Carluccio's - Bluewater in Dartford

We were a group of 14 and had lunch on 30 March. Delia looked after us. The service was good and we felt very welcome. Delia was very patient and friendly. Even though we did a pre-order it was no problem for those who didn’t put an order for starters/desserts for them to order theirs. We had a toddler with us and it was also no problem when we asked for the toddler’s food to be served first. Whatever we wanted there was no issues. The only small criticism is the fries were very oily. Would have preferred thick chips. But would definitely eat here again.

Good food .I had the duck the meat fell off the bone,my wife had the lasagne she loved it ,she is hard to please. The staff were friendly and helpful.

We went today about 2pm at the entrance was a man we asked for able for 9 people he said he don't have a table he was absolutely not welcoming. I walked inside I saw I big table that was empty I asked a lady if that table is available she said yes.i went outside and I asked the man if he can move us inside but he said the table was booked. I felt he just don't want to have us so I asked for the manager. The manager walked to me and I started to explain that we felt unwelcoming and that the man was trying to be tricky.While I was explaining to the manager he came to us and started to interrupt sever times so I asked him to stop so I can explain to theanager but instead he laughed at my face. Manager did not react to his reaction but instead tried to be difficult too. I asked her what's the name of man but she refused and said do we wanna sit or make this more difficult and go down the hill.so we sit. At the end I asked the lady who was serving us, she was lovely but she also refused to give his name. At the time he was the only man serving.Don't be in hospitality if you absolutely hate being welcoming! inflated sense of self-importance! At the end no one apologized and everyone ignores us on the way out! Absolutely disgusting!

Food was great, good GF options, great Spinach balls cooked by Alex! Marc was equally fabulous. Will return.

Amazing atmosphere, service and food.

I went with a friend last week to Carluccios in Bluewater, where I have been many times before, but prior to covid. The food used to be brilliant then, but now it was bland and luke warm. My friend had a Tuna salad, which she said was the worst salad she has ever had. The quality of the food has gone downhill, although the cost seems to have increased. We both agreed that we would not dine there again. Very disappointing!

I came here today as I needed a place to give my 1 year old boy his lunch. The waitress very kindly found me a space with ample room for a high chair and his pram, I only ordered a Mocha, so they didn't make much money out of me! But they were kind and acted with compassion to give me the space I needed to feed my boy. I did say I'd come back with a tip (needed to find a cash point) but I really struggled to find one anywhere in Bluewater! If anyone from Carluccio's reads this, please let me know how I can provide a tip after the event or perhaps donate a little something to a charity you support? Thanks again, I'd be very happy to return as a proper 'eating' guest next time!

Great food, lovely ambience & amazing staff. Jenny went above & beyond in serving us. We love coming here as a family for lovely breakfast & lunch options. Love their Ravioli & pizza too. Their coffee is a must try as well. Sometimes they do set breakfast menu, which is always the best. Highly recommend this place for an Italian eat out.

Had a nice breakfast, great service 👌

Had a lunch time bruschetta and it was fine. Our waitress was very attentive.

Food was terrible, everything about it was so poor. We won't be going back .

Service was good, waitress nice and attentive. Food unfortunately was very average. Came out very quick and tasted like it was from the value isle at Tesco. Tough salad tomatoes, thinnest fries and calamari, meatballs sweet/tasteless and not meaty. This is the way all these chains have gone sadly (forget their routes GOOD FOOD)

Omg! Seafood risotto was brilliant, plenty of prawns. Recommend that dish if you like seafood. Chicken & mushroom risotto is tasteless. Coffee is tasty! Pizzas is so juicy. Pasta is okay. Tuna salad is so healthy, people who is on diet. I recommend tuna salad. Tiramisu taste wasn’t good but panna cotta is so tasty!!! Let me know what do think 🤔 of their dishes….

Great food, great service. Another lovely evening out.

Great good, great service. Had a lovely time

Great place to eat, had a late lunch...very tasty and Panettone.

Carluccio's - Bluewater. The food is excellent, the service is excellent, our waitress - Francesca was informative, friendly and professional. We will back again, soon.

Food lovely. Staff friendly very nice.

Today I was in Bluewater Carluccio’s the seafood linguine was absolutely fantastic, loved the service and atmosphere will definitely be returning.

This place is nice and easy to get to and is a beautifully set restaurant. Considering the Tunbridge Wells branch recently closed, we decided to give this place some love. The service was fantastic and food arrived in record speeds. We chose their small meals offering which definitely wouldn't need bread on top as most dishes arrived with bread included. While being very tasty, I felt that some of the dishes lacked finesse - Unfortunately, I don't mean in the way you'd want from a rustic Italian affair. The bruschetta was possibly the biggest let down here. Sliced tomato quarters from around 8 tomatoes, unseasoned and strewn atop some struggling toast is not how I've ever remembered bruschetta being served. Perhaps I'm not Italian enough to know that is really how they eat it out there. Aside from this dish the food was wonderful for a lunchtime break. I didn't mind the price for most of what I was given and especially considering I didn't stick to their lunch menu offering. I would definitely return again, just don't order the bruschetta!

A late lunch that turned out to be afternoon tea … Echo a lot of the comments here about service and slowness of food … not a place to visit if you want to a quick lunch. 15 mins for water (tap) , nearly 45 mins for pasta... (this was after 2pm when the restaurant was only 1/3 full . waitresses seem to try their best, less so for those in the kitchen…pastas on the dry side, tasted bland . Very . mock tails ok. anywhere else in Bluewater would offer a better dining experience ! Wouldn’t bother to come back and I am not sure if many customers will …. Good luck !

A little expensive for what it is, but a good place to eat nevertheless. Make sure to visit at a time where there is an offer so you get better value for money. The pizzas are tasty, the lasagne is also good (although small), the seafood linguine is one of the bigger portions offered and the risotto is a little heavy on the sauce. The desserts are pricey but pretty tasty - the sharing trio attached was particularly delicious!

Diana was our waitress on NYE lunch, we had such a lovely experience from her and made us feel so welcome, can’t wait to go back. Thanks for a wonderful lunch.

Had breakfast here for the first time. Traditional breakfast was very tasty. The service was superb. The waitress, Tina, that served us was friendly, helpful and welcoming. Would highly recommend.

Had breakfast at Carluccio's Bluewater today. Food was nice and our waitress Christina was lovely

It’s always a pleasure to visit here for breakfast on Sunday morning. The food is always great and Christina made us feel welcome. Highly recommended.

Food took about 25 minutes to arrive. Burger was burnt and crunched when eaten. My pasta was bland and had a random piece of spaghetti in it??

All the staff saw people queueing outside and we were there for 20 mins before we got to front to be told 30-45 min wait and the empty tables were reserved. Could have told people when they saw the q build up , would have taken them a whole 30 seconds less. Very poor service and attitude

The service was very poor, it took 15 minutes for two bottles of water to arrive and 30 minutes for two cesar salads to arrive. Which was totally tastless, a few chunks of tastless unseasoned chicken a whole lettuce covered in a tastless white vinaigrette, the bacon bits were as hard as stone and looked like someone's tooth fillings. We ordered cheesy chips which were so cold the cheese wasn't even melted. The waitress came over to check on us and asked if everything was OK. I said no, in fact the salad was almost inedible, she offered to change the order, I replied that we didn't have 30 minutes to spare to wait for another inedible plate of below par food. To top it off is cost £48 for substandard food. We won't be going back.

I’ve been going to Carluccios since the first one opened and love it. I’ve been so sad to see so many close. But now I may understand why. I’ve just visited bluewater one and it’s open with diners and plenty of room. I was told we can’t take people in a very sulky way. No explanation as to why when I asked. Just a shrug. I don’t know many businesses these days who actively turn down custom. Very odd and disappointing.

Had a terrible experience at Carluccio’s Bluewater. First of all, at the entrance, we were told that the kitchen was closed and it was just 19:15 and the website says it is open till 20:00 on Boxing Day. Luckily, I had reserved a table for 2 for 19:30 and when I showed it to the staff she was dumbstruck and didn’t say anything and led us to our table. Then we ordered grilled Tuna steak with pasta and white sauce. We got the order soon enough but it was pasta on its own with white sauce separate. The tuna was dry as a bone and the whole food was tasteless and cold. Thought of literally throwing the plate but then the mistake was accepted and we got our pasta mixed with sauce but again food was bought cold. We didn’t have the energy to say anything more and finished with the food quickly and left to never return to this place again. We came to this branch many times before as the food is excellent here but not this time and we had the worst Boxing Day dinner after shopping ever. Hope the management takes notice and rectifies the necessities to run a restaurant. I mean I know it's the festive season but then if you don’t want to serve good food just close the door. The waitress eventually made up for the order by giving a discount on the final bill and apologised. It was all good at the end but the experience was forgettable.

Food poisoning after eating the lobster and crab

Arrived with the little one just before noon and there were just a few patrons. Ordered our food and 45 minutes later it still hadn't arrived. People that arrived after us received their food before us. Eventually we cancelled the order and left as we were running late.

Went to boots at Bluewater for a COVID booster, wanted a coffee but not from a fast food place. Came upon carluccios, knew it would be expensive from the table settings and the way the waitress was dressed. Got a much needed coffee, small cup but it was the best coffee we've had out for a long time. Looking forward to trying a meal there.

Unfortunately, I'm not impressed. The staff were friendly and polite but they didn't keep us informed about our food - we had to ask three times and we were eventually told was an issue with a new chef, and my husband and two year old were left waiting for ages (long after the rest of the food came) for their pizzas. My burger was overdone. The chips and ice cream were lovely and the kids menu was very reasonable. The manager did take £30 off our bill but still, we won't be going back any time soon!

Went or some lunch with family today, was greeted by Justyna who ensured we had a great table. Justyna got our drinks sorted straight away which was amazing as we have little ones. Kids menu was great and food was cooked perfectly. Would recommend to everyone to god to Carluccios Bluewater.

Popped in for some lunch with my son today (16/12/2023). We were greeted promptly and seated. Our service was outstanding from our waitress Tina. Food was delicious and very was available. Highly recommend carluccios at Bluewater.

Had to wait a long time to be served then sat a further 10 minutes waiting for a desert menu. The food was ok wouldn't come again

Absolutely love this place. Never disappoints.

Beautiful hamper, I was able to pick all my dad’s favourites for Christmas he will love it !!! Really kind staff aswell

Lovely restaurant, staff very helpful and great service

We come to Carluccio’s quite often and always find the staff welcoming and the food is great, you can tell the extra preparation that has been done by the freshness/taste. They also very accommodating of my son who is very food specific.

I love this restaurant and the food has a special taste. But I think it is shameful to receive such small portions of food for the amount paid.

Service took far too long...waited for a pot of tea for 40mins and cancelled in the end..food was good but nothing else was..NEVER AGAIN.

Dined on a quiet Monday night. Service was very slow (20 minute wait for 1 portion of panettone for example) but the staff were polite. Food was okay but not better than cooking at home. 2 dishes (Polenta main & Pannacotta) also missing from the menu on the start day of the week 🤔

Unfortunately not a fan of this restaurant. Came in with high expectations as it’s part of BRG (which in my opinion has the best burger restaurant in Gourmet Burger Kitchen) but left ultimately with an empty stomach and a disappointed girlfriend. Sitting down took forever, with no notice taken by any of the servers- the restaurant wasn’t even busy. When we eventually sat down, we were told that we had to sit in the ‘outside’ area (which really was slap bang in the middle of the shopping centre) due to it being fully booked. The dining experience was awful, as it didn’t have a restaurant feel, more like a food court. It was not fully booked- 3 tables were full and not a soul walked in when we were eating. Eventually we ordered from a very extensive menu (which sometimes can be a bad thing, and in this case was). Our food came- a Parma pizza and carbonara pasta. The pasta was not nice in the slightest- it was dry, with the bacon being overcooked and the pasta overcooked. We expected some sauce on top of it (which was advertised as such when we walked past a board a few minutes after leaving). The pizza was bearable at the best; dough base still seemed raw, with a weirdly thin layer of tomato sauce and lumps of cheese unevenly dumped on top. At the end of the day I ended up asking for the pasta to be taken off the bill; something I’ve never done before, but felt that unfortunately it was applicable this time. Ultimately it ended up being a very unpleasant dining experience. I thought that the service was very subpar, apart from our server Tina who was trying her best and was also very friendly. I was looking forward to some nice Italian food after a few hours of shopping, but it turned out to be poor Italian food- the sort your American friend claims they’re great at making because of their ‘Italian Roots’ when they actually visited the leaning tower of pisa in Las Vegas. All together, I can say for certain that I won’t ever be returning.

Veeery long waiting time, 1 hour to bring a soup, the soup and other foods came before the drinks, coffee already cold when arrived, I asked for something not spicy, they said of course, no problem, but came very spicy...Avoid if you want to not ruin your day

Very poor and slow service altogether we waited 1h, short-staffed probably, we asked for some items to be not spicy , they said it's possible sure, then of course everything was spicy

Had a great meal here. The goats cheese pizza was cooked perfectly and full of flavour and the chicken milanese burger was delicious too. We were looked after well by all staff too. Thank you.

Staff were amazing, but the food has gone seriously downhill. Nothing like how it was previously. I should of tried a pizza 🍕

On the day we visited there were a few issues with delays with our food arriving. However, Jenny could not have been more apologetic or communicative and made us feel valued despite the issues. I will go again and hope to be looked after by Jenny! The customer facing service is the most important thing.

Food was lovely, but what we wanted from the menu wasn't available. But the staff were great, the good we had was tasty and the timing was good

Great Food and a nice experience - would defo go again !

Food was delicious but was let down by uncomfortable chairs and slow service.

I was sitting for 5 minutes and nobody comes to attend us

Great Sunday morning breakfast, staff were super welcoming and the restaurant was nicely chilled for a sunday morning - highly recommend and a big thank you to Delia who served us - so attentive.

Delicious food and helpful friendly staff

Random visit… Amazing. Totally amazing. Every person had their own personality… wasn’t a clone chain.. Service and food wonderful. Please go if you get the chance. Lovely people, food and service 🥰

今日試了海鮮燴飯、千層肉醬麵、牛肉寬麵味道都可以但份量比較少但環境和氣氛都幾好可以和朋友詳談當然服務都唔錯

What shambles!! Yesterday even in Carluccio's for dinner, restaurant revelatory busy, got seated then waited and waited and waited. The service was slow, rubbish and our server well let's just say she didn't have a clue. Bug table next to us, some celebration were completely ruined evening, food coming out 1 by 1, or not received at all, just like us, we finally called for manager, as we just wanted to leave, and I have to say she saved it for Carluccio's yesterday, short black hair, I saw her go round couple of tables explaining and doing her best to fix the mess, we also saw her deal with the big table and I have to say, that's what customer service is about, she dealt with everyone as best she could, professional and humble to the mess caused to most of evening. If it wasn't for her would be putting in a complaint for sure! Manager saves the night by the looks of it for Carluccio's.

Food served on cold plate so was cold by the time I finished.

Very tasty food, really enjoyed eating by a lake it was very peaceful. There was a waitress with black hair, although I cannot remember her name, she was very helpful

I went yesterday for lunch and it was terrible. Do not go there.. it was as though the food was just dumped on the plate abd was made the day before. A complete rip off. I can't even give the food 1 star.

Poor service following barely edible food. Informed staff and no action taken. After visiting for years will firmly now never be back.

DO NOT COME FOR QUICK FOOD. We came at 12:45 and the food arrived at 13:23; service is very slow but it is not the waitress fault they were very nice. Food was fine 4stars-good portions

Food was delicious, though our calamari was a bit cold. Service was friendly and food came out quickly. We had five sharing plates and I'd say that was ample for the two of us

Staff are amazing best coffee in bluewater and they do takeaway 😀

Shame there is no Zero Stars. Had booked a table, arrived promptly, to find the front of house too busy chatting to staff to welcome us. After 5 minutes of waiting and making eye contact we were shown to a table. The tables next to us were still dirty even though the restaurant was 3/4 empty for a Saturday night. Another 20 minutes went past again making eye contact and wanting to place our order before finally someone arrived. Our order was taken, a further 15 minutes for drinks and 20 more minutes for starters. Again the tables beside us were not cleared. Staff were too busy chatting to take orders from the kitchen to tables. I asked if our mains would be ready soon, to be told “oh Yh, I forgot about those”. Food arrived and was average for the price point which was disappointing. Upon asking the manager for the bill a further 10 minutes passed. And when I was paying with the card machine, he magically disappeared back to the kitchen to talk to staff. If you are looking to waste your evening and your money, this is the place for you. If not I would suggest McDonald’s.

Should've paid attention to other reviews. Food varying from mediocre to poor and disorganised service although polite

Great service, peach Bellini was delightful, really tasty food too and great for a break whilst shopping! Thanks for a lovely afternoon, highly recommend whilst at Bluewater! Better than prezzo zizzi etc xx

Love the penne gardienere - delicious and consistent every time. Same with the tiramisu! Highly recommend

I'm leaving 5 stars particularly for a member of staff that served us, whose name was Josh .He was extremely friendly, polite, helpful & nothing was too much trouble . The food could do with a bit more improvement as pasta was quite tough therefore the full 5 stars go to josh as he truly deserves a mention.

Sat by the manager who mumbled some menu options at us. Offered water which arrived far too late by a waiter who said nothing and left without offering us anything further. We sat for 10 minutes with 2 sad cups of water and left. Nobody else had better service I looked around. This is a sad excuse for a restaurant. They didn't even notice us leave

AVOID THIS PLACE LIKE THE PLAGUE! Food is abysmal.. worst Italian by far, read the bad reviews and take them in, I looked at them before i went and thought surely not but I was so wrong! Word for word they are all accurate— ALSO do not order a smoothie, it’s not fresh, you paid almost £5 for a tiny cup of innocent smoothy

My fiancé and I were delighted yesterday by a new waitress called Yasmin, who demonstrated why we enjoy going to this particular Carluccio’s. To our surprise, their iconic chocolate fondant was back on the menu. Unfortunately, ours didn’t come warm, but Yasmin handled the situation exceptionally, and two new warm fondants arrived back on our table in minutes. Thanks, Yasmin and your manager, for your hospitality yesterday. We look forward to our next visit soon. Jack

Went for lunch with the wife and was very pleased with the food and service

Nadat we min of meer verzocht werden bluewater te verlaten met de honden mochten we hier buiten lunchen ondanks dat de buiten locatie dicht was. Honden welkom en kregen eerst drinken voor dat wij aan de beurt waren (Zoals ik de UK ken) Hele lekkere koffie (de eerste koffie die we in de UK kregen, die echt lekker was). Eten lekker en voldoende.

Atrocious service. They didn’t even realise after 15 minutes that they hadn’t brought out our drinks & they wouldn’t have noticed if we didn’t inform the waitress. The food took incredibly long to come out & when it did it it was bland and well over-priced for what it is. Avoid at all costs. Just go to Zizi or Pizza Express next door

The meal ordered had missing ingredients, new potatoes, and green beans without being notified offered £3.50 as compensation. Emailed customer service twice, who haven't had the decency to reply, will not use or recommend this restaurant

Had a lovely meal here. Waitress was very attentive & helpful. Thank you.

I had been looking forward for a decent plate of carbonara and wow, was I disappointed!!?! Probably the worst carbonara I ever had. Sorry, guys, but you really need to revisit your menu or your chef hiring criteria.

Very slow service and some food was overcooked. Have been to Carluccios in other parts of the country and its always been miles better than the Bluewater one

We had a lovely meal this evening, great service from Josh and the staff on tonight. Everything arrived promptly and correct, pizza was great and lasagne is always a particular favourite of ours, along with Panna cotta for dessert The food quality is much better than a lot of chain restaurants.

Very slow service despite it not being crowded. I had to get the water jug and glasses myself, had to go and tell the order myself too. Mocha did not have any chocolate. Carluccio’s used to be good but the quality of food and service seems to have gone down.

Sentimental place for me. Long time of await

Apart from the mushroom soup starter the food was bland and underseasoned, if I wasn't paying £16 for 3 courses I likely would have complained

I have been coming to Carluccio’s Bluewater for years. Few blips here and there, but overall usually a great experience. My last visit however was such a disappointment. We ordered our breakfast and 2 teas. Breakfast dishes arrived before tea. Then only 1 tea arrived, so we reminded the server that there should be another one, but he just wandered off and got busy with other things. We had to call on another member of staff to again ask about the 2nd tea. By the time the 2nd tea arrived we had finished out food. We had to look for sugar/sweetener ourselves (is it not standard to serve sugar/sweetener with hot drinks?). No real apology - the staff didn’t seem to care. At no point did anyone ask if everything was ok or whether we wanted anything else. Food - although well presented - was very underwhelming. Pancakes tasted like the stuff you buy in supermarkets, same for hollandaise. A bit of a car-crash really. If I wanted a slap-dash breakfast, I would’ve stayed at home. It’s unlikely I will be returning. There are much better breakfast options in Bluewater (such as Cote next door, with great food & service for the same price).

Worst restaurant in Bluewater. Our order was missing items, upon calling and explaining this we kept getting the staff prank call us. Clearly had 2 digit IQs as they used the restaurant phone to do this and the number was showing on our phone. We answered thinking it was a manager calling to find out about the issue, it was 2 employees who had mental age of 8, one woman and a man. Luckily we recorded the calls using another phone showing the caller number (carluccio Bluewater) which was displaying on the phone. Upon sending the recording to the management we received the bog standard ‘we will improve on our staff training’. I’m leaving this review so people will know what to expect from this place.

Although they were very busy, they were very efficient and very pleasant. We recommend 👍

So disappointed. We have always had a good meal here but last night was very poor. Ordered bread and olives to munch on whilst waiting for our mains. Arrived promptly but no plates so dripping oil all over the table. Three drinks arrived and had to ask for the fourth. Three water glasses so had to ask for a fourth. Our mains arrived one at a time over a period of 15 minutes as did desserts. To top it all we had to wait, ice cream melting, whilst the waiter tracked down spoons! The food itself was mediocre at best. Voting with my feet.... won't be back.

We used to go to an Italian in Bluewater but it was no.longer functioning to chose this. I booked to meet friends I'd not seen in a while. Service was slow my friends lasagne was over cooked, burnt on top my seafood linguine was bland with about 2 shrimps and very insipid and watery. When we asked for coffee waiter shrugged his shoulders and said 'too late'. It was around 4 pm on Friday so we thought it was odd but decided to coffee elsewhere. However, people on next table were ordering desserts as we left, so no idea what that was about. Only decent food was foccascia bread. Would not go again or recommend very disappointed, also embarrassed since I chose venue!

Booked a table for outdoors at 7pm. Arrived at 7pm but table not ready (even though the restaurant was empty). 7:35pm still no drinks. Several wrong deliveries of food and drinks to our table, we received our main course after 1h 40mins. All beers were served warm. Food wasn’t great, can’t in all good conscience go back.

Terrible service. Waited forever for the food. The restaurant isn't even full on a Friday night. Loads of empty tables. Plenty enough waiters avoiding eye contact. Food was bland. We ordered carbonara and lasagna which is absolute basic and had to wait an hour to get this. Won't be coming back even if it was free. Should anyone decide to give it a try make sure you book a day off to wait for the food

Booked table for 29th May On arrival table we're all covered in mess and looked disgusting We ordered a drink and hoped the tables around us would be cleared Waitress left us sitting there for about 15 mins Went to order our food but 3 things we chose were off the menu We paid for our drinks and left Obviously could not get booked in anywhere else being bank holiday We are regular visitors to this restaurant but definitely won't be returning

Been here many times. Food is always good. Service was great. No complaints.

Lovely food, from breakfast to dinner. Josh was really friendly and professional. Would recommend the eggs royal and the lasagne.

We went on saturday, family lunch. The restaurant was clean,food came out Quick. Delia our server was very profesional, polite and very knowlegeable about the menu. Will come back .

I have never enjoyed an meal from carluccios, but this time as my friend has chosen to come here I couldn’t say no. The food at best is average, the prices are extremely over priced. Bruschetta was £7.50! For a bit of bread and cherry tomatoes! Seafood linguine was shocking, so dry and barely and seafood inside. I spent £40 and left hungry, popped to get McDonald’s on the way home. I will continue to use the other Italians in Bluewater. Carluccio’s needs to have a look to see what their competitors are offering and learn to improve on their current prices, food menus and service. I won’t be returning and wasting any more of my money!

We went here for lunch. We had the calamari, some olives and we shared a margarita pizza. All of which were delicious and the pizza especially was made with fresh tomatoes and basil and came on a thin crust. The lady that helped us was great. No complaints and we’ll be back. Thank you!

Attempted to visit today for brunch. There was a queue of circa 20 people waiting, which began to dwindle over 10mins. By the time we could see the front of the queue, we realised not a single person was being seated. No one on host stand for over 10mins. No heads up or eye contact from a single member of staff passing by. Plenty of empty tables visible. I had to go in and ask if there were plans to seat those waiting, or if they were too busy to accommodate us. An instant reply that they were too busy to seat any more people; of course we took our leave. As an ex-GM of restaurants and bars, this kind of experience is unnecessary and honestly, unacceptable. It takes moments to stop by the host stand and let guests know there will be a wait and manage expectations. NEVER just ignore people for extended periods of time, it's exceptionally poor practice. We used to visit this Carluccios every Sunday when I was younger because it was the best, and it's disappointing this is no longer true. Justyna, I suggest you invest in training your staff to proactively manage guest expectations in future. Short staffing isn't an excuse.