Piccolo Paradiso

So many mixed reviews here but we enjoyed our meal. Carbonara was good and the risotto special was also enjoyable. Warm delicious bread and friendly service at 6pm on a weekday. I guess my expectations were not high after reading all the mixed reviews but we thought the restaurant was enjoyable and that’s more than I can say for so many places I have visited recently. Give them a try.

I walked by this restaurant so many times but I never had any food here before. It seemed like one of those neighborhood’s favorite place and I’m so glad I tried it. More than anything, SPAGHETTI NATALE was amazing. It was so simple but packed with flavors and spaghetti was cooked perfectly. It was on the expensive side since the fish was $58, but pasta prices are not like that and I think I will go back a lot more for that pasta alone. It is definitely a classic old school italian place with great service.

Our family recently dined here for a holiday dinner. The entire experience was exquisite except for one minor yet annoying aspect which I will describe in a moment, but first the positives: Wonderful old world Italy atmosphere, professional top notch service from the maître d, waiter, and bussers. Lovely menu with extensive selections, interesting daily specials, and a comprehensive wine list. Each dish served to our party of five was perfectly prepared, superbly presented, and delicious. With all these superlatives, what could possibly be negative? The menu listed 'Bread' as an option for $1.50. With main course dishes $25 to $45 per person, it seemed like this establishment is nickel-and-diming the patrons by charging for bread. No one in our party asked for bread, yet as soon as we placed our main course orders, the busser showed up with one loaf of bread and oil and vinegar for dipping. So it seems like anyone that dines here automatically receives bread, in our case about 1 1/2 slices per person, and sure enough the final bill included an extra $7.50 for bread that we never asked for. We spent $300, tipped 20%+ (to a well deserved team), and felt a bit fleeced out of an additional $7.50. Not a game changer, but enough of an irritation to prevent me from posting what would otherwise be a five star review.