Rucola in Chiltern

excellent service & food , we recommend !

The meal started with some great breadsticks. For the starter I have the avocado and prawns which was delicious on a bed of greens and covered in a creamy and rich cocktail sauce, I would say this is a bit large for a starter but still very good. For my main I had the duck in orange sauce which was very succulent and melted in my mouth and it did work pretty well with the very sweet orange sauce, which I think was a tad too sweet but had great flavour.

Extremely expensive. Very slow and poor service. Disappointing food. Lack of variety in menu. Could have cooked it myself.

I have eaten here before and had a reasonable time. On this occasion my starter and my friends off the specials menu(calamari) was very poor and looked like a half potion and badly overpriced (£12.50). When we ordered from the manager he spoke to the waitress relaying two portions of calamari to which she replied we only have one portion left (trying to be discreet). I ordered a bottle of cider and the waiter attended our table to top up everyone’s wine but poured wine into my glass without asking at which point I stated “that’s not wine it’s the cider. (He served the initial drinks to us). He apologised and got another bottle of cider which I didn’t ask for (which they charged me for)Two of the mains were starter size but were charged for main meal prices. My main course was excellent. The waiter then attempted to or charge me on the final bill by £10. We were charged £25 for service!! Although I could have challenged this at the time, I didn’t want to spoil the experience for others. I will not be returning to this venue again. Very poor.

Lovely place a new find visited with my wife and son. Had the stone oven pizzas they were amazing, will be back to check out the rest of the menus and that dessert cart!

Great authentic Italian specials board and good to see this place busy. Went on a Tuesday and it was packed. Portions seem to have shrunk, but costs have gone up and prices still roughly the same. A good, friendly, welcoming place. Give it a go!

Very disappointed with our sirloin steaks, my steak was sliced longways through the middle, and my partners sirloin steak was cut into pieces which was mainly gristle. Obviously not high standard steak , I have never had a steak cut through the middle longways I assume this was because it was tough steak. Shame for such a lovely restaurant and staff

Once again we had a superb meal at Rucola for an early New Year family treat. Monika and Nicolas and their team looked after us extremely Well and there was a lovely family atmosphere. We tucked into fresh sardines, fried calamari and cheese garlic bread and then came the fish! Perfectly cooked fresh tuna steaks, grilled sea bass , and homemade pasta with veal ragout with crispy fried courgette strips , all delicious . The sweet trolley is so good it's hard to choose. A great meal and beautifully served. Well done Rucola!

Fantastic food excellent service ,,lovely atmosphere ,,highly raccomended for a true italian experience,,will defenetly return ,,fresh ingredient mixed to perfection,,keep up the good work guys see u soon and thank you to find me a table without reservation i ve seen how busy the restaurant was ,next time i ll book in advance ,,😁

Best Italian restaurant we have been to in quite some time! Authentic and genuine. Food was cooked to order and fresh not to mention delicious. Service was personable and friendly without being suffocating. Staff have time for their tables and that means a lot. Can’t wait to go back!

Absolutely superb, good food, staff that were attentive, and genuinely interested in diners. Nice relaxing atmosphere. If I could give 6 stars I would

We came here with the family. Very friendly people and the food was really amazing. The plates were really good and very tasteful.

Very disappointed from our last visit, aubergine parmigiana was frozen and still cold in the middle. The rest of the food was nice. Accusation of swearing by another diner, that didn't happen, totally got out of hand, as the person who accused this was drunk. We were then asked to leave, totally bemused and now will never go there again, or recommend. Such a shame, and an unpleasant ending to what started off a nice evening.

The lady that works here is really rude and needs to learn how to treat customers. It’s a real shame because the food is genuinely really good. I feel uncomfortable walking into this place anymore because of how I’ve been rudely/bluntly treated.

La verdad comimos delicioso. es un restaurante relmente Italiano, atendido por personas que se ven conocedoras de las tradiciones y comida italiana. Preciosa bastante accesibles y una variedad de postres excelente.

Another wonderful visit to Rucola. Great service, excellent food.

Absolutely disgusting service, avoid at all cost. The woman who seems to be the manager was so rude. It got to the bill and they had put on a £25 service charge for service that was appalling, normally we would pay the service charge if the service is up to standard but however the women didn’t even crack a smile and was rude the whole time. When we questioned the service charge she told us not to come back ever again. Awful place avoid at all costs.

Classic Italian with a sense of humour

Family meal. Food and service were great. Friendly staff. Definitely go again.

Excellent family run Italian with superb food . Fine dining but pizzas on the menu so great variety for all . Keep room for some super Deserts 🍰😉

Really enjoyed the restaurant, food and staff. Food was decent and fairly priced.

Excellent restaurant. The food is delicious and service very friendly.

Over many years I have visited the restaurant with my wife to celebrate birthdays and wedding anniversaries, the experience has always been very positive. Sadly that was not the case on our recent visit. My meal was extremely good however my wife’s main course was a disaster. She chose the main course of tuna steaks from the specials board. The two steaks provided were minuscule lacking size for the cost of the meal. One of the steaks was overcooked severely. Will not return anytime soon.

Lovely food, we really enjoyed our food and very friendly service. Will definitely go again. Relaxing and enjoyable lunch with friends in an environment you can chat in.

Fantastic food every time. Delicious and well priced meals. It's one of our favourites, good for a quick bite, or a leasurely lunch. Today i had the special; monk fish and prawn spaghetti; delicious!! Rucola never fail to deliver. Monika & Nicola always deliver a high quality experience.

The food was amazing, the aubergine parmigiana was the best I have ever tasted. I cannot wait to go back. Very rustic italian, and very helpful friendly staff.

Went for lunch while our car was in the garage opposite. Restaurant was very quiet but we had a lovely lunch regardless, very reasonable menu and excellent service. Pizzas are perfect lovely crispy base, we also had salad which was prepared with care and a lovely balsamic dressing. Was lovely to watch a new waiter practicing table service. If we were local we’d definitely be regulars.

Been eating here for years and still amazed at the quality and variety of the food. The specials board always has some really good and interesting options. Very good value

We visited on a Tuesday evening and was pleasantly surprised at how many other diners were present. As our food began to arrive, it was easy to see why. Every dish from starter to desert was stunning and if you add to this the modern but incredibly warm and inviting decor, it made for an incredibly enjoyable dining experience. We shall definitely be visiting again!

Always a pleasure dining here. Consistency of good food with the cheerful atmosphere.

Nos gustó muchísimo el sitio. Sin duda debemos destacar al personal y las pizzas. La carne nos decepcionó un poco pero las pizzas y postres espectaculares. Sin duda para repetir

The food was good though!... but charged me £25 for king Prawn Pasta🙄 Very Expensive indeed!!! Even though on the menu is £19.90 (5 Prawns) The Owner/Manager wasn't very Friendly though, we didn't feel that welcomed!!!

We visited this restaurant on a recommendation. The food was lovely- clearly beautifully prepared and quality ingredients. However one of the waiters was really shirty and stroppy. A shame as it put a really dampener on what was a lovely evening. Sadly won’t be returning 😏

Lovely ambiance and staff, incredible food. We had a lovely time thank you!

Nice but over priced. Didn't particularly enjoy my pizza. On the up side the staff were lovely. It looked like there were quite a few Regulars.

Nice Italian restaurant in a modern setting. Greeted by the owner as we entered, very traditional style Italian menu with lots of familiar dishes! The food was really good and the service excellent, even had a dessert trolley stuffed with all the Italian favourites. Not cheap, but still good value considering the food and service. Shown out by the owner which is always a nice touch. Recommended it to my brother who also had an excellent Sunday lunch there!

So yummy here, not all of the stuff is super friendly, some of them come across quite rude. Good still yummy, could get some updates / modernization inside

What a lovely restaurant in a small town! Charming ambiance with great service and delightful staff. The meal was excellent and arrived in a timely manner. Really enjoyed a delicious lunch. It was obvious that most of the customers were repeat visitors who frequented Rucola on a regular basis.

Very authentic Italian restaurant. All staff are Italian and make for a very special time. Our first time there, recommended by a friend it was our 40th wedding anniversary and we said we would go back just for the staff! However, so Quant was the sweet trolley (can't remember the last time I saw one of those). Loved it and would highly recommend.

Great local Italian. Fresh cooked food, long special board. Staff are excellent. About £30 per person including drinks.

It's not Zizzi, Ask Italian or another pleasant but formulaic High Street brand, it's a proper Italian dining experience, sweet trolley and all. More expensive than the familiar names but worth every penny.

This is probably the best Italian restaurant I have ever been in with in the UK. I used to travel to Italy 3 times a year before Covid and i understand the qualities of true Italian food. All the staff where friendly and attentive. I will be visiting again 100% ,

Nice Italian in at the end of the shops in Little Chalfont. Pleasant waiting staff. Main menu plus specials. Only 4 stars as think it's a bit pricey but otherwise good.

Great food and service. Couldn't recommend highly enough if you are looking for good Italian food. The specials menu is varied so there is always something new to try.

Great food, atmosphere and staff!!

Lovely food and fantastic service... A real bonus for the village.

Rude, rude, rude owner and unfriendly atmosphere. Booked a table for five at 7pm for my family, and on arrival was met at the door by a bar man who stared straight through me and turned around without acknowledging my existence. A minute later the owner arrived and simply said to me before saying hello that he did not like having families after 8pm. He did not ask how I was or welcome me, he seemed perturbed by the existence of my 5year old and sleeping baby. I asked why he did not welcome families and he turned to me to say took offence at my question. The rudest and least welcoming experience I have had in a restaurant. In fairness the place looked busy so might be ok to eat at, but the staff looked stressed and grumpy, and this seems to be all due to a grumpy owner. Avoid if you want a friendly smile and happy atmosphere.

This was the second visit to Rucola for my wife and me and, just like the last time, we were super impressed. The food and service were both amazing. The staff are helpful and professional, but the stand out thing is that the customer service runs like clockwork.

Went with my wife and friends Dave and Elaine the food was amazing. The owner was chatty and very attentive. Great service Great food at a Great price …… Highly recommended

Living within walking distance we had not been to this restaurant since before COViD. Wife wanted to revisit for a birthday meal. Glad we did. From the greeting walking through the door and leaving the service was professional and friendly .Food quality great, served hot...

Sunday , 2:30 . Seventeen of us sat down to an amazing afternoon. When all seated we enjoyed a few glasses of prosecco , then 3 different types of bread followed by a huge amount of antipasto , absolutely stunning. we chose our wine with...

Always a friendly welcome. Specials board very enticing. Quality food

Were made very welcome on our first visit since the covid-19 lockdowns and nothing has changed in the quality of food.

Very busy evening friendly service nice food

Good food and service,lovely atmosphere.

Excellent food and top quality service as usual.

It started badly with us being asked to sit outside as our table was still being used by the previous booking. Our table wasn't finally ready until an HOUR after our booked time. Very frustrating and did take the edge off of our experience. our...

Really friendly waiters and waitresses and the food was reasonably good. Prices are reasonable. Vegetarian options on pizza are limited. My fiance was refused a simple substitution on a pizza which is fine I suppose if that’s your policy but you need to make sure that such pretentiousness is backed up by making sure there are no flies in the wine. To their credit they did replace the wine when the fly was pointed out. Would visit again if stuck for options but there are far better Italian restaurants nearby.

My favourite Italian in the area by far. If Carlsberg made warm, friendly family run Italian restaurants with simple but great food.....this would be it!

Although the food is generally very good I always have to ask the staff not to top up my glass without asking. As I'm usually the driver I need to monitor the amount I drink. This time when asked, the waiter was extremely rude and gave me a death stare as I left. I'm wondering if the excessive topping up of glasses is a regular thing or just for my family who are regular customers.

What a fantastic place. Top marks for everything! A great ambience and killer food. I can't believe we've not been before. Me and my husband thoroughly enjoyed talking to the staff, drinking wine and eating absolutely perfect dishes. Highly recommend!

Good quality food, very attentive and polite service, pleasant atmosphere and quite within a reasonable price range .Their special dishes are good and varied particularly the "linguine and clams"(vongole)quite delicious!!

Fantastic Italian food and service in a lovely setting. The manager was particularly friendly with great banter.

Well what a hidden treat this is. Really excellent and a great find. Food was very tasty and well presented with quality ingredients. Having great ingredients is one thing but actually using them properly to produce great food is another and thankfully this establishment knows how to use great ingredients. Wine list compliments the food on the table.

What a great meal. Excellent food. 5 people for dinner every one had very positive comments. Great staff. Attentive and friendly. Extensive wine list covers every taste and pocket.

The food here is simply divine. Every dish we sampled from the menu was incredibly delicious. The specials board which is presented to each table individually had some great choices too and comes with an explanation from the staff. Most unique is the desert trolley which is a fun spectacle and holds pretty awesome sweets.

An excellent lunch for four with great pasta and puddings to die for. The service was excellent by the three waiters who were considerate throughout.

Thank you for a lovely evening sitting outside for dinner last night. The restaurant was busy, which is great to see. The food was great. Healthy portions of delicious Italian food. I started with the crayfish salad. Fresh and tasty. Followed by monkfish Ragu with...

Our first Restaurant visit after the Covid shutdown so we were a bit nervous to book. The staff were very friendly and welcoming, I noticed a few new ones, they all wore masks at all times and were clearly Covid aware. Food was very good,...

Lunch We had a very enjoyable 3 course lunch with friends. Friendly service and delicious Italian food and wine.

Our local Italian restaurant, we love it and go here regularly. Food always great whether from the main menu or specials.

Firstly, I’d like to say how astounded I am by the recent negative reviews for Rucola. Rucola is our local Italian and having lived here for a few years now, we’ve visited more than a handful of times. In the last month we’ve been twice...

Manager/owner rude and unfriendly, he spotted my son playing with the plant while we were eating, he came and literally shouted on him and said to us parents you should have seen that ! Very bossy, we are customers, not your staff man! The staff...

Do not waste your money .....if your aim is to have a nice relax time with your beloved then this will be ruined by the behaviour of the staff just rushing you to leave the table the soonest , food can be better at home...

Hair In The food service terrible rude staff who swore at my 7year for spilling her drink honestly never seen a ruder person then the waiter should find a different profession an absolute disgrace

What a waste traveling 15miles! Greeted rudely at booking in and seated at the front near the entrance in the cold. Almost felt as they did not want our business. No option to ask about starters or drinks until we said could we order them....

We were met with a rude manager who was flippant and told us off for booking for 5 when only 4 were able to make it (last min health issues with 5th person), said he has lost a seat and e could leave too if...

Manager was incredibly rude, raised his voice and shouting for no reason. The marquee was covered on all sides except a small opening for the door. We were back to back with other tables, no distance in between.

Really friendly restaurant. Food excellent.

Great pre lockdown family meal. Management and staff were working so hard to deliver a good dining experience in challenging circumstances. We had good food and a great time.

Great Italian, good wines, always a good time.

Been open for takeaway during covid restrictions and the food is always fresh and tasty. I've found a new go-to restaurant.

After a very limited Christmas in teir 4 and my birthday and wedding anniversary looming we wanted to eat restaurant food. Yes we wanted something that wasn't turkey, left over nor something I had rustled up.Being 2nd Jan not an ideal date in normal times. We had almost given up then when driving through Little Chalfont we saw Rucola's sign for take away. Lucky for us they opened on the 2nd and the full menu plus specials were available and they would deliver. Happy Birthday to me. They were very friendly the meal arrived on time and in its labeled boxes. I had prawns followed by sea bass with grilled veg and saute potatoes. Other half had bruscheta and monk fish. All well cooked and very tasty. I will definitely be using them agai, and one day in the future hopefully be able to go to the restaurant. Karen Dalloway Chesham

Had a meal delivered today as its my wife's birthday and our wedding anniversary. The food was delivered on time and was truly outstanding. Amazing. Like being in the restaurant in our own home. Thank you for making our day so special. Will definitely be doing it again soon.

We were at this restaurant last night, supporting our services in these times before bucks goes into Tier 3. The waiter was serving us Tartare sauce with our fish and another female waiter commented to her colleague "don't be jewish with the tartare sauce". assuming he was giving us a small portion This kind of language is unacceptable and shocking and anyone visiting this restaurant needs to know the views of the management. The manager did come over to sort of apologise but kind of defended his member of staff, which is also unacceptable - he did apologise but the experience was offensive and quite unbelievable that an establishment has staff that uses this language and holds obvious racist views - horrified, traumatised and will never be coming back

Haven’t been to Rucola’s for a few years and was surprised to find the menu hasn’t changed. Food was exactly how we remembered it although thought the portions had reduced, but still good value.Restaurant was very quiet which was a shame but didn’t spoil our meal.Found the staff friendly

I was beginning to like this restaurant but after visiting for the second time in a few weeks, we were left feeling very disappointed. The menu has a minimal but adequate selection of options, but my vegetarian partner dared ask to swap some toppings to make a more substantial meat free pizza option. This was not a problem for the manager but upon receipt of the bill, we couldn't help notice that we were charged a hefty fee for a few olives, artichokes and mushrooms (available as standard on other less expensive meat pizzas). This was not a massive issue, but my partner decided to question the bill (in a very polite manner) and she was told in no uncertain terms by the manager that we could leave and 'DON'T COME BACK'. Up until this moment the service had been good and staff had seemed warm and welcoming, but after this exchange, I couldn't help feel that the jovialness and initial welcoming reception from the manager was a superficial act. I understand that these are difficult times for the industry but we do our best to support restaurants which offer something beyond the high street chains. Unfortunately once the illusion of geniality was shattered, this one lost all appeal.

We were greeted by friendly staff who were very attentive during our delicious lunch of veal with a cream and mushroom sauce (potatoes cooked in rosemary and vegetables were very tasty ). We would highly recommend this restaurant for its lovely ambience and I'm already planning to return within the next couple of weeks.

On arrival, just 5 minutes early for a grandchild's birthday dinner, we were told we were early and then subsequently ignored by the proprietor. Very rude! Nothing on offer in the main course section of the menu for vegetarians/vegans so just pizza or pasta to choose from. Food was fine, far from outstanding but quite adequate. When an item was queried on the bill the proprietor refused to discuss it and asked us all to leave. He is a very rude, ignorant man. We have lived in the area for a very long time and like to frequently patronize our local eateries especially in the current climate where we want to help to keep them open. This proprietor obviously doesn't care so much about his business or his customers. He totally spoilt a child's birthday! I'd advise any one not to go there.

Great local family run Italian restaurant

Very rude ignorant proprietor. Turned his back and ignored us because we were 5 minutes early. When questioned about an item on the bill he refused to discuss it and asked us all to leave. This was a chiild's birthday dinner with his family. Totally spoiled by this person who seems to like driving his customers away. Very strange in today's climate.Also no vegetarian/vegan main courses.Avoid.

Lovely friendly staff, always a pleasant time. Food is banging. My brother had the prawns though and was disappointed for the price/quantity ratio, so heads up!

1st visit to Rucola having been recommended and the food was fabulous

I’ve lived in Little chalfont for 2 years and wanted to try the restaurant and didn’t know there opening hours so I proceeded to call them A gentleman answered the phone I asked him if he was open now as I wanted to come there immediately with my fiancée before going out And he said why are you asking me that what sort of question is that he was so so rude I’ve eaten in many restaurants a million times better than this one all over the world And to be spoken to by this gentleman in the way he did was nothing sort of a disgrace. If your thinking of attending this restaurant be careful if you ask what time they are open be very very wary I’m so angry About the way he spoke to me DISGUSTING

Four of us all enjoyed a birthday celebration meal. The service is friendly and efficient, the menu, particularly the specials, always interesting and the wine list is much more extensive and better than local alternatives.

We are always given such a warm welcome, great dishes, love the fish, Rucola' never disappoints. Can't wait for our next visit. X

Never ordered from Rucola before. Ordered the Sirloin steak in pepper sauce after a long shift at work. Steak was cooked to perfection, will definitely order from here again.

Really enjoying Rucola in lockdown. Nice tasty food and lovely service. And the wine!!!!

We love Rucola. My family and I have eaten in the restaurant on several occasions but have also have a few takeaways during lockdown. Food has been great 👍 staff are fab!! X

So nice to be able to get a lovely take away meal during these restrictions. All served to you outside on the table.