A popular Italian restaurant in Manchester has defended itself after a number of reviews online suggested it had ‘gone downhill’ in the last year.
Carluccio's at Manchester Piccadilly currently has a four-star rating on TripAdvisor, based on 574 reviews, But some customers have taken to the platform in recent months to give the restaurant a below-average score based on ‘disappointing’ visits. Between July and November, the restaurant received 13 reviews on TripAdvisor, nine of which were three stars or below.
One user gave the chain restaurant a one star rating for food, service and value for money following a visit in August. The customer wrote: “Cold, coagulated, unattractive food, off-hand staff, much too expensive for the standard provided.
“We did arrive close to closing time, so, while I accept that may have affected the food and service we received, for the prices charged, it shouldn't have. This is a railway station in Manchester, not Mayfair. Carluccio would be turning in his grave.”
In response, the restaurant apologised to the customer and asked them to reach out directly to the venue. A general manager wrote on the review: “Hi, I'm really sorry to hear you had such a disappointing experience on your recent visit. We strive to offer fresh, authentic Italian food and friendly, relaxed service but we have clearly fallen short on this occasion. I would really like to discuss the matter in more detail with you.”
Referring to Italian chef and founder Antonio Carluccio, who died in 2017, another reviewer posted: "The old man must be spinning in his grave! Since the Old Man’s death this chain has seriously gone downhill. The standard of service here is abysmal and only the food and drink quality keep it interesting.”
In November, another customer described their visit as ‘disappointing’. The three star review said: “Nice staff, shame about the prices and some of the food. I had the pasta Giardiniera which I have had before. It is an interesting recipe, with little fried spinach balls, but they were well overcooked, and fried in what seemed to be very old oil (not olive oil). Sad to see standards going down.”
The restaurant responded: “I'm sorry to hear you were disappointed with the spinach balls on your Gairdiniera. Feedback like this really helps know when we're getting things wrong and enables us to improve our offering so thank you for taking the time to let us know.”
Another reviewer described their meal as ‘not the best’ after visiting the restaurant for a ‘quick plate of pasta before the train’. The review, posted on August 23, said: “It may be that the pandemic has flattened train travel, but this place was empty and felt empty.
“I had a simple pasta dish, the pasta was re-heated, tomato sauce vinegary, and a little salty. The sausage meat was non-existent, it was ok, but for what you paid and the quality- sorry, doesn’t work for me. However, it was better than a burger.”
Posting on July 3, another customer reviewed the restaurant’s coffee selection. The one-star reviewer wrote: “Went for a quick coffee before catching the train. Carluccio’s used to serve great coffee. What we were served can only be described as dishwater or vaguely warm milky liquid. How a restaurant with Italian roots can serve such abysmal coffee is beyond me. The only consolation was we weren’t charged for it as couldn’t actually drink any of it!”
In response, a general manager for the restaurant posted: “I'm so sorry to hear how disappointed you were with your coffee. We have always been very proud of our coffee and believe it to be better than most so we were confused as to why it was such a disappointment this time.
“I'm not sure what went wrong, but we haven't changed the coffee at all and I wouldn't want you to think that we had allowed our standards to slip like that.”
However, the restaurant has also received some positive reviews in the last few months. One reviewer in October gave the restaurant a five-star review praising its ‘great wine and service’ and saying the venue had a ‘wonderful atmosphere’.
Another reviewer in November said they had a ‘brilliant’ breakfast. The five-star recommendation said: “Stylish premises. Great service. The avocado with poached eggs with extra crispy pancetta really hit the spot. Great coffee too.”
A further customer praised the restaurant’s ‘wonderful service’ and ‘absolutely amazing food', before adding: “Great value for money, would highly recommend.”
Carluccio’s said it has a number of positive reviews online, with the Piccadilly restaurant getting an overall four-star review on TripAdvisor and individual four-star ratings for food, service, value and atmosphere. The venue has a Travellers' Choice 2022 award on the platform, and is rated 256th out of 1,689 Restaurants in Manchester.
A spokesperson for Carluccio’s said: “We have many positive reviews on Tripadvisor, with the majority falling in the ‘excellent’ or ‘very good’ categories, but we have apologised to our guests where we fell short of our usual high standards in some instances.”
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