Romeo Italian Bistro in Croydon

Go to Naked Dough if you want an excellent pizza or pasta at less than the price of a pizza from you-know-who and without the rip-off add-ons. All the pizzas and pasta dishes are made on the premises by the chef / owner and really good they are too. There is only one main that isn't pasta or pizza and that's steak but there are veggie options for the pastas and pizzas, GF pasta too. Support your local independent restaurant, not some faceless chain.

Last Saturday my family decided we'd get takeaway pizzas...so we looked up this restaurant's website and ordered online. The site looked professional enough and our order was submitted and paid for. I got the confirmation email at 19:56 saying that our food was being prepared. I was expecting an email or text to tell me it was ready for collection. Nothing was sent, so after about 25 mins I drove down to the restaurant. The staff stared blankly at me when I said I was picking up a takeaway order. "Oh, we didn't see that," was the first response. Then, "the order didn't appear on the computer as we've run out of pizza dough"!! Basically, they hadn't seen our order and there was no food to collect. And as they had run out of pizza dough (at 20:30 on a Saturday night) they could not do anything. Despite being obviously annoyed by this discovery, I did remain calm and never raised my voice (there was one family eating there and I didn't want to spoil their meal). However, the staff's attitude was extremely poor. Although they apologized, their attitude seemed to indicate that it was my fault for ordering via their website...a website that is their's alone and not part of a 3rd party site. I was then kept waiting as neither of the 3 staff on hand could work out how to issue a refund. This went on for approx 10 minutes. Their attempts to work their own system were futile, and all the while they seemed to view my presence as an inconvenience. Eventually I had to ask for a cash refund. The cost of my order was £47.25. At this point, as my evening had been wrecked by their mistakes, I assumed they would quickly give me £50 in notes. The lady behind the counter then took a painfully long time to count out the exact sum in change! I hardly ever bother writing reviews, especially negative ones, and if the people running this restaurant had of apologized sincerely for their mistake and quickly issued a refund, I wouldn't have written this. But sadly, their attitude was so poor and unhelpful, they deserved this review. Several months ago, we did order online from this restaurant, and we actually did receive some food. While the food was reasonably good, it was overpriced for what it was, and even then, the staff had been confused with their own ordering system. I would definitely not recommend this restaurant. The attitude of the staff is extremely poor and the food (if you get any) is not particularly outstanding for the cost. And absolutely do not use their website to order online! Unless you want a laugh...the final gesture of counting out the change was so ridiculous given the circumstances I ended up finding it funny. And again, when I got an email from them at 21:00 stating that our order had been "fulfilled"!

This pizzeria makes great pizza! The base is fabulous and the toppings are very good quality. There are some salads and pastas on the menu but we've not tried them on our 2 visits. The problem is the lousy service! Both visits have had long delays in service despite there only being 4 tables occupied. It seems that the chef/owners are too busy to do any staff training. I cannot imagine ordering a cocktail in this souless shop when making coffee is a challenge. The pizza is great but I doubt that Is enough to take me back. I might order a takeaway next time and avoid the hassle of getting served. Nice people but utterly clueless about how to run a 10 table restaurant.

A real gem of a restaurant. Gorgeous food, great atmosphere and amazing service. Julian and Tracy are wonderful will make sure you have a perfect meal.

I recently went here for the first time and was really pleased. I got the Calabrese pizza and it was amazing. One of the best pizzas i’ve had outside of Italy without a doubt. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes pizza. I liked it so much that i tried to go back a couple of weeks later to eat in with my girlfriend but for some reason they were only doing takeaways. I walk past the restaurant often and they seem to switch between takeaway only and allowing people to dine in. They seem to be inconsistent with their opening times as well. This is why I have only given it 4 stars, as it makes it difficult to be able to plan to eat there.

First time we have ordered from here and its the best Bruschetta and pizza we have had in years. Will be ordering from here in the future.

Best local We discovered this local restaurant late during lockdown for takeaway (our loss) and I can genuinely say the food is absolutely delicious, we have ordered pizza and pasta from here and it never disappoints - the garlic bread is the best garlic bread you’ve ever had! The delivery times can be long but everything is freshly made and most definitely worth the wait. Can’t wait to visit when everything opens again. Thank you and stay amazing Romeo!

A real gem tucked on the corner in Shirley. I've lived in the area for a couple of years now and am always walking down the main road to get to the Co-Op, but I hadn't noticed Romeo on the corner until last week. I had a look at the menu from outside and liked the look of it so decided to book a table on Friday night. It is a very small restaurant, with even less tables due to Covid, but the lighting was cozy and the music made it a really nice atmosphere. I ordered one of their pizzas after being recommended by a member of staff, and my girlfriend ordered the pumpkin ravioli. The food was amazing, especially for the price. The only thing I would say is that the portion size for the ravioli was maybe a little small, but would be fine if you ordered a starter as well. I would recommend to anyone thinking of coming here and will definitely be coming back. Thank you!

Today I visited Romeo’s on Wickham Road, I thought I’d pop in for a drink and cake with my toddler and baby in an effort to get out and about and support a local business. I used to go in there a lot when my eldest was a baby and always had a really enjoyable experience with the staff being very welcoming to me and my baby. This time however I had a really upsetting experience and I will not be going back again. When I arrived I asked if there was room for the three of us and was told yes but that they would be closing at 3. It was only just gone 2pm so I said that was fine and found a table to sit at. I asked for a highchair for my baby, but then had to ask again as it wasn’t forthcoming. When the highchair was eventually brought over I couldn’t work out how to use it and so asked the female member of staff if she could help me. She came over, took a look and said she didn’t know how to work it and walked off. The lovely lady sitting at the table next to me then tried to help me but we still couldn’t work it out. The owner was there at the table next to me so the lady asked him if he could help us with the highchair to which he shrugged and replied that it wasn’t his problem, that he had provided the service of a highchair and it wasn’t his problem if other mums had come in and meddled with the highchair. He was extremely rude and unhelpful and so I said I would have to leave as there were no other highchairs and my baby needed to be strapped in. The kind lady helping me said to him that he needed to teach his staff how to fix the highchair as he was losing customers over it. He again said it wasn’t his problem. I said to him that I had made a big effort to come in and support a local business and had been spoken to rudely by both him and the female member of staff. The owner then said to me that this was no longer a cafe and I couldn’t come in and just order a drink and cake (I hadn’t placed any order at this stage!), and he said he didn’t have cakes for sale. When I pointed out the cakes they had out on display he said they were part of a dessert and not for sale with just a drink. I could not believe how rude he was being, his rudeness then continued as I left the restaurant, when he said that I should just go across the road to the cafe and eat there. This was extremely embarrassing as he did this in front of the entire restaurant, it was also upsetting to happen in front of my children particularly my toddler who did not understand why someone was being so rude. I was so shocked that the owner spoke to me in this way, particularly after the good experiences I had there in the past. It is a lot of effort to take a toddler and baby out anywhere and I really wish I hadn’t bothered trying to give them my custom!

Went to Romeo for lunch this afternoon and the food was amazing! The pizza they make is quite simply the best I’ve had and the Lobster Ravioli was divine. Would recommend anyone in the area to give them a try without hesitation!

The service always makes you want to go back again REAL soon and it's such a friendly atmosphere for adults and younger's alike. VERY reasonably priced breakfast too, a firm favorite during school holidays. And they have a stone pizza oven if a takeaway is what you fancy.

The quality of the food here is better than most and reminded us of our travels through Italy! Should be rated even higher than it is hence my writing this review. We ordered two meals to collect (due to lock-down) to celebrate an anniversary and they tasted better than most dine in restaurants. Amazing ingredients prepared with skill. Caprese Bruschetta, Garlic Bread with Cheese, Parmagiana, Sourdough Pizza, Pasta, Chocolate Brownies all were absolutely amazing. Will be returning very soon!

I’ve always enjoyed coming to Cafe Romeo. Friendly staff and great food. Since COVID lockdown I have been making full use to the delivery services. Ordered many of the pizzas. They’re great, tasty and put to shame the big pizza chains. Decided to try the main meals last week and they’ve been as good as sitting in the place so will be ordering more of them! Enjoyed my chat with the owner the other day when the new Pizza sign was being painted on the glass. I really do hope you can keep this place running as I intend to make good on my promise and come up for a dinner when you can properly open again. Keep up the good work and everybody do make use of the delivery menu and support a great local business.

Not only is the service excellent and the restaurant nicely decorated but the food is amazing and great value a win win all round. Pre-covid I came and had the pumpkin ravioli which was delightful but the pizza they just started selling is some of the best you can get, sourdough base, high quality toppings and great value again. 100% recommend this place!

It’s not just a lovely independent coffee shop. We have been a few times for the charcuterie and pasta which are always excellent. However the pizza is a new favourite.

We came for a valentines treat. We ordered our food and the waited and waited and waited. Finally after more than 30 minutes had elapsed some food appeared. Unfortunately it wasn’t for us. We’d been given someone else’s starter. We then waited again until finally our food appeared. We weren’t offered any Parmesan cheese, nor black pepper and no dressing for the salad. Uninteresting vegetarian pasta which we could have ordered from any chain Italian restaurant. For dessert we ordered the home made tiramisu as it was pushed by the waiter. Bland is the only word to describe it. It wasn’t busy when we were there so no excuse for such slow service. We would have appreciated someone letting us know why there was such a long wait. Very poor and expensive for the food we had.

The best fresh made pasta we have had in a very long time, very friendly service. A special place, if unassuming.

This place served the best pasta I have ever had. The service was really great. The place is quite small and some tables were reserved when we arrived, so next time we are making reservation to avoid any disappointment. We are definitely coming back!

Interesting menu, well prepared food, good service. Nothing more one can ask for. Full English excellent.

I have been to Romeo's a few times with very different experiences each time. It seems as soon as there a few customers, service slows right down. I know that its inevitable that service will slow at busier times but on my last visit we waited almost 30 minutes for a slice of toast. Will use again as the coffee is good but will probably just order to go

My wife and I recently visited Romeo Italian Bistro for an early morning coffee and breakfast. We were both delighted with our experience. On hearing that the bistro was open for evening meals at weekends we visited last Saturday evening. We both had starters, main course and deserts which was very unusual for us. All of the food was fresh cooked, hot and delightful. The mussels were the best I have ever eaten. There is a good wine list albeit we opted for the house wine. Again this proved a good choice. Although not food experts we could not think of another restaurant we have visited in the UK that compares with the Romeo Italian Bistro in terms of quality and value and look forward to visiting again in the near future.

We made an impromptu visit for an evening meal. There was a very good menu. We had starters followed by steak and pudding. The food was very well cooked, the steak was tender, the service was friendly and efficient and the meal was very good value for money. We will return.

We’d eaten dinner here and enjoyed. We thought we’d revisit at lunchtime. It’s a local family owned restaurant and we wanted to support it. But it was a very different experience at lunchtime. The waitress was surly and when she brought our drinks made no attempt to clean the table that was strewn with crumbs from the previous customer. When our food arrived I asked her to clean the table and she simply waved a damp cloth at the table and swept the crumbs onto the floor. Surly a clean table is the most basic a cafe can provide. My focaccia sandwich was ok but the bottom was soggy.For what we ate it was overpriced, the service was surly and the tables not clean.Please make some improvements- we’d love to see you flourish.

We've lived in the area for many years and it's struggled to offer a place where you can find honest, homemade, quality Italian food. Having visited during the day (coffee and lunch options) and the evening (Thursday to Saturday) I think Shirley now has an offering to stand the test of time. The owner and staff are very friendly, know what they're doing and clearly want to make a positive impression. Dinner we have found to be particularly good - pasta and ingredients are fresh and clearly made with care - seafood tagliolini is excellent. It's a small place with an appropriately sized menu which means you get properly cooked pasta - for this, one needs to be patient, it is worth the wait. There are other options in Shirley for an evening meal but most offer food that is a little 'meh' and nothing you perhaps couldn't make at home. Give this place a go.

Romeo’s is open during the day as a cafe and on Thursday to Saturday evenings as a restaurant and does both very well. It’s very popular with the locals during the day and the breakfast/lunch menu is varied and the portions good. I’ve been twice during the evening and not been disappointed. Although the menu is smaller it means that what they do, they do well. Unfortunately there were only two couples eating there the first time so the atmosphere was a bit lacking but I think it’s a bit of a hidden gem! The staff are superb and can’t do enough for you.

Small, cosy and friendly venue, yet wide choice of food - freshly cooked and homemade - all quite delicious. Excellent service, good value and ticked all the boxes for us when we wanted an informal, bistro-style lunch. Will definitely be returning and wouldn't hesitate to recommend to others.

Noticed this place had opened recently and 4 of us (2 couples) went for dinner. Small and cozy restaurant. Friendly staff and owned and run by an Italian chap and his wife. Food was authentic and very good. Wine list is also very good mainly featuring Italian wines - which is perfect. Sharing charcuterie Board was large, well presented and great selection. Atmosphere is cozy and relaxed. Will definitely return to this little gem. We need more establishments like this in Croydon!!

Sadley waited a long time of over cooked Luke warm pasta which was stuck together and had to fork to part the clumps .Very disappointed as was told the food had been Luke wall when our neighbors visited but wanted to try ourself to support small local business .Disorganised front of house Sad as we are locals

Have eaten here a couple of times. The staff are very pleasant. The food is lovely but the portions are a little on the small size. Salad very small with the omelette and only a small portion of mash. Maybe the pasta. Should come with a bit of garlic bread. Not cheap but very nice.

Popped in for a chai latte and ended up having a delicious brunch, eggs Benedict on sour dough toast, yummy! A little sparse on the homemade hollandaise but I asked for some more and promptly got it. I also had it with lovely garlicky mushrooms as a added extra.It really was lovely and if I lived closer would probably be in the all the time!

Visited for lunch and ended up staying for coffee and cake. Fresh tasty food (small portions in comparasement to local cafes). We had chefs special meet balls and omelette with some amazing sweet potatoes mash on the side. This cafe offers great variaty of herbal tea and serves great coffee too. Cakes, pastry tastes delicious. Highly recommended.

Visited a few times for coffee, first time today for lunch. Excellent, interesting, well presented food, at a reasonable cost. Tremendous, friendly service, even after I bumped out table a smashed the glassware! Looking forward to an evening visit.

Went for lunch with my wife. Service was slow due to someone missing from the kitchen so the owner was in there. The girl serving was a bit all over the place, forgot the ice for our drinks, apologised when we asked again, then came back and told us there was no ice. We were told even ordering cold starters would take 20 minutes minimum, which seems a surprise. Alas when the food did come it was a bit bland. We could do better at home to be honest. 2 bowls of pasta (peas ham cream mushrooms... mostly peas, very small/ few specs of ham only, invisible mushrooms) and 1 Diet Coke was £20. Too much for what it was. Had hoped for more/ better/ tastier. But nice decor and nice owner.

Have been a few times. The food is always delicious freshly cooked to order so sometimes it takes a little longer than usual but always worth the wait. The coffee is great too!

The service was slow due to a combination of lack of staff and busy morning and they were very apologetic. The smoked salmon, eggs and sourdough bread was delicious so worth the wait. Will go again.