Carluccio’s

OKish if you are doing take away as they have deals for lunch.
I was there for lunch with other 3 colleagues on Friday and we had the lunch menu which is quite good as you can choose from a starter and/​or a main and a dessert for 10.99, 3 courses for 12.99.
I had a bruschetta (really good) and I choose the carbonara pasta as main (not quite good as was almost without salt!)
The only really cons was that we had to wait a lot for our main to be served on our table and I finished asking for a take away as I couldn’t stay any longer as I had to go back to work… so maybe an improvement on the service will be much appreciated :)
At the end I will give no more than a 3 star but I a am Italian so I am expecting a good food not an average one! :)

Always a warm and welcoming place to go for food or even just a coffee! Food is excellent. Never had a bad dish. Good wine and even better coffee

Although I slept in on New Years Day not much later than the innkeeper at our B&B it was, admittedly, mid-​afternoon before I wandered downstairs in search of my pre-​paid 2^nd B. Upon request, the innkeeper offered coffee but she didn’t mention breakfast and I didn’t have the chutzpah to ask. She was busy breaking down holiday décor and seemed to think Carluccio’s a fantastic idea for a place to fill the stomachs of her 4 rogue houseguests who came in search of breakfast past 2 p.m. Who was I to argue?
Though it is a chain restaurant, which I didn’t realize until later, Carluccio’s exudes the feeling of anything but. It’s both stylish and comfortable and a perfect fit for its Chelsea location. Inside the front windows sit super-​sized meringues and other sweet treats and just behind those, attractive product offerings are hawked (boxed sets of vinegars, pricey olive oil, crockery, and other gifty things). According to the menu, they’ll even sell you a Vespa LX50CC for a mere £2400. I have no idea whether that’s a good price or a bad one but I adore the idea of finishing a meal and asking for the Vespa to be added to my tab.
Carluccio’s serves the neighboring community well. It’s open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and is filled with well-​heeled families enjoying casual, upscale meals. It’s not a fancy place but it’s a nice place, and the food, menu, prices, and quality are a cut above: focaccia is handmade, and they use only Buffalo mozzarella.
My party of four began with a snack of giant green olives (£3.65) served attractively in a signature coffee cup. From there, we each ordered the special 2-​course or 3-​course menu including an appetizer (primi), main course (secondi), and an optional dessert (dolci) for £10.95 and £14.45 respectively. This is a can’t miss idea.
For primi, we sampled the Bruschetta (fresh ripe tomatoes with oregano, basil leaves, roasted peppers and extra virgin olive oil on garlicky Italian bread) and the Pâté Di Fegatini Di Pollo (smooth chicken liver pâté, toasted Tuscan bread and cornichons). A small salad accompanied the fresh tasting bruschetta and it was good. Even better, and possibly because it was such an indulgence, was the pâté which was served with a hard ¼″ of solidified fat sealing the top of the crock. Indulgent and rich, it was clear that this pâté was homemade. It was delectable.
Of the 5 «secondi» options choices, 4 were pasta and the 5^th a flattened chicken breast (bread-​crumbed and fried, with rocket and baby gem). One of my party opted for the chicken and the rest chose pasta. I went with the Penne Alla Luganica (tubes of pasta with a rich and spicy Italian sausage sauce) which was light and satisfying fare, especially after having begun with the rich pâté.
Carluccio’s flavor profile is subtle without being bland. I sampled all items on our table and they were quite good, without being exciting. This is upmarket neighborhood fare, well-​prepared, and tasty. Service was excellent, and nobody rushed us to move along. In sum, a perfect local place for locals (and the local crowd seemed to concur).
Carluccio’s isn’t a place I’d go out of my way for but it is a place to which I’d happily return. With its morning to evening menu and pleasant surroundings it’d be a perfect place to meet up with a friend or drop into when you don’t wish to cook and want a little pampering. Alternatively, it’s a perfect choice for New Years Day, when you wake past 2 p.m. and your innkeeper makes no mention of that fine print that read «breakfast included».

Carluccio’s is a chain with a lovely casual vibe. I love the look of the food counter and the waiters are friendly and helpful. The food in general I find to be fairly run of the mill. There’s nothing special about it, although the cakes are generally good and the Italian style hot chocolate (cioccolata) is a repeat offender for me. It serves a purpose and is a useful place to meet and have a casual meal, but don’t go expecting memorable food.

Excellent busy restaurant opposite the hospital with a gluten free menu and really helpful and efficient staff. I had gluten free pasta and it was delicious! The wine menu is also excellent and the salads fresh and tasty.

Service – spotty at best. Constantly hailing down the waiter, waitress or hostess. The hostess looked like she was 16, never smiled and just roamed around the place lackadaisically.
Food – not too bad. Calamari was tasty although needed salt. Bruschetta toast was a bit soggy. Olives needed toothpicks.
The place is fine but is just not as sharp as it should be.

I love you, I miss you, I think about you all the time.
This was my neighborhood favorite when I lived in Chelsea. Few things make me happier than thinking about the next time I’ll be here ordering the caprese, penne alla luganica and tiramisu to finish. The coffee and to-​go sandwiches are fantastic as well.

Oh dear. Yes, it is a chain, and yes, it was a Monday lunchtime when we went in, but we had a remarkably sub-​par experience.
Frito misto that just smelt «wrong» (i.e., the last time those whitebait were swimming, they had to dodge pliosaurs), and a salad nicoise that while missing some of the ingredients one might expect, was awash with oil and featured overboiled (and again, seemingly very old) potatoes. Suffice it to say we didn’t linger.
The food may be better than in the Chelsea and Westminster just across the way, but for one horrible moment I wondered if they had a commission-​based relationship. The front-​of-​house staff, to give them their due, were pleasant and efficient, so I think the real horrors are in the kitchen.

One of the new chain type restaurant trading on a well known name, nice enough but ordinary would sum it up.
Bang opposite the Chelsea and Westminster hospital, it’s not as expensive as it could be. Well trained service ie good sellers, nice specials and a tempting shop as part of the package.
Nice enough but there will be plenty locally that will be more authentic and better value

Service was ok, but the food was poor. It looks crowded in the mornings, perhaps breakfast is a better option.

This is opp chelsea and westminster hosp great if you work there.
food is light italian salad breakfast italian breads etc.
nice big windows very comfy but staff are reallly not takiong note of customers. and they are miserable
i would go here again but just for coffee and toast

Despite being a chain, the food at Carluccio’s is not bad at all. The pastas are good, but the atmosphere is a bit cold. There is, however, also a delicatessen where good Italian food is sold.