Piccolino

I was visiting friends in Birmingham and we decided to visit Piccolino restaurant in Brindley Place on a Saturday evening. I hadn't thought to book and when we arrived the restaurant was really busy. However, the staff went out of their way to find us a table and made us feel really comfortable in the bar while we waited. Everyone seemed really friendly and welcoming and there was a real buzz in the atmosphere. The food isn't cheap but in my opinion it was certainly worth it and it added to the experience to be able to see the chefs at work in the kitchen. I'll definitely head back to Piccolino next time I'm in Birmingham - highly recommended.
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Nicola Roach
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, November 24, 2010

i am not usually one for writing reviews for bad service - i would simply not go again but this restaurant is an exception. the service was poor from the start and it took the waitress sometime before she even approached our table. there were about 12 in the group. 25 minutes after ordering the drinks we had still not had them and had to remind them. there were a selection of wines ordered but the waitress didn't ask which one we wanted but proceeded to poor a drink wherever she saw an empty glass.

my main bone on contention was how dark the restaurant was. it was nearly impossible to read the menu. we asked them to turn the lights up so that we could see only to be told that they couldn't do it. they then gave us a torch so that we could read the menu. i will say it wasn't just our group that struggled with the lack of light - many other customers were either offered a torch or used the candle light. it was sometime after this that she eventually took our order. after being in the restaurant for over an hour with no sign of any food, we asked if there was any chance of our food coming soon. it was an 1hr 15mins before the sight of any food arrived and at this point it was only the starters!. when the eventual main meal arrived it was very salty and certainly not worth the wait or the price. the food is over-priced and not good value for money. i would certainly say - don't bother going - unless you like squinting and waiting for what turned out to be mediocre food.
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Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Wednesday, July 28, 2010