San Carlo in Manchester

We had dinner in Mid October. They have an extensive menu and wine list. While the service was efficient it was not warm nor inviting. We ordered a first course and when finished, then ordered our main course. The main arrived in literally three minutes…. a bit rushed. Food quality was good, with over favor and presentation OK.

The food was AMAZING and thanks to mr zico he suggested the best foods for us and literally all of them were fantastic....

I spent a long weekend in Manchester and found myself looking up good Italian restaurants so I could treat myself to a lovely lunch and the moment I saw there was a San Carlo I knew I had to book it! I have eaten at San Carlo in Liverpool a few years ago and it was perfection, I went to San Carlo in London and sadly had an awful experience there but I had no concerns in going to San Carlo in Manchester and this lunch DID NOT disappoint at all and when they say it's an award winning restaurant you best believe it because everything is perfection!. I do have a lot of food allergies and after what happened in London, I wanted to check if they were allergy friendly and they stated they were but they weren't joking about that because when I arrived for lunch, before I even sat down they asked me about any food allergies something I truly appreciated and normally I am quite anxious eating out because of having so many allergies but I had no worries or concerns eating here. For a starter I ordered the olives which were marinated and I am sure they had orange zest on something I haven't had before but the combination worked so perfectly and they were THE BEST olives I have ever eaten and then for a main course I had spaghetti bolognaise which was just perfection. I know there are many bad reviews on here about this restaurant however I am failing to see why because the service was 5 star, the food was as usual incredible and I was in no hurry to eat and leave the restaurant so a bit slower service didn't phase me at all and actually I enjoyed it because nothing was rushed and it gave me a bit of time to rest prior to my main course coming out! 10/10 and I cannot recommend this restaurant any higher because it really is a lovely restaurant with the most incredible food and if your looking for authentic Italian food just go to San Carlo it will NOT disappoint!.

It cant be that bad i hear you say it was. The service was just poor! We were a large group of more than 10 celebrating a friends special birthday. Wrong dishes came, extra food item came out which we didnt order and we were scolded when we told them it was incorrect. I asked for salad as a main course told we didnt do it. Than asked what does mc mean then. Then told they changed the menu so he didnt realise. I had taken everyone order before hand and written down. I was told he was Spanish and doesnt understand Italian. Asked for a picture of the group told not in a nice way. He was too busy! Given a 20 minute countdown to exit the table they came over ever 5 mins as a reminder. Time to pay settling the bill he had the card reader rolling his eyes and then telling people well i dont know how much you want to pay! Poor attitude and rubbish behaviour from staff. They dont cater for large groups so dont bother. We wont be coming back.

Excellent atmosphere Excellent food great service.

Visited San Carlo yesterday lunchtime. The staff were so lovely except for one 'gentleman' he was rude and very 'off' with all the customers. This is not acceptable and if I could have spoken to managers I would have reported him whilst he was serving. Food was good...not sure if I will revisit.

We have been to San Carlos aa a family and with friends for over 10 years now. I'd booked a table for 6pm on Saturday October 12th. My brother had flown in from Florida and specifically asked for dinner at San Carlos because previously we have had: Excellent service Delicious food We were seated promptly. We had to wave down waiters to get drinks. The service was incredibly slow! Not one waiter was assigned to us so as we kept stopping waiters it become ridiculous. My brother and his wife couldn't eat their main courses..the main courses took ages to come. Very very disappointed on what should have been a real celebration. You did bring some profiteroles and sang Happy Birthday. I suggest you were under staffed but waiting so long for food is unacceptable. The whole evening was just waiting for waiters...drinks...food. How can you restore our faith in San Carlos?

On arrival shown table didn't take anyone's coats, sat for 15 minutes and then had to ask a waiter if we could order some drinks! Lovely venue, starts delicious, mains okay but that's probably down to personal, for me it was the service, would I revisit yes but only if it was for someone's special occasion

Should get 0 for service absolutely horrendous place, crammed tables and waiters shouting over eachother across tables, so many better places in Manchester now

We were a small group and had a very unpleasant experience with the staff from beginning to end. They spoke down to us at every opportunity and berated my friend after she made a mistake with her order. We were made to feel like second class citizens and it just left us all with a bitter taste in our mouths.

Sat down and the waiter immediately asked if we wanted to move somewhere quieter in the restaurant, he was so attentive without being pushy. The food, as always, was incredible. Arancini with truffle and garlic sauce were incredible, porcini ravioli were so earthy and delicious and the duck ragu with papperdelle blew my mind. Thank you so much to all the staff for an amazing visit. Xxx

The food is delicious. The staff in the store are very friendly and provide good service.

Food was amazing, best pasta in Manchester! The carbonara is so good

We went there for a business dinner last night and the food was delicious! You have to try Carpaccio di Manzo as a recommendation. The service was really good and fast considering we were a group of 13 people. They were paying attention to every detail. Totally recommended.

Love coming to San Carlo. Food was perfect and was the perfect place to meet friends in a great setting. Our friend had an allergy and everything was communicated really well from management to help making a choice in terms of food easier for her. Everyone enjoyed!

Delicious! We loved it. Great experience. Service was top tier. Oysters were served in a fabulous presentation. The pasta was delicious too a little on the spicy time so next time I would ask for it to be a little more milk. We both enjoyed the dessert as well. This is one of the best if not the best Italian spots in Manchester

I love this restaurant very good food service and atmosphere 🌷

As usual rammed but something has changed food not the same tasteless …. Is this an Italian these days or Asian restaurant. Not being racist but has a whole different vibe and clientele . Food very very average

I recently had the pleasure of dining at San Carlo, and it was truly an exceptional experience from start to finish. The ambiance was elegant, the food was divine, and the overall atmosphere created the perfect setting for a memorable evening. A special shoutout to Bardhi, who absolutely went above and beyond to make our evening unforgettable. His impeccable service was only matched by his great sense of humor. He kept us entertained with his jokes throughout the night, adding a personal touch that made us feel incredibly welcome. It's rare to find someone who not only excels at their job but also goes the extra mile to ensure guests are having a great time. From his recommendations on dishes to his attentive care, Bardhi made sure everything was perfect. It's because of him that we left with not only full stomachs but also big smiles. If you’re planning to visit San Carlo, ask for Bardhi — he’s a gem!

I recently had the pleasure of dining at San Carlo, and it was truly an exceptional experience from start to finish. The ambiance was elegant, the food was divine, and the overall atmosphere created the perfect setting for a memorable evening. A special shoutout to Bardhi, who absolutely went above and beyond to make our evening unforgettable. His impeccable service was only matched by his great sense of humor. He kept us entertained with his jokes throughout the night, adding a personal touch that made us feel incredibly welcome. It's rare to find someone who not only excels at their job but also goes the extra mile to ensure guests are having a great time. From his recommendations on dishes to his attentive care, Bardhi made sure everything was perfect. It's because of him that we left with not only full stomachs but also big smiles. If you’re planning to visit San Carlo, ask for Bardhi — he’s a gem!

Outstanding food, it really was. The presentation, the taste, and the portions are all just perfect. Great atmosphere, even though it was busy, you could still hear yourself. A special mention goes to Bardhi who looked after us the whole night with excellent service 🙌🏽

Excellent all round itailian meal made to feel very welcome the prawns to start with are a must

Excellent all round itailian meal made to feel very welcome the prawns to start with are a must

Near perfect experience. If I had to find one thing to improve, it would probably be the lighting - it was a bit bright - but it did not detract from a first class occasion.

One of the best meals I’ve ever had, from the food to the service - it was all exceptional. There was one staff member in particular that went above and beyond to ensure my awkward dietary requirements were met by the kitchen staff. I didn’t catch his name, but I couldn’t thank him enough for being so attentive! The only downside is how busy the place is, but I totally understand why it is! The tomahawk was beautiful - easily the best we’ve ever had.. and we’ve had some damn good steaks. Thank you to all your staff for making the evening so special! <3

The atmosphere was amazing. The staff couldn't be nicer and went out of their way for us. Everyone's food was incredible. Our main member of staff was Zico who made sure my daughter had the best experience possible for her birthday. Thank you

The staff are friendly and accommodating. The food is delicious making this restaurant a favourite of ours to visit every time we are in Manchester .I would just like to say that this time we were very well looked after by staff George and Bardi. Thank you for making it a wonderful dining experience for us!

Great restaurant!! Full stop!! Loved everything about it. If in Manchester try it

I had a wonderful time the service was really sustaining our waiters bardhi and salvatore were really good and helpful they made the experience feel smooth and joyful, I will definitely come here again

Visited the other night for my friend’s birthday. Table of 11, obviously a large party so i can understand it can be harder to serve larger groups of people. However the service was just not there, it was as if they were annoyed we were there, handed around a piece of paper asking us to cross off what we had pre ordered. The waiter was lovely, the manager was not. To top it off at the end we requested to split the bill, which they sighed at (somewhat understandable), then proceeded to accidentally charge my friend for the entire bill and told her she would receive a refund in a week. Food was ok.

Absolutely unbelievable, best restaurant I’ve eaten at in my year of living in Manchester. The Sirloin steak was cooked to perfection and the side of fries were also amazing. Service was top notch, fast and very efficient. Would definitely eat here again!

The food was amazing and so was the atmosphere, however one of the waiters was very rude to us, we were waiting to order and he looked at us rudely and didn’t want to serve us so we had another waiter that was very lovely(Natasha is so amazing by the way as she even offered to take pictures for us and gave great customer service ) . Overall I would go again as it’s very nice

Our second server, Natasha was friendly and accommodating and really brightened the experience here. Food was quickly served and tasted amazing and my allergy (nuts) was taken seriously. Aside from a standoffish and borderline rude first server I would definitely come back again and recommend.

Two of us visited San Carlo, one of us Gluten Free. Greet atmosphere (especially for Tuesday evening) and quick service despite the number of customers. I ordered Mussels followed by Salmon pasta which were both delicious. However my wife GF choices were terrible. They said “order what you like” and we can modify, but the reality was that all of her first four choices for mains could not be adapted (what is the chef thinking? Or is the food pre-cooked?). She eventually ordered a Dove Sole which came dry, no sauce just a fish on a plate. Really really poor. Deserts got even worse. No desert available for GF at all apart from ice cream ( which isn’t a desert it’s an accomplishment(. So disappointing given they serve gf pizza and pasta so they are aware of the issue.

The crab ravioli was very much to my taste. The veal saltimbocca was very rich and filling. Again I much prefer this to over light and bland. The food was quality produce and although the portions didn't look huge they were very filling. Waitress was very attentive and had a genuine manner. Missed a 5 star review from me as my tea had the paper tag in pot. (I only recently mind this type of thing as wary of hygeine as i have an OCD, plus not pleseant to drink ink!).Got it replaced. The new tea had clean cup but saucer was dusty with some black dust. I was too tired to make a comment again. The mixed salad tasted fine but unfortunately it was very gritty. I am quite fastidious at home with these things so when you pay decent money you expect a little more care...seems 'rushed'. I don't like complaining too much as I think it taints the experience, which was still mostly positive. The gritty salad was the major let down.

Fantastic Italian food. Nice and clean. Really good service and fast serving

Superb dining experience. Superb staff, superb ambience. Superb food@

I had made a booking for 9:00 PM, expecting a pleasant dining experience. Unfortunately, the evening was marred by a series of unacceptable incidents that left me and my party deeply dissatisfied. Upon arrival, we were seated promptly; however, it took an astonishing 40 minutes for our order to be taken. This delay set the tone for what was to be a deeply frustrating experience. The waiter assigned to our table appeared to be under the influence, exhibiting inappropriate behaviour and making negative facial expressions when we ordered sides to accompany our mains. This same waiter made several strange and unsettling comments throughout the evening and inexplicably brought the sides for our mains with the starter before disappearing from the floor. The situation escalated when the waiter returned later with a "Senior Manager," who seemed more interested in boasting about his title than addressing our concerns. The waiter even shouted at us, sarcastically asking, "How many bottles of wine have you had? One or two?"—a comment that was both unprofessional and insulting. Although the Senior Manager assured us that the waiter would no longer serve us, this promise was not kept, as the waiter returned to our table three more times after this, despite spending much of his time sitting with other customers, kissing, and hugging them. When I asked to speak to a manager, no one took responsibility for the situation. The lack of leadership and competence in handling our serious complaint was glaring. The staff, including Jose and Carmine, appeared powerless to rectify the situation, with Carmine showing some competence but Jose seemingly lost and clueless on how to improve the disastrous service we received. As requested by the staff, I am emailing you in the hope that you will take this complaint seriously and provide a satisfactory proposal for service recovery. The events of that evening were unacceptable, and I believe it is essential that your management takes immediate steps to address these issues to prevent future customers from experiencing the same disappointment. At the time of writing two diners who had the same meal are suffering from FOOD POISONING. I have called you but you didn’t want to know.

Love this place! Thanks Salvador for the amazing service.

I vist thes restaurant first time in manchester and im very happy and thank you zico becose he help us.

This place was absolutely buzzing on a Sunday eve, lovely staff, food was fab

Celebrated our golden wedding there today. Everything was perfect . Thank you San Carlo for a wonderful afternoon.

Very well mannered staff and Best hospitality! food bangs on

Visited San Carlo Manchester on a Saturday around 6pm and found the following; The food we had was ok at best, certainly nothing special, “salade tricolore” as example included a few pieces of mozzarella / burrata, shredded iceberg lettuce (who uses that?) and thickly sliced watery beef tomatoes. That as a starter came in at £9.50 & tbh it could have been put together better by a child. Now here’s where the whole experience fell down ; Firstly price. This place is expensive! San Carlo restaurant is riding the crest of the wave regards hype and previous celebrity visits. It’s enjoying being a destination more than an eatery. Think Ivy style? They are heavily booked, certainly at weekends, by a younger, instagram type demographic and for that you can expect to pay. Prices across the menu are literally as much as you could possibly be charged for Italian food anywhere in the U.K. Expect 5* London hotel prices and you won’t be far off. For the price you pay you also get the San Carlo performance. There are an enormous amount of waiting staff here! Despite this service was slow, a little chaotic and with noticeable failings. As examples, trudging, non-smiling front of house almost reluctantly showing you to your table set a pretty poor mood for the night & plates set down at the table with no words, smiles or interaction did not really feel good. I’m afraid to say San Carlo also offer their version of the ubiquitous “Italian restaurant” experience. This is cringy to say the least!. A large element of the waiting staff, consisting of around a dozen Italian males appear to have been plucked randomly from the grittier parts of Naples. Seemingly, having little to no waiting on experience, their sole purpose in the restaurant appears to be enthusiastically rushing around bellowing at each other in Italian! Just watching this was really embarrassing! Over a period of around 20 mins, we saw customers literally beckoning for service at tables whilst this performance was being staged. It’s impossible to believe that this was not an instruction from management (act Italian guys!). Now here’s the thing, people just don’t shout like that normally! It is not a feature of a good Italian restaurant anywhere, neither in the U.K. or Italy! Was it ever? I know Italians who would have simply walked out in disbelief tbh! So, to summarise, think of what appeals to you in an Italian restaurant? If you want to eat well at reasonable prices this place is not for you. Porn Star Martinis, selfies and just a dragged out main course with friends and you’ve nailed it!

Lovely place. Beautiful food. Nice staff! 👍🏻

Nice food , but could be served more food on the plate .staff are ok. a little bit expensive

The best Italian in Manchester by far , the venue is strikingly pretty with a good atmosphere

I would like to thank Mr. Zyad for kind service Many thanks

Absolutely fantastic lunch today food, ambiance, service and a special thank you to our waiter .. he was brilliant 👏 we will be back well done we loved it xx

I have never once in my life written a bad review, but I need to warn everyone about this place. We are well mannered and respectful people so the way we were treated compared to the other customers because of our Chinese heritage was disgusting and sad to see. They were out of oysters and when I was given a menu to look at the other starters, the restaurant manager intentionally brushed and pressed his hand against my chest while pointing out other options - as a 22 year old female out with my parents I was too stunned and uncomfortable to even say anything as I couldn’t even believe this was happening to me. This man can make any excuse he wants to justify this but as a grown man you should know better, especially at your own workplace. They forgot one of our wines and when it was mentioned to another server, he had the audacity to act passive aggressive and annoyed when my mum only knew the type and forgot the full name of the wine when it was the restaurant managers fault for forgetting the order. The restaurant manager taking our order also got my dad’s main dish incorrect then tried to lie to my dad and tell him he ordered incorrectly since English is not my dad’s first language, this is gaslighting and racist behaviour and also a lie as my dad had pointed it out on the menu, my mum and I can bare witness to this. There were more subtle digs and rudeness throughout the service mainly through the restaurant manager such as snarky comments on my mum’s watch and yelling over his shoulder asking if the food was okay without even stopping (this was not a busy service) and more, but overall to conclude the men there are all pigs and I pity the female servers there. I have never been made to feel so uncomfortable and unwelcome at a meal I am paying for and for no reason - we were nothing but polite even when the service was going wrong. If you go here you are supporting an establishment of racism and sexual harassment.

We were at San Carlo Manchester early evening on Saturday Extremely busy as usual but the food, and service from the girls and guys was excellent. Great value too

The food was lovely, served a little quickly for my liking as I do prefer more of a break between starter and main but none the less very good

Cola drinks were only bottles of 200ml for £3.75 which is very exp for the size of drink being offered. We went there to try the seafood platter but glad we checked with hostess 1st about what is on offer for £17 pp. for £34 having 1 prawn, 1 scallop, 1 scampi and few calamari each it’s also a joke. We ended up buying 2 cheap pizzas which were very nice if lacking a bit of cheese. Also the booking asked if we where going to celebrate a special occasion which we where (anniversary) but this did not make any impact on our visit. If I had said birthday I’m sure I would have got a small plate of profiteroles with a sing song. All in all we pair £40 for 2 pizzas and equivalent of 1 can of coke.

Very nice Italian restaurant. Very nice waiting staff. The food was good and served as it's ready so be prepared for food to come out at different times, which can cause some meals to be a little cold if you are waiting for certain elements of your meal. Other than that the food was very tasty. A bit on the expensive side as we didn't have any alcohol with our two course lunch with a coffee to finish but enjoyed it nonetheless

Went with family. Felt we were being rushed all the time. Our starters were served with one we had to wait for. Our mains came out with one incorrect, and we had to wait again for the correct one to come out. Little bit disappointed!

Fab atmosphere Amazing steak Awesome prawns 5 stars 🌟

Loved going there ....awesome level of service and care from the staff .... definitely a 10. I ordered a Chateaux Briande steak ...ordered medium rare ...it was 80% good but undercooked inside ....it was a lovely piece of meat I just wish it had been properly cooked. Always a positive though as our cockapoo got a lovely treat when we got in. I had creme Brulé for dessert and it was amazing..... It was still a lovely meal but for £69 pound I think the steak should be perfect .

No complaints here. Great food, Great service we enjoyed it here on the weekend.

Recent review from March 2024.. Table booked and available on arrival. Staff attentive but got both food and drinks orders wrong. A waiter from another table covered my coat, jeans and shirt in beer. Genuine apology from him but no offer from management to pay for the dry cleaning, guess that falls on me to pick up. Mixed fried fish platter starter for 2 people was good. Bbq ribs weren't great. All 5 main dishes were poor / average at best. The mixed grill was tiny and had little flavour. The mixed fish platter was luke warm / cold and swimming in an oily dressing. The parmesan chips were horrendous. The other 3 pasta dishes were distinctly average. No offer of mustard for the steak, parmesan cheese & black pepper for the pasta dishes Very disappointed today as all my previous visits with family and clients were positive and usually this place is on point. I will allow 12 months before I revisit San Carlo again by which time I hope its back to its typical high standards. I was requested to resend dry cleaning receipt and restaurant receipt 3 times. The customer service response was so poor that I suggested they donate £100 to Christies Cancer research. Below review from 2017, where I gave 5 stars Very popular with footballers, pop stars and Cheshire house wives. Food is good and the bar area and restaurant has a nice vibe. You need to book

Over the years I have been to this place several times. Each time I went, there was something about the staff and service, that made me feel like they just were not that bothered. The waiters were pushy on what drinks to order and the food was nothing to write home about. There are many places in Manchester for punters to go, maybe that's whey I have not been back for years.

This was the first and probably the last time we will eat at this restaurant. The food was alright, but they had to squeeze the table so close to each other I had to fight my way to our table. It was so loud we couldn’t even have a conversation. Also the waiter was not able to hear what we ordered and brought us the wrong drinks.

Amazing. Dined with family and staff were quick and effective. Food was beautiful and service was brilliant. Will recommend.

Great food and great service. I had the shellfish platter which was awesome.

An excellenet family meal with great service and food. Lovely atmosphere and very enjoyable evening. Thank you to the all of the staff at San Carlo

Service and food wasn't the best Waiters didn't seem interested and one of the mains came late Food wasn't the best too Won't rush back

Always a great experience at the Flag ship Restaurant with super food and great staff good for Seeing celebrities if that's your thing but I always make this San Carlo's my favorite restaurant.

As usual San Carlo The best of everything. We really enjoyed our time. Thank you all.

Very disappointing... The seafood in the roast seafood dish we had is absolutely beyond the "best before date." Mushy prawns, almost pasty in texture and black in color. Pasta dish was ok. Wouldn't come back here.

The calzone and pizza were both amazing!! We also ordered strawberries ice cream and meringue which was one of the best desserts I have ever tried. The only downfall was the cocktail, I ordered the caramel martini and it came in a tiny skull for £9, waste of money. Overall, staff were very accommodating and there was a great atmosphere.

Nice place, nice meal, usual Manchester prices.

Best food in friendly staff we like the restaurant I recommend it strongly

One of the best meals we have eaten. All four of us were in total agreement about how good the evening was. Will defo be back.

If I could give it 0 I would, every single staff was rude and incompetent, our food resulted in us being physically ill, and when they challenged he’s for our ID we could all provide one and they laughed at our pictures and also limited us to one glass of wine each because we were only 18. #1outof10 #nasty

Really good food and atmosphere, the floor manager had a really odd sense of humour which kinda ruined the evening. Food was excellent

the food was decent same with the prices, however it was too overcrowded and therefore the waiters couldnt divide their attention and the wait time were a bit long. The tables were small so putting two mains and garlic bread with two drinks was a bit cramped and short for space on the table. Also the tables were put up too close so we could hear every conversation that was happening. The food was nice but my partner and I felt neglected during the meal.

Best place for fine dining in Manchester

one of the best fish meal I've ever had. staff fantastic.

To describe this place in one word. Inconsistent. Overpriced and under delivered. We were sat down at our table in the corner of the restaurant and then abandoned for quite some time until our orders were finally taken. When the dishes arrived some were overcooked and some undercooked, one dish, some of the pasta was cooked fine and some of it under done. Another dish was hot in places and cold in others, possibly microwaved? Overall the food is ok, nothing spectacular. When we asked for Parmesan cheese, we were ignored, they seemed very eager to get stuff on the tables and get away quickly. The service was poor throughout the evening so rightly asked for the service charge to be removed, this should not be a standard, it should only be there if the service is above expectations. Upon paying one of the staff abruptly and rudely said "arrivederci". Arrivederci indeed, will not be attending again.

Great hospitality and probably one of the best pasta I’ve ever had… The waiter Fernando and the manager was great

Always a great meal in San Carlo's, our favourite Italian restaurant. Very nice staff.

We were seated for more than 10 min, waiting for any one to notice we exist and take our order but they couldnt care less. The place is hot as hell , and the service cant be worse. 👎🏻

Very bad food and their customer relations are shocking. Not the old San Carlo, wouldn’t recommend.

Really a lovely experience with delicious, delicious food

Amazing anniversary meal thank you x

Great atmosphere, attentive staff and an utterly banging Calzone.

First visit to this restaurant & will definitely return. Food & service was excellent 👍👍

Hosted to large group dinners there over two days for 50 people. Great support from Olivia in the back office, in coordinating the arrangements. On site, we had excellent support from Salvoadore ans Olivia (a different one), the food and service were fantastic. Highly recommend it for personal visits and group events.

Moderately disappointed with the evening, its location is down a dingy side street, and certainly not like the Birmingham. Straight to our table against the far wall as you entered looked fine, but as the night progressed, and they turned the lights down, it was very dark. The noise levels generally are higher than we would prefer. Food starter, burrata, and tomato salad were fairly tasteless. Unfortunately. My partner had mushrooms, which were very good. Mains roasted shellfish, looked really good, but as the lights dimmed, it became more difficult to find what you were choosing. Mentioned this to staff meet with a shrug and the comment that's want we do every night. The contents of this dish were underwhelming, one scallop, some clams, a couple of prawns, and certainly an expensive dish for what you got. I had seafood linguine, which was good. Desert, panna cotta, no wobble and stiff, returned, and removed from the bill. Mine desert was an affagato, which was OK. 3 courses in and out in under two hours. Disappointing with more negatives than positives.

Amazing food, best italian I’ve ever had in my life, service was incredible but they forgot a drink 4.5/10

4 of us came last night for my daughter’s birthday and we really loved it. We were made to feel welcome by all of the staff and the food was stunning. Federica looked after us really well. We won’t hesitate to come back in the near future…it was amazing! 5 stars all around.

Food: The focaccia isn’t actually focaccia, it’s just garlic bread. The lasagna and pasta was okay while we had to send back the calzone. It arrived 5 minutes after the other mains and wasn’t cooked in some parts - didn’t dare order another main. Beverages: We had to ask 4 times for a gin tonic. Atmosphere: Bustling, packed, and way too chaotic. Tables packed in the restaurant making us feel like sardines in a can. Staff rushing around lacking communication and no system to manage the tables. Very apologetic when we sent the food back. We decided not to pay for the service charge and when discussing with the manager, we were surrounded by staff who would’ve been much better working the tables!! We decided that no service charge was justified. They did take some money off the bill but the overall experience of the restaurant is one that we do not recommend. We are never going back.

We’re here for lunch to share of 5 dishes, they were great quality of all dishes, and luxury atmosphere. We were recommended by friend who living here. But however one of our table attendants was very rude and never smile.

Absolutely amazing experience. Lovely birthday treat and top quality food. Service was very attentive and the food came out in great time. Can’t wait to visit again!

We tracked this down on a recommendation and it did not disappoint. Fabulous food and a lovely lunchtime atmosphere. Well worth a visit.

Meh. Funny that the website says it's the most high profile one outside London, but it's down some back street next to a load of bins. The Birmingham one, which was the first one, is better and on a nicer street - Although it's still not great for the money. Not sure how it's expanding around the world - They must have boring tastebuds and appreciate bad service. You can go to many new independent restaurants and get much better.

Nothing really wrong with San Carlo. The serving staff were friendly and authentically Italian. So far so good. I counted 14 staff on the floor - including the bar. However, they were too busy to notice the basics. *Spoiler alert - I can pour my own wine and water*. But, our water glasses were empty and we had empty aperitif glasses on the table for most of the meal, too. The staff were kind of busy but not paying attention to the basics. The food was tasty. It reminded me of an old school, provincial Italian restaurant that we went to on special occasions - Mum’s birthday etc. There wasn’t anything innovative or interesting - and perhaps that’s how they want it. Safe, standard dishes. We ate lemon sole with asparagus and saltimbocca. Accompanied by roast potatoes and peas, onion and bacon. I finished with a pistachio tart dessert - more like a cheesecake than tart. The dessert summed up our experience - looked promising but in the end, kind of bland, unfortunately. All in all, fine but nothing to write home about…

The food service was quicker than the drink service. We were without drinks for sometime while we were waiting for refreshments.

Food was amazing although service was a little slow. The atmosphere was a little noisy for us.

Went here with friends, I last visited over 10 years ago. Looks great inside and a very nice menu. All loved our food, only thing was the waiters didn't have a dedicated table, so no one waiter keeps an eye if you want another drink or clears the table. You have to try and catch the eye of a waiter if you want something.

Best seafood I’ve ever had and the service were lovely, only thing was the place was a little cramped overall would definitely recommend