Piccola Strada

Pros: Cute, charming, hole in the wall spot. Great for group dinners (if you secure that reservation) since you are essentially the only people in the restaurant.
Cons: Only slightly above average Italian food. Expensive too and the portions aren’t as big as I like.

I came here last year for Christmas dinner with college friends & it was so good we decided to come back to the same place again this year. We probably should have called earlier in advance since they only had a 9PM availability, but that worked out well for us since we were able to walk to the Bowery bars to keep the drinking going afterwards.
This place is super cozy with only a few tables in the whole place, but each and every table gets a great amount of attention. We walked in with a few bottles of wine and immediately had them opened (I think its a $ 5 cork fee per bottle) while we looked over the menu.
All the pasta is homemade which made it an easy choice for the whole table. We started with a few Caesar salads & some Caprese, which were both small portions but great as a starter for a group of people. Between the group we got the artichoke ravioli, lobster ravioli, linguine del mare, pesto gnocchi & penne a la vodka, all of which were amazing! I’m really picky when it comes to the quality of Italian food, but you can really tell all our food was authentic and homemade.
Our waiter was also an added bonus since he was super accommodating– the max for splitting the check was 4 cards, but he allowed us to split it between 6. The restaurant also closes at 10 on Saturdays, but we were there well past 11, which was also awesome.
Will definitely be bringing more people back!

Really intimate environment. The food is great and the service is fast! Delicious and highly recommended!

Such a charming and sweet Italian spot! Loved my experience. Felt like home Italian cooking.

The cutest little mom & pop spot for you to take a special someone or to get away from the crowded city. They also have the most authentic Genova cuisine around! Must visit. Xx

Piccola Strada is a byo for $ 5 per bottle. I made reservations for 4, and when I called the next day to request an increase to 6, the man on the other end of the phone paused, stuttered and had to confer with the staff. That’s when I knew it was going to be cozy.
I feel mixed about the food– the bread was very average and the appetizers were better but not well presented. I think the best part of Piccola are their entrees; I got to try the ossobuco, gnocchi and linguini which were all excellent. The waiter had a great sense of humor as well. Feels more like an ideal spot for 2.

The ambiance was lacking on a rainy evening around 5:30. Please shut off the tv, customers don’t want to hear or watch a screen when they are out for a meal.
The bread was microwave so it’s hot but once it cooled it was stale. The Cesar salad was fine. My lobster ravioli craving brought me here. There are about 8 raviolis covered in vodka sauce. I’m not sure how much lobster meat was inside but it was good and a decent price ($ 17).
Fair prices and intimate seating give it 3 stars. If the cleaned up their act, it would be a winner.

Best kept Italian secret in New York!
I’ve been to more Italian places than I can count. If you want authentic, homemade food this is it. Simple menu, great diversity in flavors, and fantastic service. We came with 6 (called ahead, the restaurant is quite small), and brought plenty of wine. Good news is, corkage is $ 5 (aka nothing) and there are a few wine shops half an avenue away on 2^nd.
I felt like I was back in Florence eating at a café. This isn’t fast food, so plan to sit and enjoy your food like your supposed to. Lots of love and care went into it, and you’ll walk away feeling happy. Highlights (everything): Bolognese, the pesto dish, almond cake, the artichoke appetizer, veal scaloppine, cappuccinos, tiramisu, cannoli, gnocchi, all of it. Close your eyes and point, and unless you have food allergies or a small palate, you’ll be ok.
Also, don’t be that group that came in complaining that they wanted «spaghetti and meatballs». There’s an Applebee’s in Midtown if you want that.

Tiny place but quntessential Italian. It is a dry restaurant but with a liquor store close by it is no problem! Excellent service and friendly place. We dove into this place on a rainy NYC day and it was warm, inviting, and a nice respite. Food is top notch.

I’ve only been to this place once but it was awesome and I can’t wait to come back. Its a little hole in the wall italian restaurant nestled in the east village with only about 6 tables. The owner and his wife basically operate the entire restaurant and i love the cozy home feel you get. The food is also awesome! I got the veal in a white wine sauce and it was delicious. We also got the mozzarella in carroggia which was soo tasty. Plus, its BYO!!!
Definitely recommend coming here with friends, family or on a date.

Amazing as always. My boyfriend and I have been coming here for a few years now, and our favorite dishes are the squid ink salmon pasta, and the truffle ravioli. We were lucky enough to be the last customers of the evening, and were able to chat and relax over glasses of wine with the chef/​owner — Esperanza. The food was excellent, and the company was even better. Thank you Esperanza for the lovely food and company, and William for your charm and excellent service.
Come with a bottle of wine, and enjoy the cozy atmosphere that’s hard to find in NYC.

This is such a cute and cozy restaurant. With a romantic feel. The owner is so nice and accommodating. Very classy service. I went to eat here last Saturday with a few friends. The staff treats you like family and makes you feel welcomed. The place is small but elegant. The kitchen is clean as well as the bathroom. You can see the owner preparing the meal on your way to the restroom. I love that you can see how your meal is being prepared. It was great to be able to see her work her magic. I took a picture of our dish before it came to our table. The smells coming from the kitchen was incredible. We ordered the chicken parmigiana which was delicious! My fiend ordered ravioli artichoke truffles, fresh pasta with bolognese sauce,(my husband said it was the best he ever had) and my cousin had penne a la vodka. The food was full of flavor. If you want an authentic Italian meal I highly recommend this restaurant. Don’t forget to make room for dessert. We shared the almond cake and tiramisu. The tiramisu is out of this world! Don’t let this small restaurant fool you. It’s big on taste! Please try it and share your thoughts. This has become my favorite spot. The village well kept secret.

This is the best Italian restaurant in NYC period. And on top of that its byob so I might call it heaven. The bolognese is my favorite and you can get that in their gnocchi or the flat noodles. Their pesto is also amazing. The staff is super nice especially the chef.
Make a reservation though cause they get busy.

Came here for my birthday dinner. My table was a party of nine, and I read reviews on how this was a small Italian restaurant, but you really see how small it is when you’re actually in the place with nine people.
What made me pick this restaurant was the homemade Italian food and the well priced BYOB. Now, I didn’t pay for this meal, but based on other Unilocalers, I think it’s around $ 5 per bottle. They have no limit like other places so we brought ten bottles and it was enough for everyone.
The tables were very jam packed so it was hard to fit all the glasses and the appetizers on the table but we managed along with the help of their terrific staff. We ordered a couple cold antipasto plates and a shrimp appetizer as well. Both were pretty good, not the best I’ve had.
I had the Osso Bucco for my entrée which is served over a bed of homemade gnocchi. The Osso Bucco was good, but much different from the normal ones I’ve had. I feel I didn’t order as well as others at my table. If you go here, stick to the pasta. I tasted lobster raviolis, pesto pasta, and Bolognese and I preferred them all over my dish.
From what I remember, the tiramisu was very tasty. And it came with a candle and a song. Can’t beat that right?
I would 100% recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for homemade Italian food with a great BYOB deal in a great neighborhood.

The preponderance of positive Unilocal reviews led us here for dinner but the size of the space nearly drove us away. The size of a rich man’s closet, Piccola Strada is a tiny, homely restaurant run by a husband and wife team who serve up some serious Italian fare. To give you some idea of the space, we came in on a weekday night, when there were already two small groups there. Together, they filled the space to 60% of its max capacity and the owner had to apologetically turn us away because the one remaining table was reserved (lesson learned: if you decide to eat here, call ahead). I guess we must have looked pretty sad because he invited us back in on second thought and was nice enough to let our party of three squeeze into a two-​seater and dig into our bottle of wine until a table opened up.
Did you hear that? OUR bottle of wine. This place is BYOB, with a mere $ 5 corkage fee. With that, plus a basket of warm bread, and we were off to a good start, even if it meant all of our knees were squashed together a little too intimately under the table. Thankfully, a table opened up in due time and we moved with some relief to a slightly larger round table and started ordering food. We got the Involtini Di Melanzane to start, which is their name for their version of eggplant rollatini. Long slices of breaded eggplant are sumptuously filled with ricotta, parmesan, and spinach, then covered with a hearty red sauce. Though it tasted just fine, you would think a whopping $ 9 would get you more than 2 tiny eggplant rolls. Our entrees followed, and I heeded the advice of several other Unilocalers who sang the praises of the artichoke ravioli.
One bite in, I was hooked.
I missed most of the conversation swirling around me at this point because anything that wasn’t artichoke ravioli became utterly uninteresting to me. Each ravioli was filled with a blend of chopped artichokes and ricotta then covered with a rich, luscious, creamy, black truffle sauce. If Lady Manners didn’t frown upon it, I would have licked the plate clean. As it was, I dragged several slices of the leftover bread through that ambrosial sauce until the plate became nearly clean enough to serve it to someone else. If I had anything negative to say about the dish, it would be that the pasta was a little stiff, almost as if it were a tad too thick or left to cool for too long before drowned in the magic sauce.
We were graciously allowed to stay and finish our wine until closing time, even though we ate our last bites long before then, and our server/​the owner provided thoughtful, timely service throughout the meal. If it weren’t for the elfin size of the space, as well as the hard-​to-​swallow price vs. amount for some of the menu items, this would have been an easy five stars.

Cozy little italian restaurant, perfect for a date
BYOB + Authentic Italian Food. I am sold!
My favorite is the Lobster Ravioli which has plenty of lobster favor accompanied with perfect amount of cheese and cream sauce, delicious!

I had a birthday dinner of 14 people at this restaurant & I couldn’t ask for better atmosphere or hospitality! I had used their prefix meal option & I was able to set up the meal the menu a week in advance. I had a few guests with specific dietary restrictions and Mario (the owner) was more than happy to assist in that accommodation with no additional cost. It was truly a seamless evening and all of the food was spectacular! This is a great intimate restaurant which is great for big parties, (you essentially have the entire restaurant to yourself) or a smaller dinner for two.
Oh and the fact that they are BYOB is great, and their cork fee is very reasonable!
All in all I can’t wait to go back!

Probably one of the best dinners I’ve had with my roommate.
We saw this cozy, small spot while walking back from the gym and had to stop in. The couple who runs the restaurant are some of the nicest people I’ve ever met. Very welcoming and animated when you speak with them. Note this place is extremely small and intimate, so I recommend it for a small dinner with friends or date. PLUS — IT IS BYOB! ($ 5 corkage charge per bottle)
The food was some of the best Italian food I’ve had in NYC. We started with a fresh caprese salad followed by a unique platter of savory crab cakes and shrimp in a sweet, tangy lemon sauce.
The Artichoke Ravioli was by far the best part of the meal. The pasta was handmade and very evidently fresh. The sauces were more flavorful than you could imagine — think, rich and filled with truffle flavor. Inside was a gooey combination of artichoke and cheese.
By the time we were done eating we were speechless and had to go thank to cook in the kitchen for an incredible dinner.

I was looking for a place to go for a monthly dinner with a friend, and since we often like to down some wine while chatting, I thought I’d give a BYOB place a try.
We went on a Wednesday night and picked up some cheap wine on the way at Warehouse Wines & Spirits. (So many W’s in that sentence, am I right?) We were the only people there for most of the time, which is fine for it being a small space.
My friend and I shared the chicken parm and penne alla vodka dishes, which were both delicious, and went really well with the wine. With the cheap wine, a $ 5 corking fee, and all other costs, we were looking at less than $ 30 each which was a great deal.
The owner (?) and chef were both lovely and chatted with us throughout the night. He even offered us complementary limoncello at the end of the meal (although, for a work night, the wine was *plenty*) and when we declined he brought us Hershey kisses instead.
I’d really recommend this place if you’re looking for a tipsy and satisfying meal with friends.

I miss Philly BYOs…
Going to college in Philly just ruins BYOs in any other city for you. You have your cheap ass Italian restaurants where you order a $ 10 entrée and get drunk off boxed wine. You have your fancier Mexican restaurants where you still get drunk off fancier margaritas. Whatever your fancy, you leave satisfied, somewhat tipsy, and not as poor that comes with buying drinks. Unfortunately Piccolo Strada accomplished none of the above.
On short notice, we were able to book a table of 10 for the same night (plus). However, it was a very VERY tight squeeze. Half the table was shoved against the wall and the other half was in the main traffic aisle. I can’t count the number of times I needed to scoot in for bathroom trips, dishes to be served, and just general movement. I will say the environment is cute and definitely gives the «mom & pop shop» feel (and made me want to be able to give a better review, but I can’t).
We ordered a few appetizers for the table, including the artichokes, caprese, and antipasto platter. It literally took more than 30 minutes to prepare the appetizers. Aside from the artichokes, the other apps are just arrangements of raw ingredients. The portions were very overwhelming (there were six very tiny pieces of artichokes and about 15 thinly sliced pieces of meat for the antipasto), and I just wasn’t impressed at all.
My entrée was also a big disappointment. The gnocchi with bolognese didn’t satisfy me in the least. First, I don’t know how they can claim homemade on the gnocchi because they didn’t taste too fresh and the gnocchi were in a shell, ribbon shape, which seemed a little complicated for anything coming out of the tiny kitchen in the back (and yes, you see the entire kitchen as you walk through it to the bathroom). The meat sauce was also ridiculously salty. I understand the importance of seasoning, but it was so salty I actually left all the meat sauce on my plate and had to wipe it off in order to eat the gnocchi. The portion was also tiny, nowhere near enough food to be full.
I sampled others’ dishes and I was equally unimpressed by them. Too much salt seemed to be a common theme, and wait time was an overall delay. I understand large parties have longer wait times, but we were one of three parties there, can’t imagine how much time it would tack on. After spending two hours there for just apps and entrees, I got restless and couldn’t wait to get the bill and bounce.
I really wanted to like this place and be able to write a stellar review, but the service and food just didn’t hit the mark. If you just want a BYO for friends in an intimate setting and don’t care about anything else, this will do the trick. Otherwise you’ll need to go elsewhere if you want to enjoy your meal.