Carluccio’s

Personally I don’t really see the fuss. There are some nice bits and bobs and the lasagne is great as is the Peroni yummmm, but all in all I don’t think it is out of this world. You can buy some nice meats and breads there also but it is no better than other delicatessens I my opinion.

This is a fairly reliable chain, and a representative store.
The focaccia is never particularly tasty, and always too close textured (just like any other white bread, but made with some olive oil), and I’d expect fresh Parmesan rather than pre-​grated from a jar. The chicken liver pâté that I had was too cold, so not as smooth and spreadable as it could have been. The pasta con funghi was nice, although with rather too few mushrooms.
This is a safe enough bet, but not particularly noteworthy.

situated in the heart of the city centre, the location is definitely the best thing about this place. When we visited on a warm summer’s evening, we thoroughly enjoyed sitting outside and the atmosphere was great. Unfortunately, the food didn’t match. My lasagna was nice but rather average and my partner’s carbonara was good but nothing special. A good place to go with friends, however, as there’s a sociable feel to the place.

We were in Cabot Circus and just wanted a simple supper and this is exactly what we got. Surprisingly, the restaurant was not very busy (we all need to remember to use these local restaurants or they will be replaced by empty units.)
The upside was that we could choose our table and went for the semi circular banquette — always a bit more intimate.
The main menu doesn’t change very often with all the regular Italian classics that you would expect; bruschetta, zuppa, lasagne, etc but this is always supplemented with some specials of the day to give some extra choice.
I chose Vongole and my 2 friends chose carbonara. It arrived very promptly but all were fresh and delicious. Accompanied by a simple green salad and a bottle of wine –perfect.
The staff were very attentive and helpful offering bespoke alternatives,
Eg when we were enquiring about whether there were any risottos, they told us they cd
make one :-)
You know what you’re going to get at Carluccios, and it didn’t disappoint.

I have been here more times than I can remember and it’s always great.
The staff are always welcoming, the food always fresh and the drinks list impressive.
For today’s visit I took on a Niçoise salad and some garlic bread with provolone cheese. I really enjoyed it and washed it down with a nice peroni.
We often come early on a Sunday and attack their incredible croissants while reading the Sunday papers. Great way to enjoy the weekend.

The Orange Polenta cake is delicious

Carluccio’s is one of my favourite restaurants. You can pass the time here with breakfast, lunch or dinner, and you will find a different ambience with each.
For an ‘upmarket’ chain, the prices are very good, and the fixed price menu that offers two courses for £9.95 is especially good. The food is terrific and we’ve sampled a couple of tasty wines.
We recently discovered a ‘hidden’ deal whereby you get a free croissant with your coffee if ordered at a particular time of day!

I saw the prix fixe menu offer and dragged my dad here for lunch. I got the insalata mista w/​garlic bread and pasta funghi. He got the spaghetti vongole. We added the squid in tomato sauce with peas. We could’ve skipped one of the prix fixes as the squid was pretty big and came with its own garlic bread.
After a Campri and coffee we were stuffed as I didn’t leave a morsel. (I wanted a takeout box for my leftovers but it’s not in vogue