Restaurant of the Week: Piccolino, Edinburgh

Piccolini is among the restaurants in the running for best family business at the Scottish Italian Awards on November 28.

Location

Situated at 103 High Riggs at Edinburgh’s Tollcross near the Grassmarket, it’s ideally placed and within walking distance from the city centre.

First Impressions

It’s very busy when we arrive, on a week night too, which is always a good sign. The decor is an authentic nod to old Italy, with black and white tiled flooring and shelves and old barrels laden with bottles of Italian wine.

Service

The service was great – prompt, friendly and polite. Our chatty waiter was very attentive and nothing seemed to be a problem for him.

Menu

The menu is varied with a good mix of starters and options of pasta, meat and seafood for mains. We did notice the absence of pizza, but there was plenty to choose from. It was a chore to pick just one pasta from the selection. They all sounded lovely. The restaurant also runs different specials nightly, which adds even more choice.

Taste

We opted for olives to start with, followed by lasagne and pappardelle Bolognese which were both delicious. The chocolate cheesecake for dessert sounded irresistible and was devoured to the last crumb. The smaller diners in our party demolished their huge portions of macaroni cheese, but still managed to find space for some Italian ice cream which was tasty, too.

Ambience

The atmosphere was nice and relaxed. Despite the restaurant being busy both inside and out on the terrace, we didn’t feel rushed at all – and were very well looked after.

Value

With appetisers starting at £3 and mains from a tenner, it was good value for money. Our bill for two adults and two children came in at just under £90.