Once again, it is I...the trailblazing travelling Yank, getting another first review, by merely reviewing something not in London.
Carluccio's is the best of average food served in an open, airy environment, with lots of light, facing out on a pretty square with a sculpture that my 3-year-old wanted to climb over. The pasta is fresh, but still manages to be quite non-superior.
If you've ever read my other reviews, you know that my son has coeliac disease, and for us, this is the big draw for Carluccio's, who will server gluten-free (GF) penne with any of the pasta sauces on the menu. And for that, we will always love them, and go back.
But the sad part is that if it weren't for that, we wouldn't be overly inspired to return. The Ravioli is well advertised on the menu as "the traditional way Italians eat it" with butter and sage. Unfortunately, butter and sage can only be so interesting and aren't worth £8. My wife and son had the GF penne with the pommodoro sauce, and the pesto respectively. The pommodoro was uninteresting and the pesto was sparse. I tasted a bit of the sauce on the gnocchi, and that was approaching more what I like in a sauce, with more flavor and a hint of garlic.
The brightest spot on the menu is the penne giardiniera, with fried spinach balls, which I find to be extremely fun! They are like little fried crispy spinachy bird nests, with the dish accented with red pepper. And the bruschetta is delicious, too (but it's hard to mess up bruschetta!)
Service was friendly, helpful, and prompt, so full marks there, but for all that it promises, they just fall a bit short on the food side of things.
I'll definitely be back, but we won't be rushing there. For us, it's just a great place to take our son with so many limitations on where we can eat in public, it's nice to have a place that will do GF on demand. read more