I am disgusted by the customer service provided to my 79 year old disabled father. Last year he…read morebought a gift card of £500 to accommodate our family's Christmas meal on December 1st, travelling up from Brighton to visit a restaurant we have visited many times in the past. We had a wonderful meal last December, we had £52.85 left on the gift card. My father tried to call again last week to book another table for 13th December, hoping to use to remainder of the gift card to use towards the next table and was told the gift card expires after one year. He offered to use the gift card towards pre-paying for the entire meal, and was told this wasn't possible. For the sake of 12 days, my family will not be revisiting. My family travel hours from the South East to visit this restaurant, we have left generous gratuities over the years and to be told on the phone that our gift card will not be honoured less than 2 weeks after its expiry tells me that this company is.... I would avoid this restaurant if you value loyalty and expect the customer service which this company prides itself on. 1 out of 5 stars, we will never be returning over this. You have lost a valuable customer who, despite having a major physical disability, was extremely excited to travel 160 miles to enjoy a meal here again.

This experience was a mixed bag. Restaurant is really pretty. It comes off fairly fancy and a…read morelittle pretentious. There is a whole lemon on every table. I asked a server about it and she didn't know why they do that; she said maybe it is an Italian thing. We had three servers and it wasn't clear if there was a main one. We ordered drinks from a girl. I ordered a glass of Cabernet and my husband ordered double expresso. She could not understand my order (even after I said it a few times and even said Cabernet red wine), maybe I have an American accent. The male server came over and asked if I wanted Chardonnay, so I had to clarify. The wine and expresso were fine though. The pitcher of tap water comes with lemon in it and my husband prefers water with no lemon. We ordered the focaccia to start. It is on their pizza bread with olive oil and herbs. The crust is good, but it was way too salty for me. For dinner, I had Rigatoni alla Norma, which was very good with fresh tomatoes, eggplant, cheese, etc. The portion is small, but enough for me. I really enjoyed this dish. My husband ordered the chicken special, which was a flattened, breaded chicken with three roasted tomatoes, lemon and thyme on the side. You had to use the tomato, lemon and thyme on the chicken to provide flavor and moisture for the chicken. It was good all together. It was clear that it was expected to order a side item with the chicken, so he opted for mixed vegetables. I didn't realize this is a chain and wouldn't have chosen a chain. However, we enjoyed our meal.

My colleague chose this restaurant for her maternity leaving do, there were eight of us in total…read moreand we were given a table in the corner. You get packets of breadsticks which are lovely and they make you wanting more!! Might have to look for some to buy!!! We shared garlic bread pizzas which were thin and crispy. Really nice! For main I had the crab ravioli which had clams in the sauce. It was nice but not a big dish,. As you only get a couple of big ravioli. I was still lil hungry after but decided not to have dessert. It is a nice restaurant with lovely staff but it was noisy, I found it hard to hear my colleagues talking. I think I would choose a different dish next time. It all looked great.

Came here last night as part of a dear friend's celebrations. As is often the case when someone…read moreelse organises it, an Italian is booked. This is where I usually mildly dread things, and politely keep my mouth shut about my aversion to Italian food. We were a large party so ordered ahead on the set menu which was actually a really good choice. Over fifty percent of the people on our table ordered the beef stroganoff, which was apparently amazing (and it did smell good). Nearly all of us had three courses, I had the whitebait to start, which smelt quite fishy, but didn't taste it. I think they were probably slightly overdone, but they still tasted good. Salmon for main, and it was a huge portion, with some of the best seasoned potatoes i've had on the little side of veggies that came with it. The chocolate cake was chocolate cake, and the semifreddo was gorgeous. The service was lovely, and attentive, with the little things like replacing a knife without having to ask. All for £25 with coffee or tea I'd say it's pretty good value. Expect to pay upwards of £18 for a bottle of wine. It wasn't perfect, but it was a lovely setting- and everyone left happy and full.

Cafe Latino opened up in Hinckley a couple of years ago. The owners already have a take away on…read moreRegent Street, Hinckley called Ponchinellos and I guess because of the success of that they opened Cafe Latino. The restaurant is very nicely decorated and is very warm and welcoming. The menu is very good with a nice choice of both pizza and pasta dishes at a reasonable price. There is a very nice bar area - Bar Latino which is quite relaxed and informal. Cafe Latino is a great venue to eat out in Hinckley which in my opinion is lacking good restaurants.

Great restaurant. Good value. Excellent food. Lots of choice…read more They will spilt up a main course between children.

Without question the best Italian trattoria in all of the Midlands. The food is fabulous…read more Atmosphere is great. Staff is discerning, yet willingly accommodating. I have requested dishes they've made and they put together a great meal. The staff thanked us for giving them ideas. One dish became known as "Pasta Americana" in our honor. Great wine list! Located off Banker's Square.

San Carlo based slap bang in the centre of Birmingham city centre is easilly recognised by its neon…read moreblue sign and its snazzy window displays. The interior is very modern with a buzz in the atmosphere. However I feel they want to maximise covers as there is no space in between some tables. The food is quite elaborate but at the same time you can find on the menu traditional Italian dishes. We all enjoyed our food and found it excellent quality with the exception of one of the dishes (Cant remember what Sorry!) which was very average. The service is good as they are always there to help you however at times it felt a bit crazy and mad and the staff wanted to nudge you along - unintentionally. Overall, you cant really complain about San carlo as it gives you proper Italian food at quite good prices in a very good location.

Despite loving Italian food, somehow I've never really paid attention to Bella Venezia…read more It seems to be empty and unwelcoming whenever I walk past - with its blinds half-shut and it's ambiguous shop front design. However upon entering, it's actually a very nice restaurant, with slick and crisp Italian style seeming to be the inspiration for the décor. What makes it an unwelcoming restaurant on the outside, actually makes it warm and intimate on the inside. You feel transported from the drabness of the Kings Heath high street to a more pleasant setting. The food is good ol' Italian; caprese salad, Neapolitan pizza, tagiatelle with pesto and tiramisu. It was all hearty Italian cooking that mama might cook at home. And nothing beat mama's cooking after all - so from that you can conclude that it was good.

For some reason, and possibly because we have so many Indian restaurants and therefore a seemingly…read moreinsatiable hunger for all things spicy, there aren't too many Italian restaurants in Brum, and certainly not many that aren't high end. This place is a bit of an exception and has a simple, homely feel that makes it a really cosy place to enjoy a meal. Possibly part of the problem with this place is that from the outside, or at a passing glance, you'd never know it was a fairly decent Italian. The shop sign makes it look a bit like a kebab house, which is a shame because I've always enjoyed the food when we've eaten here. Prices are fairly reasonable, too. You should give it a whirl!

I went to Piccolino 2 weeks ago and really enjoyed it. They have a nice outdoor space, heated so…read moreyou can enjoy it even in cold weather. Staff were really friendly and all italians which is nice for an Italian restaurant. The inside is quite cosy and modern and the food is delicious. I also really enjoyed the cocktails.

I visited here today for a work's Christmas lunch. Whilst the general decor and ambiance of the…read moreplace are up to the expected standard of this higher end Italian restaurant, for me a few things let the place down in terms of final execution and service. We were a largish group of 12 but expected as we had booked a table the previous week. With this in mind it was a bit disappointing when one of our starters was forgotten but even more disappointing is there were only two different options the entire group chose. Incidentally my starter of prosciutto and pear salad was perfectly dressed and drizzled lovingly with pine nuts was delicious and I could have happily eaten a never ending bowl of it. Further disappointment, however, for me (and hilarity for my colleagues) after choosing the turkey (well it was a Christmas dinner after all) and my allotted portion was easily half the size of my fellow diners who had chosen the same option. My dessert of Panetone bread and butter pudding was a welcome treat but for me the oversight on the starter and the disproportionate portions makes me feel the kitchen lacks the same refinement and service that front of house provide. At just under £20 for three courses from the set menu I cannot grumble about value for money and to confirm all three courses were a great quality. I'd just like all plates out on time please and give everyone the same amount. Then I might be able to give the extra star that the reputation preceding Piccolino suggests it deserves.

Strada is somewhere I always used to go about 8 years ago as the food was always so delicious and…read morefor some reason it feels slightly higher end than zizzi and ask, it might be due to the range of fish and meat dishes on offer. When visiting an Italian it's often hard to find a dish without carbs but strada can be relied on the deliver a range of healthy options. I booked online and was planning to use taste card for 241 mains. We arrived at 6 and realised there was a pre theatre menu of 3 courses for £12.95 so opted for that. I had buffalo mozzarella wrapped in Parma ham and my friend had bruschetta - both tasted fresh and the taste of the raw ingredients really shine through. Next being fussy as I am, I ordered the salmon with extra salad rather than potato, this was no issue. My friend had Parma ham risotto. The salmon was a decent portion so didn't miss the potatoes. The risotto was apparently very well flavoured. We were too full for desserts, but had enjoyed some well priced prosecco with the meal. The service was the right speed for two people catching up over dinner, we weren't rushed out. Looking forward to adding this back on to my must visit list

There are 2 Strada's in Birmingham, the mailbox location being my choice for post work food last…read morenight. Had calamari to start which was good and pumpkin ravioli which tasted great but came with a bit too much water in the sage butter but nothing I was unhappy with. They let me take the rest in a doggy bag too which I love! Wine also good

Great food and the service is impeccable with a cool vibe in the restaurant. Would definitely come…read moreback

The pros - great location outside on a record breaking day for UK temperatures, the service, the…read morebeer, the pizzas (calzone and regular). The cons - their fryer was not working so none of the regular apps available (calamari etc). Will be back.