Piccolino Restaurant Review | Leeds

Hey There!

I feel like I need to post a bit of an update since recently I've had quite a lot going on.

Between choosing a new house for next year (as well as housemates), my mum coming to visit me, and general university stress I've been super busy lately!

So one of the highlights of the past week or so was my mum coming to see me for a couple of days to spend her birthday with me, which has been really lovely!

My mum and I are really close and I thought I'd do something nice for her to make sure she has a lovely birthday.

So on Monday I decided to take her out for a nice meal at an Italian restaurant called Piccolino.

It is part of chain called Individual Restaurants, which operate around the UK. 

I had been there once before and absolutely loved it, which made me want to come back and then share this with others!

Upon arriving there, we were greeted by a maitre who offered to take our coats and then showed us to our table. It was a Monday evening so the place was quite empty, allowing us to have a quiet dinner. 

We ordered a bottle of rosé prosecco to celebrate the occasion, and it was a nice addition to the overall sophisticated ambiance of our dining experience. 

We were given complimentary olives and some delicious fresh bread with olive oil to dip it into. It was hard to resist eating it all, but we had to make room for the actual food. 

We order a starter to share, and although we were tempted to try everything on the menu, we settled for a simplistic, but yet delicious dish of melon wrapped in prosciutto. 

It was light and refreshing, and whilst it is a simple dish it is nevertheless an Italian staple.

Next, we were brought our main course dishes. I decided to try the Risotto con Zucca - risotto with butternut squash and parma ham, garnished with crispy prosciutto and gorgonzola cheese. My mum chose another delicious dish - the Ravioli al Granchio. Handmade ravioli, stuffed with hand-picked crab, served with olive oil, garlic and chilli. I had to try a bit of hers just because of how decadent it sounded, and I was equally impressed with both dishes. 

The ravioli were large and had a fantastic dough-to-crabmeat ratio, where you could really distinguish the flavour of the decadent meat. The fact that it was served without an overpowering dressing was perfect. 

The risotto was smooth and creamy, yet still al dente as it should be. The butternut squash added to the creaminess, whilst the parma ham gave it a subtle smoky taste, perfectly accompanying the kick that the gorgonzola provided. 

Both dishes were served hot, flavours smoothly melting together to create a beautiful concoction. We opted for small portions, which were enough to fill us both up considering we had the starter as well. 

After we had finished our meal, we were given the desert menu and there were a lot of things that tempted me, such as the molten chocolate cake served with caramel ice cream, and the passionfruit cheesecake. 

However, before I could make my mind up, they brought out a large plate with a sparkler, some chocolate truffles and a chocolate writing saying "Happy Birthday Maria!" It was such a lovely touch and put a huge smile on my mum's face, which truly wrapped up our wonderful evening. 

I will definitely be coming back there for another special treat, especially since the price to quality ratio is very reasonable and you get what you pay for. The staff were very polite and friendly, and we never felt rushed or neglected. 

I hope you've enjoyed this restaurant review, as I'm hoping to be writing a lot more of these in the future!

Until Next Time, 

Sofia xx

50 Shades of Grey Review

Hey There!

So last night I finally went to see the movie that everyone has been talking about - 50 Shades of Grey.

After hearing a number of mixed reviews ranging from "I absolutely loved it" to "it was the worst film I've ever seen", I really wanted to just see what it was like for myself so I'd be able to judge it from my own experience.

Honestly, I went in with extremely low expectations - I was more looking forward to having a nice evening out with my girlfriends and devouring large quantities of popcorn. (Also, watching the trailers before the movie - one of the main reasons for me to go to the cinema in the first place.)

Anyway, I digress. 

I had not read the books, but much like everyone, I knew the gist of it. It's an 18+ film and we were asked for ID's upon purchasing our tickets, but nevertheless I knew they couldn't quite show the same amount of graphic details on the big screen as they apparently showed in the books. 

In the first 10 minutes of the film, I already predicted my overall reaction. 

Terrible acting, terrible plot and really terrible screenplay. 

Granted, the last bit wasn't the filmmakers fault - there's only so much you can get out of a bad book. 

The choice of actors was appropriate, but not spectacular. Yes, Jamie Dornan is incredibly hot and we all loved seeing him naked - let's be honest. But he just didn't quite seem right for the part of Christian Grey - he didn't appear to have that dark depth of character that the part implied. 

Dakota Johnson was a good choice for the part of Anastasia Steele - but once again, I wasn't blown away. 

As for the sex scenes (which is the main reason the franchise has gained so much popularity) weren't a complete disappointment, all things considered. They did their best, I suppose. The whole BDSM thing was made quite explicit, but not overly graphic. However, I just didn't see enough chemistry between Jamie and Dakota - they didn't have that uncontrollable passion that you expect from a movie where sex essentially drives the entire plot. 

The ending was abrupt and that worked well - I am slightly intrigued to see what happens next (no spoilers please). 

Overall, I'd say go see it once, just to stay in the loop and know what everyone's talking about. I doubt I'll be rewatching it at any point though, that's for sure.

Until Next Time, 

Sofia xx