10/29/09

one word....AMAZING

by loves to eat GREAT food

Piccolo is by far the best place to eat in Los Angeles!! It's very romantic, the food is bursting with flavor and all the people who work there make you feel so comfortable! I have been here many times and every time i go i know i will be more then satisfied. The food is executed so well and the menu changes all the time so there is always something new to try. Whenever people come into town and want a great dinner this is always the best place to go, and its not al stuffy like some places in LA.....If you haven't tried it trust me you will LOVE it!

• Pros: great service!!

09/28/09

Description out of date

by Jerry R

I used to go to this place all the time, but now it's terrible. The management listed in the description (Stafano de Lorenzo) does not own / work there anymore. Has gone downhill fast. I also agree with the recent reviews about long waits for reserved tables (only a problem on weekends) and rude staff (every day of the week) !

I'm also shocked by some of the reviews that describe this restaurant as the best Italian in LA. That was never true - even before the management change. There is a lot of pride among people that live here in Venice and I think that is going to the reviewer's heads. There are many better Italians in Brentwood and Beverly Hills.

• Pros: zip
• Cons: New Management

08/31/09

Be Very Careful !

by AGJH

Having eaten at this restaurant previously and enjoyed the food, I was delighted to find that one could finally make

reservations, something the restaurant has refused to do in the past. Despite making a reservation, (her birthday treat), my wife and I were left standing outside the restaurant for 45 minutes. We were not alone. One poor elderly couple were left standing without being offered chairs for the same amount of time, in what is not considered a safe neighborhood at night. We were told "just 2 more minutes" about every 15 minutes or so. In the end, we gave up, who knows how long we would have been made to wait. My complaint was met with rudeness and lies by the management. The food may still be good here, but if you're planning a special occasion, forget it !

Interesting to note that larger parties without reservations were given preference. Greed may be their downfall.

• Pros: Unknown
• Cons: Rude and Uncaring Staff

05/20/09

Best Italian food in LA (and elsewhere for that matter)

by forzaitalia

A friend once brought me here and on first impressions i wasn't sure about this little hole in the wall Italian joint surrounded by hoards of Venice homeless. But i was instantly won over by the owners (who are also the waiters) and by the stupendous food choices. I have lived in New York and LA and find this restaurant to be the best food i have experienced in either city. I live about 40 minutes away from Venice but it has been worth the drive every time. I highly recommend Piccolo.

• Pros: Great Service, Greater food, Just the right size

04/23/09

Best Italian in Los Angeles

by kiwiitaliana

Piccolo is the best Italian in LA-and I lived in Italy for years, so I'm very picky.

Come here for great food and amazing service. The wine reversal dinner hosted once a month is something to be experienced! Don't come here if you like Olive Garden style americanized Italian food.

The chef, owner, and sommelier are all Italian and take great pride in creating original menus with the freshest seasonal ingredients.

There are several large parking lots nearby and parking on Pacific after 8pm.

They do take reservations now and the website is Piccolovenice

• Pros: Amazing food, constantly changing menu

03/16/09

Horrible People -Food So SO

by jblaize

I think they Piccolo believe's that they are so Cool and Hip that they forget they are their to SERVE customers !

I was really excited to go after so much has been written about this local eatery-

BUT what a JOKE-

I will never return-Sorry Piccolo-you guys act as tho we AS customers should be grateful for dining with you !

Change your frigging attitude-

LA already has enough prima donna's-

Don't go to this place unless you like people to charge you for abuse-

• Pros: Food OK Not Great
• Cons: Rude People-Bad Service

03/16/09

Rude Owners & Terrible Service!

by LindsayRichardson

TERRIBLE SERVICE & PRETENTIOUS! I had heard great things about Piccolo when I moved to Venice. My parents came to town for my birthday so it seemed like a perfect place we could walk to for a special dinner. They were rude from the minute we walked in the door. I was told that we could sit inside or outside when I made the reservations and we got there he said you can sit outside or wait 45 min to sit inside. When I pointed out I was told differently, he said well that was 2 days ago, so sit outside or wait.

My parents brought a special bottle of wine from home for us to drink which apparently upset them even more. They were slow to open it, would not provide us with red wine glasses when we asked, and told us it was offensive to the restaurant to bring or own wine. Since we apparently offended them the service was terrible, the food came out, out of order and slow and we were just treated rudely the entire meal. Even if the food is great it is not worth being talked down to and recieiving horrible service. Even though I live less than 2 blocks away I will never be going back and I would never reccomend it to anyone!

• Pros: Cute, family run and close to the beach
• Cons: RUDE RUDE RUDE

03/06/09

Awesome Italian

by JonathanRG

I had been trying to find a great place to take my girlfriend to a place that was not pretentious, but loaded with charm and incredible food. Piccolo was perfect. The small size of the restaurant gave it a quaint atmosphere it felt like i had stepped into a restaurant from the streets of italy. The Ravioli was some of the best ravioli that i have ever had, clearly all of the pastas are handmade. The service was great and overall made for a romantic evening.

03/04/09

Excellent New Italian Cuisine

by Jessica90049

It's rare that you find an Italian restaurant in L.A. that holds itself to the high standards that Il Piccolo does. I mean, most of the high end Italian restaurants in the city don't even have Italians cooking the food! The two chefs who work here are masters at their craft. I have eaten here about five or six times in the last 8 months and I have yet to have a disappointing meal. The handmade pastas are my favorite. I usually get the tasting menu; I like to watch these chefs get creative.

This is a small, intimate restaurant that depends on every diner ordering a full meal. This isn't the place to come for a little salad and a glass of wine. I think maybe some of the people who report having negative experiences probably showed up with the expectation of having a cheap meal and their waiter was less than pleased. If you are going to come to Il Piccolo plan on ordering a bottle of wine, a salad and an entre and maybe a dessert. You will have a wonderful time - and it's worth every penny.

02/09/09

Quality not Quantity

by IACYOO

Pietro, the sommelier was amazing and the staff was awesome in accommodating a last minute reservation request for a large party!

The Garganelli dish ( Lobster & Squid Ink pasta was heavenly), along with the Seared scallops and various pasta dishes was pleasant.

The wine suggestions from the sommelier was impeccable and note that the wines are handpicked and meticulously selected.

This venue is all about quality and not quantity and you get what you pay for... If you're looking for quantity then go to bucca or chain establishment.

• Pros: Quality food using Quality Ingredients & Quality Staff
• Cons: Contextually Perfect