San Carlo in Leicester

Such a shame. It was so good last time I went but this time it was not. Instead of focaccia bread we were brought a pizza base with rosemary sprigs which was cold and hard. Half the wines were not available and the wine I had was fizzing in the glass on tasting, I’ve never been asked if I’d ’like to try again’ after commenting on a temp displaced wine, being screw top I knew it was harmless so didn’t complain and spoil it for the others but it was ruined for me. The pasta sauce was lacking, fish was cold, ravioli was too thick and dessert wasn’t quite chilled. On the plus side there was one waiter who seemed to be making the effort. The others need to learn to smile, and some manners would be nice. Nothing worse than a sullen and disrespectful service of a very pricey drink. For the money, it wasn’t worth it. Won’t be back.

First time in Leicester really impressed by the quality of food and excellent service 👌

We came to celebrate our daughter’s 18th birthday party. The team were so welcoming, treated her like a star, nothing was too much. The food was as amazing as usual and the drinks were very special. Thank you for making our evening so memorable.

Food was amazing and the team were extremely polite. Very comfortable.

Very good food, not cheap but you get what you pay for. Attentive staff and great atmosphere. Some of the chairs need replacing though. I had to change mine as it was uncomfortable.

Food cold, late drinks delivered at different times, pretty poor overall - kept asking how the meal was when I was sat there waiting for my food when my partner had eaten hers..... Plenty of other places with better service - will not be going again

Atmosphere and food was amazing! We would’ve given the restaurant a better score but here is the issue: We received a wedding gift card of 50£ for the restaurant. Once finished, we were told that there’s no balance on the card. The waiter was nice enough to look into it. Told us that he sees the date it has been added to the card that matches the writing but nothing else on the use of the card. We asked if it was a glitch or if theres any use of the card but he couldn't see anyone else using it. Luckily we had our bank card around and all of it was embarrassing. He advised us to follow up with the restaurant through email but we never received any response since then. So please, go for the restaurant but Do Not get a gift card for anyone.

Not much makes my heart sink faster than when you start to shell your prawn to be greeted by its last supper... We were also not seated until almost 40 minutes past our reservation making for a very late supper. At this price range, I had higher expectations...

Perfect place to enjoy fine italian food and service, All the seafood dishes are fresh and full of flavour.

Asked for water and got charged £10 for a bottle for 2 of us. The waitress never mentioned this charge so we felt scammed. AVOID!!

Excellent truly Italian restaurant. A little expensive but what you eat is really high quality

Amazing food Amazing service just was a lot of people in track suits when me and my partner went there

Nos gustaría, como familia, agradecer a todo el personal por ser más que amable y servicial con nosotros mismos. Realmente no puedo culpar al servicio, la comida, el ambiente. Esta ha sido y será nuestra futura familia ir a restaurante. Por favor, no cambies nada.

If I could, I would upload the video that we have taken of my special neices birthday and how absolutely fantastic you all were. Truly went way above our remote expectations. Thankyou to all the staff!!!!!

Delicious food nice bussling place , good wine all makes for a lovely date night and a good selection of wines

Came to the restaurant at short notice on a Friday evening without a reservation. From the outside, the restaurant gives the impression that it is more upper class. But no one was bothered by the fact that we were a little underdressed for a football game. Food was very tasty. Good pizza. Service OK.

Lovely Italian restaurant with fantastic service, by an authentic Italian gentleman and excellent food. All at a fair price..

We booked a table for our anniversary celebration dinner at a different restaurant, who had booked incorrectly. To spare disapointment we decided to try somewhere else that could squeeze us in...short notice.. on valentines day. Tentatively we asked at San Carlos. Not only were they able to fit us in, the food was deliciously exquisite, service absolutely exceptional. We had a wonderful experience to start us off on our special day. Thankyou to all at San carlo

Lovely restaurant, great service, shout out to Marcelo who was great

had a nice evening with my friend celebrating her birthday, i was served by the lovely marcelo who was so lovely & accommodating ! made such lovely recommendations that were super ! & made my friends birthday special for her love u marcelo ! #marcelo4primeminister #bhavia4primeminister <3

Mi pareja y yo solíamos visitar San Carlo en Leicester bastante, y siempre estábamos más que impresionados con el estándar de la comida, el ambiente (la música italiana siempre se escuchaba - lo que se espera cenar en un restaurante italiano) y el servicio al cliente 5 *. Como hacía unos años que no íbamos, decidimos reservar una comida para San Valentín. Estábamos muy decepcionados. Pedimos focaccia y los mariscos mixtos como nuestro entrante - la "focaccia" era en realidad una base de pizza en lugar de pan, y los mariscos eran realmente grasosos con demasiada masa. Había, lo que solo puedo suponer, 1 vieira grande cortada en 4 rodajas finas, 6 langostinos y el resto eran calamares. Ni una mezcla uniforme y todo estaba demasiado cocido, y encontré bastantes pedazos de calamares que todavía tenían el gladio unido (el pedazo de "plástico" dentro del calamar). Luego tuvimos la langosta, que siempre fue mi plato, ya que era muy fresco y delicado. Esto no era nada de eso. La pasta y la langosta estaban demasiado cocidas y la falta de carne era muy obvia. No había suficiente carne en ambos platos combinados para igualar a media langosta. La salsa era bastante pesada, y los guisantes parecían ser de una lata, ya que eran un verde grisáceo en lugar de un verde vibrante que se obtiene con los guisantes frescos / congelados. Para mi bebida, pedí un Grey Goose L'Orange con limonada, pero no había sabor a naranja, y sabía químicamente - definitivamente no era Grey Goose. Si bien San Carlo siempre ha sido un poco caro, no nos importó pagar un poco más antes, ya que la comida y el servicio hicieron que valiera la pena cada centavo. Lo que comimos y bebimos el viernes junto con el ambiente (la música de baile no es realmente apropiado en un restaurante italiano, especialmente en el día de San Valentín) no valió la pena las 145 libras que pagamos. Nos fuimos con un mal sabor de boca de toda la experiencia.

Booked a meal at the very place we had our first date 18 years ago!! Was a bit of let down in terms of service and atmosphere. Staff weren't very attentive, at times waiting a while just to try and flag someone down. Tables were packed so close together we may as well have shared a table with someone else (people had to physically move tables to get to the bench seat at the back). On the positive side the food was good. Shame the rest of the experience let it down. Was good for nostalgia but won't be rushing to come back anytime soon. Also good that they removed the service charge off the bill of their own accord.

Came here for dinner, booked in advance. Staff were polite and the food was nice. They were very busy though, it was hard to flag a member of staff down, and some people's wait times for food seemed very long (over 30 minutes). Toilets were clean and downstairs, not sure if it's wheelchair accessible but there may be a toilet on the main floor for disabled access.

We love San carlo, we got engaged immediately after getting home from dinner. Id asked for prosecco when we arrived which was delivered promptly. We were given enough time in-between courses despite it being really busy and the food was incredible. My (now fiance) had the house filet steak which she said was the best steak she'd ever had. 10/10 well done team!!

The food was as delicious as ever, I would like to thank all the staff at Leicester restaurant for spoiling my mum. She loved every minute of it.

Food variable. Beautiful place but noisy as few soft furnishings to absorb sound.

Food was very nice & staff we're very helpful . Its a pricey place to eat , the chairs were really uncomfortable which wasn't nice , we sat next to the bar so staff always keep trying to squeeze past which was abit annoying & was noisy next to bar which staff banging glasses when you trying to eat your meal , it was cold in there , also noticed the young girl behind the bar making the drinks was handling the glasses at the top where people drink out of . Also they put a service charge on if the food & drinks wasn't already enough . Probably won't be going back .

Average food, poor service. Looks nice from outside. Wouldn’t recommend.

What a wonderful dinner setting and brilliant service. We had a wonderful birthday sing song from three lovely employees. Our particular favourite was Bhabya who put his heart and soul into the song. He sounded exactly like Louie Armstrong. Thank you all. Wonderful experience.

We had a table booked for 7pm, when we arrived the place was full and the atmosphere buzzing, I then realized, as it quickly emptied, that a lot of the diners were theatre goers who were due at a 7:30 performance. We were brought drinks very promptly despite the rush of people partying and leaving. There was a bit of a wait before we were able to order, but as they were clearing many tables, I found it acceptable. I ordered the whole sea bass and my wife a small lasagna, unfortunately the waitress informed us that there wasn't any lasagna available, my wife was disappointed, so the waitress went away to discover if there was anything she could do. Apparently the lasagna had been made but only just recently and normally takes time to set up, however the chef would see what he could do to ensure that he could dish up a portion that would not be visually unappealing. The meals arrived after a little wait but the quality was excellent, especially the lasagna, which was visually excellent. My sea bass was very well cooked. We also had an excellent dessert. In the meantime the staff had cleared all the vacated tables and set them up for the next influx of diners. The restaurant was again buzzing. The staff were very good, friendly, helpful and efficient. We have been several times before when visiting Leicester from Exeter and would recommend it to anyone, just make sure you book

Came here for my wedding anniversary absolutely loved it! Such lovely staff and the food was to die for! Especially the truffle pasta 👌👌

Had a 10/10 experience at San Carlo. Went it for a birthday dinner. Excellent food, delivered in good time with great service. Remarkable ambience.

Nuestro plato principal era muy tarde para salir y lo hizo la pasta estaba demasiado cocido y empapado. Sin oferta de queso extra, pedí una segunda bebida que nunca llegó. Se fue decepcionado con el servicio y la comida. Nunca volveremos a un lugar tan terrible.

The food is always fantastic in this restaurant. But it was too noisy; the background music was too loud.

Service was terrible and our initial waiter was racist. Very disappointing experience

Este es un restaurante encantador con personal amable y buena comida. Muy delicioso, especialmente la masa de pizza. Es un menú caro, especialmente para bebidas pero la calidad de la comida justifica los precios.

The restaurant was very clean and classy. The waiters were attentive and the food was lovely. I will recommend this place as its a beautiful layout with a 5* service.

We made an impromptu visit Wednesday. We ate from the lunch menu. Food was excellent , great value for money and service and atmosphere lovely. This was our third visit and won’t be our last .

Ordene la langosta, chuletas de cordero y gambas - todo absolutamente celestial! No puedo esperar para volver. El servicio era particularmente atento y vino delicioso!

El servicio era bueno, siempre comprobado, eso fue genial. La comida, sin embargo, fue un fracaso. El entrante estaba bien. Faltaba el plato fuerte. Estaba al tanto de que había discusiones acaloradas entre el personal de la casa y los de la cocina abierta y al menos un plato había sido devuelto. Lamentablemente yo también debería haber devuelto el mío. El Calzone Pollo era soso. La razón, simplemente porque la mayoría de los ingrediens estaban desaparecidos. Lo que parecía Pollo procesado en trozos pequeños, Queso, presumiblemente Mozzerella, y espinacas (? ) , nada más. sin hierbas italianas, sin vegetales (La camarera dijo que debería haber tenido vegetales en él) y la única salsa era un chorrito en la parte superior. No se ofrece compensación, solo un "se lo diré al chef".

The Pizza And Pasta Was Very Delicious

There is a good waiter who is kind and knows how to advise you, his name is Zakaria, thank you for your hospitality

Great food and service By Zakaria and Manel. I've been to a few San Carlos and the food especially the Pizza here was the best.

I have been here a few times over the years and not been impressed. This time I certainly was. We went on a Sunday lunchtime, when it was very quiet. The service was excellent, efficient and friendly. We had three courses: several antipasti to share, four of us had meat dishes, one gnocchi. Everything was very good, even if the portion sizes are larger than we could finish. We had the mixed desserts for afters, all of which were lovely. The meal wasn't cheap, but it was worth the money. I recommend this place if you are looking for good Italian food. My wife is from Italy and loved it

Great food we'll presented by very friendly staff. What more do you want for a night out with friends

Went in me and my wife and my small child ,9, got a few tasty things no alcohol the bill come to over £180 bit of a rip off want be back considering the price

Timings need to be updated. They close at 9.30pm. Drove all the way down from Nottingham to be told they’re closed.

Really loved the food and very well looked after by the staff. Bit loud but great atmosphere

Cenamos aquí con amigos, incluida su hija de siete años (en realidad, fue su elección para nosotros venir a un restaurante italiano). La comida era absolutamente hermosa, muy sabrosa y bien preparada. El servicio fue excepcional. La comida venía con el intervalo justo entre platos, y nuestro vino se repostaba regularmente. En ningún momento nos sentimos en absoluto apresurados y fue una noche buena y relajante. Nos atendieron varios miembros del personal, pero la camarera que más vimos fue simplemente increíble con la hija de nuestros amigos. Ella era muy atenta con ella y tratada solo como una de las partes, no como una niña. Fue un toque encantador.

Was welcomed at the door and seated slightly before our booking time which was appreciated. the service was extremely friendly and professional, the food was excellent in both quality and quantity and the restaurant had a nice feel about it. We will be coming back my table of 5 with starters and mains £160 with 10% gratuity not bad for what we got. Thanks

Our sons birthday, great night fantastic food and atmosphere, the staff are very aware of coleaic condition and went out of there way to help they also have gluten free beer. Thanks to everyone for a great night.

Food epic, service was shocking, atmosphere was bland....

We came to Leicester to the theatre and wanted food beforehand. We came across this restaurant and we were all so glad we found it. There were 6 of us and we all enjoyed our food. It was absolutely delicious, the staff were really friendly and even put the twinkle lights on when we asked! A really fabulous restaurant and we definitely recommend it if you visit Leicester.

I liked this restaurant. Excellent food with friendly and helpful staff. Actually some of the dishes eg. Pasta putanesca, calamari fritti, ham and mushroom pizza, was the best Italian I had had in some time. To top it off, the restaurant is well designed and the atmosphere is bright, cheerful, summery and pleasant. Pricey. Recommended!

Very satisfied. Sure must visit

Food was average, ordered truffle Parmesan fries which were forgotten about, after we asked we then got plain fries bought out as we were finishing our mains, wouldn’t return

Came here for the first and last time. Good was absolutely top notch. Service was really poor. Had to ask three times to get some more drinks. We waited an hour for our starters, I'm sure we were forgotten. I left feedback too after our visit with them but didn't receive anything back. It's a shame as we saved up lots of money to come here and it was for a really special occasion. The food was superb though. Just disappointed with our service.

Visited on my birthday, though it was just 9.30 in the evening the waiter was just rushing things . The food was good but the bald guy seemed a bit racist. Good food but won’t visit again!

We went here to have some food after my daughter’s graduation. It was a quiet time of day so we got seated and served quickly. The service, from front of house to table, was impeccable. The food was really good after a long day, with big portions if you order as a main course. Plenty of vegetarian choices and my dad had an awesome mixed grill. We are used to London or Cambridge prices and so the bill came as a pleasant surprise. Will look forward to returning when next in the city.

Nice to find fresh fish and delicious salads in the middle of the country. My Dad and I enjoyed the meal very much and appreciated the quality of all of the authentic Italian flavours and styles. Service was friendly and helpful. A very interesting place that I didn't know about until recently

Lovely place and great service plus food of course.Thank you.

Repeat visit with friends before the theatre. What do you say the food is top draw and excellent presentation. Three different prawn appetizers all rated superb, mushrooms top class and the focaccia bread excellent. Dover Sole prepared and served expertly, seafood ravioli is top draw, scallops rated top draw in taste and presentation, risotto got a great thumbs up. Sides nicely sized. Desserts great to end a great dining experience. However it’s the staff who top it off, immaculately turned out, attentive and focused. To top it off the reacted quickly to running homeless beggars harassing customers. Thank you and we look forward to a return event as soon as possible.

Bland and unimpressive. Ate here earlier this evening and left rather unimpressed. Previous occasion really great. Very poor pizza 🍕 and when challenged the waiter did not really understand. Ate one piece, paid bill and exited at rapid pace. Pull your socks up lads. Look and appraise your faire! No better than a super market at present!

Enjoyed the table clothes and Italian music in the background ..it was elegant.However....when we sat down the hostess took our drinks order.Two more couples came into the restaurant and were served with drinks immediately. After about 15min I got up to ask for our drinks...not a pleasant experience especially since there were only 6 couples in the restaurant. The food was exceptionally flavorful however when I had finished my spaghetti Gamborini there was a layer of oil on the plate.

Expensive but amazing, well worth it

Nice restaurant nice food nice customers service

Had dinner here when visiting Leicester. We had focacia with olives to start and then Calzone and the seafood pasta dish, followed by coffee. The food was absolutely delicious and plenty of it. Service was prompt and friendly. Would definitely recommend.

Great service by the manager Valeriam, she really did go above and beyond.

Best place to have a nice gathering. Really thank you for the amazing experience

We came here to eat at a special place to celebrate a 50th birthday. All the staff were very welcoming, attentive and most importantly, showed a willingness to talk to their customers. This is a quality that we really appreciated as it made the whole evening better. The food itself was simply delicious and we tried a variety of the more lavish dishes and were not disappointed - I really recommend this place and would definitely be returning x

How long does it takes to bring a bowl of Olives 10 feet to our table? We watched every member of staff walk pass them like at least 3 times!! Come on guys you are letting the restaurant down with poor service, food was actually very nice!

We went in here after a busy day at work, brilliant food and excellent service. We were very impressed, totally recommended 👌!

POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERIENCE. I am utterly appalled by the shocking service my daughter and her friends experienced today. Despite my wife's glowing recommendation of this establishment, they were seated at a table only to be blatantly ignored after placing their food order. This shocking treatment of customers is inexcusable, and I sincerely hope it is not repeated. In fact, my daughter and her friends left the restaurant in embarrassment and opted to dine elsewhere. If there was an option for zero stars I would have selected it. Nonetheless, they have lost future business from us and our friends!!!

The restaurant is a very nice place with a pleasant atmosphere. The food is just great, delicious and well-prepared. Highly recommend visiting!

Lovely place friendly staff (Manal) good food and perfect ambiance. Infact my son doesn’t eat outside food much and is choosy however the chef made him a risotto he had some but they also offered him ice cream which he relished. A must try

Birthday celebrations with my fa

From start to finish we enjoyed the meal and the surroundings of this above average restaurant. The service was impeccable and the food also came up to this standard, which comes at a price but well worth it.

The best restaurant in leicester, service is perfect, food is superb, the staff is world class, I would definitely be coming back.

What was once a premium restaurant, shows signs of decay, skimping on portions and a general lack of quality for the food compared to last year. Pictured are the same dish (pollo calzone) a year and two months a part. On the left (April 2023) is a generous portioned calzone with lots of sauce and even more filling, this is the dish that drew me into San Carlos grasp and made me want more. On the right (June 2024) is the dish they served for my birthday meal. Not even a tenth of the sauce is present and is instead replaced with rocket, which doesn’t aid the dish as much. What a dissapointment on a day so special to I, if not rectified I can see San Carlo’s customers, much like I, getting fed up with this skimping.

Visited in Feb for late valtines date. we went early for pre show dinner, so it was still full of the post work crowd still - was a bit odd having some patrons on laptops around you whilst the drama and excitement of giant seafood platters are brought out but that's no fault of the restaurant (it was busy becuase it was good) - food was so delicious and the service was very good, they forgot my wine but brought it immediately when I asked about it. Will definitely be back for fancy date so much on the menu to try, and definitely a good evening vibe (pictured: antipastiboard, truffle ravioli, lamb and rosemary potatoes, and dessert platter)

Delicious food, high customer service culture and a nice atmosphere. I recommend

Rude staff. Awful experience. Waitress sneakily eating chips off costumers plates before serving. Me and my family have been coming here many years but will not be returning.

The welcome was warm, we ate very well and the servers were attentive. I recommend!

Lovely evening dinner at San Carlo, food was full of flavour! Lovely vibe. More reviews on my IG: @niceatsuk

We rolled in at 8pm and had not booked. They seated 6 of us with no issue. The food was fantastic, the service was top notch and the ambience is perfect. I am from NYC originally and I can say this restaurant made me feel close to home. Highly recommend!

Online booking said there was no availability but we rang and then turned up to find restaurant very quiet. Food excellent - Carlo himself was there too. The Manager said he would look into why the online availability is different to what is available.

The restaurant was not busy (it was an early Monday evening) and the service was good. I'd describe the food as average, and not worth the £72.82 paid for two starters, two mains, a cup of tea and a coke. I was asked if we wanted water, so I said yes, but later found it on the bill at £4.70 for a small bottle! At that price, you really are having a laugh. In the unlikely event that I go again, I'll remember to ask for tap water.

Food wasn’t great, tasted and looked like warmed up in microwave. Drinks were poor, tasteless espresso martini, literally served in espresso cup 🤌. Service was rushed. Loud, uncomfortable atmosphere. Used to be better as I’ve been there few times . So, San Carlo’s, you’re fired !!

The food was bland and when the supposedly owners son who is the assistant manager asked how the food tasted was advised it was bland and not seasoned walked away and came back to slam the bill infront of me. AVOID. Get a pizza from a supermarket that has more flavour

Great food, great service, great place. We'll be back

First visit to Leicester and on a very rainy, windy night we needed somewhere close by to eat. A quick online search showed us San Carlo close by. Having eaten at San Carlo before in Bristol and Liverpool we knew we were in safe hands. Food and service excellent. Never been let down!

Food a bit below par. Service also quite poor but prices do not reflect the low standards. Far from the best Italian in Leicester

Seated very quickly, although took ages to get the bill, staff were by the counter for ages

Food was superb but the service was significantly lacking. Slow and impersonal. No apology of any kind for waiting an hour for main courses. We were a table of 6 and plates arrived slowly over a 7-10 minute period one by one. This happened for all three courses. Automatic service charge on the bill should have been removed as a gesture as a minimum but there was no acknowledgement of their mistakes at all. £360 total. Won't return.

Nicely decorated. Very welcoming staff. Great food. What more do you need?

Very rude staff poor food definitely worst san carlo wouldn't recommend to my worst enemy

Not good food place don’t recommend didn’t make me feel welcome

Went to San Carlo with my University friends and felt so out of place and awkward the waitresses weren’t very inviting and made us feel uncomfortable especially the waitress who had ginger hair , when she was taking our payment she was very rude and judgy when we said we want to pay separately, she was also giving dirty looks. We didn’t ask for water and it wasn’t on our bill when it came but because we took the service charge off they made us pay £4.70. i am very dissatisfied and wouldn’t recommend coming here

A fantastic find! Delicious food, lovely setting and attentive friendly team of staff. We will certainly be back!

Had such a lovely time yesterday. Food was absolutely gorgeous. Wild mushroom starer and mussels were my favourite. We ended up ordering a lot for 2 people. Portion sizes are apt so ensure to order just enough. Booking is needed even if it’s not too busy so do reserve a table before arriving. Overall, lovely place and attentive and friendly staff. Will visit again!!