Awards Candidates 2019

03/11/2025: I had the honor of visiting Il Nido for my birthday on a Saturday evening with my best friend. I couldn't have chosen a better place! More than a dinner, I'd describe it as a sensory experience, a tasteful journey through unexplored horizons. The location is intimate, almost private, given the limited seating. The soft lighting, elegant interiors, and lounge music in the background create the perfect atmosphere for a high-end dinner. The service is superb and attentive to detail. It begins with a warm welcome and a heated coat check. The dining room exudes professionalism and warmth. After each course, the cutlery is changed and opinions are asked about the quality. Every so often, the table is cleaned of crumbs with a comb. Water and wine are refilled without asking and without being intrusive. The wine list is nothing short of encyclopedic. Few restaurants in Piacenza can boast such a wide variety and high quality of wines. For the "Nido del Picchio" menu, I'd recommend a Chardonnay Bourgogne, specifically a Mersault Les Narvaux Benjamin Leroux 2019, which pairs perfectly with almost all the dishes. Finding a wine that pairs perfectly with all the courses is difficult given the menu's variety, but this wine does it very well. I chose the "Nido del Picchio" tasting menu, which features several smaller dishes that, overall, are just the right amount of filling and explore innovative sensations, leaving lasting memories. The menu price, which can be found on the well-designed and very clear website, is, in my opinion, adequate for the overall quality found. The menu is superb, and the quality of both the ingredients and the dishes remains very high and consistent. Describing it all would be lengthy; I'll leave it to you, the reader, to try it if you wish. The presentation of all the dishes is striking, elegant and minimalist. The dishes showcase every ingredient. I was personally particularly impressed by the raw and cooked shrimp, which showcases the shrimp's head, which is often overlooked. The menu's ability to combine meat and fish is surprising, as in the case of the veal with raw tuna and anchovy mayonnaise. The rabbit in porchetta, a perfect marriage of rabbit and pork, is sublime. The accompaniments, namely focaccia and homemade breadsticks, are also very popular. If I had to nitpick, I'd recommend adding one or two ingredients to the cappelletti in fish broth. They're delicious, but in my opinion, they deserve that extra something that makes you say, "Wow." The desserts and the small pastries at the end are also delicious, consisting of chocolates and homemade mini muffins of various types. Also, thank you again for the personal touch on dessert! If you're looking to treat yourself to a memorable dinner to celebrate a special occasion or simply want to feel like you're in heaven, this is the place for you! It is a pearl in the Piacenza area and deserves a visit.

26/10/2025: I've rarely found a restaurant like this lately... Excellent in every way