We should have been notified that the menu was not available prior to us showing up. We would have gone elsewhere. Food was not great and not what we had expected. If we wanted Aria food we would have gone there.
Kim
We arrived for our reservations a little late because the show ran long. No matter, the staff treated us graciously and served us promptly. Try the meatball appetizer! Delicious!
Ralph
Delicious small plates, great wine selection. Great spot for after matinee dinner at the Belk.
Petar
Waited 15 minutes or so for drinks... My wife ordered an Espresso Martini. Mud water would be a good comparison.. wrote a similar comment on the bill. Hope management sees it.
Barbara
Love this venue for pre-theatre dinner. Very convenient. Validated parking and 10% discount on bill another plus.
Kathy
Super convenient to Belk Theater. Great Food, great wine, great service. Knowledgable staff about the menu and wine. I would absolutely go back there in a heart beat.
Jen Bergus
This was a weird experience.
The food was good and drinks were good.
Vibes were off with the servers. One was very standoffish and the other was pretty friendly. It was strange to bounce from the cool one to the very stand offish one.
I'd recommend this place to eat still.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Nancy
The focaccia is made in house and is delicious! Love the Whipped Ricotta! Lovely presentations, incredible wine list... we will definitely go back. Pricey for small plates, however, they were excellent.
K.M. BalaSmith
My friend and I were in search of more of an upscale location to share some great Italian food and wine, and Cicchetti exceeded these expectations! Sister restaurant to Aria, you may order off both menus. Arriving only an hour before close on a Saturday night, the bar manager was so gracious and kind, offering advice on the food and wine. We stayed right till closing to finish the Dodger game (which he had turned on for us), and could not have had a more wonderful experience - the food, wine, and conversation was top notch! Thank you for a special meal during our Charlotte visit!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Terri
Great restaurant and delicious food. Enjoyed every single moment there!! Go check it out. You won't be disappointed!!
The service was excellent, including a pre-meal call regarding parking, timing for a show and vegan menu. We were tied up in uptown, event traffic, and we're quite late, but they still accommodated our timing to make the play in Blumenthal. The smoked eggplant dip was very good as well as the swordfish special that night. The ambience is good. The table for two is a little small.
Jennifer
Perfect spot to enjoy a craft cocktail and a delicious bite. Attentive service, great bonus if seeing a show at The Belk, never felt rushed. And noise level low enough to have a conversation. Tiramisu-wicked good!
Juanita
My husband and I had a very nice visit to Cicchetti's. The wine bar is quite lovely, with an open room but intimate table settings and a very nice wraparound bar. The location is quite good for any people who may have plans to see a show at the Blumenthal Theater as well. The food was very good as well. My one negative comment would be about the Crispy Cauliflower. It would have been much better tasting if it had been roasted much longer than it was. It was almost raw and didn't have the charred, smoky flavor that we were expecting, which made the pomegranate molasses taste especially tart against the raw cauliflower. A little charring of the cauliflower would have a nice counter balance to the pomegranate molasses. The Mushroom Pinsa Romana was excellent, as was the Ricotta and Tomato Salse, and the Croquettes, which was probably my favorite. The service was friendly, helpful, and attentive. I would rate the service as excellent. One other note, is that there was some music, but it was like it was coming from the kitchen rather than being piped into the bar/dining area, and it was not the type of music that I think fit well with ambience of the space. I would suggest that a) they have the music in the bar/dining area and b) they should consider something along the lines of jazz music. It would add tremendously to the overall ambience. Overall, it was a very good experience at Cicchetti, and I would recommend this place, and will hopefully be back!
Christiaan
As newcomers to Charlotte, a friend recommended Cicchetti's. Being lovers of Italian food, we were excited to try it—especially for a birthday celebration, unfortunately, it turned out to be a disappointment. The space itself is nice, and to be fair, the food was good. But with any dining experience, the service is what truly makes or breaks it, and that's where things fell apart. The restaurant was only about three-quarters full, yet the three servers seemed overwhelmed and not particularly friendly. The bartender, in particular, looked like he would rather be anywhere else and was rude and unfriendly. Our server provided only the bare minimum, and the courses were delayed and brought out in a disorganized way. We never felt welcomed or taken care of. The biggest shock came at the end: when the check arrived, a $50 service charge had been added—even though two of our six diners were a small child and a baby repectively, who didn't eat. Happy to pay and tip for great service but to be made to pay a tip for poor service with the kids used as a loophole to justify, seems like cheating after such a poor performance. We left feeling disappointed and let down. For true lovers of Italian food, you know that pasta is best enjoyed alongside great service, warm smiles, and genuine hospitality. Unfortunately, that spirit was missing here. Thankfully, there are many other Italian restaurants in town where you'll be greeted with a smile and made to feel welcome—especially on your birthday!
Fran
Wonderful experience! The only thing I would change is to ask the server how much the special is before ordering!! We got the scallop special, which was very good, but was $45 for 4 scallops and a few pieces of squash. I find that way too much for a small plate! You can get a regular portion of fish from Aria for the same or less. Otherwise, enjoyed everything.
We should have been notified that the menu was not available prior to us showing up. We would have gone elsewhere. Food was not great and not what we had expected. If we wanted Aria food we would have gone there.
We arrived for our reservations a little late because the show ran long. No matter, the staff treated us graciously and served us promptly. Try the meatball appetizer! Delicious!
Delicious small plates, great wine selection. Great spot for after matinee dinner at the Belk.
Waited 15 minutes or so for drinks... My wife ordered an Espresso Martini. Mud water would be a good comparison.. wrote a similar comment on the bill. Hope management sees it.
Love this venue for pre-theatre dinner. Very convenient. Validated parking and 10% discount on bill another plus.
Super convenient to Belk Theater. Great Food, great wine, great service. Knowledgable staff about the menu and wine. I would absolutely go back there in a heart beat.
This was a weird experience.
The food was good and drinks were good.
Vibes were off with the servers. One was very standoffish and the other was pretty friendly. It was strange to bounce from the cool one to the very stand offish one.
I'd recommend this place to eat still.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
The focaccia is made in house and is delicious! Love the Whipped Ricotta! Lovely presentations, incredible wine list... we will definitely go back. Pricey for small plates, however, they were excellent.
My friend and I were in search of more of an upscale location to share some great Italian food and wine, and Cicchetti exceeded these expectations! Sister restaurant to Aria, you may order off both menus. Arriving only an hour before close on a Saturday night, the bar manager was so gracious and kind, offering advice on the food and wine. We stayed right till closing to finish the Dodger game (which he had turned on for us), and could not have had a more wonderful experience - the food, wine, and conversation was top notch! Thank you for a special meal during our Charlotte visit!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great restaurant and delicious food. Enjoyed every single moment there!! Go check it out. You won't be disappointed!!
Restaurantji Recommends
The service was excellent, including a pre-meal call regarding parking, timing for a show and vegan menu. We were tied up in uptown, event traffic, and we're quite late, but they still accommodated our timing to make the play in Blumenthal. The smoked eggplant dip was very good as well as the swordfish special that night. The ambience is good. The table for two is a little small.
Perfect spot to enjoy a craft cocktail and a delicious bite. Attentive service, great bonus if seeing a show at The Belk, never felt rushed. And noise level low enough to have a conversation. Tiramisu-wicked good!
My husband and I had a very nice visit to Cicchetti's. The wine bar is quite lovely, with an open room but intimate table settings and a very nice wraparound bar. The location is quite good for any people who may have plans to see a show at the Blumenthal Theater as well. The food was very good as well. My one negative comment would be about the Crispy Cauliflower. It would have been much better tasting if it had been roasted much longer than it was. It was almost raw and didn't have the charred, smoky flavor that we were expecting, which made the pomegranate molasses taste especially tart against the raw cauliflower. A little charring of the cauliflower would have a nice counter balance to the pomegranate molasses. The Mushroom Pinsa Romana was excellent, as was the Ricotta and Tomato Salse, and the Croquettes, which was probably my favorite. The service was friendly, helpful, and attentive. I would rate the service as excellent. One other note, is that there was some music, but it was like it was coming from the kitchen rather than being piped into the bar/dining area, and it was not the type of music that I think fit well with ambience of the space. I would suggest that a) they have the music in the bar/dining area and b) they should consider something along the lines of jazz music. It would add tremendously to the overall ambience. Overall, it was a very good experience at Cicchetti, and I would recommend this place, and will hopefully be back!
As newcomers to Charlotte, a friend recommended Cicchetti's. Being lovers of Italian food, we were excited to try it—especially for a birthday celebration, unfortunately, it turned out to be a disappointment. The space itself is nice, and to be fair, the food was good. But with any dining experience, the service is what truly makes or breaks it, and that's where things fell apart. The restaurant was only about three-quarters full, yet the three servers seemed overwhelmed and not particularly friendly. The bartender, in particular, looked like he would rather be anywhere else and was rude and unfriendly. Our server provided only the bare minimum, and the courses were delayed and brought out in a disorganized way. We never felt welcomed or taken care of. The biggest shock came at the end: when the check arrived, a $50 service charge had been added—even though two of our six diners were a small child and a baby repectively, who didn't eat. Happy to pay and tip for great service but to be made to pay a tip for poor service with the kids used as a loophole to justify, seems like cheating after such a poor performance. We left feeling disappointed and let down. For true lovers of Italian food, you know that pasta is best enjoyed alongside great service, warm smiles, and genuine hospitality. Unfortunately, that spirit was missing here. Thankfully, there are many other Italian restaurants in town where you'll be greeted with a smile and made to feel welcome—especially on your birthday!
Wonderful experience! The only thing I would change is to ask the server how much the special is before ordering!! We got the scallop special, which was very good, but was $45 for 4 scallops and a few pieces of squash. I find that way too much for a small plate! You can get a regular portion of fish from Aria for the same or less. Otherwise, enjoyed everything.
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