Caldesi

Went as a group of 8. The service was unsmiling and abrupt. Very much got the opinion that they were doing us the favour. Food was good , but not stunning and generally overshadowed by the staff who believed they were right - even when mistakes were made.
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Graeme
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 2
Friday, November 16, 2007

hi,

last night I went Cadesi's new restaurant in Bray.....officially not open but welcomed us with open arms...there were 9 of us in all and we had a brilliant night....food was excellent and service very good and reasonably priced.......I would strongly recommend visitng this place it's just what Bray needs and for me personally I think it will do very well!....

The owner Giancarlo and his wife Katie were really nice and couldn't do more for us will definitely be going back.......for any fish lovers out there which i am not! try the seabass ravioli with lemon butter, really very nice! and they may have even converted me now...

see you guys soon!

Zoe
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zoe
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 10
Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Went mid week with my adult children and in anticipation of something different. We were not disappointed!

The atmosphere was great with a real buzz going on. The staff were very helpful and the welcome was really like coming home.

Then the food started to arrive and it was immediately obvious that this was real Tuscan cooking and shone out as something special.

I could not recommend this restaurant enough and this comes from somebody who is a real " foody " and habitually searches for food that is not the normal humdrum food turned out by traditional Italian restaurants.

Thank you The Caldesi Family
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Laurence Mintz
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Saturday, July 21, 2007

Three of us went a few nights ago. One of our party was a regular visitor and greeted as such. The Maitre De was friendly and welcoming and the room is quite pleasant. Unfortunately that is all the good news. By the time the poor quality food arrived we had already been put off by the rude waiter. For something much cheaper and much better go to Da Mario on Endell Street. For more expensive and immeasurably better try Il Convivio on Ebury Street.
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Dave
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 4
Wednesday, January 31, 2007

I took a client to Caldesi for Xmas lunch. It's a poky, old fashioned restaurant, with tables squashed together. We were welcomed with an abrupt greeting and left to stand unattended for several minutes while they sorted out other arrivals.

I chose this place based on previous reviews. Quite frankly it was awful. Service was brusque and charmless, in that italian 'just sling the plates on the table' kind of way and the food was shocking.

My starter was stone cold and my client's minestrone soup was a solid lump with vitually no liquid whatsoever.

The main courses were no better than your average local trattoria and the £100 bill for 2 including one of the cheaper bottles of wine is simply outrageous.

This is just a typical 1970's italian that hasn't moved on but has pretensions of being special. Trust me, it isn't. Go and spend your £100 somewhere that serves decent food.
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norman summerfield
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 2 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 1
Saturday, January 20, 2007

We had a poor main elsewhere and decided to cheer ourselves up by having a decent desert at Caldesi. Despite the restaurant being almost empty at around 8pm, and it was the 27th December 9quiet night), they wouldn't serve us just deserts. We had to order mains as well. We went elsewhere. Caldesi, why not let the customer chose what they want to have? This restaurant is often empty over the years I have walked past. Its hardly a good welcome.
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Brent - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 5
Thursday, December 28, 2006

A great place to go for a long, indulgent dinner with friends. Fantastic food, cozy surroundings and great service. The perfect place from which to stumble out into the streets late at night, totally stuffed.
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SVC - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 6
Tuesday, June 06, 2006

For all those who love authentic Tuscan cuisine, Caldesi Tuscan Restaurant is a dream come true. Located in Marylebone village, the restaurant is a family business owned by husband and wife team Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi, who bring the uniqueness of Tuscany's finest cuisine to the heart of London.

Caldesi Tuscan Restaurant is inspired by the Italian cuisine of Giancarlo's native Tuscany and provides an exciting alternative to the standard Italian restaurants London has to offer. Giancarlo’s flamboyant personality is a proof that Tuscany can simply be a tube ride away.

Most ingredients used in Caldesi restaurant are specially sourced from the region including salami which is used in the Antipasti tipici Toscani and olive oil which is chosen from Lucca’s finest. The majority of the dishes are Tuscan recipes that have never been written down but have been verbally handed down from generation to generation in-keeping with true Tuscan tradition. Giancarlo Caldesi has created a truly authentic menu but has added his personal touch. Signature dishes include roast guinea fowl with herbs and winter vegetables, handmade Tuscan pasta with lamb ragu, Tuscan pici and ribollita, char grilled squid and king prawns with lemon olive oil, garlic, chili and parsley. The wine list has been specially selected to complement the flavour rich food and features a broad selection of wines from different regions of Italy including an impressive collection of ‘super Tuscans’, extremely full-bodied red wines from the region. The food and wine lists are matched only by the impeccable service.

Katie Caldesi has beautifully decorated the restaurant with frescoed walls and wooden floors in line with authentic Tuscan design. Upstairs, a Renaissance private dining room is available for hire for up to 20 people. The sumptuously decorated room is richly hand painted and adorned with gold leaf in the style of the frescoes of 15th century Florence, making the Renaissance Room ideal for special events, corporate or social. Matching the exquisite period detail of the decor, the Tuscan menu created to blend with the room includes Renaissance recipes such as stuffed roast duck with mince meat, raisins and pine nuts, four-cheese pie and roast suckling pig with fresh rosemary.

Tuscan cuisine is on its way to your living room as Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi are set for stardom on the culinary scene this Spring. They are launching a BBC2 television series – Return to Tuscany – which is due to air on 8th May 2006 along with a recipe book to accompany the series. In the television series Giancarlo and Katie Caldesi return to Giancarlo’s culinary roots in Tuscany to set up a cookery school and teach the secrets of traditional Tuscan cooking.

The Caldesis are bound to make you fall for the charm and culinary pleasures of the most sensuous region of Italy.
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gemma
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Monday, April 03, 2006