Dinner at Piccolino Stockton Heath...

There is something so rustic and comforting about classic Italian food and one of the restaurants I love to visit time and time again is Piccolino which never fails to deliver excellent food and service. Usually I dine at the Liverpool Piccolino, but I was recently fortunate to dine at the new look Piccolino Stockton Heath * thanks to my friends at Individual Restaurants.
It had been a while since I had enjoyed a delicious Italian meal and I was extremely excited to check out the new look restaurant which boasts a Mediterranean style outdoor all-weather roof terrace and a sweeping open-plan restaurant and bar with plenty of outdoor tables at street level.

We arrived on a sunny Friday evening to find that the restaurant was already bustling with diners and people enjoying a few cocktails at the bar. I was immediately struck by how chic and stylish the interior design of the restaurant is, with a cool neutral colour scheme complemented by baby blue leather seats, marble tables, wood panelling and luxurious booths. The smell of irresistible Italian food filled the air as waiters whirled across the busy restaurant floor balancing their plates with impressive skill!

We were warmly welcomed and led to the bar area where we sipped an excellent Prosecco whilst we soaked up the ambience. I always know a restaurant has got it just right when I feel relaxed as soon as I walk through the door, and Piccolino manages that every time. I felt all the stress of the working week fade away as we relaxed and enjoyed the atmosphere of sophistication.
I was delighted that we were lucky enough to be seated on the outdoor roof terrace for dinner, as I love alfresco dining and I think food never tastes better than in the open air. The terrace is simply stunning with baby blue booth seats, a live DJ spinning mellow tunes and even striped pashminas to keep you warm when the weather gets chilly. 

There is a retractable roof awning and patio heaters which makes this the ideal place to get a holiday feeling whatever the weather. I felt as though we had been whisked away to Portofino without even leaving the UK. I always appreciate attention to detail at restaurants and Piccolino always go the extra mile with linen napkins, impeccable service and superb presentation. Our server was extremely friendly and knowledgeable, talking us through the specials and recommending certain dishes.

We started off our meal with an old favourite which we always order at Piccolino, the Pane All’Aglio, hand-stretched garlic bread with Buffalo mozzarella and fontina cheese. This is by far the best garlic bread I have ever tasted, with the perfect amount of melted cheese, plenty of flavoursome garlic oil and a crispy base. It is irresistible trust me, and once you have tasted this no other garlic bread can ever come close! 

For the main course we could not resist ordering pizzas and fries. We were just in the mood to be indulgent as it was Friday evening and the pizzas at Piccolino are truly out of this world. Cooking a pizza in a wood fired oven is for me the secret to perfection, as it creates the most delicious base every time, and Piccolino use a charcoal and wood burning grill fired with lump wood charcoal.

My dining companion chose the Quattro Salami pizza with Finocchiona, Milano, soppressata and ‘Nduja, a favourite of his. I chose the Pollo Parmigiana with chicken, tomato, mozzarella, basil & Parmesan. We both enjoyed every bite of the delightful pizzas which were cooked to perfection. 

After the pizza it was time for the standard moral conundrum of whether we should really order a dessert after having already eaten so much! Naturally this struggle did not last long and I chose Tortino al cioccolato, warm chocolate fondant & salted caramel ice cream. This is a truly sensual dessert and it is pure pleasure on a plate with the salted caramel ice cream providing the perfect cool counterpart to the warm melted chocolate.  Meanwhile, my dining companion chose the classic Italian dessert of Torta Caprese, dark chocolate & almond tart with vanilla ice cream, which was equally lovely.

After this divine meal, we retired to the bar downstairs for after dinner coffee, which for me took the form of an excellent Espresso Martini! In the name of a thorough review, I thought I would just have to sample a couple more cocktails, so I had a classic Pornstar Martini and the Improved Clover Club, an amazing blend of Hendrick’s gin and Lanique rose liqueur spirit shaken with raspberries, lemon & sugar and topped with rose petals. 

I sipped my final cocktail and we chatted to some lovely Individual Restaurant people! Feeling very happy and full of delicious food and great memories, we slipped off into the night and bid Piccolino Stockton Heath a fond farewell.

We had a perfect night and we will definitely be returning very soon, thank you so much to the team at Piccolino for having us!

What do you all think, would you like to enjoy pizza on the terrace here? What is your favourite pizza? As always I can't wait to hear your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post! 

Piccolino Stockton Heath 

Unit 6 Victoria Square, 

London Road, 

Stockton Heath, 

Warrington, 

WA4 6SG

http://www.individualrestaurants.com/piccolino/stockton-heath/

01925 211 190

Until next time,

Camille 

xo 

*Disclaimer

I was kindly invited to enjoy dinner at Piccolino, the meal was complimentary for review purposes. All opinions expressed herein are my own and honest.