We come here for birthday and anniversary dinners but it is also great for any adult dinner it. It is the best restaurant in North Durham. I love their fresh and local specials that rotate daily and weekly. I always have trouble deciding what to get because it is all so good. The service is always delightful like the servers are having a good time too. The decor is reserved and tasteful while a little playful and the chairs are pretty comfortable.
Trey Bobbitt
Sep 20, 2023
4
This is our first experience: I liked the environment and service of the restaurant. It was calm and the staff were great. Although we enjoyed our food, I can’t say it was impressive in quality overall. I would like to come back to try other dishes though, because the establishment said that the menu changes constantly.
Michael Duda
Aug 20, 2023
5
Fresh. Local. Italian. These people know what they're doing. The freshest local ingredients, turned into expert Italian food. Everything here is delicious. I recommend the spicy seafood spaghetti, but I've never had anything here that was less than delicious.
Nazneen Malik
Aug 17, 2023
5
I got the steak. It was very filling, flavorful, and delicious. The bf ordered chickpeas, some ground beef pasta and the chocolate desert. The taste was on point. Would love to go back!
Jessica
Jun 16, 2023
5
Goccialina is good and consistently so. It's my go to place for a nice meal in Durham when I want to treat myself or someone else. I've been coming somewhat regularly since they opened their doors. The food is always amazing and I've never had a bad experience or meal here. I suggest making reservations but they can sometimes squeeze you in at the bar.
The prices reflect the quality of the dishes and their ingredients. This isn't a chain restaurant or a counter service spot. Expect fresh, local, seasonal seafood and produce. You can go wild with the small plates and be quite satisfied. That said, this isn't a cheap eats spot and the portions are satisfying but not gigantic.
My faves from the regular menu are the spicy seafood spaghetti, meatballs, Brussels sprouts, and roasted broccoli. The breadsticks and bread and butter are tasty. I always try things from the specials board and that is always changing. Recently I tried soft shell crab, calamari, and hand cut noodles with truffles from the board and they were great.
Service has always been good for me here. They don't hound me constantly or rush me. They are helpful if you have questions and food has always arrived quickly enough. Your small plates may arrive before your entree, they are making your food fresh in the (busy, hustling) kitchen.
This is a small place and it's popular. It can get a little loud at peak times because it's a small spot. Your food may come out a little slower if it's a busy Friday or Saturday. Order a drink and relax. Or, if this might bother you, I suggest an earlier weekday reservation.
If you drink alcohol, the bar makes good drinks and they have a good selection of amaros along with wines by the glass and bottle. I've had a few cocktails from their drink menu and have no complaints. I've also requested off menu drinks with no issue.
Long story short: If you want a good meal (perhaps for a date, birthday, or to treat yourself) using fresh, local ingredients made by folks who know what's up, go to Goccialina.
James Kempski Your Triangle REALTOR 919-308-7597
Mar 20, 2023
5
Diner reservations highly recomended. We made a reservation got to the resturanut, and was greeted and seated immediately. Waiter came by and offered some recomendations that we ordered. The food is fantastic, they have a great wine selection and well what can I say if I could give 7 or 8 stars I would, Fantastic all around. What a great experience.
Beth Moore
Feb 11, 2023
5
Had a private party, staff was very attentive. Room was spacious. But, the best was their cocktails and food. You're missing out if you don't go.
Shelby Sundstrom
Feb 7, 2023
3
We reserved a table on a Friday night and were seated instantly when we arrived. Great! The servers/host/helpers were very nice! The service was very slow. From the time we sat down to the time we received the first dish was over 1 hour. Even assuming it took 15min to decide what to order (it did not), that's 45min to put out one part of a meal. The other parts came out separately; two dishes here, one dish there, etc, over the course of 20 minutes or more. We ordered no appetizers, so I'm unsure why everything came out at different times. The food was good. I would say it's above average, but not great. I've had better Italian food, but it was not bad at all! Waitress service, overall, was pretty slow. They appeared to be busy, so I'm not sure if she was the only waitress or what, but she only checked on us for the order placement and we had to flag her down to ask for the check. I had to ask the helper(?) for a refill on my drink because the waitress never checked in with us. Again, everyone was very nice! The food was good! But for the price, I was expecting more and I am certainly disappointed with the very long wait and the waits between dishes.
Linda Craft
Feb 7, 2023
5
As a longtime resident of the Triangle area, I always recommend Gocciolina to my clients when they are looking for a great Italian restaurant. The popular spot offers house-made pastas, homemade bread, mouth-watering appetizers (don’t forget to try the anti-pasti), and delicious desserts such as chocolate almond torte and tiramisu cannoli. The ambiance is amazing, they offer indoor or outdoor seating, and the servers are always knowledgeable, helpful, and attentive. The Italian eatery is a great place to celebrate an anniversary, a special day, or just to get a great meal.
Kaila Pianalto
Nov 8, 2022
5
Lovely little Italian place. The food was fantastic. It seemed like maybe a daily menu, written up on a board. We got the fried eggplant appetizer, I got the eggplant ravioli and my partner got the seafood ragu. Ambience was really nice, even out on the patio. Service was wonderful. We will definitely be back!
DP Smallwood
Oct 28, 2022
3
Our experience here was a little disappointing after all the good things we'd heard about the place.
But first, the good: The meatballs were delicious, as was the eggplant ravioli. The atmosphere was cozy and pleasant. The drinks were good.
BUT... Portion size, for the price, was pretty small. We understand that this is a tapas style place and some dishes are going to be appetizer sized. However, three ravioli for the main course was pretty minimal, as was the serving size of the seafood pasta. (Come on, guys, we all know the noodles are cheap -- can you at least toss in enough of those to touch the sides of the bowl?) A green salad was lettuce with balsamic vinegar. PERIOD. The ($38) pork chop was pretty big, but it looked lonely sitting on a naked plate without even a sprig of garnish. (Presentation?) Bottled wine prices were excessive even though we expect 100% mark-up on alcohol in restaurants.
Service was spotty: everyone's dishes didn't come out together, we were told we had to wait for bread to bake, and then we had to ask for it again (finally got 4 slices for 4 people).
Overall, tasty food, but there are better options in Durham.
