Ciao Baby Cucina (Westfield)

A few friends were coming into London and wanted to go to Westfeild. I chose to take them to Ciao Baby Cucina as I had gone there for a few cockatils and snacks with some work colleges. The food we had was so good I have always wanted to go and eat there again.

When I took them there they were initially impressed with the decor as it is was modern yet rustic. We started off by getting some great wine that the waiter recomended to us. We had the freshly baked foccacia and oilves before ordering our starters.

The starters were excellent and we ended up just sharing them all as our large round table accomadated this. When mains arrived they were all well presented and tasted great.

With good service and good food no wonder this place was so busy!
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Claire
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Sunday, March 20, 2011

Went last night, not been before but thought it looked very nice from the outside and the menu looked good so popped in. The interior is, as others have said, extremely well done. Our service was quite slow and inattentive, surprising given there appeared to be enough staff around and the restaurant was half full. We ordered a bruschetta and antipasto misto for starter. The bruschetta was lovely, and the antipasto misto tasted very nice however it was presented on a plate so small you had to rummage around to work out what was there.

Our mains arrived and were a Caesar salad and an Italian take on fish and chips. The dressing on the Caesar salad was really, really weak. It tasted very similar to a Sainsbury's ‘Good For You’ one I have in my fridge (not saying that's what they used of course!). Despite being really rather hungry I couldn't bring myself to finish eating the salad because it just didn't do anything for me.

Over the table my girlfriend was having an equally disappointing time. Her fish had arrived and was a good sized flat fish in a fried breadcrumb coating with large roast potato wedges. The fish itself tasted good however there wasn't any sauce or dressing anywhere. When we asked for something to go with it our waiter initially brought over some tomato ketchup and then a lemon butter sauce which was so tart it made your face turn inside out! Again my girlfriend lost her appetite half way through the course.

We spoke to the manager to say we rather disappointed in the main course. He seemed concerned and said they did make all the food and dressings in house and that we would not be charged for the mains. Whilst we were waiting for the bill the owner came out and said she would completely comp the meal and gave us a gift voucher to use in the future, a very generous gesture. Unfortunately neither I nor my girlfriend are sure we want to return as it was a real let down.
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KG
5 Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 5
Thursday, January 27, 2011

You have to admire a slick shop that can feed the multitudes efficiently on a Bank Holiday Monday. Ciao Baby Cucina is, despite the name, almost a grown-up restaurant. They may even, perhaps, be cooking as much food as they assemble. There was reassuringly someone I took to be a "man-in-charge" (wearing a louder shirt than anyone else without being teased by the waiters). Service was prompt and proficient. The concept and decor was like Carluccios with wood (rather than formica) and larger portions. Unfortunately, the larger portions on our lunch table each included excess doses of salt. Pizza dough was too salty. Lasagne was too salty. Seafood risotto was too salty (and also very high on the chilli-ometer but without any red flag in the menu). The side dishes fared better. Green beans with onions and garlic were under-cooked, but not over-seasoned. Spinach was spot on. Difficult to go wrong with wilted spinach, but I was grateful nonetheless for the small mercy. This place is a whisker away from being an unexpectedly solid choice despite a shopping centre setting. All they need is someone in the kitchen who samples some of the food from time to time and hates marmite.
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Gordzilla
6 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 5
Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Just had lunch there today and it was great. Our Italian waiter Paolo I think was very friendly and gave good explanations of everything (and even complemented me on my pronunciation !). The bruscetta to start was so very fresh. It was followed by a beautifully cooked seabream al forno. The waiter brought over a kind of cake, which when I received it on my plate with ice-cream turned out to be the Italian equivalent of bread and butter pudding - and it was delicious.

I would definitely return.
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Derek
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Saturday, March 27, 2010

After a long day’s shopping in Westfield, I walked in to Ciao Baby Cucina and the first thing I noticed is that the decor is modern but unobtrusive, designed for comfort with strategic contrasts of classic Italian charm. When I looked at their menu I saw that it comprises a fabulous choice to suit every taste bud from as little as £6.50. I could choose from a variety of antipasti such as the antipasto misto - a fabulous spread of salami, ham, wood-roasted tomatoes and peppers - followed by freshly cooked pasta and pizza, meat and fish dishes including vitello alla campagnola (crumbed veal layered with chopped spinach and mozzarella, topped with pomodoro and baked in the stone oven), or a classic bistecca alla Florentina - a 1.2kg T-bone char grilled beef steak drizzled with fresh lemon, rosemary and sea salt.

The service is efficient, friendly and knowledgeable, the atmosphere relaxed and informal. Ciao Baby is an experience everyone should encounter when visiting the Westfield London Shopping Centre in white City. I was told by the manager that this is the second restaurant that entrepreneur Theo Holiasmenos has opened in the UK. Both follow the same simple concept, offering freshly prepared authentic Italian cuisine in a contemporary, relaxed setting. Ciao Baby Cucina combines deft culinary skills from its experienced chefs together with the freshest ingredients, all hand-cooked in the cucina (kitchen), to make the most delectable savoury and sweet dishes, including Italian breads, pasta, cheeses, gorgeous pastries, cakes and ice creams.

To enjoy at home, I bought a little taste of the Ciao Baby Cucina Italian experience. From the irresistible delicatessen table I purchased my own piece of rustic charm from a selection that includes home-baked focaccia breads filled with caramelised onions, sun-fried tomatoes, garlic and herbs, and home-pickled Italian olives in rosemary and garlic flavorings. Stylish Italian dining mixed with a fabulous relaxed atmosphere; Ciao Baby Cucina is an obvious choice whatever the occasion.

I will certainly return.
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Anonymous
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, February 16, 2010

When we visited CBC Westfield, our waiter Armando welcomed us like family and informed us of the specials with enticing detail and unrehearsed humor. We chose the baked Melanzane Parmigano and Vegetarian Meze Platter to start. The bubbling cheesy aubergine had just the right amount of tomato, chewy crispiness and the Meze selection was a palate of green beans with a sweet mint sauce, a delicious combination of roasted and pickled vegetables, and black olives and fresh cherry tomatoes for a burst of freshness. For mains, we chose a simple Penne Arrabiata and the baked fillet of kingklip with lemon butter sauce, mash and vegetables, which, in addition to being very yummy, was also very generous. For dessert, all we could find the space for was the highly recommended baked Italian cheesecake, and we shared a dense, creamy, fruity slice. Fantastic!
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Sara
8 Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Friday, February 12, 2010

I went to have a meal to this restaurant with a friend of mine at Westfield.

It was disappointing. I ordered a fish soup and was told that there is no bread to accompany this soup and it was so salty that I was surprised that I did not get a heart attack there and then... So had to order separate bread.

We ordered a caeser style salad and it was plain letuce that is the cheapest type, no other leafs...

so overall really disappointing for the price...
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J
3 Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 1
Wednesday, December 16, 2009