Carluccio's

Amel

Will make you want to buy the Carluccios Recipe Book 1st August 2007

5 found this helpful

I'm not a fan of chain restaurants but I do hope more Carluccio's will pop up in and around London. Whether it's in Hampstead, Russel Sq, Barbican, Canary Wharf, Kingston or Richmond, I'm never disappointed by the food in Carluccio's. The food standard and quality is consistent. Simple Italian recipes without the 101 ingredients. Just a few key flavours thrown together to make reliably good food. The atmosphere is soft and relaxed with a great wine list to complement your dish of choice. It's a great place for breakfast or a coffee break as well as dinner. All restaurants also have a delicatessen section where food is sold to take away and where you can pick up your favourite Italian ingredients to make your own dish at home.

No matter how hungry (or not) I am I always have the bread basket and olives to start with some wine. In winter I choose one of their lovely soups, they had a great broccoli one this year. The menu is constantly changing with daily specials but there are some classic dishes which remain unchanged (thankfully). My fave is the Penne Giardiniera, large penne pasta with shredded courgettes, chilli and delicious deep fried parmesan balls with garlic and spinach.

I love their desserts too and although the portion may appear small at first the flavours are so intense and rich that your tastebuds will be left very satisfied. I love the cioccolato fondente. Its warm and soft and the kahula spirit with the chocolate sponge makes me want to leave each spoonful in my mouth for as long as possible. Unlike some bland food that you just swallow this is food to be devoured.

jennipenni

Italian yum yum 19th March 2007

0 found this helpful

Carluccio's is yet another chain of coffee shops, where if you have been in one of the branches, you feel like you have been in them all.

They specialise in Italian cuisine.

I prefer a place that has some charm and character, and many chains do manage to achieve this through each individual branch.

But this chain doesn't.

I have had a Risotto alla Milanese con Luganega here once, and it was tasty, but nothing to write home about. As they push the traditional Italian theme, I had hoped for more.

Having said that, if you feel like a light snack or a cup of coffee, they will not disappoint you!

This branch is located on the beautiful Kingston upon Thames section of the River Thames, and on a still summer's evening it is delightful to walk along here, the proximity of which is a benefit to the restaurants and wine bars in this area.