Review of Piccolino Restaurant in Leeds

Piccolino Restaurant in Leeds

There is something very special about fresh homemade pasta. Sadly many restaurants opt to serve pre-package dried varieties, but the skilled chefs at Piccolino Restaurant in Leeds understand the importance of great, authentic Italian cuisine. In a place where pasta is made fresh, daily you can expect to be wowed with bold, robust flavours and food that has been carefully and lovingly prepared. This easy-going, yet classy restaurant is the ideal spot for a romantic dinner, lunch date with friends or family celebration. It’s close proximity to the Henry Moore institute, Leeds Art Gallery and shopping plaza make it popular with diners who want to enjoy great food whilst relaxing from the day’s activities.

With so many regions offering different ingredients, cooking techniques and cultural influences, Italy is a complex country. What makes Piccolino so unique is the dedication it has to bringing this diversity to its menu so guests can truly experience the joy of fantastic Italian food. Of course like many Italian restaurants in Leeds delicious antipasti is a highly recommended way to begin your meal. Choose from such delicacies as olives, fresh bread with rosemary and sea salt, classic minestrone soup, beef carpaccio and the antipasti misto, featuring calamari, meatballs, goat cheese, arancini, caprese, fennel salami and roast mushrooms. Perfect for sharing, these dishes are at the very heart of the Italian ethos of food bringing people together in celebration.

Why not indulge in some fresh pasta with white crab, chilli, lemon and parsley ravioli or the decadent trofiette with chicken, Parmesan cream and pine nuts? Classic favourites such as spaghetti and meatballs and tagliatelle with Bolognese are also available as are a good selection of risotto dishes. Diners in the mood for salads can enjoy an authentic Caprese salad of buffalo mozzarella, tomato and fresh basil or a tasty chicken Caesar salad with bacon and anchovies. Of course there are also many delights from the charcoal grill including steaks sourced from British Limousin, Hereford and Angus cattle, aged for a minimum of 28-days. Choose from rump, rib eye, sirloin, fillet or bone-in prime rib, which all come with hand cut chips and either peppercorn sauce or a garlic and parsley butter. The spiedini, scallops, king prawns and swordfish skewers come highly recommended as does the hearty salsiccia, Tuscan sausages with cannellini beans, tomato and sage.

Diners wanting to try something a bit different can opt for the wood stone oven and pan specials, which are not something you see often in restaurants in Leeds. The indulgent saltimbocca features a veal escalope, prosciutto, sage butter and lemon and packs a huge wallop of flavour! If you’re a pizza lover prepare to be swept-away by the caprino pizza, featuring goat cheese, pancetta, tomato and rosemary or the hot and spicy picante option with sausage, broccoli and taleggio. Finish in style with a to-die for dessert such as tiramisu, panna cotta or homemade gelati. There is no question that the welcoming staff and brilliant chefs at Piccolino Restaurant give diners an authentic Italian experience in the heart of Leeds city centre.