Piccolo Ristorante Italiano

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5 Dudley Ave
Venice, CA 90291

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(310) 314-3222
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Piccolo Ristorante Italiano - Venice, CA
Piccolo Ristorante Italiano - Venice, CA
Piccolo Ristorante Italiano - Venice, CA
Piccolo Ristorante Italiano - Venice, CA
Piccolo Ristorante Italiano - Venice, CA
Piccolo Ristorante Italiano - Venice, CA
Piccolo Ristorante Italiano - Venice, CA
Piccolo Ristorante Italiano - Venice, CA
Piccolo Ristorante Italiano - Venice, CA
Piccolo Ristorante Italiano - Venice, CA
Piccolo Ristorante Italiano - Venice, CA
Piccolo Ristorante Italiano - Venice, CA
Piccolo Ristorante Italiano - Venice, CA
Piccolo Ristorante Italiano - Venice, CA
Piccolo Ristorante Italiano - Venice, CA
Piccolo Ristorante Italiano - Venice, CA
Piccolo Ristorante Italiano - Venice, CA
Piccolo Ristorante Italiano - Venice, CA
Reviews
( 36 )
( 2 )
( 3 )
( 2 )
( 12 )

Best

I had to comment here because this is one of our favorite restaurants. First of all, the ambience is fantastic. It feels like you are walking into a restaurant in Venice, Italy (w...

Worst

A charming, snug and intimate place. So snug that we were party to our neighboring table receiving a lengthy harrangue regarding management's current battle with Zagat. At the ...

our favorite restaurant 10/27/2011

I had to comment here because this is one of our favorite restaurants. First of all, the ambience is fantastic. It feels like you are walking into a restaurant in Venice, Italy (where the chef Bobo is from). The food is so creative and prepared with love and care. To name Fraiche as one of your favorite Italian restaurants is telling as it is not Italian. Look at the reviews on Open table and I think you get a more accurate view of what this place is all about. If you want an Italian meal prepared with thoughtful care, an imagination to what goes into it, eat here. more
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Very bad experience 6/10/2011

Service was soooo bad that it ruined the experience. 1. Food was average, but sooooo not worth the price. Other italians in town are way better (Osteria Mozza, Giorgio Baldi, Osteria Angelini, Ago, Fra?che, to name a few that we tried and liked). 2. We had a reservation, but still waited 45 minutes outside, even if a table was available. I insisted to get it so they gave it to us. We felt that they were trying to keep it for ""better"" people. 3. We asked for balsamic vineager to add to the olive oil that they serve with the bread. The waiter ignored our demand twice (said yes but never brought the vineager). The 3rd time we asked, he said that he would not bring the balsamic because they were serving the bread like thay do in Italy and that if we were more knowleageble, we would not ask for that! What an insult! We've been to Italy and that's where we started eating bread + oil & vineager. 4. My wife is vegetarian so she ordered only an apetizer and some pastas (primo platti). The waiter, as soon as our plates were finished, brought the bill and told us that the manager wanted us to leave because we had not consumed enough! We had not finished our wine yet and they were kikking us out. Overall : Awfull. more
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Awful. Simply AWFUL. 3/31/2011

you would think when something is overpriced, it would be at least tasty. well, not only was the food gross, but it was as if the chefs were trying too hard. they had all the fancy schmancy ingredients, but they MAJOR FAILED when they cooked it. the appertizers were undercooked and tasted wrong. the dinner: raviolis were too garlicy, the venison ragu tasted like chef boyardee. needless to say, we skipped dessert. and grabbed a beer down the road. which was better and more reliable than our over $100 (with no liquor) dinner. dont even waste your time. more
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Great experience 11/27/2010

Wonderful take on Italian home-cooking with a modern flair. Terrific location by the beach, very quaint. I highly recommend it. The service is great-you're taken care of well. Very nice assortment of wines. more
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romantic 8/26/2010

very romantic! Eclectic neigbourhood. great service and knowledgable staff with a very creative chef! you feel like you are transported to Italy without the Jet Lag! A + more
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BEST ITALIAN IN LOS ANGELES BY FAR 8/23/2010

Piccolo is located downtown Venice, CA. The ambience is very romantic, cozy and sexy. Not loud like most LA places. The setting is perfect for a romantic evening. Tthe numerous times my partner and I have dined there has been phenomenal!!! The food is amazing, the service exceptional and parking never a problem, unless you're too lazy to walk across the street to parking lot. more
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First time at Picocolo 4/27/2010

well the overall experience was not what i expected. The food is good but under flavored. I had the halibut on wild rice and it tasted like a broiled white fish with three drops of sauce on the side of the plate this fish was one of the most basic dishes i have eaten in a while, for 48 bucks you would think the taste would explode in your mouth it was pretty lame . Oh and my parter got the kamut pasta it lacked a certain richness , the porcini was the best thing in the whole pasta. The service well not worth the price. most of the time i served my own water and opened my own door. the only thing they got on me is they talk italian in there to make it seem more unique and special . I would say this is a basic expensive clean resturant That WONT blow your socks off or make the best memory but its romantic and if you dont care about the food its cute ,im sure theres better in Los Angeles. I grew up with fine dinning my father is a french chef and i must say [like he would say }its OK thats all. If I would have read a real review I would have gone to my favorite sushi spot instead . If you like a good fish you should try another place or tell the chef to spice it up a little or it just taste like tasteless white fish... Pros: cute romantic Cons: food lackes taste and service is not fine dinning more
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one word....AMAZING 10/29/2009

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!! more
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Description out of date 9/28/2009

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 more
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Be Very Careful ! 8/31/2009

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 more
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Best Italian food in LA (and elsewhere for that matter) 5/20/2009

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 more
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Best Italian in Los Angeles 4/23/2009

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 more
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Horrible People -Food So SO 3/16/2009

I think they Piccolo believe's that they are so Cool and Hip that they forget they are their to SERVE customers ! Pros: Food OK Not Great Cons: Rude People-Bad Service more
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Rude Owners & Terrible Service! 3/16/2009

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. Pros: Cute, family run and close to the beach Cons: RUDE RUDE RUDE more
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Awesome Italian 3/6/2009

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. more
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Excellent New Italian Cuisine 3/4/2009

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. more
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Quality not Quantity 2/9/2009

Pietro, the sommelier was amazing and the staff was awesome in accommodating a last minute reservation request for a large party! Pros: Quality food using Quality Ingredients & Quality Staff Cons: Contextually Perfect more
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Classy, yet homey. Best Italian Ever! 10/22/2008

Fantastic restaurant with a warm and friendly appeal. I can't imagine other reviewers' experience as the owner and wait people treated us like royalty although we were sharing our plates. The food was magnificent. We loved the salad with avocado and pine nuts and the cheese tortolini with white mushrooms. Small portions, yes, but so loaded with flavor each bite deserved the savor! My companion is on a low salt diet and didn't notice any oversalting. We enjoyed a dessert of chocolate cake with balsamic sauce and amaretto semifreddo which were both excellent. We were both quite full when we left. We arrived around 6 on Sat. night and there was no wait. Other tables filled up soon and the atmosphere was friendly and easy going. A couple of tables had young kids and I thought the families were treated respectfully. Definitely will return!! more
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Trader Joe's does it better 10/12/2008

Save a few hundred dollars, buy the stuffed pasta at Trader Joe's and prepare it at home. Paying $16 for a plate of overly chilled beets that could have been canned, another $20 for a miniscule plate of tortellini that claimed to be stuffed with burrata and was so salty that we thought we were cows on a salt lick is ridiculous. Out of our recent meal there of four dishes, two were returned to the kitchen. The salad we did eat was pathetic - some shredded endive and six grapes cut in half with tasteless frozen blue cheese (it said roquefort on the menu - not!). The tortellini was returned as inedible. We commented that it was overly salty and tough, and suggested that the kitchen was not tasting the food. The response to our complaint was that the regular chef was there. Period. When the offending plate was removed from the table the owner stacked other plates on top of it to insure that he was not going to inform the kitchen of the faux pas. We have eaten in many fine restaurants in this country and all over Europe - including Italy. No self respecting Italian would be associated with anything coming out of this kitchen. As a diner, it was insulting to eat there. This had been at least our twelfth visit to Piccolo, and our last. It was terrific when it first opened. What happened to this gem? Gordon Ramsey couldn't even save this place. Pros: Great Beach Location Cons: No Reservations, No Parking more
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Calm down on the salt. 9/27/2008

A charming, snug and intimate place. So snug that we were party to our neighboring table receiving a lengthy harrangue regarding management's current battle with Zagat. At the time we sympathized with management but by the time we finished the meal our loyalties had moved to ""the man"" (Zagat). Pros: Charming atmosphere. Cons: Heavy on the salt. more
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Menu for Piccolo Ristorante Italiano


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Editorial

  • The Scene - The 5 Dudley address should be familiar to foodies who once flocked to the eponymous restaurant, formerly occupying this beach-adjacent space. With impressive interior changes,...

  • 12/3/2010 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Payments: Discover, American Express, Master Card, Visa
  • Neighborhoods: Venice, West LA
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