Locanda Locatelli

I have been looking forward to going to Locanda Locatelli for a very long time. I recently managed it, my colleague and I took a couple of clients for lunch. I have read loads of reviews and with a 6* rating in the Good Food Guide and held up as the finest Italian food in the Capital I had very high hopes.

Not for long. The service was fine if sometimes incomprehensible, but the food was just wholeheartedly average. With a lunch bill for 4 reaching £300 I expect a little bit better than mediocre, especially when two of us just had pasta as a main course.
Comment on this reader review

Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 0
Monday, January 28, 2008

if I've to be honest, i don't really like writing reviews, but in this case I'll make an exception because Locanda Locatelli was a great food experience! not forgetting all the people around the restaurant from the moment we walked in until we left!! Bravo bravo bravo!!!!
Comment on this reader review

Jane
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, January 09, 2008

I've been at Locanda for the first time in December after reading the famous book which was described by one the girls at the reception as "the bible of the food". it's been hard to get a table, but now i understand the reason of that and of most of the rules they have like the returning time if you go early or the bookings taken one month in advance....it's really worth all of these things! me and my fiance' had a warm welcoming, a fantastic blueberry martini at the bar and once we were at the table one the managers (there are a few!) helped us choosing our dishes because i have some allergies. no doubt: the evening was really busy with all the people leaving and coming but the waiter was able to take care of us without giving the feeling that we had to leave. food was great, a real piece of Italy in the heart of London. the bill was what we were expeting: how can you be surprised when the prices are on the menu? well done Giorgio Locatelli and all of your staff.
Comment on this reader review

kate
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 9
Monday, January 07, 2008

I don't even know just where to begin my song of praise for Locanda Locatelli.

As it was the birthday of my boyfriend we were looking for an evening to be remembered and we were not let down.

From the moment we walked through the door we were well looked after by the ever so attentive staff.

I admit to be quite nosey when it comes to the ingredients of a dish and in most places the staff will have to check with the kitchen, but at Locanda Locatelli everybody knew excatly what was going on....and as for the wine, once again we were very impressed and all our enquiries were professionally answered.

I won't claime to be a food buff, however I have travelled all over the world and eaten in enough restaurants to know when I have a quality meal.

At Locanda Locatelli it's good, honest and un-pretentious food with respect for the produce.

I most certainly will be spreading the word once I'm back home in Copenhagen.
Comment on this reader review

M.B. Devantier
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Monday, January 07, 2008

There have been few restaraunts that I've looked forward to eating at more than Locanda Locatelli which may well have contributed to my overall disapointment of the experience. I booked a table for 7.00pm in the knowledge that we had to vacate it by 9.00 which I was fine with. The service however was so slow and inattentive that by 9.00pm we had only just ordered desserts. This meant that whilst I was enjoying my tiramisu the waiter was hovering over the table and was clearly relieved when we got up and left without having coffee. I have to say though that when the food did arrive some of the courses were just wonderful with for me the calves kidneys topping them all. The wine list is also very good and for a restaraunt like this very reasonable. Maybe it was an off night but with the bill at £160.00 for two I don't think I'm going to give Georgio Locatelli anymore of my money.
Comment on this reader review

Patrick Lucan
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 5
Friday, January 04, 2008

My partner and dined at Locatelli's last week and it was the most disappointing dining experience of my life. On arrival we were dumped at a table and apart from being brought water were not offered the opportunity to order a drink from the bar. I finally complained after 15 minutes- when we were brought our drinks I then at to point out that we had not been given grissini either! When the waiter came to take our order he assumed we had been told the specials by our original waiter- we had not. I complained again about how we were being treated, and as other reviewers pointed out, the staff did not seem in the least bit bothered. From ordering we waited 35 minutes for our 1st course- considering mine was carpaccio and my partner had scallops this seemed a trifle long- but we then had to wait 45 minutes to get our pasta course, which I know are`all pre-prepared! Thed pasta was very tasty but luke-warm. A further 30 minute wait for the fish course- we were supposed to clear our table by 9.30 and our main did not arrive until 9.20pm. Dessert was very mediocre- I have had much better at bistros in my home town of Newcasle. We paid (£160 incuding cocktails, 1 glass of wine) and on leaving I askd to give the staff some feedback and told them how disappointed I was- I got the nod and smile treatment, and it was quite clear they didn't give a stuff what we felt. I have eaten at 1star Seaham Hall recently- by this standard, Seaham should be 3star. It is clear that in London there will always be another business account dinner or B-list celebrity to fill the tables, and therefore no effort towards excellence is required. Oh, and sharing the toilets with thehotel when there is a Christmas do on is horrendous for fine diners- lots of loud drunken girls is not what we were expecting!
Comment on this reader review

Kathy
Overall rating
Food 7 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 5
Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Overrated...

Porr service...

Average Food...

Great Dining Room & Ambience but didn't deliver as promised!
Comment on this reader review

Anna
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, November 26, 2007

We had a very enjoyable meal for a special night out.

Ox tongue with green sauce was lovely, beef carpacio was good too.

sea bass was very tasty, better than the venison.

all in all a good meal, streets ahead of escargot a week earlier,

very rustic italian food. wine was enjoyable, staff were very friendly & knowledgable.

if I had any criticsm it would be that at michelin level some amuse bouch or hidden courses would be nice, that little bit of theatre makes it for me.

bill was £200 for 2 with 3 courses, good bottle of wine. will definately go back
Comment on this reader review

stuart trangmar
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Sunday, November 25, 2007

I took my wife as well as daughter with her husband and their 2 very small children to lunch yesterday the 11th November.I must say I had heard a great

deal about this Italian restourant so my expectations were rather great,but alas

I was to be disappointerd.From the time we entered at 1.35 to the time the first

course was served took abourt an hour,apart from the poor service when I complained that the Indivia which was served with a slice of what was described

as gorgonzola the head waiter when informed by what I presume was his assistant just shrugged his shoulder.My wife who is a born and bred Italian lady

and I who has worked in Italy for more than 40 years must say that we would find it hard to find this kind of servce in a real Italian Locanda.
Comment on this reader review

e.s.
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 3
Monday, November 12, 2007

I had dinner at Locanda Locatelli a few weeks ago and was very disappointed. The unprofessional staff were highly disorganised and it was easier to catch the flu than the waiter's eye. It took about 30 minutes post ordering until we were informed that the meat we had ordered was not available. The food turned out to be average Italian fare and I completely lost my appetite when somebody on the table next to us decided to entertain half the restaurant with seedy stories without being politely asked by the staff to keep the volume down. The disappointing experience was rounded off by the waiters forgetting the ordered espresso, which apparently didn’t stop them from adding it to the bill anyway. The fact that we refused to pay a tip was greeted with a disapproving grunt. We left with the impression that we will not be returning any time soon and the view that the Michelin guide should be revisiting their 1* rating
Comment on this reader review

Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 4
Friday, November 09, 2007