Tony & Giuliana Pierotti originally from Barga in the hills of Tuscany moved over to Scotland in 1962 and have been in the hospitality industry ever since. The original Piccolo Mondo was established in 1974 and was set up by Tony and Giuliana.
Over the years it has won many accolades including its listing in Egon Ronay’s Lucas Guide in 1979, back to back “Casserole” commendation for excellence in 1984 & 1985 which was followed by the most prestigious title of all: in 1986 they were awarded “Best Value Restaurant in Britain” by Les Routiers.
This was no mean feat considering more than 1600 restaurants participated from all over the UK. In 1989, Tony and Giuliana decided to sell the Piccolo Mondo and have regretted it ever since. Sometimes you do not appreciate what you have in life until you have lost it.
They moved onto various other projects throughout Glasgow, including La Fiorentina (the Evening Times restaurant of the year (2004 & 2005) and La Riviera in the West End. After the Pierotti family left La Fiorentina in September 2005 there was a great desire to create something special, which is when the idea of resurrecting the famous “Ristorante Piccolo Mondo” came about.
The new Piccolo Mondo in Glasgow’s Argyle Street opened in June 2005 and is a blend of tradition and innovation.
A new managerial team was formed adding four new members including Tony and Giuliana’s son Emilio who has followed in his father’s footsteps. Lio, as he more commonly known to friends. Andrea Grasso & last and maybe the most important is Head chef Iain Monaghan who has worked with the Pierotti family for over 20 years.
The name is significant as it means “small world”, and as the saying goes, we want people to meet by surprise in our restaurant, whether it will be old friends or new ones. We have created a special atmosphere that we hope will make people feel at home. We hope our customers will enjoy their experience with us and will return in the future.
