Bottega Caruso in Thanet

This is one of my favourite restaurants in Margate. Located at the heart of old town Margate. It is a small restaurant, and not quite easy to get a table, so recommended to book a table in advance. We got mussels to share, it was cooked in a creamy tomato sauce. And I got spaghetti with bream topped with breadcrumbs. Food was delicious and the atmosphere was so nice.Pasta is freshly made and they have a different menu each day. Highly recommend to anyone who loves Italian food.

Nice Italian restaurant in Margate. Pasta was truly Al Dente. We shared some small plates and a plate of spaghetti with scallops. Everything was tasteful and nice.

We were lucky to get a table without making any reservations. The staffs are really nice, and helpful. They were really good at selling the story about the menu. The atmosphere was really nice and cozy. However the cocktail and the foods we had just not good enough. The portion was small for a £17-19 pasta. I got the scallop pasta, they cut the scallops to many pieces so I think only 2 scallops in total, and they needed more seasoning for the dishes because it was so bland. The lamb pasta is so normal, we barely tasted any lamb flavor too. The tiramisu was okay, not special, I expected more for the price. For me, I won’t come back

Amazing food, lovely service, charming atmosphere. I felt as if I were having a meal at a friend’s house - a friend who is a really good cook. I had the lamb ragu, and the slightly al dente pasta was a beautiful backdrop for the warm and rich flavors surrounding the lamb. We shared appetizers and had drinks. The server was friendly and took the time to tell us about the meals on offer, and we all came away delighted and satisfied. WOULD RECOMMEND!

Such passion on small plates , I’m fussy and I loved this place . Thank you for an amazing experience . Sash x

Fantastic gem of a place. Beautiful, homemade food in a beautiful setting.

Called there for coffee and cake, not particularly welcoming, they don’t have cakes and instead I got the dessert menu and chose tiramisu - the latte was small and tepid, the tiramisu was soggy and flavourless…. I didn’t stay to finish but paid the £14!! Sorry definitely not worthy of those prices…

Charming location at the heart of Margate old town. Very tasty food, with a wide range of well put together dishes. Excellent fresh pasta. Service was fantastic, the staff were genuine, attentive and very welcoming.

We have been looking forward to eating here for ages and it was even better than we had hoped. Thank you. Now can't wait to go back!

10/10 for everything! Amazing food and service, and reasonable prices for the great quality of food and ingredients 💯

Food is absolutely gorgeous and authentic. Love love this place and staff are amazing too

Fantastic food. We ate outside and it had a great atmosphere. Lovely staff and great service

This was the perfect restaurant for our anniversary dinner. The orange wine was amazing, the food - incredible, the service - flawless. I wish I lived closer so I could have this as a treat more often. Michelin star well deserved.

Really lovely little place, some outside seating in a quiet part of old town. We had to wait quite a while for a table but happy to do so with an aperoll spritz in the little square! We were very happy with the food with the exception of the ragu, which felt a little watery and mild and like it needed more time to cook and stew. The staff were really great and friendly and I would definitely go again!

Our favourite restaurant - you cannot fault the quality of the food, the ambience, the knowledgeable and instantly likeable waiting staff.

Super friendly! Great spot for Italian!

Lovely people and easily the best Italian food I've eaten in the UK (and I travel to Italy 3 or 4 times a year fornwork) highly recommended

Oh my goodness! Once you have eaten here you will never want to eat anywhere else again. The food is phenomenal! Out of this world! We are both vegan and came away saying it was the best vegan food we had ever had!

5 years ago I rated it 5 stars. It was our go to for anniversaries, dates and my husbands 40th but the last 3 or so visits have felt disappointing. Service feels too relaxed and like you're being served by a mate from back in your 20's. The food just doesn't seem the same to us, it used to be wow but now its just good. I want to love it like we used to but I feel it's lost its way and needs some newness.

food was nice but overpriced. staff didn't seem very interested. won't go again.

Middling. Scarcely the destination restaurant it might fancy itself to be. Sorry dudes.

Good (but not great) Italian restaurant in the heart of Margate. Michelin-listed. Wine by the class disappointing. Nice, relaxed setting.

A group of 6 of us had a magical evening last night at this special, authentic Italian restaurant with its roots from Campagnia. We were greeted by Jim - he and Mimi served us all night. Not only was their service impeccable but their enthusiasm and understanding of food was really refreshing. We were all vegetarian. Not only was there ample choice but we were given 2 or 3 additional choices. We shared small plates for starters. We had parmesan with chilli jam, verdure & flagiola, burrata & artichokes, and polpetto. For mains we had papardelle with mushroom, spaghetti with wild garlic and rigatoni with veggie putanesca inspired sauce. All of it was delicious and cooked to perfection. Finally, the semi freddo was outstanding. Truly beautiful evening.

Always on the lookout for Italian (but not pizza!). This ticks a lot of boxes. Excellent "small plates" selection (hint, share several, tapas style) but limited mains, all pasta (all homemade). Efficient and helpful setvice. Small and very busy (booking essential). Not cheap. Excellent location if you are exploring Margate old town but limited nearby parking.

Spent the most gorgeous afternoon here, drinking Campari spritz, sitting in the sunshine and absolutely mega food. Couldn’t say what was my favourite cause it was all epic. And amazing front of house too. Thank you

The food is 10/10, the service was excellent and the staff very friendly!

Got a lovely table in a separate room away from the noise of the bustling restaurant. Food was delightful, rustic and charming. The person working (his name escapes me now, sorry!) was so lovely and informative, about everything from the hospitality initiative they were supporting, where the ingredients are sourced, and what the dishes were. We left full to the brim, and we didn't even touch desserts. Perfect, warming, delicious meal away from the storm. 🐶 Dog friendly too

It was an amazing experience they even gave us a table when they didn’t have one because every table was booked

Genuinely one of the best Italian meals I’ve ever had. Everything was perfect, the food was amazing and the service was great. The tomato sauce for the bread balls was honestly life changing.

Couldn't recommend more. I'd seen this on lots of lists of good food places for Margate and understand why. Great authentic Italian, no frills but lots of flavour. Lovely atmosphere. Some of the reviews about service nearly made us cancel our booking, so glad we didn't. Was a great night. Not cheap so one for more special occasions.

I researched places to eat in Margate and I was really impressed by the Grace Dent review from a few years ago and thought I would like to visit. We had a family dinner in the private room at the back of the restaurant. The staff were all super friendly and explained anything we wanted to know really well. Every single dish was delicious and we were all thrilled with our meal. We had a selection of the starters, we asked the waiter what were the must try dishes and we just went with his suggestion and the mains were wonderful and our kids had special kids pasta which they declared scrumptious. We drank a lovely red wine from Italy. Everything felt real, authentic and in a comfy cosy relaxed atmosphere. The next day I went to their deli a couple of doors down to buy the jars of the tomato sauce, special honey and truffle salami to take home. This is exactly the kind of restaurant I want to give my money to because its independent, family run and they care about cooking great food and making their customers happy. When I am back in Margate this will be the first place I reserve a table at.

loved every course! the Verdura e fagioli is a must have!

By some way the best restaurant we visited on our 3 night trip to Margate. Absolutely delicious food, really friendly staff, and although not cheap, great value for money. But do book as the place tiny, and, trust me, you don't want to miss out ;)

This small friendly restaurant never fails to deliver - its our ‘go to’ restaurant whenever we are visiting Margate, that’s if we can get a table. Food is excellent and service is informed and friendly. The only downside is that its nearly always booked well in advance. Italian homemade cooking at its best

Lovely bistro atmosphere with friendly helpful staff. A delicious menu, not the usual fare, and good menu for vegetarians.

We visited as we had walked past lots of times and fancied trying it. Unfortunately on the night we attended, we had a small plate, which was OK but did not blow me away. The two mains were small, really poorly flavoured and very disappointing. It is a shame as it has a nice atmosphere and clearly lots of people like the restaurant. I think it might just have been an off night and maybe we would have to try another time?

The food here is outstanding and you should visit. The only issue is the waiting staff. They spent most of the evening in the kitchen socialising and joking with the chefs and so didn't notice when customers were trying to get their attention. If the owners can sort that out it would be the perfect food spot.

Food is mediocre/service is terrible The decoration is pretty good. The boss has his own style Warm little shop The service is really bad! It will directly affect your mood! I hope the boss can improve the quality of the waiters! 🤷

The food is so so(starters /the bread balls is great but the cod is too salty) main( the crab spaghetti is great but no unfortunately no crab as I observed) However the service is not that appealing the Latino guy is friendly but the other one is hard to tell.Sorry maybe I’m being typical but can he at least put a smile on thank you. The atmosphere is great though. Maybe you can have a try, but I don’t know whether it is a waste of money or not. Love.

Very nice private room at the back for groups, my pasta was not very authentic and I felt like I was overcharged for the quality I received. Tiramisu was perfectly serviceable.

Warm lovely staff and atmosphere. Unusual and delicious food. Recommended on every level. It felt so special but somehow effortless.

Lovely Italian in Margate. Highly recommended

Amazing restaurant. Food was exceptional and the staff were so friendly and helpful. Can't wait to come back!

Popped in for a quick, light lunch and immediately fell in love with this place. Simple, rustic Italian food, cooked beautifully. Oh, and best Tiramisu I’ve ever tasted! Wonderful from start to finish. Thank you.

Delicious food and a really kind and caring staff who were really patient with our little ones.

Food is absolutely fantastic. Staff very attentive. We took our two children (1 & 3 years old) which we were apprehensive about. However, they made us feel at ease and prepared them a meal off menu.

This place is absolutely amazing, beautiful people, gorgeous food, fantastic atmosphere. I feel so lucky I can experience Bottega is makes me feel emosh. Enjoy! ❤️

We absolutely love this place. Feel so lucky to be able to enjoy the food here it makes me emosh. Please support the charity too. ❤️

Remarkable. After having heard amazing reviews from numerous people, I had high expectations of that restaurant and despite that was still impressed. When entering the place, it felt like sitting down at the Italian aunt’s house that cooked all day. The smells that invaded my nostrils were all more splendid than the other. I started salivating. The starters we chose were a perfect blend of sea and land, representing Italy’s various lands. Those combined with the orange wine teased our palates for the rest. The mussel and safran spaghetti was probably one t’of the best pasta dishes I have every tried and it reminded me that life is definitely worth living focusing on pleasures. Bless the mussel and safran pasta and thank you for that incredible 2hour time.

In my opinion the best restaurant in Margate. Flavorful Italian food done to perfection in a cozy and charming location. This is an unassuming and comfortable spot that creates wonderful dishes.

This is not your usual pizza/pasta Italian. They serve possibly some of the best Italian food outside of Italy. The cuisine is from a small village an hour away from Naples in Benevento Province, Campania.

Absolutely fantastic! Every dish we had was amazing. It was clear a lot of thought had gone into both the food and wine menu and the execution on every plate was spot on. Topped of with fantastic service and a great atmosphere. Will be coming again!

The best Italian I've ever had in the UK. Every aspect of the experience is perfect. Go, you won't regret it

Fantastic meal, every dish was worth the price of the meal alone. Interesting choice of dishes as well, some unusual options but all incredible.

An interesting menu which is great for foodies, its casual dining with rustic italian food. I enjoyed all the offerings was just a little disappointed with portion is on mains, fine for my self but tall hungry son was left wanting. Worked out at about £50 per head which i thought a little steep but the authenticity and good home cooked menu is worth a visit.

Different, great fun, very tasty food. We chose it for a family celebration and it didn’t disappoint other than perhaps price and portion sizes.

We managed to slide in on a Saturday evening - it was so delicious, would recommend the cod, the servers were all lovely as well

BELIEVE THE HYPE! This place is outstanding. Absolutely cannot fault it. Staff were lovely, food DIVINE, wine glorious... mmmm I've been thinking about the salt cod and bef ragu for the past two weeks... Cant wait to go back. The waiter said they're opening a deli/shop a couple of doors down soon where you can buy their pasta etc so I will definitely be popping in there until I can get another reservation.

Booked for an Anniversary dinner. Really wanted to like it. Arrived on exact time and had to wait by the door whilst another group finished and the table got cleared/cleaned. Whilst waiting the suggestion of a drink was loosely offered but never followed up. Eventually sat down and then waited a while to order. The food was more than decent as was the wine. We were asked if we wanted to see the dessert menu, I was going to order cheese and biscuits but had to wait a while before the waitress finished chatting with another customer and, feeling a little let down we decided to get the bill and leave. A great shame because we really wanted to like this place. I don’t usually do reviews but felt they could do with a bit of feedback. Maybe we hit a bad night?

Booked for a large group for a birthday meal and the food was amazing. Delicious anchovies, fresh pasta and delightful portion of tiramisu. Thanks for making our evening so special!

Really solid, home-cooked Italian food. Beef ragu pasta and homemade limoncello were highlights, along with the bean-based starter! Excellent wine selection.

Ci hanno deliziato con dei piatti eccellenti tipicamente italiani e in sala chi ci ha servito con la massima professionalità. Da ritornare quanto prima

This is heavenly unctuous food with a fantastic team. The rabbit and the ragu were delightful. Super friendly service and well behaved dog friendly. I just wish it was nearer home.

Almost 20 pounds for a small plate of pasta that was mediocre at best. I was still hungry afterwards. I had the ragu of lamb shoulder but the pasta was not tasty, meat was good though. l would have expected more for the price.

What a gem! Highly recommend this restaurant, amazing food and service. A massive shoutout to Jordan who was super attentive, friendly and just great vibes! He gave 10/10 recommendations.

I cannot speak highly enough of this authentic Italian restaurant. Normally the only place I can eat like this is at home in Sardinia yet somehow, they have managed to bring the taste of Italy to Margate! They have sourced the most incredible ingredients creating a symphony of taste, right down to their choice of olive oil, which is glorious. They manage to combine all of that with the most friendly, warm, inviting service in a restaurant full of character and atmosphere. I know even my Sardinian Aunt would give Bottega Caruso a five star review. Thank you! We had such a wonderful evening. See you soon!

Bellissimo! I felt like I was having traditional home cooking in a intimate setting. The local wine of Benevento was perfect which complimented my clam pasta perfectly. My friend whose a local was very impressed so will share recommendations.

Absolutely fabulous Italian restaurant. The food is wonderful. We went for a selection of small plates and then shared a main. The service was attentive and friendly.

I’d heard for ages that this place was amongst the best Margate had to offer. Sadly that is a dim reflection on the town’s culinary offering if true. We had a couple of perfectly adequate “nibbles” to start with, and my partner said their lamb pasta was decent enough. However, all three pasta options were priced at an eye-watering £20 - even the vegetarian option, which was billed simply as pesto pasta with some tomatoes. I thought this was faintly ludicrous but decided to try it anyway, thinking if it was executed at an incredibly high standard then it might make the sting of the price just about worth it. However, much to my dismay, the pasta that arrived wasn’t even pesto pasta. It was floating in a watery tomatoey sauce, with some crumbled nuts sprinkled here and there - none of the thick, rich, tangy pesto you’d expect from the description of the dish. The flavour would have been of a semi-decent home-cooked tomato pasta you might have as a midweek dinner were it not for the bizarre minty flavour suffused throughout. Oh, and a LOT of the tagliatelle was stuck together. We could hear the chef engaged in loud chatter for the duration of our meal - clearly that took precedence over stirring the boiling pasta to avoid clumping. On the whole, it was a very disappointing experience considering the (as I now see) completely unearned hype.

Nothing to do with Italian cuisine! Questo ristorante è una blasfemia rispetto alla cucina italiana...

Simple menu, but all the better for that, quite a lot of fish dishes, but for us meat eaters there was a great choice too

Fabulous in every way, from the food to the service to the atmosphere

One of the best dinners I’ve had for a long time. Food and service outstanding And the “perfect place to grow” message really interested me. Huge wine list with some v interesting bottles on it. Loved the way you can see the chefs in the...

Delicious pasta and friendly staff

Grace Dent recommended in the Guardian so we planned a two day visit around fine dining, here and Angela’s. What a great decision. Bottega has knowledgeable staff along with an excellent wine list and food to savour. I will return

Treat yourself in Margate to the most delicious high quality Italian food and wine. Very flexible for one vegan diner. Smashing staff too.

Proper authentic Italian cuisine, with amazing service and reasonably priced. Wise to book as only small. Menu changes regularly, but everything we had was absolutely delicious. Sensible portion sizes, and some great wines to go alongside.

Small restaurant in the centre of the old part. Friendly and authentic with fresh food cooked to order. we loved the parmigiano and chilli jam, the fresh mackerel salad and the lamb pasta ragu. Deserts looked lovely too.

Small Italian restaurant that is near perfect. 5/6 tables, small menu of Italian food, all cooked in sight of the guests. Good service. A very pleasant lunch.

Really excellent restaurant. Food is outstanding and wine list very good. Staff are really friendly and efficient. Overall a very enjoyable experience, highly recommended.

We had such a lovely evening and meal here. The service was fantastic and every dish we had was absolutely delicious. I loved the fact they had a glass window through to the kitchen as well - made a great atmosphere. It was fully booked...

Went for lunch with the team, exceptional! Food, service and atmosphere. The whole experience was a delight we shall be returning. Thank you

Went here a week ago, delayed review because on the night it would have been 1*. We were a group of four, two had decent food (including a veggie), the other two were disappointed. My anchovies starter (actually a 'nibbles' dish) was great. However the...

We went there with some Friends on a make your own Pasta experience, we made Some Ravioli from Scratch then went next door to the Restaurant and ate it as part of a 3 course Meal. Harry and his staff were most helpful and we...

Amazing food! Super friendly staff. Lovely ambience. We had such a lovely evening highly recommend a visit. Book in advance as it’s a popular venue!

Had lunch in this super restaurant midweek staff were excellent and the food was superb.I had the crab pasta dish which was packed with flavour and is well worth a try.My wife had the stuffed chicken leg with fennel sausage and this was also quality...

The 4 of us really struggled with what to eat from the menu as there nothing on the we didn't want to try. We were placed the back room (for lunch) which was almost like private dining yet we were still able feel included in...

Having read an excellent review by a highly regarded restaurant critic we were delighted to stumble across Bottega Caruso while exploring Margate. Everything about our visit was unimpeachable. The welcome we received was encouraging, the space was elegantly unpretentious and the food delicious. Simple dishes...

Food was mostly delicious but service was extremely slow - we waited an hour between our starter and main despite there being plenty of staff and just five tables. Also, as only three mains are all pasta I hoped that the pasta would be absolutely...

I like the word delectable. And I never get to use it. This place is amazing and suits that word. Food, ambience, staff, value. All excellent. Book it and enjoy as many dishes as you can. I also like the word foist but I can’t...

A lovely little Italian in Margate old town, authentic & of quality. I was attracted by the near faultless TA reviews, plus ratings in the Michelin & Good Food Guides. It’s a small, family run affair, a handful of tables, plus a couple outside (whilst...

Lovely little Italian restaurant serving amazing dishes. Best parmigiana and cassata I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting. Bellissimo. Bravo 👏

Food experience excellent, all home made pasta all authentic Sicilian cuisine, staff informative, engaging and personable

We had a lunch booking here today, and this restaurant is exceptional in every way. The food was sublime, we had a variety of dishes from each part of the menu, aperitifs, wines and coffees. The Parmigiana was the best I've ever had and the...

The setting works really well, especially on this sunny day. The staff were a delight. The waitress seeming genuinely delighted to talk to us and advise on the wine. Great advice too. The food was exceptional. Since a short holiday in Sicily I have been...

Honestly one of the best restaurant experiences I've had. Went with two friends on a Friday night and loved it so much we went back the next day. Beautiful food, huge selection of really interesting wines and such lovely people. Everyone from the waiting staff...

This was our first visit despite living in Margate and we are ashamed we had not been sooner! Fabulous ambience, homely dining experience. Fabulous hand thrown crockery and quirky glasses. Every dish was a delight, served beautifully and a complete with amiable and knowledgeable staff....

Went for lunch and found it very expensive and couldn’t believe the price for a starter of 3 small bread balls with tomato sauce which was over £10 and tasteless A glass of house wine was served in a water glass and we paid £7...

What an amazing and authentic experience! We visited this evening for our anniversary and I must say it did not disappoint! The food was incredible and both Immi and MiMi were incredible and looked after our every need! I would certainly recommend this restaurant to...

Really really fantastic place, super cosy, lovely staff (Jordan was brilliant!) and incredible cooking. The patron pepper were amazing and the gnocchi were probably the best I have ever eaten. Loved it here...