Caldesi in Campagna - Italian Restaurant in Windsor and Maidenhead

Been looking forward to eating here for sometime after moving to Maidenhead and it was such a let down. Most of the dishes were under seasoned and flavourless, from the ragu, to the squid, to the scallops. Not to mention the veal was dry and overcooked, as was the fish. The best dish was probably the apple, pear and walnut salad. It wasn’t just me but my wife and my mother who was visiting from Toronto. What I can say was that the service was friendly and attentive but unfortunately we went there for the food and left utterly disappointed… Sorry don’t get pics of the mains.

Had a wonderful meal here. Great food and drinks. The staff were really friendly and helpful. I would definitely recommend a visit if you are in the area.

Outstanding food, service and atmosphere! Thank you!

I cannot recommend Caldesi more highly for people with coeliac / celiac disease! Giancarlo Caldesi had to be strictly gluten free himself for many years so the entire restaurant is incredibly knowledgable and the food is divine. Unlike so many places now, they don’t deliver you a horrid warning about not being able to guarantee gluten free: they just welcome you wholeheartedly and reassure you that you’re in safe hands. I am very sensitive to cross contamination and have never been unwell here as they are so careful. The food is absolutely delicious and the staff are incredible — it’s a perfect place for a special celebration.

Great place, super service and delicious delicious food

We loved our first visit to Caldesi in Campagna, a highly recommended and popular local Italian in Bray. The highlight was their signature Sea Bass Ravioli but the whole meal was exceptional as you'd expect from Giuseppe Caldesi with very warm and friendly staff, atmosphere and fellow patrons. Special note to their top notch barman! We'll be back regularly!

Great ambience, superb staff, fabulous food! First time at this restaurant, met up with some friends and this is such a great find. Everything about it was excellent from the little lovely extra's to the care they took as I have severe nut allergies. So lovely to meet the chef Giancarlo Caldesi, what a remarkable, warm and interesting person. He must have so much to feel good about with what he has created here.

Excellent dinner with family and friends here on a Friday evening. True Italian food and wines. Most enjoyable.

Everything is great! The food was perfect, the service is excellent. All the staff super friendly and attentive. And the setting is classic but very beautiful. We ordered burrata, scallops, tagliatelle with mushrooms and pappardelle with ragù. For dessert, tiramisu and a coconut and peach mousse. Everything perfect. Super recommended.

Visited with friends who live close to Bray. It was so lovely to be in a restaurant on a Saturday afternoon that was lively and everyone was dressed up...without it being instagram fodder! Service was exceptional and the food was just perfect. An absolutely gorgeous place and perfect for a special occasion or romantic dinner. Would love to visit again.

Perfect dinner. Magic spot with fabulous service and simple perfect Italian food. Everything I needed to feed the soul and have some winter escapism. Charming chef owner was out and about with the customers. A great formula and we will be back! Shared a burrata to start followed by perfect fresh tagliolini with butter and fresh black truffle.

Good ambience, outside area nicely decorated and planted. Good menu selection. Update: outside area is now covered. Staff and chef still excellent. Highly recommend for an ambient, relaxed meal with top quality food and service.

The 21st June Friday of Ascot races One of the best main ever Said all five of us

Inventive, fresh, seasonal, Italian cuisine. Super service, delivered with a calm, quiet confidence. Good selection of wines by the glass.

Excellent venue for a special meal. Full of authenticity for lovers of Italy and gastronomy. Wonderful starters carpaccio, burrata and high class mains. Finished with a tasty & attractive pannacotta. Attentive service at the bar & the table.

What a brilliant meal. You can see this is a place where they take pride in what they do, and it’s done with love and effort. The establishment is pretty and the welcome warm. The food? Memorable. Just what you’d expect Italian food to be.. the ravioli were handmade and you could taste the difference.. the veal parcels some of the best I’ve had. Go now, thank me later.

Absolutely lovely place with great food and service. Highly recommended.

Roberto and the team were absolutely amazing, we were celebrating my girlfriend’s 21st birthday and they went above and beyond to make this a special occasion. So a big thank you to the Caldesi team, you will see us very soon!!!

Been coming for 17 years. Honestly just one of the best restaurants in the world. The food and the team are always amazing.

Incredible meal with an incredible team

Exceptional food and great service. Very friendly and professional staff, including the owner, who made an effort to visit each table and speak to people. Really love the overall atmosphere

Hands down the best dining experience we had in the UK let alone the 3 places we ate at in Bray. A real gem. The food the staff were 12 out of 10. This is a new go to from now on. Italian cuisine at its finest. Well done all involved for making our night a great one.

Delicious food, great staff. Recommended for special occasions

Delicious food and wonderful atmosphere. All members of staff are very kind. I will definitely return.

Truly welcoming and exellent food and service. A great bar area at the front too, handy to sit at and around if early.

We arrived early for a mid-week business lunch and it was very quiet. It gradually got a little busier. We ate from the reasonably-priced set menu and the food and service were good.

Came here to fine in for first time and it was delicious, service was good and got to meet Giancarlo Caldesi himself when we dined in

Everytime we dine here its an absolute pleasure. The service Is welcoming,charming and efficient. The quality of the food is wonderful and we always leave smiling. 5* every day of the week. Super.

Amazing food! Great service and lovely restaurant

Wonderful restaurant with great service and food

Very enjoyable meal. We were a party of six, and we each had a variety of courses, all of which were very appetising. The staff are courteous and helpful and there is a nice ambience in the restaurant.

Delicious 😋 all the dishes are yummy and tasty, and their service is excellent 👌🏻

An utterly delicious restaurant, in a stunning part of Berkshire. Three courses for £48 without a supplement. The service were attentive without being intrusive. The three courses were all delicious, the highlight being the creamy tiramisu. The crab pasta is also fantastic, alongside the grilled sea bass. They also have excellent sommelier wine glasses, all the better to drink out of! A treat for any occasion.

This is a great restaurant. It has the combination of exceptional food with a non stuffy friendly service. Their dishes are prepared to such authenticity with fresh seasonal ingredients. Pasta dishes were exceptional and seafood super fresh.The house wine was exceptionally good and service from Giorgia attentive and friendly.

Best authentic Italian restaurant, Giorgia is the most lovely and welcoming lady ever, Manuela always picked the best wine for each plate I ate, and chef Gregorio delivered outstanding food, I loved every single bite of my meal. 11/10 definitely recommend.

The delightful staff were attentive and welcoming. We were greeted personally by the chef and found all the food to be pleasant.

Made my mum feel special on her 88th Birthday. I think it says it all when there are 7 clean plates.

Delicious lunch very much enjoyed by all who were present

fabulous food. made and served with care and passion in a homely atmosphere.

I think that my star rating says it all. Have been here before, and the restaurant never disappoints. Tuscan food at its best, and I should know, as I was born in Tuscany.

My favourite restaurant. Fantastic food and staff

I was planning a family surprise dinner for end of school term. I was put off by the rudeness of the receptionist who answers the phone. What does it mean someone speak to you in English and you answer in Italian? Or I ask in English and you respond in Italian? Very rude - maleducati!

The Sea Bass ravioli was lovely and the highlight of our family dinner along with the pleasant and attentive staff. The parpadelle ragu was lovely but we were a surprised it was minced beef and not shredded slow cooked beef as the staff suggested. The burrata was spoiled by the fridge cold tomatoes which stifled all their flavour - a basic error in my view. The potato cake had a hefty handful of salt which the chef acknowledged was a mistake but spoilt a lovely lamb dish. And most of the shellfish in the seafood soup had unopened or cracked shells. Maybe my expectations were too high but this meal was not the wonderful end to a month in England from Australia that my family and I had hoped for. We will not be back next time we visit Bray.

Excellent cuisine and warm welcome. To try

Went here for dinner first vist and somewhere I've wanted to go for years. It didn't disappoint very relaxing atmosphere and friendly staff. The food was fabulous lots of seafood on the menu with a few daily specials. It's not cheap however £260 for the 2 of us 3 courses, bottle of wine and cocktail. However I wouldn't say expensive for food of this quality. Will definitely be back.

A bit noisy, food is fine for price point

Great service and excellent food. Price was a bit elevated although that probably reflects the 7 Michelin stars in the same village.

The food although excellent is overpriced for what it is. One can only assume that the high prices are passed on to the very attentive staff.

Great food! Ordered the salmon carpaccio, lamb cutlet and bomboloni. My only critique is that the bomboloni needed a lot more of the amazing vanilla custard!

Always a fabulous visit to this friendly neighbourhood Italian. Right from the start you are treated specially. Of course the the food is wonderful but very much a complete experience. Thank you Giancarlo for a great team. Creating an excellent an enjoyable time comes from the top.

Incredible food and fantastic service! 👌🏽

Outstanding lunch. All dishes were perfect, and fantastic that Signor Caldesi introduced himself and explained his recipes. Outstanding Chianti Classico. A wonderful experience. We look forward to returning.

The perfect birthday dinner! An elevated dining experience featuring exceptional service and authentic Italian flavours (and a few surprises). We dined on a Wednesday to enjoy “Pasta Wednesday” menu (£25pp for 3 pastas to share, family-style). Drink recommendations: prosecco, montepulciano, pinot grigio- all were perfect. Pasta recommendations (my partner is pescatarian): penne with hot smoked salmon flambéed with chili vodka and cream (served with a chili vodka shot!), Caldesi’s famous seabass ravioli in a butter and lemon sauce, fettuccini with wild mushrooms.. all stunning! Dress code: smart casual. The staff were fantastic- warm and attentive. Giancarlo Caldesi was kind enough to pop by the table to welcome us and share the meaning of a few personal items displayed on the wall… loved how fresh focaccia was offered with every pasta dish to do ‘scarpetta’ .. and believe me the sauce flavours are so good you’ll want to wipe each plate clean! This is the type of establishment that takes pleasure in going the extra mile. I loved our dining experience from start to finish and look forward to returning in the future with friends and family.

Their vegan options are very poor, all I got for a main was a sad plate of grilled vegetables. If as a chef/owner you really love food then how hard can it be to put one proper vegan dish on the menu, which includes a good source of protein? Therefore it seems to me that the kitchen and/or owner doesn’t seem to care about food that everyone can enjoy. When the owner was touching my shoulders while he chatted with the group I felt so uncomfortable. Also the decor is very tacky. Would never recommend this place to anyone.

Fabulous food. Excellent attentive service. Enjoyed every minute we were there. Thank you guys (non gender expression) for a lovely day.

Finally found a decent place to eat not far from Maidenhead! Very clean place with Italian people working and being very polite and clearly knowing what they doing. Food was great. It took us about 2 months to book a table (we can only do Sunday) but it was worth it. We are coming back this Easter for more Caldesi vibe :) also owner approached us, introduced himself and had a little chat. I love it.

We met friends for lunch today in your lovely restaurant. It was a superb lunch and for me with Coeliac disease , I could not have been looked after more kindly Giancarlo came to our table to greet us and our nice young man who waited in us could not have been more solicitous . Food …sublime l had scallops then steak and grilled vegetables …ice cream and beautiful GF petit fours Thank you all for our wonderful lunch …it made our visit to Bray extra special .

Lovely food and lovely staff. I recommend the chocolate fondant 😋

Brilliant Italian food. Just like in Italy.

Fabulous lunch. Food superb. Service great. Highly recommend for that special occasion.

Marvellous place, amazing food, we will come back for sure. The Tuscany Cacciucco is the best evere!!!!

This restaurant is amazing, the food was top tier and the service was incredible. As a warm up we got these little snacks on the house, as well as bread and oil. We honesty felt very welcomed and couldn’t have asked for anything else.

Simply divine. Best Italian restaurant in the UK, in my humble opinion!

Food was beautiful. Wholesome Italian food at its finest. Staff did their best but was difficult for them to be fully attentive! But lovely time was all round.

Wow! Only just got back from dinner at Caldesi and it was such a great meal and evening, I had to write a review (which I rarely do). The waiters were fantastic and catered to our every need, even with a large party next to us, we were never left waiting or having to ask for anything. The food didn’t disappoint either! They gave us complimentary arancini balls which were amazing. I had the slow cooked beef and my girlfriend had the sea bream. We would highly recommend both! The starters and doughnuts for desert were amazing as well! If you are in Bray, you have to try Caldesi!

Superb. Staff were attentive without being annoying, portions were just enough and the choice was enough but not mind numbingly confusing. Booked to come here after travelling from Bristol and it lived up to the hype. Even met the owner on the way to the men's room, don't hear that every day!

Superb evening with Giancarlo celebrating Piemontese cuisine (which turned out to be so rich we couldn't finish it). Fantastic atmosphere and excellent service. Highly recommend any future regional cuisine evenings with Giancarlo. (PS fabulous wine list)!

Wednesday pasta eve. Food lovely although a few issues sorting out garlic and gluten allergies. But service very slow and lots of chasing required

Amazing food. Everything is fresh and beautifully seasoned and presented.

100% Italian food and service can’t wait to visit again

I visited here for a birthday meal with my wife. It's a traditional Italian restaurant, the food is absolutely amazing. I opted for Lobster linguine special as my main and it was something spectacular.

If ever one needs to go to Italian heaven, this is the place! Superbly crafted Italian food, served delicately and with immense passion!

Great service, even better food, the place is an utter gem.

Lovely restaurant, beautiful pasta, service excellent very attentive.

A very good Italian restaurant, fine service, excellent food. Juste enjoy. From a customer frm France.

Nice lunch, good balance twixt formal/informal.

Tasty food, great service, unfortunately caused a terrible bout of diarrhoea a couple of hours later for both of us. Suspect it was the salmon carpaccio.

We went for lunch today, really good food and excellent attentive staff.

I don’t understand all the good reviews, think it is a 2 star max. The veal is really bad with a very strange texture

Fabulous meal, calamari starter was wonderful, as was the chicken breast nail and the Bomboloni dessert. Every course was beautifully cooked and presented, the service was wonderfully friendly, attentive and not intrusive, the white wine (the Verdicchio) was served at just the right temperature and was delicious. All in all a wonderful place for dinner, very pleasant surroundings and a excellent service all round. Heartily recommended.

Amazing Village location. The welcome and service just exemplary. Fabio served us and the care taken so good. The quality of mains and desserts was excellent and tasty too. Must come place if you wish to be treated well. Had a surprise Birthday dessert too.

Fabulous! Food, wine, service all top notch - can't wait to go there again.

One if the best meals I have ever had. Two of us had lunch: beef carpaccio which melted in the mouth, pecorino timballo, calve's liver, halibut, tiramusu, marsala semifreddo. Plus wine, coffee, mint tea. Fabulous food, lovely friendly service, great and comfortable location. Thoroughly recommended and very much looking forward to going there again.

Excellent food. Staff very friendly and attentive. Definitely recommend

Friendly and the food amazing.. we have been going back for the last seven years.. every year better than the last!!

It's a really good and nice Italian. We went here for anniversary and everything was perfect. Very nice ambience and location was romantic. Perfect for date nights!

Lovely food and atmosphere very relaxed. Only criticism would be the coffee for an Italian restaurant I thought it was poor.

Amazing food, the setting is lovely and quiet.

This is my second visit now and the foot is still absolutely fantastic along with the service, this is the perfect restaurant!

Amazing food, good value for price, great location. Perfect for a date or a family dinner. One of the best places in the area!

Fabulous place. Love Mr Caldesi and the staff. Outstanding food

I was looking forward to coming here for a while as moved to the area just before lockdown. Had ordered a couple of takeaways during that period and had been impressed by the quality of the food. Had a well made cocktail on arrival, service was good and a nicely made and presented starter. The big down side was we had to leave half way through the main course due to a fish bone being lodged in my wife’s throat. She had a main of mixed seafood inc some sea bass (I would say) presented as a fillet. There was no warning during the service of this that there were serious bones to look out for. When we got home I managed to get the bone out with tweezers and a torch , it was about an inch long. So paying for two courses but eating/enjoying one and leaving half a bottle of wine not drunk somewhat soured the experience. During what obviously an uncomfortable situation for my wife the staff were polite and caring but ultimately it was presented as the diners risk. I’ll leave others to decide if this is acceptable, I’m really not sure either way. It was a shame. Perhaps these things happen.

Great food and first class service.

Loved everything about it. Delicious food, excellent service and lovely surroundings.

Amazing food service and setting.

The best Italian restaurant in the UK!

Everything was perfect from serving,atmosphere and food!

Great genuinely authentic Italian food in bray. If you’re in the area and fancy something other than the Michelin star pubs around, then this is a great choice. The flavours were excellent, pasta perfectly made, and great service to boot. Will be coming back soon I’m sure. 17/20

Delicious food and amazing service. We will be back soon and I’ll recommend to everyone I know!

Very tasty food prepared and served by wonderful people. Don't rush. Commonly booked well in advance. Dress smart, casual.