San Carlo in Birmingham

Style over substance pasta chalky and slimy sauce tasted like it came from a jar and garlic bread should have seen the oven

Good waiters who attended to me and advised me of my gluten free options and lovely meal options. My penne pasta dish was absolutely perfect as was my pannacotta dessert. Service was great and a very classy restaurant"

All you need in a restaurant. The food was good, and the service was good 👍

As a staff member, this is one of my favourite food experiences at San Carlo. All of the food was extremely hot fresh and delicious. The seafood platter was so good and the pastas were presented perfectly and super fresh you can tell the food in this kitchen takes a lot of time and detail I loved it.

The staff were excellent but unfortunately the food was not. The fillet steak I had was the worst steak I have ever had in a restaurant, over cooked and tasteless.

Excellent food, bit on the pricey side but food was excellent 👌

Excellent food. Most staff were excellent however, when I asked one of the male servers if something was gluten free his response was I don't think so rather than go and check. Other than that was a great meal.

We stumbled upon this restaurant by chance while walking nearby, and its beautiful setup immediately caught our attention. From the moment we stepped in, we were impressed by the elegant and inviting atmosphere. As a party of three, we started with beautifully cooked calamari, a perfectly balanced beef tartare, and an outstanding carpaccio—each dish showcasing quality ingredients and expert preparation. The garlic bread was also a delightful surprise, full of flavour and wonderfully crisp. For our mains, we enjoyed homemade mushroom ravioli, rich and flavourful lobster ravioli, and hot, spicy Spaghetti Gamberoni. Every dish was well-executed, but my personal favorites were the carpaccio and the mushroom ravioli, both of which were simply exceptional. The service was fantastic—warm, attentive, and genuinely hospitable. The staff made sure we had everything we needed, enhancing our overall dining experience. The restaurant itself is not only elegant and beautifully maintained but also spotlessly clean, adding to the pleasure of dining there. A truly memorable experience, and one I would highly recommend!

Good food if a little pricey, good service at table but service from the kitchen was slow, we were sat at our table for nearly 3 hours.

Please read other reviews - they truly reflect the poor service, mediocre food quality and lack of atmosphere - I would certainly not recommend you part with your hard earned money to dine here! Very disappointing meal with friends! ☹️

This has got to be the worst San Carlo in the chain. We had a terrible evening here the service was awful. Two meals arrived 20 mins after the others, zero apology, our steaks were cold and over cooked. The wait time for food was unacceptable. The black manager guy was so unbelievably rude. The two forgotten meals should have been removed from the bill, they weren't and the best bit is they tried to charge us £78 for the service!! We love the San Carlo chain but unfortunately the Birmingham restaurant is one to avoid! Credit to the guest relations team for refunding the £78 service charge! This should never have been applied in the first place

The service was awful, they basically ignored us during our visit. Considering the restaurant was more or less empty, we expected more. Our wine and water was not poured, the dessert menus were 'plonked' on the table, and no one bothered to follow up and ask what we wanted etc. The only time we had their attention was when we asked for the bill. As for the food, the pasta dishes were so disappointing, luke warm and bland. There were no anchovies, capers, olives or fresh parsley as advertised in the ' spaghetti gamberoni piccanti'. The 'penne salmone' did not have any salmon or peas either. Nobody took the time to enquire how we were enjoying it, therefore depriving us of the opportunity to explain.

Amazing experience. The floor manager Michel was attentive and made sure everything was perfect. The primitivo wine is great and food is delicious.

Absolutely beautiful and amazing service. Worth every penny and will definitely be back soon !

Really good, the automatically applied 12.5% service charge was a bit steep.....

I've been eating here, on and off, for decades, during which many other restaurants, some superb, have ascended spectacular heights only to eventually fade and disappear. Yet, San Carlo Birmingham persists. This got me thinking. How? I believe the answer is consistency. Yes, there are alternatives, with hot chefs creating amazing dishes, but they soon burn out. Or, if they continue their prices, along with their available tables become inaccessible. Yet San Carlo is still here. Reasonably priced well prepared food in a great atmosphere, and usually a table can be found if you walk up. Clearly they have a loyal following, this place seems to thrive, not only in the busy hours, but also during the quiet times of late afternoon and early evening. Underpinning everything here is the first class service, delivered by a cohort of professional and friendly staff. 'I'll be back' and may the years smile with favour on this venerable eatery.

Food was really good but when you are used to better service, then this is not great.

Nice place, food was ok. Fries were hard as rock but the pizza is massive for one person, pasta portion is humongous...

Having not visited for a year. I took my fiancee. Excitedly to my favourite restaurant. Last time I was treated like a star. The staff were approachable, friendly and attentive. Continually checking that everything was ok. This time WAS HORRIBLE!! From the start we were treated appallingly. 6 different waiters. Throughout the horrific experience. Ordered oysters to start then fillet steak and lobster. Not once were we asked if we were ok or needed anything. We were completely ignored. The fillet steak was sliced in to thin stips and was salty. How could we know if it WAS a fillet steak. The 5th waitress was told about this and I asked if (Having been before and had an amazing time and was given a small taster of each desert on the menu) I could have this again. Another waitress came over and told us the service charge would be removed. Laughable since we received no service and was ignored by ALL the staff. We asked for the bill and not having reception the machine failed. At this point the staff became very aggressive and ordered the security guard not to let us leave. We were very intimidated. The staff were then talking about us in Italian. Which I understood fully. Don't BOTHER with this place. The staff are RUDE and the food is NOT WORTH the PRICE and was NOT a fillet steak which I paid for. As you can see from the pictures. The steak was sliced which I didn't ask for nor expected and was NOT explained or stipulated by the menu. So how do I trust or know that I was served and paid for a fillet steak??? I am disgusted by the whole establishment . We were made to pay for the meal into an employee's PERSONAL BANK ACCOUNT . NOT THE RESTAURANT ACCOUNT. IS THIS PROFESSIONAL? IS THAT ILLEGAL ? DEFINITELY immoral AND UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT??? The manager did NOT ONCE handle the situation OR SPEAK TO US ( the gentleman who wears the different trousers) he in fact was standing talking rude about my partner and I. On what we were wearing. Which I was actually wearing Chanel hat and coat. At this point I spoke out and to the shock horror of my disclosure that I could understand EVERYONE and what was being said. The staff disbursed and pretend to be busy. DISGUSTING. We should have been asked for our address and allowed to leave the restaurant. Not forced down stairs which had even worse signal and strong armed into paying into a personal employee bank account. Horrible from start to finish. AVOID AVOID AVOID.

An absolute disgrace - San Carlo should be thoroughly ashamed. Starters were just about acceptable. Mains were ridiculous. Barely warm pizza (basically cold) and just about warm ravioli dishes priced at almost £25 each! Yes, the duty manager was informed. I did not want another pizza (which had marinated uncooked whole olives from a jar one it - herbs included!). My daughters barely touched their raviolis. Service was so slow that it was almost non-existent. The audacity to try to add a 12.5% “service” charge was cheeky at best - yes it was removed. All in all. A waste of £75 - see receipt. I had a starter. Nothing else, yes - I left hungry. Simply incompetent staff from top to bottom. This is not what you would expect from this brand. Having travelled from London to visit my daughters - thanks for ruining a simple lunch. One star as Google does not allow zero/negative stars! UPDATE FOLLOWING CONTACT FROM RESTAURANT CHAIN: DO NOT BOTHER EMAILING THEM PER THEIR REQUEST! A WASTE OF TIME - THEY SIMPLY COPY AND PASTE THE FOLLOWING RESPONSE (AND COLLECT YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION AT THE SAME TIME!). RESPONSE FOLLOWING EMAIL PER THEIR REQUEST: Good morning Thank you for taking the time to contact us about your recent experience, we truly value the feedback of our guests. Having addressed your concerns with our management team they would like to extend their sincere apologies that your experience on this occasion fell so far below expectation. We understand not receiving our usual top-class service and food is very disappointing and as such our Senior Management team will be addressing the concerns you have raised with the front of house and kitchen teams. Once again, we are incredibly sorry you have had cause to complain and would like to apologise unreservedly that you have left feeling disappointed. Kindest regards, Guest Relations.

Rubbish service over rated and expensive. AVOID AVOID AVOID. 1 hour 20 for lasagne to arrive. Really…! The food was returned because it was cold.

Very pleasant experience Nice atmosphere Good customer service

As per usual, me and my friends had an amazing time at San Carlo. The food was incredible and we would just like to thank hector. He always goes above and beyond and we’re so grateful 🙏 🍝🥂

***Review 1*** So I'm giving San Carlo a 3 out of 5 rating, which I feel is very reasonable. Let's start with the positive! The food was actually DELICIOUS!!!! The steak and oysters were to die for! The reason I'm only giving 3 stars is for the service. Now, let me say that the staff were very apologetic but it still ruined the experience slightly. Our reservation was for 7.30pm, we arrived on time as we were already in the area. The table wasn't ready so we were asked to wait at the bar. At 8.05pm we were still waiting for our table. At around 8.15pm we were seated and our order was taken. At 8.45pm we still hadn't even had any drinks. I know this seems a little harsh, but 3 out of my 4 plates were cold/raw and didn't even require cooking. There was no option to remove the service which I didn't feel was deserved. Was the food worth it, ABSOLUTELY! ***Review 2*** After having a horrendous experience at The Oyster Club we decided to walk over the road to San Carlo. I have to say against all odds, we were able to be seated immediately. The food was served waaaaay quicker this time and the restaurant itself seem to be running a lot smoother!!! Again, the food was very nice quality. The Chablis wine is delicious!!!! They've definitely redeemed themselves, which has made me edit and improve my Review. Thank you for saving my birthday meal!!!!

Dreadful service. Long delay before food arrived. Was then served lukewarm lasagna. When I asked for this to be replaced they just reheated it, with parmesan melted on top. Waiter blamed cook without making any genuine apology for the restaurant. Likewise no apology from the cashier when I refused to pay a service charge. I returned to this restaurant after having very happy memories eating there about fifteen years ago. It is just a shadow of its former incarnation. Will never return.

Very bad experience and not helpful at all. I came from London last night to enjoy my new year in Birmingham and i made a reservation at 10:30 pm, but because i didnt make the reservetion on time they didnt try to be helpful. The restaurant was open and they choose not to serve just because i didnt come on time. So unhappy with the service and not helpful at all.

The service at San Carlos was very poor, we had to ask for food and drinks menus and call over waiters to order our food, drinks and our fries came as a side when we finished our meal completely. Food was delicious but based on the service our experience was let down overall.

Poor quality food. This place was going down hill before the pandemic. My visit was a new level of rubbish! X

They say that are fully booked-always a lay. Most of the dishes have 2 options ( small or large) - you are never ask which one would you prefer but you will always pay the most expensive option. You HAVE to pay for service. I have not been asked if I would like to. I will not go back in this restaurant. There are so many other options in Birmingham with the same type of cuisine. If you care about your money, this is not the place to go.

Food was good for an Italian restaurant in UK. Wine could've been better if not served at probably 24 degrees. Very loud. But service... Bad. Had to ask at least three times for a glass of wine and even about four times for the bill. Expect to spend about £130 for a couple or more. Couple next table to us waited almost 45 minutes to get their food after ordering. Made me feel strange stuffing my face while they're where waiting with a glass of water

Excellent food! Couldn't fault the staff, but they do wedge those tables in! Be prepared to hear next doors conversation if it's busy!

The buzz and service at San Carlo Bham is as good as it’s ever been. The staff are a credit to the Brand and we had another fab lunch - thanks to all the staff for looking afterwards so well - food and wine list just perfect - large table of 8 in the corner best table in the house!!

I took my family here for a pre-Christmas meal. I haven’t visited for over 10 years, so was excited given the restaurant ‘s reputation. Sadly, the food, the service and the atmosphere didn’t live up to expectations. We were stuck behind a pillar in the corner downstairs, so essentially there was no atmosphere and we were sitting on our own. The service wasn’t terrible, but wasn’t good - and nowhere near what I’d expect of top restaurant. And the food was ok - but again, not what I’d expect for the price or reputation. I won’t be returning.

All in all a fairly average experience - however hugely disappointed based on high expectations from reputation and price point. For starters, the service was quite lacking with inattentive staff, upon arrival there was no one to welcome us at what looked like a host stand so naturally we made our way downstairs to speak to a members of staff which is when we were told to go back to the entrance. After a further 5 minute wait we were finally seen to by a welcoming member of staff. This however was only the start of San Carlos issues. After being seated following this delay we were at our table for all of a minute before being asked to stand up and move again. This time our table was next to a particularly rowdy group of drunken individuals who made the atmosphere hellish. Following our table move it then took us another 10 minutes before receiving any form of service. Eventually after making eye contact with staff several times (and being blatantly ignored) we were able to order. The disappointment continues… When our food arrived both my sister-in-law and I felt thoroughly let down. Portions were a reasonable size however flavour was completely vacant in both the calamari (which was lukewarm at best) and the burrata. I think it says a lot that the bruschetta we ordered - that came slightly burnt - was the best part of our meal. To be clear, this experience did not live up to our expectations of San Carlo and we will definitely not be returning anytime soon.

Amazing food. Authentic, classic, dining experience

We booked for our sons 21st birthday as he wanted to try this restaurant. We arrived 10 minutes early and the place was buzzing, which was great as we were celebrating. We were asked to grab a drink whilst waiting for the table which set off alarm bells based on reviews I had read. The host then took us to a table downstairs saying they were opening the downstairs. Now this is a lovely place but we were the only ones there. Three other tables came in whilst we were dining but there was simply no atmosphere. The garlic bread we ordered to nibble on was delicious and the main courses and sides were very tasty (fillet steak and monkfish pasta) however again we were disappointed as we had initially ordered the chateaubriand and a chicken liver starter both of which we were later advised were no longer available. In summary, really tasty food just not our preferred options, and clearly the booking system is too tight to ensure tables are turned in time. It's not the cheapest place and so sadly I'd be reluctant to recommend as I wouldn't want to spoil someone else's celebration by risking similar issues occurring for them.

Brilliant food - which sadly is a lot lot more than could be said for the atmosphere - loud and rowdy, and not what you expect for the prices charged.

Lovely birthday meal celebration here, food was lovely a real special occasion place! Birthday singing was so nice, thank you! Food was good, service wonderful

We had booked for today's lunch giving us two hours until we had to leave for the theatre. The restaurant was very busy. We chose for the 'festive Christmas' set menu and both had the mushrooms as a starter. The mushrooms were served with toasted bread but were very cold. We informed staff who didn't seem that concerned about this. Service was so slow we had to leave for the theatre without our desserts. Our main meals were fine. We did ask if we could return later to have our desserts, and we could.

We have always had an excellent experience at this restaurant but, sadly, today this was not the case. The service was exceptionally slow and one or two of the courses were very mediocre. The restaurant was expensive ( to be expected) but for the prices paid one expects quality. Sadly not so. There were not enough staff for a very busy lunchtime. When you are charged over forty pounds/bottle of wine service has to be good. Sorry to say it but it was unsatisfactory.

The positive - pleasant staff Starters adequate but difficult to ruin burrata / pate The negative - fillet steak inordinately tough - three of us ordered and all disgracefully tough. I’m puzzled as to where you can buy meat of this poor quality or how any chef can ruin a fillet steak consistently. Pistachio tart poor quality pre-made dessert Not what you expect for a £40 steak and £90 per head meal I did eat here in 2022 and had a similar poor quality meal which I reviewed but they obviously do not read or action any of their feedback

First time going there with a lovely friend would go again..

Was very busy, so maybe the staff were too rushed. Food ok but not great. Beef tartare not much taste and sorry but I didn't like the pizza base at all was a bit like it was made from wholemeal or brown flour... as I said not bad just not to my taste. Eating lunch with 5 others, all the other dishes, fish, pasta, etc were fine. Personally it's not somewhere I would return to.

So disappointed with the whole experience! It was meant to be a special meal but just appalling from start to finish. We never got our drinks order after being there for an hour and had our food with only water. The meal was mediocre at best and did not resemble the lovely food that I had previously just a few weeks before. The service was terrible and extremely disorganised. I have never been to a restaurant where I didn't get my drinks order!

The food as always was delicious most waiting staff were exceptional but unfortunately there is always a fly in the ointment- we were unlucky to receive bad service from one waiter - Firstly he threw the menus upside down & back to front Secondly he poured a glass of wine into my husbands glass when he wasn’t drinking - no apology just walked away. Thirdly he offered Parmesan cheese for our meals but chose not to return. On payment we did raise our complaints & we were offered to remove the service charge but that wasn’t fair on the rest of the amazing staff. Would we return - we won’t rush back as we enjoy not only delicious food but good customer service too.

Terrible service, waited over an hour for drinks that never came without an apology and got the bill before the drinks came and we asked 4 times. Pizza was mushy and they tried to do a service charge but we asked to take it off. They sent over an unknowing member off staff who had just started his shift for bill.

Usually love visiting this Restaurant as the staff are attentive and food delicious (although overpriced) on this occasion it was obvious the restaurant was over-booked and not enough staff on duty. We waited over 5 mins just to be acknowledged and shown to our pre-booked table, service was very slow and the waitress was unfriendly and unwelcoming. The noise in the restaurant meant we could not hear ourselves speak and could not wait to get out of there.

Another great meal yesterday for my birthday before a shopping trip! Great service and food as ever. Only option for quality Italian food in Birmingham in my opinion.

Overated and overpriced, had the ragu which was a watery tomato sauce with a few little chunks of beef, pasta was meant to be al dente it was under cooked. Far, far better Italians out there for half the price and better quality food!

Good food to be UK, but standard quality in places like Spain or Portugal. Price is way over justified, and atmosphere is unpleasantly noisy. Will not come back.

Starter lovely. Ordered steak, sauce cold , plates cold, chips cold, returned to kitchen came back same , staff unhelpful and rude. Advised on exit its Saturday usually problems not what you expect, been saving to go there as a special treat. Would not recommend, will not be returning!! Spoilt our day out.

Excellent meal and service for my girlfriends birthday meal, staff were very friendly and extremely attentive

Not so nice food. Mediocre service.

Beautiful Italian, off corporation street! Excellent service, lively vibrant atmosphere and the food was delicious! Great portions sizes too! Will definitely be coming back

Fantastic venue for a family get together of 10. Couldn’t praise the staff highly enough.

Excellent place in city centre.

Pretty restaurant, feels very luxe but prices are decently affordable, recommend for a date during a nice day out in the city. Food was tasty and hot when served.

The food, wine and service were 10/10. My wife felt there wasn’t enough cocktail varieties but it’s not enough to knock a star down, they had an extensive wine menu in keeping with the Italian culture

Very dissapointed with the food and service. Arrived on time for an 20:30 dinner reservation for 6 people and was told to wait downstairs by the bar for our table. We weren't seated until after 2100 having stood in the busy, grotty area between the bar and the restaurant for over half an hour. Service at the table was very slow, so we ordered all of our food at the same time as our drinks. Starters were underwhelming- my beef tartar was quite flavourless. The one dish we did enjoy we asked to keep on the table to enjoy alongside our main but we had to explain this no less than 6 times to the waiting staff not to take it away. My partner's main course of lasagna was very poor and appeared to have not been warmed up from the freezer properly as it was cold in parts and tasteless throughout. Most dissapointing was the attitude of the staff who seemed to think they were doing us a favour by being there. We had intended to spend more time there but as the service was so poor and the waiters clearly wanted us to leave, we did so without another round of drinks, desserts or coffee. We have had much better experiences at other San Carlos, but I would never reccomend the birmingham branch to anyone.

Vero ristorante italiano. I camerieri parlano tutti italiano e sono molto gentili e cordiali. Cibo fantastico per essere in Inghilterra e anche in Italia si posizionerebbe nella fascia di alta qualità.

It is perfect selection and I would like to thank Mario for his advice in the selection of the food

Real Italian restaurant. The waiters all speak Italian and are very kind and friendly. Fantastic food for being in England and even in Italy it would be in the high quality range.

Excellent lunch menu, great ambience.

We booked a table at 2:30pm and were left waiting with our menus to order for about 30 minutes. Our first drinks then arrived with our starters, as two waitresses competed for space on our table. We then waited an hour for our mains to arrive. At this point, we were then left for nearly 2 hours with no one even coming to ask if our food was ok or clearing our plates. We had to go and find someone twice to even come over and acknowledge we were there! Very disappointing. The food was ok, not great. But such terrible service really ruined the experience for us. We were given a small discount off the bill but no apology, and eventually left at 6pm… what a farce. We won’t be back!

Went to San Carlo for my birthday meal and what a meal it was. The level of service and attention to detail was first rate and the food was heavenly. For a birthday treat it’s a shame a birthday comes once a year.

We were there for 4 hours because the service was so slow. I ordered the crab and lobster ravioli for £35 and there were four pieces if ravioli, smothered in a sauce that tasted and looked like Heinz baked beans or spagetti hoops; no herbs, no salt or pepper, no garlic, no flavour. The tables are extremely close together, I think they want to fit as many people in as possible. You're practically touching elbows with the next table. I would not recommend this restaurant.

The food was dry and no flavour on it the worst mix grill ever even the avocado salad was bad the avocado was black not green and I gave them the note about it and they didn't do anything.

We came here after a disappointing meal elsewhere, and were so glad we moved! Being a chain I wasn’t expecting too much, but the food and wine were lovely, the service was friendly, atmosphere buzzy and the restaurant lovely and clean. The restaurant was quite busy and sometimes it was hardy to grab a server, but this was not really an issue. We were a large table of 7 but they still managed to fit us in without a booking on Saturday lunch. Everyone enjoyed their meals, and desserts were very nice too.

Went as part of a hospitality course. Though I wasn’t served any food, the staff were ultra polite and professional. The decor was one of a kind. Would most definitely go back for dinner.

Very enjoyable dinner at San Carlos. Food was great and the service excellent.

Awful service last night. Awful food.. im going to stick to Fumo, atleast they care about their customers over there and take time out of their day to come over and see if your still breathing and okay. Im so disappointed in how bad the service was here, your literally dumped on the table and left for the rest of the night which is disgusting to me. Our waiter spoke to us once, half way through the service NO one had came to ask if everything was okay.. it indeed was not but i refuse to ask those who are providing a service.. to come over and speak to me.

Absolutely wonderful atmosphere and Service in the restaurant. Thoroughly enjoyed my experience in San Carlo in Birmingham. I had an issue with a food item; the matter was dealt with swiftly by staff. Highly recommend if you are looking for a high-quality 5 star dining experience. Highly recommend the Merlot complementary desert wine, it was absolutely beautiful!

Lovely restaurant, great service and good choice of italian dishes on menu.

we had pre booked our table of six for the afternoon- we arrived to a wonderful air conditioned room... which we appreciated as it was quite muggy outside The staff were curtious and helpful. And we were quickly seated at our table - drinks service was quick. The Menu offered a good selection. Again Service was good and polite. Food arrived quickly, hot and well presented. By the time we left it was very busy. Would definitely recommend

Booked into to San Carlo to take a friend for a birthday lunch on Saturday 14 September. Our table was booked for 12pm as we were going to the theatre afterwards. Having had a nightmare journey with cancelled and late trains, we were actually 10 minutes early when I had been stressing that we would late. We entered the restaurant and it was completely devoid of people/staff. I could hear knives and forks clattering downstairs so started to go down to see if there was someone to speak to. A man appeared who told us to come back at 12 as they were having a staff meal. Quite honestly if this is the level of customer care I will not be revisiting! We left and I called and cancelled the table. I run a business and I have people turn up early for appointments; I will always try to accommodate them. In fact I will always assume that people could turn up early so I would always aim to be ready. This restaurant took a booking for 12pm so it was very likely that people would arrive early. If you are not open until 12pm on the dot then don’t unlock the door! I have worked in hospitality too and find that a pleasant, “we are not quite ready to open yet but can we get you something from the bar whilst you wait?” Would be a better way to deal with this. I had been to this restaurant once before and found they were not very friendly then so this dreadful experience just served to confirm my thoughts about it!

Arbër and Irma made the service /experience as great as the food. We had great starters, the freshness in this place is simple elevated Italian. Half a bottle of wine, one Prosecco, meat and and side pizza. Will be back in a while for more

Camellia, the events manager was absolutely amazing. Thank you so much !

Very rude staff and from my experience I think they racist

This is my absolutely FAVOURITE place to be for any occasion. Beautiful authentic Italian restaurant, beautiful decor and the food is amazing. The staff here are brilliant, they go above and beyond. I've been here for many occasions such as a quiet quick daytime lunch, work or family gathering, evening meal with drinks. No matter the occasion it’s the best place to go. Nothing comes close to San Carlo when it comes to the full package of excellence.

This used to be such a great restaurant but sad to see its decline. One steak we ordered was inedible and another we ordered medium well which came out pink and full of fat. The veal used to be wafer thin in San Carlos and was now just a big lump of meat which looked awful. Spaghetti carbonara was dry and just full of pepper. Nobody finished their meal. Didn’t even ask if there was an issue when no plates were finished Freezing in the restaurant, we ended up eating our dinner in our coats. Wouldn't recommend

I've always believed that having great food alone doesn't make a restaurant exceptional. What truly sets a place apart is the combination of perfect cuisine, outstanding customer service, and a kind soul at the helm. Gea, the manager at San Carlo, embodies all of these qualities. Her dedication to ensuring a flawless dining experience, coupled with her warm and welcoming nature, makes every visit to San Carlo a delight. It’s this rare blend of excellence that turns a good restaurant into an extraordinary one. Thank you, Gea, for making every meal memorable.

Good service, and food OK but chain restaurant style ordinary food priced well above the quality served. Frozen fries at these prices? Really?

Me and my friend poped in for some food after our shopping trip thinking San was a nice establishment due to the exterior design, however this was not the reality. We ordered the “sharing” antipasto to start (expecting a nice meat platter) to then receive a few pieces of meat on top of a whole bucket of rocket salad, we did not eat it at all, it was a disappointment paying 30£ for a bucket of rocket. We did not mention anything to the staff as we were never asked how everything was and wanted to give the restaurant a chance to reddemm itself with the main course. our main course arrived the pesto linguine wiyj red praen was flavourless with onky three king prawns on tip. No finger bowl or wet wipe was provide for the shelled prawns. The lamp cutlets my friends order, were drench in sauce (like BBQ ribs from TGI fridays) the cutlets were very fatty and extremely sauce she was gasping for water. After this disappointment we immediately asked for the bill to which we only paid part of the service as were never asked if we were okay and we did not receive any service at all, and when the waitress came to take the payment we told her how much we would like to pay individually to which she repeated the amount several times in astonishment and ironically (after i repeated myself x3 times on how much i wanted to pay) after paying, we then discovered we had been overcharged ( +5£ for the x3 prawns pasta) but we were so disatisfied we just wished to leave.

Wow is all I can say, had a night away in Birmingham with friends who had a meal the day before,so they booked a table again for all four of us, I have never tasted anything like it, it was amazing and we are definitely going back next time we have a night away.

Wow what an experience with a lovely touch for me and wife on anniversary Once in a life time meal steak unreal Lobster fab sides were cold but not a problem Love to go again Son and daughter in law payed so even better Phil and bren

We told the, Italian waiter from Calabria region, it was a big birthday for me, 60, and he arranged a little cake for us and two complimentary shots to follow our fizz and light meal. This is our second time here and we'll return.

Beautiful restaurant with delicious food. The garlic bread was honestly the best garlic bread I've ever had, and it was the perfect accompanying side dish to the tortellini. Service was great too. No complaints!

We absolutely loved our lunch here. Excellent food and not as pretentious as the Manchester restaurant which we no longer frequent. Lovely service - just right (and no long waits like we’ve had in Manchester). We’d definitely go again

Fantastic food and drink. Well worth the money and must book prior to going as over subscribed. 👌

Shown to our table promptly but seating was very low and uncomfortable (back to mirror on the wall). Immediately got the vibe that we were in the wrong place when so many came out the toilet and decided to pose in front of the large mirror while we and others were eating (not restaurants fault). Food was promptly delivered and my starter stated mixed mushrooms in filo pastry. Basically the same mushrooms put on top of filo pastry which ended up very soggy as the mushrooms cooked in too much oil and water and a few bits of rocket I found hidden under the pastry at the end! Ravioli main was very dry and obviously put under a heat lamp for too long. The biggest disappointment was the scallops and king sized prawn. Basically presented on shells with some melted cheese and a bit of sauce which again was very dry. £37 for this dish I expected so much better. Overall, the food was very bland using basic ingredients so don’t be fooled by the wordings on the menu. Unfortunately we won’t be visiting again as there are far more superior restaurants in the area with food that tastes much nicer. I found some of the staff very pretentious Very expensive visit for overpriced and bland food

My family of four went for lunch last Sunday, and it was not good in any way. The restaurant only had 4 tables occupied and 7 staff milling around, yet we had to call staff over to take our order and the drinks never came. We had our main meals delivered and we had to ask again for our drinks order, and the vibe off the staff was that we were an inconvenience . My son's carbonara was over salted and inedible so we sent it back and my husbands steak that was ordered to be medium well was over cooked and tough, so that went in my handbag for our dog! I asked to speak to the manager, he was not the slightest bit bothered. We declined sweets, and left. Now I have been dining at San Carlo for over 20 years, and the service is normally quick and courteous, not on this particular day. The food was awful, well below average, and the prices are high. I have called and spoke to a female manager, however she failed to return my call, and I have also emailed the restaurant twice, but no response. Customer service very poor indeed and really not acceptable. There are many restaurants around the Temple Street area of town all vying for custom, I suggest you try them and steer clear of San Carlo and its obnoxious staff !!

Great venue, great good and great atmosphere

Service was flawless great attentive staff but food was pants. Not what it used to be unfortunately

Food was on the whole good. I can recommend the filet mignon, tuna tartar and the parmesan and truffle fries. Definitely do not recommend the seafood ravioli, it tasted like tinned spaghetti. Service was okay. Atmosphere was unfortunately poor, very loud due to tables being packed together and did not feel very luxurious.

A spoons on a Saturday night has better food service. Food was good. Wouldn’t recommend if you are young as I assume this was why the service was awful.

I had an absolutely horrible experience for my girlfriend's graduation celebration on Monday. We arrived early as we did not want to wait for our other friends outside, as it was pouring rain and wanted to sit after a long day. The host did not approach us in a very respectful manner, and merely asked if we were ok, perhaps as they might have had others going inside just to take shelter from the rain and not to dine in. We assured him that we were fully paying guests and had a booking, then were shown to our table. Once our friends arrived 20 minutes later, we were asked if we were ready to order although our friends had not even fully settled in. We asked if they could return in 10 minutes, but our order was not even taken until 25 minutes later. We ordered our drinks, starters and mains, all which came in good time. This would be the only good part of our experience. Nobody checked back with us unless it was to take plates away; Not to ask if our food was ok, not to repour us some wine, not to repour us some water, and the only semblance of a smile was when I asked to get the bill. Before the bill came, we noticed that the table next to us, who came much later than us and were also celebrating a graduation, had received a celebration plate, with a big cheerful smile from the waiter, and a clap from his colleagues around him. 30 seconds later, my girlfriend received hers with a fraction of the enthusiasm of the first table's. This interaction is what confirmed to me that it was the most underwhelming dining experience any of us have ever had. I have heard good things from family friends who had lived in Birmingham in the past, but things must have changed drastically since then. If anyone is looking to book at this restaurant for an important celebration sees this, I urge you to look elsewhere.

Terrible experience, table of 5 sat on a cramped small table, waiters are very rushed, want you to be in and out of the restaurant. Food quality is not good, very expensive for basic quality food, portion sizes are misleading on menu definitely shareable end of spending a lot of money for lack of quality - left feeling unwell. Raised a complaint to the guest relations team who apologised but no good will gesture at all as this was a birthday meal left feeling really disappointed, will not go back.

The food and service were excellent .

Some of the best food I've had in a long time. The perfect blending of ingredients, textures and flavours, wonderful.

Awesome food , incredible wine . Best restaurant I've ever been to