Giacco's Bar — Restaurant in London

At first glance, I thought this was a wine bar which would perhaps serve some little nibbles but it actually has a fabulous selection of dishes! It’s super cosy and small and there’s perhaps 5 small tables and window seating. We had a reservation for 7pm and I feel lucky to have gotten one as we only booked a few days earlier.

Everything on the menu looks great but there were a couple of things which we knew we wanted to try: the burrata with figs, salsiccia with friarelli, saffron risotto and a seafood pasta. The waiter was attentive and also advised on which dishes should come out first. Each dish was also explained well. I didn’t have any wine but my other half did and he seemed happy with the recommendation.

All the food was delicious and we particularly enjoyed the salsiccia and the risotto. We shared all the dishes and my husband loved the risotto so much I feel like he lingered over handing it over after he’d had his half! It was so good though.

We’d have loved to have stayed for dessert (the tiramisu looked fantastic) but the turnaround on tables is tight and we had to give ours up at 8.30pm. I feel like the waiter conveyed this message in a really respectful and pleasant way - it also helped that it had reservation times marked on the table. We were offered to sit outside for dessert but we decided we’d just have to come back.

For 2 glasses of wine, two small dishes and two mains, our bill came...

We went to Giacco’s for date night, excited to try it after hearing good things. The space was small, candlelit, buzzing with conversation and a cool soundtrack — but from there, the experience quickly went downhill. Despite ordering cocktails and browsing the menu, we were only told half the dishes were unavailable when placing our order. The waitress recommended the gnocchi, only to say we had just missed out, then later revealed another table that ordered after us got the “last portion.” It set the tone of disappointment. The food itself was fine but unremarkable: a chicken schnitzel drowning in garlic butter, a radicchio salad, and a pasta dish that tasted more like instant noodles with crumbs. Still hungry, we ordered the fig leaf brûlée, which arrived as a half-filled ramekin with burnt sugar and little else. When asked how it was, I politely shared my feedback. The waitress said the chef had made it days earlier and although unsure if it was up to standard, they decided to serve it anyway. She promised a 15% bill reduction, but this turned out to be only £1.20 off the dessert. When we queried this, the manager loudly confronted us in front of the room, dismissing our concerns and insisting his token limoncello shots were enough. A lazy kitchen decision and a combative manager ruined what could have been a special night. Sadly, we...

Came here just over a week ago. Admittedly, it seems a cool place with a nice vibe and I liked the look of the menu. We arrived and were told our table we’d booked outside would be ready soon, so to sit at the bar. We ordered bread and olives and said we’d order the rest when our table was ready, which the owner agreed to. After twenty-five minutes, our table still wasn’t ready. We chased, but were told the table (who’d been there for hours) were ‘still paying’. After nearly an hour of waiting, we asked if our table was nearly ready and if we could order - only to be told the kitchen had closed! So not only did we not get our table, we didn’t even get to eat! To make matters worse, the person who I took to be the owner came over and told us that several items on the menu ‘were finished anyway, so you couldn’t have had them’, which I’m not sure was as helpful as he thought it was.

They did apologise, but then charged us the full amount for what we’d had and included a service charge?! Not really the solution we were hoping for. I’m keeping a star on because the front of house were apologetic and recommended some places nearby where we could have a...