San Carlo in Liverpool

Poor food. Won’t be going back.

I have not been for a while because it was so bad. Much improved more authentic with Italian staff mostly

I believe it is the only restaurant in liverpool that every time i come either for lunch or for dinner, it is full. Nice Italian food. A must try when you are in town

Simply one of the best Italian restaurants there is.. equally as good as the others I have been to. Dare I say it 👌 a perfect restaurant.

Lovely food and a lovely atmosphere

We’ve been here on 4 occasions and last night chose to bring friends who were in town. The table wasn’t ready and we were told to wait by the already crowded bar, eventually were seated. Had the focaccia to start which was very dry, followed by one of the chicken dishes. Service was slow, we asked three times for the bill, it then took another 20 minutes for someone to come over with a card reader. Everyone was sat very close, it felt like extra tables have been rammed in, it’s a shame, it used to be much nicer.

This place is amazing there food was outstanding the service incredible never been to a restaurant like it! We had these rice balls to start in an incredible sauce just delicious then we had the lobster for our main course and honestly I have tried lobster before but this didn’t even come close to how it was cooked to perfection and it tasted out of this world! Thank you we will be back and will be highly recommend your restaurant xx

I have been to this restaurant on several occasions However last night it was very different The service was abrupt and both our waitresses were sullen and really looked like they didn't want to be there. That set the tone. The fish starter to share was nice but nothing special. We had eaten the week before in another high end italian restaurant in Liverpool city centre and the same starter for a comparable price was far better with more variety and a much larger portion. The bar prices are also extortionate in comparison to other restaurant of similar standard Sadly I think this restaurant is living off its name because it's nothing like it used to be The seating was cramped and the bar area was rammed just not a nice vibe for relaxed dining experience. We will not be returning There are lots of new restaurants that have opened near this venue and unless this restaurant ups it's game it will lose out to it's competition

Superb food, drinks and friendly, polite service. Great atmosphere and location. Impressive setting. 5 stars from me.

Great place , food is always high standard , staff are so accommodating

Great experience, great menu with a lot of options the satisfay everybody's taste, would definitely recommend the lasagna

A lovely venue and such great attentive service. It was very relaxed and a great atmosphere. All the food was delicious and drinks two. We had two courses and two drinks each for £100, which was really reasonable for the service we received. The Montecarlo Pasta was absolutely amazing. We will look out for the other restaurants now too.

Restaurant had a elegant feel to it as soon as you walked in. We’d pre booked a table & only had to wait around 5 minutes or so to be shown to our seats. Nice menu, although I did feel it was overpriced. I enjoyed my pasta, there was nothing wrong with it, but it was just average. The waiters were pleasant enough, although I felt the Italian accents were put on! The restaurant itself was rather noisy, so not somewhere I’d return to if you wanted a quiet date night. Worth a visit, but I’m sure there are nicer restaurants close by for a special night out.

We really liked the look of this restaurant so we booked a table for dinner. We arrived on time and were told our table wasn't ready so we ordered drinks from the bar. After seeing the prices of drinks we realised we were in for an expensive night! We waited 15 minutes or so before being shown to our table. The decor inside is nice but the tables are quite close together so you don't really get any privacy. It is also quite noisy due to so many people being in close proximity. The service was fine but the food was hit & miss. The garlic pizza bread was very herby and the pasta was only average. The steak was excellent quality though and the frites were also really nice. The desserts are very overpriced for what they are. We had ice creams at £8 a go! We wouldn't rush back as there are lots of other nice restaurants in the area.

This is the worst restaurant I have ever experienced in my life. The service was unbelievably poor, with inattentive staff who didn’t seem to care about customer satisfaction at all. I waited for nearly two hours just to receive my order, and even when it arrived, it was cold and not at all as described on the menu. The overall atmosphere was chaotic, with long waits, misplaced orders, and a complete lack of organization. I would not recommend this place to anyone looking for a decent dining experience.”

Celebrated my birthday at San Carlo, the atmosphere is lovely, whats even better are the staff, they are polite, friendly and very accomodating. The entrées are lovely, really enjoyed them, should I return, thats all I would order. The pasta's need a little more love, I ordered 4 different types, the lobster, the tuna, the spicy prawns, the cabonara and to be honest none of them hit the spot. The wine list is also great. 👌

Delighted to have had a fantastic meal there recently with fabulous service and food. Highly recommend the Spaghetti seafood, frutti di mareo. Atmosphere is worth the little extra cost. Gorgeous cocktails too. Thanks!

Nice place but expensive, it's more of an upmarket place for people who have plenty of cash can't comment on food as only had drinks in here

Top notch in every way. Thanks for a great afternoon.

Superb food, great service, good wine, wonderful time at special birthday celebration!

It is one of the best bar-restaurant 👌 on Liverpool..

Been to San Carlo before and enjoyed it. However, this experience was a big disappointment while we celebrated our friend’s birthday. We were sat at a table that was so cramped in between others that we had to tuck in our chairs close after getting knocked multiple times by waiters passing by. After being sat down, we received water and then waited 20 minutes before being asked if we wanted to order food before we had been asked if we wanted drinks. We informed one of the waiters that the prawn pasta had grey prawns which looked far from appetising. The waiter later removed this from our bill. We were left for 25 mins with empty glasses. After this, we were ready to move on so asked if we could pay, 10 minutes after the bill had been left on the table. Overall, I would say the service needs a lot of improvement and the table situation needs to be adjusted so that customers don’t feel like they’re in the way while they’re trying to enjoy a nice meal.

Love San Carlo. Always a delight. This time we visited to celebrate our daughter’s 18th. A fabulous night was had by all. Thank you 🙏

Delicious food, beautiful and elegant place and excellent service. We were 5 adults and all the dishes we ordered were brought with a beautiful presentation. Recommended 100%

NOT A CHILD FRIENDLY PLACE! We arrived on a Tuesday night at 9.15 to a not busy restaurant for my partners birthday. On arrival the lady at the door asked if we had a reservation which we did with a note stating we have a pushchair. We were greeted by a rude lady saying “that’s not a pushchair that’s a pram” she looked at my 4 month old saw he was asleep and said she would have to speak to her manager because we’ve messed up her seating plan and she didn’t know where to put us. Arriving back with us she asked if we could put him in a high chair which is a strange thing to ask when she just looked at a sleeping baby? She then took my partners jacket and not mine, my partner had to ask her to take my jacket as well. Food was amazing and the atmosphere in any San carlo is lovely! We were placed on an end table where my baby was in the way of the walk way and we were constantly worried someone was going to knock into him since we were placed on the table closest to the bar! I wrote in the notes it was my partners birthday and I was disappointed to see 2 other tables getting a complimentary birthday dessert which we didn’t get? After we received the bill we didn’t get chance to look over it, she came with the card machine and put it In front of my partner when I was paying, you can’t assume the male is paying? Once leaving the lady wasn’t interested in getting our jackets instead pointed to the man on the door and said he gets them. Overall it wasn’t a 5* experience and wasn’t worth the £150 bill for meal for 2 people! We did email the customer relations prior to this review giving them chance to offer feedback and rectify our experience however no one has came back to me! We have visited San Carlos in Manchester before and it was amazing but unfortunately Liverpool didn’t live up to our expectations and wouldn’t go back!

Superb. Amazing decor, meet and great was so friendly and professional. As always bar and table service was second to non. Our food was of such good quality and tasted amazing as you would expect from San Carlos. This was our first time at the Liverpool restaurant as we normally go to the Manchester ones but would recommend this place to anyone. We will definitely be back.

Awful experience. This restaurant is deemed the perfect spot on social media, and I thought it would be the right place for a birthday meal. I pre booked over a month in advance, I even received a email from the restaurant to confirm my booking the day before which I did. Upon arrival the restaurant had music blasting, it felt more like a night out vibe than a restaurant. You could hardly fit through the door as there were that many people standing waiting on tables with menu’s in their hands and very disgruntled faces. The lady at the desk explained they were running behind schedule and if we could wait, I asked how long she thought it might be & she couldn’t give me an answer. With the amount of people in the restaurant myself and my partner soon realised all of these people, were also waiting. Many tables in the restaurant were actually free as well & service didn’t seem to be flowing. Staff weren’t very forthcoming. I also couldn’t hear anything my partner was saying the music was that loud. We decided to leave as it just wasn’t the right vibe for us & not reflective of how the restaurant is portrayed online.

Had a lovely meal , great service and atmosphere was delightful 😊

Had a lovely meal on Saturday 14th September with friends. Great service, prompt friendly and nothing was too much trouble. Great wine selection and good food. Generous portions so couldn’t fit in a dessert. Lovely espresso martinis to finish. Highly recommend as a good night out in Liverpool.

Lovely experience. Visited San Carlo Liverpool on the last Thursday 04/09/24. Giovanni and all the other staff was really kind and professional. The food was amazing, compliments to the chef and the kitchen staff. The best Italian dinner we ever had! Thank you ❤️

Had a terrible experience in San Carlo last night. I’m not one to usually write a review but it was probably the worst dining experience I have ever had. The decor and ambience is absolutely beautiful but it felt like 100% style over substance. Service was slow and staff were very rude and unfriendly, actually borderline scowling at customers when taking orders/serving. Waited an hour from being seated for someone to take a food and drinks order. When one of our party politely asked a waiter walking past it we could possibly order food he didn’t speak but made a hand gesture to ‘wait’. I couldn’t believe my eyes. My dish (Tortellini alla panna with Prosciutto) was unpleasant and had strange texture but I ate approx a third due to being so hungry before being unable to eat as so over cooked. Peas were grey and and sauce was claggy. A few of our party had pasta but nobody was offered Parmesan which I found unusual for an Italian restaurant. In fairness others enjoyed their meal I don’t know if I was just unlucky. I felt very unwell with upset stomach after eating and have been violently sick all night. Will not return.

Table service and staff are impeccable. Excellent place to go for a special occasion.

1st time visiting,highly recommend,food was superb,staff very attentive,speedy service,lovely ambience

Service was mixed from four people offering to take our first drinks order to barely seeing anyone throughout the meal!! Food was over cooked and had to be returned. You are very much squeezed in like sardines. Not a great experience for the price paid. Sadly we won’t be returning. There are plenty of other dining options in the city.

The restaurant is beautifully appointed with comfortable seating. The toilets are amazing. However I was not impressed with my meal of penne pollo e gamberetti. It was poor value for money at £16.95 considering it had very few pieces of chicken in it and the prawns were tiny.

when you enter the resturant it's areally nice old world italian resturant.the only thing is the staff are abit rude and the portions can be small for the price.the service charge was steep and I thought abit cheeky.But if you don't mind that it's an experience.

We attended a celebration held at San Carlo Liverpool on the 10th of August. At first everything was fine, we went in ordered drinks, we were all enjoying. It came time to be seated in the restaurant. We are now all seated. The waiting staff bring all of the plates out, and for me that’s when it all fell apart. I add at this point that I ate all of my food. However, it was the blandest food I have ever had placed in front of me. Not even salt and pepper could help the poor plate. From the starter to the desert, there was no flavour, nothing nada zilch, I mean nothing. Ok maybe I lie a little, the sauce I had with the meat that looked like flattened chicken, it was wafer thin, tasted of cream. That was it. The starter that was labelled as prawn cocktail, was literally just tomato sauce, it tasted like I was trying to swallow a bottle of tomato sauce. Why O why would you put a sea creature on top of a starter. My partner was mortified, when the starter came out. It had eyes bigger than mine. After I had pulled its head and tail off, it was like liking the sea floor. Although the desert looked fantastic, and it did. I was once again let down. The amazing taste of nothing came rushing back to me. Nothing, at all. That was supposed to be some sort of pistachio cake, was not anything, could not taste a nut could not taste any cream, it was just nothing. For the most part the service was ok, yes we were a large party and there was a lot going on. However, when you are speaking to someone, you expect them to listen. Well no, not at this place. We were all super polite, as no one wants to be labelled as ( that diner ) but unfortunately it had to be me. I do not like to use glasses when I go anywhere. I prefer to drink out of the bottle. Yes I know, what a heathen, but that’s just me. I repeatedly asked this one member of staff, not to leave a glass as I will not be using one, the table space was very limited, but the individual who was serving my drink was too busy chatting with the server one table over to pay any attention to what I was trying to say. Me of little patients snapped at him, he started to pout, as if I was the one who was not paying any attention. He snatch the glass up of the table, he snatched the empty bottle out of my hand and gave me such a side look, had I not have been with people I did not want to embarrass, things would have gone a whole different way. In conclusion, make sure if you go to this place, that you go with someone you really care about, as the only good memories you will have of San Carlos, Liverpool are the ones you will make. The place is forgettable.

It is a light, bright, and pleasant environment with an attractive ambience. Good service, and outstanding food

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Phenomenal! First Class Service and food. Wow! From the moment we approached the door to the moment we left, we were made to feel like VIP guests. This venue is stunning, taking you back to the rich opulence of the 1920's with an Orient Express vibe. We hadn't booked, and walked in by chance, so we had no prior knowledge of the restaurant or prices. We were highly surprised to find the venue was affordable with an excellent choice of dishes for each of the 4 in our party. Additionally, I had broken my foot earlier that day, and was bound to a mobility scooter. Despite the beautiful steps into the building, in an instant, the staff produced a sturdy ramp and I was guided easily to a beautiful table in the middle of the restaurant. Gianni, Anastasia, and their fellow servers were magnificent. Go! Eat there! Enjoy the stunning surroundings. You're welcome! 😊

I went on a solo date, I had a great experience and all the staffs were very attentive. Food was lovely too.

Services to customers in general are good. The foods are tasty, but the seafood are poor in quality, not fresh including shrimp and mussel

Absolutely stunning, food was of the highest quality.I had mussels then roasted sea food husband had ribs then pizza cleaned our plates.will visit next time when I’m Liverpool.10/10

Fab place, chilled, really friendly. Food excellent. Been comming here since the day it opened, that says, to me how good it is.

San Carlos Liverpool awesome experience excellent food and top service great place to have an afternoon or evening out

Fabulous restaurant with the most friendly and helpful staff. Customer service was excellent.

Delicious food,great staff and beautiful place.

An absolutely beautiful restaurant, with a great menu. The food was good, wish I had opted for the tuna cooked more rare. The tiramisu was the best course. The pasta looked store bought though. Nice wine menu and good service from the staff.

Had a lovely meal for a party of 6 back in June. Really nice selection of food. Service was good, apart from our server not knowing what lager was or what lager they had, which they quickly found out from a colleague. The cheese and tomato garlic bread is essentially a massive pizza so don’t order the garlic bread starter if you’re also having pizza as a main! (Sorry if that’s obvious already) Really lovely experience, they brought out some birthday profiteroles for us as we’d booked it as a birthday dinner. Discretionary service fee was automatically added but they didn’t mind when we wanted to take it off and leave a cash tip for the servers. Cocktail menu is incredible! Would recommend the lemon sorbet sgroppino cocktail which was amazing 🍸🍹🍨

Food was lovely , big portions too . Service was great and efficient. Really enjoyed our visit. Very busy , I would definitely book ahead 👍👌

Outstanding. Best meal I have had hands down ever. The service was impeccable.

The main dish was good, but the dessert didn't impressed me Good experience overall.

I’m absolutely enjoyed the meal the place and service as well We had fish, steak and cheesecake for dessert All was amazing Highly recommend

Fantastic meal and wonderful service

Great atmosphere, great service, delicious food. It's a beautiful place, lots of greenery, nice lighting. Great waiters.

very nice looking restaurant, pleasant to sit in and staff are very friendly. These are the good bits. The food is a disappointment though - and a big disappointment at that. Tagliatelle con ragu' was below average. Bruschetta was weak. La parmiggiana was an interesting take but far from anything you'd get in Italy. There was an avocado salad which was frankly not fit for purpose - a mix of Tesco-type value tomatoes, some avocado and mountains of onion. Frittura di pesce was OK but way too expensive at 34 pounds for 2 people. Everything is about 30-40% over priced. It needn't be this way. With a few more touches of quality to justify the price, it could be OK.

Excellent food and friendly staff. Could ask for nothing more as Canadians in Liverpool!

Beautiful art deco design inside. The food and service was exceptional.

Me and my partner come here at least once a month. The service is always exceptional and we always thoroughly enjoy it. The servers are polite, funny and quick. The food is tasty and reasonably priced! We always look forward to our time here!

5 stars in not enough for the fantastic meal we had last night. Everything was perfect and served with a smile from a very friendly waiter.

Great food and the customer service From Dimitris was brilliant.

The food was amazing, the service was even better, if I could give a 6 star for food and a 7 star for the service I would. The fried mozzarella was spectacular, the ribeye steak was done to perfection (medium) and the millefeuille was epic. I honestly don't think I've ever had such an amazing time at a restaurant, there is nothing negative I can say about San Carlo 12/10.

Absolutely appalled by the service I have just received in this restaurant . I have been in san carlos many times and this has got to be the worst ever on record . My son bought us a gift voucher for £100.00 as a nice treat . On that gift card it had a barcode and clearly states bring it along so they can scan the bar code . I had read this before I left the house . So we had a 3 course meal and my husband half a bottle of dark red wine , I could only have water as I've just had surgery. The whole point of me getting out for a break ! So we were greeted and took to the table had our food and asked for the bill which was £152.00 . I gave the waiter the gift card plus the extra and a good tip . He came back over to the table and said we couldn't use the voucher as they needed some numbers to which I replied it says use the barcode . At this point people where looking over and we asked could we go over to the desk as it was embarrassing. At this point 2 more staff came over and tried to type in their system and we was told again the gift card was not working . To save the embarrassing situation we offered to pay the whole bill with cash or card so we could just leave . A big deal was still getting made , we put the cash down as money was never the problem . I was even asked to phone my son which I couldn't as he was out with work colleagues. The lady with the dark black bob was patronising and kept saying it's not her fault , in which I replied it certainly wasn't ours either . My son had spent money on a gift card for us and we got made to feel as if we was trying to get away without paying ! I have never been to any restaurant and received treatment like this ! On the way out I asked for the managers name and was told they couldn't give me that , the young man gave me his name as the assistant manager . Then between then they started talking in their language so we couldn't understand them , which again was utterly rude and disrespectful. I told them I was contacting head office and the lady with the black bob shook her head and said you do that ... her attitude was absolutely appauling bare in mind we have done nothing wrong other than wanting to use a gift card as part payment which was a present . I told her that I will be emailing the head office and she would be sorry the way she spoke to us , in which she replied ' I don't think so ' ... absolutely appauling customer service! I will never set foot in this restaurant again especially when we have so many good restaurants in liverpool ! So please if your reading this be careful with gift cards because you get made a show off in front of the whole restaurant.

Lovely restaurant. Some real Italians are involved. Food is very nice and served the proper way. Our round table for 4 people was really too small to fully enjoy our meal. Having to puzzle with everything on the table is not nice. Good for the place they cater for parties (wedding reception and meal) but the noice and crowd did spoil our pleasant time.

The waiters were a delight, food and drinks were beautiful. I definitely will be coming back

First time visit, good meal if a little over-priced in my opinion. Felt like it was dried pasta, not fresh which was a little disappointing for the size and price. Very pleasant surroundings and service though.

We came here as a group during the business trip. Great large menu with lots of choice. Lovely setting, decor and ambience. Food was gorgeous, very tasty, good sized portions! Look forward to returning.

The service was fantastic! The entire team were so attentive and seemed to really care. Couldn’t fault a thing at all- will be back again

All good but the tables are too small. 4 people at a table and it's completely full with 4 drinks and plates. Seems the makeover is aiming at just fitting more people in rather than letting customers enjoy the experience. Shame.

Amazing experience here in our trip to liverpool for our anniversary - starters and mains were amazing, my dish unfortunately came with pasta over cooked however I let the waiter know, I had a new dish within 5 minutes and despite my protests they refused to accept a tip after the dinner. The flavours of both dishes were amazing and staff were incredibly attentive. Would return without doubt

This has been my favourite restaurant in Liverpool city centre for over 20 years. Food,service and ambience are always perfect. On 11/05 we took my elderly Aunt for lunch,at her age she prefers her food simply cooked. The waiting staff could not have been more understanding or helpful in ensuring her meal was perfect for her. The whole lunch experience was a joy. Thank you

One of the worst experiences of a restaurant. Overcrowded table for 4 people, now space for plates and glasses. We had to place used plates on the floor. Lacks class and would never recommend to anyone. A waste of £300 for a lack luster dinner experience. Avoid this place like the plague. Spend half the amount in Bacaro for a much better evening!!!

Great wine and food and good private area for business team meetings. The service is excellent. All the courses of food were good with the steak mains being the best.

We had a beautiful evening here. I wanted to treat my partner to a nice meal on our first trip to Liverpool and we were not dissapointed here. We didnt book a table but that didnt bother the staff. We were seated quickly & not hounded for our order but kept an eye on until we were ready. The food was really good. Only slight downside was our server smelt of cigarettes. Regardless of that we had a lovely evening.

Average, overpriced and overhyped for nothing better than pub food (mostly precooked and rewarded. Never again

A great experience from start to finish. A warm welcome, quickly seated and fabulous service. The menu offers lots of options. The food was delicious and beautifully presented. Lots of choice on the wine list. A pity they don’t include vintage dates. Large spacious dining room. The best of the 5 San Carlo restaurants we have visited

Only good experiences. The entrecote was fantastic. The wine as well.

Unbelievable ! The food, the restaurant and the staff was so amazing! Cant wait go go back ❤️

Bang average food was saved my amazing service. This was my first time at San Carlo and although it’s a chain, I expected good and authentic Italian food. I was really let down by a bland and overcooked lasagne. The broccoli side also was poor and tasted like it was smothered in garlic powder - clear sign to me they are churning out poor food with little care. How hard is it to use real garlic? Clear sign it’s a style over substance restaurant. Service was excellent though.

First time at San Carlo last night for a joint birthday meal with my partner. We had booked a table for 5pm thinking it would be calm and pleasant atmosphere but no it was totally manic and could hardly hear yourself think. The decor and style of the restaurant is beautiful and I feel that is what you are paying for as our experience of the restaurant and service was not what I expected. The food was tasty but not much of it ( I ordered ravioli and got 4 square of ravioli). The service was very very rushed and we were hassled the whole time by every waiter that passed us, constantly asking us do we want anything else? In the space of 2 minutes we had 4 waiters asking us the same thing! In the space of 25 minutes we had our food and bottle of wine and rushed on to our desert, no time to sit and enjoy our food. Waiters were constantly topping up your wine so felt we had to drink up quickly.... We were really disappointed and underwhelmed by the service and experience we had. If you are wanting to enjoy a civilised meal were you can relax and take your time and enjoy the company of your family/friends I would not advise going to San Carlo

Tony Ferry: We arrived at San Carlo Liverpool on Friday 19/4/24. Great welcome, the staff were friendly and relaxed, I had whole sea bass my wife had prawn pasta excellent. Really special night. Thanks, Tony Ferry

An amazing dining experience. All the staff and all the food was amazing. The attention to detail was magnificent

I wanted to inform you of my recent experience of your Liverpool restaurant. Firstly I have dined at San Carlo Leeds many times and have always enjoyed the food and the service, however this cannot be said of your Liverpool restaurant. I booked online and arrived early to the restaurant, there were three staff at the greeting station none of which acknowledged that I was waiting, the door staff actually noticed my presence but were unable to distract the three staff from their tablets etc. After 4mins of waiting and still not being acknowledged I asked the staff if I should continue into the restaurant given I had a booking, I went to the bar area where the observant door staff realised there was no seating for my husband and I and brought us chairs. At this point, I thought it unlikely that we would be given adequate service for the potential £200 that we would spend in the restaurant so decided to leave. I wanted to point out that the greeting staff did not greet and this has an impact on the diners experience.

8 of us had dinner here recently.6 adults 2 grandchildren.Everyone really enjoyed the food and all said they would return(thank God I live in Ireland as I was paying😀)but seriously we really enjoyed the food and it was well worth the visit.My wife and I will be back in Liverpool soon and we will definitely eat here again.I put up a pic of the bill to give people an idea.But there was a good bit of alcohol on it.My scallops were delicious.Cooked to perfection.

For a well-travelled man in his mid 50’s I have had my fair share of dubious restaurant encounters. I can truly say our visit to San Carlo in Liverpool on Sunday afternoon was certainly in my top 3 worst experiences of all time. As you step into the front porch you are greeted by the resident spliff rolling street beggar, overlooked by the security doorman, whose purpose seemed questionable. Once inside you are welcomed by scenes of chaos as waiters rush passed in all directions. We gave our name and confirm our booking to the lady on reception and are prompted to follow the waiter who in his haste is already halfway to our table. Surprisingly, the restaurant seems busy for our early 5pm reservation and we are taken to our seats at the end of a large row of closely packed tables. The seats are upholstered benches and as my partner struggles to manoeuvre her way into her designated section of the bench, I am left abandoned by the waiter, to somehow squeeze into my seat, which even for the contortionist from the afternoon’s performance at Cirque Du Soleil, would have been a struggle to achieve. I push our table closer to the next table in the line, blocking my partner in and releasing just enough space to be able to get my leg over the arm of the bench and into my seat. We are approached by a female member of staff and asked if we have any intolerances and would we like any water. We asked for still water and were left to view the menu. A male member of staff came over and took our drinks order, a bottle of house white and a glass of red for myself to go with my soon to be ordered fillet steak. A second male waiter came over and asked if we had any intolerances, to which we replied no, again. My partners white wine is brought over and she is asked if she would like to taste it, all is good and he proceeds to fill both my partners and my glass with the white wine, I tell him that I ordered a glass of red wine and he promptly stops pouring the white and leaves my glass half full as he fetches my red wine from the bar. No attempt was made to apologise, and the glass remained on the table, half poured. Having travelled from North Wales earlier in the day to watch the Cirque Du Soleil show, we hadn’t eaten since late breakfast and were looking forward to enjoying a nice fillet with peppercorn sauce, at a little over £50.00 per person to include a couple of sides, it is certainly not a reasonable as other nearby restaurants. Whilst waiting we noticed a younger member of staff, carting a large light blue plastic container through the restaurant, the type of container that a builder would use to mix mortar. He was going from table to table, artfully dodging the other waiters as he filled ice buckets from his mammoth builder’s bucket, we thought this was most odd. The tables are so close together that any thought of a private conversation is impossible as you could hear every word spoken from tables adjoining. The food was served promptly and placed on the table, instantly I noted that the jug supposedly containing peppercorn sauce, contained a dark brown substance, resembling gravy, not a peppercorn in sight. First impressions did not bode well, and attempting to cut my steak with the steak knife provided, confirmed that either the chef did not have a clue how to cook or that the quality of meat was poor, either way this was not what I was expecting from a restaurant that apparently prides itself on being passionate about the quality of it’s food. And then to the peppercorn sauce, as I poured the dark brown, gravy like substance from the jug, my heart sank, this is basic cooking skills, a basic sauce that a 5 year old child could master after a few quick lessons, but somehow the chef (and I use that term very loosely) had created what could only be described as a red wine Bisto gravy mix. My fiancé’s steak was a little less rubbery than mine and as it had been sometime since we had last eaten, she grin and beard it, whilst commenting that in no way was this a peppercorn sauce and maybe they had given us a red wine sauce by mistake. On getting the attention of a passing waiter, I told her that the food was not good at all, to which she brought over her manager. I showed him with a couple of strokes of my steak knife, making no impact to my fillet, that the food was not edible and that the sauce was certainly not peppercorn sauce. He apologized and abruptly took the dish away, asking if I wanted anything else. I told him that It was a little too late. I saw him leave and speak with other members of staff, confirming that the steak was not accepatable and that it was now too late to replace the dish. A second more weaselly manager came to the table to question whether I wanted anything else, I told him that this had ruined my fiancé’s birthday and that I would get something on the way home as I didn’t want my fiancé waiting on me to finish a replacement meal. He was very persistent, saying that he could make me a nice pasta dish in 5 minutes, I again said I was fine as I had now lost my appetite, but again he insisted that they prepare me something. Just in an attempt to salvage the evening I agreed to his demands to bring a prawn pasta dish with garlic and chilli. Ten minutes later the dish arrived, by that time my fiancé had finished her meal and just wanted to leave, the dish looked pale and bland, the pasta was stuck together and again first impression was not great at all. The tomato sauce was watery with little flavour, the pasta was under cooked and hard. I ate the 5 prawns and pushed the remaining dish to one side and asked for the bill. I had left half of my red wine as this was purchased to compliment my fillet, my fiancé had left the majority of her white wine and I had eaten a few fries and 5 prawns all evening, so to receive the bill for over £134.00 that included all the uneaten sides, 2 x peppercorn sauces, the drinks, £5.00 bottle of water and £20.00 for the inedible pasta dish that was basically forced upon me, was beyond belief. The weaselly manager came back to the table where I made my disapproval noted, he refused to accept any responsibility and attempted to make excuses for the sub-standard food, stating that the peppercorn sauce is always made in this way and that the pasta is cooked al dente. I questioned whether they always make the pasta sauce watery with no flavour as well, to which he could not respond. He left and then a revised bill was dropped off by another waiter, this time with the pasta dish removed and one of the peppercorn sauces. In between all of this a couple of other waiters turned up with three profiteroles bathed in what looked like spray cream and a single lighted candle and began to sing happy birthday to me, although it was my partners birthday and nobody had bothered to check first. It was a totally embarrassing moment, with the entire dining experience ruining what was otherwise a wonderful day in Liverpool. I left paying £80.00 cash, feeling that I had been well and truly taken advantage off, saying goodbye to the resident beggar as we left and hearing the distant mutterings of delusional management that are holding onto a belief that San Carlo(Liverpool) is number 1 on Tripadvisor when the reality is it sits at an astonishing 437 out 1275, personally I would have placed it much lower in the ratings.

Not nearly as good as it thinks it is. We could not get a seat in one of our favourite eateries, so thought this looked like a decent option. Unfortunately turned out very much second best. They got my order wrong, turning up with scallops instead of prawn linguine, which resulted in a delay while this was rectified. When the prawns did arrive, they were vastly under cooked, being translucent. Obviously cooked quickly, with culinary care and competence lacking. My partner's calzone was large, but ingredient composition lacked balance and cohesion. No salt and pepper on table, although present on others. Asked for finger bowl, none resulted, just a couple of wipes. Waitstaff seemed lackadaisical, noisy when grouping and chatting with each other, and generally disinterested and disengaged. Disappointing experience in a resto which hugely puffs itself. Save your £ and go elsewhere.

Lovely Food , service very good . Beware Of Service Charge Though . Veal is a recommendation , cooked to perfection . Just a visitor to Liverpool , but I will return .

As Foster Carers my husband and I don’t get out much as all our focus are on our 2 teenage boys. So going out this afternoon was very special for my husband and I to reconnect together without the boys. San Carlos did not let us down, the food, service, wine and desert were all absolutely amazing and spot on. It was lovely to not only eat such amazing food and drink some lovely wine, but felt looked after and totally spoilt. Thank you San Carlos for a lovely afternoon.

Amazing dinner after the races at Aintree. We loved it.

This place is beautiful. One of the best restaurants I have visited in Liverpool. Food excellent and staff exceptional.

Everything was perfect especially the food and the friendly staff

A mixed review. Reserved a table, slightly late arriving but it was clear that as it was a Saturday, the table had already been given away but saying this, they quickly sat us down. However because they have crammed in so many tables, you find yourself continuously apologising as you attempt to navigate around people. Throughout our meal I was constantly knocked into by waiters and customers walking past me. While we liked the style and decor of the restaurant because of its layout and numerous hen do’s and other large groups, we couldn’t hear ourselves think! we had to resort to shouting across the table just to hear each other! In a more positive note, the food was tasty and enjoyable and the service overall was OK. We particularly liked the calamari and the presentation on a silver plate, the lobster and the hazelnut gelato are also worth a try.

Doesn't look my uch from outside, but the minute I entered I was very impressed. The decor manages to create a high end feel while being comfortable and welcoming. The staff are attentive without being intrusive and truly added to the great experience we had dining here. Food was reasonably priced, portions were large and the quality of the food was brilliant. I have to say one of the best restaurants I have ever visited, and a truly a memorable experience. If we come back to Liverpool again I will definitely visit again. Great work guys, you can be proud of the experience you offer

Visited for my birthday. Everything about the place is fabulous. Attentive and friendly staff, beautiful surroundings and decor and amazing food. Try the monkfish it is beautiful. The ladies is worth a visit just for the beautiful marble. Can’t wait to come back.

We turned up on the off chance to see if we could get a table and the team was wonderful in accommodating us. The service, food , atmosphere and decor was fantastic and we will definitely be returning.

Good food, service a little slow, but the building is absolutely stunning

Fantastic food ! Fantastic service ! Fantastic Company 🥹 some fellas card declined next to me too 🫣

Unfortunately the pasta was under cooked; they were happy to replace which was fine; never had an issue before; so will go again although I travel from Flint to Liverpool. Worth a try

We visited last week for lunch without a reservation and had no problem getting a table. The staff were attentive and friendly. I had a delicious risotto and mouthwatering chocolate cake. A very enjoyable lunch and we didn’t feel rushed to vacate the table after finishing. Looking forward to my next visit.

Lovely food, great service and very busy.

It's all about show here, fancy restaurant serving up mediocre, overpriced food. Wines expensive but nothing special. Service was very good though although they automatically add a service charge to an already hefty bill to cover that. Quite disappointed overall and wouldn't recommend as there are far better, more reasonably priced Italian restaurants in the city.