Piccolo Bar is a small neighbourhood wine bar and bottle shop on the Esplanade 'famiglia' at St Clair Beach, Dunedin, trading from 2/246 Forbury Road. It keeps things simple and sincere: a wine-focused drinks list, delicious Italian-inspired snacks and take-out pizza, all served in a relaxed room a short stroll from the sand.
Come in alone or with friends for pizzette, salumi, good wine, beer and cocktails. There are no reservations — walk-ins are welcome — so the vibe stays casual and local, whether you're settling in for the evening or just stopping by for a glass and a snack.
As well as pouring, Piccolo runs as a licensed bottle shop with retail-priced take-home bottles, and pizza plus wine are available for take-out and delivery until 9pm. Happy Days aperitivo sessions through the week — vermouth and crisps on Saturdays, drinks and snax on Thursdays and Sundays — give regulars plenty of reasons to make it a habit.
Piccolo Bar occupies a snug spot at 2/246 Forbury Road, part of the Esplanade 'famiglia' at St Clair Beach in Dunedin. It is a small neighbourhood wine bar and bottle shop with a clear idea of what it wants to be: a wine-focused drinks list, delicious Italian-inspired snacks and take-out pizza, served without fuss. Whether you wander in alone after a walk along the esplanade or round up friends for the evening, the invitation is the same — pizzette, salumi, good wine, beer and cocktails in an easy, unpretentious setting.
Wine comes first here. The list stretches across delicious cocktails, spritz and vermouth, bubbles, and local and international naturals, with beer available on tap and by the bottle. There are also great low and no-alcohol options, so everyone at the table has something worth holding. If a glass turns into a bottle you love, you can take it home — Piccolo operates as a licensed bottle shop, with retail prices on take-home bottles, trading from opening until 9pm.
The snacks menu reads like a tour of an Italian bar counter. Start with crisps dressed with olives, salami, peperoncino and the house piccolo sauce, or puffed pizza with olive oil and salted focaccia. From there it gets more indulgent: creamy burrata with crispy capers and chilli flakes, prosciutto crudo with basil, coppa with peperoncini, and pork n'duja crumbed fried olives for something rich and spicy.
Heartier plates include porchetta with salsa verde and lemon, and house-minced venison and pork meatballs with romesco — a proper nod to southern Italian cooking with a local venison twist. Lighter bites cover fish and herb crocchette, a pumpkin and sage arancino, fava bean dip with oregano and garlic, and an iceberg wedge with ranch dressing and parmesan.
Then there are the pizzette — little pizzas built for sharing or not. Choose from porchetta with pork, pineapple and hot honey; diavola with piccanti, chilli, tomato and mozzarella; fungi with mushroom, scarmorza and truffle oil; or a classic margherita. Finish with tiramisu or chocolate budino and nobody is leaving unhappy.
Piccolo leans into the aperitivo tradition with its Happy Days sessions. On Thursdays from 4 to 6pm and Sundays from 3 to 5pm, it's aperitivo, drinks and snax; on Saturdays from 2 to 4pm, vermouth comes with crisps. It's a simple formula — a good drink, something salty, and the beach down the road — and it works.
If you'd rather stay in, pizza and wine are available for take-out and delivered until 9pm. Order pickup through the Me & U app, or get delivery via Delivereasy. The bottle shop side means you can pair that takeaway pizza with a retail-priced bottle to go.
Piccolo is walk-in only — no reservations — so turn up, grab a seat and settle in. Doors open at 3pm Tuesday to Friday and 2pm on Saturdays and Sundays, running until late, with Mondays closed. The bottle shop trades from opening until 9pm each day. Located on Forbury Road at St Clair Beach, it's an easy stop after a stroll along the esplanade or a swim at the beach — and with warm hospitality, a smart wine list and pizzette worth the trip, it's exactly the kind of neighbourhood bar that earns its regulars.