Dinner With Meg

Italian cuisine is one of my favourites, but when it’s done right. Our cities are now littered with what I’d call ‘Italian-inspired’ eateries – they certainly aren’t traditional or authentic. Instead, they take aspects of Italian cuisine and halve the portion size, double the price, and serve it in a restaurant so dimly-lit that you’re on the cusp of reaching for your phone to shine your torch on the menu. If you time it right, flashes from selfie-taking phones might just provide the lighting you need. And of course, throw in a saxophone player for good measure.

It would have Nonnas shaking their heads and wooden spoons in despair.

And if you like those places, fair play to you, they clearly have their place and their audience. But let’s not get it confused with what Italian cuisine really is.

Now there are a few Italian restaurants in the UK that I really do appreciate, because they serve authentic, Italian food. These places are often family-ran. Casa Italia in Liverpool is certainly one that springs to mind, and as does La Piola – it’s these places that really deserve the air time.

If you aren’t familiar with La Piola, it’s a small Italian deli situated in the heart of the Leeds financial quarter, and since opening in 2022 it’s had rave reviews across the board for service and food.

What’s so refreshing about La Piola is that they don’t try to reinvent the wheel. And why should they? Authentic Italian food is utterly delicious, and they do it proud. I’ve now visited twice and have tried a variety of items from the menu. There’s no fusion dishes, no twists on classics, no labelling something as ‘Italian’ when it quite clearly isn’t. Everything on the menu is authentic Italian food at its absolute best.

What adds to the experience is how intimate the venue is. The deli really is a doorway to Cuneo – the hometown of the family that runs the eatery – in the heart of Leeds’ bustling city centre. Again, inside, there are no airs or graces, but just charm by the bucket load from owner, Fabio, who takes time to interact with every table.

When I posted about this place on Instagram a few weeks ago with a condensed review, I got a message from Fabio who was more than grateful for the kind words. He’d taken his time to send me a lovely message, and even then when away from the theatre of a restaurant and when communicating digitally, his passion literally poured through in his response. This is one of those genuinely lovely places, run by genuinely lovely people that care about their output and your experience whilst you’re in their capable hands.

To start, I’ve tried the insalata caprese here as well as the nduja croquettes and the bolognese-filled arancini. Every single starter was delicious. I’m not someone that usually opts for a caprese but with a night of drinking ahead, I opted for it as a lighter option. The mozzarella, basil, and tomato was so fresh – even though a caprese is quite a simple dish, it’s always a good way to gauge the ingredients used in a restaurant and how fresh they are.

Whilst it was a delicious choice, it’s the arancini that really sticks with me. It’s rich and flavourful on the inside, yet stays crisp and golden on the outside. The bolognese arancini is ideal if you’re unsure of what pasta dish to get as a main meal, and bolognese is one of your options. This starter allows you to dip your tastebuds, so you can get a feel for the bolognese here, but still have room to try an alternative pasta dish.

Last time I went I did try the tagliatelle ragú – if I’m going to a restaurant on a repeat visit  or know that I will be visiting multiple times, I always try to have a bolognese. It’s one of those dishes that everyone has a slightly different way of making, so it’s always good to try (for me it’s not to compare, but to take inspiration for my own cooking).

Sometimes a ragú can be advertised as slow-cooked, yet you’d be none the wiser. Here though, it lives up to the promise of being slow-cooked and that’s apparent from the flavour in the dish, which is also a testament to the quality ingredients sourced and used at La Piola. The meat was tender, and the ragú a gorgeously rich consistency that coated the fresh egg pasta generously. 

I’ve also had the pappardelle guanciale pistacchio e stracciatella here – pappardelle with crispy guanciale, a pistachio pesto and topped with stracciatella cheese. I’d say for me, this is the star of the show at La Piola. I’d not had pistachio pesto before but if it doesn’t always taste as good as the one here, I don’t want it. The guanciale used was some of the best I’ve had, the pesto deliciously delicate yet nutty, and the stracciatella there to add a contrasting texture and creamy flavour. This is one of those dishes you think about for weeks after eating it.

If you know me, you know I’m a sucker for starters over dessert, so I rarely have room to sample a sweet treat. However, I have had the lemon sorbet here which is always a nice option to cleanse the palette without tipping you over the edge of feeling too full. The dessert menu is limited, but I’ve no doubt like everything else on the menu they absolutely nail each one.

If you’re wanting an escape from the city for a brief moment and a taste of authentic Italy, La Piola’s the place to be. Just make sure you book because this place is small and it does get busy given its reviews. 

But if you’re lucky enough to visit, you’ll soon understand why the 5 star reviews keep on rolling in. I’d give them a 6 if I could.