I don't recomenf Carluccio's.. do you?

[AutumnGlory]

It was my second time eating there and I remember I liked the first one. Today it was all crap, bad, horrible food. And it is too small, noisy and uncomfortable. We sat next to the kitchen door, people coming in and out all the time. I thought would be a good idea because of the kid's colouring pack but there were only 2 colouring pencils in the box. Waiting staff were attentive ands polite though, but I'm not coming back ever. Mind you I didn't like Jamie Oliver's either, I'm now on the search for a good independent family run Italian.

Plus the manager kept giving shit to every waiter in front of everyone. ....

I really like it, especially the large antipasto plate for 20 quid - loads for 2 people and scrummy.

Nope eaten there twice (other peoples choice) and was distinctly underwhelmed by the food & service esp for the price.
Its pretty high St average, won't eat there out of choice again.

No I do not like it at all. Have had some very expensive poorly cooked meals there. Many better chains imo.

i ate in the one in MK last week, the food was delicious, the waiter was brilliant and the manager seemed to be directing very well.

did you point out any of the issues you had to the manager in the one you went to?

sorry your experience wasn't the best, but you can hardly complain about people using the kitchen door

There's so little room between the tables. It's ok if you go there either side of their 'rush hours' but that 's not right either.

Did you send the food back Autumn? Apart from not getting much of it I've never had bad food there. Their coffee's lovely.

I ate twice in the Fulham Rd one and thought it was yummy. The tables are close though.

No I ate in one once.

Note "once".

I've heard they're right bastards to work for (which would explain the manager yelling at staff).

I like the antipasto plates and have had a nice risotto in there but I think it's really over priced for not even that great Italian food.

I didn't like Jamie's Italian either when I went there - expensive for a small bowl of pasta and waiter tried very hard to up-sell on extras AND brought the wrong wine (wrong colour wine too so obviously not trained up on the wine list)

Luckily we have a great family run Italian which is cheap, cheerful, child friendly (as in they actually like children, not just handing out crap crayons!), and yummy!

No I didn't complain, I never do, my H despairs because he is a chef and he always tell me I should complain when I receive bad food. I know that I have to expect people using the kitchen door BUT if the place had a good lay out there wouldn't need to have no table close to any door, specially the kitchen one. It was very very close. Horrible experience.

I think it's quite expensive for what it is, but I do like their courgette pasta with spinach balls! But I think Italian restaurants are a bit of a rip off anyway tbh, as most of it is cheap and easy to cook at home.

Some branches are much better than others. They seem to be spawning everywhere at the moment and the standards going downhill, like Pizza Express 10 years ago.

No, I think it's dreadful - nothing like proper fresh Italian food.

If you're in central London want excellent and affordable Italian food, try Caffe Caldesi, near Marylebone. It is the Real Deal.

I went to to Putney one so expected it to be at least ok......will try suggestion above thanks . I like to cook Italian at home but spending the whole day out with a child, I need to stop somewhere...but never there again

I like the food and I especially like the anti-pasto - the only thing that drives me insane about the place is a) they won't give you the pepper. It's not gold, it's not rare, I'm a responsible adult - just give me my own pissing pepper grinder and b) the poncey bowls of sea salt. Theres a reason salt grinders exist - WTF is the point of lumps of salt crystals?

Jamie Olivers was not child friendly at all. I took ds there once, he barely ate anything (we had the 'try it all' platter IYKWIM; ham, bread, risotto- which was lovely- chicken, very spicy pasta, pollenta chips). We haven't tried Carluccio's yet.

I've been to the one in MK a few times and always enjoyed it - service and food good, manager there is excellent. Only been as a lunch stop when on a shopping trip and it's much better than the other eateries nearby. Their antipasti dishes are yummy, we always get a couple of different ones to share. Oh and their pasta crisps are very more-ish!

They do lots of gluten free dishes there, which is unusual, so I like.

I've never been, don't think there is one in Glasgow but I loved the sound of the courgette pasta so googled and found the recipe.
Definitely on the menu this week.

The antipasto plates are not bad for a lunch.

There is a really delicious bean recipe (just green beans dressed with olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic and mint) from one of his books that is put on the plate. When you make it yourself it is about 10 times more delicious than when you get it at one of the cafes. Which doesn't make sense to me!

Used to go a fair bit when the first branches opened but found the quality tailed off a lot as the chain expanded, plus it really wasn't cheap at all. Can think of better places to spend that much money on a quick lunch/brunch.

Netto - it's lovely. Let me know if you do make it and if it's easy, I'll give it a go. It's the only way that the dds will eat courgettes without pulling faces - and the spinach balls are gorgeous.

the spinach balls are delicious, Netto i didn't steal try any of the courgette/pasta as courgettes are rank not my favourite

DD doesn't much like courgettes either but maybe she'll like them in this.
Think I'll try it tonight as I have everything bar the courgettes and can pick them up later.
Will report back.

went to the new one in dorchester last week and thought it was great. wasnt a fan of the garlic bread as it was far too salty and not garlicky enough so bil shared it with me in the end but apart from that we had no complaints whatsoever. I didnt think it was too badly priced either but we didnt have alcohol.