Piccola Cucina

I was very optimistic about getting a table at Piccola Cucina. The place always looked busy and the menu looked authentic. Unfortunately our experience fell about a mile short of our expectations. Maybe the kitchen didn’t like us because we were walk-​ins, or maybe the food just isn’t good. Regardless, first impressions are important and this wildly missed the mark.
We started by sharing the tuna tartare. The tuna itself was flavourful but unfortunately the ‘crusty bread’ missed the plate and was never presented. We were stuck with regular, soft bread (intended for olive oil) which isn’t so nice with soft tartare. Perhaps this was just a service error but it wasn’t a good start. (at this point my rating would’ve been a 3)
We each had a first-​course pasta dish which were the highlight of the evening. I had a tomato sauce (botargo), my partner had their special which was basically a Parmesan sauce. The noodles were well cooked, the sauces were well balanced, over all very good. In hindsight I wish the meal ended here. (at this point my rating would have been a 4)
The true disappointment was the main. We shared the ‘seared tuna coated in pistachios’. Wow did this fail. The tuna was terribly overdone to the point of almost no red in the middle. The pistachio ‘crust’ was literally sliced pistachios poured on top — nothing pressed into the sides of the fish as one would expect. I got the impression the tuna was cooked the previous day (without pistachios) and microwaved. Then, they opened a bag of M&S nuts and poured them on top. This was without question the worst piece of tuna I’ve ever eaten. The kitchen should frankly be ashamed at letting that plate out of the kitchen. (at this point my rating went down to 1)
After the previous bomb we skipped dessert. The total bill with wine was nearly 120 pounds.
Maybe I should have been more forceful and requested bread with the tartare. Maybe I should have questioned/​sent back the seared tuna and demanded a new dish. Then again, it’s not my fault, it’s the kitchen’s. The owners can thank their pasta dishes because it’s the only reason they get 2 stars. Overall, Notting Hill has several Italian restaurants which prepare much better food, have better service, and are more affordable. I will not be returning and would not recommend Piccola Cucina to anyone.