills up quite quickly. read more

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Well good and not so good here. The service is great and the ambiance is very nice, it's a fairly small restaurant. Service was very fast was efficient. We had the arancini balls stuffes with ragu. They were fairly tasty, very cheesy, which I usually like but it kind of over powered the ragu and everything. We then had the lasagna and the caio e pepe. The lasagna was ok but similar to the arancini I found it very heavy and over powered with cheese and light on sauce or some liquid. The cacio e pepe was prepared table side and looked great. But it was missing pepper. So we added some but It just didn't improve much. I think I figured what wrong with it. To make the dish properly temperature is key if the pasta is a little too hot then the cheese clumps together and it doesn't make a good sauce. I think that's what happened. The pasta was super hot in the cheese round, I was concerned when I saw this. You end up with the pasta which has pieces of cheese attached to the pasta which isn't the way it is supposed to look/taste, and shows it was cooked at too high a temperature. It should have a super smooth sauce with it. So sadly it looked way better than it tasted. So sadly we were let down, got our hopes up a little too high.. It's not terrible just not what I had hoped for... read more

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Piccola Cucina is on another level. From the moment that you enter, you're welcomed like family. The restaurant is beautifully, and cleverly, decorated. The tables are comfortably spaced apart and outdoor seating is available. The service is award winning. They make you feel as if you're the only patrons and I appreciated every moment dedicated to us. The complimentary bread was incredible. It came with spreads of hummus, carrots, and tomato. Wait until you try it. The entrees were: Salmone Alla Griglia (Grilled Salmon with oil and lemon). This salmon was delicious! The accompanied grilled vegetables, in their own pan, were EXQUISITE! Even the trendy plate, where the salmon was served, was beautiful. The other entree was the Gnocchi Di Ricotta (Ricotta Gnocchi, yellow heirloom tomato sauce, basil, and mozzarella foam). Every forkful was delectable and the portion was generous. I cannot recommend Piccola Cucina enough and hope that everyone gets to experience this restaurant read more

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Great experience at this authentic Sicilian spot. Nice casual ambiance with attentive service and exceptional food Started with some shared specials. Artichokes were amazing. Came on a smoker with sage burning. Amazing taste and smokiness Baby grilled calamari was delicious. Delicate and soft. Light seasoning and a bed of avocado Special was the lobster and crab roll. Amazing texture. Very refreshing. Rolled in carrot!! . Entree was the ribeye steak. Cooked perfectly medium rare and carved expertly tableside! Tender and juicy. Accompanied my smashed potatoes and imam baldi style vegetables I highly recommend this place! read more

Piccola Cucina Uptown - Special crab and lobster - Sicilian Near Me - New York, New York

We walked in and were seated right away upstairs, which had this soft pinkish-orange glow, hanging ropes, and an overall cozy, romantic vibe. Right after ordering, they brought out bread service with a trio of tomatoes in oil, cooked carrots, and hummus. The variety was interesting and tasty, a nice start to the meal. We shared the ravioli di ossobucco and the grilled ribeye. The ravioli was generously stuffed and had a bold, rich flavor. The ribeye was nicely grilled and flavorful, though there were a few fatty pieces we had to work around. Overall, the ambiance made the evening - warm, intimate, and great for a date night or relaxed dinner. read more

Still a cozy neighborhood favorite on the East Side, a few years after my original review. Their pasta dishes are delicious, and the service has always been friendly whenever I have eaten in. I also have ordered from Piccola Cucina several times and had a great-tasting meal to go. read more

Excellent Italian place with great service.warm inviting!All the pasta,tiramisu is not to be missed.Fun place. read more

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I was looking for a lunch place for my wife and I to have lunch before a meeting. We are upstairs. Charming. This lunch specials are a great deal, the food is excellent. We had two pastas. Could have easily shared one and a salad. Very friendly and caring staff. A new favorite place to go! read more