Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think Carluccios is over-rated?

55 replies

Dancergirl · 01/02/2013 12:46

We've been twice recently and both times I've been disappointed.

First time I had a pasta dish with spinach balls, sounded v nice on the menu. When it came, it was dripping with butter so much so it was really greasy and I couldn't eat much of it.

Second time I had a chicken salad that claimed to have hazelnuts in. It was a huge pile of green leaves with a few bits of chicken and microscopic bits of hazelnuts in it.

And their menu is very, very limited.

On the plus side though, the dds love it and they made a huge fuss over dd2 whose birthday it was yesterday! Service is v good but the food...? Not so much.

OP posts:
BobbiFleckmann · 01/02/2013 13:27

excellent coffee
fantastic mixed antipasti
good with children and some actual vitamins in the children's menu
on the other hand...some of the pasta dishes overly buttery and salty. Would still place it light years over the frankie & benny's / brakes brothers approach to catering

Paiviaso · 01/02/2013 13:31

I've been a couple of times. Done both sit down and bakery-take away and found the food very tasty!

bamboostalks · 01/02/2013 14:24

Carluccios have a weekly delivery from Brakes Bros every week Bobbi

bamboostalks · 01/02/2013 14:25

Because weekly means every week......duh

LaurieFairyCake · 01/02/2013 14:27

I love it - the big £19.50 antipasti plate is very high quality - proper deli food. And the breads are great with it. Puddings good too.

Bonsoir · 01/02/2013 14:32

MoreBeta - "The answer is that rents for commercial property just have to fall so restaurants and cafes can raise quality and still make a profit."

It is not just restaurants and cafés that have this issue. Retail chains are also mostly working for the shopping centre owners, too.

AvonCallingBarksdale · 01/02/2013 14:47

I live it Hmm

No, I like it (it's not that great!)

MoreBeta · 01/02/2013 14:52

Bonsoir - yes indeed. Its an endemic problem throughout retail.

I am sick to death of hearing the phrase 'death of the high street'. It is rents that are killing the high street - landlords need to get real but banks will not let them drop rents as it would not cover the mortgage costs and bansk woudl need to take a write off they are unwilling to do. All part of the insidious effect of the fianncial crisis.

Bonsoir · 01/02/2013 14:54

Why isn't online shopping more cost-effective when high street rents are so horrible?

magimedi · 01/02/2013 14:55

It went down hill when Carluccio himself sold it.

The spinach balls with pasta & grated courgette is lovely when properly made.

RattyRoland · 01/02/2013 14:55

Yanbu.I had a salad there recently, it was meant to be a main course but looked like a few salad leaves with a couple of pieces of cheese, no bread or anything to fill you up.

ethelb · 01/02/2013 14:57

I don't understand the whole Carrluccios thing.

It's a bit 90s innit?

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 01/02/2013 14:58

Avon I did wonder Grin

I don't like Carluccio's, have only been a couple of times and it was very disappointing.

Alibabaandthe40nappies · 01/02/2013 14:59

Bonsoir - I've wondered about that.

A shop could hardly charge less online than in store though, otherwise no-one would ever go into the shops.

AnnIonicIsoTronic · 01/02/2013 15:01

Yy

Inedibly buttery

Nice for a coffe, but very hit & miss for food.

bigbadbarry · 01/02/2013 15:02

I quite like it but agree with posters who say it varies branch to branch

IDreamedADreamOfSausageRolls · 01/02/2013 20:58

YABU - I love Carluccio's! I go all the time. I think it's brilliant value, especially the menu fisso. I do live in Central London though - maybe those branches are better because there's more competition here?

RubyrooUK · 01/02/2013 21:01

Carluccios is good for two things:

  1. Coffee. Its strong blend of coffee gives you the shakes so if you like it like that, it is definitely a good option.
  1. It does gluten free cake so if you're out with a coeliac, it's a reliable option. It is often hard to find gluten free stuff in cafes.

I've never been mad about the food though.

dinkystinky · 01/02/2013 21:03

The one round the corner from me does takeaway lunches for a fiver (includes main, drink and a biscuit) which is much better value than pret, eat, itsu etc

Oblomov · 01/02/2013 21:05

Went to one of the surrey ones a couple of months ago with my PNG. Fab. Delicious. Portions so huge none of us could finish (and man I can eat!!). Loads and loads of locals I know rave about about our local one.

midnightexpress · 01/02/2013 21:06

I think I've only ever been once to the Russell Sq one and I can't remember anything about the food. But their pannetone is to die for.

FamiliesShareGerms · 01/02/2013 21:14

Depends- some (Ealing, Kensington) are lovely, some (Wimbledon, Kingston) not worth the effort

FamiliesShareGerms · 01/02/2013 21:15

Oh, but their take away cakes and biscuits are always lovely!

CharlotteBronteSaurus · 01/02/2013 21:21

i think it's the best of the high street chains
the cakes are ace
and ours does a really decent takeaway coffee for a quid

FlouncingMintyy · 01/02/2013 21:23

I never eat in a chain restaurant unless it is Pizza Express. And thus am never disappointed Smile.

Swipe left for the next trending thread