Cucciolo Osteria

Cucciolo Osteria is an intimate Italian restaurant on Main Street. It has an upscale, traditional Italian menu with multiple courses/smaller portions. The meal is paced slowly so patrons take time to savor the food and enjoy their dining companions. It is an extremely popular place so I recommend making a reservation. It is the BEST Italian food in the area by far! I am in LOVE with their Pomodoro Tagliatelle and Butter Chicken and keep going back! SO GOOD! I HIGHLY recommend Cucciolo Osteria!!!

Absolutely fabulous experience! We were quickly seated (we had reservations as soon as they opened), service was prompt and pleasant, our meals were all perfectly accurate and delicious, and even parking was easy! For appetizers our group shared the hazelnut burrata and the giant meatballs with crispy bread. These were delicious and I would be happy to enjoy them by themselves as a meal! But I got the butter chicken "sostanza" style, which is lightly breaded and fried in a butter oil sauce and is unbelievably delicious! Others in our group got the linguine a la carbonara, and the blue cheese alfredo tagliatelle. Everyone commented that these were some of the best dishes they've ever enjoyed! We had to look up a lot of the menu's Italian terminology online, but everyone was very pleased with their meals. We also enjoyed a range of creative cocktails, from the delish "Santa's 52-Week Vacation" with charred rosemary, to the "Captain Pek Pek's Business Class Flight" cocktail complete with attached paper airplane with the recipe printed on it! Loved these! There was also a nice array of desserts, and we enjoyed everything from affogato, gelatos, bread pudding, to tiramisu! The atmosphere is simple and streamlined, but it doesn't feel unwelcoming. The staff are all helpful, professional, and very familiar with the menu. They even had dietary restrictions labeled on the menu, so there are options for those that are vegan, gluten-free, etc. I appreciated that the pace of the meal was leisurely (true to a traditional Italian meal) and at no point did our group feel rushed. Every element of the meal was fabulous from start to finish, was served hot, and was presented beautifully! Thank you for a fantastic first experience, we will all definitely be back!

We did not have a reservation and felt lucky to get seated immediately. Our server was quite genuine and attentive. I had my classic Manhattan, up with rye which came out right away. We shared a Burrata as an appetizer, with the pesto on the side due to a garlic allergy. It was delicious as expected. My wife thoroughly enjoying the Butter Chicken with dressed arugula. She was in the mood for pasta so added a side of butter pasta with parmigiana (not on the menu). It was excellent and made for plenty of leftovers for the both of us at the hotel. I had the Bolognese which was rich and complex, fantastic recipe with house made pasta. Well done, we'll be back!

Authentic Italian food is hard to find in the US, especially outside of a big city, but this place rivals any big-city nice Italian restaurant. This is by far the best Italian—and maybe best of any genre—restaurant in the Triangle, with a fantastic menu and great staff (including knowledgeable waiters, skilled bar tenders, and a wonderful sommelier). The interior has a welcoming, rustic vibe that fits well with the feel of Durham, as well.