Tucked away in SoHo, Piccola Cucina Estiatorio serves up vibrant Sicilian seafood and pasta dishes in a cozy, festive atmosphere that feels like home in Italy.
"On a quiet, darkened street in the southwestern section of Soho lies Piccola Cucina Estiatorio, part of a small international chain that specializes in Sicilian food, and seafood in particular, sometimes with a Greek flair. The grilled sardines are spectacular, and there’s a fine seafood misto served with lemon and aioli that makes a shareable appetizer. Don’t miss the miniature rice balls, attributed to restaurateur Philip Guardione’s hometown of Catania. Pastas are another strong point, along with a wine list favoring Sicilian vintages." - Robert Sietsema, Melissa McCart
"Piccola Cucina Estiatorio is a good place to have some excellent Sicilian food whenever you catch yourself taking things too seriously, and it's also the perfect spot to embarrass someone on their birthday. The staff at this cramped little Italian restaurant in Soho flicker the lights, bang pots and pans, and sing for about three consecutive minutes whenever they feel like it (and especially if it’s someone’s birthday). Mostly everyone in the dark room shares big plates of fried or grilled seafood before moving onto personal pans of pasta. At only $26, the lobster pasta is something to celebrate. It comes with spicy red sauce and huge chunks of meat, and it never seems to end." - Bryan Kim, Matt Tervooren, Neha Talreja
"Your friend is excitedly bellowing about the new engagement ring weighing down their finger, and it feels like they’re banging pots and pans right next to your ear. At this rowdy Sicilian restaurant, they’ll be outdone by the chefs who’ll regularly bang actual pots and pans in the kitchen and sing for three straight minutes whenever they feel like it. It’s not unheard of to see someone dancing on a table on a Tuesday night here. As far as attention-seeking goes, table-dancer almost always beats loud-talker. " - neha talreja
"As part of the Piccola Cucina chain — with branches in Ibiza and Montana — this compact place cultivates an international resort vibe, and offers Sicilian food that partly concentrates on its Greek influences. That means wonderful grilled sardines and raw fish crudos, without neglecting classic Sicilian dishes like rice balls from the owner’s Sicilian hometown of Catania and maccheroni Norma, featuring hand-rolled pasta with eggplant-dotted tomato sauce, named after a 19th-century opera by Vincenzo Bellini (who also inspired a cocktail)." - Robert Sietsema
"Located near the corner of Spring and Thompson streets in Soho, the name implies that the menu concentrates on the Greek influences that pervade Sicilian food ('estiatorio' is type of Greek restaurant fancier than a rustic 'taverna'). And indeed, seafood is the primary focus of this very good establishment that seems to have largely escaped the notice of food publications and restaurant critics since it opened in 2017." - Robert Sietsema
