Carluccio's (Putney)

Been here a couple of times before, always been happy - it does what it says on the tin. Simple Italian food, good prices, etc. However, our most recent trip was a disappointment. They were busy, but the service was quite bad. They took ages to take our order, and when we did order no one seemed to have written it down anywhere so it didn't arrive and we had to order again. We asked to be moved to an empty table for dessert (it was very hot, and there were lots of tables outside) but we weren't allowed. The staff seemed more concerned with gossiping and arguing amongst themselves (including blaming each other for things when the manager tried to find out why customers hadn't been served) than actually serving customers.

Won't be rushing back.
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Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 4
Tuesday, July 29, 2008

oh dear. a total train smash. Nice to be next to the river, which is why we dropped by on a nice summer's evening, but that's the end of the good news. The waiting staff were way over-stretched (probably not their fault) and things were falling apart. Glasses and cultlery were very clear dirty. It took us 25 minutes to get our first drink. The calamari starter came very "plain" with no sauce and on a bed of lettuce that was going brown and looked like it had been sweated in a bag for 3 days....a supermarket would have already taken it off the shelf...indeed, thats where it looked like it came from..straight from a pre-packed bag, not fresh. Once we finished the starter the plate was not cleared off our table for another 45 minutes, and with no sign of our main coming at all (a pretty straight forward pasta) and other customers in the place clearly suffering similar delay and quality problems, i eventually cleared the plate of rotting lettuce back into the kitchen myself to present to the chef, accompanied by a round of applause from a couple of other disgruntled tables. It was clear the main course was still light years, the kitchen was erupting in a major argument, so we left money for the drinks and starter and left to get a mcdonalds up the road...the service there was better anyway.
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mark hillery
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 3
Wednesday, June 11, 2008

We visited last sunday and, Apart from the starter of Antipasti (you can't really mess up putting sliced meats, olives etc onto a plate) The breads we ordered with the starters must have been cut at the start of the night and had dried out the ciabatta was like a pumice stone. The whole meal was very disapointing, Our steaks were over cooked as was my friends pork loin, The service seened very un organised, the order of extra potatoes arrived as we were all finishing the meal, There are far better places to eat in the area Carluccios is clearly trading on it's name rather than the quality of the food we won't be going back,

Oh and considering most things in the deli are supplied labled as Carluccios you can get the same things at half the price in any other deli,
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Tim
Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 1
Thursday, September 06, 2007

Our (April 2007) experience was rather better than some reviewers have suggested, which probably shows that some lessons have been learned. Service in particular we found competent and friendly - unusually so for London, which of course has the worst waiters in the world. When we (awkwardly) demanded the space heater to be moved, then to be reseated inside, they were sweetness and light. Everything came on time and as ordered.

The food, however, is not up to the standards of other Carluccios that I have eaten in. There was that piping-hot, 'just microwaved' feel about what I ate which (if indeed the dreaded ping-oven has been employed) is totally unacceptable. My chicken breast fillets were thin and dry, and the rice-cheese balls starters (normally a Carluccios hit) were virtually tasteless. My partner said her food was OK though, so maybe I was just unlucky. Prices are OK for what should be served, too much for what actually arrives on your plate. Best thing is the splendid location.
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mike
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 4
Wednesday, May 09, 2007

A friend had booked the table and before going I had read these reviews - obviously I was concerned. However, I was pleasantly surprised. The most notable contrast to said reviews was the service. Perhaps we were particularly lucky to have such an attentive waiter (who was very easy on the eye!) but all in all the service was excellent. The food was decent, the atmosphere jovial and the value good. I don't live near Putney and therefore cannot realistically predict my return but I would like to recommend that people try it for themselves.
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Elaine
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 8
Sunday, March 11, 2007

Going on a Saturday evening, there was no real attention to customers, the manager was busier serving dishes than looking after wanting customers to be seated! Waiters seemed to be served a vast array of tables or nothing. The service was so poor the waiter even told us he wasn't going to give us the option to decline adding a tip when paying! If the staff know they're pathetic then you're really in trouble!

The food is nice, nothign more, nothing less, there is not atmosphere and the customers don't seem to mean anything to anyone.

Not worth a return visit.

I'll be going back and sticking to the more friendly and nicer food served at Il Mascalzone
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Shirley
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 3
Tuesday, February 06, 2007

A little better than others have indicated - possibly they have got their act together a bit in the last six months. We ate auite late so the place was almost empty - so the very few waiting staff there were able to serve us fairly well. Food wasn't bad at all. The wine (a £13 or so pinot grigio) was also quite nice although it turned up already open which always gets on my nerves a bit. Atmosphere was poor - full of braying yuppies - not sure whether the restaurant can really be blamed for the clientele though!
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Martin - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 5 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 4
Monday, January 15, 2007

A crushing disappointment. It's not very often my boyfriend wants to buy me dinner and I'm only sorry I chose this branch. I've had really nice pasta at Carluccio's before, but the Putney Wharf restaurant is terrible. Poor service, dismissive waiters - the starters arrived with main course, thus making their 'antipasti' section on the menu obsolete. Soggy, flabby pasta - but our concerns went unheard by the head waiter. What a shame, as the food doesn't do justice to its great location. Antonio Carluccio would be appalled.
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Vanessa - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Wednesday, July 19, 2006

I've always felt that Carluccio's was overrated, but my girlfriend is (now was) a fan so I recently agreed to give it another go. This branch has a wonderful setting on the river - by far the best thing going for it. Service was poor, with starter and main course both arriving at the same time; a complete no-no as far as service etiquette is concerned. My girlfriend found a hair in her starter, and her main course (which was so piping hot it had clearly come from the microwave) was far too salty. My pasta was tasty, but again too hot to be freshly cooked. Yes, it's still very much overrated.
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Justin Springham
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 5
Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Went on Sunday evening with two friends expecting food and service of a quality previously received in Canary Wharf branch - totally disappointed. Waiter was completely rude and most unhelpful; couldn't care less about our satisfaction. Starters of bruschetta and melanzane were good, but main courses appalling-two of us ordered mushroom lasagne-one dish was straight from the microwave and visually more resembled dog food than a lasagne-waiter most unapologetic and annoyed that we sent it back. Won't be returning
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Aisling Keogh
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 4
Wednesday, May 24, 2006