What a great experience! We sat outside and had Mike as our server, and he was absolutely phenomenal. He was personable, genuinely kind, and went above and beyond to make sure we had a wonderful evening. From offering wine tastings and great recommendations to checking in regularly, he was attentive without ever making us feel rushed. His service was outstanding, and he made us feel truly taken care of. They are lucky to have him! The outdoor seating was lovely, with a nice breeze and great music. The music could have been turned down just a touch, but it was Saturday night, so the lively atmosphere was understandable! The food was fresh, and the overall atmosphere and cleanliness were superb. Mike was truly the highlight of our visit. It's rare to come across someone who makes such a positive impression, and we will absolutely be back to see him again! read more

Piccolo Buco by Cooper's Hawk - Pizza - Wine Bars Near Me - Estero, Florida

Piccolo Buco opened recently and located in a brand-new facility North of Coconut Points and South of Hertz's HQ on US 41. Piccolo Buco is an Italian themed Neapolitan cuisine partnered with Cooper's Hawk. Chef Luca Issa from Rome oversee and ensure their quality of food preparation. Right in front of entrance door, there is a cute vespa! The restaurant is divided into 3 sections. You enter through the Gusti Wine Bar, where you can have a glass mainly from Cooper's Hawk before your dinner. The second section is the main dining area with a huge bar overlooking many tables. In the middle of the dining area, there is a large wooden wine barrel mounted on a stand with the label "BUCA RISERVA" and surrounding with bottles and glasses. May be serving the Wine of the Day? Obviously, this emphasizes wine as part of the dining experience. The last section has a huge striking mural of the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy. It shows a large fountain with classical statues, and architecture, as the centerpiece. The ceilings are black industrial-style with exposed ductwork, hanging string lights with vines, plants suspended from the ceiling. With framed artwork and posters on the wall, this gives a warm and romantic ambiance and creates a fine dining space. We ordered our beer and wines but the Star of the night is their pizza! Our Margherita pizza has a thick, airy crust with large, puffy edges. My friend told me they called this cornicione, characteristic of Neapolitan-style pizza. A few charred spots show that probably baked at very high heat in a wood-fired or gas-fired pizza oven. With tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil leaves in the center and a little olive oil. The pie is cut with a scissor at your table. We love this Neapolitan-style Margherita Pizza! The Mezzi Rigatoni All Vodka is tasty but spoiled with a little too much salt! My original order was the Braised Short Rib but opted for the Norwegian Salmon with roasted potato and sauteed garlic spinach. Salmon and potatoes are fine, but the garlic spinach ruined otherwise excellent dish with too much salt! The garlic spinach appeared a little watery! The staff here offer excellent service and personal attention! Overall, the setting creates a warm, stylish, energetic and inviting experience. We love their pizza! They need a little work to control the salt content! read more

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We've eaten here twice since it opened. Yesterday, July 22nd, at 1 p.m. and also two weeks ago. The food is southern Italian - heavy and spicy, not even close to the CH restaurants' menu. Both times we were denied our CH "rewards" (that we pay for or are gifted). Until we spoke up....not the way a membership program should go and not how the two CH nearby locations operate. The ambiance looks good, but it's really noisy and frenetic, like a cafeteria. The wait staff is uninformed (in terms of CH wine membership), inexperienced, and hovers a bit too much (We eat out a lot). CH might reconsider affiliation as this location brings the brand down. read more

I was overly impressed as it's very similar to the other Coopers Hawk restaurants in the area. The exception is the menu is a bit limited version of Coopers Hawk. Partner and we shared a chopped salad and the chicken parm. The chicken cutlets were a bit overcooked with blackened edges. We did have a fantastic waitress who gave us plenty of time to enjoy our cocktails while we chatted as we hadn't seen one another in a long time. No rush to turn over the table like many servers do. The place is fairly new and nicely laid out with nice lighting and pleasant seating. I may return but there is better places nearby that I would return to. read more

Piccolo Buco by Cooper's Hawk - Lemon Drop & Dirty Martini. - Wine Bars Near Me - Estero, Florida

Great food! I'll be back to try the pizza. Service was excellent. Loved the salad flavors and the waiter accommodated my request for mocktails! The yellow tomato soup was the highlight, delicious! read more

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A taste of Italia right here in Southwest Florida! It's a Cooper's Hawk restaurant so when you walk in your greeted by the host and right behind that is the tasting encounter and they have all the same ones that Cooper's Hawk has. Your membership works there, your points work there and your membership card works there. Love the ambience! It's simple yet super inviting and lovely! We decided to go during happy hour. We did our wine tasting first and then went to the table and had to start with some signature pizzas, which are $15 each during happy hour. Our server was so nice and helpful. We enjoyed our pizzas. They are definitely gourmet and not your standard run of the milk pizza. Super delicious and we will be back to try the pastas. They looked amazing! Put it on your list, for sure! read more

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Absolutely wonderful. Amaya is a fabulous server. She was charming, friendly, beautifully smile, engaging and knowledgeable. Great decor, excellent seating, comfortable and relaxing. The food is outstanding! We nibbled on each other's plates ... arancini, pasta carbonara, eggplant parm and chicken parm with pizza crust to dip into the delicious sauces on our plates. We had 2 bottles of wine; and with the relaxed and comfortable atmosphere, we drank it all. We will be back to enjoy this restaurant more often. Thank you for a most delightful experience. read more

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Amazing scratch Italian kitchen, with a contemporary vibe specializing in homemade pasta and wood fired pizzas. Great selection of wines and amazing desserts. I personally like this better than Coopers Hawke The meatball appetizer is outstanding. Salads , and Italian fare and so much more but make reservations because this place is packed. Definitely lives up to the hype on food quality, service and ambiance. And this is coming from someone who isn't impressed with Coopers Hawke. I loved it and so will you. read more

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So excited for this place to open. Came in just a couple of weekends after it opened. We arrived for an early lunch and were seated immediately. similar to Cooper's hawk, they have a wine tasting area when you walk in. The decor was light and welcoming. We decided to try a couple of the lunch specials. Tuscan chicken panzanella salad and the meatball sandwich were our choices. The salad was good but I felt the portion was a bit small for the price. It also did not have a ton of flavor. Not sure we would have it again. The meatball sandwich on the other hand was incredible. Packed with flavors and served on the most delicious bread! I had expected big meatballs in a hoagie style bread but this was more incredible than I could have imagined. It also came with potatoes which were equally enjoyable. read more

Piccolo Buco by Cooper's Hawk - Decor - Wine Bars Near Me - Estero, Florida

We have been waiting so long for this place to open. We Coopers Hawk wine club members, so very happy that the benefits carried over. We look forward to enjoying the Italian wine selections. The crispy squash blossoms were perfect, not greasy just wonderful. The place was busy but the food and service was exceptional. read more

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An idea originating from the inspiration of their first location back in Italy. Belissisimo! Had this indoor out door garden vibe with the fo trelece above..great design with the distressed wall giving the back alley type feel. And a vespa greeting you outside Food: fresh personal size (but generous slices hand scissor cut at your table) pizza. Soup was rich with flavor. And the dessert was unique within its own right .as I have never had a wheat pound cake. Healthy and delicious. I didn't care for the salad. Not sure if it was mixed with an anchovie paste...my roommate liked it however. Service: just like it's sister (coopers hawk) you can walk up the counter for wine samples while you wait for a table. Our server was really kind and patient. I say patient because my roommate kept mispronouncing her name. Once it does open to the public...I shall return. Also because I am now part of the coopers hawk/piccolo buco wine club. Which btw you can use at any location nationwide read more

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My wife and I had such a wonderful happy hour dinner at Piccolo Buco! From the moment we walked in, the service was outstanding--multiple attentive staff members made sure we had everything we needed and made us feel truly welcome. We started with complimentary wine tastings, which helped us pick the perfect beverage to pair with our meal. We split the incredible Mama Luca's Meatballs served with mascarpone polenta, pomodoro sauce, stracciatella, and herb migas--absolutely delicious! For our main, we shared the 'Nduja pizza with spicy Calabrian sausage, wood-roasted tomatoes, Kalamata olives, whipped ricotta dolce, basil, and EVOO. Every bite was packed with flavor and perfectly balanced. We were too full for dessert, but Mama Luca's Tiramisu was seriously calling our names--we'll definitely be saving room for it next time! The complimentary sparkling water was a nice touch and was refilled throughout the evening without us even having to ask. We live super close by, so it's literally walking distance from our home. Piccolo Buco, welcome to the 'hood! We'll definitely be back soon and can't recommend it enough. Highly recommended! read more

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We had a great experience at Piccolo Buco in Estero! The food, drinks and dessert were absolutely delicious. The atmosphere was awesome & the interior design of this place is beautiful. The service was great, our waitress was lovely. Everything was 10/10! Can't wait to go back with friends and family. read more

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Bartenders are friendly. I like the vibe. The pizza is very doughy but tasty. I would try a dinner item next time.

Was looking forward to trying the pizza here as it's supposed to be the star of the show. Unfortunately, it's highly overrated and a big let down. We ordered the Yellow Tomato Bisque to start, a Classic Margherita pizza (red sauce) and the Hand-Rolled Three Finger Cavatelli pasta. The bisque was very good, the pizza was meh. Nothing special about it. Pretty bland cheese and sauce. The crust is supposed to be light and fluffy. It certainly looked the part, but it was actually pretty doughy and dense when eaten. The pasta was also pretty dense and heavy, think gnocchi, but flavor wise was very good. The BUCA RISERVA wine was excellent. Our server was excellent, but the kitchen did mess up and had to refire our pizza, which delayed us getting our entrees by quite a bit. Overall, it's worth checking out but as far as the food is concerned, it's just ok and not anything to write home about. read more

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Good concept, but won't be returning. The pizza was delicious though it was a bit soggy. Some of the pasta dishes in our party were good. However, the cavatelli with chicken in a mushroom cream sauce was disgusting. The pasta was mushy - like oatmeal it was so mushy! There were about 4 bite sized pieces of chicken in the dish. We sampled a few wines and had a hard time choosing one because the quality was so poor. We've been to Coopers Hawk, and although the wines are just as disappointing, at least the food has been consistently good. read more

A typical Cooper's Hawk with their wine tasting bar as you enter. The restaurant decor is nice and modern with a large bar and a combination of high and low top tables. Service was a bit slow, but our server was nice, (it's only been open a month). We were interested in the pizzas, which have a huge, thick crust (which was tasty) but were disappointed that the thin center was not done enough and was limp. My husband had spaghetti carbonara, his "test meal", and while it was tasty, it was too dry and really needed more sauce. Our friend's salmon was perfect. read more

Food excellent, server was awesome but kitchen messed up our order and it was over two hours for our meal.

This is a great new place with top notch, friendly service and the best food! Michael was perfectly attentive showing up at only the right times. The food is so tasty I will have to return many times to try other things. I had a round, hollow pasta (not Italian, I'm Greek) with ground Italian sausage and the best tomato sauce. Really happy I had enough to bring some home. read more

Piccolo Buco by Cooper's Hawk - Fun photo op outside the entrance. - Wine Bars Near Me - Estero, Florida

What a great place! Fun, lively, good wine and great food. The pizza is exceptional. I preferred the white mushroom pizza. The crust is amazing. Service was fabulous. It's a little loud but that's ok. It was fun! read more

The atmosphere was nice. The servers were friendly. Food and wine were good. I went early before the crowd came in. It was hopping. I would recommend. read more

I was contacted by cooperate Coopers Hawk to give them another try , we did and I am so happy we did ! We had a wonderful experience with our bartender Amber ! Food and service was exceptional!! Luis was the manager and so nice, he was checking on all the customers ! Thank you for asking me to come back, I am so glad we did !! Everything was excellent ! read more

My boyfriend and I decided to try this new spot in the area after hearing it was great from friends after being open a week. I am going to let the photos do the talking and the tasting BUT everything was as mouth watering as it looked. Our bartender Amber was attentive and informative on the new menu and what it had to offer. We signed up for rewards and wine when leaving because we will be back soon. 10/10 recommend making a reservation for dinner or waltzing in for a quick lunch! read more

Piccolo Buco by Cooper's Hawk - From left to right: Gelato with Vanilla EVO, Italian Cookies & Cream, Hazelnut crunch. ALL UNBELIEVABLE. - Wine Bars Near Me - Estero, Florida

Nicely decorated. Very loud and crowded. My spicy shrimp pasta was good had a little bit of tang to it not sure if it was the cheese??? One spicy pepperoni pizza with ricotta cheese on it. In my opinion, there was very little toppings to it, and there is way more crust around the sides than I would like.. they will cut it into four or six slices. It barely fed my husband and I. I'm not a crust person so it was way too much crust not enough ingredients for me and the crust was very bubbly on the sides and very thin in the middle. Unfortunately, I do not think I would go back. It was $90 without the tip and that was with a Coke and a glass of wine.. We did have an Arancini as well and that was very good.. read more

Went last night for happy hour. Devon was our Server, he did a great job. We started with the squash blossoms, YUM. Then on to the tomato soup, another winner. Neither of these items were on the HH menu by the way, but I highly recommend. Now onto the pizzas that were on HH menu, we had 1 each of the pepperoni, mushroom and Calabrian sausage. These were all a hit. Check this place out! read more

Meal was incredible! Every single person loved their dish. I short rib entree was great. read more

Piccolo Buco by Cooper's Hawk - Short rib and pappardelle pasta with short rib - Wine Bars Near Me - Estero, Florida

Made a reservation for a Saturday night table. When we arrived, they told us that we would not be taken for 20-30 minutes beyond our original reservation time. We left the restaurant for another Italian restaurant in the area. Poor time management here. read more

This place just opened and Im definitely coming back. I ordered carry out about a week ago because my friend told me about the vodka pasta and it was super good . The girl was super nice and acquainting to bringing my food to my car. I didn't go all the way in but they have a large waiting area which is nice read more

Absolutely delicious! Had the pizza and chicken parm. The sauce is amazing. Has such a great flavor! The pizza crust is so light and airy. We sat at the bar since we did not have a reaction and did not want to wait 2.5 hours for a table. Enjoyed sitting at the bar and hanging out with the bartenders. Antonio made the best expression martini! Can't wait to go back! read more

Piccolo Buco by Cooper's Hawk - Expresso Martini - Wine Bars Near Me - Estero, Florida

WOW. Hubs and I went to Piccolo Buco today for lunch. Sat at the bar with Amber tending to us - she did a fabulous job with a full lunch crowd. Great job, Amber! First of all, the place is beautiful. Not ornate like Italy, but very well suited for the area. A full bar with beer, wine, and liquor and some wonderfully creative concoctions awaits you. Pro tip: get the red Sangria! We decided on the stuffed squash blossoms as an appetizer. WOW. The flavors were a mouthful of wonderful tastes that melded together to perfection. Who would think that lemon aioli and squash could equal perfection? Next up was a pizza. Wood fired, perfect crust, cut with scissors to retain the crust structure. We had the 'Nduja, HIGHLY recommend. Some may think it's pricey, but the food was worth every penny. Definitely try this place. We WILL be back! read more

Service was ok, presentation not good. The food was fair, nothing great. I do not ever put a price on food. Example if the lobster tail is real cheap at the restaurant, there is a reason for it. Most likely poor quality, not good preparation, And not a fresh lobster. So that fact that my meal was way over priced for the Quality of the meal and not very memorable, no reason to go back there. Big thing and I told the server about it.the menu was very convoluted. Example. Salads were offered but they were for sharing, not for a one or use as a side salad. I bought a dinner but it did not include any greens s o I wanted a side or even a side salad with the main course. They do not exist. read more

Piccolo Buco was an amazing place to celebrate my 59th birthday! The atmosphere was warm, cozy, and inviting, and the staff was incredibly friendly and attentive. We enjoyed a wonderful wine tasting before sitting down to a delicious dinner. Every dish was full of flavor, and the entire experience made for a perfect birthday celebration. I highly recommend Piccolo Buco for anyone looking for outstanding food, great wine, and exceptional service! read more

This new neighborhood Italian restaurant by the Cooper's Hawk group is refreshingly good. It adds validity to Estero's growth and prosperity. Accompanied by two friends, we got a table without a reservation. It was not easy and next visit will prompt a call. The place was packed. We ordered three things and shared. The meatball appetizer was delicious, the favorite of all. The next was the eggplant parmigiana. Another winner. Our pizza with spicy sausage spread was way too spicy for our taste. After grabbing a manager to explain our concern with the pizza and he explained the sausage and heat was in the sauce. My tongue and gums were on fire. Won't get that one again! Our server, Edward G, was outstanding. Request his station during the reservation. He provided samples of the Yellow tomato soup, the Cabernet , the gelato with olive oil (fabulous) and bread. He was awesome. Hope he reads this review! The only caveat is check on the heat level before ordering. We will be there again very soon. read more

Great place and atmosphere! Love that it's by Cooper's Hawk. Service was outstanding!

Interesting to read the mixed reviews. We're from IL and have been amember of Cooper's Hawk since it's inception. We were anxious to try PB on our way out of town. Overall, disappointed. Pasta Fagioli Soup was delicious but wasn't served with bread. Special Italian Sandwich ($17) was very good, but sadly, the salami was missing. Accompanying side chopped salad was delicious. Baked Eggplant Parm was delicious, and extremely (temp) hot when served. Again, sadly, no side or even bread for $21. Also be aware, nearly everything has EVOO. We went today, Friday at approx. 1p, so restaurant wasn't crowded. Waited forever for our membership wine, and had to ask the server 3x for water. Ordered a pizza togo. Got home, and opened the box. What a disappointment. The Tre Carne, at $21 was a huge disappointment. Way too much dough/crust, and flimsy, thin, and under fired in the middle. Not enough MEAT! We were told the recipe came from Italy via chef Luca Issa. You'd be better off with a pizza from a local fast food pizzeria. We were allowed to use our CH Membership to obtain CH wine, and earn membership points, however, I'm not sure we'll be back. Ample free parking, clean restrooms. They need to get their act, service, and prices together, or I don't think they'll survive with the abundance of restaurants in the area. read more

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Very slow (got food 2hr after reservation) and manager blamed reservation cancellations as reason why which didn't make any sense, didn't seem as familiar with wines as regular Cooper's hawk. Had so so experience at the Oakbrook location in Chicago and this terrible experience in Estero, so will just go to regular Cooper's hawk for much better service and experience. read more

Nice spot, 4 of us for lunch, Calamari, 3 pizzas and a salad.... food was good,... Service was exceptional, Malcolm was positive, gracious and on the ball. Nice guy... I would have given this five stars on that alone. But to be honest for the price point for a personal pizza I expected the pizzas to be exceptional.. I thought they were good, just not spectacular. The salad was really good. The Calamari was enough for 2... not really 4... so the value is the one star off. Would go again, great wines and beer selection... read more

Spectacular. Great Italian appetizer, pasta and pizza. We have been to Rome and this is as good or better. Everyone needs to try this slice of Italy. Service is the best and ambiance is true Italian. read more

I had a great pizza. Yum. The crust was chewy and flavorful. The balance of cheese and sauce was excellent. It's now my favorite place for takeout pizza. Give it a try. read more

Service was good as they had plenty of staff training. No Bread Service to start off your meal. Sauce for Pasta was VERY light. Food was good but not Fantastic. To be honest, was hoping for more since this is a Coopers Hawk endeavor. read more