San Carlo Cicchetti Menu
San Carlo has always been a high end dining chain and I only went there for special occasions. Now that the menu has changed to more affordable prices I will be returning.
In the past two weeks I have been to San Carlo to try out their new menu.
The restaurant changed its menu and was offering 50% off food until 12th Feb (For those who follow me on Instagram or Twitter you may have seen my post on this).
Would I return now it’s full price: of course!
The waiters were friendly and pleasant. They are also more clued up on the menu than the front of house staff; we were told the chocolate bomb contained alcohol when it didn’t.
Their Cicchetti menu is like a tapas menu. Spanish tapas dishes are smaller and easy to nibble on however Italian tapas dishes are more substantial. Dishes come out as and when they are ready.
The restaurant recommends between 2-3 per person depending on what you order.
On my first visit I had the scallops, king prawn and monkfish skewer, it wasn’t filling on it’s own.
On my second visit I ordered just the Caciucco and it was plenty.
Here are some of the dishes I would recommend to have:
•Any of their pizzas; they are authentic Italian and the toppings are delicious. The pizzas are a good size and you only need something little to go with it
•Lamb cutlets: you get two pieces of succulent lamb chops with a tasty gravy
•Caciucco: this is a Tuscan seafood stew that is covered with dough and baked. It is quite filling and has a good flavour to it
•Queen Scallops: You only get two scallops but they are really tasty
•Halibut: The fish is served with a tomato based sauce and is delicate. You need a side to have with this dish
•Fritto Portofinno: This is a great starter to share between 3 people. It has a combination of deep fried prawns, calamari, scallops and comes with two dips
•Mash potato with truffle: amazing!
•Spagettini: simple but a classic tomato based spaghetti dish with seafood. Their tomato based pastas are much better than cream ones.
•Prawn and monkfish spiedino: the monkfish wasn’t too fishy and the skewer had a good combination of vegetables, prawns and monkfish.
•Cicchetti chocolate bomb: chocolate and hot salted caramel sauce is always a winner for me
•Cassata: A layered Italian ice cream.. if you love tutti frutti then this is a must try
The photos should give you a good idea of portion size variations.
Most of the dishes we ordered were enjoyable apart from the Lobster. On both my visits the lobster was tough and chewy.
In terms of price, some dishes are reasonable and others a bit pricey.
On both my visits the restaurant was busy and had a good buzz. I didn’t like the idea of them squeezing tables in to fit in more people. It’s a nice restaurant and I want some space when eating. Make sure you try and get a table against the wall and not in the middle.
Overall rating: 7.5/10
San Carlo has branches in Manchester, Birmingham and London too. They all serve different menus.
Hope you enjoyed reading my post. Any questions, drop me a comment.
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