Carluccios - over priced rubbish. So there.

They also *steal* tips left for the waiting/kitchen staff to make up minimum wage! ?

Bugger. One has opened in town and the menu looks fab. I was really looking forward to eating there.

Hope you get a good outcome from your complaint.

I've eaten in the ones at Bluewater & at Canary Wharf, both the same awful food.

I think the chunky pencils had more flavour to the food the children got served.

Hideous food, we were at the one in Hampstead on Boxing day for lunch. I had manky calves liver which tasted old and reheated and H had lasagne which looked rather like regurgitated cat food.

We had our team Christmas lunch at Carluccios in 2007. It was crammed to the point where it was very hard to move about (I suspect they moved extra tables in), and the food was lacklustre in the extreme - to the point that when we started canvassing for recommendations this year, more than one person said "anywhere but Carluccios!")

On the contrary, we had a delicious lunch in the convent garden branch this week with the children's lasagne being really tasty. Also great service.

I have had delicious ravioli on several occasions at the Chiswick branch.

I'm surprised by all the bad reports - we've only had fab food at the two Carluccios we've been to in London on numerous occasions.

I've always praised their children's menu because it's been proper food rather than "chips sausages and beans" and they offer a half size plate of adult portions too, IIRC.

Hope your complaint gets noted - I've had a sandwich there with pesto and it's been lovely fresh stuff, not manky like you described so maybe it's just unfortunate.

I'm also surprised. The one in Kingston-upon-Thames is nice.