Gusto Italian - Knutsford — Restaurant in England

This place borderlines average, to below par, without the prices to match. We initially came here last year after our child was diagnosed with coeliac as it seemed a 'safe' option (GF menus, allergen lists, cross-contamination kitchen protocols etc). We were impressed first time purely because they were so diligent about the coeliac req's. However our food was pretty average. We returned, in a larger group last night and left feeling regretful we hadn't gone somewhere more casual, reasonable yet better quality.

The food was average at best, the service was 'okay' but staff seem to struggle a little with the basics, i.e. having the table ready and set on time for the booking (despite the restaurant being noticeably quiet - 4pm on a Sunday). One of the main thing that matters to us is safety/consistency in coeliac-safe restaurants. They didn't take the usual protocol for my sons food, we queried this to which the waiter replied 'I can go back to the kitchen and put an allergen marker in his food if you like' (sort of defeats the purpose!). We were then charged for a 2 course kids meal despite our child only being able to order a main course due to no suitable starter/desert options. £11 quid for a 'watered down' ragu sauce for a 4 year old, brilliant. The rest of the food was so average, it was such a disappointment. Really nothing of the authentic Italian experience. All pasta was soft, not al dente. Ragu was nothing of a rich, reduced, meaty sauce we expect but rather a pale, watery-looking bolognaise. Crab fettuccine a was bland and hardly contained any crab (a few small flakes I struggled to taste - and my taste buds are quite refined). Sauce described as a rich lobster bisque with fresh dill, but was actually nothing more than a splash of olive oil with fresh parsley sprinkled on top. The one tasty dish at the table was the scallop and prawn ravioli, but of course for £20 a pop, a handful of parcels didn't quite hit the mark. Portion size suggestive of a starter, not an entree/main course.

We will not be returning. This is with regret as I find the overall ambience of the restaurant delightful. It's warm, cosy, stylish and beautifully decorated and lit. Barman very friendly as we waited for our tables. That's where the magic starts and ends. We all agreed that we actually think the quality of the produce, taste and overall service is much superior at the laughably casual and high-street Pizza Express several doors down. Sadly it doesn't have the ambience of Gusto but for the price, service and value-for-money contrast, it's a clear choice to make next time for our coeliac-safe, family-friendly Italian dining...

The food is good but not outstanding. The price is not in line with the quality and service being offered.

We arrived at around half 5 and the place was pretty much empty.

There was no friendliness from anyone and everything felt very mechanical and light touch. Staff seem unhappy, but that’s just an observation.

Some in the group ordered seafood and scallop risotto. The food arrived within a reasonable time but without the scallops so the waiter asked the chef to fix it and ended up bringing 4 scallops on plate, one for each risotto. As an apology we were offered 3 extra scallops which was a bit bizarre considering we were 4 people ordering the same thing.

Desserts are charged at £10 each which could be “tolerated” if it wasn’t for the fact they are micro sized. Not ok.

Throughout the meal it felt like the staff was disconnected from the customers and when asking for their help, we always had to wait long periods for someone to notice us. It would be understandable if the place wasn’t so quiet. At some point, the maitre d realised we needed help and shouted from the bar (5/6 meters away) “do you need anything” which seemed a bit rude.

No one asked if we were ok, if the food was good or if we needed anything which again could be understood if the place was packed.

My overall thoughts are: if the experience is average, don’t sell it as a fine dining experience, it causes disappointment.

If you want an exceptional Mediterranean dining experience you have better options in Knutsford.

Would I go back?...

We decided to try it out for lunch as we've not been before and had some time whilst the dogs were at the groomers. A few things weren't available which was fine, made it easier to chose. However, the starter finally came and was tasteless. (Partner had scallops and I had the king prawns), luckily waitress brought some chilli flakes over. Then, an extremely long wait for the mains - you expect some speedier service at lunch but this was slow even if you'd been in for an evening meal. It finally arrived (55 minutes after we came I'm to the restaurant and 5 minutes before we had to go). Oh god. It was bland and dreadful. My partner had the tuna steak which he usually loves when we make it at home but not here, I had the sea bass and it wasn't anything more than flavourless and mushy. No crispy skin, no real texture. Veg were just tasteless except for tomatoes that had been pickled or something, quite nice. Potato gratin was OK but it's hard to screw up potato in creamy, cheesy sauce. We had the tenderstem broccoli with chillies and almonds on the side, which we both usually love anywhere we go. It made me want to cry - still cold, dry and hard with almost zero flavour, like it barely been cooked. The bill of £95 (£10 service charge) was obscene for what we got. Spent way less for much nicer meals in other places. Won't...