Zizzi - Derby — Restaurant in England

This was a tough one to rate.

We'd made a reservation for a party of three for 5:45. We turned up on time and waited. And waited... it was 5:58 by the time a host came over to ask if we had a reservation. While we had waited, several members of staff, including an incredibly lazy person behind the bar, clearly saw us and chose to ignore us several times. When the host came over to seat us, instead of coming directly over to me or my family, who were clearly stood at the FRONT of what was turning into a long queue, she (a ginger girl with glasses) went and asked the white family stood several feet behind us.

By this time, my patience was already wearing thin, as was the families behind us as we'd been stood waiting to be seated for quite some time. The guy behind almost obliged her request to be seated, but I had to interject to point out that YES, we DID INDEED have a reservation and that by being stood at the FRONT OF THE QUEUE, WE HAD BEEN CLEARLY WAITING LONGER.

We were told there was a 45 minute wait for food (at least 15 of those had gone down the toilet while we stood waiting to be seated) before being seated. We were placed on a particularly cold corner after being , which further dampened the mood.

There I was, ready to give an obligatory negative review when the waiter who came over somehow salvaged what would have ended up a train wreck of an experience. He was polite, prompt and helpful.

When the food came out (around the normal 20 minutes after ordering it), I had completely calmed down and was lost in a world of amazing flavours. I hadn't expected much from pasta, but this was an amazing dish and I'd never tasted anything like it. Thank you to the chef for their efforts on this, it really did also do an amazing job of salvaging what could have ended up being a terrible experience. I had ordered the Pasta Della Casa, which was amazing. If ever I see that on a menu elsewhere, I'll be sure to try it again, as unfortunately, I won't be eating it at...

To start with, it is notable that the food itself was lovely, delicious and hot. On the other hand, the service was appalling. As a waitress myself, I am considerably understanding and quite forgiving when I notice the waitress/ waiter may be busy and have other things to deal with. In this situation, our waitress was not only incredibly dismissive of me and my family but also just rude. Walking around taking phone calls and texting on the restaurant floor is simply unprofessional and when you leave a table waiting for 20 minutes or so before even taking a drinks order is crazy. Although it was seemingly busier at the start of our meal, we were the only table left in our waitresses section at the end of the evening and still waited a long while around 20 minutes before having menus given to us for deserts and another 15/20 minutes before the order was taken. Whilst we were also having our mains cleared our waitress walked off from our table, being dismissive of us and continuing a conversation with the kitchen staff. Although this may not be a particularly expensive restaurant, when paying £30 per person for a meal you would expect to be treated respectfully and we did not receive even moderate service. Whether it was as we were a younger table or not it is just not acceptable. After reading reviews on here I can see this is a pattern and would not recommend. If I had seen these before hand I wouldn’t have eaten here myself and this terrible service left a dampener on the evening after a lovely catch up with my brother and sister in law. I would appreciate a follow up and an email in which I...

I had such a fantastic experience at Zizzi Derby that I just had to leave a review—especially to sing the praises of the amazing service I received from Shannon.

As someone with a serious nut allergy, eating out can be incredibly stressful. I often have to prepare myself for awkward conversations, limited options, or staff who don’t really understand the severity of my situation. But from the moment I walked in, Shannon made me feel completely at ease.

She was not only warm and welcoming, but also incredibly knowledgeable and attentive when it came to my allergy. Sharron took the time to walk me through the menu in detail, checking ingredients and liaising with the kitchen to ensure that what I ordered was completely safe. She never rushed me, and I never once felt like I was being a burden—something I’ve sadly experienced at other places. Her calm and professional manner honestly made the world of difference to my dining experience.

And the food itself? Absolutely delicious. Everything arrived beautifully presented, piping hot, and exactly as described. It’s clear that Zizzi Derby takes both flavour and food safety seriously. I left feeling full, happy, and most importantly—safe.

Dining out with allergies is often anxiety-inducing, but Shannon's care, attention to detail, and genuine kindness turned what could’ve been a worrying meal into a really enjoyable one. She is a credit to the Zizzi team, and her level of service deserves serious recognition.

Thank you, Shannon's, and thank you Zizzi Derby—I'll...