An Old Favourite with A New Twist - Piccolino Restaurant and Bar

There are some restaurants that you come back to time and again, firm favourites that you rely on when entertaining or when you fancy treating yourself to something you just know is going to be good. For us, one of those places is Piccolino, just off London’s Regent Street in Heddon Street’s restaurant quarter. My family and I go there often, and we always receive a warm welcome. Recently my husband and I went there on a Friday night and were delighted to see that Piccolino had updated their menu, adding some great new additions to their traditional favourites. We enjoyed it so much that we returned on the Sunday night with our son!

I’m a huge fan of their new Pear, Pecorino and Parma Ham Salad served on a bed of rocket and garnished with pine nuts.  It can be served as a starter or as a larger main course, and the flavours are just wonderful. If I were to visit for lunch, this is definitely what I would order.

We also love their Fritto misto, fried seafood and asparagus with a positively addictive garlic mayonnaise dip that can also be served as a starter or a main course. 

 Unlike some other restaurants, Piccolino know the importance of keeping their old specialties – like their amazing Pasta Carbonara and Trofiette – as well as introducing new dishes. You can see why we love their Trofiette, a pasta dish in a light cream sauce served with chicken and spring vegetables.

The chef at their Heddon Street branch is also wonderful at cooking and presenting fish and one of the specials when we visited last weekend was Cod on a bed of pea risotto with a light tomato dressing. Beautifully cooked and presented, there was not a single bone in the delicately flavoured cod, and the risotto was perfectly al dente.

Piccolino also have a really tempting dessert menu which includes a baked limoncello cheesecake garnished with candied lemons, panacotta with strawberries and basil and many decadently delicious chocolate desserts including a chocolate fudge pudding with vanilla ice cream that is utterly heavenly. They also offer seasonal specials, and on the Friday my husband and I succumbed to their beautiful strawberries and ice cream – their pistachio ice cream is probably the best I have ever tasted. We were good though, and shared - it was the perfect finish to a lovely meal.

Although there are several other locations in the United Kingdom, we have only ever visited the Heddon Street branch of Piccolino, and over the last three years it has become a family favourite. If you find yourself near Piccadilly Circus, do walk up Regent Street towards Oxford Circus and seek out the Heddon Street restaurant quarter on the left hand side.Whether you are celebrating a special occasion or just want to share a great family meal, Piccolino is well worth a visit.