I can see why it’s so hard to get a reservation! This tiny, adorable restaurant is a new fave. Just a handful of tables with lovely river views. We were sat at a somewhat awkward table by the bar but it ended up being cozy and cute. Our server was really nice. We started off with the mushroom bruschetta and it was the best dish of the night. And I legit don’t even like mushroom. Then my husband had a crab or lobster cake which was good, but a bit salty, and I had a tuna dish which was lovely. My ravioli was our least favorite of the evening as it was served in a sauce that was essentially water. whether that was intentional or a fluke, I’m genuinely not sure, but I’m assuming intentional and it just didn’t work. The hot water seeped into the ravioli so it was a watery surprise every bite. My husband got a pasta that had a lemon element to it and that was good. We finished our bottle of wine with some amazing cannolis (espresso, I think they were). We made new reservations on our way out and look forward to returning.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
M Smith
I can see why it’s so hard to get a reservation! This tiny, adorable restaurant is a new fave. Just a handful of tables with lovely river views. We were sat at a somewhat awkward table by the bar but it ended up being cozy and cute. Our server was really nice. We started off with the mushroom bruschetta and it was the best dish of the night. And I legit don’t even like mushroom. Then my husband had a crab or lobster cake which was good, but a bit salty, and I had a tuna dish which was lovely. My ravioli was our least favorite of the evening as it was served in a sauce that was essentially water. whether that was intentional or a fluke, I’m genuinely not sure, but I’m assuming intentional and it just didn’t work. The hot water seeped into the ravioli so it was a watery surprise every bite. My husband got a pasta that had a lemon element to it and that was good. We finished our bottle of wine with some amazing cannolis (espresso, I think they were). We made new reservations on our way out and look forward to returning.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Kelly Garcea
This is hands down a gem. Every time we go, the service is wonderful, particularly Lindsay, Lisa and Alyssa are all wonderful and on numerous occasions have treated us like family. Tim’s food is incredible and reminds me of my grandmother and grandfather’s cooking. You must get the traditional bruschetta, and try whatever amazing pasta dish catches your eye that night. The cocktails are also amazing, and I do have to say the olive oil pistachio cake is my favorite dessert near by. Go now. I just got married and as a surprise they gifted us a bottle of sparking Italian wine to take home after we got our bill, and my husband wasn’t even with me! It was a girl’s night out and Lindsay remembered we recently got married this summer. They wanted my husband and I to have a drink together on the house. This is what I mean by it feels like family. I’m always enthralled by our experience here. Thank you for being a wonderful place where we feel at home, but are being treated to an amazing dinner experience. 10/10 go!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pistachio Olive Oil Cake, Classic Bruschette, Agnolotti Del Plin Alla Tartufata
Paul Gilbert
I had ravioli, my wife had the lamb chops with olive oil cake for desert. So good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pistachio Olive Oil Cake
John Burns
Terrific food, the service was excellent. Sat at the bar and was an excellent dinner. We had the basil pesto and the lobster linguine dish. All of it was delicious as was the pistachio cake and cannoli's for dessert. Delicious and a nice atmosphere.
Exquisite cooking! Another incredible meal. Wow can he cook. The best Italian food I have ever had.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Classic Bruschette
Gordon Casazza
Had a problem making reservation but the manger was great and resolved the issue. The Haddock & pesto was terrific. The manager is a 10 !!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Devon Skerritt
Love each time we get to eat here. It's really busy, but the vibe is cozy and Italian without being too much. Servers and staff are all very cordial and pretty knowledgeable. Drinks are varied but not overwhelming. Solid wine selection and drink specials including good beer on tap (had Mast Landing among others). Our bruschetta was flavorful but probably a bit much spread for me, and not quite enough crunch to the bread. My meals have been hit or miss. Never bad, just sometimes missed the mark. This time I really enjoyed my wife's seafood pasta with healthy helping of lobster and shrimp. My bolognese was rather bland though a hearty portion. Just leaving a bit of boldness in the flavor palette. But last time I had a to-die-for sausage pasta dish. Ultimately it was still a nice meal and a really enjoyable experience. Just hoping for a bit more pop in flavor next time.
Kid-friendliness: You could bring a well behaved family here but kids should really be 10+, and it's much more a sit down place for adults.
Great service, food, and the view of the river is beautiful! Thanks for a memorable evening!
Nicholas Nooney
This is the kind of place you go for anniversary celebrations, birthdays, or other special occasions. The menu changes daily, and every dish served is delicious and prepared excellently.Make a reservation weeks in advance; it's a small restaurant with tables for 2 and 4.But it's definitely a top place to dine in Exeter and the seacoast area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kyle M
Fantastic little spot. Handmade pasta daily. Sign me up. We booked reservations at the bar. Checked in 10min prior and we were seated pretty much right away. Staff was very attentive, friendly and knowledgeable about what to recommend.We ordered a blueberry and goat cheese bruschetta, meatballs in broth, and I had ravioli while my girl had the braised short rib and pasta choice. And we had their olive oil cake. Flavors were awesome, everything just melted in your mouth. I really don't think you would find anything you don't like on this menu or that isn't prepped, cooked, and constructed with precision and thought.Street parking wasn't an issue. The atmosphere is cozy, fairly low key, quiet, and relaxed. 7tables and the bar seating keeps it that way.Book ahead of time they seemingly are booked out weeks/months.If you get a chance, stop in. If you like authentic Italian cuisine, you will be pleased.
Sharing what many others have said - absolutely a fine Italian restaurant. Before your dinner, you can watch the kitchen staff from the sidewalk preparing pasta, or ravioli from scratch. This was our first time visiting with friends, it was superb with delicious flavors. Great appetizer selection, main course and salads were excellent. Don't forget to save room for pistachio cake. And if you are lucky, you will have Lisa C. as your waitress. She's got a great sense of humor - I promised her 5 stars and here it is.
Hands down the best Italian restaurant around. The food and service is always outstanding. The menu changes regularly based on local in-season ingredients, ensuring that every meal is a new experience. The pastas are all made in-house and always incredibly delicious. You will be happy with whatever you order! I always look forward to our visits to Cornicello!
Four of us going for years and nobody has had a bad meal. Not your typical Italian restaurant, menu changes daily, fresh homemade pasta.
Dietary restrictions: Menu marked dairy free, gluten free, vegetarian.
Kid-friendliness: Not really
Wheelchair accessibility: Yes
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Funghi Bruschetta, Pistachio Olive Oil Cake
I can see why it’s so hard to get a reservation! This tiny, adorable restaurant is a new fave. Just a handful of tables with lovely river views. We were sat at a somewhat awkward table by the bar but it ended up being cozy and cute. Our server was really nice. We started off with the mushroom bruschetta and it was the best dish of the night. And I legit don’t even like mushroom. Then my husband had a crab or lobster cake which was good, but a bit salty, and I had a tuna dish which was lovely. My ravioli was our least favorite of the evening as it was served in a sauce that was essentially water. whether that was intentional or a fluke, I’m genuinely not sure, but I’m assuming intentional and it just didn’t work. The hot water seeped into the ravioli so it was a watery surprise every bite. My husband got a pasta that had a lemon element to it and that was good. We finished our bottle of wine with some amazing cannolis (espresso, I think they were). We made new reservations on our way out and look forward to returning.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
I can see why it’s so hard to get a reservation! This tiny, adorable restaurant is a new fave. Just a handful of tables with lovely river views. We were sat at a somewhat awkward table by the bar but it ended up being cozy and cute. Our server was really nice. We started off with the mushroom bruschetta and it was the best dish of the night. And I legit don’t even like mushroom. Then my husband had a crab or lobster cake which was good, but a bit salty, and I had a tuna dish which was lovely. My ravioli was our least favorite of the evening as it was served in a sauce that was essentially water. whether that was intentional or a fluke, I’m genuinely not sure, but I’m assuming intentional and it just didn’t work. The hot water seeped into the ravioli so it was a watery surprise every bite. My husband got a pasta that had a lemon element to it and that was good. We finished our bottle of wine with some amazing cannolis (espresso, I think they were). We made new reservations on our way out and look forward to returning.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
This is hands down a gem. Every time we go, the service is wonderful, particularly Lindsay, Lisa and Alyssa are all wonderful and on numerous occasions have treated us like family. Tim’s food is incredible and reminds me of my grandmother and grandfather’s cooking. You must get the traditional bruschetta, and try whatever amazing pasta dish catches your eye that night. The cocktails are also amazing, and I do have to say the olive oil pistachio cake is my favorite dessert near by. Go now. I just got married and as a surprise they gifted us a bottle of sparking Italian wine to take home after we got our bill, and my husband wasn’t even with me! It was a girl’s night out and Lindsay remembered we recently got married this summer. They wanted my husband and I to have a drink together on the house. This is what I mean by it feels like family. I’m always enthralled by our experience here. Thank you for being a wonderful place where we feel at home, but are being treated to an amazing dinner experience. 10/10 go!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pistachio Olive Oil Cake, Classic Bruschette, Agnolotti Del Plin Alla Tartufata
I had ravioli, my wife had the lamb chops with olive oil cake for desert. So good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pistachio Olive Oil Cake
Terrific food, the service was excellent. Sat at the bar and was an excellent dinner. We had the basil pesto and the lobster linguine dish. All of it was delicious as was the pistachio cake and cannoli's for dessert. Delicious and a nice atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pistachio Olive Oil Cake, Classic Bruschette
Exquisite cooking! Another incredible meal. Wow can he cook. The best Italian food I have ever had.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Classic Bruschette
Had a problem making reservation but the manger was great and resolved the issue. The Haddock & pesto was terrific.
The manager is a 10 !!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Love each time we get to eat here. It's really busy, but the vibe is cozy and Italian without being too much. Servers and staff are all very cordial and pretty knowledgeable. Drinks are varied but not overwhelming. Solid wine selection and drink specials including good beer on tap (had Mast Landing among others). Our bruschetta was flavorful but probably a bit much spread for me, and not quite enough crunch to the bread. My meals have been hit or miss. Never bad, just sometimes missed the mark. This time I really enjoyed my wife's seafood pasta with healthy helping of lobster and shrimp. My bolognese was rather bland though a hearty portion. Just leaving a bit of boldness in the flavor palette. But last time I had a to-die-for sausage pasta dish. Ultimately it was still a nice meal and a really enjoyable experience. Just hoping for a bit more pop in flavor next time.
Kid-friendliness: You could bring a well behaved family here but kids should really be 10+, and it's much more a sit down place for adults.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Classic Bruschette
best Italian restaurant in the
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Great service, food, and the view of the river is beautiful! Thanks for a memorable evening!
This is the kind of place you go for anniversary celebrations, birthdays, or other special occasions. The menu changes daily, and every dish served is delicious and prepared excellently.Make a reservation weeks in advance; it's a small restaurant with tables for 2 and 4.But it's definitely a top place to dine in Exeter and the seacoast area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fantastic little spot. Handmade pasta daily. Sign me up. We booked reservations at the bar. Checked in 10min prior and we were seated pretty much right away. Staff was very attentive, friendly and knowledgeable about what to recommend.We ordered a blueberry and goat cheese bruschetta, meatballs in broth, and I had ravioli while my girl had the braised short rib and pasta choice. And we had their olive oil cake. Flavors were awesome, everything just melted in your mouth. I really don't think you would find anything you don't like on this menu or that isn't prepped, cooked, and constructed with precision and thought.Street parking wasn't an issue. The atmosphere is cozy, fairly low key, quiet, and relaxed. 7tables and the bar seating keeps it that way.Book ahead of time they seemingly are booked out weeks/months.If you get a chance, stop in. If you like authentic Italian cuisine, you will be pleased.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pistachio Olive Oil Cake, Pistachio Cake
Sharing what many others have said - absolutely a fine Italian restaurant. Before your dinner, you can watch the kitchen staff from the sidewalk preparing pasta, or ravioli from scratch. This was our first time visiting with friends, it was superb with delicious flavors. Great appetizer selection, main course and salads were excellent. Don't forget to save room for pistachio cake. And if you are lucky, you will have Lisa C. as your waitress. She's got a great sense of humor - I promised her 5 stars and here it is.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bruschetta Olio Nuova, Pistachio Cake
Hands down the best Italian restaurant around. The food and service is always outstanding. The menu changes regularly based on local in-season ingredients, ensuring that every meal is a new experience. The pastas are all made in-house and always incredibly delicious. You will be happy with whatever you order! I always look forward to our visits to Cornicello!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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