Cucina Italiana in Epping Forest

Due to tier 4 restrictions, we decided to get a takeaway from Cucina. The food was absolutely stunning and was still hot and fresh. Would definitely reccomend to all.

Having recently moved to the area I discovered this true gem of a restaurant! I phoned to place my order and the gentleman who took my order was amazing and so helpful! We picked up our food and I have to say it was all amazing! King prawn starters and stuffed portabello mushrooms and the fillet steak with cream sauce was to die for! They also gave me a free bottle of red wine! I cannot recommend enough. The chef is a rarity! The attention to detail on everything culinary excellence!

We quite literally said let's give that one a go. Wow! Just wow.Instant friendly service and the food was just as good as the service.We had Camembert with fig jam and the New Zealand mussels to start. Both were delicious and just the right amount for a starter.The main course we had spaghetti gamberetti and lamb shanks. Both dishes were superb. For dessert I managed to tuck into the panacotta and that was amazingly good also. I'm sitting here absolutely stuffed. Wish I'd taken photos but the drinks were as far as I got to. You'll just have to trust me it was sooooo good.

A delightful Italian reataurant hidden away from the main High Street of Ongar. It's Ongar's only Italian around. Good food and very efficient staff. Portions are a little small however. A must place to go for Italian food.

Lovely meal for me and my Bestie at Cucina, always make us very welcome, food is tasty and quality. Staff very friendly, nothing too much trouble. One slight hiccup on this visit my husband ordered Skate and got Steak! he said it was superb. Price average for the area, better suited to adults. It was very cold and the restaurant was not very warm, so wear your woolies, oter eaters were complaining that it was cold too.

The service was good friendly staff. The food was pleasant and tasty excellent hand cut chips. The only criticism is it lacks atmosphere and it was quite cold.

We have been visiting Cucina for a few years and have recently been twice in one week with family and friends.Food is so good and atmosphere very relaxed.Service is above and beyond so many other local (Essex) restaurants - including those that are very well known.Would recommend this restaurant without hesitation and will certainly be dining there again before too long.

Eighteen of us, including 5 children enjoyed a fabulous lunch, A variety of food was chosen across the whole menu and not one serving could be described as anything but superb ! We enjoyed good service throughout , always with a smile. Being in a private dining area off of the busy main restaurant could have resulted in delays between courses but staff coped admirably and without any sign of being under pressure. 5 * rating fully justified.

Great service. Honest prices and good food. Been meaning to visit for a while as been told it was good. Not disappointed and Will be returning soon.

We ordered king prawns to start and fillet steak to follow, as a take away for our Saturday night at home watching strictly, it was beautiful, prawns were melt in the mouth and the steak was so tender and perfectly cooked, excellent as always.

This was our first visit. The staff were friendly and welcoming, the interior was clean and pleasant but the food was disappointing. Both the quality and quantity did not meet expectation. The swordfish was dry and hard - may have been overcooked and/or frozen. The seafood was absent in the linguine ai frutti di mare - one prawn! With wine, the bill came to just short of £50 per head. Really poor value.Writing this review the following morning of our visit, two of our party are experiencing stomach cramps ........

We visit Cuciana fairly regularly and are never disappointed. Good fresh ingredients, properly cooked together with friendly service. Reading some of the negative reviews makes me wonder if they went to the same restaurant.

Called up tonight for a takeaway for 6. The italian man was extremely rude on the phone we did not ordered and never will.we do not recommend thios resturant

We had a wonderful family lunch at this restaurant - great food, excellent service and a fantastic atmosphere. Thank you Cucina Italiana.

We decided to try this restaurant for dinner - what a disappointment! My partner order the garlic prawns to start which were swimming in insipid murky water and looks very unappealing! He ordered Spaghetti Carbonara for main which were in a thick white sauce which looked like mayonnaise. I ordered the chicken breast in breadcrumbs with spaghetti (how bad could it be right??), the spaghetti tasted like it was out of a tin and the chicken in breadcrumbs was bright orange and, well, basically, it just looked cheap!

Friendly and efficient staff. Reasonable priced but food only average. Delivery available locally. Parking at the back.

Since becoming a neighbour last year, this is my firm favourite restaurant. Great fresh range of pasta, amazing pizza. I just cannot get enough of the food! Well done guys 👍

Very clean inside. The staff were very friendly and attentive. The food was really good. Not too much selection and the portions were just right.

I eaten here on many occasions the staff are very friendly and the food is great. very comfortable resturant

the restaurant is a nicely decorated. the staff are attentive and friendly. the food was good and nicely presented and cooked.

I have been coming to Cucina for well over a year and treat it as my second home.

This was our second visit to Cucina Italiana and once again we were very pleased with the extensive choice on the menu and the standard of the food. The service is excellent and the staff are always friendly. On both occasions we visited at lunch time midweek so were delighted to be offered a specially priced lunch menu, which was especially good value for us as we are "seniors"! We will definitely visit again.

I have visited this restaurant at least 10 times to date, with friends and with family. Mainly on a Friday evening, and the latest visit was 8th February 2019. Usually arrive around 7:15 pm and have always had a table without booking. Restaurant sometimes fills up very quickly so guessing booking may be sometimes be necessary. I have had many of the dishes on the menu, starters, mains and pudding. I have never had any reason to question anything I have been served, as it has always been well prepared, and well presented. The staff are friendly and professional. One of our group is vegetarian, and has always been impressed with the quality of the food offered. I would not hesitate to recommend this restaurant, it has character, good food and a friendly ambience.

Our first time at this restaurant. I must firstly say that the service was very good.

it started off promising with the starters and friendly service although it was very slow (about 45 mins wait), then unfortunately it went rapidly downhill from there..... over cooked chicken, tasteless... spaghetti tasteless... like it had come out of a tin .... have to say it was awful. and very over priced...

I visited Cucina on Wednesday lunchtime with 6 other ladies and we all had an

There was eight of us and I am sorry to say after a fairly good starter it all went downhill. The main course was awful probably better if you order off the main menu Xmas lunch was not nice.

We went to this Italian restaurant for our Pre-Christmas lunch last year and although it wasn't a five-star event, it was more than satisfactory for us to repeat the booking for 14 people but unfortunately this time the food and service somewhat clouded the occasion.

Once again, the team at Cucina Italiana excelled themselves and were on top form providing great service and delicious food at very competitive prices.

Came across this restaurant while visiting in Ongar and wanted somewhere to eat dinner on a Sunday evening. 4 adults and 2 children, the staff where very polite and helpful. All adults had starter and main course and all agreed the food was superb.

It is some time since our last visit. We had been on holiday for three weeks and I was longing for lamb chops. I had five well cooked chops and they were delicious. My wife had lasana (?) and she said it was excellent.

My husband and I celebrate our 30th Wedding Anniversary today and went for lunch at Cucina's in Ongar. The service was impeccable and the food was excellent, plus it was all very reasonably priced at £16.95 for 3 courses. Each course was superb and although I didn't think I could eat a dessert, I succumbed to the tiramisu, which was really lovely and so light. We'll be returning again soon and will take our friend, who also likes Italian cuisine.

Have been here 3 times and it has always been superb. The service is warm and friendly, the food is excellent and the prices are very reasonable. Look forward to returning again.

Visited the Cucina on the 11th October for lunch with my girlfriend.

We visited last night for a family birthday and were seated in a little area slightly separated from the main restaurant. There were only three waiters so we were a little concerned that the service would be slow but wow! How efficient they were. So attentive and looked after my daughters wonderfully. The food was lovely and the portion size generous. We had a very lovely evening. Thank you cucina. We will definitely return !

Recently took 15 friends for my birthday party. We had the conservatory area to ourselves. There were no restrictions on the menu and everybody had a great time. The food is good and authentic , the bar is well stocked and the service wonderful.

Beeing from Italian family I am supposed to know how the food are. Apart that is my job too.

Excellent food an ambiance. Will certainly go again. Went with friends who had been there many times before.

Recommended by our friends who live near by. Good recommendation. 6 adults served with good food and very friendly staff. Good selection on the menu.

We aways find this restaurant gives efficient and friendly service and the food is very good. Excellent for families and the staff are always helpful. My grandchildren love it here.

I booked this restaurant a couple of weeks ago to meet up with friends for my birthday after being let down by Mulberry House. The Italian was far more friendly and accommodating, the food was lovely, well priced, we weren't bothered unnecessarily and the customer service was fab, Ray and his team couldn't do enough for us! I really recommend this Italian in High Ongar!

We took my parents here for their 40th wedding anniversary and the food was superb. The head waiter is a lovely guy and makes you feel very welcome. Thoroughly recommended.

Just had a meal with our friends who live locally and it was a very enjoyable evening .The food was authentic and the waiter friendly and attentive Reasonably priced would go again

Love good Italian food and this restaurant does not disappoint , great choice of menu including veggie options , coupled with excellent service made for a fantastic anniversary dinner for myself and wife , one we'll never forget and she's already looking forward to her birthday and the lemon cheesecake .

rural italian restaurant , fantastic menu and friendly service , good for families and always accommodating

Food superb, service excellent and huge choice for lunch menu which offers a great deal at realistic prices. Portions just right. Would visit again in a heartbeat

Nice place clean authentic italian food. Good parking can get busy . Pricey menu i thought.but lots to choose from

Where do I begin? Went for a family meal and from the moment we walked through the door, the friendly atmosphere hit us. We were warmly welcomed, and as we were a fairly large party, we were given our own dining room to the rear of the restaurant. The waiter was attentive and not OTT. He was there when needed and was accommodating when we asked for a specific dish that was not on the menu. The food was superb. We all had different dishes, and at the end of each course, every plate was empty. I found this restaurant by chance, looking on the internet for italian restaurants. We will certainly be back, and most certainly recommend to our friends. Keep up the great work Roy and team, and thank you all for a lovely, positive dining experience.

My partner and I were staying at the Mulberry Hotel and we spotted this restaurant on trip advisor so thought we would give it a go as was literally five minutes walk from the hotel.

We hebben hier heerlijk gegeten. De ober was erg vriendelijk en het is een aanrader voor andere reizigers!

An early evening Monday evening dinner once again proved successful at this traditional Italian restaurant. Two Antipasto Mare Cucina Italiana provided delicious with mussels, king prawns, prawns and salmon served on an unusual but tasty blend of salad leaves alongside delicious garlic bread.

My dad and I went here for a meal and we were blown away! The food is incredible! The manger and staff were just lovely and helped to choose our favourite dishes. We were truly spoilt by choice here.

When I visit a friend, who is disabled and lives nearby, we normally have lunch in this restaurant.

Live 10 minutes from Cucina Italiana and a few friends over so thought I'd give there takeaway pizzas a try. We had a meat one and a veggie one and a garlic bread to share and it was great. My friends were finishing it off for hangover-breakfast the next morning!

Visited many times always pleased with good service great food price a tad expensive but ok. Authentic food seems fresh and fairly quick

Very nice lunch treat from my daughter. Plenty of choice food very good. Service very good very clean. Very good priced lunch time menu. Would revisit.

Came today with my family for lunch, it was very enjoyable. Clean, spacious restaurant with plenty of free parking. Very polite and friendly staff. All our meals were well cooked and nicely presented. Service was good

Friendly restaurant with lovely food very quick service food is piping hot and tasty. Great local family run restaurant.

After a nice long walk we ended up in High Ongar and visited Cucina Italiana, once again we were greeted as valued customers. We had two courses from the lunch menu which was cooked to our liking. Calves liver to start which was very tasty, Pollock in a lemon sauce which complemented the dish. The lamb shank was very tend and fell of the bone, perfect. To finish the raspberry panacotta was divine.

Having come here for dinner with friends it was a lovely place to eat. The food was tasty and the place had a nice ambiance.

I've eaten here twice this week, once with a friend and on Friday with my family, I'd never been before this visit, although it had been recommended to me. They do a very reasonable lunch deal for pensioners. I had a gluten free pasta during my first visit and a three course meal on my second visit. My son and his fiancee are vegan and had no problem with the menu, it's limited, but they could find enough to eat. My husband had an enormous pizza, which I was very sad wasn't gluten free, it looked delicious. I'll definitely go back, they are nice welcoming people. There is parking to the rear, but it fills up very fast.

Often come here with my girlfriend always warmly welcomed and treated to amazing food. It's a little gem we found...

Lovely Italian restaurant. Attentive service and very warm welcome. Food exceptionally tasty and freshly cooked. Great house red wine. Will...

This is our go to Italian, great food, really good staff. Pizza’s are excellent and my son had the seafood...

A working lunch at Cucina Italiana in High Ongar saw the service at its usual high level and the fixed...

Visited this lovely little restaurant three times in 2017. Internal decor, lighting, food and drinks bill are very good. Top...

I was with a party of 16 and we received a very warm welcome. Although the temperature in the restaurant...

My husband, myself and a friend have just returned from enjoying a wonderful lunch at Cucina Italiana. The food was...

Fab lunch today. We will be going back very soon. Lovely lunch menu and very good value. Lovely and clean and delicious food x

This restaurant is a little set back from the main road and you wouldn’t necessarily know it was there. It looks like a large White House. It’s in a cute little village outside of Ongar. The staff in there are so incredibly wonderful. The young lady and two chaps we met were all so lovely! My husband loves a pizza and thinks he is a professional pizza connoisseur(!) He said this is best pizza he has had since our visit to Italy! I enjoyed a risotto which can often be bland and stodgy but this was really tasteful!

It was a year since our last visit but the warm welcome by name to both myself (who booked the table) and my guest (whose name had not been given) by waitress Marioca demonstrated the personal service that is the hall mark of this Italian restaurant.

Saturday Circle is a group of friends connected by their Christian faith who meet for activities, meals, theatre trips, etc. At Christmas we enjoy a meal together and this year we went to this great little restaurant.

We really did get the very best when ordering our food for a take away. The margherita pizza was amazing and had lots of outstanding Italian flavours. The food did really taste very good and the staff were very friendly not only in the restaurant but also over the phone. Would definitely reccomend this restaurant to others and will be using again soon.

We received a very warm welcome and enjoyed the evening.The menu was good and not too expensive for a couple or a family.

We go to la Cucina quite often for Sunday Lunch and have always enjoyed the experience because it is consistently good food and the service is excellent. The atmosphere and setting is very pleasant and relaxing.there is no sense of feeling 'rushed' that you get with many other restaurants.

We visited Cucina Italiana as a couple as part of an overnight stay in High Ongar. The staff were friendly and accommodating. The food was excellent. My risotto was one of the tastiest I have had and my husband enjoyed his calzone. Will definitely return if we are in the area again.

Invited here on business. What a delightful place. Very clean lines, bright and airy.The management and staff so professional and attentive. Everything I tried was well cooked and beautifully presented.The prices were also very reasonable. Great for a small intimate meal or for a large group of friends.It's a must try and if I'm back in the area I will be popping in again.Thanks to all.

Came to this delightful restaurant on sunday for a family celebration. The Manager and staff were friendly and accommodating, nothing too much trouble. The food was delicious and reasonably priced. If you want an authentic Italian, friendly restaurant in lovely surroundings then this is the restaurant to come. I highly recommend it. Can't wait to visit again!

We went for a lunchtime meal. Really nice premises. I had calamari followed by saltimbocca alla romana. The food was delicious and the service was both friendly and efficient. Will certainly go there again.

Excellent evening, staff very friendly and attentive. The food was marvellous. I would suggest booking an early sitting for an evening meal as the ambiance is not the same when everyone leaves at about 10pm.

My wife and I had a enjoyable evening at the Cucina Italiana Italian restaurant in High Ongar. The restaurant is smart, modern, bright and spotlessly clean and is just off the A414 about a mile from Chipping Ongar. It has a modern well stocked bar area and the dining tables are well spaced. The menu offers a very good selection of quality Italian food with more than just pizzas and pastas available. My Pescatore pizza at £ 12.95 included tomato sauce, mozzarella and mixed sea food, my wife had the Lasagne Dello Chef at £11.95 this was oven baked and layered with authentic Bolognese sauce, all absolutely lovely and excellent value especially when you get a 20% discount on food from your bill Mondays to Thursdays for evening meals. Giuseppe and the staff are attentive, very welcoming, friendly and polite.Will definitely be returning very soon.

For anything important to celebrate we go to Cucina Italiano, as the food is exquisite, and the welcome is fantastic.We have no connection with it, but a friend said it was good, so we tried it. There are other restaurants much nearer, but not in the same league. The ingredients are fresh, and the cooking superb. Guisseppe is so nice and always ready with useful advice. The whole family think he is great, and his advice reliably good! Their range of Italian drink is remarkable.

The place was quite average until we had a 2 minute telling off from the manager for apparently trying to fold his menus (which clearly used to be folded but he's decided he wants them flat now). Wouldn't come back while he still 'works' there. Shame as the rest of the staff are lovely.Nice starters and deserts, main courses are nothing interesting

We were recommended here for our anniversary, such a warm welcome as we walked in service was quick the food is beautiful! The staff were friendly. This is our new favourite place! Will definitely be back !

The staff are always very friendly and go the extra mile to make your dining experience very enjoyable. Have been here many times and going again very soon. They have a very variable menu, and the food is well presented, ample and excellent. Ravioli is superb. Well worth a visit

We came here last Friday with our friend we all had fantastic starters, mains, and sweets. We have all been here so many times and always perfect. The staff are lovely helpful, friendly and always smiling. The manager is there to give a warm welcome and is a great joker. This all adds up to a wonderful atmosphere. Everyone at other tables enjoying themselves, it is a true taste of Italy. When the lovely background music of Italy is playing you feel you could be there. Roll on our holiday in Sorrento in September. Well done everybody. ☺

Fantastic restaurant with lovely staff. White, bright and clean inside, yet intimate and cosy. Food was wonderful, compliments to the chef. All washed down beautifully with a bottle of red wine and a Kir Royale. Perfect starters, mains and desserts and a brilliant price. A lovely birthday lunch, thank you. Will definitely come again!

I keep returning to this restaurant every few months and each time wonder why I don’t visit more often.£48 for two people to have a three-course dinner including drinks is excellent value, especially Monday to Thursday when a 20% discount on food is automatically applied each evening.The genuine Italian manager and the Romanian staff mean that service is attentive and perfect – while those in the kitchen achieve similarly high standards.Do visit this for a special occasion or just a good night out.

we have eaten lunch at Cucina a few times and always enjoyed it. The fixed price menu offers good choice and value and they have a fair selection of wines at fair prices.The staff are welcoming and accommodating and make sure that you enjoy your dining experience. we really enjoyed todays visit.

Amazing pizza and even more amazing chips will definitely be using again, the staff are very friendly to

We are regulars at Cucina, since it opened a couple of years back. It's a nicely appointed restaurant with a couple of private areas for bigger groups. It seems to get busier every time we visit and the food is always of a good standard. Managers and staff are all very friendly and it's pretty good value - particularly on a Monday to Thursday when they off a regular 20% discount on the food bill.All in all it's definitely worth a visit - once you've been you'll probably become a regular!

Looks like people eat anything nowadays. Especially the British. I used to work at this restaurant and it has one of the worst and tasteless foods I've ever eaten (good for English, though since their food, if you can call it that, is tastless, too). Whoever loved the food here hasn't the faintest idea what real Italian food is. And the owner is Bangladeshi so is the chef and they tried pretending to be an Italian. Cute, isn't it? The manager is Italian but it doesn't save that place. And the owner...a real racist punk (if you're not a muslim you're an outcast).

I booked this restaurant for our Pearl wedding anniversary as I had an important meeting to go to first and this was nice and local for us. I booked it for 8.30 and said that we may be a little late if the meeting overran. Unfortunately, the meeting ran very late but when I phoned the restaurant they said not to worry and that they would keep our table. Finally arrived at 9.15pm and had a lovely meal that both my wife and I thoroughly enjoyed. My wife had the mussels and she can be very critical if they are overcooked and tough but these were perfect. When it came to paying the bill, I was horrified to discover that I had left my wallet at home !! The restaurant were amazing, saying that I could pay next time I visited. Bearing in mind that they did not know me from Adam, they did not even ask for anything as security and were very gracious.I made a point of going there the next morning to settle up.I don't recommend that anyone tries this but I was very grateful that they did not make a fuss as I was embarrassed enough already !It was a very hot evening and we sat by an open window and I sipped a cold glass of Peroni. Looking out across the road to the old churchyard we could have been in a little Italian village.I have just booked to go back this evening so that we can take our time and enjoy our meal and most importantly, I will take my wallet with me !

Cannot fault anything at this restaurant. Lovely atmosphere and friendly service.Varied menu, delicious food all at a very reasonable price. This place does not deserve some of the negative reviews in my opinion, We will return!

Firstly, the venue was lovely. We had a separate room as there were a lot of us. The waiting staff, the lady was lovely and charming. the older man was extremely rude and told three of our guests to "put the phone away". When asked not to include the tomato sauce on the starter, was very surly. I ordered gluten free pasta and was disappointed to be told only one option of sauce..bolognese which was not as nice as we make at home. The service was very disjointed. They apologised for the delay on two of the pizzas explaining only six could be cooked at once. But there were not six people eating pizza at our table, so surely doing them all at once would be better. The vegetable sides with the roast dinner and chef's special were woeful, and the meat was chewy and completely smothered in gravy (always suspicious when you don't add it yourself. I asked for no strawberry ice cream, and the dessert turned up missing the amaretti ice cream (although they did bring some later). My daughter in law received her ice cream nearly 10 minutes after all the others.(having received her pizza late as well) ..no pizza oven for these so not good. When I saw the menu I was keen to come again, as it is very reasonable. I did not pay the bill, so did not make a fuss at the time. On the plus side...the pannacotta was huge and delicious,

My husband and I drive past this restaurant quite regularly and subsequently read up on it on trip advisor - with a lot of positive reviews we thought we would book a table. We were quite excited as we love Italian (and Italy).... however I can't help feel disappointed. I will start with the positives. The restaurant decor is lovely - very fresh and welcoming. The staff are very very friendly and again welcoming. Unfortunately the majority of the food wasn't as impressive. The garlic bread with cheese was burnt around the edges and expensive for just 4 pieces of baguette bread. We also had mussels to start - in total about 5 large mussels, the sauce was lovely but the mussels were very chewy, perhaps over cooked? We both had pasta lunches. Mine was penne arrabiata which was ok, but portion size again for the price was poor. It's a basic spicy pasta tomato dish which we often eat at home and frozen options I've bought are on a par with the quality at Cucina. My husband had linguine seafood which he enjoyed but the sauce appeared to be the same as the arrabiata. For what we ate and sadly our expectations let down the food was very expensive. For a small village I believe the prices should be reviewed.... its High Ongar not London! It's worth noting we have a friend who orders pizza from this restaurant and says they are delicious and generous sizes.... she said that she won't eat anything else from here as her experiences of the food is similar to mine. So if you like pizza then give it a shot!

I was recommended to visit the restaurant by a friend. What a find! We were made most welcome by the owner and staff. It is bright inside with white tablecloths and matching napkins. (Not a paper napkin or coloured tablecloth insight.) There is an extensive menu and what we ordered was delicious with ample portions of each item. If you are ever on the A414, turn off for High Ongar.

we went at lunch time, and ate from the set price menu. I had Lasagne followed by a melt in the mouth Lamb Shank and side veg. i felt satisfied at the end of the meal as the portions were not too big. The Waiter who served us, the older one, was a delight, not too intrusive and always attentive.... thoroughly enjoyed my meal as did my friend.

Food always great .Nothing too much trouble. Helpful and welcoming. Great atmosphere. Excellent Restaurant in every way.

We have visited the restaurant twice recently and thoroughly enjoyed the taste of Italy. The food and service was excellent and thoroughly enjoyable,