Carluccio's in Cambridge

Everything was fine, here you can eat delicious food and not too expensive.

Excellent variety of comfort food!

Didn't have time to try, waited nearly 10 min at the door when the waiter said to give 3 min, we gave up when he stopped at another table to take pictures.

First time at Carluccio in Cambridge, excellent service, seated straight away, staff were attentive, food arrived quickly, great customer service, what a credit to Carluccio mgt team- should be proud..I will definitely come, I work for NHS( biggest employer in UK), I will recommend to my colleagues and NHS countrywide..excellent food and service

Wouldn’t really recommend. Food is overly priced. Service is not great - got our order wrong on 3 separate occasion. Charged a service fee of 12.5% despite it being below average service.

Only place open before 12:00 on a Sunday, pretty average you know what you get with carluccios really don't you. Safe bet? Overall it was okay. However we were the only ones in the restaurant and they still got the number of drinks wrong twice. They then proceeded to charge us way over what we should have been because they didn't apply the relevant discounts as per the menu and just did not seem bothered when we called it out. Check your receipts. People you're going to pay over the odds if they get it wrong! With the number of options around Cambridge, I'm not sure I'll come back to be honest.

The service was incredible there is a Brazilian/Italian lady forgot her name was most helpful kind and welcoming and others in the restaurant also was good beats pizza express any day of the week the pizza is crispy and better quality ingredients

Fantastic breakfast, friendly and efficient staff, would recommend.

Nice food, and the service was good too. The restaurant could do with a makeover.

surprised by how expensive food is for its portion. At the end of the meal the slip says if you come back again in 4 weeks main will be 50% off, I think this says it all. The meals are overpriced, heating wasn't on, not even hot water is available in the bathroom, so they are penny pitching and I won't visit again.

Lovely lunch (Seafood Linguine) here yesterday, February 27th. The service was excellent and Claudia was very friendly and helpful. Definitely somwhere I'd visit again when in Cambridge.

Good food, however the service needs to be greatly improved. Twice I had to get up to actually get someones attention, we were asked if we would like any sauces etc. with our main which we said yes to and gave our requests, this was completely forgotten about. Whilst the staff are polite they need to be way more attentive especially when the restaurant is not overly busy.

I was in town on my own and wanted a quick drink and snack and I was really pleased that I chose Carluccios. The manageress who I think was called Gloria was amazing, she made me feel welcome and comfortable, Leo my waiter said he was ‘learning the job’ but he was great, friendly and very attentive. I enjoyed my Bellini, olives and bruschetta though to be honest I would have liked a bit more garlic oil on that. I will be back for a meal now I know how welcoming the place is.

The service was excellent and the staff lovely, the steak was delicious but one steak had lots of gristle and some of the mixed salad wasn’t fresh. The choice of wines was nice and we were asked if we wanted water (which we don’t always get asked). The restaurant was lovely and clean and spacious. We would eat here again.

I have dined in Carluccio's in my local town until it closed some years ago and on our monthly excursion to Cambridge we always eat there. We have seen a steady decline in staff and therefore service, although the food quality has always been good. This week the service was appalling and hygene standard were poor. We always arrived a few minutes after 2pm as the lunchtime rush is ending and the service is better. We were greeted by the manageress and we pointed to a table away from the others customers as we recently had a bad experience from covid and prefer to keep our distance when dining. We pointed to a table that was suitable and she cleared and clean the table and led us to it. After ten minutes and still given no menus we went to the reception and helped ourselves. Five minutes later a young man came and took our order. Whilst we were waiting the manageress came over and laid the table with cutlery, we were appalled that she handles them not from the handle but the front. My wife had seen her previously cuff her nose with the back of her hand. We asked for tap water to wash them, rather than make a fuss and the lad brought them over holding them with his fingers close to the top. The food was good as always, but when asking for the bill I told him about three, one metre streaks of mud daubed across the window where we were seated ( I took a photo ) and that it was unpleasant for anyone sitting there. He said I'll get the window cleaner to remove them when he next comes in !! Does health and safety stop him from picking up hot water and a cloth and cleaning it ! I went to the counter to pay and I got notes out to pay as I prefer not to use credit cards. I was told we don't accept cash. I said why is a notice not put on the door or in bold letters on the menu. By luck I had my card, only because it is needed for the car park. I was asked by the manageress when we were leaving if we enjoyed our meal and we said we would not becoming back again, her reply was I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it, I'll take something off the bill next time. Do you think I will be going back ? Dear old Carluccio would turn in his grave if he knew the standards his beloved restaurant chain has fallen to. I doubt you will be around in a couple of years. I notice on the website there is no way of contacting your company, although I found an address. So, I wrote a review on Trust pilot, but like every other review they ignored it. I then emailed the company and they ignored that. Tells you everything.

Nice place for coffee and dolce🥮

Sunday morning coffee while waiting for something to open at noon: peaceful bistro-type space, nice people, beautiful macchiato 🇮🇹🍝🙂

Not the Carluccio’s I experienced 20yrs ago, this experience was more like a burger chain diner. Freezing cold on a damp February evening, we sat with coats on. Bruschetta - piece of dry toast with cut up tomatoes on, not much seasoning, literally tomatoes out of the salad drawer chopped in half and chucked in toast. I probably made the wrong choice in having a chicken burger as it was overcooked, tasteless, thrown in a bun with a bit of rocket served with a pail of the skinniest - freezer to fryer - fries I’ve have ever had. The meal was expensive for what it was at £45ph (one drink each) I feel we’d have got the same going to Five Guys for 50 quid less! Will never visit this chain again!

Great to see they have survived their problems from a few years back and are still doing a really good job of being an authentic Italian and not feeling like a chain. Food, ambience and staff all excellent Grazie!

Such a nice surprise, restaurant so much better than described in its reviews. Staff so friendly, great selection of food and not overprized, everything was really tasty. We loved it, will come back!

Friendly and welcoming with a good selection of food.

Claudia & Sieve was really and helpful and the atmosphere was amazing and they were so helpful. One thought wad the size of the portions. May e Carluccios can look at making the pasta dishes bigger. Otherwise a fantastic afternoon and really lovely food and atmosphere. Thanks guys will be back again xx

Nothing Italian. The pizza was ok. The good thing was that They accommodate us without a booking. Also they miss a past of the order and the manager took it off from the bill.

That is just a very touristic place that is highly overpriced for what it offers. Food and atmosphere do look nice but it is tasteless.

Visited as part of my Christmas Shopping lunch. Very busy as expected but service was smooth and timely. Menu and food quality were extremely good. Have never been disappointed.

A lovely meal at Carluccio's in Cambridge. Friendly and professional service. Excellent chicken Milanese - lovely crispy breadcrumb coating - piping hot fries (crisp outside and fluffy inside as they should be). Good coffee (rich and strong) - and a delicious brownie with pistachio ice cream. The Giardiniera pasta was also (apparently) delicious. Pleasantly spacious dining area too with high ceilings so there's a gentle sound of background chatter from other diners without drowning out your own table's conversation.

Great food and service. We’ve never been disappointed with the food. Every time we go to Cambridge we go to this particular restaurant just because of the lovely atmosphere and staff. We feel welcome and the staff are always attentive to our needs. The Brazilian lady( sorry forgot your name) is so kind and her smile and friendliness makes us want to come again. Will come soon again

Very untidy, slow service except for 1 waiter Leo who I believe it was his 2nd day. Food was very poor, Sent 2 meals back. There were 4 in our party only 1 thought his food was OK. Sorry but I will not be returning

Had cooked breakfasts, tea and coffee which were on the whole very good and tasty , slightly disappointed had to ‘chase’ someone to take the order , and had to ‘chase’ for butter and tomato sauce, hence 4* not 5* 🥓 🍳 🍞

Nearly ten pounds for a tiny glass of white wine. OUTRAGEOUS. Food was OK, if not spectacular, and the service was erratic without being rude. No drinks menu given, so we walked into the trap of ordering drinks without being warned on price. I think this growing trend of places charging ridiculous amounts for a thimble-full of the plonkiest plonk is just tiresome.

Incredibly slow food, lots of people complaining. One person on floor who knows what they are doing, ready were away with the fairies. Managment not really getting involved. Shame as the food is better than the other Italian chains

Lovely little cafe. Slow service but drinks were great and food looked good too

Very tasty food and very friendly service. I recommend it 100%

Pleasant service, despite a large crowd (theatre) we still found a table for 2 and quick service. Sufficient choice of (almost) Italian cuisine. Short stay in Cambridge, chosen again a second time (with other guests); immediate discount calculated (although unsolicited, but were recognized from a previous visit! :-) ) It's special that there are also bad reviews, which I don't recognize! Was I that nonchalant, or are the other guests that picky?

Worst antipasta & bruschetta I’ve ever had.

Strange Menu Looks like an authentic Italian restaurant but actually is not at all. The restaurant had a lot of non Italian style cakes in the display. The menu provided American style burgers too. Weird. Has packed ink pasta for sale too. Slightly disappointed that the restaurant does not put ink pasta into their menu. Found a mini leaf on the table when being seated. The staff must be too busy at different tables therefore missed the details. Saturday was always busy anyway. The menu is quite limited, just standard. The pasta does taste like made from stretch like Aromi does. More like pulled out from a bag, I am not sure. But still, the dishes tastes fine, Standard flavour that suits everyone. Just the portions were a bit too small. Just little confused that the restaurant provides so much non Italian dishes and desserts. Why not focus on the Italian menu? Weird.

Visited on Saturday evening the restaurant was very busy but we had a really enjoyable dinner, very attentive staff and great atmosphere specially the lady manager with long hair she was very professional , kind and respectful I would definitely go back again and I would recommend this restaurant 100%.

This place was not very busy and I put it down to people may be knowing that the staff are not very attentive, atmosphere isn't great as its not that busy, loos are not great. Our main meal was defo not a main meal and at practically £17 a piece of chicken and a few mini roast potatoes, although very tasty, was not filling and when mentioned to staff we were told that normally people have it after a starter and before a dessert, however this could be said for other main meals which were much better and had veg included in the cost, which our chicken dish did not. Wouldn't bother going to another Carluccios.

Easy to get to, very pleasant decor and the staff were brilliant. The food was tasty and well presented. My only disappointment was the portion size for the money. Mine was fine but my wife's was disappointing.

Lovely restaurant with good choice of meals for lunchtime snacks.

Great food, friendly staff and lovely place. Ideally situated for a bit to eat before events at the Corn Exchange.

We four, with a little baby in tow, enjoyed a super meal. It was the best lasagne I have had! The staff were baby friendly and attentive.

Good range of food and the pizza was tasty. Service a little slow but very apologetic.

Had a lovely bit of carrot cake, and a hot chocolate, but maybe a bit bigger cup for the chocolate 👍

Not quite as good as it once was nut still very enjoyable

Ordered the Carlucios burger. Bad choice. It's wasn't greasy, it was disgusting and slimey. Grey, snot coated might have identified as beef at birth, burger. Tolerated it till last few bites. My mistake. But what are the options? Ask the can't be arsed waiter to take it back? No. The reality with restaurants is, if the chef is unprofessional enough to send out the original sub standard order, if he is informed that it's awful, he will not send out his best. And the customer runs the risk of receiving a new meal plus the additional input of " chefs special ingredients " that is, spit. Or worse. Long story short. I paid the bill. No request for cost reduction. I ate the item. The house overheads remain so I paid. But the food was DISGUSTING . My bowel told me that for 3 days. Avoid this restaurant, they REALLY don't care

Needed to get some paperwork done so stopped here for a pot of tea and some water. I was allowed to stay for as long as I liked. Very friendly.

Very average. Nothing to complain about and nothing to particularly praise. It was very convenient to where we were and I was hungry. Overall a win on the day.

Really enjoyable lunch with my Dad. The staff were attentive and helpful. Providing assistance when required for my elderly father. The food was delicious and delivered promptly and hot. The restaurant was busy on a Saturday afternoon, but the atmosphere was calm, relaxing and overall really enjoyable to eat in. Would definately visit again.

Very pleasant lunch time lemoncello spritzer.

A pleasant place for a meal, but the menu and food as a whole should improve

The restaurant was a mess! The waiters walk around all the time, nobody knows what to do while the costumers wait to make their orders or to receive their food! We had to ask several times do make our order and all waiters asked us to wait a little longer. Once the food finally arrived, the carbonara plate was so small, it came with less pasta than the kids version! Our drinks (juices and tap water) came almost after the main course! It was unbelievable! If you look around the restaurant you can see many tables not even clean after the exit of the costumers. I do not recommend it.

Antonio Carluccio would turn in his grave if he saw how bad this restaurant has become. Slowest service ever. and way too expensive and add a £10 service charge even though there was no service.

Food was OK, but the service was lacking. Expensive for what it was. Probably won't go again...

Experience based on 2 diners eating on a Saturday lunchtime. Excellent food, really delicious. Attentive staff who are also very friendly providing excellent service. Will definitely visit again.

Good food and nice service. The food was served fairly quickly and tasted good The premises were clean and well maintained but not cozy in any way. Fast food atmosphere.

Lovley food reasonable prices very welcoming and great service

We were in Carluccio's for the fourth time and were very satisfied again. There is a fairly large selection of food, vegetarians and vegans can also find something to eat here. The quality of the food is very good, we have always eaten well. The service can be improved, it could be faster. Especially in between, hardly anyone asks if you need anything else. If you wave, the staff will be there straight away. We have always found the staff to be helpful and friendly. We also like the ambience. We like sitting by the window and looking out at the beautiful Corn Exchange building. It's a bright place with lots of light, which you don't get that often in Cambridge.

Over priced, and charge service charge jokers ,not italian at all ,these restaurant all went in to administration but some how this one still got the name .definitely won't be going again avoid going

Slow service and quite plain food sadly. Seemed like there weren't enough staff.

Good food, excellent waiting staff. We were on a tight timetable and our server kept everything on time.

One of the best breakfast I had in a very long time.

The food was delicious. The ambiance was special. The employees were very kind.

Lovely food, great staff but however prices have risen

Fab food great great service A must when in Cambridge

Excellent service last night. One of our party had a long list of dietary requirements, and the staff were exceptional in accommodating these and checking and rechecking that the food that was served was appropriate. Thank you.

I visited here on saturday evening with my friends it was great experience service was great food wss great the manager mazz who took care was very super great kudos wish too dine in soon thank you mazz for the wonderful service.

Do not take cash so won't return

Haven’t been to this restaurant in years. Back in the day is was an ok Italian chain. Boy has this chain lowered the bar. Service was slow. Very slow. We ordered carbonara, which when it eventually turned up was quite possibly the worst I have ever tasted. It was inedible. Hardly any sauce, the “meat” (I use the term loosely), was full of gristle and smelled and tasted of rancid fat. In fairness they did credit us for that part of our meal, but £18 for a lemonade a wine and a small bowl of olives … the restaurant (Monday lunchtime in a busy city centre) was pretty empty, yet meals took forever to arrive. The ladies’ toilets: one marked out of order, the second with no toilet paper, the hand dryer not working and a disconcertingly sticky floor, third with a working dryer but minimal paper. The gents looked as if it hadn’t been cleaned in some considerable time.. Needless to say this was our last visit.

Tried this restaurant the other day, as it was highly recommended. Sorry but it's not all that it's cracked upto be. Very average food, staff kept hovering around while eating, very annoying......

The food at this place is amazing. Staff is very polite specially the lady Caludia who served us she is very nice. The food looks amazing and it has good stomach filling portion. Had an amazing time

Delicious food and friendly staff.

Terrible service, over an hour between finishing starter and main, this was only after reminding them we were still waiting several times. Food was bland. No discount offered, would recommend anywhere but here.

Nice, ice cream was good but shop too crowded, staff seemed a bit overwhelmed.

Booked for Saturday lunchtime meal. Enjoyed a chilly , garlic, prawn starter followed by thin crust prosciutto pizza. Lovely prawns, good pizza. Some ingredients were unavailable for cocktails, so limited choice of drinks. No draught beer, but bottled Peroni available in 330ml or 660ml. Good friendly staff here with good food made for an enjoyable lunch, thanks.

Usual lovely meal and service. My only quibble was that the risotto was a little too salty.

202405 dropping one star because of the lazy chef. The Arancini is lovely. Crunchy, not too oily, meting, not too heavy. Delightfully flavored and tastes good without the spicy tomato sauce (which tastes nice on its own too, but they somehow don’t get along.) The main dish came super slow. We spent 40 minutes waiting. (Eavesdropping: the chef is “feeling lazy” so the staff has to send back the defect calamari lol) Grilled prawns are not bad. The grilling part is done well although the prawns themselves may not be quite fresh. Chicken Milanese sees quite dry today too. Service is confused and slow. — 2-Chicken Milanese. Lightly breaded and crunchy. Not too dry or greasy. Good source of protein. It is more filling than the ragu parpadelle, though I like them both. (Ragu us more flavorful and lighter of course. The chicken breast may need the extra help of salt and pepper. Hope there was more rosemary. A little busy for lunch today but food came fast and service is welcoming and mostly friendly. Again pretty decent for the half price. —- Pretty adequate and not too filling for a pre-workout meal. It might not be as meaty as a meat dish, but the visible chunks of beef is about if not above average pasta portions. And it did arrive piping hot. The Ragu is tomatoey and flavorful. Pappardelle is a bit narrower than expected (it’s the standard— I prefer wider;) but the rough texture really holds the sauce. Service is friendly and the wait isn’t too long. The venue is spacious and not too crowded in the early evenings. I was skeptical about the chain store at the grande arcade corner, but with the 50% off main course deal it’s quite nice. Will be coming again with discounts :3

Very good food. The staff are exceptionally welcoming and friendly!

Amazing service from Kinga! Police, friendly and really made a difference!!!

Had a fantastic lunch today! Due to a tiny glitch with timing we were given a great discount on our meals. Fantastic service and really great food. Highly recommend this delightful restaurant x will definitely be back!

Staff were extremely nice and helpful!!

The food is probably OK, nothing extraordinary. The place lacks however the most important ingredient of any Italian restaurant: heart and spirit

The food is amazing, but unfortunately, staff doesn't know what they are doing. We didn't feel welcome from the first step. Starters came with mains, when we finished our food, empty plates, mugs never been taken from our table, no one came and asked if we want anything else, like dessert or drinks.

One of the better Italian restaurants in Cambridge, spacious and airy, regular friendly staff, love the carpaccio and the risotto. Good coffee too

Apologies for such a long message but feel our experience was so bad we had to share the details. Food was to the usual standard for this company (average), no complaints at all. We arrived on Saturday 20th around 3:30pm, the restaurant was not busy (<25% full). We had to wait at the entrance for about 5mins until we were able to get the attention from a member of staff who told us to wait to be seated by ‘maitre de’. Eventually the ‘maitre de’ showed us to a table. The restaurant was fairly empty, so I asked if we could sit near a window - she proceeded to tell me and my husband to “sit wherever” and walked off. No one came to take our order so we had to find a member of staff to ask to come to our table. Food and drinks were then served promptly, which was great. Whilst eating we observed many other customers facing similar issues with a lack of basic service. A family group had waited so long to be seated they decided to seat themselves and were then challenged by the waiting staff why they were sat there. The family ordered drinks and left. There was plenty of waiting staff (I think abut 8 or so) but they were not organised and just kept arguing with each other in front of customers or chatting to one another ignoring customers. We also observed the ‘maitre de’ eating bits of food almost every time she entered the back service room (visible to customers) where customer meals were waiting to be served. Understandable staff need to have a break but this member of staff was eating (in full visibility of the restaurant) whilst still serving. She was picking bits of food to eat with her hands and then cutting up bread (with her hands/not using a cloth to hold the bread), to then serve to customers without washing her hands! She did this on several occasions. Another staff member was sat at a table in the restaurant eating a meal - clearly no issue whatsoever with this. She was clearly on a break and not serving customers or touching customers food/plates. The “maitre de” also kept shouting loudly at the serving staff in full view of customers. Terrible experience.

Popped for something quick to eat before going shopping. It was fairly busy 1.30 in afternoon. Food was good bit pricey though.

Really nice food and lots of free space in the evening. No booking required. It did feel a tad empty so it a lot of vibe, it otherwise excellent experience. Tuna tartar & fungi risotto recommended.

Service painfully slow food average service charge 12.5% not good value for money.

The food was delicious, and served to a high standard. Slightly high price, but the food is worth it. All the waiters were very friendly and attentive. Nice atmosphere and not too crowded. I would recommend.

Absolutely amazing. Great food, friendly happy stuff - hard to see it anywhere else those days. Thank you guys, keep it that way.

Great food and service. Highly recommend the seafood risotto and seafood pasta!

Great food great service and 50% of next main in 4 weeks on the receipt

We only had coffee which was fine, the location is good. Sadly v short staffed, waiting to be seated when only a third full seemed unnecessary.. Service was slow and the two staff looked fed up, like someone hadn’t showed up for work and they had to cover. If there was more staff or the ones there smiled it would have made a huge difference.

Waited an hour for our food and had to ask where it was. It wasn’t even busy at the time. Also had to wait 10 minutes to be seated even though we had booked in advance.

Quality and Quantity doesn’t match the cost. Too expensive

I love Italian food and especially salad topped with extra virgin olive oil

Normally it's good, but this time the meal was very slow and late. Not great when you have hungry young children.

Food was cold, had to ask 3 times for a drink and our puddings came out still frozen.

Service was very slow, took 10 min before we got service and 25 min before we got our pasta.

Yes it is true, so are you ready to hear the truth? It is indeed accurate. Allow me to share the details. On an exceptionally rainy day, I found myself clad in a raincoat, urgently in need of the restroom. The middle-aged woman, with black hair and a brunette demeanor, expressed discomfort through her sarcastic and peculiar gaze. In situations of immediate necessity, it is preferable to politely decline rather than acquiesce with an unenthusiastic demeanor. Later, upon encountering her outside, she sported a contented smile while puffing on her cigarette. Having originated from Istanbul, I arrived in Cambridge 12 years ago, I received an invitation from a British company professionally. and presently engage in professional endeavors at the behest of a British company. Revisiting Cambridge serves as an opportunity to rekindle fond memories. Regards,