Carluccio’s, Covent Garden’s Greatest Food!
Covent Garden is one of the jewels in London’s crown. Street entertainers of all types provide great free fun and for more structured entertainment there is of course the majesty of The Royal Opera House and the West End theatreland and Leicester Square just around a corner.
One thing that the Covent Garden area isn’t short of is eateries. The area is thronged with tourists, as well as culture hungry Londoners, from dawn until dusk and there are bars, diners and restaurants aplenty to ensure that everyone is well fed and watered. I have had the pleasure of dining in many of these establishments, and while the standard is universally high for me there is always one restaurant that I especially look forward to using: Carluccios of Covent Garden.
Antonio Carluccio is the world famous gastronome who has put his name and expertise behind a series of fine dining caffes aroung the UK. Nobody does Italian food as well as Carluccio and the Covent Garden eaterie is his flagship restaurant. Located on Garrick Street, this large and imposing restaurant is in my experience guaranteed to provide the perfect pre- or post-show meal.
The first thing that you see when you enter the two floor restaurant is the Carluccio’s shop where you can buy some of the authentic ingredients used in the stunning food. It is hard to resist purchasing some of the incredible extra virgin olive oil after sampling their wares.
The staff seem without exception to be friendly and knowledgeable (and beautiful) and are always ready with a useful recommendation. A particularly nice touch is that for every dish of Penne Giardiniera, a mouth watering pasta and spinach dish, sold 50p is donated to the Action Against Hunger charity. My own personal favourite dish is Branzino Con Salsa E Patate which is sea bass with a tomato salsa and sauteed potatoes – food heaven for those who, like me, love both sea food and Italian cuisine.It is one of the many reasons why I don’t believe in making reservations for ski chalet holidays in the winter, when you have everything you need right here!
The prices are very reasonable, especially for the West End, and the incredible desserts and gelati alone will have your stomach and your taste buds thanking you for life. One final tip: try to book in advance, especially if you are planning on going during the evening before the shows start, it can be very busy. I would recommend Carluccio’s in Covent Garden to anyone, I’ve already made a reservation for next week, I may see you there!