A slice of Italy in the midst of the financial quarter, Carluccios in Reuters Square serves true Italian food to a suited crowd in love with the flavourful, filling fare.

The Venue
Located in the busy Reuters Square and in sight of the tube station, Carluccios has an enviable location at the very centre of Canary Wharf. The restaurant stretches over a medium sized long room with their deli located just past the entrance, the restaurant further down and a long bar occupying the end wall. The decor is simple but effective with hues of pastels and sea blue on the walls, chairs and tables. The furnishing is rather simple: square tables are paired with moulded wooden chairs, a long padded bench lines one wall and two large wooden tables make the perfect space for groups or sharing with other diners. During the summer you can eat outdoors, whilst year round the windows on Reuters Square project yellow light onto your table, reminding you that you’re still in Canary Wharf.

The Atmosphere
The location should be a good indicator of which type of crowd dines here. Predictably, the place is packed with Canary Wharfers who either work nearby or reside in one of the local housing developments. People tend to be 35 and above, usually couples keen to discuss work a little bit longer or to wind down from a stressful day. Groups are rare and the crowd tend to be rather uniform. This Carluccio’s will isn’t likely to be known as an exciting place but it is still rather vibrant – it’s very busy any day of the week between 7pm and 8.30pm and you will have to queue for a table. Be aware, though, that it is also rather noisy and intimate conversations will have to be shouted across the table - whilst not a good place for a date, it is ideal for some food with a colleague. The staff are impeccably friendly, knowledgeable and helpful: you will be wished buon appetito with every course.

The Food
What’s striking about the food is that they do true Italian food at Carluccios – there is no Alfredo sauce! The seasonal menu is full of options with starters (£5 - £10), salads (£4 - £7), meat dishes (£9.25 - £14), grilled sandwiches (£5.50) and pasta (£7 - £9.50), which is their forte. The pasta dishes are very filling so be careful not to order too much. Pasta and bean soup is thick, flavourful and creamy whilst still seeming perfectly healthy – it does comes served with a large slab of sinfully oily and irresistible focaccia, though. Pasta con funghi mixes fresh pasta, cooked al dente, with a bounty of mushrooms and a tad too much oil.

Other options include traditional lasagne, potato gnocchi with spinach and gorgonzola cheese and many other types of pasta with as many dressings, many of which still fairly unknown in the UK, making Carluccios a good place to experiment with Italian food! Vitello tonnato – thin slices of braised veal served with a tuna and mayonnaise dressing – is very tender and full of flavour while still being very delicate. The bruschetta, however, is a minor disappointment, as it’s completely covered in vegetables which overwhelm the bread. Calamari fritti (fried squid), prosciutto and other small plates provide a varied choice. If you are keen on meat instead, the Milanese di pollo is a good option, a very large chicken breast coated with perfectly crisp bread crumbs. Lamb, pork and beef are also available.

To round off what could potentially be a gargantuan meal, there are also a number of desserts. Typical Italian choices include tiramisu, panna cotta and gelato, although you may want to go light and order fruit salad or sorbet instead. The mandarin sorbet is ideal after a large meal, whilst the varied, colourful and fresh fruit salad works well to wash down the rich flavours.

The Drink
Carluccio’s sticks to Italy with the wine list as well, with options available by the small and large glass and the bottle. If in doubt, ask the staff, who are all knowledgeable about the list. They serve about a dozen whites and reds ranging from £3.30 to £5.60 for a small glass, £4.50 to £8 for a large one and £12.45 to £23 for a bottle. For the connoisseur of Italian wine, Carluccios is ideal since they serve the hard to find Barbera, Chianti, Nero D’Avola and others within the reds and Verdicchio within the whites. A good selection of Spumante, rose and dessert wines is also available, together with the typical coffees (£1.45 – £2.45), fresh lemonade, juices and more.

The Last Word
Carluccios is ideal if you are in the area and you want good, pick-me-up food but are willing to compromise a little on intimacy. The food will leave you satisfied, if not too full – thankfully, it’s less than a minute’s walk to the tube station.

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