Carnicero Steakhouse Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Southampton

How the mighty have fallen. Two years ago on the night that I proposed to my wife we went to Carnicero and had a wonderful time. It was because of those good memories that when a friend suggested we go out for dinner to Carnicero we thought it was a great idea.

So where to even begin? Firstly their was only four of us but they still managed to get one of our starters wrong. My friends partner is softly spoken and I understand why the waiter may have struggled to hear her but if he wasn't sure he could have easily confirmed our orders, which he did not. To their credit they offered to replace the starter but she did not want to wait for another and to my surprise we were still charged for the incorrect item.

Also while ordering my friend asked if he could change his potatoes to tenderstem broccoli. He informed the waiter he was happy to pay the price difference but was told that they only served normal broccoli. My friend pointed out this was wrong and pointed it out no the specials board. To this the waiter said he would check with the chef and then came back a few minutes later to tell us that yes they had them but that he couldn't have any unless he ordered the fish. If they were packed then maybe I could understand this refusal. If they pair foods and have a limited supply then ok but we were the last group to enter at around 9 and not a soul entered afterwards.

Now to the drinks. They were mostly fine with the exception of my gin and tonic which had far too much cucumber in it which completely overpowered every other flavour. I have been drinking gin and tonics for many years now and I cannot remember the last time I ran into this as a problem.

With our mains our problems compounded. Mint sauce was not available for my friends lamb steak. After the waiter had made such a point of explaining how pink medium would be to my friends inexperienced partner, my own medium rare rib eye came out both overcooked and cold. My wife has exactly the same issue and all I can think was that the chef was somehow overwhelmed by three tables ordering at separate times and left our steaks under a heat lamp.

Finally dessert. Two crème brulee's were ordered and were utterly disappointing. The top was caramelized buy they somehow just lacked in flavour. It seemed like they were paying so much attention to getting to process right that they forgot to make sure that people would actually want to eat them.

I'd love to say that the waiter was the one thing that redeemed them and he was a lovely guy. In fact despite his error with the starter we still left a tip as he was likeable and friendly but it was not enough to redeem this once great restaurant.

We also had smaller issues like the chef that came out and gave my friend seething looks or the fact that they started turning all the lights off to force us out before they were supposed to close.

Overall one star is more than they deserve. If you looking at the reviews and you see mine after a huge history of positive reviews then please be aware that a few years ago I would have agreed that they were exceptional. I'd have even accepted that maybe they get complacent and make simple mistakes when it is quiet but it was simply mistake after mistake and I will not go...

On arrival through the first door there was a member of staff sorting out some signs who didn’t greet us or look up we had to ask her ‘do we just walk in’ as usually at other restaurants there’s someone to greet us re. Covid info. She didn’t even look up from what she was doing and just said take your temperature with this wrist machine. She never asked us to sign in with the nhs app which I could see was on the wall and said just go in. On walking in there is no sign that tells you to wait or go sit and no One to greet us again so my partner had to go back out and ask her do we go find our own table or wait. Again she said just wait someone will be with you. Baring in mind we had booked a table online and they called us changing the time because they were full at 6:30 so we had to come at 6.

So we finally get seated and are looking forward to our meal. We order two cocktails and our starters king prawns for my other half and chicken strips for myself and mains of steaks.

The cocktails arrive after some time the Ribena cocktail tasted and looks like Ribena diluted no flavour and for £8.95 would not pick again. My partner had and old fashioned which he liked and it was very strong.

A waitress approached and set down some rustic garlic bread and some glazed peppers. We look at each other confused is this complimentary or a mix up. We get her attention ‘We didn’t order this ‘ she goes away and comes back to say really sorry but there was a mix up you can keep this tho. Not really wanting it we pick at it whilst waiting for our starters. Which never arrive.

Next our mains come out I say to the waitress we haven’t had our starters yet. She goes to take the steaks away at this point we are hungry and getting fed up I told her it’s fine just leave them as we are too hungry to wait again. The man who took our order which I think is owner/manager come over said he pressed the wrong thing and doesn’t Know what happened then walked off again. I just wish that they would if asked us at the time if we still wanted the starters that we ordered because we did.

We ordered two more normal drinks as cocktails weren’t worth it.

The steaks were delicious I had fillet my partner the t bone. That was the only part of the evening we enjoyed.

I ordered a chocolate brownie with salted caramel ice cream. It tasted too rich for me or my other half to finish literally the richest brownie I’ve ever tasted. When it arrived a different waiter who seemed more friendly told us that this would be on him to apologise for the mix up. I really didn’t appreciate that because at the time we should have been asked if we would like to be compensated for the mix up or asked if we wanted our starters or offered drinks as my thoughts were well if I hadn’t ordered a dessert we wouldn’t have been compensated at all. We just nodded and accepted.

Overall i do think for a restaurant in Oxford street it’s disappointing. We came home annoyed that we didn’t get to eat what we wanted and although the steaks were lovely and we understand mistakes can be made the communication from staff let it down.

Wouldn’t go here again as too many other nice place you can...

What a great find this was. My wife, and I were on a mid-week get away in Southampton towards the end of lockdown. Everything was open, but not quite back to normal.

We were looking for somewhere to get a proper lunch experience, but mid-afternoon. Neither lunch, nor dinner. Online research looked promising, and so were the hours they were open. So we decided to give it a try. We were not to be disappointed..!

We booked for 3pm without any problem at all. The restaurant itself is located on Oxford St. This is a pedestrianised stretch of road filled with restaurants, and bars with a casino at the far end.  All have ample outdoor seating with no traffic noise or fumes to contend with.

Although it was a nice day, we elected to eat inside sitting next to a large open window. The décor was Mediterranean. Patterned wood tables, and decorative bar. Booth tables were also available. A large specials blackboard in easy to view position. Having already had a beer across the road, we selected a bottle of Malbec from the wine list. This was delivered swiftly with large spotless glasses.

We were out for a foodie experience, so were in no rush. Having taken our time to decide from the rather inclusive menu. Though labelled as a steak house. There is something on the menu for every taste. I made the early decision to not have a starter and was glad of it as portion size here is good.

I ordered the 10oz Ribeye Steak and my wife the Pan Fried Duck Breast. Both were prepared within an acceptable time. My steak was delivered to the table hot, and perfectly cooked to Medium. It was accompanied by a good sized portion of triple cooked chips, mushrooms, grilled garlic bulb ( nice touch ), a tomato, and some peppers. Topped off with a pot of peppercorn sauce. The meal looked attractive, and appealing. Well presented, perfectly cooked using high quality ingredients. The steak was gorgeously grilled with a slight crispy char to it yet was tender enough that no steak knife was needed to cut it. The chips were golden in colour, crispy outside and fluffy inside. Peppercorn sauce was perfectly balanced.

My wife’s duck also came beautifully presented. Cooked a tender pink, sliced, and atop a generous serving of crushed potatoes surrounded by a lake of Plum & Port sauce. It looked fantastic, and as she left nothing, I can only conclude it was as high a standard as my steak.

Having finished the meal. We took a break to enjoy some more of the wine before ordering the Spanish & Hampshire Cheese Board. Once again this was a fantastic presentation of cheeses and biscuits. You need to see the accompanying photos to appreciate the presentation.

We rounded out the meal with Espresso and Brandy. Great flavoured coffee with brandy in warmed glasses.

Service was personal, and attentive without being intrusive. Nothing was too much trouble. The restaurant was clean as were the menus, glasses, cutlery, and toilets. Place was airy, and not at all stuffy. Would also be suitable for people with mobility issues.

We enjoyed a fantastic meal experience. Next time we are visiting the area we will be sure to book again. Thank you for a...