Carluccio’s Cafe

Came here for the takeaway food for lunch. Very reasonable for london pricing and a huge amount of pasta which was very tasty.

Holy crap Carluccio’s is really good. They continue to serve delicious food that makes me happyyyyyy! Last time we were here I tried something new– the Lobster Spaghetti and Penne Giardiniera are quite mind blowing! Their lunch deal is also a winner.

Had a quick coffee with a friend, and I ordered a cappuccino and tiramisu. Tiramisu was good, though not the best I had. Cappuccino was honestly sub-​average — not much flavourful not hot the way I liked it served.
Ambience was okay — was rather spacious inside. However, there was a strong sense of this place being a chain, so don’t go if you’re looking for a café that’s got an independent feel.
Perhaps because it was spacious inside, I found it a bit difficult to get the staff’s attention. When asked for things, though, they were generally prompt in responding.
I noticed many people ordering and having food. Looked like they had a decent menu, most of which were reasonably popular — perhaps I will try more of their food next time.

Woohoo our food was outstanding. The spinach ravioli my daughter ordered was GREAT. My dish was good and our son ordered seafood pasta and consumed every drop. My hubby didn’t like his food and they didn’t hesitate offering him something else. Service was GREAT. We loved this place and could have eaten here everyday but we wanted to try other places. Desert was scrumptious

It was a very bad experience to go there. very rude staff, very slow, we waited too long to be surved our coffee. The coffee tasted very old, we asked for cream, she brought a tiny bit of cream for 2 coffees, which was not enough obviously. we saw people leaving because nobody came to surve them. I will not go there again. there are many other nice coffee places around in the same area.

This place is large, given tables outside and on a Friday night every table was in use. I had bruschetta to start. It was ok, but no more than that. I then had the penne puttanesca. The pasta was congealed together and there was hardly any sauce. What there was tasted ok, but it was like it had been nuked in a microwave. The worst bit was the service. Our waiter was Italian, so full marks for authenticity, but he was very rushed. When he put parmesan on my pasta, it was like he was putting sugar in tea-​I got a large mound in the centre. Bringing each course he grunted at us and immediately turned away. We couldn’t order coffee as he left. Carluccios are generally good but I guess this one is a victim of its own success.

Food: We ordered the salumi and tomato salad for starters and the trofie pesto and lasagne for our entrees. Both starters were classic and good. The trofie pesto pasta was very salty. The lasagne was yummy.
Drinks: We ordered two glasses of white wine.
Price: 45.20 GBP for two people. Reasonable for decent Italian food.
Ambiance: If the weather is nice and you get to sit outside it’s nice to enjoy the hustle and bustle of St. Christopher’s Place. If you don’t want to deal with people walking by or the random street musicians then request to sit inside.
Service: Super friendly staff.
Would I go back? Yes. It’s one of our go-​to spots when we’re in the mood for Italian and don’t want to spend an arm and a leg. You always know what you’re going to get when you go to Carluccios. It’s also good for breakfast.

I’ve been to this branch a few times, mainly because it’s conveniently located just off oxford street at St Christopher’s Place.
Usually it’s just for a light snack or for some drinks.
On my most recent visit, I ordered an Aperol Spritz whilst my friend ordered the Bellini. I wasn’t too impressed with my Aperol Spritz as it tasted a bit too diluted. I ordered the panna cotta which was quite creamy and tasty. My friend had the cheese board, a decent portion size and variety of cheeses, though not all quite as tasty. A selection of different crackers would also have been nice.
Service here is a bit hit and miss, and much could be improved in terms of the friendliness of staff members.
It is a chain restaurant and doesn’t serve the greatest/​most authentic Italian food, but not too bad for a casual drop in if you’re struggling for places for a quick snack.

Ok, I know. This is a chain restaurant. We dined at the location at St. Christopher’s Place which is a fun spot to people watch or stop and enjoy a drink and/​or a meal. The food here is good. This is not the best Italian food you will have for sure, but we can’t expect to eat in Michelin Star restaurants every night, now can we? We enjoyed everything we ate there. I also would go back when I’m in the neighborhood or when I’m looking for a fun, casual, no fuss spot.

I generally enjoy Carluccios as a good, reasonably-​priced chain with consistent, good quality food than is certainly better than your average Italian chain due to thoughtful preparation and higher quality ingredients.
This location is very convenient, tucked down an alley in a little Tarids-​like spot that is still busy but infinitely better than the hornet’s nest that is Oxford Street.
I’ve been here quite a few times due to its convenient location. The staff are generally efficient (though the last time I was there I got a dud, but that was a fluke) and the selection of food is nice. Be warned, they don’t have pizza!
The restaurant is a bit of an awkward layout, so you might get stuck in some weird corner, in the basement, or next to the beautiful big windows. It’s constantly heaving with people, so it’s just luck which you get.
That brings me to the problem with this place. The noise level is unbelievable — it feels deafening. Conversations are pointless as everyone is shouting over each other and it escalates as one table tries to out-​shout the other.
If it weren’t for that one thing, I would give this restaurant a 4. Definitely not a place for a nice meal with your partner, or for a business meeting.

Carluccios in St Christopher’s Place is well situated for indoor/​outdoor dining as it’s right in the middle of the hip St James Street/​St Christopher’s Place shopping and dining zone. I prefer eating outside (weather permitting) or in the upstairs area facing the front windows to experience that connectivity with the pulse of St. Christopher’s place.
I always ask for the Risotto Del Giorno and am never disappointed. I have had a mushroom version and a sausage version and paired with a good glass of wine it really leaves one feeling content. The service has always been friendly (which is a hit and miss in the UK) and that’s of vital importance to me.
Great for an afternoon client luncheon experience or a break from some Oxford Street shopping!

I dunno, guys: my route to Carluccio’s Café was long and winding, with the first visual seed planted c/​o Jamie Oliver’s Instagram feed (he’s buds with the Two Greedy Italians, one of whom is Antonio Carluccio). So… long tangent-​y intro to say… I was predisposed to liking Carluccio’s, Antonio’s namesake chain of Italian eateries/​cafes/​mini-​grocers.
And here’s what went right: the customer service is fantastic. The atmosphere is lovely. The staff is super-​duper-​totally knowledgeable and seemingly all-​round geeked on Italian food trivia. The quality of the product is great. The items for sale are of the type that are beautiful to sit on a counter (balsamic vinegar with a hand-​dripped wax top!) but also taste mighty nice.
Buuuuuuuut (yeah, the dissenting voice is coming): the food was only ok. Biggest disappointment was the raspberry meringue, a massive fluffy white cloud of a dessert with big red ripples of (I assumed) raspberry folded in. What I got was a hard too-​sweet offering, with no hint of berry whatsoever. Looked pretty, but that’s it. For some reason this overwhelms review, even though highlights included lemon olive oil, delicate cherry tomato tarts and fresh caper berries.
Unilocal note: it’s a small thing that might go otherwise overlooked, but: hazelnut shortbread. That’s all you need to know. Jump on it.

Hands up if you want overcooked, dried out pumpkin risotto. No? Well me neither. But that’s what I got. I’m a stickler for good risotto and sadly this missed the mark by such a huge margin, it almost sets a dangerous precedent for me to not eat at a Carluccio’s again.
To be fair I can’t fault the service which was quick, considering there were only two people covering easily 20 outside covers and my friend who had venison tortellini was satisfied enough (although I thought the portion looked quite small.) We knocked back a couple of glasses of vino, and to finish I treated myself to their signature cioccolata fiorentina (which I did enjoy) and she decided to have a dessert wine which (ha ha) she texted me later to say decided to repeat on her.
But the bill at £38 plus tip (he deserved it) I felt could have been better spent on a lunch at my members club or on a nice pizza. Still we got to eat outdoors in NOVEMBER without the need for blankets or patio heaters, so mustn’t complain about that I guess.
It just goes to show how hit and miss Carluccio’s as a chain is and how much I actually miss the Neal Street Restaurant, where Antonio started this all, which was forced to close because of developers. Now there’s a place you could almost guarantee you’d get a decent Italian meal from…

An Italian chain restaurant done right. It is a great spot to sit in the fleeting English Summer sunshine in St. James’ Place. Their butternut squash is a great option, as are most of the pasta dishes.
Please note that they have excellent vegetarian options.
Also great for takeaway espresso and croissants.

I will definitely make sure to eat at a Carluccio’s again, the next time I am in London!
I had just finished a fascinating 2+ hour walking tour of «Old Mayfair» (led by the erudite and charming Scotsman, Graham, of
) and realized that I was a bit peckish and ready for some lunch. Today, fortunately, my mobile WiFi was working, so I fired up Unilocal to see what good choices were nearby.
Carluccio’s seemed to fit my tastes and budget perfectly so I clicked on the link to get directions and within 5 minutes I was at the front door.
What a good choice!
I had the 3-​course set lunch which I accompanied with two large glasses of wine (I am on holiday! That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it!). The starter was bruschetta with a delicious tomato mixture and rocket lightly dressed with oil. Very tasty! Then, the main course of homemade spinach and cheese ravioli in sage butter sauce blew my socks off! I really shouldn’t have finished the whole thing, but I simply couldn’t put my fork down. (I remind you once again that I AM on holiday!)
For dessert I had chocolate bread pudding, served with a delicious vanilla cream, and a café Americano.
I am now stuffed, but very, very happy, and well fortified to continue my day of wandering around my favorite city in the world. :)

Its a carluccios what more do i need to say…
Well actually in this instance I think I should say the venue is so much nicer than the usual ones I have been to previously and as such is worth the effort. There is seating outside in St Christophers Place which I think makes this place. The ambiance of St Christophers Place ranges from touristy to trendy depending on when you go… so this could be a nice place to grab a semi-​romantic meal before hitting the West-​End bars.
I should say the staff sometimes take longer to get to you but really nothing to seriously complain about.

I was shattered the day I found out this was a chain. The food is so good here and the ambiance is juuuust right. The Carluccio’s people nailed it with amazing fresh delicious food.

An unusual decision to go for a chain restaurant in the foody cool St. Christopher’s Place, but it was a friend’s choice and I always concede to more pushier people. The food did really hit the spot but gave me a major carby tummy ache, my fault not theirs. I really recommend the bread tin and olives to start, delicious salty focaccia, bread sticks and yummy fresh olives.
We all ordered pasta, a bit meh really but the desserts were perfect. Unfortunately our waiter was a bit wankerish, he corrected our Italian pronunciation (arse) and brought our starters before our drinks (inept), forgot the water and then we couldn’t find him for ages. I cannot stand getting attitude from the serving staff so I was unimpressed. He also blew him nose in hanky near us and I didn’t see him wash his hands so I was suitably grossed out.

I actually should give this Carluccios in St Christopher’s place no stars, because my meal never arrived, so technically I never ate here. But I tried to!
I want to give this place a cautionary warning — it is woefully understaffed. I came here one evening after a evenings shopping in Selfridges. All I wanted was a simple meal and a large glass of wine. I managed to grab a seat outside — that was the easy part — the harder part was getting a waiters attention. There were two waiters who were allocated to outside; everywhere I looked there were customers putting up their hands and shouting ‘excuse me’; some tables were commiserating with each other and comparing notes on how long they had been waiting.
I finally got a waiter to come over — I ordered said large glass of Pinot Grigio and a bowl of linguine. I sat back in hungry anticipation… and waited… and waited…
25 minutes later and my wine had not even arrived. I requested it from three different waiters to no avail. Finally, just before I was about to kick off, it arrived. That placated me, and I didn’t mind waiting for my food again. This was handy because it never arrived. I drained my glass and went over to the manager, telling her that I was leaving. She looked at the screen and told me that my meal had never even been processed, so it was never going to have arrived. The glass of wine was on the house after that.
I would recommend that if this place ever looks busy — walk on, and come back when you stand a chance of getting the meal that you ordered.

Finding a nice eating-​place around Bond street will be a mission, especially if you are a bigger group. Carluccios, hidden behind the very touristy Bond street is a very safe choice and actually has something quite charming. As this Carluccios is placed on a square with little pubs which can be visited later.
Funny enough I went with my Italian class there, who could evaluate an Italian restaurant better then my Sicilian Italian teacher. We had a reservation of 12 people and where given a table in the back. In summer I went there again after a business meeting and we were able to sit outside, unfortunately they did not have any out door heaters, so it got a little bit cold later in the night.
The service and the food both times didn’t let us down and we were a happy go lucky group of people.