San Carlo - Liverpool — Restaurant in Liverpool

Absolutely appalled by the service I have just received in this restaurant . I have been in san carlos many times and this has got to be the worst ever on record . My son bought us a gift voucher for £100.00 as a nice treat . On that gift card it had a barcode and clearly states bring it along so they can scan the bar code . I had read this before I left the house . So we had a 3 course meal and my husband half a bottle of dark red wine , I could only have water as I've just had surgery. The whole point of me getting out for a break ! So we were greeted and took to the table had our food and asked for the bill which was £152.00 . I gave the waiter the gift card plus the extra and a good tip . He came back over to the table and said we couldn't use the voucher as they needed some numbers to which I replied it says use the barcode . At this point people where looking over and we asked could we go over to the desk as it was embarrassing. At this point 2 more staff came over and tried to type in their system and we was told again the gift card was not working . To save the embarrassing situation we offered to pay the whole bill with cash or card so we could just leave . A big deal was still getting made , we put the cash down as money was never the problem . I was even asked to phone my son which I couldn't as he was out with work colleagues. The lady with the dark black bob was patronising and kept saying it's not her fault , in which I replied it certainly wasn't ours either . My son had spent money on a gift card for us and we got made to feel as if we was trying to get away without paying ! I have never been to any restaurant and received treatment like this ! On the way out I asked for the managers name and was told they couldn't give me that , the young man gave me his name as the assistant manager . Then between then they started talking in their language so we couldn't understand them , which again was utterly rude and disrespectful. I told them I was contacting head office and the lady with the black bob shook her head and said you do that ... her attitude was absolutely appauling bare in mind we have done nothing wrong other than wanting to use a gift card as part payment which was a present . I told her that I will be emailing the head office and she would be sorry the way she spoke to us , in which she replied ' I don't think so ' ... absolutely appauling customer service! I will never set foot in this restaurant again especially when we have so many good restaurants in liverpool ! So please if your reading this be careful with gift cards because you get made a show off in front of the...

We attended a celebration held at San Carlo Liverpool on the 10th of August. At first everything was fine, we went in ordered drinks, we were all enjoying. It came time to be seated in the restaurant. We are now all seated. The waiting staff bring all of the plates out, and for me that’s when it all fell apart. I add at this point that I ate all of my food. However, it was the blandest food I have ever had placed in front of me. Not even salt and pepper could help the poor plate. From the starter to the desert, there was no flavour, nothing nada zilch, I mean nothing. Ok maybe I lie a little, the sauce I had with the meat that looked like flattened chicken, it was wafer thin, tasted of cream. That was it. The starter that was labelled as prawn cocktail, was literally just tomato sauce, it tasted like I was trying to swallow a bottle of tomato sauce. Why O why would you put a sea creature on top of a starter. My partner was mortified, when the starter came out. It had eyes bigger than mine. After I had pulled its head and tail off, it was like liking the sea floor. Although the desert looked fantastic, and it did. I was once again let down. The amazing taste of nothing came rushing back to me. Nothing, at all. That was supposed to be some sort of pistachio cake, was not anything, could not taste a nut could not taste any cream, it was just nothing. For the most part the service was ok, yes we were a large party and there was a lot going on. However, when you are speaking to someone, you expect them to listen. Well no, not at this place. We were all super polite, as no one wants to be labelled as ( that diner ) but unfortunately it had to be me. I do not like to use glasses when I go anywhere. I prefer to drink out of the bottle. Yes I know, what a heathen, but that’s just me. I repeatedly asked this one member of staff, not to leave a glass as I will not be using one, the table space was very limited, but the individual who was serving my drink was too busy chatting with the server one table over to pay any attention to what I was trying to say. Me of little patients snapped at him, he started to pout, as if I was the one who was not paying any attention. He snatch the glass up of the table, he snatched the empty bottle out of my hand and gave me such a side look, had I not have been with people I did not want to embarrass, things would have gone a whole different way. In conclusion, make sure if you go to this place, that you go with someone you really care about, as the only good memories you will have of San Carlos, Liverpool are the ones you will make. The place is...

Markets itself as an aspirational dining experience. But it's a mixed bag to be honest.

The surroundings are impressive and staff uniforms help give the impression that you're having a special dining experience. The food I have to say, was very good indeed. The TeenagerDiva was most impressed by the deserts in particular. Very SocialMediaPic-friendly!

I really must recommend the veal, stunningly good.

But, there's a few niggles. From the 'entrepreneurs' loudly talking business over the hubbub of the dining room - though the way the staff obsequiously treated them, perhaps they were genuine Millionaires after all - through to the drugdealer wannabe gangster sterotypes and the majority of normal folk out for a posh night out, hoping to impress a date enough to get a quick fumble in a Delta on the way home.

There's a lot of tables crowded in so you will overhear conversations - and they yours. If privacy is your thing then this isn't the dining experience for you - unless you hire out the private dining room. Though that looks to be well used for corporate team sessions involving Barry from Accounts trying to impress Sharon from Sales with his lager drinking exploits.

I lost count of how many times my chair was accidentally kicked by people trying to negotiate the spaces between tables - not exactly the fine dining experience...

And you have a time limit. As your two hour slot looms to a close, it's amusing to see the tricks the wait staff use to chivvy you out. This is industrialised fine dining where every carefully choreographed move is designed to extract the maximum amount of money within the time allotted. I have no issue with a business making money, that's the name of the game but at least be less cold-faced doing it.

Wait staff are a mixture of the hatchet-faced hoping to be cast as the next Bond villains through to genuine, chatty, Scouse lads (very good at reading the mood & getting the balance spot on) and somewhat supercillious Maitre D's. It's all part of the choreographed experience.

Do check the bill carefully. And don't try & tell me I didn't know what I ordered when I query the more expensive substitution... It was quickly resolved and was probably an accident...

There's a lot of good things about the place. The food was awesome to be fair. We will be back (because the teenager thinks it's 'Bougie') but it's not quite as good or genuinely upmarket as it thinks it is.

Good excuse for you to wear your best fur coat and leave your...