Il Cornicello - Exeter

Simply one of my favorite restaurants of all time. The chef is creative and is always changing the menu, usually weekly, sometimes daily. Which keeps it fresh a... read more Simply one of my favorite restaurants of all time. The chef is creative and is always changing the menu, usually weekly, sometimes daily. Which keeps it fresh and fun. The food is spectacular. The staff are friendly and fun. And, they haveseveral excellent wines specially imported from Italy. Overall, a great experience. A gem of a restaurant in Exeter.

We saw this restaurant on NH Chronicle and we?re super excited to try it! My husband cooks Italian including homemade pasta and we have visited Italy. We also e... read more We saw this restaurant on NH Chronicle and we?re super excited to try it! My husband cooks Italian including homemade pasta and we have visited Italy. We also eat out often and are always looking for new places. We weren?t able to get in for about sixweeks, but that?s OK, if it?s good and worth the wait. We were terribly disappointed! We ordered the bruschetta for anappetizer and also the Panzanella with peaches. The bruschetta was a disappointment as the bread was soggy in the middle. Ienjoyed the Panzanella, but my husband did not. The bread and oil we ordered for the table was awful the bread was dry and theoil bland. For our main meal I ordered the bolognese and my husband the deconstructed eggplant parmigiana. The star of mybolognese was the pasta which was home made and cooked perfectly, but the bolognese was dry and bland and no tomatoes! Theeggplant was thick and mushy but did have a nice crust. The pasta served under the eggplant was not cooked right, some piecesbeing mushy and others crunchy. Zero complaints about the dessert! They only had 2 choices, but the pistachio olive oil cakewas amazing! The staff was wonderful smiling, welcoming, attentive. But, I think the next time I?m craving Italian food, I?llask my husband to cook for me or head to our favorite Italian restaurant in Manchester, Piccola

We have a new favorite bartender and her name is Kendall. This restaurant is great, the food is fantastic, the drinks are delicious. Kendall is just fantastic b... read more We have a new favorite bartender and her name is Kendall. This restaurant is great, the food is fantastic, the drinks are delicious. Kendall is just fantastic behind the bar. She works to control the perfect vibe in terms of music volume, lightingand especially great focus on your tastes. My wife and I went there by happenstance back in June and had a great time. Kendallwas our bartender then. Tonight, in late September we wound up there again, grabbed the same two seats at the bar and Kendallnot only recognized us but remembered that we sat in those same seats and what type of wine my wife liked. Food was great.Service was great. Five stars.

My neighbor I Live Locally on Water Street. So were treated like Good Neighbors when we were greeted by the Staff Expressed our Culinary Adventure to the Owner... read more My neighbor I Live Locally on Water Street. So were treated like Good Neighbors when we were greeted by the Staff Expressed our Culinary Adventure to the Owner On the way out. They need no Good Reviews because the Pasta can speak for itself!Looking forward to the next reservation.Keep up the good work!-Chef Anson

Really, how could one give this place anything less than 5 stars? We have been trying to see what it's all about for almost a year now. They are virtually alway... read more Really, how could one give this place anything less than 5 stars? We have been trying to see what it's all about for almost a year now. They are virtually always booked a month in advance and it's easy to see why. First of all, it's small. And that's great because there really isn't a bad seat in the house--all the tables line the widows with spectacular river views. But the tables are well spaced so it's airy, not tight or stuffy. I don't know what my fellow diners ordered nor what their kids are doing at school. Secondly, the food is nothing short of superb. We split a bruschette (highly recommended), a salad and each had an entree. Perfect amount of food for two and we left neither stuffed nor hungry--an elegant sufficiency it's called. Each course was fresh, original and really, really tasty. The service was just right--friendly without being overly intimate, helpful, non-intrusive and always there when needed. The wine list is very well curated and offers a good price range for every wallet. We even had dessert (rarity for us) because it all sounded so delicious--and it was. We had the nonna's cookies. Awesome. Reservations are required even at the bar to keep the place uncrowded and we applaud that. I could see eating at the bar every night, trying a different bruschette and wine by the glass. Oh, and the prices? Quite reasonable. We have spent much more on lesser (and less tasty) meals. We actually couldn't believe how little we spent having ordered so much food. Parking was even easy just accross the street. Most definitely will go back.