Piccola Cucina Estiatorio. "The Greek name harks back to the most elaborate and elegant taverns, but inside, a Sicilian ape becomes a display of fresh fish for customers to choose" I like to describe my long term loyalty to Piccolo Cucina as chapters in a book that has no ending because I will be a loyal patron to PC as long as they are opened to the public. Chapter 1 the beginning, 196 Spring Street location(all time fave). I "grew up here" with my friend Rochelle. She introduced me to this tiny restaurant with the hanging pans, open kitchen and "cozy space". We met for lunch here numerous times and my love affair with Maccheroni àlla Norma began. During COVID we dined in their enclosed dining space complete with air conditioning in the summer! Chapter 2, the middle, 75 Thompson Street, slightly bigger than Spring, different vibe but same delicious food. Chapter 3, Little Uptown Kitchen, 106 East 60th near Central Park, has a Madison Avenue vibe. Chapter 4, Prince Street, smaller kitchen and menu Chapter 5, my second fave, Piccolo Cucina Casa, 141 Nevins Street, Brooklyn, is a rustic house with a beautiful bar and great service. As you can see, when it comes to authentic Italian food, Piccolo Cucina is the one, especially, if one wants truly authentic Sicilian cuisine. Fawn's Fave: Wine: Sauvignon Blanc Appetizer: Scampi Gratinate with fennel and orange salad Pasta: Maccheroni ( tube shaped pasta)Alla Norma, eggplant, tomato sauce and ricotta served in a rustic pan. Hands down the best pasta dish IMO. Dessert: Lemon Cheesecake with White Chocolate, so simple and yet scrumptious Service: top notch in all locations What else is there to say but I will leave you with this: "I had come to New York just for a visit, but the energy and dynamism of these people bewitched me. Today the Big Apple has become my city, where this unexpected adventure began, and my mission is to bring the pleasure of the flavors of my land here".-Chef Philip Guardione South Village: Piccola Cucina Estiatorio 75 Thompson Street Piccolo Cucina 196 Spring Street: 2 spaces, smaller is tapas/wine bigger is Cucina Lunch served in most Piccolo Cucina locations from 11:30-4 read more

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Saw in the New York Daily News that this restaurant was doing the "Feast of the Seven Fishes" for a limited time (actually all the way up to Christmas). Was there Saturday. Small restaurant that was packed. Had a reservation and were seated immediately. Were presented the menus and saw nothing regarding the feast. Asked the waiter, he knew nothing but was going in the back to ask. I was getting ready to be disappointed when he arrived with the feast menu. Joy on high !!! Four appetizers, two pastas, a main course, all prepared with a different fish. Plus, dessert. All fresh. All were delicious. And we left stuffed. Price was a bit steep ($150 per person for the feast, plus a couple of bottles of wine, plus tax, plus a tip) but it was well worth it. Go and enjoy. read more

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Super solid Italian place - from the free appetizer (fluffy bread with flavorful tomato + oil dip) to all the pasta options - this is such a great choice for a walk-in meal! I enjoyed both the tagliatelle verdi with ragu and truffle as well as the fusliloni scampi, a must-get for a seafood enjoyer. read more

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Delicious upscale Italian food. The dishes were more usual than a regular Italian restaurant. They were beautifully made. The service was impeccable. I had a pasta dish with langostino. (Little lobster). The fish dish that was ordered was raved about. The desserts were fantastic. My cannoli was perfect. Tiramisu was also quite tasty. The ambiance was small and bistro like. You won't go wrong eating here. read more

Wacky. Bro chased us down the street and I knew that I shouldn't have gone with them when he did that. I've eaten at the one around the corner tho and the food was good, so I thought it would be fine but this experience was terrible. We ordered the ceasar salad and it was terrible, we took it back. It was a wedge of lettuce with Parmesan cheese. We got a different ceasar salad and it wasn't much better. The pasta was so bland. Don't go here. Wacky concept two different restaurants on spring street with two different menus. Idk what's going on with this place it went down hill. read more

Piccola Cucina Estiatorio - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Visited Piccola Cucina Estiatorio and ordered two dishes: the lobster pasta and the beef ravioli. The lobster pasta was genuinely enjoyable--rich but balanced, and probably the safest choice on the menu. The beef ravioli, on the other hand, came with a very heavy amount of cheese. It tasted good at first, but the richness builds quickly, and it became a bit overwhelming toward the end. Anyone who's sensitive to dairy or heavy sauces might want to share this dish or pair it with something refreshing. Portions here are definitely on the smaller side, so don't expect a big, hearty plate. Service was nice and the ambiance is warm and intimate. Overall, a solid spot if you enjoy rich, indulgent Italian dishes, but choose your order wisely. read more

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This was one of the best meals we had in NYC. They get super crowded and the place is small, so make reservations. We ordered the lobster pasta and the ossobucco ravioli with veal sauce. The complementary bread was also delicious. Hands-down, some of the best pasta and we enjoyed sitting by the kitchen and watching the dishes come out. Very attentive staff everyone was very friendly and we would definitely visit again next time we visit New York. read more

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What an awful place. It's extremely tiny, with only one restroom for both guests and staff. They don't sell drinks or mocktails. The servers keep rushing you the whole time because the space is so small, and you basically have to eat as fast as possible since they need to turn tables to make more money. So if you want a good experience or a special moment like Valentine's Day, don't go there. To make it worse, they seated me right next to the kitchen, and the "chef" was talking loudly the entire time. I couldn't even have a proper conversation because of him. read more

Shockingly expansive menu for what appears to be a tiny kitchen. The fettuccini was top tier using the real pork cheek, delicious. The seafood pasta dish with langoustine presented well, but all the seafood was old and fishy. Big disappointment. The branzino was, again, top tier, $39 is a great price. Restaurant is super small and my chair got kicked every time the servers walked by. read more

LOVED this place and will definitely be back again! Came as a group of 3 on Sunday at 5:30pm and the place was packed! Super lively and crowded but in a good way and not overwhelming. Everyone having a great time, several birthdays celebrated with very loud music and singing. Servers very nice and attentive. The FOOD WAS INCREDIBLE. We had several apps and tons of pastas to share and the pastas were definitely the highlights! Each one had its own unique flavor and was cooked perfectly. I overstuffed myself and we all joked how we were leaving the place after becoming 40% pasta ourselves. Dessert was also amazing, they have a great cannoli and tiramisu and espressos to top everything off. Highly recommend and am looking forward to coming again! read more

Piccola Cucina Estiatorio - Wine - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

With the vast variety of Italian options in Manhattan, consider piccola Cucina! This location is small and cozy. It could get a little loud when crowded, and there's not a whole lot of space between tables, but it makes for a kinda warm and homey vibe. But if you have a large group, I'd perhaps go somewhere else haha My friend and I ordered the crochette appetizer, the ravioli, and the tagliatelle. The crochette were these tiny little purple potato bites, but the best part was the sauce. Lobster was a bit overcooked, and didn't taste the freshest. The pasta portions look small, but they're quite filling. The ravioli was a nice al dente, filling and sauce were perfectly seasoned. I personally liked the tagliatelle more because there was a nice bit of heat in the sauce. The service was nice as well. Overall, not bad! I do wish the lobster was better, and the loud crowded ambience might not be for everyone. read more

Piccola Cucina Estiatorio - Ravioli Ossobuco - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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This is the 2nd time we've hit up Piccola Cucina Estiatorio, and it was just as good and as special as it was the last time. On this visit, we took our friends from North Carolina who were in visiting. They were up for some Italian food, and we suggested that we check out Estiatorio to give them a more authentic Italian dinner over American Italian (although I equally love American Italian). Everybody was really pleased with the food, the wine, and the service. Some of the standouts included: * Tagliatelle Pasta - This dish is out-of-control tasty (I highly recommend it) * Branzino - This is possibly the best Branzino I've ever had. It was flaky, and lemony, and rich with butter and herbs. Just wow! * Gnocchi - Again, mind blown! The dish was creamy and tasty, and it was some of the best textured gnocchi I've eaten We ordered a bottle of fancy Italian wine (my friend ordered it, and I forgot which one), but it was so good that we ordered a 2nd bottle later on. Final thoughts: Piccola Cucina Estiatorio is the real deal. Get reservations and check this place out. You will be pleased. read more

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We came with a reservation and the place was very full. The ambiance was dark and they added candles on each table (very cute). The waiters were very attentive with refilling our waters each time. The fried calamari was SO GOOD, very crispy and their tartar sauce was delicious (especially with the tomatoes) The pasta was good, I've had better but I have nothing to complain either. Side note: you can't have any add ons (ex. Grilled chicken). Not sure why but that's fine. I appreciate the olive oil and bread on the side. It was a good experience, good service, good place for a date night. read more

Piccola Cucina Estiatorio - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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Super cute ambiance and nice service, very cozy space for candlelit dinners. Our pastas were a little salty but you get decent portions.. tiramisu was good , not too sweet. I think I'd have to come back and try more of the menu. read more

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At Piccola Cucina on Thompson Street in NYC be prepared to become very intimate with your fellow man for, as in strict conformity with Manhattan dining economics, the place in strung (and seated) tighter than a Victorian corset. That said, the menu is marvelous and the service nonpareil. There's seafood and the assorted steak but this is, for all intents and purposes, a pasta joint that left me speechless. Spinach tagliatelle in a wild boar ragu made me reluctantly reimagine my dear sainted grandmother as a culinary hack. Sorry granny. I've never had anything that tasted so sublime, until my next visit. Five stars in a sublime ragu. Pro tip... bring your corset. read more

Where to start? We chose this place last minute and the wait wasn't too bad. The service was very friendly. The ambiance amazing... But the FOOD! It was really good, it's been 3 months since I went to NY and I am still dreaming about their Veal with tuna sauce antipasti and their tiramisu!! Everything we ordered was really good! You won't be disappointed read more

Piccola Cucina Estiatorio - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Friendly staff, tight seating and mediocre pasta honestly. This is not a home made pasta joint which is fine but at least I prefer my pasta to not clump together. My mates enjoyed their pasta but I'm disappointed from what they used to be. Quality has gone down, yo. read more

With the ridiculous wait times (even with a reservation) and the cacophonous interior, I was prepared to hate this spot. Fortunately, after nearly half an hour of waiting, the hostess was able to get us a quiet table outside, and it was all uphill from there. Of the three pastas we got--Pappardelle ai Funghi Porcini, Tagliatelle Verdi, and the Ravioli di Ossobuco--the latter two were scrumptious, while the first should be skipped. And for dessert, the Cassata Sicilian was a surprisingly pretty and delicious ode to pistachio. Servers were fast and friendly, probably because it was so much quieter and calmer outside. read more

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Fantastic. Fun atmosphere, great service, but most importantly excellent food. The depth of flavors on their sauces are sublime, while not being overly complex dishes. The simplicity of the plates lets the artisanship of the chef shine through. True excellence in pasta sauce doesn't need a symphony of add ons to make a good meal. Highly recommended. read more

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Great food! We got the tagliatelle verde and the penne pesto lobster pistachio. We got the octopus to start. The octopus was delicious and the main dishes were hardy and tasty as always. My only complaint is the inside is a little noisy so it was difficult to have a conversation. It's a very lively restaurant that would be a great setting for a festive situation. read more

Piccola Cucina Estiatorio - Penne - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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I love the lunch specials! We had the fried sardines over a bed of fennel orange salad - really delicious! - the pasta with tomato and langostine, and the AMAZING and very heftily portioned lasagna! One of the best lasagnas of my life! read more

Had passed by 1,000 times and finally tried Piccola Cucina. I was really impressed with this restaurant! The branzino was huge and served with a generous portion of grilled vegetables. The meatballs had a unique twist that made them stand out in a great way. And the pappardelle with mushrooms was incredibly juicy and flavorful. read more

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They were running a bit late so we had to wait like 15 min for our table to be ready-- which is fine but I wish they had a waiting area inside the restaurant. Atmosphere is casual and can feel a bit cramped when it's busy. Service was good and food is definitely worth a visit. I had the tagliatelle verde, which was delicious. Truffle flavor really came through without being overpowering. Portion sizes are pretty generous. Tried a bite of my friend's maccheroni alla norma, which was also very good. Tiramisu could've used significantly more espresso, coffee flavor was very faint. read more

While looking for a lunch spot, my friends and I found Piccola Cucina, a cozy little restaurant offering a $15.95 lunch special. The space felt warm and inviting, like dining at someone's home. I ordered the lasagna, which arrived looking hearty, saucy, and topped with golden, crispy edges. The flavors were there--the sauce was rich, the cheese gooey, and the beef tender--but the gummy texture of the pasta took away from the experience. It left me feeling like I was eating Chef Boyardee or Stouffer's, which I enjoy, but not when I'm expecting something fresh. Overall, it wasn't bad, but the texture held it back from being great. I'm sure the other dishes are better! read more

Piccola Cucina Estiatorio - Lasagna - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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The piccola cucina salad was unique and delicious. Fusili and lasagna so distinct from each other and flavorful. Cannoli not too sweet and not super rich either but crunchy and light. Amazing good. Excellent service. Ambiance was lively and true Sicilian! read more

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One of my go-to pasta restaurants in the city! I always recommend this spot when friends are in town or in the area and it never disappoints. The staff is lovely and the pasta is amazing. My one complaint is the fish they have for their daily catch doesn't seem to be all too fresh so maybe skip that but everything else I've had on the menu is incredible! The restaurant does get busy and loud at peak hours so be prepared for that.. The tiramisu and affogato are must gets for dessert. They also have really good coffee/espresso. Always an amazing experience here! read more

Piccola Cucina Estiatorio - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

I don't like the vibe, the noise or how close together the tables are so I wouldn't come back probably for at least the noise level. They should have less tables inside the restaurant and that also could have brought the noise level down. The ceviche could have had more flavor, but the pieces of fish are a great size compared to most crudo dishes in other restaurants. The salmon crudo was more enjoyable with more flavor both from a texture standpoint and flavor profile. The avocado was a nice touch in addition to the large chip that was on top of the salmon. I thought both of the crudo dishes were a little too expensive also. Both pastas were actually pretty good, their pasta did come through and tasted fresh. Besides the truffle in the boar ragu, there was nothing that really stood out in either dish and didn't surprise me in a meaningful way. I wasn't disappointed by the pasta but they were ok. Overall, not sure I'd come back at all unless I get a prime time reservation easily or just walk in, which may not be worth the trouble. read more

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Arancini was the best I had around NYC, almost could say it was better than I had in Italy! I had many Arancini in my life so it's definitely worth to have it here. We sat at the outdoor and the seats were very tight to next tables so It wasn't ideal setting for talk in private but foods was great and authentic pastas ( a little bit over salt ) and the waiter and waitress were very friendly and checked our table often with their sweet Italian accent. Only minus 1 star is for their seat setting ( and a little bit over salt on pasta sauces ) But all was great for brunch and looking forward to returning to this place again, especially for their Arancini. read more

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The food was delicious although one of the pastas might have been a tad too salty. Ambience would have been really wonderful except for the giant TV that was hanging in one corner of the dining room. For some reason they had some sort of infomercial travel show about Italy playing and it really brought the tone of the place down. It was a packed restaurant on a Saturday night. Nobody needed a TV. read more

Very crowded. But great food. Really nice service. And their lobster linguine is amazing!!! (It's on their hidden menu fyi. Ask for it and they'll let you know). Brought so many friends to this place and all have nothing but great things to say. read more

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This place was amazing! If you want good pasta, this is the place to go (unfortunately, i got too excited with the pasta and didn't get a chance to take a picture). My friend and I went for dinner on a Friday night so it did get pretty packed, but luckily we made reservation ahead of time so we were able to get seated. I will say it was a bit cramped inside, but couldn't be helped since it was a busy day. Overall, we loved everything we had and would definitely come back again to try some of their other pasta dishes. read more

Piccola Cucina Estiatorio - Polpo caprese con burrata, pomodorino confit e basilico - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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I love the ambiance, I loved the burrata, and the people working there... But, wow my pasta dish was a total disappointment. I have Cacio e Pepe all across NYC, and never had I had one that just tasted like eating butter made out of a salt stick. I pretty much gagged and looking back I should have returned my order. What is this good for: - Gathering with close friends and loved ones - Hoping for amazing Italian food - Great wine selection - Break ups... so loud, you won't cause a commotion. What is this not great for: - Wanting to have a conversation where you can hear each other - Space to stretch - Expectations of consistent food read more

We had the most delicious meal with cousins from Italy. Everything we had was cooked to perfection. Parmigiana, Wild Boar meatballs, the Piccola Cucina salad, Rigatoni with pesto, Tagliatelle with wild boar sauce, ravioli and all of the desserts. The service was impeccable. The wine list is very extensive. We had 2 great bottles of Etna Rossa. I can't wait to go back!! read more

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At this price tag, you gotta know how to cook a basic steak. I asked for medium rare, it comes in almost well done the first time. I tell them it's a bit too cooked as I was looking for medium rare, and it comes back medium well. An even worse part is that the edges are blue rare, while the middle is medium well. The other dishes we had were okay, but that threw me off so much that I can't give anything higher than 2 stars. They didn't even apologize or take it off of my tab. You get sat next to a bunch of trash on the street as well. read more

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Pasta was good but not amazing. Got kind of bland after a while. Fried calamari had a lot of small pieces. Attentive staff and full house. read more

Piccola Cucina Estiatorio - Pappardelle ai Funghi Porcini - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Amazing food and service. Small restaurant with low levels of lightning. Started with the Sicilian rice balls. This was an amazing appetizer filled with meat ragu and mozzarella. It came with two dipping sauces to enhance the dish. I had the Tagliatelle Verdi which was amazing. The meat with the dish enhanced it. My wife had the Bucatini cacio and she enjoyed it. read more

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Came here for lunch on a Sunday and the service was great, our server was kind/friendly and was very accommodating about my shellfish allergy (warned me about what I can and cannot eat carefully) The pasta here tastes great, we got one of the specials items and that tasted good too. But pasta was definitely the highlight. My family got the fried seafood which they enjoyed a lot! The only issue we ran into was that there was condensation leaking from the celling which isn't a great experience. Hopefully they get this fixed so water isn't dripping on people as they eat. read more

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Could've been A LOT better. Was seated outside next to a man who kept dogging my partner and I. On top of that, there was a whole lipstick stain on my glass of water. I got the ick immediately. The waiters were incredibly slow. Boyf and I decided to split a Tagliatelle Con Ragu E Tartufo Nero. Bonus: Came during lunch prices. We settled with this dish because if there's anything we will eat whenever we possibly can... it's tartufo. I was soooo disappointed in this dish. Noodles were a nice al dente BUT the flavor was just not there whatsoever. No tartufo flavor either. I was really really sad leaving this place. If you're from CA visiting, I would suggest looking elsewhere. read more

Piccola Cucina Estiatorio - Tagliatelle Verdi Con Ragu di Cinghiale Aromatizzato Alle Erbe E Tartufo Nero - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

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The food was delicious, definitely recommend the rigatoni with pesto and lobster. A water at our table was spilled and the waitstaff rushed to help us. The ambiance of the restaurant was very cozy. read more

Piccola Cucina Estiatorio - The pesto pasta with lobster - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

Me and my mom love this place. Their Arancini and Cassata are as close as you can get to the ones in Sicily. They have fresh fish every day on display, and many pasta options! The place is small, often packed, but it's SO WORTH IT. The servers are fast and attentive, except for the ones that pour the water. They tend to make a bit of a mess because they're usually on a rush. It can get noisy inside, but it's okay. I come here like once a month. read more