The Guide goes all proletarian on you at Carluccio’s
By The Prodigal Fool, published on 7 April 2009
A few years ago, The Guide might have taken a different stance. But our own change of attitude only mirrors what London’s great chefs have been doing for some time. Just as the Sweary One has moved on from focusing on the rarefied world of his Hospital Road flagship to hosting TV game shows and running airport food outlets; just as Marco Pierre White has turned his back on his Michelin stars and enfant terrible reputation and gone into business running a chain of cheap family bistros with an ex-jokey; so Antonio Carluccio has grown bored of teaching Jamie Oliver to bake bread at his eponymous Neal Street restaurant and turned his attentions to bringing a taste of authentic Italian cooking to the masses with this very successful chain of Italian restaurants and shops. The cynics will tell you there’s simply more money in scale like this. Perhaps. But we think it’s also a reflection of the times and a welcome one.
So, feeling a little worse for wear (we’d had a rather excessive evening at Parson’s Green’s Mao Tai the night before – but that’s another post), we hobbled across the bridge to Putney around lunchtime on a Sunday that, for once, lived up to its name and made our way to this riverside branch of Carluccio’s. Our friends had had the foresight to secure a table outside and we sat there quite happily soaking up the atmosphere. And that’s the first thing to note: location and timing certainly help. An earlier visit to the less pleasantly located branch of Carluccio’s opposite the Chelsea and Westminster hospital was distinctly less enjoyable.
And the food? We tried the spaghetti vongole, the lasagna and a great looking bowl of penne and courgette that our dining companion described as “dull”. The clams and the ragu-based lasagna on the other hand were both perfectly nice and tasted like the chef who originally put together the recipes – if not the person who eventually did the cooking – had actually been to Italy at some stage in their lives, which certainly helps. And at prices like these, that feels like a fair deal. When our waiter (very pleasant and efficient) delivered the damage it was a surprisingly sustainable GBP 25 a head, including a few glasses of wine and starters.
So, Carluccio’s is not going to impress you if you’re looking for serous Italian cooking, but what it does, it does well: decent food served by friendly, competent staff at very reasonable prices. And if you can escape the cacophony of children by sitting outside, on a sunny day, with friends, you’re on to a winner.
Carluccio’s, Putney Wharf, London SW15 1, Tel: +44 20 8789 0591
The Guide goes all proletarian on you at Carluccio’s
“God, it’s like Nappy Valley in here” we complained grumpily – and without a hint of irony – as we parked our two baby carriages next to our table and sat down. Yes, Carluccio’s is very ‘child friendly’ as they say. But that’s OK; it’s perfectly in keeping with the ethos of the place. This [...]
