Carluccios' Spitalfields location has delicious tiramisu but a terrifying deep fryer.

The Venue
Carluccios sits at the side of one of the major skyrises in Spitalfield Market by Liverpool Street Station, bridging work and pleasure by being balanced between Shoreditch and the City. It is the perfect location for a meal post-work but pre-going out, with a variety of great bars on Brick Lane and Commercial Street within very close walking distance.

The Atmosphere
With very attentive service, and a distinctive but stylishly elegant minimalist red and white decor, there seems to be love in the look of this restaurant. Upon walking into Carluccios you are met with an Italian deli, selling special Italian imported cheeses, marmalades and breads. Most of the patrons are still wearing suits, having arrived at the restaurant after a long day at work, giving the restaurant a feeling of a relaxed and upscale celebration. Wine is flowing, and everyone seems bent on enjoying themselves. Only the well-illustrated menu gives this cosy but attractive location away as one of a chain of Italian restaurants in London.

The Food
For around £4.00 as a starter, the soup pasta e fagioli, a thick soup of pasta, creamy bortolli and vegetables tastes bland and is served with a slice of focaccia that has a consistency closer to cake than bread. The antipasto di verdure, however, a large vegetable antipasto (for two at about £10.00 and for one at about £7.00) is delicious – coming with a range of six antipastos, including excellent quality fresh buffalo mozzarella, a minty and garlic tasting green bean salad, artichokes that are large and full flavored, sun dried tomatoes and caponata, a sweet and tangy tomato compote, drenched in olive oil. This dish is one of the best choices on the starters menu, especially for vegetarians. Though strangely, with a starter so ideal for dipping, it is not served with focaccia bread. At times eating the antipasto di verdure feels like the guilty pleasure of eating sauce without substance – but delicious sauce, nonetheless.

For mains the Branzino Con Salsa E Patate (about £12.00) is a fillet of sea bass with a unique and slightly spicy tomato salsa and nicely sautéed potatoes, but the sea bass itself is seems deep fried, not pan fried, and tastes reminiscent of a frozen fish dinner. The most upsetting dish on the menu must be the Penne Giardiniera at £7.25, which is also sadly the most charitable and ethical choice on the menu – for every one of this pasta dish sold 50p will be donated to Action Against Hunger, a humanitarian charity. Unfortunately this vegetarian pasta is extremely oily and topped with deep-fried balls of spinach that are entirely unappetizing. It is served with a side salad of lettuce that is so wilted with a dressing that tastes strange and inedible.

Dessert, however, makes for another unexpected turn – the tiramisu is one of the best you are likely to eat in London – or anywhere for that matter. A creamy but firm consistency, with the perfect balance of coffee and liqueur, it is obviously made with real skill and finesse. The gelati, however, two scoops offering flavors of coffee, bitter chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry at is nearly as disappointing as the salad – the gelati is hard, and contains frozen pellets. The strawberry flavour tastes like chemicals and coffee flavour tastes bland. Truly a pick and mix of quality on this inconsistent menu.

The Drink
An excellent and well-priced range of wines are available at Carluccios, in addition to very well prepared Italian coffees. If you have a sweet tooth, try the Bicerin, a traditional drink from Torino for something different. It consists of coffee, Florentine drinking chocolate and cream, served in jugs to mix yourself. Authentically Italian and an interesting combination of hot chocolate and coffee for just a few quid.

The Last Word
Although Carluccio’s boasts wonderful coffee, killer tiramisu, a cosy atmosphere, a very pleasant service and well-located venue, the quality of the food on this menu varies wildly. Steer clear of any dish that bills itself as pan fried, and the chefs would do well to put more emphasis on flavor and freshness and less emphasis on olive oil.

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