Carluccio's London Review
I don’t like being excessively fawned over in restaurants. It’s somewhat irritating having your glass topped up by a hovering waiter every five minutes when you’re trying to chastise your boyfriend for his domestic failings.
That said, I do expect a modicum of attention. What I don’t expect is to pay 25 quid for a bottle of wine and have it unceremoniously plonked on my table without so much as the lid removed. This is simply not cricket. Or tennis. We are in Wimbledon after all.
Antonio Carluccio has expanded his empire to this charming southwest London village, which sits well amid the quirky boutiques and other high-end chain eateries.
Despite the wine hiccup, both the service and food was as expected: decent. There’s not really much more one can say about such a venture – this critic likes her independent spots. Consistency in a chain is a good thing I guess, and in this regard, Carluccio’s Wimbledon is doing a fair enough job.
My Parma ham starter was grand, if a little dry and uninspiring. My partner had some sort of deep-fried rice balls served with a thick, gloopy red pepper sauce. This was not good. What is deep-fried anything doing on an Italian menu?
The whole seabass special was a more exciting affair and worth the 25-minute wait, though the spinach accompaniment disappointed. I’m convinced it came straight out of a tin. This sort of laziness in restaurants always frustrates me. Seriously – wok, butter, salt, spinach, 60 seconds, done. It takes longer to open the blasted tin.
Dessert was fine, though if I’m being pedantic (which, let’s face it, I always am) my chocolate bread and butter pudding was ‘eggy’.
No complaints about the Gavi di Gavi wine ¬– once we’d helped ourselves, that is.
OK, so I’m probably being a tad unfair. Carluccio’s is a great family restaurant and the staff were certainly more than accommodating to the boisterous kids crawling around the seats next to us. I wouldn’t recommend it for a special occasion for couples, but for a weekday bite or a Saturday lunch with your mates, you could do worse.
Alix O'Neill (14 04 2010)
Customer Reviews for Carluccio's
The following customer reviews are not endorsed by Fluid London and are simply those of users who wish to publish their independent experiences of Carluccio's.
“My prosecci was flat and taken from open bottle. Garlic bread was cold and soggy. Ravioli had no taste. Very average meal and felt ill after. Atmosphere dull. My husband complained his pancetta salad had too much cheese. Will not be returning. Staff were friendly and service good though. And I forgot to mention mains came before we finished starters!”
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Value:
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Diana, Wimbledon (6 months 17 days ago)
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