Piccolino Hale 215 Ashley Road, Hale, Altrincham WA15 9SZ

"We went to have our valentines dinner here and boy we were heavily disappointed. Service was slow, poor and lacked any attention at all. Ten minutes after been sat down at the table, no one offered us a drinks menu or water. We had to ask for drinks menu and when asked the lady was surprised as if we mentioned something out of the ordinary. After each course been served, there was significant delay for another course to be served on our table and sadly my mains ravioli was too cold and husband’s pasta was too hot and pretty raw. Finally when we ordered our panna cotta, it had a texture of a mousse and nowhere close to a panna cotta. The whole experience was awful and food was tasteless. Sadly it spoilt our valentine evening meal which my husband had so lovingly planned and booked. We are not going there again."

"Food was very good. The ambiance was nice. Staf is friendly. Music was a bit loud for a restaurant. The terrace is heated and perfect for a spring or fall evening. It was my second time here."

"With the exception of Liverpool and Bramhall, I think I’ve eaten and reviewed most of the Piccolinos in the Northwest and I’d have to say that this is my favourite. Sure, I’m biased because it’s pretty much on my doorstep, but in terms of location it can’t be beat. With Cibo bookending the Hale high street, you have your choice of Italian specialty restaurants. Make no mistake, this is a ristorante and not a trattoria like Sugo in Altrincham. I doff my hat to the Piccolino group for maintaining consistency across all the sites. It’s not easy, but front of house staff were brilliant in putting my figlio at ease. The table settings were top notch. Crisp white linen and place settings get full marks from me. Before I start with the food, I have to say that I spotted some tantalising wine selections. Sadly, I was unable to peruse anything more than the house white on this occasion and it went down well in the sun-shine. I doubt there’s a ristorante that can beat a dedicated pizzeria like Rudy’s or even Vito’s a few doors down, but with a traditional oven on site, they do a great job of keeping the kids happy. Time permitting, I would have had antipasto and primi piatti before the secondo piatto. But such is life that I had to make do with just a well balanced gamberoni pasta. The prawns were succulent and the pasta seasoned well with just the right quantity of chilli flakes. No hint of cream to obscure flavours. Despite almost ruining the dish myself by asking for Parmesan (never on seafood), it did not spoil the deliciousness of the repast."

"Pretty average if i'm honest. Food was okay. I had the Pollo Parmigiani which looked like a big squashed chicken nugget on my plate with spaghetti and tomatos thrown on top. Quite bland, tasteless. I expected more for the price. Staff were friendly enough. Probably wouldn't return."