Piccola Venezia Restaurant
“The atmosphere is old school- the clients are older as are the Italian- speaking waiters in their burgandy jackets and black bow ties.”
“Then when I thought I was done, Kim and Danielle forced me to try a piece of their mom Georgette's pistachio cannoli.”
“I'd recommend any dish with their osso buco, and the pumpkin ravioli is rich and to die for.”
Piccola Venezia Restaurant
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Accepts Bitcoin: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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Cent' Anni'–In the pre-Yelp, pre-social media days you had to earn your status as a customer. Millenials will not truly understand the movie "The Godfather." When I walked into this beautiful, Astoria restaurant it reminded me of the old New York. The breadsticks reminded me of the Italian Village in Chicago. The bruschetta and olives were a nice addition, but not of the high quality I had expected. My Caesar salad was acceptable, and my shrimp scampi was less than what I had expected. The cheese ravioli was wonderful, as were the lamb chops which earned this restaurant a four star rating in my book. There are far too few Italian restaurants these days where the music, and ambience are meant to impress. A meal should be a celebration of family and community–not about a Yelp review. So to Piccola Venezia I say: Te Salut!
My birthday dinner at Piccola Venezia was exactly the way I imagined in my head. A long table surrounded by close friends with abundance of food and drinks. Funny conversations flowing, happy tummies and fun picture taking. I'm so happy attending a Queens Yelp event introduced me to this quant old school Italian restaurant.
First off, Chris and his staff were so accommodating of my large party even when I changed the dinner reservation a half hour later. A couple of my guests arrived early and they were seated immediately at the table with drinks in hand. The table was prepared in the large back room, which created a cozy environment. Our lovely waiter was courteous, patient and very knowledgeable of everything on the menu. As many have mentioned Piccola Venezia can prepare the food anyway you like it and seem to have many a winery hidden somewhere in the establishment. The wine list is practically a catalogue.
I recommended the calamari, mussels and famous Buccolini, which were my favorite dishes from the Queens After Hour event a couple of weeks ago. My friends absolutely loved the food and the Buccolini was a big hit. Although the grilled octopus was a close second.
Thank you for providing a warm atmosphere for a Wednesday Birthday celebration. It's rare to find a restaurant that creates magic in the kitchen and in the dining room. Highly recommend visiting this establishment for a special dining experience.
This is going to be a special restaurant for me from now on, as my fiancee took me here yesterday to propose to me. Everything about our dinner was special, even pre-proposal.
I had the minestrone to start, which was delicious. Very deep soup which was perfect for the cold weather.
For my main course, I had pappardelle noodles cooked in olive oil with garlic and eggplant. SO delicious, I had to stop myself from eating every last bite. The waiter was so considerate and made sure there was no meat broth or anything in my food.
Dessert was obviously the most special, as that's when Adam proposed. The whole restaurant was clapping, as I was sobbing while reading "Will you marry me?" from a plate of chocolate souffle.
I said yes, and had the world's best chocolate souffle.
Thank you to Piccola for a memory that'll last a lifetime.
THIS.PLACE.IS.FIRE.
The lack of windows give Piccola Venezia the appearance of an mobster hangout from the outside, and the decor inside is dated to match. I feel like it adds character to this spot where the Italian cuisine is as on point as the waiters' fancy bow ties and vests. This place is so awesome, and so totally old school New York. The first time I came was with a friend from Cincinnati who was coming through town on her layover at LaGuardia. She had been to the restaurant before and the waiters all remembered her. They even borrowed her newborn baby and took him back to the kitchen to show off the staff! They took the extra step to make everyone feel like family, and it did not go unnoticed.
The meal starts with complimentary bruschetta, cheese, charcuterie and olives. You'll want to scarf it all down, but trust me, you're going to want to save room for their impeccable proteins and pastas. The stuffed veal breast is out of control and their seafood linguine (fruit de mer) is delicious as well. They have a wide variety of fish dishes as well, making it a solid pick if you have friends or family with varying preferences. You'll want to keep the red wine flowing throughout the meal. Last Christmas our evening ended with complimentary Italian cookies. We'll be returning again when my dad and brother are back in town for the holidays this year. Believe me when I say, I literally cannot wait!
As with every other nice restaurant I have ever been to, my Uncle brought me here for dinner to cheer me up one night. Everyone needs a Great Uncle to spoil them rotten. Remember that. Fair warning: Definitely Manhattan prices here! Anyway, Piccola Venezia has apparently been around for quite some time, but it isn't quite what one would expect. It's 5 star food with a range of people and personalities. The table behind us was so loud and obnoxious my right ear was ringing afterwards, and a table next to us was there on a quiet but romantic first date- all walks of life. The service is spotless, as many others have pointed out, and it's a wonderful place.
The meal started with some bread and butter that was decent- not the best nor the worst. An antipasto was brought out next, and it was fantastic. High quality and good presentation. We then moved along to the meal.
My Food:
Calamari: Wouldn't recommend. This was the weakest point of my meal. It was a bit rubbery, However, the breading was perfection, and the spicy marinara was a different but incredible touch.
Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Sauce: AMAZING. This alone lead to a five star review. Before coming here I thought I liked gnocchi. But I discovered that gnocchi is not some terribly dense pasta. This gnocchi is so LIGHT and FLUFFY. It's AMAZING. I cannot even begin to describe it. Just order it. Do not let this pass you by. It even reheated amazing. Mmmmm!!!
Molten Chocolate Cake: This molten chocolate cake was spot on with the meal. Not mind blowing like the gnocchi but a very nice finish to the meal. Perfect dessert size too! Not too big and not too small.
Piccola Venezia is one of the many treasures in Astoria, and you should try it out!
Piccola Venezia is a friendly dinosaur whose kind once was found scattered throughout the neighborhoods of NYC. There sole innovation is being retro, abhorring all things new–except patrons–and clinging on to the old. You've seen places like Piccola on screen as a backdrop to countless movie scenes. Usually in gangster and in immigrant flicks. But nostalgia for a bygone era is not the only reason I keep returning…
Our order was simple and the service was hurried. That is until I ordered the "c-note" plus bottle of Amarone. The service then changed for the better. Admittingly the place was packed and thus any level of semi-quality service would have been acceptable. I hadn't witnessed so many dinners in Piccola at any one time in over two decades. The side dining room was closed which meant everyone was cattle-carted to the main dining room.
Ambiance aside the food was excellent. I didn't expect it to be. I was certain that Piccola relied on their former glory and I proudly report to you that their glory is currently intact. We ordered a Caesar salad (allegedly created by Caesar Cardini in 1924), veal porterhouse Milanese, a side of broccoli rabe and something else. Each dish was fantastic and evenly paced. Desert was a panna cotta for the signorina and a heavy cream laden espresso for yours truly. Cookies with compliments of the house followed. I only gawked.
Went to Piccola Venezia for Birthday celebration and it was amazing experience.
Service is perfect food is melting in your mouth. Everything we ordered was delicious.
Wine selection is great! We all had great time!
Thanks so much Piccola Venezia!
We will be coming back!
This is a very old school Italian joint.
Calamari was okay, but the pasta … wow. Get the pappardelle dania!
Also has terrific dessert options. Pistacchio cannoli and baked alaska were both great.
The second time I visited I ordered the short ribs special, which was just okay. I also had a pasta tasting, but I was not a fan of two different sauces on one plate.
It was quite expensive but, overall, it's a good experience. If I'm in the mood for expensive Italian, though, I'm picking l'incontro.