2 Regent St., London SW1Y 4PE, United Kingdom
Experience the true essence of Italian dining at San Carlo in London. Situated on Regent Street, this restaurant is known for its exceptional service, lively ambiance, and meticulous attention to detail, guaranteeing an unforgettable experience every time you visit. Treat yourself to a menu filled with delicious food made with the freshest ingredients from Italian markets. Step into our upscale, luxury setting and savour unparalleled quality in food and drink, ensuring every visit is a memorable celebration of Italian heritage.
Food was absolutely wonderful but the service was terrible. We watched as three separate tables got their food and left before we got our food. We received our food while the 2nd group of those three tables received theirs. Our water wasn’t refreshed In the 2 hours that we sat. We observed that every other table when given their food were offered fresh Parmesan cheese. It took my wife asking separately to be given the cheese. I spoke to the manager and he was very apologetic and took responsibility. My in-laws and wife all made eye contact with our waitress numerous times yet not once did she offer anything to us to include drink menu/water/dessert menu. It’s very rare for me to leave a poor review however after discussing with each of my family members, everyone noticed the abysmal service. I even asked the manager if we did any tbh big to offend and he said certainly not. I asked a table next to us and they agreed and said we weren’t rude and that they couldn’t believe the lack of service. This was a highly rated restaurant but the service was very sub par.
One of the best restaurants I’ve been to in a long time. Perfect service, amazing food, wonderful staff. Was such a lovely experience and I’m so glad I chose to spend my birthday here! I would come here again in a heartbeat!
We had a very nice meal here before heading off to the theatre. Service was a little slow, but the quality of the food made up for that. We would still recommend it to others.
This is one of my favourite go to Italians in central London - they have several restaurants across the city - always incredibly friendly and helpful staff but this time extra helpful by accommodating us with our newborn baby and placing us on a buggy friendly table. We didn’t have a reservation and got a walk in table at lunchtime. The thing I love about these restaurants is the variety of food and wine (great wine by the glass selection) and how it’s a consistent high quality and standard no matter which location you go to. We were also helpfully told where the baby changing facility was when we sat down which was super helpful. The cost per person is on the more expensive side compared to some other Italian restaurants BUT it’s worth it IMHO for guaranteed flavour and freshness of the food on offer. The portion sizes are always good as well, we could have easily split just one starter and one main and been very satisfied. We ordered the Bruschetta e pomodoro and tartare di Tonno to start and the fettuccini alfredo and saltimbocca alla romana with the zucchine fritte and insalata mista. Stand out dishes were the bruschetta and fettuccini and I always ALWAYS order the zucchine fritte and am NEVER disappointed. My husband didn’t enjoy the saltimbocca but only because he found the sage to be a bit overpowering - everything else was fab!
Fun Italian version of tapas in an upscale, albeit cramped, environment. Everything was super fresh, especially the pasta dishes. Pizza was mediocre, surprisingly tasteless. Staff was friendly and efficient. Tiramisu hit the spot.
A nice Italian Dining Experience This Italian restaurant offers a charming and inviting atmosphere, perfect for a relaxed evening out. The seating is comfortable, and the overall ambiance is cozy. While the food was generally good, it didn't quite reach the heights of some other Italian restaurants I've tried. The Bruschetta Pomod was not bad, with a nice balance of flavors. The Parmigiana Al Fono was also enjoyable, featuring tender aubergine melted cheese. The Ravioli Tartufo was particularly delicious, with a rich truffle flavor. That being said, I've had better Italian food elsewhere. The branch in Covent Garden, for example, is a bit more impressive in terms of flavor and overall culinary experience.
What a shame about this restaurant. We had been here a few years ago... and we liked it, so for my birthday we went back... We sat down, but not everyone was there yet, but after about 15 minutes no one came to the table to ask if we wanted anything, water or cocktails, so I did call …and there was even a little menu on the napkin…In other words, it doesn't even encourage sales... the waitress who took the order with an incredible desire to work, was probably on her last days of work, because everything indicated that she was displeased. The wine was left in an ice bucket a few meters from the table, one of the invited guests got up twice to serve us, no one really cared. To order the third bottle of water we asked 3 times, yes 3 times and then someone from the bar came and simply left the bottle on the table...it doesn't seem at all consistent with the supposed service of this restaurant or anything comparable to the previous experience. The Frito Misto was oily and the shrimp in my pasta were overcooked and very poorly plated, out of place with the plate's monogram…but overall the food wasn't extraordinary but it was ok. The other waiter, or commis waiter who knew very little about what he was doing, gave the main course dishes to the customers...for desserts we had to ask for menus... very little for the restaurant in question and the waitress was talking to a colleague... In the end I asked for the bill and service charge to be removed because it was really bad service, which is regrettable.
Irina was very helpful whilst making my reservation and accommodating my requests. Food was delicious, cheese board was amazing, burrata was sublime, the saffron linguini was to die for! So stuffed we couldn't get dessert, which was a shame. Service was great and the ambience was lovely.
The place and the food was really good and the waiter Clemmy was really kind and caring with us
Yacine served me and was great. Will be coming again.
Classy restaurant with nice food and good service.
This is a tourist restaurant that we went to because of the time with few other Sunday evening choices. Normally we would have skipped it but we found ourselves here. San Carlo is a germ factory. Dirty disgusting bathrooms. Smudgy finger printed doors. Our waiter had attitude and picked his ears and touched his face repeatedly when he was off to the side. He didn t like it that we didn t want to order any drinks. Minestrone soup average at best. Gnocchi had grainy texture. Pomodoro pasta was ok but nothing special. You can do better.
Would be higher if not for the servers constantly touching their face, nose, hair, and ears. The two gentlemen in suits did not wash their hands once. How do I know? They were in the dining room the whole time. One picked his nose at the bar then served a table. Utterly disgusting. I honestly didn t want my main after seeing that. Thankfully, he didn t serve my table. Food was ok. Under seasoned for regular food, practically flavorless for Italian food. Something I did NOT appreciate were the degrading jokes made at the customers expense. Just because YOU speak Italian doesn t means WE don t. 12% automatic gratuity removed immediately. Not going back. Vegetarian options: All the salads have meat.
Had a great team lunch, Elisabetta s service was fantastic
Shocking Service and Cold Food ruined a trip to London
I loved the place. Typical Italian high standard restaurant
Great food and great service. Thanks to all concerned
Service that leaves much to be desired. They brought us bread after finishing our dishes, not to mention how embarrassing it is to not be able to eat anything due to an allergy that has no direct influence. Meaning that they do not clean well when cooking the dishes and that without putting real effort into helping the customer, they become healthier by denying you the dishes.
An experience that I will never do again!! The food was not cocked well, too much spices to cover the bad taste of their out dated ingredients, and I dont want to talk about the waiters attitudes!! It was the worst, unfortunately.
known for racial profiling customers, never again
Lovely food and staff
Great Italian restaurant that accomodated a party of eight on short notice a Saturday evening! Highly recommended.
Very good food, very friendly staff
The starter was very bland. But I really liked the main one!
Decided to stop on Sunday lunchtime . The weather was lovely, so sat outside ! Sunny until about 2pm but very pleasant for the end of Oct. Food ( pasta) was excellent , service was very good as well . My wife also enjoyed the desert - highly recommended . Food : 5/5
Amazing staff and food!
Cozy place, excellent food
4 sisters out for a meal. Lovely place, great atmosphere.
Really tasty meal here and a good atmosphere in the restaurant too.
My girlfriend and I made a reservation to have a nice celebration dinner and went here, and we both had a terrible day, our whole day was ruined, the food came late and was not what we wanted, I ordered a well-done steak and it came raw inside, we both left our plates half-done, asked for the bill and left, I had a stomach ache all night, there were drunk people sleeping at the table inside, I will never go again, thank you for ruining our whole night
Amazing dinner there this week. The whole team were fab, food was excellent.
Fabulous place
They are very racist do not go
They called me the N word and kicked me out because I was black. Nice waitress came and said sorry and told us how they were saying this behind the scenes.
Terrible experience. My sister got food poisoning so bad that we had to call the doctor twice to come over, as she was to weak to even go to the hospital. Already during the meal we found the food below average, how can it be so difficult to get a pasta with tomato sauce right? The Milanese was fatty and disgusting. After the lunch we all already felt like we would ve rather not eaten the food we just ate. This place clearly doesnt prioritize food safety, and it s unacceptable. To top it off, the service was painfully slow. Absolutely avoid this place!
As a worker for Carlo retauran in Covent garden and Piccadelly, I had to say that dinner was desilusioned, the site is nice I have many famus people visiting but after work together whit big chefs like Rafael, Lupo, Ricardo, John and many other chefs at San Carlo corporation I belive these food is not on a good level I can find that food I any other restaurant. Something very simple as a fry chips was disgusting and soft no well cooked. I had a reybay overcooked, we asked for bread, and the bread they served was not fresh from the day and they put 2 pices bread and 4 pieces of focaccia when no body request a focaccia for table of 4 then is 1 bit of bread for each, plates was overpriced soo much. I had no change all the plates to give a good time to my family was visiting London but in other ocasione I refuse to pay 250£ for the shit food they put on the table I im very disappointed Im years recommending San Carlo to have a good italian experience in london on a high level quality, but after these in very disappointed Definitely, I can do it better, myself. When I was working, these types of food didnt come off the kitchen. Definitely, if you dont know where to go, then go to san carlo ciccheti at the picadelly circus
The pasta was definitely pre- made and not fresh, definitely too expensive for the quality of it.
This was a lucky find! We just happened to be walking past. Absolutely amazing food and service! Could not fault anything!
To expensive for breakfast.
I cant trade San Carlo for any other place
Loved Isola so decided to try San Carlo. Had a reservation. Sat outside in a cute terrace on a warm October evening. Waited 20+ minutes for service (e.g., water)...then averaged 20-30 minutes between any attention at all. Went inside thrice for service. When it started to drizzle I had to reset our own table. Carpaccio was delightful. Duck Rago was good. Lobster Spaghetti had lots of lobster but was served stone cold. Hopefully, it was an off night. There are too many great italian restaurants in London. I would not be inclined to return.
Large menu choice, good variety. Drinks service very slow, theyre losing money by not serving customers. Food tasty, nice environment.
Friendly waiters. Davide welcomed us and made us feel at home. But also all the other collaborators. Excellent food and the tiramisu is highly recommended. One of the best Ive ever tasted
Food very mid, service good and the waiters were nice. Would not return.
An exceptional dining experience in the heart of London San Carlo is a true treasure in the heart of London. I had the opportunity to dine here recently, and the experience was simply exquisite. From the moment you enter, you are surrounded by a vibrant and elegant atmosphere, with impeccable service that makes you feel welcome from the first moment. The food is a masterpiece on every plate. Fresh, high-quality ingredients are combined in authentic Italian recipes that stand out for their flavor and presentation. Every bite is a delight, and you can see the care with which the dishes are prepared. The menu is varied and offers options for all tastes, from handmade pastas to fresh seafood and succulent meats. I especially highlight the attention to detail, both in the environment and in the service. The staff is attentive and knowledgeable, always ready to suggest the best pairing or the dish you cant miss. San Carlo is more than a restaurant, it is a gastronomic experience that remains in your memory. If you are in London and looking for a place to enjoy authentic Italian cuisine in sophisticated surroundings, this is definitely a must-stop.
The atmosphere and food and service were all amazing. Perfect restaurant for dinner before theatre.
Outstanding tastes, compliments to the kitchen. Everything else was sadly very disappointing. The young Italian waiter, the only one in a black suit was not welcoming, showed little attention. He made you feel like you were disturbing his evening. The other waiters in white, all not Italian were ok. They did their job, but also left the impression they were not interested. Its not what you expect after reading their website, receiving their pre-reservations email that lead you to believe it will great. We wont be returning nor recommending.
We were looking forward to visiting this restaurant but unfortunately it was a huge disappointment. The (only?) Italian in a black suit as Massine the manager was disengaged and not overly friendly, we thought that we had interrupted his evening! The waiting staff seemed uninterested and bored ! Not usual for Italians as they are usually very upbeat and friendly. 5/5 for the kitchen staff as the food is excellent. It s a shame your front of house team let you down. Sorry to say that we will not be returning.
I had the best time in San Carlo! I stopped by for lunch while in London and had one of the best italian pasta I have had in a long time (and I say this as an italian myself). The service was great and attentive: a good combination of warmth and not too intrusive, leaving the guest her space while being open for a chat. The staff and especially Giuseppe went the extra mile and when they learnt it was my birthday they have been so kind to prepare their signature tiramisu for me and brought it to me in great style wishing me happy birthday: a gesture I highly appreciated and still remember Highly recommend San Carlo if you are around Reagent street in London! Thank you for your warmth and professionalism San Carlo
This is a truly excellent restaurant. That said I felt they were a bit mean. No bread was offered and main course, despite costing £39.50 had no accompanying vegetables. Food
I ve had been a customer of the San Carlo empire for over 20 years ( starting and mainly with main Manchester restaurant) and I ve been to the London restaurants many times also - had a bad meal here on my birthday and was utterly fobbed off twice by the management - both our mains were rubbery and overcooked ( clearly had sat under a heat source like TGI Fridays while we took too long on our starters ) and the bill was £162 disgraceful - I ve always been a huge advocate for the whole SC empire introducing many friends but sadly I ve learned that the loyalty is only one way - I shall find myself a new restaurant #SHAMEFUL Response to your response - your customer relations fobs people off too sadly Dear SC, Just noticed you put a reply to my one star google review - my booking was lunchtime Friday 2nd August - I ve already written to the restaurant, to your owner ( via Manchester restaurant) and to you ( guest relations ) and each time you ve fobbed me off with the same cut and paste reply - shameful - I have eaten at your restaurants nearly 100 times ( well over 50 times Manchester ) plus St. James and your Piccadilly locations many times, I ve taken friends and family and recommended you before to many people. Your customer relations are absolutely lacking.
Amazing Food, And Delicious, Nice crew
Nephew age 16 came last night with his girlfriend for their first date experience, loved the food , not to happy about paying 6.00 for a glass of water but really upset to discover that the bill of 59.00 had been put through his account as149.00 - apparently the restaurant refuse to refund saying we need to speak to head office on Monday - nephew now left without funds for weekend .
The pasta is really good Friendly, delicious and good atmosphere
I don t recommend this restaurant because the staff is Arrogant and uncooperative at all, and the food is to bad!!! It was the worst experience ever in my life!! It s By God, I do not advise anyone who understands Arabic to go to a restaurant without service or taste
Absolutely loved this place the food was incredible and the staff attentive, but not overpowering and really friendly and welcoming
Great
Disastrous attention. We had a reservation at 10:30 p.m. We arrived 10 minutes late after seeing the musical Moulin Rouge and they did not want to serve us because they only gave us 15 minutes of courtesy. It doesnt matter, even with that margin they told us that they were full. Be careful with reservations for future clients.
This is a sad review because I use to love this restaurant above all. But my experience today was beyond repulsive. Pasta so undercooked I could ve fixed a tyre with it (and No I know what aldente tastes like). Hope they pick up.
i go there at least once a week, always great food and great service. very nice table setup outside in summer. All clean and tidy and hygienic
We made a reservation at 10:30 p.m. to have dinner at this restaurant after the Moulin Rouge musical. It was our last night in London and we thought wed say goodbye in style by watching the musical and then having dinner at a nearby restaurant that looked good. We ran out of the theater and arrived at 10:40 p.m. and they told us that we had lost the reservation and that they were very sorry but that they gave the table to other people. According to them, they only kept the table for 15 minutes, a time that had not elapsed. We prefer not to argue, leave and look for other places to have dinner. Be careful with reservations because at the first change they can leave you stranded.
Great
The Italian place par excellence, it attracts attention from the outside, you enter and find an excellent welcome: a warm and welcoming place, efficient, thoughtful and friendly room service. Not to mention the excellent food would be an understatement. The price is worth what you eat
How to say?! Londons first restaurant. Do not accept the water that is offered to you and above all do not take a meat dish because there are no accompaniments!!! At £26 it hurts. And the potatoes offered are industrial So for foreigners, its not cool to be fooled like that.
The food is very delicious, although the prices are high, but the food is enough for them. The service at first was bad, but then it changed by increasing the direct handling of requests and their delivery.
Did what it said on the tin. Busy but food was served quickly at promised. Pasta was great, the shrimps I had with it, less so. Overall okay though. Wont be rushing back but nothing negative to say
Luxurious looking Italian restaurant in Regent Street, I had always planned a visit and chose this establishment for a date night. Nice welcome. Nicely set out tables. Pleasant restaurant decor. Menu prices not too bad depending what you order. Service exceptionally slow despite the fact it wasnt even a full restaurant. Had to ask a waiter to take our order. Strange set up for an Italian restaurant having all Indian waiters, possible language barrier as we ordered Olives which didnt arrive, even after our mains. Fair wait for our mains too. Basic spagbol for me which was bog standard, relatively tasteless, my partner enjoyed his rissoto. Side order of tomato and red onion salad comprising of 5 very thin slices of tomato and half a dozen thin cut onion rings for £6 was not value for money. Had to ask for the bill, and mentioned we did not receive olives, staff not to bothered, was told to remove service charge which they did. I left disappointed, and wont return or recommend to my friends. Shame, as its a very comfortable and nicely set out restaurant.
I had a very disappointing experience at this restaurant. The employee (Max) is eccentric and talks very loudly, making the atmosphere quite uncomfortable. He doesnt accept any feedback, and the staff are also strange and unwelcoming, except (Carolina and Marius who are polite and friendly Service is poor, and This place is definitely not worth trying
An asterisk for the location. The food is not tasty
I booked this for my daughters birthday after watching a local theatre show in London. It was booked on 4th May at 5-5:30 under my name. We got there and it took a while for someone to come over and take our order. When the order came out the chips were really cold and we sent this back but it didnt come out until we finished our meal. My wife also asked for some more sauce to go with her dish and was told they would bring it out but this never arrived. At the end, we didn t feel like we needed to pay gratuity that was being asked due to the poor service but it all got awkward as they rushed out to bring a small cake for my daughter to avoid the feedback and we ended up paying. Since then, we gave feedback over a month ago and have not heard anything. Interior is nice but food and service is poor!
Second time at this venue (in error forgot wed been to this particular establishment!) Overpriced and snooty imo. Didnt think the food was that great either, particularly the french fries, undercooked. Had three San Carlo experiences, one excellent one and two at this one. Wouldnt go again.
Very friendly staff welcomed us with a smile and good evening. Cozy place and good food. The coffee is excellent.
Very nice, very professional Italian staff, you eat Italian and they make good coffee
Wait for someone to take my order so long. I m starving. Such long waiting time and the restaurant is empty when I order.
Very mid
It s amazing experience was with that beautiful lady Marisabel thanks to her she makes our night goes verry well by her kindness and professionality
Food overpriced , tasteless, service really poor , the menu is made to confuse customers , asked for a sharing starter and on menu the price was 19.99 but when you receive the bill the price is for person and they charge you double, not going back for sure !!
Veey rude staff
Simple pasta made well. Great service. Would go again.
Very good time, for the place, the setting and what is served! Reasonable prices for the neighborhood
The meat was overcooked (even though we ordered rare) and we had to have it changed. No excuses and no coffee offered. On the contrary, we were made to pay for the bread with the salad without warning us in advance. Good food but way too expensive. The 15 wine is also overrated.
We raised a complaint with San Carlo via email and received nothing back. We were welcomed very nicely and had our coats taken, but unfortunately it feels like after we ordered we were sidelined somewhat and barely acknowledged. The food we ordered was all far below the quality we would expect from San Carlo, but in all honesty I wouldnt have been impressed if Id received it in a budget restaurant. The zucchini fritte was cold and the truffle parmesan fries were lukewarm at best with no taste of truffle and no seasoning. We sent back the zucchini fries because they were too cold to enjoy, but didnt send back the fries as we didnt want to make things difficult. The bruschetta was very good however. We also had the caviar and Scallop linguine which we were very disappointed to find was again drastically under seasoned. The sauce was too thick (like the dish had been sat for too long) and needed loosening, and the taste of saffron was barely present. We also noticed the presentation of ours was lacking and we had an extremely small blob of caviar put on the side of the plate. We noticed a table across from us ordered the same dish and received a beautifully presented meal with two large blobs of caviar on each Scallop. None of the food was inedible (except the cold zucchini), but it was far below the standard of what we have received in the past and wouldnt have felt out of place in a Pizza Express. Our salt grinder also didnt work, so we had to use another tables to try to get some level of seasoning into the food. Finally when we asked for the bill, we were charged for bottled water that we didnt consume. We had tap water which was present on the table at this time. When we queried this, the serve looked at us quizzically and asked us again whether we had bottled water. Given that he had been our server throughout (amongst others), it was disappointing that he had to ask. We stayed a total of around 40 minutes and left hungry and unimpressed. I dont know if the service we received was due to us ordering a reasonably small amount of food compared to our usual fare, or whether its because we mentioned that we were seeing a show, but it put a dampener on our evening in a big way.
Very chic restaurant at an affordable price. Beautifully set tables. Good pasta dishes. Expensive glass of wine though. Very beautiful, refined setting just a stones throw from Picadilly. Very clean toilets. I recommend this place. Impeccable service. Kid-friendliness: Yes but no childrens menus.
One of the best Italian restaurants in London, well-kept environment, refined dishes, courteous and attentive staff.
After a welcoming entrance into the private dining areas as there was six of us, it wasn t great service. Waited a while for a drinks menu which contained something other than wine as most of our party wanted larger or cocktails. Then I waited to be spoken to about my gluten intolerance, we had already called ahead of time to inform the restaurant about my intolerance. As someone with a gluten intolerance allergy, I am not diagnosed with the autoimmune disease of coeliacs. I am however of a serve sensitivity and intolerance to gluten in all its forms. To be told it s only an intolerance so a may contain will be fine is unacceptable. To even suggest to someone with an allergy or intolerance their own level of sensitivity to a food product is unacceptable and insensitive. I ordered the paste el pesca and it was lacking in seafood for a meal that was £19 and £6.50 for broccoli well, I guess that s London prices. Would not return, unless the manager undergoes some serious allergen training, would be happy to do it myself as someone that s worked in hospitality with a specialism in allergen dining and now someone who teaches hospitality and catering. Dietary restrictions: I have a gluten intolerance - quite serve but not the autoimmune disease of coeliacs.
Lovely atmosphere and very beautiful decor. Portions perhaps over generous aa I was left feeling bloated. A la carte menu overpriced I would say, even for London. Service was good but did not enjoy seeing staff nibbling on food while preparing plates and manager even served one table while still chewing! Did not realise there was a set menu - I think that should be highlighted to guests. Something upset my stomach too! Would not return for food - perhaps a cocktail or bar food instead.
Very good and very good
Truly lovely lunch
Great option if youre looking for authentic, good quality Italian food. Very well stocked wine list. Very attentive but still non-invasive staff who make you feel very comfortable. Kid-friendliness: Children accepted
An absolutely perfect evening to celebrate our daughters 13th birthday Very chic and yet affordable Smiling, welcoming and very professional staff A restaurant to recommend without hesitation
Great meal, professional service, good atmosphere and great ambiance.
Dinner was excellent
Food was very cold & has no flavor
A weekend family lunch gathering and San Carlo London is the perfect location. Stunning food & drinks, great ambience and brilliant staff who make you feel like their family at San Carlo is welcoming and looking after your family. I m a regular visitor and I alway love it at San Carlo.
Had a great meal at San Carlo, food was beautifully presented and most at the table enjoyed their meals. The restaurant manager was very attentive and helpful
Really enjoyed our visit to San Carlo - the service was very good - we enjoyed our food with only one slight niggle for my meal in that garlic and basil were mentioned on the menu but seemed to missing. One of the waiters introduced me to Montenegro - a lovely flavorsome digestive! We will certainly visit again.
Nice Italian restaurant in London We eat really well Friendly staff
Went to San Carlo for the first time for a friends birthday celebration where she had booked the private dining room and we all paid for a set menu for the occasion. The interior was really beautiful, lovely atmosphere and the food was nice for a set menu. Was a big fan of the panna cotta. The guy in the screenshot wearing the white chef jacket and apron deserves a mention as he gave really good service and was incredibly professional. The experience at the restaurant and dinner service that evening was 4/5 star worthy until the end of the evening where we encountered a gentleman in a black suite (who I can only assume to be the manager) and was not there earlier in the night who s tone was quite rude to us when it came to paying the bill. To give context we were fully aware that it was closing time for them and they were trying to get us out so I went up to the till to get the bill for everyone. At this point some people had already left as they were catching trains and they paid for their remaining amount (set menu was £55, we each paid a deposit of £25, so that evening the remaining to pay was £30 + any drinks we ordered + service charge). As I had calculated my remaining to pay, the younger lady who had the card machine was putting the amount in and it was at this point that the gentleman said no we can t do that, we ve never done that (even though they had literally done that for the others that left 30 minutes ago), and the bill had to be split equally between everyone that was left in the room. I understand why this is easier for them to do, but this was concerning for me as I knew there were some people in the group that did not order any alcoholic drinks so it would not have been fair on them to pay so much (each person would have to pay £68 to split the bill equally - not including the £25 we already paid as deposit) so in total £93 per person for the evening. Though not an issue for some, the actual principle of not giving us a choice but to just tap our cards and leave and being spoken to in such a rude manner did really ruin the end of the night. They had ample opportunity to give us the bill earlier in the night and even after they had given us dessert and this would have allowed us time to either calculate the split amongst ourselves and them enough time to make sure it matched the bill or simply just taken payments for each drink as they were ordered by the individuals. So then the split at the end done equally would have made sense. I ve worked in hospitality for both fine dining establishments and casual dining so I m aware of what other solutions could have been presented with regards to the bill, but the attitude of that gentleman truly was shocking and outright lazy for not wanting to add up receipts. It is because of him that any interest I had in coming back to dine upstairs and try the a la carte menu is gone, and I will not be recommending San Carlo. I don t want to make any assumptions based on my limited encounter with him, but even the way he spoke to the female waitress was very rude. We were a room full of women of colour so I hope that there was no discrimination at play on his part as to why his behaviour was like this towards us.
All in all, compared to other Italians in this price segment, it s alright at best. Had ravioli with lobster sauce, - tasted good, - but very manageable in quantity. Service friendly but professionally also only average, which I understand given the lack of staff in all areas... I wouldnt necessarily go there again...
What a beautiful restaurant! There was a mix up with our booking but this were quickly and politely rectified by the totally friendly staff. Beautifully laid tables with white linen. We were meeting my daughter and her boyfriend for lunch. We had a mixture of starters - I had the scallops there were 3 plump scallops in a delicious garlic and herb dressing, my husband had the Asparagus with truffle which was equally wonderful and my daughter and boyfriend shared the tomato and basil, Bruschetta. For mains, my daughter and I chose the Spaghetti al Pesce (seafood,) husband had the tuna and daughters partner had the lobster ravioli. All washed down with a crisp Sauvignon Ca Bolani, Aquileia, Friuli. Sauvignon Blanc with Aromas of pink grapefruit, passion fruit, peach, green pepper & sage at £33.00. A very lovely experience on a warm and sunny spring day. :)
Staff were great, attentive and friendly unfortunately the dishes I had lacked taste flavour. Vegetarian options: Had the arrabiatia which is supposed to have a some chilli heat which it lacked
Great food and quick service
Very good Italian restaurant we enjoyed our lunch here. Pasta we had was perfect, creamy and very delicious.
Food is ok, but the service and the atmosphere is top notch.
Great food and excellent service!
I went there early evening on Valentine s Day. I did not have a reservation and the doorman stopped me before entering the restaurant to ask the hostess if they had a table available. He let me and my nephew waiting outside the restaurant and then he said he could get us a table but we could not spend more than an hour. Mind you, the entire hour we were there, a few tables remained empty. Food and drinks were great. But the lack of guest service from the doorman left us a bad impression. Next time, take us inside and offer us a seat at the bar while waiting.
One of the best place in Piccadilly to enjoy nice Italian food.
Lovely atmosphere, nice food.
For my wife and I the best Restaurant in England
Yummy
The place is very excellent and the food, as for the steak, is very nice. The seafood is not the best, and the tiramisu is very nice. The service is very excellent
delicious food... nice people
delicious food with reasonable price
We arrived in time but had to wait 10 minutes while table was to be set up. Lots of empty table when we arrived but then started to fill out. Service was slow. I had a fillet steak medium rare. Probably the worst steak I ever experienced within the San Carlo group. The cut was and end cut so very fatty and vainy. But I have to say the worst of my diner was the brawl that took place between and old waiter and a customer over a credit card machine that didn t work. Eventually it worked but the waiter made a comment that irritated the customer an incident occurred. Lots of pushing and shoving before the staff intervened. But the old waiter went to the door and turned around giving the customer the finger gesture. This again infuriated the customer. Really you could not believe it. This is all on cctv I m sure around 6.30pm Mothering Sunday. Really bad form and ruined our evening.
Great pasta Alfredo..nice ambience a recommended restaurant
Awful. Overpriced and terrible service. Tourist trap. DONT GO!!!!
If I could give 0 star, I would. £18 for prawn cocktail which taste like Tesco pre-made sandwich filler £32 for a pasta that had 2 prawns and tasted like spaghetti hoops. AVOID!!! Good service is the only good thing.
Fabulous food. Fantastic service from friendly and professional staff who all exhibit a nothing is too much trouble attitude. The setting is lovely and the overall ambiance gets better and better as the venue fills. A great restaurant for every occasion or no actual occasion at all. A1*+
I went to San Carlo London last night I expected above and beyond service however it was the worst service I have ever received. I went with 2 other people hoping for a nice meal but from the top we just kept getting bothered within the first five minutes we got told to move over as the table behind was too close and someone couldn t get in their seat another five minutes later after they had asked us for drinks my water did not arrive until I had to ask further.I then proceeded to order a steak and asked for it medium rare however it was basically raw dripping with blood possibly the worst meal I ve ever had staff were unwelcoming food wasn t great or worth the price so please this is your warning not to go hope I could save you guys the trouble I will never be going back again
Good atmosphere
Love the interior of this place! The food was nice but it could have been a bit better quality. Service was fab.
I had visited with my family on the evening of the 17 of December and I am appalled by my experience. Fist we were seated with no issue, we ordered our starter and they came soon. Unfortunately our table was not properly set and non of us had side plates. I had to ask twice from two different waiters if we can have side plates and after waiting long and still not receiving them I had to get up from my table and go get the plates myself, staff saw this happening and no on apologised however it only continued to get worse. While eating our starters, a member of staff carelessly spilled some sort of white sauce all over my Hugo boss coat and partially on my shirt and I was unaware of this. Rather then letting me know the, waiter who had spilled the space on me continued on their way to leave the mess on my items of clothing, only to be notified some minutes later by another member of staff of what had happened. This other member of staff was extremely apologetic even though it was not her fault, and was very helpful and even offered to help clean what she can. Management was useless and did not approach us once in order to acknowledge what had happened and make amends, I had only spoken to Management after having to request them. Obviously my clothing required dry cleaning and the manager Francesco left the restaurants email with me and told me to email a receipt of the dry cleaning and I will be reimbursed. I have now emailed twice, not only have I not been reimbursed for the dry cleaning, but you do not even have the decency to respond to my emails, completely shocking. Food was good but staff lack training, or maybe they completely lack morale but they are very unprofessional, management is incompetent and are not capable of adequately managing their team.
Wonderful food. Great atmosphere. Very laid back and perfect customer service!
They were nice at first and while my food was good my fiancée, daughter and mother in law got food that was okay to bad. My MIL had to ask for new food since it was soft and soggy, not al dente at all, there was hardly any improvement with the second plate. At least we didn t had to pay for that. The service was bad and they did not like when my MIL said that she wasn t happy with the food or when I pointed out that we didn t recived the water that we asked for. Instead of doing things that would be on the plus side service wise many of the waiters/waitresses just stood and talked to each other. Dietary restrictions: They asked if we had allergies which is a nice thing to do. Kid-friendliness: They had high chairs for toddlers, but no child s menu so we had to order a starter for our daughter and give her some of our pasta.
Do not order the halibut! You only get two strips cut across the fish somewhere near the tail, the chief should know how to fillet a fish but I suppose the management have their eye on profit. Avoid this place if you can.
Pretty good Italian food
By far one of the best restaurants in London! The food was incredible, drinks extremely well made and the atmosphere / service being enough in its own to make San Carlo my go to restaurant.
Great ambiance, practical location, noisy but not frenetic, great service, kindness with a soul. Red wine was served warm, though (put in an ice basket afterwards upon request).
Food was delicious little overpriced for pasta but no atmosphere and service wasn t great seemed like lots of staff but had to wait to ask for bill etc. they were on top of their game for filling up our wine glass though. Would go again for a treat
We had a wonderful experience celebrating a 60th birthday. Shannon the waitress went above and beyond all evening and made the experience unforgettable! We couldn t have wished for anything more. Will definitely be back.
Took three attempts and 25 minutes to get a vodka and coke right Waited 45 minutes for our starter only to be presented with our mains And then an extra 10 minutes to speak to a manager Disgraceful service Food : 1/5 |
Christmas Eve Dinner: Nice food, in general. The spaghetti with lobster was excellent, the ravioli with shrimps was delicious, the fish soup, however, was not tasty. The portions are relatively small. Friendly and willing staff, but they did not inform us in time that the kitchen would close earlier, so we could not order additional food. Overall, a good experience!
Not one for leaving negative reviews, though this deserves a comment here due to the mix of reviews. In short, wouldnt eat here again, nor would I recommend someone else to. Would definitely recommend you spend your hard earned money somewhere else where its deserved and appreciated! For a supposed fine dining experience, the service was snobbish and uninterested, the quality of the food was good; however, quite bland and disappointing for the price (this is specifically about the chicken dishes). Made to feel welcome by a professional and polite hostess at the door, but left very unwelcome by the waiters inside who werent interested in how your food was, helping with questions about the menu, and seemed quite grumpy (of course, anyone can have a bad day, but it felt as though they could care less, as long as they took your money). Despite a very hefty, compulsory service charge there were still items added to our bill that were clearly not ordered by us. Perhaps this was a one off bad experience, but youll notice a lot of the good reviews are a few years ago (before covid) and more recently, there have been negative reviews.
Lovely atmosphere. The food was really tasty but quite pricey. 2 main courses and a soft drink plus 12.5% service charge came to just under £50.00. I suppose London prices are very steep compared to cardiff.
Very very disappointed!! Wasn t asked if we wanted any drinks only did we want wine ? Or water . Starter came after the main course therefore the main course went cold the fettuccine Alfredo was tasteless plain pasta with cream the worst pasta Alfredo I have ever had very poor no offer to remove the main course whilst we had the starter course which was basic anyway . Food was Luke warm at best.
We had dinner at November 2023. Meditteranian food is one of my favorites and Ive eaten in many restaurants in Italy and out Italy. I can honestly say that San Carlo is one of the best Italian restaurant out of Italy. The food is excellent, staff is friendly and the restaurant looks valuable, not like a pizza place.
The place is very nice and set out of the restaurant. The staff are friendly and the food is tasty
Dropped in unexpectedly but great food and service
Ended up here on a whim and couldnt have been happier. Delicious food and wine, impeccable service, beautiful and classy yet relaxed decor. We will 100% be coming back here. Cannot recommend this place highly enough!
Great dining experience
Gorgeous setting. Top notch service. Enjoyable meal.
Best restaurant in Central london.. even better than Hilton Galvin at windows.
A little too smart for my tastes. He claims to offer our digestives after dinner, however at the end of the dinner he presents us with the bill stating that the digestives were not offered. Terrible service and poor quality food.
Very delicious sole, great service.
The Service was absolutly terrible. It was not busy, yet they took ages to do anything, we asked for water, never got it. Pasta was unseasoned, oh and then wanted dessert asked for the Menu, she never gave us the menu, had to ask again then she brought it. No waiter asked what we wanted, so we asked for the bill, off course given the awful service, I asked to have it removed to then be told that the service is forced and you have to pay it no matter what. I have been to Cichetti in Picadilly, knightsbridge, signor sassi, Alto and all is optional service. Honestly your chain is becoming awful I am sick of it. I am sure you will do nothing to make it better either. Save your money and go to the other lovely resturants in St James.
Have to say this was a lovely experience venue so perfect for special occasions. Service was excellent, attentive, but not intrusive, and they got the balance just right. The food was very good and traditional than anything you might consider to be high-end, so if youre craving the food you would have whilst in Italy, San Carlo lives up to the hype. The only thing that wasnt quite to my taste was the cocktail I had to start things off (the Hazel fashioned) but the negroni was absolutely spot on, one of the best Ive tasted in London. So overall, I would very much recommend the restaurant for a memorable evening out.
Wonderful food.
Simple food done very very well at this famous iconic London restaurant loved every minute
Excellent Italian restaurant in London worth visiting. I highly recommend it for a quiet evening
Flavia She is very good service
I want before yesterday open time restaurant it was empty 5 pm walking asking for table for two people and the manager he said booking only and he was road and zero customer service well never ever go back this restaurant
Excellent Italian restaurant, splendid food.
Really good food and excellent service in the heart of London
Great food and service , Italian vibes in West End
The food, the service, the staff ... all 100%. We were treated like royalty, and the food was wonderful. Well done to everyone.
Very poor ministrone soup comes out cold like some carrots and potatoes and cold water chucked together in bowl,the sirloin steak also very very poor never again
Have to wait nearly one hour between starters and mean meal, I was told the reason was because I ordered grilled seabas? Didnt believe any of that. They served a large table of Italian people who came in between. Thats the real reason. I will have to visit again to see if we get a better experience. Food
I have a few food intolerances and allergies, and they were very accommodating. The waiter (I sadly didn t catch his name) sat down with me and went through the menu with me, explaining what I can and can t eat, and adjustments they can make. I really appreciated this. And the food was fantastic and fairly priced. I highly recommend :) Dietary restrictions: They were very accommodating and informed, which put my mind at ease and I wasn t worried about accidentally eating something I can t.
The food is very mixed. The truffle ravioli tasted good, whereas the gnocci were unfortunately completely tasteless. Both dishes were served a few minutes after ordering, which is why they could never have been freshly prepared in such a short time. Unfortunately, both dishes were served almost completely cold. This is also incomprehensible because the restaurant was almost empty and only two other tables were occupied. The service was not friendly by London standards and leaves something to be desired. We expect hot food and courteous service from a more expensive restaurant and unfortunately we didnt get that. In addition, the portion sizes are very small, which is why you are forced to order several courses to fill yourself up. Unfortunately, the atmosphere wasnt particularly inviting either. Were used to something different in London.
Very unpleasant welcome They dont give you time to choose meals The pasta is not very good The service is really bad The restaurant manager not very welcoming The waiters and waitresses are all frowning I do not recommend this restaurant at all
Spaghetti vongole, only 5 pièces of clams. The one, on picadily street is much better
Great place