Piccolo Diavolo

We used to visit this restaurant frequently due to the good food & superb service, however in the last few months the menu has changed along with the standard of the service & food.

The staff have all changed and are very un-welcoming. We felt rushed as we were dining during the pre-theatre time at 5pm, which we had booked, and the staff wanted our table. The tables are very tightly wedged in & if your sitting at the back dont be surprised if your sitting against someone elses table.

This restaurant relies on theatre traffic and not repeat business.
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1 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 1
Monday, June 27, 2011

I think the Piccolo Diavolo (little devil) is a good place to have a typical Italian dinner. Very friendly staff and good pizzas. I asked for a risotto with funghi and I didn't expected such as amount of food, so great.

As I said, the staff was very friendly and attentive (although being Spaniards, we often find this attentive service in all Italian restaurants allover the world), and they talked with us in a mess of Italian, Spanish and English, so great :)

The staff is really friendly and warm, in the Italian way, but I couldn't understand why they regularly uttered sentences like "Viva Mussolini", or why they said goodbye to us when we left with a "Viva Franco!", right hand raised in a factual gesture, which was really offensive and inaproppiated.

Anyway, I surely would recommend this restaurant to a friend.
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MIGUEL FERNANDEZ
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Monday, March 21, 2011

Given some of the horror-show reviews and being turned out on to the street by the owner as they were still busy despite an 8pm booking, I have to say - it's not that bad. I've never had pesto at an Italian so thought I'd try this as a starter. Spaghetti perfectly al dente, pesto with some bite so one would hope it might have been home made. Pizzas well seasoned and not too heavily thick. Serenaded with limoncellos at the end as there was a birthday in the party.

Food wasn't special but nothing to really moan about. Service very friendly after the initial blip. It was full from 7pm-10pm which is fair enough a sign that they're not that bad, surely?
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Richard - View all reviews by this user
7 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Sunday, February 27, 2011

The food in here is authentic enough and nice but I don't think the service is as great as some reviewers made it. We were served by a waitress once and she seemed to hate her job (which wouldn't be a problem if she didn't show it). We were seated in the corner and my seat was right next to the kitchen door. I had to give way a few times to the chefs who were trying to open the door. We ordered desserts and the waitress simply cut two slices of them from the fridge, without any extras (like cream or icing sugar) and just gave us like that. When we left she didn't even smile. For the price we paid I think we deserved more then just food (which is not brilliant anyway).
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Kevin
3 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 3
Wednesday, June 02, 2010

Before booking a table at the Piccolo Diavolo we read the reviews on this site, but chose to book it anyway as it was a handy location after seeing a show. The staff are very polite and friendly but the food is awful.

Luke warm, under cooked (fleshy tasting) veal, was barely edible. My wife and I decided not to complain and make a scene, but vowed never to return.

How a west end restaurant can not know how to serve a hot meal is beyond me!

In future I will believe all reviews before booking.
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Steve Grove
1 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 0
Tuesday, May 11, 2010

We went here for a late lunch / early dinner on a Saturday afternoon. We were shoved in a corner almost in a plant pot and had one of the worst dining experiences I have ever had.

Food was warm and mediocre at best. My tomato and chilli lasagne had neither tomato or chilli and not much in the way of taste either. When questioned it was dismissed as 'well we didn't have any of what was on the menu' Instead it was bland and tastless - almost like a ready meal. My sister-in-laws risotto was not much better. Refused to pay for one of the meals and if we were braver and had less embarressed husbands we would have liked to have refused to pay for any!

Will not go back.
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Emma Campbell
1 Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 1
Thursday, April 01, 2010

I paid a visit to this fine establishment recently and was not disappointed.

This would be a great pre- or post-theatre restaurant, being situated within walking distance of several theatres.

Atmospherically, the place is cosy and family-run. It's a little on the bright side, so not so good if you're looking for something intimate, but if you actually want to see your company, there's nothing wrong with it. Everything is nicely spaced, so there is no feeling of being crowded.

The waiter who served us was just on the sociable side of insane. He practically sang the menu to us, and just about everything thereafter. It was a nice touch, if not subtly alarming. And worth going back for!

The food was actually very good, but I've dropped a couple of points because, like the other reviewers here, I also found it arrived somewhat on the lukewarm side. This didn't prove to be too much of a problem, however. But I would have preferred to have been higher up on the temperature scale. The menu is enormous and it can take a while to whittle down to a final choice, but the staff were patient on this front and were happy to offer a few pointers.

Value for money? No complaints. It's neither a deal-breaker nor a bank-breaker for this restaurant. Standard fare for central London I found.

This restaurant is on my list to revisit. I enjoyed the experience and would encourage others to do so too.
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Alan Ingham - View all reviews by this user
8 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, March 31, 2010

It has become a kind of tradition to visit London at least once a year and so it has also become tradition to enjoy dinner in this wonderful place.

Not only the food is good, but one feels so very, very welcome.

Service has to be written in capital letters here.

We are looking forward to our next visit.
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Ton van Eijk
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, April 07, 2009