Piccolino in Manchester

Went for dinner tonight was absolutely lovely food and our survey Jennifer was so attentive and friendly would definitely come back again

We just happened to be walking by, and the place looked busy. We got a table for two and ordered Risotto and Atlantic Cod. The risotto was just a watery sauce, and the cod had zero flavour—you could only taste melted butter. The service was rushed, leading to a lack of ambience. The tables were situated so close together that you might as well be eating at the table next to you. The overall customer value is not worth the cost you spend. The best way to label the experience was cafe-style mass produced Italian food you experience at tourist locations.

Came for a date with my girlfriend and we both thought it was absolutely perfect. The staff were absolutely lovely and the food was unreal! By far the nicest place we’ve been and look forward to coming again

Booked a table in advance here on Sat 12thApril. Our server introduced himself brought us our wine. Our order was taken some time later after we caught his attention then apparently went on his break. We sat for over 15 minutes before we got our starter. Then that was it. No one brought our food, no one came to our table. We caught the attention of another server and queried our meals after waiting over 25 minutes. Our meals eventually came. Wished we hadn’t bothered… 2 seafood meals were ordered… they tasted like boiled water.Two of the shells in my meal hadn’t opened and there was bits of shell in my friends meal. We were running late by this time so decided to just pay the bill and put it down to a bad experience. Our server appeared to take our payment, he then bothered to ask how our meal was. I told him it wasn’t very nice and he said we should have told him… well I would have if you had been around. He then insisted on reporting our concerns to the manager. So we waited… only to be presented with three small shots of goodness knows what (lemon chello) I guessed. How insulting!! We left and will not be returning to that restaurant again.

It was nice , good service, I won’t rate the drink because it was not nice but the food was okay.

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 clean your loos.”

I had a great time at a networking event on 2nd April. I loved the venue and atmosphere, refreshments and the meal were lovely. The service was excellent.

The atmosphere was nice,food was excellent and the staff are just fantastic. Jennifer was very helpful and hospitable. We will definitely come again.

Great atmosphere for ladies who lunch. Very good service and food. Wine is a bit expensive though.

Great service, perfect athmosphere. Deserving 5 stars..

Lovely place. Pleasant staff. Food was OK but a bit underwhelming.

Relatively tasteless food for high price. Food is just a poor imitation of Italian cuisine, lacking any spices.

Great location, well designed and really good staff. I was at a small corporate event, circa 20 people. The food served wasn’t really up to standard. It was more like a mass catered Christmas do type of food. Shame as it let the rest of the place down.

Amazing food and attentive staff. On the pricey side but you get what you pay for and you get top quality food. Highly recommend

Food was good, the chocolate dessert was especially good. The low point was a very unpolite waiter who was being really rude, urging us to order and kept interrupting the conversation. I was with a client on a business dinner so that was definitely a low point. For that reason, I would not recommend and don’t intend to come back. Other waiters saw our discomfort and jumped in to support the table, but this one really left a negative impression.

We took a hen do 21 of us. The restaurant was great, every staff member I came into contact with was so helpful in the lead up to the meal. I had questions about dietary requirements which they were really accommodating with and they were kind enough to decorate the space for us. Our waiter on the night was so lovely and made our bride to be feel extra special. Because there was a large group of us we had a set menu. The food arrived swiftly and was delicious. It is expensive but worth it. The experience was wonderful and the staff were fantastic. Would definitely book another meal here for a special occasion.

The staff were so friendly, especially the man who served me who took great care of me and was great with recommendations. Great food and such a lovely atmosphere. It was exactly what I needed.

Had an amazing evening last night celebrating with friends. The food was amazing and the staff were absolutely brilliant. Thank you

Disappointing food, whilst the interior is stunning the food was disappointing. Service was good. Cocktails were weak and far too sweet.

I had a lovely time eating here this afternoon with my grandmother, and the food was very good and the cocktails were fantastic. They were very accommodating to my grandmothers mobility aid, and the service was fantastic, it did get a little hectic at some points but aside that the atmosphere was very classy and we both enjoyed it.

I recently visited Piccolino Caffè Grande Manchester with my friend and the atmosphere was amazing. The steak was cooked so very perfectly medium, and the Diavola pizza was made by chef Ibrahim with so much love. And it tasted awesome. The spice was bang on. The server Rosy was a sweetheart, she even recommended me the dessert TORTINO AL CIOCCOLATO and although I'm not at all a dessert kinda person but the way she explained me, made me want to try it and it was heavenly🤤 Thank you so much for an amazing experience I will definitely come again and even recommend it to my friends 🧡

Good very nice food. atmosphere seemed a little loud and crowded. But will definitely visit again. Service was great

I was in this restaurant for the first time. I really liked the service, especially Natalia, the bartender. She is an extremely talented and pleasant girl. Her Negroni won my heart. Be sure to visit this establishment and taste cocktails from Natalie👍

Beautiful food, attentive staff, great ambience and lovely decor: the grande carbonara served from the wheel of cheese was quite the show! I’d happily recommend and return!

I don't often leave reviews but really felt I to on this occasion. Visited last night and from start to finish it was excellent. Service amazing, food superb and the atmosphere spot on. Please don't change anything.

Food was very good. Restaurant is beautiful and very vibrant/ busy (Friday lunch, half term, some families) Excellent, friendly service from our waitress Veronika. It was rather pricey (£120 for 3 mains and desserts, one bottle and a glass of house wine, coffees) but the food was very good, although one guest felt there could have been more chicken in his meal,

Great food! The service from Giovanna was excellent she was so kind and attentive. Amazing place for birthday bookings.

One of my favourite places to eat and have a few cocktails

We came for a special lunch with our friends as we are leaving the area. We had a wonderful time. Our waiter was Josep and he was so lovely. His knowledge of the menu and wines was very helpful. He made sure that we had everything we needed for a memorable afternoon. The food was amazing, our wine was gorgeous and we even had cocktails instead of dessert. Thank you for a perfect afternoon.

The level is quite high, both in terms of service and food

Lovely meal with a group of friends food was delicious and service excellent highly recommend

Went for the calzone which was really good, as it was not too greasy! The wine was good and reasonable as well!

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 he apologises.

On arrival at 6:10 (for our 6:15 reservation) we were asked to wait in the bar area and order ourselves a drink, we didn’t fancy ordering a drink, only to be ferrying it to the table, so waited and we waited and we waited - it was nearly 20 minutes before a hostess came over to ask us if we had a reservation, despite us confirming the booking with one of her colleagues when we arrived, only for her to put us on a table that had been clear since we’d arrived at 6:10. Service during our meal was poor and lacked the care we’d expect for a £100+ bill. Small requests such as the request for a spoon and table water had to be requested by waving down another waiter. The fried squid for starter was excellent and was the highlight of the meal really. The mains were average and we’ve had better in cheaper restaurants. No one offered another drink despite our glasses empty and a 20 minute wait for a dessert. Our waiter during our meal was not to the standard people have “advised” to us of Piccolino. Forgetting requests, clearly seen eating between tables/ walking across the restaurant with a mouth full of food and arguing with colleagues and management in the middle of the restaurant. Frustration was clearly shared between ourselves and other tables in our section to the point where it became a talking point. Really poor experience for our first visit here, we won’t be returning.

Great meal, service a bit slow even though not really busy, and we needed to chase for some extra drinks. Didnt spoil the occasion though, just the difference between "ok" and "great".

I haven't been to this Piccolino for several years largely due to the fact that my last visit was underwhelming. I am so glad to be reacquainted with it. I genuinely could not fault anything (apart from the fact that the toilet facilities are downstairs which is a pet peeve of mine). I took my friend for lunch and had it not been for the fact that she had a train to catch, I could have happily stayed all afternoon lingering over dessert and wine.

Veronica was a great waitress, very amicable and efficient. The food and atmosphere was incredible, great value for money.

Amazing as always, Veronica was so lovely made our evening! Food was superb, Atmosphere buzzing like you would expect from a great Italian

Amazing restaurant, love the food, the ambience and the staff. Great choice of dishes, I personally like the fish and sashimi.

Coffes was very bland taste Environment not very welcoming and staff bit slower considering was quiet morning. I suggest management to improve more

We hosted our Wedding reception at the Manchester site recently and the service was fantastic. Megan handled our booking and responded to our emails promptly. The servers on the day were an absolute delight. The food was prompt, hot and plated beautifully. They took the stress out of hosting so could enjoy the company of our guests. We look forward to returning soon. Thank you for making our day so special.

We hosted our Wedding reception at the Manchester site recently and the service was fantastic. Megan handled our booking and responded to our emails promptly. The servers on the day were an absolute delight. The food was prompt, hot and plated beautifully. They took the stress out of hosting so could enjoy the company of our guests. We look forward to returning soon. Thank you for making our day so special.

The greeting was good and then after that the experience went downhill. Four of us were placed in a booth which is so long the person waiting on tables had to lean right over my friend and my husband to change cutlery etc made them uncomfortable. The garlic bread with rosemary and Seasalt was the worse I’ve had, very, very dry with little garlic taste. We were asked if we wanted some water for the table not realising this would add £5.50 to our bill! I had a chicken pasta dish which maybe should have just been listed as plain pasta as I had to hunt for very few small pieces of chicken. This dish was also dryer than I would have liked. There also seemed to be some tension amongst the staff which wasn’t very professional. I wouldn’t recommend this place to friends

Attended my sister's wedding, everything on point. Jose and all the staff were great and very welcoming, with a great sense of humour too. Made our experience wonderful. Thank you.

Great restaurant, good food and a special thanks to our waiter José! Obrigado :)

Good restaurant, only downside is the quantity??? We pay €20 for pasta to eat in 5 minutes. We rarely comment but this was still exaggerated. Even after expressing our dissatisfaction, the waitress didn't care at all and brought us back her desserts except that for us we had the feeling of not having attacked the dish. Some things therefore need to be reviewed.

Amazing experience, the food was delicious and special mention to Jose to the high quality sevice. Will definitely come back !

I know it's a great place, but last night I went to take some pizza for my family, the girl at the entrance was very nice and treated me very nice, i ordered 2 pizzas, when they brought it in the boxes took it as it is in my car and went home, at home opened the boxes and here we are.... A disaster and disgrace to the kitchen..... Over burned and tossed as like for animals, pizza has been handed upside down, the second was ok. I don't want to judge them by one mistake and i really think many people had had a very nice time there but i had to share my experience.

Food was delicious. It was very busy so quite noisy but a nice atmosphere.

Brilliant lunch today, very good quality and the service from Veronica was excellent. Very child friendly and a great place for a lunch with a buzzing atmosphere. We will be back.

called last minute with family as we have been before . The bruschetta was lazy cooking , slice of soggy bread with no seasoning , i asked for some crackled black pepper , none to be found only powered pepper and this 1 slice of soggy bread was £10 , the pizza was cold , soggy and undercooked in the middle . The waiter was rude , no manners, we will definitely not be returning customers and will not be recommending to family or friends.

Beautiful place. Staff was lovely and friendly. Will definitely go again.

Everything was perfect!! The fried calamari was great and the crudo tuna as well. I had the wagyu lasagna and the truffle sauce was exceptional! The duck and the sirloin were also amazing! I love how the staff is Italian as well! The PERFECT Italian dinner! The chocolate mousse with cherry was mind-blowing. I simply LOVED everything about this place, you have to try it!

Really dissappointed with dinner on Xmas eve last week. Dinner booked 6:15pm sat in the upper part of the restaurant. My son and I ordered spaghetti carbonara and my wife had a small rib eye steak. When the pasta came the portion size was so small (costing ~£17) it looked like a starter portion. I asked the waitress whether there had been a mistake but no. Anyway, no sooner had I contemplated asking for the manager when the waitress appeared again and whisked the both pastas away. The manager came over and said that they were replacing them and some 5-10mins later they reappeared but slightly bigger in size. Meanwhile, my wife had already been served her steak so we were playing catchup. Anyway, the pasta was flavourless, my wife's steak was fatty (more than usual for a ribeye) and the chips served with it were just warm, and by the time she'd eaten half the steak they were stone cold. When the waitress came over to collect the plates I commented on the dishes and asked to speak to the manager. I could see she'd lost that helpful look and instead turned on the one word answer / I'm not getting a tip here look! Anyway, sometime afterwards after asking the waitress again, he came over apologised and said he would look at the bill when we finished. We ordered sweets, I went for the xmas brandy tiramsu (my wife had the bread & butter pudding and my son had something chocolatey). When the Tiramsu came it looked like it had dissolved into the plate and was fairly small. It tasted Ok but nothing to warrant ~£11 cost. By now we'd had enough so I didn't want to complain again. When the bill came the manager true to his word did knock off a number of the items we'd ordered and did apologise again on the way out but the damage had already been done. These things happen but it's not something you want to happen on xmas eve when you look forward to it. We've been going to Piccolino's on Xmas eve for many many years so will really need to think twice before going again.

Quick cocktail, tasted amazing!

We chose Picolino for my daughter’s birthday, we travelled from Halifax due to the 5 star reviews, we were disappointed to say the least, the garlic pizza was average. We all decided that the Lasagna looked great on the photo in the menu so we went ahead and all ordered the more expensive Lasagna, when it arrived it clearly didn’t look like the one in the photo, it was bland and smaller than expected, as for the Wagu meat we had a time actually finding any. We paid a total of £140 for 3 meals with a portion of fries between us, a garlic bread to share and 5 drinks. It’s over priced and poor food, also the toilets are dirty. Not a good experience, we won’t return and don’t get the 5 star reviews.

Fab night. Jose amazing waiter. Smallish portions .Lasagne a bit sweet.

It was disgusting food wasn’t nice at all!

6:15pm Sat 21Dec for my son’s birthday. Jose was our server & he was excellent….very friendly & helpful….despite being absolutely run off his feet…..nothing was too much trouble. Also recommend zucchini frites & crab ravioli….delish 😋😋😋

Early dinner with friends after a carol service. Good company, good service, excellent food. Loved the Ossobuco. Wine was on the expensive side but the recommended wines were decent.

Jose is a top waitress great on everything

Work night out and a large group of us and the staff were great, as was the food. Excellent vegan and gf options and the quality of the food was great. Can't comment on the 'normal' menu but I'd definitely recommend this place.

Wonderful meal following our daughters Graduation Ceremony, service was excellent (Thank you Veronica)

Slightly busy Sunday but non the less, Piccolino is a delight for light Italian cuisine. Slight slow service with a few details missing I.E. starter plates missing, drink order wrong.. waited 20 minutes for Bruschetta, glad I had my cocktail! Do recommend maybe at less peak times

Jose is simple the best writer anyone could have hoped for. The food was lovely and we all adored our mains. But the best part of the meal was the service we got from Jose who was just fantastic.

Great food and great service from josé & Giovanna !

I went with my wife for my birthday the whole experience was excellent can’t fault anything. Made special by Rose who is an asset to the restaurant

Food and Atmosphere and very Nice place.

Charming, efficient service by truly professional waiters. We were a last minute 'show' and were so welcomed. The food was delicious and authentic. A fabulous restaurant with great ambience. Really recommend.

Had the prawns to start followed by lasagne absolutely fantastic the staff were really good . The price was a lot less than you would expect for such wonderful food and excellent service. Well worth a visit

I’m over from Ibiza to see my mum, we love Italian food so we asked around for the best italian in Manchester city centre, we were advised to go to Piccolino, the food was outstanding, Veronica the waitress was absolutely amazing, I wasn’t sure of what to order and she advised me in the best way possible, 10/10, we will be back!

Met up with my family for a meal 6 of us. I had paid a deposit of £60.00, all ordered a starter of garlic bread and olives then the sharing plate of meat and cheese. Then 2 different pizzas, carbonara frande for 2 pasta arriabata and fruit do mere pasta. The table was for 2 hours the entrees came, quickly followed by the anti pasta and very quickly by the main courses. We had just about finished the anti pasta when the mains arrived. The pasta were all Luke warm, sent all back to be re heated. My fruit de mere went back twice then they did a fresh pasta. Which was okay but didn't eat it as I had lost my appetite by then. Obviously we didn't have coffees or desserts, we asked for the bill at 7.50pm, we sat down at 7pm. Quickest meal ever. The pasta dishes were all our favourites and this time not a patch on what we expected. The company was great unfortunately the food wasnt we had paid alot of money and not one of us felt it was worth it.

Lovely lunch with great service from Cristina.

Jennifer was amazing!! Lovely service & atmosphere x

Really top notch food with a great atmosphere and service is impeccable. Highly recommended

I booked htis for my birthday dinner because they had oysters (which were excellent) and gluten free past options. Besides the oysters, everything besides the oysters was pretty meh, to be honest. The steak my partner ordered was over cooked. The pizza my son ordered was under cooked, and my pasta was good, but nothing I could not have made myself. The chocolate truffles at the end were also very good. Plus, they make sure to route you through the bar before seating you, so you stat drinking early. The service was fine, but it was chaotic and loud.

Very nice food, only stayed for the main as was going for drinks afterwards. Had king prawn pasta which was really good. 2 mains and 2 drinks each came to around £75 so reasonable price too.

Large, long tables and a very well-kept atmosphere for a feast with family or friends. Side salad with almost no sauce, lasagna with almost no meat, rather casual service, which should offer every guest (!) a good experience for these rather higher prices. Maybe we were just unlucky? Maybe the restaurant is a bit spoiled for success? In any case, we will come back soon and give it a second chance.

I've only been once, but it was an unforgettable evening with loved ones. We indulged in way too much food, and the highlight was the carbonara prepared in a cheese wheel - such a treat!

Great location,staff and food.A 5 star ⭐ is not enough for these guys.We had a bit of everything as we never been here and we were pleasantly surprised that any dish was a star . Definitely we recommend and visit again.

Fantastic food and fabulous service ! We had a lovely dining experience at Piccolinos - the best steak I remember having in a long time and tasty scallops and chocolate desert. The service really made it for us though - Jose was friendly, helpful, funny and we were also on a time scale and he ensured we were able to have three courses in the time we had without feeling rushed!

This place is amazing, food was stunning and well presented. A* service. Had bruschetta and fillet steak. Everything that my table ordered look so good. Definitely recommend.

We arrived during a busy lunch service. Had the lunch time two course special. Calamari to start with, followed by a very nice mushroom risotto. My husband had arrabbiata, which was OK, lacking in flavour, and the pasta was too undercooked. Took our drinks to the bar to free up our table. Advice: Don't leave your bill on the bar after paying. They chase you very vocally, asking if you have paid (which I can only assume some people don't). I had paid and found it somewhat embarrassing. Would I go back again, probably. It has a nice bar area and outdoor pavement space for dining.

Definitely not burford brown eggs as advertised :(

Delicious food. Friendly staff. Great service.

Excellent in everything: location, food and above all treatment by all the staff. Highly recommended.

Great food, great service and lovely vibe

Amazing food. Staff were friendly and efficient. The overall vibe was really welcoming!

We hand a grand birthday meal with our lad for his 21st. The staff were great and the food - outstanding.

Used to visit this place long time ago, took my girlfriend for a visit recently!lunch menu was little bland but atmosphere was great as always and good customiser service.

Jennifer and Jose were amazing and our waiters and Lauren our chef was brilliant the desserts were gorgeous best place I’ve been for a while their atmosphere was brill.

Honestly Lauren Was the best perfect chef and the deserts were brilliant, amazing Jose as a waiter did amazing and Jenifer did amazing!!!

Lauren had the best service ever! Her dessert were astonishing! There were fabulous! Jose was amazing too his service was incredible! Jennifer was amazing too! Her timing was impeccable!

Lauren was the best chef i’ve ever had the pleasure of encountering, her deserts were divine. She was absolutely phenomenal also Jose was an absolutely fantastic server and gave me and my friends the most incredible experience at picolo. Lauren even let me know where the toilets were, incredibly down to earth and an enjoyable comforting environment.

Excellent food and unbelievable service. José made us feel very welcome and helped us have a great evening!

Amazing place with amazing staff

Very busy but service was prompt. We sat outside with a nice view not too noisy

Atmosphere great , food presentation great. I only had breakfast hence only 3 stars, leaving room to be impressed. Happy with the prices given the quality of the atmosphere. The service was great . I would definitely return and recommend this place.

Absolutely fantastic meals and service. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Peppe and Giovanna for the splendid service. I'll be back