Carluccio’s Grand Opening

As I enter the newly opened Carluccio’s in Leamington, I am immediately enthusiastically greeted by the waiters and the manager. On May 14th, local business owners and Boar Lifestyle were invited to the private event with Antonio Carluccio himself. We were offered beautiful and delicious canapés, a hog roast, and endless glasses of prosecco and Bellini. For dessert we were able to sample bite-sized versions of the restaurant’s strawberry and lemon tarts which I heartily recommend.

At the party, we were lucky enough to meet the man himself. Antonio Carluccio gave a short speech, outlining his business attitude in a succinct but amusing style. An owner of a food empire who taught himself to cook whilst studying in Vienna, you can tell that despite his 76 years he hasn’t lost touch with his roots. He was very friendly and open and spent the evening cracking jokes with a naughty glint in his eye. If attending every opening of a new restaurant is a chore, he does a great of job hiding it.

The interior of the restaurant is light and spacious, with huge windows to the street and mirrors on the wall opposite. As a chain restaurant, it is unable to recreate the warmth of a tiny rustic Italian place, but the atmosphere is welcoming and a large photo of the Old Town of Florence on one of the walls reminds you of the roots of the restaurant. There’s a wide range of guests – from a family with several small children to a very hungry teenager – which showcases Carluccio’s inclusive, welcoming atmosphere.

I home in on the set menu, ever mindful of my mountain of student debt (£9.95 for two courses, an extra £3.50 for a third one) and start with the bruschetta: a large slice of grilled Italian bread, seasoned with garlic and covered with fresh tomatoes, rocket, basil and oregano. It is bursting with flavour. For the second course I choose the ravioli which are a pleasant surprise. The spinach and ricotta filling – a traditionally Italian combination – manages to bring the pasta and the butter sauce together into a mouth-watering combination. For the wine I have a glass of Planeta Alastro, exclusively offered in Carluccio’s in the UK. It’s exactly what I could hope for: refreshing, fruity and goes excellently with the risotto.

Despite being rather full from the first two courses, I decide to have a dessert as well, opting for a tiramisu. It does not disappoint: it’s deliciously creamy *and strikes the perfect balance between sweet and bitter. Despite being a definite carnivore, I only notice later that I hadn’t ordered anything with meat in it – and I didn’t miss it one bit! There are plenty of vegetarian choices on offer, as well as an impressive gluten-free menu.

Whether it’s for a mid-revision snack or a post-exam treat, this reviewer would certainly recommend visiting Leamington’s newest restaurant for some delicious Italian food.

Go on. You deserve it.