Piccolo Cafe

Delicious food!!! The place is very small. Service was fine. Would go back for the food.

I arrived here on a sweltering summer day after shopping at the Bloomingdale’s outlet next door. The reviews were good. As other reviewers mention, the seating inside is tight, although they do have tables outside when it’s sunny. There are two versions of a lunch special, each costs about $ 15. I got the second, which meant I could order a main dish and a glass of wine. The wine was cool and a little sweet, not bad, while the fettucine bolognese reminded of what I ate as a tourist in Italy. It was delicious! The place is not suitable for large groups, but it was great for an afternoon lunch.

What took me so long to check out Piccolo???
The menu was filled with tempting options so we ordered a bunch of food to share. We very much enjoyed the artichoke bruschetta, the roasted cauliflower, the zucchini pot, the mimosa risotto, and — the winner of the evening — Paccheri & eggplant alla Norma.
Looking forward to going back for more!

In search for a quick delicious dinner before our show at the beacon theater, a friend & I came across this little hole in the wall that had a good amount of outdoor seating even though we were approaching the dinner rush. The scaffolding above the seats were adorned with cute little lights which gave the outdoors a cozy feeling despite the rain outside.
The servers were good, informative when we asked questions about the food. I could tell there were many regulars at the restaurant who knew the severs by first name already.
We got the spicy calamari for the table which was so flavorful! My friend got the grilled octopus (the sauce was so good!!) & I had the special ravioli with spinach, cream cheese and asparagus. Both dishes were incredibly delicious and satisfying. If only I wasn’t pressed for time, I would have ventured to the dessert menu as well! Hoping to come back soon!

Excellent little spot. Great ambiance for a small restaurant very adorable. Food was very good, and the quality exceptional. I would recommend to anyone

Even though I only experienced Piccolo via the To-​Go window, the place was so cute it deserves a review. Basically, it’s a hole-​in-​the-​wall smack in the middle of the UWS. A few seats inside, a few seats outside, and a very happy looking crowd. My friend and I went to the window and got tea and coffee and the man working the bar as well as the window was as Italian as it gets! A great touch to the overall experience. He was very friendly and crafts his coffee concoctions with a lot of care. Great concept, great location.

I’ve been to Piccolo often and when friends or family are visiting, it’s a good bet I’ll bring them here. I love the quaint atmosphere and the food is as good as any I’ve had during my 8 months in Tuscany.
The one bit of advice I can offer is this: don’t come here if you are in any kind of rush. The service on all but one of my meals here was bordering on glacial. I think they’re generally understaffed, but it’s such a sweet, darling place with modestly priced food, that I honestly don’t mind as much as other places. Not perfect, but still one of my favorites. Ciao!

It pains me to write this review because the restaurant is so quaint and cute – I wanted to love it, but I absolutely did not. To start, the service was not good. When we walked in, the host/​waiter was not warm and welcoming– I looked at him and said «two please» and he responded with «two what?». He probably was just joking, but he did not smile or indicate it was a joke after.
My boyfriend and I ordered the Monday night special– a side or appetizer, pasta, and a glass of wine for $ 32. My boyfriend ordered an appetizer and I ordered a side. They both came out together before the entrees– not sure why a side came out as an appetizer. The app (mozz/​tomato/​basil) was fine. I got the Brussel sprouts as my side– they tasted boiled, under seasoned and lacked texture. They were not good.
For our entrees (which we waited a very long time for,) I got the penne al a vodka. It was good– the best thing we had I would say. My boyfriend got the gnocchi– it was good, however a little on the salty side.
The service took a while– we had to ask for side plates for the bread. They then took the side plates away, so we had to ask for side plates again when the appetizer round came. We also had to ask for grated Parmesan when our entrees came. Overall, it was not a great experience and I wouldn’t go back.
The space is cute: very tiny– very narrow tables. By the time we left, the restaurant was packed– even the outdoor seating. *mantespultiano wine was good.

Overall, we had a good experience at Picollo Café.
Loved the rustic ambiance and of course the food!
I ordered the linguine bolognese which I would rate ⁴⁄₅ only because the linguine was a little over cooked.
However, I was also able to try their Spaghetti Putanesca which was definitely a ⁵⁄₅!!!
The spaghetti pasta was cooked al dente and the mouth watering Putanesca sauce had a great balance of tang, salt, and spice.
One of the best Putanesca pasta I have ever had and would probably go back to try other menu items.

This place is AMAZING! It serves real Italian food: I had homemade fettuccine with bolognese sauce and a tasty chocolate mousse, while my mom ordered paccheri alla norma: everything was delicious! The service was perfect, the waiters were very friendly, and the atmosphere delightful! I absolutely recommend this place!

One of the highlights of my trip to NYC. Great food and service without the pretentious atmosphere you get at other places (especially for brunch). It’s a small space with a lot of history, excellent experience there overall.

I’ve been to this restaurant more than any other in the UWS and the food is always delicious and very authentic. It reminds me of restaurants in Italy and the pastas are all fresh and made from scratch. This place is truly a gem in the UWS.
The menu is priced really well for the quality and they have great weekday lunch specials: $ 15 for two dishes or $ 15 for a dish + a glass of wine.
I took one star off because the service is a hit or miss. There’s usually only 1 or 2 waiters at a time and they aren’t very attentive after they take your order and give you your bottle of water. We’ve had to glad them down a couple of times for service and to refill our water. Sometimes it may take a while for someone to come and take the order as they are really busy and constantly running around.
But overall, I recommend this restaurant and if it’s a nice day out, try to grab a sidewalk seat. The tables outside are much more spacious (but not by that much) than the ones inside.

Only the fettuccine is homemade. The penne I got is too oily. My friend said her croissant with eggs and lobster was good tho. The place is very hip.

This is one of those gems you only find in NYC. Had the gluten free pasta with chicken in vodka sauce and savored every bite! Chicken was seasoned to perfection, saucy was perfectly saucy and flavory, the pasta could not even tell was gluten free AMAZING! The space is super cute and intimate not a place for big groups definitely a good spot for coming on a date or with your favorite girlfriend have a cute experience. Bonus sitting outside on a nice day like today PRIME LOCATION for people watching but people watching on the beauties that walk on the upper west side. Love this place.

This tiny place is a piece of heaven on earth. The service is great and the food is absolutely delicious! Must try! Thank you chicky for taking care of us

Stopped by after a morning at the Museum of Natural History for a quick lunch, and I felt like I was transported back to Europe and the quaint little eateries that line their streets. The décor is really intricate and everything felt very well thought-​out.
Indoor seating is a little tight; this is definitely a place for solo-​dining or an intimate date. I felt a little claustrophobic because I was sitting so close to the parties next to me, and the biggest table I saw could fit about 3 people comfortably. Definitely a good thing to keep in mind if you are planning on stopping by!
The lunch specials are a great deal, but a la carte items are also reasonably priced. After much hmming and haaing over the menu, I decided to go with the truffle, arugula, and ham focaccia panini. I didn’t regret one bite! Seriously, if you are ordering food, get something with the truffle! You cannot go wrong!
Unfortunately, I live quite a distance from the UWS, so I rarely ever venture here, but if I’m back in the neighborhood, I’ll definitely drop by! Plus, Levain Bakery is right around the corner, so if anything, that’s a great excuse to kill two birds with one stone. :)

Had great time! Truly authentic experience! Very friendly staff, cute and charming space. Loved the decoration! Had the octopus and was incredible, one of the best since long time. I paired with a glass of Vermentino wine. Perfect.
My friend had the lasagna bolognese, delicious as well!
Looking forward to go back and try the risotto and one of the daily specials, I spot some of them and the manager told me they change it daily and are all very popular.
Definetly recommend this place!
Note: it’s tiny so if there is to wait, it worth the experience!!!

This time I had the signature sunny side up eggs with brussel sprouts and shaved parmesan and it was sooooooooooo good. The eggs and vegetable comes in a beurre blanc that makes the dish warm and hearty. I used the bread to soak up every last bit of the sauce.
Service is attentive and polite but food does take a while to come. Dining space is tight and so is the bathroom. In my opinion this joint still offers the most affordable yet most delicious brunch in this neighborhood.

My friend wrote a blog post about this place, so I knew I had to try brunch here at some point! Piccolo is a cozy little place with rustic décor. There’s not a lot seating inside, but there’s more seating outside (when the weather is nice). My friend and I sat inside for brunch this particular visit.
Everything on the menu looked really good, but I had the Uova al Forno, which my other friend had talked about on her blog, and I’m so glad I got it! I loved the baked eggs with the runny yolks mixing with the tomato sauce. It tasted so yummy with the sourdough bread. I just wish I had more bread to sop up all the sauce! My friend had the artichoke egg sandwich — she definitely liked it since she ate every last bite!
The one thing that kept me from getting Piccolo 5 stars today was the service. It all seemed to take WAY too long. We felt like we were waiting for a really long time for everything from our waters to the food to the check. The waitstaff seemed friendly, but I think they just needed to pay a bit more attention to the customers. However, the slow service didn’t ruin our experience today. Overall I had a great time! Whenever I’m in NYC again, I will definitely look to Piccolo and try some of their other dishes!

Stopped into this tiny restaurant for a quick dinner before catching a show. Like the name suggests, the place was tiny! Not great for large groups.
I ordered the fettuccine with shrimp and zuchinni and it tasted excellent — the pasta tasted fresh and homemade. Not too much shrimp though. The bread they give you comes with olive oil with balsamic… my mouth is watering just thinking about it! So good. Didn’t care much for their chardonnay, but the others I was dining with raved about the chiante.

Ein sehr kleines café, das außergewöhnlich gemütlich ist. Ein sehr schönes italienisches ruhiges ambiente …, an der wand hängen zeitungsblätter und weiter hinten wurde eine schulbank als sitz verbaut. Süß!
Es läuft leise musik im hintergrund und das essen ist sehr gut und obendrein noch preiswert und sauber. Die bedienungen und auch der chef sind sehr freundlich und schnell. Man bekommt einen anruf aufs handy, sowie einer der sehr wenigen tische freigeworden ist. Was möchte man mehr?
Perfekt. 5 sterne. Wir kommen auf jeden fall wieder.