Piccolino

We have been coming here for so many years and the food is always consistent. The atmosphere was warm and cozy. It was like a casual Italian café and packed of customers tonight. We were waiting 20 minutes to be seated and service started faster after ordering good. They brought complimentary bread with marinara sauce and we ordered fried mushrooms, pasta Bolloco and pescatore with pasta. There was green chili in the pasta Bolloco so it tasted a little spicy and creamy. For my seafood pasta, I always loved the broth and dipped in the bread.
The food is absolute delicious here and quite addictive. It is one of the our go-​to spot in Santa Fe.

Seems the best places to eat in Santa Fe are the Family owned restaurants that have been around for years. This is one of them. They treat you as your a guest at their home. They have some great sauces. Everything seems freshly made and is served Hot. Everyone working there is a Family member and seems very proud to be part of this Family business.
Some of their dishes can become addicting and they have a drive –thru that is always crowded.
Many big city restaurants out rank this place but in Santa Fe this is one of the top 10. Worth the money! I would suggest this to everyone.

After reading all the great reviews on Unilocal,we decided to dine at Piccolino last night. Our experience inspired me to start a Unilocal account today, not to add to the raving reviews, but to offer those who rely on these reviews a more negative perspective regarding this restaurant.
On the whole, this place is very mediocre at best. We rarely eat out (once or twice a month at most) as we cook almost every night for ourselves. We are decent cooks and when we eat out we expect better flavor than what we can make ourselves at home — otherwise, what’s the point? I associate small, family-​run restaurants with authenticity, but this place is far from authentic. They serve little bread bites with marinara sauce after you sit down, which were very bland tasting to me. The menu inexplicably provides descriptions for some of the menus items but not for others, which is rather annoying and sloppy. I ordered the Chicken Mateo which is chicken parm with a slice of eggplant on top and a side of pasta and vegetables. The chicken parm tasted like school cafeteria food, not fresh-​tasting at all. Some of the veggies were practically raw and overall underwhelming. The worst part of the dish was the pasta. It’s a small mound of spaghetti noodles with a little marinara sauce on top. Talk about completely bland, almost inedible! Store bought sauce tastes miles above that stuff. My husband’s dish, Chicken Bolloco, was actually pretty good, which is why I did not give this establishment 1-​stars.
Service was strange and inattentive. After we finished our meal, the waitress asked if we wanted dessert which we did not. A few minutes later a different lady walked up to us, didn’t say anything, and opened the dessert menu in front of our faces. After we said «no» she walked away without saying anything. Maybe she didn’t speak English?
Both husband and I were breaking lots of wind for several hour afterwards — I’ll spare you any further details, so just consider yourself forewarned! :o)
Based on the lack of interior aesthetics, the food quality, and the service, I wouldn’t expect to pay more than $ 7 – 8 for each plate. However, our plates were each almost $ 13 which is totally unfathomable in my opinion. You’re better off going to Olive Garden.

Basic Americanized Italian food, pizza is good. No frills but excellent service and easy parking. I do like it and would recommend for a quick dinner with friends.

Piccolino is my favorite place to treat myself to food that is to die for. I usually have the pasta bolloco which is fettuccine alfredo with chunks of chicken and green chile. The sauce is so creamy and tasty. For my birthday meal I opted for the grilled salmon with lemon caper sauce. It was served with steamed vegetables and a small serving of spaghetti. All meals are served with small pieces of bread covered with a melted herb and butter topping and a small bowl of marinara. The salmon was cooked perfectly with beautiful marks from the grill. I loved the smoky flavor. If you can’t finish your meal there, you’ll want to take your leftovers because it is too good to not eat every expertly prepared bite.

Awesome indie Italian-​American restaurant. Gets very busy, arrive before 6 if you don’t want to wait for a table.

Amazing food and service. Chianti was light and tart. Had the shrimp fra Diavolo. Had just the right amount of spice. One of the better Italian meals I’ve had in a while. Friends loved their lasagna.

What an adorable little place! The checkered tablecloths upon walking in gave me am the feelings that it was going to be great.
The menu selection is impressive for this little spot, and the service was friendly and helpful. I had the spinach ravioli with the «pink sauce» as recommended by the waitress. My companions had the meat pizza, the broccoli tortellini, and the southwest pasta with green chili. Everyone loved their dishes and we had to take two boxes home since the portions were so generous.
I will definitely return to this cute spot for my next Italian lunch craving!

While visiting in Santa Fe we went with a friend to Piccolino’s. We will DEFINITELY be going back. For a Monday evening, the place was full but not overly crowded. Service was excellent (for me this means that they were attentive but did not bother us every five minutes.) The food was delicious and the serving sizes are very generous. My husband and I split the lasagna bolloco. This dish is a white lasagna with chicken and green chile. Amazing. Yum! Our friend had the eggplant — she said it was delicious. Prices are extremely reasonable.

Good food, but exceptionally poor service. If you’re going to pay real restaurant prices you should at least get real service

Favorite spot EVER!!! Best chicken parm, best fettuccini alfredo, best roasted garlic, best scallops, best caprese salad.

I LOVE Piccolino! We live in Santa Fe and this is our «go to» place for outstanding, unpretentious Italian food. The atmosphere is warm and friendly, the menu offers a tremendous selection of delicious items. Everything is so good but I do have a favorite, which probably prevents me from trying different selections. Pasta Barina is my personal pick. I recommend going early — they deservedly get quite crowded!

Was recommened by our Land Lady at our RV Park.
Wow, Food was great, and so was the service.
We will certainy be back before we leave.

Wonderful small out of the way place. It is small so be prepared to wait if you get there on a busy day. The staff was friendly and helpful. I ordered the filet mignon special which was cooked a perfect medium. I couldn’t get over the freshness and pop of the sautéed vegetables, I could have eaten them by the pound.
This will be a must visit again the next time we’re in Santa Fe.

Wonderful service, amazing food, an all around fantastic experience. We went here after a movie and it was a little crowded. It was definitely worth the wait and I am already thinking about when I can go back. Everything tasted truly homemade and reminded me of being a little kid in my grandma’s kitchen.

All of the food is fantastic, but you have to try the Tres Leches Cake. OMG, you can almost hear the choir of angels sing when you cut into it. Best cake ever!!!

We had to drive a little out of the way, but it was worth it — we were greeted by the waitress and she said to sit wherever we wanted. We got here at 5:00 and no one was here. However, it was completely packed by the time we left.
The food tasted homemade. I got the baked ziti and a side garden salad — both were great. My husband had the Chicken tetrazzini, which he really liked (and I liked a little better than the ziti). If we visit Santa Fe again and want Italian, we will definitely stop by again!

Fresh ingredients made the traditional Italian dishes yummy.

I have eaten here many times and love places like this. Small Italian restaurants with cheesy deliciousness! Last time I ate Olga’s favorite (pasta with tomatoes, goat cheese, and grilled eggplant). It was amazing. I have also had the veal parm sandwich and the chicken ravioli in the past and not been disappointed.
I grew up in an area of the country with lots of Italians and while this might not be «authentic» Italian cuisine it was satisfying and yummy.

So good! Very very casual small sit down — no bar area — maybe 15 tables??? Service excellent /​food amazing! The rosemary bread with marinara was excellent. Ordered spaghetti with boleneze sauce with meatballs — yum! I had the Olga’s special — so good! Portions are big — we brought home leftovers. Also good garlic bread and wine. Highly recommended!