I have passed in front of Il Piccolo Padrino for a least 2 years and 7 months, basically since I started my new jobs in August 2017... And I always wondered if this restaurant located on the roundabout next to the Meudon Park was any good. In the evening and during summer I'd see people drinking on the terrace but that's about it. Back in February, we needed to see a Waterpolo match around 9 PM and we didn't feel like eating at home. That's when Mr. B. suggested to try an Italian on the way to the swimming pool: Il Piccolo Padrino. It's was time to discover a new address and I was pretty happy! (I always am when food is involved) We parked in a street nearby and made our way to the restaurant, it already looked crowded despite the early hour.
When we entered a waiter greeted us in perfect Italian, I learned later that he was from Sicily, and showed us to our table. From what I could hear, there were a lot of expats already eating = international crowd with a few kids from international school judging by the outfits. We received the menu and started studying it.
The menu is very "Italian" in the sense that they don't speak about starter, main course, dessert. They actually use the Italian way: Antipasti, Insalate, Primi Piatti, Secondi Piatti, La Pizza, etc. We first decided on the drinks and starter: a platter Della Nonna which is an assortment of cheese, veggies, buffala and cold meats.
We chatted a bit before we got our drinks, my usual water and Mr. took an Aperol and I checked more carefully the place: dark tones on the walls, a bar and next to it a pizza station with a huge oven, wood tables, benches... An interesting mix to be honest, a bit dark and yet quite modern! At that point, we received our starter and dug in.
The food so far was really good but I didn't eat too much because I really wanted to have enough appetite for my main course: the Carbonara! Yes I know, that's always what I try at an Italian restaurant but what can I say... If you find a good Carbonara, then you might have found an incredible Italian place! It's so tricky to find a restaurant that serves a Carbonara without cream or weird ingredients...
Anyway, it took a little more time for our main course to arrive as Il Piccolo Padrino had a few big tables to handle. It allowed me to discuss a bit more with Mr. B. which is not something I would complain about. When pasta arrived, I was ready for it. And to be honest, the waiter told me that if I didn't like it, I would not pay for it. He was kind of trusting of his chef's skills!
The plate in front of me looked like an actual Carbonara and when I dug in...Man! It was really good. No cream or weird European recipe: Gianciale, eggs, water of the pasta, cheese. Simple and delicious, a bit heavy too. It was a lovely surprise! Mr. B. got a pizza which tasted quite good (especially the crust) but it wasn't as generous as my pasta and there could have been more toppings (as you can see below).
Overall, I was quite happy with our visit, just make sure to either ask for more toppings if you go for a pizza or take pasta instead. In any case, the staff was lovely and attentive, their advice were also quite good. The decor is interesting but it can easily get crowded. Price wise, we paid 63€ for:
1 Bottle of still water
1 Aperol
1 Glass of wine
1 Plate Della Nonna
1 Pizza
1 Supplement of eggplant
1 Pasta
So 31,5€ per person for a full meal isn't bad, especially since I had my Carbonara pasta. I would definitely try other dishes from Il Piccolo Padrino, we just need to get a table after the confinement! Now I would suggest to try it and to not judge the 3.9/5 from Google :)