Sambuca in Hartlepool

We used to come here a lot over the years every time we visited Hartlepool. However since it has been taken over we had a really bad experience. The manager served an alcoholic cocktail to an 8 year old child and then denied it, we gave him the benefit of the doubt thinking he may have thought it was mocktail. Two chicken dishes arrived on the table which looked inedible as you could clearly see veins, and skin still left on the plate, and the cream sauce had all curdled on the plate as though it had been standing under the lamps for a long time. I won’t be coming back again, it’s a shame the old manager left as that’s the last time I’ve heard it’s been run properly

It's been a few years since my last visit. However, the staff here are the happiest and friendliest I've had the joy to experience. The food is always delicious and well presented with great portion sizes. This is a perfect spot for a date night. If I'm ever in the area, I would definitely stop here for dinner.

Food okay. Hot shot parmo not hot. Music far too loud.

Had a family meal for my brothers 60th birthday on Sat 29th staff were friendly and attentive despite it being a very busy night for them . The food was delicious and all 22 of us had a fabulous evening . Thank you to everyone that was working that night !!

Went to sambuccas with a group bolognese pasta very oily the fosters lager very flat n watery Other than that the service was ok

We had the three course meal and good value for what we had

I was visiting my home town and we visited sambuca for mam's birthday,I ordered a parmo and I've only just recovered after getting food poisoning,also my dog eat some and he's been ill for the same amount of time.. I've always rated that place but now 👇

Went to Sambuca's in church street last night 20/3/25. I ordered chicken diane, which I've had before and was delicious. Sent it back as it was a little under cooked and asked if the chef could cook a little longer. What I got back was sliced chicken fillet so over cooked I could have soled my boots with it. Even the waitress said she wouldn't have eaten it. When I spoke to the manager about it his answer was " I cooked your chicken and it was a vein, not blood and if you don't like the food here, go to the windmill ". He then said, you don't like the food, don't come back, you're not welcome". I have been going to this restaurant at least once or twice a month since it first opened more than 10 years ago. The staff have always been great and most still are. Pity this guy is now in charge since the renovation as he has no people skills whatsoever and so rude. Appalling attitude. Don't worry, I won't be back.

I came to hartlepool with a few friends to watch my team boston play and we stayed overnight was looking for restaurant to have meal at and came across sambuca I would highly recommend anyone who visits hartlepool to try this place out the food was brilliant and so was service it was that good on the saturday night that we came back for sunday dinner before we left and it was one of the best sunday I've ever had if ever come back will defo be going again

Nice food but the music was FAR too loud.

Went to Sambuca's in church street last night 20/3/25. I ordered chicken diane, which I've had before and was delicious. Sent it back as it was a little under cooked and asked if the chef could cook a little longer. What I got back was sliced chicken fillet so over cooked I could have soled my boots with it. Even the waitress said she wouldn't have eaten it. When I spoke to the so called manager about it his answer was " I cooked your chicken and it was a vein, not blood and if you don't like the food here, go to the windmill ". He then said, you don't like the food, don'tcome back, you're not welcome". I have been going to this restaurant at least once or twice a month since it first opened more than 10 years ago. Pity this guy is now in charge since the renovation as he has no people skills whatsoever. Appalling attitude. Don't worry, I won't be back.

Excellent food & reasonably priced. Service was excellent & food delivery quite fast. Very friendly staff. The fish platter was excellent.

It's a lovely italian restaurant

Booked a table of 10 for an 80th Birthday. Staff were very helpful as one of our guest had mobility issues. Food was very good with enough options for all on the menu. I had the Belly Pork & Black Pudding with the Cajun chicken and prawns which was very tasty and had a good heat.

i got the calmari and was violently ill after i was shaking and being sick, also we got charged for extra cocktails what we didn’t have they added on £50

Great food, good vibe, efficient service! Loved my chicken alla cream, huge piece of chicken breast, delicious sauce and fab chips. Pizza meat feast good too. Great value. Loved the upbeat music. Busy but was able to get a walk in table.

There were 8 of us. The food was faultless. The staff extremely attentive. Could not fault them. We had a great time & will be going again.

Absolutely amazing food! The venue is to die for! And the staff they’re all so polite and dressed smart. By far mine and my partners favourite place to go foe date night if you haven't been I highly recommend that you go❤️ p.s there cocktail menu is wkd!

Only thing lets it down is volume of music which is unnecessary.

Wonderful team here at Sambuca… we’d pre booked a table for two but when we arrived it was very busy. We were offered a table within a few minutes however there was loud music playing directly above the table, and the noise in the restaurant was naturally loud with it being so busy. I mentioned to the gentleman who was seating us that I am particularly sensitive to noise and was there somewhere quieter we could sit. He couldn’t have been more helpful, we were happy to wait a little longer to be seated near the back, it was also darker in terms of lighting and I’d also asked for my food to be plated on a non slate dish (as most of the meals are served on slate like plates) as I again my sensory needs can’t cope with slate. The food was yummy, and the team were so kind and considerate! Definitely keen to come back again. Highly recommend for people with additional needs, just let the team know and they’ll be happy to make adjustments.

What a fantastic place to visit we loved our visit the food was perfect and the staff were great 5☆

Usually the food is lovely. Lasagne at recent visit was predominantly lots of cheese in tomato sauce. Very little meat or pasta slices. Disappointing. I made staff aware and we were still charged for the dish.

Great Cajun burger, reasonably priced, speedy service and friendly staff.

We started with prawn cocktail, then my sister had bolognaise and I had Arabiata and we managed to squeeze in chocolate fudge cake and I had cheesecake. The staff were very attentive, food was well presentedand delucious and not expensive. We would definitely go again and highly recommend it.

I went with my son for his 21st birthday dinner. Amazing service, staff were friendly and food was on time.

First time here (group of 6) and we had an amazing night. The place was really busy but we received two complimentary garlic breads whilst we perused the menu, the food we ordered was served very quickly and was absolutely delicious. The staff were professional, helpful and a credit to the restaurant. We will definitely be back - 10/10

Can,t complain at all ,everything we get is always delicious 🙂

Honestly I really enjoyed this place however there were some set backs which really ruined my night. We had made a booking 2 weeks in advanced and once we showed up they told us that they didn’t have our booking and we ended up waiting 30 mins for our table, the waiter woman was rude when I asked for hilumi instead of chicken in my pasta saying that that’s “impossible” and gave me a weird look. Once the food was being served we had asked which one was which and the waiter stuck his head in the bowl to smell the plates to see which is which. Once I got my right plate the pasta was amazing however once I got to the bottom there was a POOL of oil in the bottom which was unavoidable and I had to leave the rest of my dish even after soaking up some of the oil with a tissue ( pictured shown) Overall this was very nice cheep Italian food and it was only my food out of the 7 people I was with which had this. 24 hour later review- I was shitting all night on the toilet and throwing up… food poising … thanks

Modern Italian. It's worth going.

Lovely fresh food served speedy. Friendly staff. The music was a little on the loud side but the atmosphere was nice. Lovely redecoration of the restaurant too.

Amazing food service and atmosphere xxx

Great food but feel like it needs to focus on it's unconscious biased/ diversity skills and attention to detail. For context. I was staying in the area for work so ventured out for my evening meal with my colleague. We were seated straight away but immediately I was asked what costume I was wearing, if it were Halloween etc. (My outfit consisted of a dress with a oriental print with black cats on it because I think life is too short not to express yourself) also despite telling them this is who I am it just made it feel extra awkward. Then a minute later we were asked for drinks when we had literally sat down. Anyway ignorance aside the menu was vast and the 3 course menu was amazing value. I opted for the sea bass for main and garlic mushrooms for starter. The starter was nicely presented with a good portion. After taking everything away they delivered the main and asked if we needed anything, in mid-conversation I stated no but realised a few moments later we had no cutlery. A kind waitress rectified that. Anyway, the sea bass was well cooked with crispy skin and what I paid would normally get you one fillet and not two. For dessert I chose ice cream expected it to be a small scoop but nope it was served as a sundae. Overall the setting was quite loud with music and people and the service felt uncomfortable. The food however was very generous of size and tasted great.

Went on a Friday night and was like being in a 90s Ibiza nightclub, music was too loud and young people shouting. They also added a £6 drink on the bill that wasn’t ordered so be careful of that. No apology either. It’s a shame cos the food is lovely.

Omg what a place. Food portions were huge. Great staff, great atmosphere, great food. Been here 12 months. Wish I had discovered this place earlier. Defo coming back. Thank you.

Lovely food as always, great service and atmosphere

Fabulous Service, Food Quality Excellence, great atmosphere, Birthday wishes complete, no complaints thank you to all staff,

Very quick service, both order and food. Food was delicious, I loved the Thai Fishcake.

Sooo good! We come once a year when we are in Hartlepool and I always wonder if the locals really know how lucky they are. I think they do though as the place is always buzzing. The food is top notch and very reasonably priced. We had seafood risotto (husband) and seafood pasta (me). Mine was absolutely packed with top quality mussels, king prawns, clams and scallops in a beautiful sauce. Then we shared the hot chocolate fudge cake with vanilla ice cream - thank goodness we shared because there was loads and again totally delicious. To top it all they brought us free Baileys on ice as I was typing this review! I’ve found heaven and it’s called SAMBUCA.

Amazing service and spot on food. We shared the fish platter with a portion of fries and for the money, you cannot knock it. I’d 100% go back if I was in the area.

Absolutely excellent venue, food and service was perfect. The evening set menu was spot on, price incredibly reasonable. Will definitely visit again

Good service, delicious food, cozy and super fast.

Belly pork was not crispy but chewy. Lasagne was tomato sauce. Motzerella and 1 sheet of pasta. Bit disappointed to be honest, was looking forward to it

Was very busy great atmosphere top lighting and decor lovely pleasant staff.i came in at 3pm for sunday lunch 2 courses for 11.95 !!! Wow BUT THEYD SOLD OUT.i ordered lasagne and tomato garlic bread.the bread had a strange taste and the lasagne was so top heavy with stringy cheese I could barely get into it.only 5/10 I'm afraid guys but I'll be back for sunday lunch soon to give yourselves a chance to redeem.fiver a pint for fosters!!!???ouch!!!

Both me and my hubby were looking forward to going here.welcoming staff food wasnt so good.my husband ordered lasagna which came to him burnt .and i ordered parmo.eating parmo after two fork fulls came across a t shaped bone it put me off straight away.after nearly choking on it decided to send it back.aftrr showing member of staff she took it away didnt have anything else.What upset me the most she told me lies saying it was overcooked bread crums.you could blatantly see it was a bone why try to make out it wasnt .not impressed i dont like liars.

Great meal with family. Food was very good and huge portions. Only downfall was being seated next to the kitchen / serving counter which was a bit noisy.

Love this place! It was our first visit as our daughter has just moved here for uni, and we took her out for a meal. We were seated straight away, the service and food was outstanding! We will definitely be back for many more visits!

Particularly warm welcome, excellent food and service, good fun atmosphere and the cost was very reasonable

Food was lovely as always and staff are very friendly. But there was a large party in, and it was very very noisy along with the very loud music it was unbearable to sit in there. people were walking in for a table and walking out again because of the noise. They lost a lot of customers because of this . I think this party should have been upstairs to make as much noise as they liked but it disturbed all the other customers I mentioned it when I paid and was told there was nothing they can do about it Yes you can there's a upstairs, put noisy party's up there instead of in the middle of the restaurant disturbing people while they eat.

Stopped in the off chance they would have a table, they did. Staff were friendly and helpful, the food - we have starter and main, was amazing. Good size portions, cooked to perfection and so tasty. Thank you made our night

Great food but too noisy for easy conversation. Seems to have lost its Italian vibe too, and no side dish vegetables on the menu any more, nor a specials board.

We got the lunch time special which was great value. Lots of potato skins, pizzas were fresh with lots of topping and the seafood pasta was tasty. We were also served very quickly and the bill was only £64 for 6 people including drinks.

Very good food, and very affordable.

Great food along with the chef's and brilliant staff. Atmosphere so good 👍👍👍👍

Great place to eat at a great price. Had the three course lunch for £8.95. Potato skins with garlic sauce, pizza, then ice cream. Very big portions and can’t fault it for the money. Took my nephew who was initiated into his first ever parmo 😂 which he thoroughly enjoyed. All three of us ate at lunchtime for £38 including drinks which is so good.

Visited for the first time tonight, and will definitely be returning. Had the steak 3 course meal which is really good value specially given the portion sizes, all dishes were beautifully presented and it was probably the best steak I have had in a really long time, the filet was so tender and just melted in your mouth. I would say to book a table as it is super busy in the evening and the only downside for me was that the music is quite loud so it is hard sometimes to have a conversation if you are in a big group but besides that great food and friendly staff.

Decent restaurant, food came quick but lacked flavour, very nice staff and great ambience. Would come back

Service good. Starter of garlic mushrooms was delicious, Steak was a little overcooked to what requested but still tasty. Accompanying sides and sauces all very good. Main point loss: The king prawns ordered with steak.....which on first glance looked delicious however all 4 prawns had their black 'waste line' left in so didn't eat and was a little bit off putting.

Food was lovely. The chef really impressed my chicken was best iv had. Wish all chefs could cook this well. Definitely recommend

Hubby and i visited for Sunday lunch and it was delicious I had the lamb roast dinner and he had the roast chicken (which is just a chicken breast and not a whole chicken as my husband thought!) Food was piping hot and delicious. Didn't get a picture of our mains just our desserts which were just as nice. Will definitely be back again!

We tried ringing all afternoon to book a table but no answer. We ended up having to call in to book a table. We found it quite expensive for what we had. £44 for a parmo, pasta carbonara, and two drinks. The Carbonara was made with chopped processed ham, not pancetta lardons, which we found unusual for a restaurant. The waiter asked my partner if she wanted parmeasan cheese, then never came back.

Amazing food lovely friendly staff great atmosphere really recommend it.

Food is awful music way too loud it's dirty and not enjoyable for anyone

Food is always lovely. Reasonably priced.

Lovely place, and I enjoyed the food, staff were lovely, very friendly and professional. Would definitely visit again. Recommended.

Staff were very helpful and friendly. The food was lovely highly recommend xx

Very delicious food. There was a rich menu choice for everyone. Seafood was prepared wonderfully. Young and friendly employees added meaning to the day.

Good Food, Good Service, Sensible Prices

Really nice restaurant with a really relaxing atmosphere I've been here a few times and have never had any problems the food and service is first class and the staff are very polite and helpful

Amazing service lovely food and fairly priced

Great food. Great service. Great atmosphere. Great cocktails too.

Visited for lunch with family. We arrived shortly after opening time so it was fairly quiet initially but did get busier very quickly. Service was fast and friendly and the food was tasty and reasonably priced. The only downside here is the music - the volume is way too loud and is like Ibiza dance tunes. Not very appropriate for an Italian restaurant.

Lovely staff and tasty food at reasonable prices.

All good 😋 bill a little salty. But it was worth it

I've just come back from a meal here. Sambuca's has been re-decorated since I last visited. And it was absolutely heaving. I was sure there would be a 30 to 60 min wait time, but no. Our drinks order was taken within 2 minutes of being seated , and delivered to our table within 2 minutes, and our food order taken 5 minutes later, with the food coming out within about 10 minutes. The staff are really friendly and supremely organised. Everyone was working really hard to make sure we had a good experience. What an amazing meal, the food was fantastic. Despite it being so busy, we didn't feel rushed to complete our meal for the table to be available for the next customers.I can't wait to come again when my budget allows. Thank you.

A lucky accidental find. Superb food with gorgeous flavours. Excellent helpful staff. Only sorry we are only passing through and might not get another chance to come here for sometime.

First time since the new layout enjoyed our meal and staff sre the best.

Fab 👌 beautiful food, great atmosphere and the staff are exceptional. The main waiter who served us was hilarious, he was very friendly, and a credit to sambuca.

Lovely food, lovely atmosphere. Food is amazing and great value for money and large portions

The rest of the staff were great- servers were polite and helpful- and the food was fine, but one server made a lot of us uncomfortable by acting extremely familiar with us, even going so far as to touch one of our faces and hair on multiple occasions. The person in question has OCD, and was clearly not comfortable the first time, and the second time became concerning- I feel servers should know not to invade customer's personal space like this and should understand that they should keep their hands to themselves, even discounting the OCD thing. It was just an uncomfortable experience and ruined any potential atmosphere for us as the table grew wary of him coming over again. It reminded me also that one of the previous times we went, it was one of the partie's birthday and the staff encouraged a roudy atmosphere and shots, as well as prompting the person to get up on a chair, when this clearly made her uncomfortable as well and she said no a few times. Overall, most of the staff are great, but there seems to always be one exception that should be more professional and respectful of people's boundaries.

Food was excellent, service was great, midweek so really quiet downstairs, party upstairs but couldn't fault anything

Great staff & lively clientele. Food is excellent for Hartlepool but do bring your own defibrillator if you’re not used to the profane levels of refined carbs typical of the local Teeside cuisine.

Fabulous Valentines 💝 evening Stunning venue With my Beautiful wife The quality of the food was very good And the revamp is so much better. Jordan was a perfect host Can easily recommend this restaurant 👌 Well worth the visit

Was there last year for my mother's birthday and again this year for mother's day. I always pay them a visit when I am on holiday from Cyprus.

£29.95 fillet steak , no mushrooms, onion rings, tomatoes, steak and sauce only! Chicken dish, no veg available, 3 x 2 course kids meals, no dessert offered. Plates cleared when still eating, and three near misses knocking drinks over

Amazing food great staff very helpful and welcoming.

1st time in Sambuca's... Absolutely beautiful meal Steak done exactly as I wanted it, Partners meal was excellent, as were the meals our 2 guests had. Serving staff were impeccable.. Will be going back

Walked out ..that's a first. Staff asked us what we wanted to drink..I said a drink menu would help. Ordered drink had to say again what we wanted lady served us was rushing. Had to correct dink order.. Then received drink order, and she rushed off. Wrong order. Caught their attention and told them..that order was wrong..no apology..then wine that was wrong whisked away by another staff member, most probably to whoever it was for??. It wasn't massively busy, and had only told staff member what I we wanted to drink a minute beforehand.. We walked out because of the rush that staff member was in, thinking if they can't get a simple drink order right, we didn't fancy getting a meal order wrong.. Manager come over to ask if everything was okay I replied no ..and we walked out. ...we have had some great meals in here in the past ..but the attitude of server and rushed service was not good..thankfully the wine that was not ours had not been touched by us and god know who ended up with it, as it disappeared faster then a magian pulling a rabbit out of a hat.

We always loved the food .. fast service nice fast treat before home to chill…except …the music omg I can’t hear myself talk! This was my third and last visit..we go to a restaurants to eat and chat not shout! Maybe I’m too old to get it? This is both windmill and church street Hartlepool

We have been surprised by the quick organising table for us. Friday evening and no booking is required reservation. I only visited Harpool for pleasure. Very good and professional service. Thank you again for making my time excellent.

You really can't beat Sambuca for service, quality and value..our favourite place

Visited today with friends, great atmosphere and fantastic staff. The food and drinks were brilliant, will be back again 😘

Been a while since I visited but really disappointed after yesterday’s visit. Quality of food has declined as well as the service.

Visited with my teenage daughter and we had a really good time. The staff were very friendly, the music had us bopping in our seats (it was a tad loud though) and the food was amazing. We were only in Hartlepool for the day so this isn't our local Sambucas which is a shame. Overall it was a great experience.

Absolutly loved the food we brought our family for my partners birthday. He couldnt get enough of the burger and the chicken kiev was outstanding. Kids loved their meals now this is the place they want to go instead of our usual place

COULD NOT OF HAD A BETTER TIME ANYWHERE ELSE!! Food was amazing, the staff were amazing and the service was outstanding!! Can’t wait to come back. PS the Parmo was amazing !!

Food wasn't great, prawns had a funny taste, staff nice, first time I've been and people had been telling me how cheap it was. I didn't find it cheap, £19 for a chicken and prawn dish with chips, maybe because it was a Sunday, will try again in the future

Best restaurant in Hartlepool the food was 10 out of 10 great service very friendly staff Good price will definitely back

I was really looking forward this restaurant opening back up following a refurb but have ti say I was disappointed. It did not have the same Italian feel of the previous. Awful loud dance music. Food was ok

Cant believe ive never reviewed this fabulous place before as i have been a number of times now. Yesterday me and my girlfriend took our disabled friend as he had sadly just lost his brother , we had a fabulous 3 course meal for £8.95 , my girlfriend is crazy mad for the Minestrone soup - she never ever shuts up about it , i prefer the potato skins as this place seems the only place that does them to ultimate perfection , i myself am not a massive pasta fan so i usually play it safe and get a pizza but yesterday i noticed they had the only pasta dish i like on Tagliatelli Carbonara which was excellent plenty of bacon - very filling , and then we all had a coffee to finish. I must praise all the staff for their hard work and always making sure that we were enjoying the food - rare nowadays usually food is dumped at the table with no manners - here its completely different i know its a business but they seem to be more bothered about customer satisfaction than profit - 5 STARS ALL THE WAY - FABULOUS. Thanks to the 2 Young Ladies who looked after us and the Gentleman - who i think is the Manager for making our lunchtime meal a special event , and of course hats off to the Chefs who made the meal.

Visited Sambuca for the first time since the recent refurbishment and have to say was very disappointed the layout of the place was terrible, the music was deafening and the service was poor, the staff have no idea of table etiquette, I still had my last mouthful of food and they where taking the plates off the table, very rude, the food was ok but no specials menu anymore so a bit limited but overall the general atmosphere that Sambuca used to have has completely gone and been replaced with a noisy badly organised cafe, I won’t be back !,