How sad it is to live 5,000 miles from my favorite restaurant! During our week in London, we ate at Carluccios three times and prepared meals from ingredients purchased there several other times. In addition to a large, lively, and always full dining room, Carluccios has a deli and grocery area full of tempting treats to take out. Everything we tried was wonderful, from the delicious risotto, ravioli, and chicken dishes to the sinful desserts.
Our first visit was after a long walk on a chilly day, and we dropped in for something warm to drink. We discovered Bicerin, a rich treat that was almost a meal in itself. Our server brought us each a tray with three small jugs--one of espresso, one of rich cocoa, and another of cream. We mixed up our drinks and eventually cleaned out every jug. We felt too guilty to try that again, but the memory lingers.
On our next visit, we tried two of the specials, a pumpkin risotto and lemon-caper chicken breast. My first bite of the risotto was heavenly, and I cleaned my plate in no time. My friend gave the chicken high praise, and the accompanying bread tin, piled with several varieties of bread and bread sticks, was wonderful.
We visited Carluccios again the next day and stocked up with supplies from the deli and grocery area: fresh pasta sauce, walnut bread, spaghetti, parma ham, panetonne, little walnut/gorgonzola biscuits, luscious tarts, and cakes--we couldn't control ourselves! Luckily, we had a kitchen in our lodging, so we were able to keep everything fresh and enjoy it all for several days.
On our final visit, we tried the ravioli (spinach and ricotta swimming in a butter/sage sauce) and milanese de pollo (breaded chicken breast fried in olive oil), and again we experienced absolute perfection. The ravioli was tender and delicious, and the chicken breast was huge and flavorful.
Carluccios has a fantastic website, which has their full menu and an online store. Sadly, they do not ship outside the UK. There are also several other locations in London and the surrounding areas, including Neal's Yard, St. Albans, and Windsor. Stop in and you'll see why we had such a difficult time eating anywhere else.