Puccini Ristorante

Rhinebeck has a terrific italian restaurant in Puccini Ristorante! Everything we tasted was equal to or easily surpassed almost all Italian restaurants in NYC (where we live when not weekending upstate). From a refined Carpaggio Di Polpo (raw octopus shaved razor thin and delicious even to someone like me who can’t stand most grilled versions) to a rich and deeply satisfying Rigatoni Buterra (sweet sausage and peas in a light creamy tomato sauce), the meal was all a «foodie» could ask for. A family-​run business, the ambience mixes a touch of class with personal warmth and attentiveness (our waitress, Alexandra, was a sweetheart). Other places in this town may have a bigger advertising budgets, but Puccini’s has the best Italian food in Duchess and Ulster Counties!

Our favorite restaurant in Rhinebeck. Wonderful food and gracious atmosphere, enhanced by service by the owners’ lovely daughters.
Tucked away on Garden Street, which results in its never seeming crowded. I think if it were on Main or Market, you’d definitely need reservations.

Excellent choice in Rhinebeck. Great food, attentive service, nice ambiance. Outdoor dining was good choice on beautiful evening.

I absolutely love the fact that this is a family owned Italian restaurant. As an Italian, and as a New Yorker, I love hearing accents that I know and recognize in Upstate NY. I’m not the politically correct type, so if this bothers some of you uptight, modern folks, I apologize… but I LOVE having Italian food served by Italian people. Last time I had «Italian» in NYC it was served by an Asian guy with a name tag that read «Kim.» If I go to an Asian restaurant, I don’t want to be serviced by someone named Mario… I want someone Asian serving me. Understand?
Enough of that. Look, the food here was absolutely, positively, off-​the-​charts ridiculous. The service was perfect. My wife and I were drinking the sauces as if they were soups. We had a gift certificate, and that’s how we learned of Puccini. We will be back soon. It absolutely made my day to find this place.
I ask that my fellow Unilocalers support this place. Easy 5 stars. Love places like this.

Was there last week with a party of 8. Good atmosphere, friendly staff, great drinks, and nice wine list. They have specials, great apps and a nice menu. I had the veal saltimbocca with roasted potatoes. very good, Everyone was happy with what they ordered. And that was 8 people. I will go back for sure.

Great food! Lovely people.
Had the Caesar Salad and Chicken Parmesan for a Saturday lunch in April. My wife had the Chicken Matza Ball Soup and an Italian sandwich. So delicious! The server was wonderful.
Highly recommended. Will tell friends about this great find. Will return for dinner soon.
The restaurant is tucked away off of Garden Street. It’s clean and welcoming. You won’t be disappointed.

The best!!! the food is southern Italian just like my Grandma’s. The dishes are yummy. They know what they are doing the food is perfect. We had 32 people in our party not one person was disappointed that is unheard of with that many people in most restaurants. Everyone was saying omgosh the food was so delicious. I say go go go!!! Go once and you will be going back. I know I will be back its the best Italian food north of the city incredible!!!

Very nice family-​run place. The mother greeted us warmly on our second visit, having remembered us. The twin daughter who took our order remembered the exact wine I had ordered and liked — all nice touches that make us feel appreciated as patrons.
The all-​white décor and banquettes make for a comfortable and soothing ambiance. The bartender can get a bit loud — I don’t think she’s aware of how her voice carries — but otherwise, it’s a tranquil setting.
Sesame-​seed encrusted bread is served with what I believe is a pureed white bean and olive oil dip. It needed just a touch of salt, pepper and balsamic to really be yummy. The olive oil they provided is outstanding.
The daughter came over with a big board of specials. The first time, we had the octopus appetizer and it was stellar — so tender and flavorful and well worth the $ 15.00 charge. I could have made a whole meal out of it. My branzino was fresh and tasty and came with broccoli rabe which was slightly overcooked but still good. It also came with some type of potato side dish which was forgettable. My husband loved the lemon chicken, though I thought it was a tad dry. It came with a side of pasta with good marinara sauce.
We ordered the wine the daughter had recommended and it was very good. When I was undecided, she offered a taste of it before I ordered the bottle, which was thoughtful. All the wine prices seem fair. Ours was $ 32, I believe, and a good chardonnay by the glass can be had for ten bucks, with the generous pour making it a t least a glass and a half.
On our second visit, we both ordered specials. I had the zuppa di pesce which was good, but a tad bland. He had the «duck ragu,» and it was flavorful, though the portion of duck was a bit stingy. With a 20% tip, it was $ 100 for the two of us with two glasses of wine for me and iced tea for him ($ 2.00 each for refills).
Overall, the service is attentive and all the staff quite friendly and charming. We will definitely be back! This is a nice place for a quiet and relaxing date.
Secure parking is available right in front of the restaurant.

I must say, we ladies that lunch love Puccini, the service & food are just wonderful

Was at Puccini’s Saturday night with 6 other people and we loved our meals and the service was excellent– highly recommend.

Excellent total dining experience. Family run all the way through. Fresh food. Somewhat limited menu but plenty to choose from. Italian influence but I wouldn’t call it a strictly Italian place. Boy a lot of red sauce. I had a superb filet mignonette with a brandy pepper sauce and home made lemon pie. The only thing I didn’t care for was the house salad because the dressing had a bit too much vinegar for my taste. We met some nice people and had a great conversation. Worth the price for the total experience. I’d go back again and recommend it.

We’ve been to Puccini many times and love it. Pleasant atmosphere with no ear-​splitting music. Service by the family twins is always professional and friendly. There is a nice selection of wines by the glass and a generous pour, and the food can’t be beat. Delicious pastas and if chicken cacciatore is on the specials, give it a try. Home-​made only better.

Fine upscale Italian replete with white table clothes and tasty entrees. Very competent service. Nice selection of Italian wines as well. Alittle hard to find, as it is tucked back behind the main drag. Specials are what to get as the chef goes out of his way to make them… Well, special. In my opinion it’s hard to get five stars, they get close.

This family run restaurant is warm, welcoming and utterly charming. The simple and elegant décor complements the classic Italian home cuisine, prepared by the father of the family, while mama greets each guest like a relative.
A real value for the price too, cooked with care and love!

Love, love; love it. Fabulous authentic Italian food. I’m particularly fond of small, more intimate places and this one did the bill. Really nice family owned and run place. Been there more than five times and never been disappointed.

Meh. But very nice people.

Excellent food, service, and wine. The steak is very good and also the chicken layered with eggplant and proscuitto. Will be going back soon.

So glad we came here for dinner! We came with a party of six and sat in the quaint patio. We shared oysters, stuffed zucchini flowers and italian stuffed cabbage. The oysters were fresh and briny and the zucchini flowers were full of flavor the stuffed cabbage was the only thing we weren’t thrilled with. A little bland and mushy.
All of the entrees were excellent. All six of us were really happy with what we ordered. Meals included shrimp oreganata, chicken marsala, hangar steak, lobster fettuccine, and zupa de pesce (awesome!).
The service was excellent and the location is a nice change from the super busy main strip in Rhinebeck. We were much happier here than some of the other Italian placed in town. Give this place a try!

We returned to Puccini, a fine family run Italian ristorante, hidden on a backstreet in Rhinebeck for another exceptional dinner… greeted by Mary, married to the chef, who prepared some wonderful zucchini blossoms, stuffed with ricotta, a seaonal offering which U shouldn’t miss (5 stars)…served by their twin daughters… Many specials on the menu made my choice difficult… Opted for a specially prepared garlicky scungilli in a rich tomato sauce served on linguini (5 stars) .My wife enjoyed the fresh rare tuna with a wonderful side of potatoes and broccoli rabe (4 stars)…We topped our meal off with a 5 star tiramisu and a peach sorbet… If we lived near Rhinebeck, we could make Puccini a weekly habit.

The restaurant is tucked in the back of a side street call for directions its not easy to find. Ok like the last review said you are greeted by the girls and their parents. That is a nice touch! We were a party of four, seated right away. Bread is delivered with a version of hummus. The bread was served cold, I don’t think I agree with that, but ok. We had fried calamari it was good the marinara was not great but acceptable. Dinner my companion had the shrimp fradiavlo, it was inedible. The shrimp had seen better days about a week ago. I had the chicken francaise it was fine. It was served with two shriveled pieces of broccoli rabe and I believe it was a potato croquet. The star of the evening is the service the girls are trying very hard to make everyone happy!