Digest this mini-review in 60 seconds
Venue: Busy Italian restaurant and bar in the heart of Bramhall village.
Menu: Piccolino offers a wide choice of traditional Italian fare. Pasta and pizza dominate, with a specials menu of fresh seafood. A good value lunch menu offers two courses for £15. Starters include classics like carpaccio and minestrone. We enjoyed calamari and Gamberoni (king prawns with chilli, garlic and parsley on toasted ciabatta) to start. Both dishes were flavoursome and generous. Mains include a variety of fresh pasta, meat and fish. We chose Malfatti (spinach and ricotta dumplings in a tomato sauce) and Polpette di Agnello (lamb meatballs with peas and pecorino cheese in tomato sauce). Great - and hearty portions.
The lengthy wine list is split into regions for those who wish to make a more considered choice.
Décor and ambience: Newly refurbished, the décor in Piccolino is clean and crisp, with sofas for a relaxed dining experience. A display fridge contains meats and fish, and a table covered in colourful vibrant vegetables is an eyecatching features of the restaurant area.
On a busy Friday night the restaurant was really bustling. The bar area opens up into the restaurant providing a more sociable, as opposed to intimate dining experience, with the open kitchen accentuating the lively atmosphere.
Service: Staff are friendly and courteous. The speed and level of service was more than satisfactory, given how busy the restaurant was at the time.
Cost: Dinner for two of starters, mains, a bottle of merlot and coffee cost £69. Good value given the quality of the food here.
Piccolino
207 Moss Lane
Bramhall
SK7 1BA
Tel 0161 439 8298.
