Carluccio's — Restaurant in Portsmouth

A Disappointing and Unwelcoming Experience

I visited Carluccio’s with my mother and wife, hoping to enjoy a meal in what has always been one of my favorite locations—especially with its beautiful outdoor seating overlooking the Spinnaker Tower. Unfortunately, our experience ended before it began.

Upon arrival, we were met by a waitress with a noticeably cold and dismissive attitude. When we politely asked if we could sit in the outdoor area, she abruptly and rudely told us that the area was not open “today”—despite the weather being pleasant and the space clearly available. There was no warmth, no explanation, and certainly no hospitality.

The lack of welcome made us feel out of place and unwanted. While I can’t say for certain, I must note that both my mother and wife were wearing hijab, and I couldn’t help but feel that this might have influenced how we were treated. It was a deeply uncomfortable moment, and one that left a lasting impression for the wrong reasons.

This same location was previously operated by other restaurants where I’ve had enjoyable experiences. Sadly, this time, Carluccio’s felt the exact opposite of what dining should be: uninviting and exclusionary.

I hope the management takes a serious look at how guests are received and treated, especially those who may not fit a certain profile. Everyone deserves to be welcomed with dignity...

Awful service… in-fact non existent. Rude, slightly mocking young staff when I visited with a friend at midday on Thursday August 12th 3022. The place was quiet so we sat at a seafront table outside the restaurant. There was one other family who were receiving attention from the waitress and being served drinks. I caught her eye so she plainly had seen us. 20 minutes went by and still nobody had come to take an order. I went in and was met by a blonde young women who told me in a most rude and patronising voice…”you need to come and speak to us. Unless you come to speak to us, we don’t know you need serving!” I explained we’d been sat in plain sight for at least 20 minutes and she just kept repeating that I had to come tell her we needed serving. She then turned to another couple to explain about the menu cutting our conversation dead. I waited patiently and when she had finished, politely asked for a menu which she virtually threw at me with a look of disdain. We decided to go elsewhere… cafe Rouge , where we were immediately shown to a seat and able to order. Your customer service needs polishing Carluccios. Your two staff were gossiping behind the counter doing nothing when I went in. This may be your serving policy but it doesn’t excuse the rude attitude of your waitress which, on that day, cost...

Front of house are letting this place down! Went here today (23rd Aug) after the lunchtime rush ( approx 15:30). The waiting staff gave a feeling that they had utter contemp for their customers. Olives arrived in approx half a pint of liquid which were pretty much impossible to pick up with the picks which were also submerged in the bowl. Secondly we asked for our selections to all be served at the same time even though a couple of choices had been selected from the small plate menu. The waitress assumed this was a starter even though it was mentioned twice that we requested this as a main meal. I should have trusted my instinct after the olives but after the mains arrived as starters we had to wait for approx 40 min to receive our meals in a relatively empty restaurant. The meals, when they did arrive was very good but the experience upto this point was very disappointing. It felt like the front of house had given up ( I got the vibe that they were coming down off something). On the plus side the manager that checked on us seemed like he cared, which was the polar opposite of his staff. In short the waiting staff have put us off coming back even though the food...