La Piola Italian - Leeds — Restaurant in Leeds

Very small place (although undergoing construction to expand) - the main server did everything to accommodate my table for 1 despite being busy and him being on crutches - he bent over backwards to accommodate me. I had the brushetta pomodoro (basic bruschetta with tomatoes and basil) which was absolutely perfect as a starter and then for my main I had a pasta with guanciale and pistachio pesto with a non-intrusive cheese on top with pistachio flakes. It's very rare that an Italian restaurant uses real guanciale, most use pancetta or bacon (🤮) and so La Piola could easily get away with a menu which offers "real" Carbonara or Amatriciana and sit back and bank on that but instead they choose to experiment and try new and unique dishes with real and basic Italian ingredients. I love that they choose to do this, and try new tastes and flavours while sticking to premium and original Italian ingredients. Hats off to them. Personally, I feel the dish was a bit too rich and the pesto was a little over-bearing but I commend the original ingredients, the effort in trying to experiment, and the amazing mix of fatty guanciale with sweet pistachio. A 5 star experience as far as local Italian restuauants go - and the host is very accommodating and attentive. A definite must-visit...

I rarely leave negative reviews, but our recent visit to La Piola left us deeply unsettled. We arrived hoping to enjoy dessert, a simple treat to end our evening but were told, rather abruptly, that the restaurant only serves three-course meals. That in itself is understandable if it’s their policy, however there is nothing online to suggest this is the case as far as I’m aware. We were also looked at up and down in what felt like a judgemental way.

Instead of a polite explanation we were escorted out of the building. As he escorted us out, the staff member made a patronising remark about “where to get pudding from,” which felt dismissive and unnecessary. What’s more, he did not give us the opportunity to say we wanted a three course meal. The tone and manner in which we were treated stood in stark contrast to the hospitality one would expect from an establishment of this calibre.

What’s more troubling is that the interaction felt racially charged. While I can’t speak to intent, the lack of courtesy, the condescension, and the eagerness to remove us from the premises left us questioning whether we were being judged not just for our order but for who we are.

I will not be...

I came here with my mum for a quick lunch on a Friday afternoon around 12pm, there were many tables free so we decided to go sit down as there was no sign saying 'please wait here to be seated'. A young woman came to our table a few moments later and asked us if we had a booking to which we replied no. As soon as we said this her whole demeanor changed - she told us that they had many bookings coming up and that it would be quite busy later on, however we were told we could stay to eat. She then gave us menus and we ordered our food. A few moments later a couple came in who had a booking and they were seated by the same woman and she told them the special of the week which we weren't told about. Food came out 15 minutes after ordering, plates were cold so food was only lukewarm. I requested parmesan which arrived when I was half way through my meal. We got the bill after finishing and the woman server arrived with her iPad and read out what we had and gave us the total amount, we had to physically ask to see the receipt! Overall not a very pleasant experience - we felt rushed, out of place, and not particularly welcomed. Will not be...