Raffaele in Cheshire East

We had dinner with friends, it was our first time here and we will definitely be back. Matt our waiter did an excellent job and the food and wine was perfect. A really great place, very friendly staff.

Nice food, we were stuck in a corner but otherwise good experience. Not cheap.

Very disappointed. Went there for father in laws 80+ birthday. First things first - service was exemplary. Two younger guys serving us didn’t put a foot wrong and were extremely courteous and chatty. So customer service 100% Atmosphere - not a lot they can do about it but we were in back room and sat between two tables of 10 and 12 respectively, both tables having clearly consumed a fair bit of alcohol and incredibly loud. This was a shame… Food - sorry to say but authentic Italian this is not. The pasta was badly cooked, under cooked indeed, hard and oddly crispy/burnt on the underneath. Three of us had carbonara and none of us finished because it was not nice. I had rigatoni with salmon and prawns. It was beyond bland and hard to revive even with pepper or chilli. There was no flavour to my other half’s arrabiata either. And that’s the reason we’d not return - The food. It was sub par, badly cooked and bland. Sorry guys you need to do better… And it wasn’t particularly cheap. Two of us were not drinking - Six people the bill came to over £240. A real shame.

The setting’s not really my cup of tea to be honest… it’s a bit basic, no frills, but the place chose us really as we came out of The Wheatsheaf opposite after finding out that they only served roasts on Sunday lunchtime. But how surprised was I when the pizzas came out- the best pizza I’ve eaten in years. Seriously. Authentic Italian pizza base, delicious toppings. I was very satisfied and would return time and time again if I lived locally.

Excellent meal and service was spot on.

Excellent food and choice staff very attentive

First class great food ,amazing friendly staff, all within an amazing environment well worth a visit been many times will definitely be back again

We had a really nice pizza and a couple of drinks, when we had finished the meal and the minute we had paid for it, the waiter sold the table and asked us to leave. The people who were told that the table was available asked if it was ok and I said not really but we will leave. Very poor service

Popped in for the early meal deal. Very nice , authentic food, drink, atmosphere and service. Lovely place. Highly recommended!

My absolute favourite restaurant, freshly cooked food, and beautiful wine. Such a friendly teqm who work and own it. I have been going for 12 years and still my favourite restaurant.

Food and service excellent. Waiters were attentive but not overbearing. Nice to see young waiters who seemed to like their jobs.

Very tasty. Too bad it was too noisy

A bit quiet re customers whilst we were there, but the food was really good. Friendly attentive staff make it a lovely place to eat. Will definitely be back

Very quiet, not long from opening time, but still nice .

Food amazing , service was top notch . And an added bonus is they do takeaway. Couldn't fault anything about Raffaele . Very highly recommend

Fabulous food with a genuine Italian feel.

Had the lasagna, cannelloni and truffle fries from here and it was absolutely stunning - service was quick and friendly, our server was giving us recommendations and also teaching us about the food we were eating. Will definitely come back

Lovely place. Fantastic food and brilliant service.

Just had a coffee was very good though, friendly staff refreshing breeze blowing through the front window and lovely view of the flowers on the roundabout

Great food, Great service and Great atmosphere!! Our waiters Renato and Evie Were brilliant. All staff were super friendly

Had the white pizza and sharing platter for two with my partner. Absolutely delicious. New menu is fantastic and service impeccable as ever.

Fabulous food. Excellent service and good value.

Fantastic food, great service, lovely environment

We had a fabulous takeaway with spaghetti puttanesca and the Rigatoni della nonna. Both dishes were really tasty and large portions, I should have probably saved some for the next day but it was too delicious. Great service when we came in to order and we were offered drinks whilst waiting that added to our evening out. We can't wait to eat in and are already planning our next visit.

The pasta here was stunning. It’s one of the best Italian experiences I have had in the UK and this must make this restaurant a YES on your lists of where to eat in Cheshire.

Great authentic Italian restaurant

Really understanding that we had to leave before our mains due to childcare. Food was excellent

A first visit to this Italian restaurant in Sandbach. It looks quite small from the outside but somehow is larger inside stretching back a long way. The staff are pleasant and helpful. The food is very tasty (multo gusto) . The pasta dishes we had were reasonably priced. The polpette in rich tomato sauce is very good. The wine list looks very interesting with one bottle at over four hundred pounds!!! However I suggest the Barola will be very nice and more affordable. I definitely will visit again.

Nice food, great ambience and friendly staff.

It was all good to be honest. Good venue, good food, good service and a fair price.

We visited Raffaele for dinner for my birthday; not having booked a table we weren’t sure that one would be available, fortunately we were lucky. The staff couldn’t have been more welcoming and helpful, the food was delicious, beautifully cooked sea bass and Frito Misto followed by Tiramisù. It was a lovely way to celebrate my birthday, we will definitely be paying return visits.

We had a client meeting here. Food was amazing and top service. Highly recommend.

First visit to Sandbach and were lucky enough to find this beautiful little Italian. Service ,food, and choices all excellent. My daughter had calimeri and ravioli,I chose salad capresse and lasagne ,both were more than delicious then shared tiramisu ,excellent. Visiting again soon as we loved it so much. X🌹

Excellent service,excellent food,would definitely recommend it, can’t wait to try something new next time on the menu

Quite simply, the best Italian food we have had in a very long time. Stunning.

Visited with the team from Design Office for our Xmas party. The service was exceptional at such a busy time, nothing was too much trouble. The food was top quality, all courses were perfect, no rushing us just first class. I will certainly be coming back as this must be one of the best places to eat for miles around. Thank you for making our night a night to remember. Merry Xmas

Best Italian in Sandbach. Lovely fresh authentic food! Great to sit in but also had a few take aways and it’s always spot on 🍷🍕

Visited here for the first time for my daughter's birthday, it was really nice, the food was lovely, the staff were very attentive and the atmosphere was nice and christmassy! We would definitely go back 😊

Excellent authentic food, fantastic staff. We celebrated a birthday with 22 people including 3 children. A night to remember! Thank you all. 🍷🍕🥳

My food was far too salty and inedible. It's actually a health risk to make someone's dish so salty and the chef should know that. I left half of it. I felt very ill when I got home and my blood pressure was up. There was tacky supermarket Christmas music blaring in our ears. Sorry to leave a bad review, but it's not cheap so they should be able to get it right. I lived in Italy for 10 years and know what my dish should taste like. I didn't complain because if you complain in a restaurant a) you don't know what they will do to the replacement dish and b) there is always an awkward atmosphere, and it was a special night out. Won't be going back.

Beautiful, intimate setting with Ambiente lighting. Bustling kitchen and front bar. The staff are all professional, welcoming and friendly and the food is fantastic. Traditional, authentic, just wonderful. Alessio and Salvatore deserve all the success possible

Every meal was excellent quality and staff were lovely . However if prices differ from the menu then the customer should be advised in advance. Cheese cake without the fruit compo but instead with a scoop of ice cream came to £10.50 - they added a £2.50 surcharge. Removed from raised but it’s the principle. Also if you go there in winter avoid the table right in front of the entry )exit door it was cold. Despite having a plug in heater it was still cold when door opened which was frequently as you would expect with a busy restaurant. We asked to move but this could not be accommodated, as busy . My friends sat on the side of the table with their backs to the door otherwise I would not have been able to stay to eat it was so cold. On this basis I will not return again for a while!

Our favourite restaurant in Sandbach. Always top service, wonderful food and a great selection of wines!

Lovely place, staff were so friendly, beautifully clean facility. Food was amazing

Fantastic lunch, lovely people.

Very impressed with this cosy restaurant in Sandbach. It's not so large and it does get busy, so booking ahead is advised. The staff are very frindly and welcoming in a way only Italians can be. Our food was excellent. We started with the Halloumi Fries and the stuffed mushrooms and they were both very good. For main we chose the Rigatoni Portofino (with prawn and salmon), and the Pollo Calabrese in a beautiful sauce with olives and a touch of chilli. Again both mains were spot on. Washed down with a bottle of Primitivo and a glass each of fine Grappa to finish, the bill was a pretty reasonable £90. This was our first visit, nut it will not be our last!!

Randomlly booked in there on way back from football and what a delight it was! Warmly welcomed by lovely staff, and had a lovely meal. Lots of families in there, very relaxed atmosphere. Will definitely go again.

Nice coffee and outside seating, gets quite busy

Fabulous lunch menu, food was fresh , hot and tasty. The staff friendly and cheerful, definitely be back 😊

Lovely food, excellent service, lots of gluten free options for those that need them.

Amazing service from all the staff every time we go here. So much attention to detail, time made for customers and they even cook you things that aren’t on the menu. Nothing is too much to ask. This will always be our go-to local Italian restaurant.

Great little restaurant. Friendly staff and atmosphere!

Cracking place. Small and quirky with a really nice opening front/side with floor to ceiling opening doors. Great food, fair price and fast first class friendly service throughout. First time for us this was, certainly not our last

We have been going to Raffaeles for many years, the food, service and entertainment have always been of the highest quality! This is why when my partner and I got engaged, we knew straight away that we would pick Raffaeles to host our Engagement Party, and it did not disappoint! Salvatore was accommodating from the outset, allowing us to help with picking the menu, the drinks that we’d have on offer, clearing out all of the tables for dance floor space and accommodating a singer/dj in the front room. The atmosphere that was created with all of this was an absolute night to remember. Every single person at Raffaeles last night played their roles to absolute perfection, all of the staff were amazing. The food was out of this world, nearly every person at the party (of which there were 40) complimented the food massively, so a big thank you to the chefs!! An overall amazing night, one to remember, and we hope to do further functions/parties there in the future. If you are ever wondering where to have an event, then look no further!

Booked a table of 11 for my sons 21st. The staff were lovely, very attentive. Service was quick very friendly and proffesional. The food was delicious and well presented. The atmosphere was lovely, the waiter even put some Italian music on after I requested it:) All in all we all had a lovely evening and would definitely recommend. Thanks Guys:):)

This is super family run, highly consistent warm and enjoyable eatery. Good food good service good prices and great range of wines. Simply delightful

Gluten free (and regular) pizza is off the chart!! Delicious and fairly priced for fresh baked and topping loaded pizza!

Went for lunch for my wife’s birthday. The food was fantastic, we ordered from the lunch menu which came with a beer and we both had the meatball option. The service and atmosphere was great, can’t wait to go again.

Updated review. Was nice a 3 years ago. Now small portions of cheap bland food. Very expensive.

Had a nice meal. Was quite expensive though for 4 - only having pasta mains and shared starters - over £35 per head.. Coffee was poor - didnt get a photo.

Excellent food 😋 Excellent service and great atmosphere. 👍

Lovely place to eat, food is amazing and staff are lovely!

Superb Meal. Visited with work and went for our evening meal here. Service was personable and professional, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the experience at this restaurant. So much so that I will be going back with the wife in late April and will be ordering exactly the same meal. The Shin of Beef Pasta - WOW!!! Keep the quality exactly how it is. 10/10

Really nice frendly restaurant and the foods good.

Lovely restaurant, food was nice, good portion sizes and the staff friendly.

Whole place is mega. If you want true honesty I have to say it was ace. Staff were hard working and really good fun. Love tue food. But just one thing I would ask you to fix. Try and get rid of the duct tape on the table in the back. That's the only thing

I have eaten here many times. I keep coming back because Raffaele just keeps on getting better & better. Last night my wife & I booked a Valentines Day table & chose our meals from the Valentines Day Specials Menu. It was fabulous! Every course was a delight, the portions were generous & great value. Salvo & Alessio work hard to make your visit special & the waiting on staff (especially Holly & Will) are excellent & make you feel at home. The atmosphere was also wonderful. Can't wait for the next themed evening at Raffaele.

Visited on a Saturday night. The bruschetta starter was nice but not over generous. We had chosen the salad as a main, we have had this salad when it was a starter, it is a mix of leaves, walnuts, cheese, apple and honey dressing. Very tasty and a generous portion. On the occasion we chose the addition of chicken. We were expecting a pan fried chicken breast ! We received a salad in what looked like a cereal bowl. There was about 2 pieces of cheese and a chopped chicken breast. The chicken was tasteless and was like a cooked chicken breast from a supermarket. Very disappointing. We don't normally have a dessert but we're still hungry. The staff are really young so it really wasn't appropriate to take it up with them. Having second thoughts about going again.

Great food pasta salmone was scrummy

Delicious food will definitely go again

Good food with authentic Italian flavours. If you like a glass or two of wine you have an excellent choice of quality wines. If you want to just stop by for a really good coffee and chat it is also great place to visit.

A lovely restaurant, providing fabulous food & exceptional service. We pre-booked a table for lunch, for our sons 5th birthday & we all had a lovely time 😊 I had the Christmas special ‘Pollo Salucci’ (pictured). It reminded me so much of the amazing food we have sampled in the Italian lakes & on the Amalfi coast. Fabulous flavours, so fresh & tasty. The refreshing, authentic taste of Peroni on draught was my drink of choice. Although, I am now looking forward to our next visit to sample their Italian red wines. Grazie mille 🙏& a presto

Alessio & Salv are great front of house! Very welcoming. Food is always great. Hats of to the team!

Lovely food and service was fantastic.

This is a lovely Italian restaurant that I’ve eaten at several times now with my wife. Lovely interior, attentive waiters and the food is absolutely amazing! My favourite is the Diavola pizza, the steak & chips and the sea bass in parchment paper! It’s also a pleasure to know Salvo and Alesso who own the restaurant they’re lovely people!

Food always very good 👍 Friendly service and atmosphere.

Both owners and staff very pleasant, food consistently good, nice selection of Italian wines, when i have friends over i always take them to Raffaele's.

Lovely Italian pasta, pizza & wine; grab a coffee & watch the world go by, or spend time over lunch with friends, Great restaurant in Sandbach

Well priced, great tasting food! Chef’s know their flavours and food is fresh. Front of house staff is warm and genuine.

Excellent Italian food family run restaurant with very reasonable prices. The menu is small but has something for everyone and the wine list is well put together and very appropriate for that type of food. Highly recommended.

Lovely location..very clean..helpful pleasant staff..Only had coffee,but menu looked very tempting.

Friendly service and great food at a reasonable price. Will return.

A real gem of a find. The food is top notch beaten only by the wine. They’re great with kids and I’ve enjoyed many meals there. They do a dessert option that’s to die for. It’s called ‘grandma’s desserts’ and it’s a glass cabinet with what they have available. Try something that the staff recommend, you won’t be disappointed. They seem to be a firm favourite with cyclists, families, couples, friends. That should tell you everything.

Had a take outas mum was not well enough to eat in this time we had garlic breads and mains but we wont be doing this again as it was just put in containers that squash the foods and came with no veg and as we adked for chips instead of potates got charged extra and not discount for self collection and as hot food does not always travel well it was quite dissapointing for over £80 sorry Raffaele not a good choice x

Incredible food, great service and a warm friendly atmosphere. Would highly recommend

A fantastic Neapolitan pizza.!!

Raffaele found space for us,last minute, and on a busy Saturday night. We were that annoying couple who were also in a rush - off to a concert! The staff could not have been nicer. Super efficient and speedy (because we asked) and then the food was fantastic. It's a really nice spot with a great atmosphere which is relaxed and friendly. Shame i don't live locally as I would love to go back.

Great food, service and atmosphere.

Really relaxing place and very accommodating with intolerance and allergies

GREAT PIZZAS NICE ITALIAN RESTAURANT

Good quality food for the price, and the atmosphere was lovely. Our waiter (I believe Matt was his name?) made us feel very welcome and we really enjoyed our pizza and J20. Definitely would visit again :)

The place is awesome as are the staff & food, always friendly 10/10

Small place with great food and atmosphere. Highly recommend it.

We eat here often. Always fantastic service and brilliant food, whatever you order.

Their sourdough pizza is delicous. Good value and service.

Steak was very tender and juicy. One of the best I had. Other meals were just as tasty. Nice and quick service too. Would definitely come back.

Loved our meal last night. Great and friendly service. Food just like it was on our Italian holidays. Love it will be back. Lovely for lunch or dinner or Aperol spritz outside in the summer 🤗

Love this place, great food and service. Especially in summer when you can sit outside. Great Pizza & Beer, highly recommended

Someone was seated at our table when we arrived, and the manager kept saying ‘2 minutes more’, ‘2 minutes more’. Five of us were stood at the bar for more than 10 minutes and no one offered us drinks, or an apology. So many staff, yet three different waiters took our first drinks order at different times, each one forgetting things. There was no communication, or professionalism. Food was tasteless, and overpriced. Pasta was clearly not fresh as advertised, was undercooked (not al dente) and the sausage was full of gristle. A £20 fish stew tasted like tinned mackerel, and a £19 baked salmon was over baked, white, and accompanied by the saddest beans and two potatoes. The worst ‘Italian’ food I’ve ever eaten, and generally one of the most poorly run restaurants I’ve ever visited. And I’ve spent 15 years working in them. Manager was unhelpful when we raised concerns. Was going to go for desert but decided against it considering the absolute trash they pass as authentic Italian.

Unprofessional, underwhelming and expensive food. So many staff, yet three different waiters took our first drinks order at different times, each one forgetting things. Food was tasteless, and overpriced. Pasta was clearly not fresh as advertised, was undercooked (not al dente) and the sausage was full of gristle. A £20 fish stew tasted like tinned mackerel, and a £19 baked salmon was over baked, white, and accompanied by the saddest beans and two potatoes. The worst ‘Italian’ food I’ve ever eaten, and generally one of the most poorly run restaurants I’ve ever visited. And I’ve spent 15 years working in them. Manager was unhelpful when we raised concerns. Was going to go for desert but decided against it considering the absolute trash they pass as authentic Italian.