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Carluccio's
Carluccio’s has been a household name for an impressive 20 years now and there was a time, largely thanks to the much-loved man behind the brand, that it was incredibly a la mode. But in this era of independent street food stars taking over the high street, has it managed to retain its Italian magic?
Presumably, in an attempt to give said competition a run for its money, Carluccio’s are very wisely launching a series of what they describe as ‘next generation’ sites across the UK, starting with Richmond. Following an extensive refurb, every detail has been reimagined - from the colourful modern interiors through to a new menu, crockery and deli, all taking inspiration from the late, great Antonio Carluccio’s very first site in Covent Garden.
From the outside, the restaurant looks gorgeous; it’s a soggy Thursday evening but the stylish terrace is brimming with pretty plants and flowers and there’s a faux floral arch over the front door that’s just asking to be Instagrammed. We’re greeted in true Italian style – a chorus of ‘ciao’s and ‘buona sera’s and a chilled glass of Prosecco swiftly arrives. So far, so good.
The interiors really have been transformed and the restaurant is now filled with cosy corners, vibrant colours and plenty of plush banquette seating to sink in to. It’s reminiscent of The Ivy Café, but with a less fussy, Mediterranean feel. There’s plenty of natural light at the front which works with the more casual café vibe found here, but at the back of the restaurant is where the magic really happens; a cosy and inviting candlelit corner framed beautifully by colourful artworks, trailing plants, rustic ceramics, bottles of olive oil and piles of Carluccio’s cookery books. It feels authentic, stylish and virtually unrecognisable as this long-time high-street hero.
We shared some aperitivo to start; slightly stodgy focaccia with a pot of good olive oil for dipping and some over-cooked mushroom and truffle arancini, which I am afraid to say offered no hint of truffle and a rather confusing tomato and chilli dipping sauce. The polenta fries, however, were delicious; hot, crisp and covered in plenty of freshly grated pecorino, and we also tried one of the seasonal May specials; friggitelli in padella - small, sweet green peppers grown across Italy in the spring, served simply fried in extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with salt. They were fresh, tasty and incredibly moreish.
On to the mains, and there is so much choice. Too much in fact. We played it safe and stuck with the classics; my Vongole was spot on – well-cooked fresh cuttlefish ink spaghetti with plenty of British clams in a white wine and butter sauce, with chilli, parsley and lots of garlic. It was everything I had hoped for and more, and embodied Carluccio’s motto of ‘MOF MOF – minimum of fuss, maximum of flavour’. My date enjoyed a small mountain of fresh pappardelle served with a delicious mix of mushrooms - porcini, chestnut, oyster, shiitake and shimeji - covered in a wonderfully flavoursome white wine and porcini sauce.
Our bottle of crisp organic white from Italy (of course) was delicious, and to finish, we shared a generous square of tiramisu, doused in good coffee and a thick layer of rich mascarpone. It provided the perfect ‘pick me up’, as the name promises.
The service throughout was friendly and efficient, the atmosphere busy and bustling and the new interiors really are a delight (particularly at the back). The food was admittedly a bit of a mixed bag – I often find that too much choice can lead to the occasional compromise in quality coming from the kitchen, which is a shame when the deli provides such a good choice of authentic Italian produce, but if you stick with the classics you can’t go far wrong and 20 years on that’s exactly what Carluccio’s still is - a proud Italian classic.
