Piccolo Fiore
“Fabio himself you will see on the floor in his chef's jacket for brief periods soliciting feedback and ensuring you have a great time.”
“I liked the atmosphere – warm and casual, and the piano player was an added touch.”
“This was recommended by our hotel concierge, and he didn't steer us wrong.”
Piccolo Fiore
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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I had the opportunity to have lunch here late last week with an associate. When we entered, the staff was very welcoming and polite, which, as I always mention in my reviews, is nice.
It did not seem like a particularly busy afternoon, and we were seated immediately. Our waiter was quite polite and knowledgeable about the menu. My associate ordered a salad and I order the pre-fix lunch special Sole Filet. Both our meals were tasty and well prepared.
The service was quite good as well. I will be sure to return again for dinner one day and update this review! You should check it out and see for yourself. 🙂
I ate here for lunch and had a nice experience. The service was good and they have a great prixe fix menu for lunch. My tea, soup and entree was only $19. Everything that they prepared was obviously fresh and homemade. I really enjoyed my vegetable minestrone soup (veggies were very tender), fried calamari (fresh, lightly battered and crunchy), and the gnocchi norma (eggplant).
My review is solely based on having a business lunch here for 23 people.
The service was good at first but then started getting really slow. They had the table ready and everything out at the same time for everyone. Sometimes we had to ask for water or milk for our coffee but it was pretty minimal considering they were taking care of a large party. We also had to ask for steak knives for our steaks and they only came out with 1; then we asked again.
My review is mainly based on the food. The food is OK. It does not make me want to go back here again and I wish I had picked another place to hold our business lunch.
The mozzarella in the appetizer was cut very thick and didn't taste that good. Everything was pretty mediocre. Everything was cooked well and the sauce was good but stuff came out cold. Again, I guess it's hard to cook for 23 people at once.
My biggest gripe about this place was the inconsistency among all of our plates. For example, we had a pasta appetizer with sausage and broccoli rabe. My plate had 0 sausages, another had 3, another had 1… etc. etc. Some portions were huge while some portions were really tiny for the rest of the courses.
The whole portions thing really turned me off. It was extremely noticeable among everyone's dishes.
Anyways, nothing wowed me about this place. I won't be going back.
This place is just A-OK. Came here for dinner and was not wow-ed. The service needs work, the food needs more flavor, and the atmosphere is as bland as the food. You wont leave here mad that you came, but you will surely be underwhelmed.
Wow, I read the reviews and figured I'd knew what to expect from this place, but it really blew my expectations out of the water. Went for a prix fixe lunch for Mother's Day.
Service was outstanding. Water and wine was always refilled quickly. Waiters were attentive but not annoying. Any requests were fulfilled quickly. A really nice touch was that Fabio the chef came out and talked to us a bit and presented the menu and each item personally. He mentioned he used to be the head chef over at Parkside, which really raised our expectations.
The decor of the place was really nice. We sat in front in a separate section. It was colorful, and everything seemed very clean. Down int he main dining room looked like a more typical very nice Italian restaurant.
Now onto the food. I expected your typical high end Italian fare. I can honestly say that the food here was a step beyond that. I had the antipasta freddo, which is a variety of the usual suspects (roasted peppers, cheese, tomatoes, prosuitto, mushrooms). Everything tasted very fresh. The whole dish was presented nicely and was very understated. For dinner I had the homemade pasta and filet mignon in a tomato sauce. I love homemade pasta, and this definitely tasted like it. The filet mignon added a nice texture to it, and the sauce was not overpowering to the pasta and added to it nicely. I don't think anyone complained about any of their dishes. My fiancee even remarked it was the best chilean sea bass she had ever eaten.
So after all that, it comes time for dessert. And I can simply tell you everything was great. From the crepes, to the cheesecake (best I've ever had, hands down), to the chocolate cake. But what was really nice was that after everyone had ordered everything, they brought out 4 extra dishes of options for everyone to share and try a piece of everything. This restaurant was full of nice touches like that. And to me, that's really what makes this a 5 star restaurant.
I would definitely go back, and can easily recommend this to anyone looking for a nice Italian place to go in the city.
Greetings! So I came here on a special event and here is how I rated it…
Pros:
Spacious restaurant in the heart of Midtown, Manhattan.
Service was very good, as I felt like I was being fed hor dovres constantly.
The beef – it was pretty good!
The appetizers were very appetizing.
Cons:
The rest of the food left something to be desired – At this time of coming here, the chicken was overcooked and the cheesecake was under-baked.
The alcohol selection was sort of limited. When will Disaronno get its shine? I had to settle for some cheaper citrus amaretto knockoff.
Overall, while the vibe, service and ambiance was great, the reason why we arrived – for the food and drink – was a bit underwhelming. It could be just a bad night. I will likely visit again later on to form a revised opinion.
An impeccable, upscale Italian restaurant. Great wine list – I definitely recommend the prosecco, and delicious pasta selection. I loved the absolute penne and the rigatoni norma. The onion fries were a tad too oily but pretty good.
Come here if you want delicious Italian food, an intimate atmosphere, and great service.
I've dined her twice with colleagues, once for dinner and once for lunch.
During dinner service there's a piano player. It has a nice atmosphere and was dimly lit. We ordered the Osso Bucco special that evening and it was of gigantic dinosaur thigh proportions. Not only was it huge, but the platter was so heavy. It must've been a work out for the waiters. It was delicious, tender, and falling off the bone. The accompanying carrots, potatoes, and tomatoes were also delightfully light and balanced out the meal. I also had the Papardelle al Porcini because it reminded me of my favorite Italian pasta from Il Poeta in Forest Hills. It was good but not as fresh as the freshly made pasta that I'm used to at Il Poeta.
Overall the atmosphere and the service was amazing. The waiter recommended a dessert that we weren't exactly pleased with, not that we complained but he brought us another one on the house.
For lunch, forget restaurant week. They have a regular Prix fixe for $20 which includes an appetizer and main course. The main course is perfectly portioned for a lunch meal. I had the veal scaloppine with marsala sauce. It was sweet and I was happy with the portion. Desserts are typically $10 a piece, so if you share it you have your RW menu.
The place is usually quiet for lunch so you can have a nice conversation and not have to shout across the table. For dinner, it does tend to be a bit louder since you have to talk over the piano player. One of the nicer quiet places around Grand Central.