Laura Ross Russell
Food connoisseur Laura Ross Russell takes us on a journey through some of the hottest spots in Nottingham at the moment, as well as the new kids on the block in the restaurant world in the first instalment of her ‘Tried and Tested’ series. This time, uncovering the newly-opened Piccalilli, Laura lets us know the ins and outs of the dining experience…
First things first – where are we?
Tonight, we’re dining at Piccalilli, the new “perfectly imperfect” restaurant which occupies Kushi-Ya’s former location in Cannon Court. Opened on October 4th by Dan Coles, who has previously worked at Iberico World Tapas, Piccalilli has quickly attracted attention from Nottingham foodies.
What were your initial impressions?
Tucked away in the back of an alley just behind Mega Munch, Piccalilli feels like a real hidden gem. You’ll just have to trust me that it’s far more atmospheric than that description sounds. Upstairs, you’ll find the small, 32-seater restaurant, where “higgledy piggledy brickwork” and original beams reflect their self-proclaimed perfectly imperfect status.
Piccalilli gives as much attention to its drink offerings as it does to the food.
What’s on the drinks menu?
Piccalilli gives as much attention to its drink offerings as it does to the food. Their cocktail list may be compact, with just six options, but the fact they have created their own house cordials, schnapps and vodkas shows that they’ve put thought into every element of each of these drinks. The wine list is far more substantial.
Non-drinkers are also well catered for, with alcohol-free lagers, ciders and sparkling wines alongside cordials and soft drinks.
Let’s talk food – what’s good here?
The menu here follows the ever-popular small plates concept and is split into four main sections: snacks, vegetables, fish and meat. We sampled a mix from each section, trying the Sourdough & Marmite butter, the Devilled eggs with Henderson’s Relish mayonnaise & anchovies, the Potato cake with sour cream, pickled shallots & caviar, the Plaice fillet with cockles & trout roe, the Pork belly with pickled cabbage & quince mustard, and the weekend special, a Pork croquette with cauliflower puree & a gherkin relish.
While every dish impressed, our standouts were the light but still beautifully buttery plaice fillet and the crispy potato cake, which was made special with the addition of salty caviar.
This is more of an upmarket spot, not a typical student haunt, but the staff were great, and we didn’t feel unwelcome
What is the clientele like? Are we talking about fellow students, locals, or a mixed crowd?
This is more of an upmarket spot, not a typical student haunt, but the staff were great, and we didn’t feel unwelcome here. We managed to snag a table here at the end of opening week, so the crowd leaned heavily toward food bloggers and in-the-know locals, but the cosy atmosphere made the restaurant friendly rather than intimidating despite the elevated dining experience.
How was the service?
Although our drinks came after our first course of food – something that usually signals a bit of disorganisation – the service otherwise seemed particularly polished for week one of a new restaurant. The staff cope well with the spatial restrictions of a small, fully booked restaurant and seem passionate about the food they’re serving.
What’s the price range? Is this affordable for students, or is it one to save for when mum and dad come to visit?
Whilst the individual menu items are very reasonably priced, the recommendation of three plates per person, plus a few snacks for the table, can add up quite quickly. This one is probably best saved for special occasions (or when parents are paying!), as it does tend to stretch a typical student budget.
That said, they are also advertising a “workers’ lunch”, which gets you the dish of the week for a very reasonable £12 per person: this week that was Owen Taylor’s sausage, mash and onion jam.
So – what’s the verdict? Will you be coming back?
This likely won’t be the last time I dine at Piccalilli, but the idea of becoming a regular doesn’t quite align with my student budget! I will, however, be recommending this to anyone who is looking for a memorable restaurant for a special occasion and will definitely be back at lunchtime to try the workers special.
Laura Ross Russell
Featured image courtesy of Debby Hudson via Unsplash. Image license found here. No changes were made to this image.
In article images courtesy of the author, Laura Ross Russell.
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