Piccolino Bridge Street York - 1st July 2016

I have dined at Piccolino in Clitheroe many times, so on a recent visit to York, to meet up with friends, Piccolino York was an obvious choice.   I asked Clitheroe Manager Dan Atzori, who was best to contact to ask about my vegan diet and he kindly said 'leave it to me', how's that for customer service.

The York branch is in a great location, right next to the river and is a very modern restaurant, with a lovely bar area and open kitchen.

We had drinks in the bar and were then shown to a booth near the window, with views over the river, what a great start to the evening, which only got better and better.   General Manager Jessica came over to introduce herself and handed me a fantastic vegan menu, especially created for me.   I was bowled over, as were our friends, because when I am catered for so well, it makes for a relaxing and enjoyable evening.

We had Pra Otto Soave which happens to be a vegan wine, though not cheap, but what a wonderful wine to accompany my starter, a favourite of mine asparagus, served grilled with lemon oil and herb breadcrumbs, it was delicious.

Mains was Pizza Rustica,, I am really fussy about pizza, having eaten it many times in Naples, but the base was spot on, the grilled vegetables perfect and along with a side dish of broccoletti with chilli and garlic, I was one happy vegan.

I was quite full by this time, so our waiter suggested a 15 mins rest, before dessert, in my case strawberries, lemon sorbet and Prosecco poured over the top, a light and refreshing end to a brilliant meal.

The whole evening was so relaxed, great service, great wines and great food, the staff really went the extra mile to look after myself and our party.   This is not your usual high street Italian, you can tell they use fresh ingredients and I notice they explain the provenance of ingredients on their menu, sourcing local produce if at all possible.   I will definitely be returning at some point in the future, on our next visit to York.