Pietruccio’s

This great little traditional Italian offers great food in a fantastic Café style atmosphere. Try the gourmet menu of 7 tasting courses for a great night out, but don’t plan anything as it will last 2 hours at least as everything is cooked fresh. Pino, owner/​Chef, is a character who will have you returning time n time again and once you have eaten here then every other Italian restaurant will seem ordinary. Book in advance as this is an intimate setting with a max ¹⁰⁄₁₂ tables. Don’t expect pizza, lasagne, bolognese n standard fare but good home cooked Italian food. Slightly more expensive than a normal meal but well worth it.

Pietruccio’s in Hamilton is without a doubt one of my favourite restaurants. I’ve been 5 or 6 times and every time I go I feel more and more welcome by Pino, the owner. It’s one of the most authentic Italian restaurants I’ve been to, without a doubt, and it’s because of Pino’s exquisite style of old school Italian cooking. The service is always absolutely perfect; friendly, welcoming and warm, without being in your face. Even though I think Pino should have a restaurant that can seat 1,000 with this quality food, the restaurant is very small and only has about 10 – 15 tables. Topping everything off with an extensive wine menu, and a full bar, I see no faults with this place.
The menu is brand new every day because Pino only makes meals that day using the ingredients he has. I love this aspect because every time I’ve been the menu has been so different, as it changes with the seasons and with the chef’s mood. You can order from the menu normally, e.g. starter, main, dessert, but every time I’ve been I’ve gone for the gourmet tasting menu. This is a 7 course meal consisting of 3 starters, a pasta main, a fish main, a meat main, and a trio of desserts, all very small in size. For £25.95 it’s absolutely fantastic.
This evening as always, I chose the tasting menu. The most exciting aspect is you don’t get to choose what you’re having; Pino does. So even if you went two days in a row and the menu was the same, you could have 7 different things.
Tonight’s 3 starters consisted of Smoked Duck Salad, Grilled Asparagus in oil and vinegar, and Stuffed Aubergines. Absolutely heavenly.
Our pasta main course was Tortelloni with Ham and Black Truffle in a Creamy Sauce. The fish was Salmon alla Romana, and we had an Aberdeen Angus Fillet, cooked rare to perfection, for our meat main. Without a doubt the best steak I’ve ever tasted.
The trio of desserts consisted of homemade apple cake, homemade dark chocolate mousse, and a selection of berries drizzled in maple syrup.
This place is absolutely outstanding, and despite the fact it’s not in the city centre, I would definitely advise making a point to get out to this place for a meal. You definitely would not regret it!