Piccolino Ilkley Review - The Perfect Rooftop Dining Spot and 25 Heavenly Layers of Wagyu Lasagne

We spent our bank holiday Monday at Piccolino Ilkley, and it ended up being one of those afternoons that just kept getting better.

We headed straight up to the rooftop terrace, which is easily one of the nicest spots to sit when the weather’s good. The sun came through gently across the space as the afternoon went on, and by the evening we were sat watching it set over the Yorkshire hills, with no plans to leave any time soon. It’s such a good setting for a long lunch that turns into evening drinks without really planning it.

The restaurant decor both on the terrace and inside is beautiful, really polished but still relaxed, with warm interiors and a layout that works whether you’re there for a quick meal or something more drawn out. The team were great from the start - really friendly, attentive and easy to chat to, which made everything feel relaxed straight away.

The menu doesn’t make it easy to choose what to eat because everything sounded so good, which probably explains why we ended up ordering a lot more than we planned. First up, we ordered a mix of starters to share including the Mozzarella & Smoked Provola Pane All’Aglio which brought all the soft and cheesy vibes we were looking for. That was followed by truffle and mushroom arancini which disappeared in a matter of seconds and the freshest tomato bruschetta. Really mega starters which set the tone for what continued to be an exceptional meal.

Mains were next and the Lasagne Al Wagyu then officially stole the show. It’s made up of 25 layers of slow-cooked Wagyu beef, béchamel, tomato and truffle, and it’s as good as it sounds. Rich, full of flavour and one of those dishes I'm genuinely still thinking about and don't think any other lasagne will ever compare.

We also had the Pollo Al Tartufo, which came with truffle gnocchi, mushrooms and a creamy sauce. It’s a proper tasty comfort dish, but still feels balanced and not too heavy. To make us feel slightly better about the amount of truffle and cheese being consumed, we threw in some greens on the side with Zucchine Fritte and garlic baby spinach, which actually worked really well to break things up - light, crispy and easy to keep going back to.

By this point you could say we were stuffed but dessert wasn’t really a question. We went for the tiramisu, and it was exactly what you want it to be - classic, generous and the perfect way to finish everything off.

It was genuinely one of the nicest meals we’ve had in a very long time.

Sitting on the terrace as the sun set, with good food and drinks still coming, it felt like one of those afternoons you don’t really want to end. The kind where you go in with loose plans and end up staying for hours.