Italians are passionate about their food that comes with a rich heritage of culinary invention blending tradition with authentic tastes.

There is no finer example of this than Piccolino in Harrogate the perfect place to dine at any time of day. Whether its lunch with friends and family, a celebration or romantic dinner for two – especially on Valentine’s Day – which is just around the corner – this is the perfect place.

From the moment you enter the restaurant the ambience is warm and welcoming. There’s also a well stock bar if you want to enjoy one of their famous Italian drinks or a cocktail before dining. The lighting is subdued, the blue leather seating is comfortable and the tables set with gleaming cutlery and sparkling glasses are an overture to what is about to come.

As we perused the menu it was difficult to chose what of these tempting dishes we would order but with the guidance of our knowledgeable server it didn’t take use long to decide.

For antipasti we chose two of the new dishes. I decided on Bruschetta Con Gamberoni and I wasn’t disappointed. The king prawns came on a toasted sourdough bread with a confit garlic butter, chilli, lemon and flat leaf parsley. The dish was beautifully presented and oozing with flavour.

My colleague opted for the Calamari Fritti. The batter was hot and crispy and the dish home cooked. It was well presented and the chilli and lemon mayonnaise added flavour and was not overly spicey.

I was over the moon that my favourite was on the menu Gnocchi. But this was no ordinary Gnocchi but Gnocchi Alla Sorrentina and a dish made in heaven. The potato dumplings were perfectly cooked in a slow-cooked tomato sauce with mozzarella and basil and was just so tasty.

My colleague chose Orata Al Forno  from the seafood menu. This was an amazing fish dish. The whole sea bream was roasted with lemon and rosemary. It was moist, succulent and flavoursome and cooked to perfection and served with roast potatoes and salsa verde an admirable accompaniment.

Choosing  dessert was a real problem – they all sounded so appealing. The desserts are developed in house by their own skilled pastry team led by maître pâtissier Antoine Quentin and what was to come was a testament to their skills.

My colleague chose one of the new desserts Budino Di Panettone and Italian-style bread and butter pudding with rum poached apricots and served with a vanilla custard.

This whole dessert was a fusion of textures and tastes and it was a very generous portion but not overwhelming. The rum poached apricots were soft and juicy and the custard smooth whilst the pudding itself was deliciously light.

My heaven on a plate Semifreddo was so beautifully presented I did not want to put my fork into it. The chocolate and amaretto iced parfait was coated in white chocolate, sprinkled with hazelnut brittle and decorated with Amarena cherries and the plate drizzled with cherry molasses giving a delicious contrast of taste

All too soon it was time to bid farewell to Piccolino and its culinary innovation that blends classic flavours with the finest ingredients and is most certainly the jewel in Harrogate’s Italian Restaurant scene.

Piccolino 46-48 Parliament Street, Harrogate HG1 2RL

Tel: 01423 705777

Open Mon/Tues/Wed/Thurs 4pm – 9pm; Fri/Sat 12 noon – 10pm; Sun 12 noon-8pm