Carluccio’s

I expected more from Carluccio’s. The atmosphere of the restaurant is great but the food is ok and the price is expensive.

Refused a refund for food we didn’t eat from Carluccio’s, took photos as requested and emailed them in. Called both Deliveroo and restaurant and told them to collect the food moments after delivery which they didn’t, Offered a £10 refund on a £40 ordered when we had a mouthful of food, now had to raise a chargeback with my credit card company. Just because it took me three weeks to email in the pictures. Had they collected as requested this wouldn’t be an issue. We even ordered from a different restaurant moments later. Never again will we use or recommend you.

Popped in here for lunch and it was quite busy, but not uncomfortable. I’ve been hearing about their gluten free menu so I was pretty excited, and got the carbonara. It was SO good, it had BIG chunks of bacon and was creamy. The pasta, which is a rice and corn blend, was really good, and kept its shape (which gluten free pasta will sometimes not do).
I had affogato for lunch, which is one of my favourite things ever and I try to get anytime I am anywhere that serves it. The glass of gelato was rather big so it was perfect!

A large group of us (11) dropped by here without reservations at around 9pm on a Thursday in search of dessert and we managed to get seated at two tables of six. I’d previously been to another Carluccio’s location, but this was my first visit to the one in Brighton.
The dessert I ordered from the menu, the Chocolate Torte with Raspberry Coulis, was delicious but simple (literally containing only those two things on the plate without any interesting presentation) and expensive at around 5 pounds.
I also ordered a Chocolate Arancini that I had spied at the deli counter for 55p, expecting to recieve just one. However, it came plated with two and some chocolate dipping sauce! While generous, I think this dessert ended up falling flat because the Arancini were cold. It was rice held together with a kind of chocolately ganache and seasoned with a bit of cinnamon, then fried, but when cold they were hard and difficult to cut into and the flavors just felt muted — the dipping chocolate was excellent though.
And then, even though we were seated at different tables, we recieved a bill for the two tables together and they refused to re-​do the bill table by table, causing us to have to walk back and forth across the restaurant to settle our scores (though they were willing to take multiple cards for the one bill).
It was fine, but my previous Carluccio’s experience in Pinner was really really nice, so I was a bit disappointed. I probably would not return to this one.

Great food and service!

This was my first visit to carluccio’s not a planned one a spare of the minute decision really. Not being a fan of chain restaurants I wasn’t expecting anything brilliant and how right I was, it was far from brilliant.
Upon arrival we were greeted by a slightly bemused member of staff who eventually seated us at a table we chose.
At first glance the menu read well until I noticed there were no pizzas on there, which I found odd for a high street Italian chain restaurant. I’m a big fan of a good quality rustic style Italian pizza, I would not expect them at a high end Italian restaurant, but was slightly miffed at there lack of presence here. So after long deliberations I opted for a rib eye steak with rosemary potatoes and a red pepper sauce, with some bread and green beans on the side and a bottle of peroni to wash it all down. I would of preferred a draught beer but only bottled was on offer. The bread quickly came out and was fine served with some oil and balsamic as you would expect. Then the main arrived and as it was put down I immediately noticed how empty the plate looked no side garnish a small steak and not many spuds and a tiny amount of sauce in a weeny bowl. The whole meal seemed cold not helped by the cold plate it was served on either. The steak was not cooked properly at all I ask for it rare but it was served blue with no heat to it at all and not the finest cut either. The potatoes again had little in the way of heat and not much flavour either and the sauce was a tasteless blob of runny orange goo. When the waitress eventually came to check if everything was ok I reported my steak issues and she asked if I would like another which I did. The next one arrived after everyone else had finished eating and was not much different to the first however slightly warmer. So I made do and ate it, as I was famished by this point. Needless to say I didn’t bother with desert and quickly asked for the bill.
Overall I wouldn’t bother going back myself, but maybe I just had a bad experience as I know other people have raved about this joint. But for me it’s a definite no no and will not be back there anytime soon.
If your a fan of cold steak give it a try.

The atmosphere as cold, generic and pretty soul-​less, the service was terrible, our waitress was so rude, which is a shame as I enjoyed my pasta. Wouldn’t return for this reason.

I usually find Italian food in the UK fairly run of the mill — overcooked pasta, claggy sauces, and really nothing more than I could produce at home from a packet and a jar.
Hence, I was pleasantly surprised with my recent lunch at Carluccio’s. I know Carluccio’s is a chain, but it has a very different feel to it compared to the likes of Pizza Express, Strada and the like.
The one in Brighton is large and light, and has a slightly clinical feel to it. Not quite a homely Italian Trattoria but it works in this part of town. It was incredibly busy for a Tuesday lunchtime, and they were particularly short staffed on this occasion. However, the staff were friendly and chatty, if a little harassed looking.
The offer a good value set lunch menu, on top of the al la carte menu and a selection of specials. I went for the intriguing-​sounding Penne Giardiniera — penne with courgette, chilli, fried spinach balls, Parmesan and garlic. As well as sounding delicious, Carluccio’s also donate 50p to Action Against Hunger for every dish sold so added bonus points for this.
The dish has to be one of the best pasta dishes I have ever tasted. Perfectly cooked al dente pasta, plenty of courgette topping, and the spinach balls were amazing, tasting somewhere between falafel and crispy seaweed from the Chinese!
It may be that my taste buds had been slightly blunted after 4 weeks in Cuba, but this dish to me was a delight to eat. Perfectly balanced flavours from simple ingredients, proper Italian food that Grandma would be proud of!
I shared a rum and orange pannacotta for pudding — and was equally impressed with the perfect wobble as I was with the taste.
I was really pleased with my dinner at Carluccio’s and am kicking myself for not eating here before. And I haven’t even mentioned the delicatessen section at the end selling fine Italian produce — I will be back very, very soon.

I have always enjoyed that Carluccios is a very safe place to eat. I have visited quite a few of their different branches and the food has always lived up to a certain standard.
I dont think it is the best Italian food I have ever tasted but it is definitely very decent restaurant fare at reasonable prices.

Having been to the ones in London I must say that I found the standard of food in this branch differed greatly with the ones I have visited previously.
I had an antipasti platter which was very good, everything fresh and light and flavoursome but when my friend came to order a Penne Giardiniera which was ok but not as good as when I had it the first time. It was slightly dry and lacking a freshness that I loved about the dish the first time I tried it.
The service was fairly slow and not overly attentive either, but none the less it did the job for what we wanted and it was a pleasant enough place to stop off for some lunch.
I had penne with sausage which was lovely. The sauce had a good depth of flavour to it and the sausage had nice bits of fennel and other spices running through it which gently tickled my tastebuds.
I can’t say I would be in a hurry to go back, but it wasn’t a massive smack in the teeth either.

Not as good as the branches in Windsor and Tunbridge Wells, but probably only because it is larger, busier and louder.
Carluccios is one of the most reliable chains in England — always delivering high quality Italian food for a reasonable price. Simply a cut above the other Italian chains and also most other Italian restaurants full stop.

I really don’t get the fuss with the Brighton based Carluccio’s. I’ll admit that the somewhat lifeless building is very pleasant looking, but then being recently built, that is no great achievement.
My main complaint is that the food is particularly average, yet really quite expensive. I really can’t help but feel that people come here when they have excess money, but not enough time.
I am a big fan of Antonio Carluccio, but the food here is reheated in a microwave and of a relatively poor quality, you really would be better served trying Pizza Express (if you like reliable chains) or branching out to anywhere else, even Donatello’s.

Carluccios, although I think its a chain, has the real of a really swish independent Italian. It has a large dining hall with minimal white décor, it probably seats around 100, which is great as it’s a really popular and busy venue. They can usually squeeze you in as its quite a fast and efficient service, but the speed of the food to your table can make it difficulty to enjoy a drawn out romantic meal.
The food has an array of traditional pastas, pastas and salad, slightly more up market than your average Italian. It’s also situated conveniently central in the North Laines so great for business lunches or meeting friends.

Newsflash: Carluccios finally have the Christmas stock in!
The packaging isn’t quite as gorgeous this year but boy, I can already taste both the mixed fruit and the espresso and chocolate panetonne. The countdown starts here!

Carluccio’s is a colorful hip restaurant with good quality italian dishes of slightly high prices. I would characterize the crowd going there cheerful fans of affordable luxury!
My experience on a Sunday lunch for two would be categorized as quite good. We had a 3-​dish meal for two paying almost 20 per person.
I had:
1. Antipasto Massimo — 10.95 (we shared)
A VERY tasty variety of vegetables (rocket, halved peppers with pesto, olives, cooked aubergine) and meats (salami, ham, stuffed chicken) accompanied with a generous portion of focaccia bread. — 5 stars
2. Pasta Con Funghi — 7.50
Delicious papardelle in a rich (but not greasy) semi-​thick sauce and four kinds of mushrooms. Tasted like homemade!!! — 5 stars
3. A glass of Limoncello — 4.25
My favorite!!! — 5 stars
She had:
1. Antipasto Massimo (The other half) — read above
2. Insalata Di Primavera — 7.25
Rocket, spinach and radicchio leaves with sauteed pancetta, gorgonzola cheese and walnuts. Rich and fresh greens! — 4 stars
3. Pasticcio Di Cioccolato — 4.95
Chocolate bread and butter pudding with raisins. — 4 stars
We also had 2 freshly squeezed lemonades — 2.30 each — 4 stars
Overall, Carluccio’s offers a cheerful spacious environment (even when very busy) with good service and italian food beyond the average of North Laines. It is relatively quiet mainly because it is too spacious and the crowd going there is not comprised by noisy youngsters. The food is very good but slightly overpriced. I would give it 5 stars if I could get the same with 32 pounds instead of 40.
I will visit again when seeking an elegant environment, good food and good service and am willing to pay for it.

I would describe Carluccio’s as an Italian eatery, as it has a more clinical feel to that of Italian restaurants in general. This Italian has a swish and modern feel, and tends to attract business lunchers and posh evening diners. The menu is not particularly extortionate and the food is really really good. The interior is minimalist white with dark blues and reds and the walls are littered with kitchen utensils.
Because of its eatery setting it can feel a little bit like a canteen during busy period, as food comes very quickly and customer turnover is also very fast. If your looking for a relaxed elongated catch up evening with a old friend I wouldn’t advise Carluccios. Having said that the restaurant is perfect for lunch business meetings as its quick and delicious.
Demon stating the authenticness of the food available Carluccios also has a delicatessen open in the days times, for all your marinated olive and Italian biscuit needs.

Ok, so Carluccios is very crisp and quite minimalist chic– a good place to spot the fabled yummy-​mummies and wealthier Brighton locals. The décor and atmosphere is quite posh but actually the prices are not that far out of reach, for the pasta dishes they are about the same as Pizza Express. The wild mushroom pasta I had here one evening for a special meal was lovely ad simple but perfectly done. The real draw for me though is the coffee! Their full-​fat cappuccinos are amazing, the best coffee I’ve had in Brighton alongside Red Roaster’s coffee.

For a coffee and a snack, it’s very good however this review deals with dinner.
Antipasta — Massimo (?)
Great. Simply lovely and a good portion.
For Secondi, my eating partner had a steak — not the best she’d had and the potatoes certainly lacked ‘something’.
Meanwhile, I had a meat lasagne. It seemed a little dry to me and nothing that special.
Overall, its a nice place and the food good.
As others have said, it’s in a modern quarter of Brighton. The place is spacious however noisy when busy.
I’ll keep going there for coffees but not the food.

Very nice food and a lovely place to sit outside and look at the modernised area. There are some lovely dishes on the menu, although it doesn’t seem to change very often, and the coffee is great!
There’s also a very nice deli and lots of carluccio sweets and other specialities.

The food here is delicious and it’s a bit more interesting than your regular Italian place. I recommend the plate of cheese and foccacia (not sure how to spell it) bread with chilli oil.
Only downside is it looks a bit like a school canteen.