Reviews

Carluccio's - Bath Food Review

Posted on: 2016-09-05

Tucked away in the hidden gem of Milsom Place, Carluccio's is an under-rated Italian restaurant in the heart of the city. Read on for my review of the food they dished up for me.

Glancing over the menu it was clear they had a new range of dishes, especially for Starters so I chose to try out one of those as it seemed quite unique – Arancini. What's that? I hear you ask, well the menu describes it as “Two crispy rice balls - a Gorgonzola & courgette ball and a ’nduja & Buffalo mozzarella ball, both served with tomato sauce.” I wasn't sure what to expect because this really did sound like a one of a kind dish, but it was delightful. For those of you like me who don't know what 'nduja is it's a spicy type of spreadable pork salami so this wasn't my favourite one only because I can't handle spice at all. But the Gorgonzola and courgette ball was pretty dreamy as the cheese was warm and gooey. It was reasonably priced at £4.75, as they're more filling than they look.

Of course, being in an Italian restaurant, I couldn't resist pasta for my main course. The Pappardelle Con Pollo is pasta a little bit similar to tagliatelle, with chicken, a variety of mushrooms, crème fraîche, garlic, white wine and toasted pine nuts. The attentive waiter suggested I drizzle some of Carluccio's own lemon olive oil on the pasta as an added touch. I took his advice and I'm glad I did, because the slight lemony taste went perfectly with the subtlety of the mushrooms and creamy sauce. The pasta was cooked al dente and altogether the dish could have done with slightly more seasoning for taste, but it was lovely and delicate. The portion size is good value for £11.25 and I was full after finishing the plate.

I had to top off the whole meal with a dessert and after much deliberation over all of the amazing choices, I fancied something with chocolate in so I went for the Pasticcio Di Cioccolato, or chocolate bread and butter pudding to you and me! Served with vanilla cream it was so tasty, but the only downside was the portion size. For £5.25 I expected a bigger portion than what was served. My dinner companion had the Dolce Di Cioccolato which is “A warm chocolate pudding baked with almonds and Kahlua served with vanilla ice cream” and that was very indulgent and extremely chocolatey which was ideal.

Our fantastic waiter could put all other waiters I've ever had to shame! The service was probably the best I'd ever had, as the waiter and staff were not only extremely attentive, but friendly and were happy to engage in a bit of conversation. They seemed to really care about our dining experience and always checked if we wanted anything else with our meals. We were well taken care of.

The restaurant itself is modern, stylish and has a great atmosphere especially when the lights get dimmed down in the evening and the candles flicker. It's spacious and welcoming, plus Carluccio's sell a range of beautiful Italian products too, so on your way out the door you can grab an authentic Italian treat. Grazie Carluccio's for a wonderful dining experience!

Ratings:

Atmosphere 5/5

Service 5/5

Food 5/5

Value 4/5

Address: Milsom Place, Bath, BA1 1BZ. Check out Carluccio's website and view the menu at www.carluccios.com and you can find them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Article by:

Safia Yallaoui - Editor

Born in Bath, Safia has lived on the outskirts of the city her whole life. After studying journalism in Bristol she now spends a lot of her time searching for new things to see in Bath and soaking up the beautiful culture. You're most likely to find her sipping a soya latte in a lovely little independent cafe! Call Safia on 07468 516375 or email editor@365Bath.com.