Last night my wife and I returned to Il Piccolo. We have been coming here quite a few times over the past 2 years and it didnt disappoint. Our server remembered us and his service was excellent. My wife had the gnocchi bolognese which was excellent and I had the home made pici with guancale and onions. fantastic. I wish the portions were larger but I understand restaurants have to make profit to stay open. as Ive said in review after review, a great meal requires wonderful food along with great service. and last night was wonderful in every way. thank you and we will return, sooner than later this next time. read more

What a splendid experience! Stopped by for dinner on Friday and I absolutely loved it. The dark, romantic, and quiet ambience outside is perfect for a date or girls night. Our server was so fun! The dirty martini was one of the best (frankly I normally compare to my own and this was very similar). The carbonara-esque pasta with guanciale was excellent as was the grilled calamari. We also got the duck ragu and prosciutto and burrata which were also great, but the former two were the stars along with the drinks. Might I also add that the bill was a pleasant surprise at the end of the night, so rare to find great food and drinks for a reasonable price these days. I loved it here, if I lived closer it would be j. my regular rotation for weekend dins. read more

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Beautiful restaurant with a very cute back patio and gives such a perfect and romantic date night vibe. The food was fantastic and the service was also very friendly. The seafood squid ink pasta was delicious. The calamari were perfectly grilled and the burrata on eggplants was delicious. read more

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It's a wonderful combination to have a French manager running an Italian restaurant. The service was amazing. The food was absolutely fantastic and it was a very pleasant experience. It's good value and great food. read more

Amazing service, wonderfully romantic ambience, The presentation of the food was incredible and the food itself matched that level. We will be back for sure! read more

Piccolo - Santa Monica - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I had so much fun with my mama, it was beautiful on the patio and I had my little dog with me too! The eggplant pasta was so delicious and I loved the waiter's accent. So relaxing and pretty read more

Piccolo - Santa Monica - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

I visited Piccolo for DineLA a few weeks ago and had a great evening! I'd heard of this place for a while but had never been, so I'm glad I finally got to give it a try. I came here on a Friday evening and was able to find metered street parking fairly easily. My friends and I were fortunate enough to be seated in the gorgeous back patio, and the multiple heaters kept us toasty warm despite the chilly winter evening. I participated in the DineLA menu, which was priced at $45 for 3 courses - not bad for LA, especially Santa Monica. I started with the octopus salad and was pleasantly surprised by the generous portion size. The octopus had a nice char and tasted pretty tender, though I'd say it was cooked just a tiny bit too long for my liking. For my entree, I was in the mood for a cheesy bowl of carbs, so I opted for the Pici Guanciale e Cipolla, which essentially tasted like a carbonara. I loved that the housemate pici noodles were cooked perfectly al dente and had a delightfully chewy texture, and the parmesan fondue coated each bite of noodles with velvety goodness. For dessert, my weakness for chocolate took over, and I had to try the Tronchetto. Though I was initially a bit underwhelmed by the small portion size, it ended up being the perfect amount given how rich and decadent the chocolate mousse was. Throughout the evening, our servers were knowledgeable, welcoming, and attentive - almost a little too attentive, as they tried to clear my plates before I finished eating on a few occasions. However, they profusely apologized and I acknowledged that there was only one bite left each time (I was really trying to lick the plates clean), so we had a good laugh about it. I'm really glad I was able to try out Piccolo's DineLA menu, and I loved the romantic and intimate ambiance. This would be a perfect date night spot! read more

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The food was good. Portions were a bit small, but even after finishing dessert, I still felt like I could eat a little more. The pasta was just my style, and the steak... well, it was just steak. The dessert was nothing special, but overall, it was a solid meal. Next time, I'd probably skip dessert and order four dishes instead. read more

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From start to finish, everything was phenomenal. The grilled calamari was the best I've ever had. The squid ink pasta, tagliatelle, truffle tortelli, and ribeye were all perfection beautifully cooked and incredibly flavorful. Desserts were equally impressive: the panna cotta, tronchetto, and tiramisu were all very good. The outdoor dining area has great ambience, making the whole experience even more enjoyable. Service was excellent ,attentive, friendly, and professional. A truly exceptional meal all around! read more

Found Piccolo here, on Yelp, and wandered over for dinner. A fortuitous find. Service was great, food was great (and fairly priced), cocktails were great, mood was great (that back patio is entirely charming). We stayed a long while and enjoyed every minute of it. Three minor criticisms: The two-tops are far too small to comfortably fit drinks, waters, plates, bread. Speaking of bread, an Italian restaurant that charges for a basket of bread? C'mon! Lastly, the ambience was slightly ruined by the two large-ish dogs on long leashes at the next table who did a lot of jumping / wandering and tripped the waiter several times. I am a dog lover / owner but there is no need for this at a nice, higher end spot on a Saturday night. read more

Very good overall but only a few small things that I would adjust. I think the food experience is great and I think overall they do an excellent job with it. In the ambiance is really fun, very small and a great date spot I think. But the service I think could have a little bit of tweaking to make it a little bit better. Our server seem to be in a rush to tell us the specials and before we could even ask for a drink or to order bread for the table he walked away to the next table, so that was a little odd. We did get some great suggestions though when he was providing us his attention l. I would have prefer though had he checked up on the table to see how we were doing and to make sure the food was to our liking which never occurred until all the plates were cleared and it was really time for discussing dessert options. When the meals are coursed out, I think the table should be checked on at least once or twice. But overall it was a great experience and I would definitely come back these minor things are not that big of a deal and as long as the food and experience overall is great it's not as big of a deal if your server doesn't check in, it just would be nice if they did. Most of the food was outstanding, and my least favorite was probably the squid ink pasta, but perhaps it's just not a dish I'm particularly fond of, no fault of the chef at all. The Ratatouille was just so good I probably could eat three more plates of it, and the tagliatelle was really outstanding but it is one of my favorite dishes also. One of the dishes had large grain salt mixed in which provided a very odd and unsettling crunch, I believe it was the calamari dish. I would recommend using smaller grain salt so that something the size of a grain of sand doesn't surprise someone chewing their food. Seemed to be the kind of full grain salt that one would use for margarita glass rim. Maybe that last one's another personal preference thing, but certainly not something I would personally add to a dish if I were serving it. They had a really odd collection of music that added a very weird dimension to the melodic experience. They would have romantic hit songs from the '60s, Beach boy hits playing talking about surfing in the USA lol. Great music choices for me personally, but just an odd choice for a romantic setting in a restaurant. Overall a great food experience and would definitely come back! read more

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Everything was fabulous. The pasta was incredible and may be my favorite pasta in LA! We tried the Pici Guanciale and Tortelli Patate. Special shout out to the espresso martini! It was A+ you will not be disappointed. Can't wait to come back. This is such an intimate restaurant for date night! read more

Piccolo in Santa Monica is a small restaurant serving quality Italian food. Not ostentatious but straightforward quality. The service was also straightforward and to the point. Not a lot of atmosphere but that didn't detract. We enjoyed our visit. read more

The unassuming front at the corner of the busy Lincoln Blvd and a small residential street, Pacifica, this eatery, like its name, may seem small, but the warm hospitality of their staff and the idyllic backyard patio transported our dining experience to the origins of its cuisine... somewhere in the Mediterranean! We came to celebrate an event and got a nice large table at the back of their patio- a beautiful yard with passion fruit vines on trellis. It's small but cozy. Our waiter was attentive and charming with a sweet Italian accent. He recommended many things and they were mostly good; though my favorite is the Linguini Mare e Monti - the succulent shrimp and the al dente black ink pasta were a great combination! Oh, we also ordered a few Capesante Pancetta e Scarole - their scallop appetizers but they were gone before I could snap a photo. Our waiter also recommended a lovely new wine from Sicily to go with the food. Portions were not big but prices were reasonable for the quality of food. The ambiance made the experience worth the money! read more

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Amazing food, authentic and fun ambiance, friendly and knowledgeable service. Would definitely recommend! Each pasta and main dish we tried was incredible! read more

Piccolo is a sweet neighborhood restaurant without the overwhelming need to be trendy. It is real; with authentic homemade pastas, delicious cocktails and an intimate setting. Come here for a first date, with your gal pals, or bring the grandparents (you can hear at this restaurant). My favs are the branzino and fig pasta. Friendly staff and neighborhood vibe. Come on in. read more

Very small restaurant with very big flavors. Food and service were terrific. Parking can be a challenge but it is well worth the effort. Very reasonable too. read more

I really enjoyed dinner time with boyfriend. Very nice food, friendly service, and clean cozy creative patio. read more

Piccolo - Santa Monica - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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We had a large group reservation (8 people), and though the restaurant is not very large, they fit us in decently comfortably. Bread is not free, which is noted at the bottom of the menu, so just make sure you're aware, because our server initiated bringing it to us without us requesting. Portion sizes were not as big as I thought they might be, but they were still satisfying. I'm a big pasta fan so I'd say I could've probably eaten more and generally expect to be super full at the end of a pasta dinner. I tried the pici with eggplant and tomatoes, which was quite tasty. The eggplant in particular was delicious. My boyfriend got the orrecchiette which came with spinach and was also pretty good. Nothing particularly wowed me to be honest, but the food was still tasty and our party enjoyed the dinner. The tiramisu honestly didn't really taste like most tiramisu I've had in the past; the espresso flavor was almost nonexistent, and the moistness of the cake reminded me more of tres leches. It was still good, just not what I expected. One minor complaint we had was that at the end, our bread basket was taken away with still a couple pieces left. We had affirmed having our empty pasta plates cleared but the waitstaff was very quick to remove the bread before we could object. It's a small thing, but seeing as they charge per basket, this was pretty disappointing. read more

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Came here for DineLA and we had a reservation for 7:30pm on a Saturday. Was able to find parking in the alley in the back of the restaurant. There's only about 2 regular spots and 2 handicapped ones. Otherwise, you will need to find parking on the street. Walked in and there's inside and outside seating available. We chose to sit outside and it was warm with heaters on. The restaurant is pretty loud when crowded, so you might need to speak up. When asked, make sure you tell the buser that you want tap water. He's going to ask if you want carbonated or flat. Those come with an up-charge. so tell him you want tap. Unless you want to pay $7 for bottled water. Not everyone has to order from the DineLA menu if they don't want to. I decided to go with that option and ordered the octopus appetizer to start, Pici Guanciale for my main and tiramisu. My wife ordered from the regular menu and opted for the daily special which was the black ink pasta with lobster for $45 (I think??). We also ordered the prosciutto with burrata. We initially ordered the bread basket ($4), but that never came and we were not charged for it. So I can't comment on it but I did overhear one of the other tables mentioned how good they were. The cocktails were reasonably priced and were just ok. Our food came out at a pretty good pace. But the poor couple sitting next to us waited a good 20-25 minutes after they placed their order for the appetizer to even come out. But the server was good enough to comp them the burrata. Not sure, but the octopus we got was pretty small compared to the other tables. I don't know if it's because I ordered from the DineLA menu and it's smaller portions or not. Either way, it was a little dry and tough. It did have good char flavor though. Just wished the portions were a bit bigger. The Pici pasta was really good, but again, the portion size was pretty small. Don't come here hungry because you will leave hungry. Good thing there's a Chick Fil-A right across the street. The prosciutto with burrata was pretty good and they gave you a good amount of prosciutto with it. My wife's black ink pasta was bland, though a little bit more than my pasta dish. The tiramisu is homemade and you can tell. It was soft, airy and pretty good. Overall, I would not come back here because there was really nothing here that wowed me. Their service was just ok and definitely understaffed. It was hard trying to flag down our server. Pricewise, it wasn't too bad, but again, if you order the pasta, you will leave hungry. read more

Piccolo - Santa Monica - DineLA Winter 2025 - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Came here for Valentine's Day and the staff was so kind and attentive even though there was a huge Valentine's rush. Everything we ordered was delicious. read more

I've been coming here for a long time, and the food never disappoints. The service is always warm and friendly, and almost everything on the menu is delicious. My all-time favorite is the Linguine Mare e Monti. I also used to love the Venice location back in the day. I really hope this restaurant opens in more locations! read more

The service, atmosphere & food were excellent, can't say enough how good the food was. The parking was a little tough.

Piccolo is fabulous. I too often forget it is there. For those of us who love well considered creative minded, but firmly rooted within a classic cuisine, cooking, Piccolo does not disappoint. Hand made pasta without the hype. Wonderfully gracious, professional service, in the neighborhood, not chasing a "trendy" locale. (The old location off Oceanfront walk was pretty independent minded as well) And compared to many comparable restaurants around, reasonable. I gush too much. I really like it. read more

The pastas are well-executed and comforting, and everything tastes fresh and thoughtfully made. Service was friendly and attentive without being overbearing. Portions aren't huge, but the quality makes up for it. Great place for a relaxed date night or catching up with friends over good Italian food. read more

We had a great dinner in the patio on Friday night. We shared one of the most delicious salads with parmesan and pine nuts. My partner had the halibut that was cooker perfectly on a bed of purple sweet potatoes mash and I had the scallops which were moist and delicious. Our friends had one of the pastas that and she said it was one of the best pasta dishes she had ever had. The setting is lovely and the staff very helpful and friendly. Can't wait to go back and try more of the dishes they offer. read more

Mixed feelings about this place but I'd definitely say that their pastas saved this experience. We got seated within 5-10 minutes at 8 pm on a Saturday night, which was really nice considering it looked like a very fancy dress up kind of place. The outdoor seating wasn't too cold or noisy thanks to high fences and heaters. We ordered the Insalata di Cresciono which wasn't really for me but others in my party really enjoyed. We also got the bread, which we didn't get until we reminded them. The bread then came burnt. The Orecchiette was about a 7/10, the specialty ravioli of the night was a 9/10 and the Pici Pancetta was a 8/10. While in general it was a nice experience, I would say I kept getting the feeling we were not paid as much attention to compared to other guests. Maybe because we weren't dressed up or because we were one of the only non-white people in the restaurant? read more

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Food was OK mainly because two of our dishes were too salty. We ordered Jamon Barrata salad, polipo ala griglia salad, 3 pastas- pici pancetta e cipolla, linguine mare e monti, orecciette salsiccia e cime di rapa. Only the squid ink pasta was good. Service by Ernesto was excellent and would want to go back to restaurant for his service. Ambiance was also very good for outdoor seating. We were there at 5:30 when they opened. It was empty of course when we got seated but by the time we left around 7, outdoor seating was completely full. read more

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Great vibes and service. Love the patio in the back too. The menu is really solid as well

Came here on a Friday night for dinner with my boyfriend. It was one of the Fridays during the LA fires, so understandably it was quite empty. But, that probably made our experience better not being too loud around us. The food was good - I would not say great, but it was pretty good. I ordered the spicy pasta and my partner ordered a fish dish. The food was decent - maybe we have to come back and try more things. The cocktails were strong and flavorful. I do like the location, but iffy with parking. I do recommend this as the it spot. :) read more

From out of town. Second time here and wanted to return due to our previous good experience. Being a holiday weekend place was virtually empty. We were the only occupied table inside. Very warm and friendly staff. Bruschetta appetizer was good, not great. Seafood pasta special was very well prepared and generous with the variety of seafood. The big disappointment was the black cod special. Not sure what was going on with the cod (old? previously frozen? not black cod?) but the texture was mushy with no crust, just a bad piece of fish. I should've sent it back which I never do. For $48 this was such a negative. Doubt we'll be back. read more

A very fresh and tasty meal was served. Great location and atmosphere. The service was perfect. I would definitely go back to the Piccolo.

Great food and service. I also thought the prices where very fair for the quality of food. I will definately go back next time I'm in town. read more

We went for Dine LA and were very impressed. The grilled octopus was one of the best I've ever had; soft, nice char and seasoned perfectly. The Pici noodles were also delicious. Another highlight was the beef filet medallions in truffle sauce; very tender and so flavorful. We were a group of three and tried 8 dishes. All were well prepared and tasty and some were outstanding. We're local so we'll definitely be back. read more

Pictured is the Aperol spritz and the tortellini patate e fichi (potato & fig tortelli with parmesan fondue, brown butter & sage). Both the pasta and the Aperol spritz were great. The service was also great. The reason I'm only giving three stars is because there were a ton of ants and flies crawling next to me on the wall and our table, which was very upsetting for me! read more

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Cute little spot in Venice The Pici alla Pancetta e Cipolle was delicious. A little on the rich side but very tasty. read more

Piccolo - Santa Monica - Pici alla Pancetta e Cipolle - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Piccolo has a wonderful cozy front room with friendly service. We had a fabulous meal, watercress salad is very fresh, the special squid ink pasta with seafood was plate licking good, the duck tagliatelle was delicious and I envied my friend's steak. Desserts were a perfect finish. This is a favorite place to dine either at the bar as a couple or at a table with friends. If you are craving pasta, the list is long. read more

I came here with my friends after graduation. I did have a reservation and I told them we were running a bit late, but no problems!! Reservations were also super easy and quick to make through Yelp, I made them like a couple days prior to my actual dinner date. Parking was a bit of a hassle because we had to street park in the communities behind the restaurant, but it all worked out. The pastas we got were amazing, but my favorite would have to be pici alla!!! It was delicious. Service was fast, and there's indoors and outdoor seating. read more

Piccolo - Santa Monica - Gnocchetti Verdi alla Bolognese (back) and pici alla (front) - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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"Pros: beautiful, serene ambience under passion fruit vines and awnings and great service. Cons: pricey for the quantity of food. My friend and I had the brunch specials. She was disappointed that her "fluffy"ricotta pancakes were slightly larger than the size of coasters, not huge and fluffy like she was accustomed to. I had the omelette which was good, but could've been plumper and bigger. The omelette was accompanied by a nice, small salad. Each dish was $17, with tax and tip over $20. Also had the delicious tronchetto for dessert $13. Overall good, but would like to see bigger meals to be commensurate with the price or better yet, reduce the prices to match the quantity of food. There was an extra 3% surcharge for the kitchen staff which was reflected in the meal prices bc it wasn't shown as a separate charge. read more

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Popped over here with my coworker since we are staying around the corner from here for a conference. The food at the conference leaves something to be desired, so we had a few options and chose this one as we walked by a few others. Very happy we stopped here! My coworker had never had burrata before, and they offered one with Serrano ham, red wine poached pears, arugula and onions with honey and balsamic. Spectacular presentation and we had some fresh baked bread to enjoy the dish with. Just enough to share. For his first time having burrata it was a good dish! For entrees we both got the same thing, the pica pasta with pancetta, onions, and cheese fondue sauce. It's the perfect amount of pasta for such a rich dish. Don't get me wrong, I'd have inhaled two of these dishes but this size was literally perfect for dinner without being overstuffed, or wanting more. We asked for more bread so we could eat the sauce leftover on the plate with the onions and pancetta. This was a great spot, we came early so no issues with eating inside at a high top. But I can tell that people would definitely eat outside on the back or side patio. Our server Ernesto made some good recommendations and we enjoyed our meal. We debated coming back tomorrow it was so good even though the conference feeds us lol. Support small businesses! Thank you Piccolo! read more

Piccolo - Santa Monica - Jamon Serrano con Pere e Burrata - Italian Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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