Review of Piccolo 42 independent restaurant on North Hill

The Italian eatery sits halfway down North Hill, and is just one of a vast array of independents in the city.

The head chef has around 20 years of experience working in Italian restaurants and the restaurant menu has a vast array of choices.

These range from Italian classics like pizza and pasta to meat-based options too.

Mouthwatering - Due to the excitement I couldn't help tucking in straight away but this was a fantastic start the meal (Image: Credited)

As part of their specials board, the restaurant had some brilliant options and to start with, I went for melon and Parma ham.

A great way to start, with a classic Italian dish, and it was fantastic, simple but effective.

For the main course, I tried another special dish – tagliatelle lamb ragu. 

Accompanied with some Parmesan cheese on top, this dish was wonderful.

Gorgeous - The tagliatelle lamb ragu was beautifully cooked and the lamb was so tender (Image: Credited)

The lamb used was some of the most succulent lamb you could ever hope for and, enjoying it while sipping a Peroni, I almost forgot I was in Colchester.

Even though this was a lunchtime stop and there were only a few customers there, you could tell that service was efficient and the staff were on hand to provide anything you may need.

The friendly staff made you feel welcome and kept your drink topped up.

They were also very informative about options with a complete breakdown of their specials and which options they think are best.

Colourful - This pate dish was one of the other specials which was available - chosen by a fellow customer (Image: Credited)

On top of what I ate, my fellow customers were also delighted with their dishes, with the pate option proving popular.

As I finished my meal, the staff were on hand to offer me a coffee afterward as I enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere of the restaurant.

Downstairs - Piccolo has a lovely downstairs area where guests can enjoy their food (Image: Credited)

A proper independent business is the feeling that resonates around the restaurant.

You were really made to feel at home by the staff.

Piccolo 42 is somewhere I will definitely be returning to, as with such a brilliant menu, there was so much more that I wanted to try.