I've been to a Carluccio's before in Stratford and it was pretty darn good so I was looking forward to a visit to the newly opened Meadowhall branch, especially as my mum has been raving about how good it is.
We visited on a Friday lunchtime and it was packed out, we waited around 15 minutes for a table and that was fine, the staff were all very pleasant and apologised for the wait. The restaurant had quite a busy active vibe and even though it was quite noisy too it was never at odds with holding a conversation. Our orders were taken quickly, focaccia and dip to share to start, spinach and ricotta ravioli in sage butter for mum and the risotto special of the day, which was borlotti bean, pancetta and roast ham, for me.
The food arrived quite speedily although it took longer for the drinks to appear and the focaccia was delicious. Spongy bread which gently oozed olive oil topped with a sprinkle of sea salt and a lovely peppery olive oil and balsamic dip to dunk into.
Mains also arrived in a short space of time, my risotto was rather good, creamy grains of rice perfectly al dente with a generous mix of salty smoky pancetta, sweet and juicy ham and a soft textured and tasty bean. The ravioli was also good but just a little too thick and chewy to be great, although the filling and sage butter sauce were excellent.
We finished with a really good cup of coffee, I chose the rich blend option and it certainly ranks up there with my other favourite brews.
All the other diners also seemed to be enjoying their selections, the food looked fantastic, I really must try the chicken escalope soon!
All in all a really good option for lunch, I will definitely return to sample more menu options and a browse in the shop is a given! read more