Piccolino Caffé Grande, Manchester — Restaurant in Manchester

I’ll admit, I was suspiciously pleased when we managed to snag a last-minute reservation at Piccolino Caffè Grande on Mother’s Day, no less. Every other place in town was booked up tighter than my jeans after a roast dinner, yet somehow this elegant, always-inviting restaurant had a spot. Alarm bells? Slightly. Curiosity? Definitely.

So, off we went—my wife, our two daughters, and me—dressed for the occasion and quietly hopeful. First impressions were excellent: the venue looked sharp as ever, and the staff were warm, welcoming, and made a lovely fuss of our infant daughter, who, being a natural-born diva, soaked up the attention like a sponge.

Now, for the not-so-glamorous bit: the seating. Our table felt like an afterthought—squeezed in beside the hustle and clatter of the staff’s glassware-grabbing station. Between the crashing crockery and the waiters whizzing by, it was more chaotic than cosy. A bit like trying to enjoy a romantic dinner in a stockroom.

On to the food. The service was swift, and overall, the food was solid. My wife and daughter shared the sourdough with king prawns, garlic butter, chilli and parsley—and both insisted it was delicious and generously portioned. I went for the calamari, which was crispy, light, and nicely paired with a zesty mayo.

For mains, my daughter and I ordered the beef Sunday Roast (because, well, it was Sunday), and my wife went with the lasagne. The roast was… fine. Not bad, not mum’s, but fine. The beef was beautifully cooked, but the potatoes were bone-dry and seemed to have given up on life. The side of greens and cauliflower cheese tried their best to save the plate. My wife, thankfully, enjoyed her lasagne, so there was at least one empty plate at the table.

Then came the part of the evening that will stay with me forever—for all the wrong reasons.

I ventured down to the gents, which felt like a mildly dangerous mission via a steep spiral staircase (wasn’t sure if I needed a safety harness or a Sherpa). But the real peril awaited inside: a bathroom in such a state that even Bear Grylls might’ve turned back. The floors were grimy and clearly hadn’t been properly cleaned since the last World Cup. If I’d known, I would’ve packed my wellies, or at the very least some marigolds and a stiff brush.

In summary Piccolino Caffè Grande offers a polished first impression, friendly service, and decent food—but for a restaurant with such grand ambitions (and prices to match), there’s no excuse for slapdash seating and public toilets that look like they’ve been through the Blitz. Fix those two things, and it might just live up to its name. Until then, it’s a solid “meh” with a side of “please...

This was my second visit to your restaurant. The first time, I came to celebrate my husband’s birthday, and the experience was brilliant. The service, especially from Hana, was excellent, making me feel like I had to return.

However, today’s service was very disappointing. I came to celebrate my third wedding anniversary with my husband, but the experience did not meet expectations. Our assigned server was busy, so we initially waited for him. Another server approached us and asked if we were ready to order. Since we were, we placed our order with him instead.

During the ordering process, the steak I originally wanted was sold out, so I had to choose another. However, the server did not ask how I wanted my steak cooked or which sauce I preferred—he simply made a decision himself and asked if it was okay, without giving me a chance to express my preference. Additionally, when we wanted to order an extra side dish, he stopped us, insisting that it would be too much food. While I can understand his concern about food waste, it should still be up to the customer to decide. We let it go, thinking we could order more later if needed.

The biggest issue came when our food was served. I had ordered clam pasta, but they brought prawn pasta instead. The staff member who delivered the food was kind and immediately helped correct the mistake. A few minutes later, the manager came over to apologize and assured us the correct pasta would be ready soon. However, what truly disappointed us was the server who took our order. Right in front of us, he told the manager that he had not made a mistake and that there was no need to apologize.

It was shocking to hear a staff member respond like that, showing no remorse. It made us feel extremely unsatisfied, so we addressed our concerns with the manager immediately. The manager seemed genuinely sorry and offered the pasta as a goodwill gesture. However, what we truly wanted was a sincere apology from the server—not a free dish.

This experience left a bad impression on what was supposed to be a special anniversary dinner. I strongly suggest retraining this particular staff member on proper table service, politeness, and professionalism. What we paid for was not a fast-food experience—and honestly, even fast-food staff often provide better service. If we visit again, we would prefer not to be served by this staff member until...

Had their breakfast several times and am having lunch every day - just going through their main menu, dish by dish. Not having money issues, I can afford a mouthwatering £50 lunch with their best wines and desserts.

𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐓: cappuccino (in Italy there is no latte or americano, and cappuccino is strictly breakfast), freshly pressed grapefruit juice (best I've ever tasted!), cornetti (Italian version of croissants), blueberry pancakes with maple syrup (tbh, not the same quality as in Canada, so stick to the continental).

Their Tiptree jams and marmalade are exquisite as well as their butter - never cold, always warm. sk your server to cut your Cornetto into small pieces!

𝐋𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐇: arancini, seasonal asparagi, yellow tuna carpaccio, burrata frita, capesante. Their beef carpaccio is just out of this world.

Try their bean soup on their lunch menu. Best soup in town.

Had a crab linguine with a glass... okay, two glasses of dry Prosecco. Before that, I had had a firm belief that Piper Hiedsieck medium dry was the best sparkling wine in the world. Now I know better!

𝗗𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗧. Leave some room in your stomach for panna cotta. Unforgettable experience. Goes well with a shot of grappa.

𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗜𝗖𝗘. Amazing, simply amazing. In post-Covid Britain, the level of service has plummeted dramatically. Everyone wants to "work from home", i.e., not work at all. I can't do my nails because the nail girl is cooling her heels chez elle. A bank closes at 3 on a working day.

Well, thank God for those who are still keen to do their jobs, like the great staff at 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗼.

𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗨𝗔𝗚𝗘. I don't speak Italian; I speak fluent French and am getting rather proficient at 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑢𝑎 𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑎, thanks to Duolingo. But everyone knows some Italian, like grazie, prego, buongiorno, ciao, va bene. Show some respect to your servers, guys, and say a few words in Italian!

𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐂𝐓: best Italian place in Manchester bar none. Sauces, guys, it's all about sauces. Italy and France rule Europe because of their sauces. I wish we had at least one decent...