Castello Italia — Restaurant in Carrickfergus

As a regular user of Castello, we are shocked, insulted, disrespected, challenged, disappointed and extremely angry. Waiting staff displayed an air of anxiety and a sense of being watched over while serving and the entire service was very rushed and pressurised with little time to choose drinks and food.

One of the main courses was returned for being extremely peppery, waiting staff asked if I wanted another meal, which of course I replied 'yes' and when the replacement dish arrived, after a couple of mouthfuls what can only be described as a stone or large pip was found in the dinner.

When reported to waiting staff, which was greeted with a blank gaze she replied 'well, I don't know what it is'. Shocking!

The floor supervisor reported back by saying 'the kitchen has told me to tell you that the owners wife made the risotto this afternoon and the stone has come from outside'.

Hearing this, I advised that this was an insult and I can only take from that statement that I was being accused of sabotaging my meal'. She replied' Don't shoot the messenger' If you are in a position of supervision, this is not a response that is appropriate. There was no accountability.

My husband asked for the owner who was not available however the restaurant manager spoke with him. He showed a level of understanding and apology until the owner joined the discussion on the invitation of my husband. More accusations were flung at us by the owner and the arrogance from him was shocking, aggressive and totally uncalled for.

We left after getting nowhere (eventually we were not charged for the dish) however the correct response and course of action would have been to acknowledge the situation, apologise, advise that they would look into it and ensure that we were ok and to ensure that we would b returning customers - this did not happen.

The restaurant manger followed us out of the restaurant and again was apologetic even to the fact that he expressed the position that had I swallowed the said stone, we don't know what would have happened.

Castello, you should be ashamed of yourselves.

We are also still awaiting the situation being looked into for a proper and...

This gluten free glutton visited the beautifully positioned Castello Italia on Saturday for lunch & they had a special deal on: main course and unlimited Prosecco for 2 hours at a cost of £25. The menu had plenty of choice and everything was either gluten free or adaptable... Even the pizzas could all be provided gluten free, but there were plenty of other tasty choices too. We chose a starter from the á la carte menu to share, tomatoes with home-made mozzarella and bread. It arrived with some gluten free bread for me and their freshly baked bread for my friend. We both enjoyed the tiny pesto drops on the tomatoes and the fresh mozzarella was divine. A real treat before our main courses of pizza (it has a delicious looking thin, crispy base which my dining companion prefers) and mackerel with potatoes for me. The mackerel was pan fried with garlic & grapes which, although an unusual pairing, worked particularly well with the fatty fish. The skin was crisp and the roasted potatoes and tomatoes which came with it were tasty. As we sat in the restaurant, which is located on the upper floor, we had views over the sea and towards Carrickfergus Castle. The room itself is sumptuously decorated with seats covered in silvery chenilles or crushed velvets, dark wood tables & shelving and shiny glass- and silver-ware waiting for the guests. When we eventually got around to deserts (we were enjoying the Prosecco so much, we didn't want to rush!) there wasn't as much gluten free choice as at the starter or main course level. In fact, it was a choice of either ice cream or panna cotta. I opted for ice cream with chocolate sauce and it was pleasant, but I would have preferred to have some options here, perhaps meringues or a chocolate fondant, but the meal as a whole was such a success that the small desert selection was not a big problem. We will most certainly be back at this restaurant and will bring friends along. If you are looking for delicious food at a reasonable price with plenty of options for those who need gluten free, this is the...

We made a reservation for 06/08/2023, excited to try a new restaurant especially one with such good reviews but our experience was cut shortly very soon after food was delivered due to one particular member of management attitude, passive aggressive behaviour and due to her behaviour lead to uncomfortable atmosphere made us promptly leave the premises! Ordered Penne Arrabbiata to what was served was far from as described on the menu - a bland roasted vegetable Rigatoni pasta (not penne as advertised) which initially tasted like salt had contaminated it, mixed with the sauce as best I could to disguise the taste of salt and with hope would bring up some of the spice taste but no. Tried to eat the meal as best as I could but it was generally unpleasant and difficult to enjoy overall, a waiting staff member must have observed the struggle to eat the meal and asked if everything was ok, I said no not really and advised her of what was wrong, she in turn informed the female manager of the ground floor of my disappointment of the meal who then proceeded to aggressively and loud talk at us - without asking or listening to what was wrong and how this was a gluten free pasta (this was not advertised or asked for), how it should be cooked Al dente - again this was not the issue nor do I need a lesson in how pasta is cooked! The staff member then proceeded to rant how she tasted the pasta and in her option there was nothing wrong with it! Then proceeds to bring the chef out with no other reason than to look at the customers who have made this concern about the meal they have been served - again passive aggressive behaviours which are uncomfortable and unnecessary for any dining experience. Yes the meal was removed from the bill but this did not make up for this member of staff’s behaviour and attitude towards paying customers especially in-front of a...