Having been open for just over a month, Maialino, on William Street, seems to be finding its feet, quite nicely. A smart and bright little Italian deli, featuring quite a focussed selection of quality deli sandwiches, paninis and salads, this was my second visit, as I’d had the pleasure of being their third ever customer, on opening day.

Exterior

I was glad to see soup on their menu, too, so opted to match their soup of the day, potato and leek, with their sandwich of the day, a chorizo, cheese and tomato panini.

Primarily a takeout place, seating is at a premium, with room for only half a dozen folks. They currently have a little shelf area selling pasta and other whatnots, but I think they’d be better served putting in another couple of shelf seats.

Soup

My items arrived promptly and both looked neat and tidy. The soup proved to be the better of the dishes, with a really nicely crafted bowl of a popular comforting favourite. It was packed with flavour and had a really good texture, that was just light enough for sunshine and just hearty enough for chasing away the cold, so a good fit for Scottish weather.

The panini was good, with the chorizo as impressive as expected, but I think there was some room for improvement, as a cheese with a little more character would have brought better balance to the dish.

Panini

So overall, Maialino is a charming little spot, and well worthy of a visit. It’s in the section of William Street that doesn’t get quite as much footfall as the Teuchters/Bert’s/Melville stretch, but it seems to be building an audience, so long may that continue to grow.

Scores

Blythe scores Maialino
3.5/5 for food
3.5/5 for presentation
3/5 for setting
3.5/5 for service
giving an overall 13.5/20

Today’s quester was: Blythe

I ate: potato and leek soup; chorizo, cheese and tomato panini

I drank: water

I wore: blue suit

Total bill: £5.50