Just been to Da Piero, in Irby, Wirral.
http://www.dapiero.co.uk/home.htm it's just won best new entry in the 2010 Good food Guide hence four of us sharing a Delta over the water.
Its a small place probably eight or nine tables and therefore booking is pretty essential. The oldish couple who run the place do it as a labour of love. Dawn's English and does front of house, he's called Piero, A Scillian who does the cooking. We booked for Half Seven and had the table for the night, once you've got your table you are made to feel it's yours for the night, this isn't a 'how many covers they can fit in on table x' type place. The couple were charming and after the main courses Piero came out and went around the tables introducing himself, he seemed quite genuine and it wasn't forced.
The place is small with simple tables and modern white platered walls with two pictures of their children. As someone who occasionly feels a bit intimidated in fine dining restaurants the place was fairly elegant but relaxing and enjoyable.
The food is authentic Italian/ Sicillian with a nod to fine dining but actually quite rustic. Piero obviously prides himself on trying to source the best ingredients and generally the food is very good. You can either order starter followed by a pasta, meat or fish course or start with a pasta and have a fish or meat course. We started with pasta dishes and there were no complaints, all four of us enjoyed our starters, I had Sphagetti alla Carbonara, and it was exellent, no cream and very authentic just like the little places you find when in Italy. Most of the pastas work out about a tenner.
For our mains we ordered off the fish menu. Being a greedy bastard, I'm straight into the Misto de mar, the dearest dish on the menu at £22 notes. It was very good for England, with Cod, Crab claws, Prawns and Clams, if I'm being honest I've had better but only in some of them harbour restaurants you find on the Med. My missus got the Sea Bass, which was massive and whole but cooked absoloutely spot on for £16.50, the couple with us were raving over the black tiger prawns in garlic, and the swordfish salmoriglio which is a lemon, parsley and olive oil Sicillian sauce, both for £14.50. The side dishes were top class, I loved the purgatory beans with a brilliant olive oil dressing.
I finished with a cliched Tiramisu, I know but I just love it, my mate reckoned the cannoli was the way to go.
Wine wise, decent selection and dawn very helpful with what is what, ended up with a nice sangiovese for about £15. Overall fairly impressive.
