Antico Restaurant Roker — Restaurant in Sunderland

We have been coming here for years. It was my families favourite place. I raved about it to anyone who would listen. Of a family of five we came for every birthday, anniversary or any kind of celebration. In between these we came with friends or family on a regular basis. We couldn't get enough of the place. The last two times we came we have been very disappointed. The food has become bland and we normally get the Same thing every time so we know the difference in quality. They send pizzas out without being cut and we have had to ask for a pizza cutter to do it our selves. We have asked for one dish extra spicy and one normal which they said of course but then said the chef just done it both the same but here is a bottle of hot sauce if you would like to pour it on. Bear in mind it was fresh muscles we ordered so we didn't fancy chucking hot sauce over it and spoil the flavour. I normally get the chicken wrapped in Parma ham with goats cheese and the meal was inedible the last two times we visited. Was such a shame as it's normally my favourite dish here. The chicken was dry and rubbery and the sauce was bland and Luke warm. My son and daughter got pizzas which were nice but no attempt at cutting them into slices so had to wait for the waitress to come back out with the pizza cutter to do ourselves on all the pizzas. My other daughter got the spaghetti Bolognese but the pasta was undercooked and full of partialy crushed peppercorns that she had to pick out of her teeth all night. The saving grace was the sticky toffee pudding which was delicious and the chocolate brownie that the kids loved. The staff are so warm and lovely and this is what made us come back after our first bad experience but the second bad experience over shadowed how nice the staff were as I feel like they were less attentive than normal and had a couldn't care a less attitude. I'm afraid that was our last...

1 star is being more than generous! Had a table booked during the Eat out to Help out scheme. We had an original booking which was then changed to a later booking (date and time of the call shown to the staff) to accommodate more people and therefore more money spent.

We arrived at the confirmed later booking slot, waiting patiently while bar staff watched us wait around 10 minutes. At which point another customer, whom I can only assume was a friend of the manager, went and fetched said manager....... Granted it was a busy period however I did not then expect to be told that our booking had 'no showed' because a staff member had not done their job. Again, busy period these things can happen. The manager then proceeded to reiterate that we no showed despite the explanation of what had happened and the phone call to prove it. Said manager then abruptly went to serve others and provided no possible solutions to a problem they had caused themselves. This was a birthday celebration and we were more than happy to spend money at a local restaurant. Instead we ended up leaving before things possibly escalated further. Fortunately enough after calling round other restaurants in the area Bellinis were able to fit us in after a short wait. I would strongly recommend any other restaurant in SR6, there is clearly incompetency from the top which runs through the rest of the staff. No surprise the restaurant changes hands so often. I look forward to it doing so sooner...

Have visited this place before , but bit disappointed on this occasion. It was an anniversary meal , but they had no salmon , asked if they could do spaghetti bolognase rather than tagliatelle, but they said they did not di spaghetti! Yet when my seafood pasta arrived it was Spaghetti based !!!! The lasagna was very dry , so my wife was a bit disappointed. Also we did not arrive till about 815pm and they actually closed at 9pm so if felt very rushed with meals being served quickly. It's a shame because we have had good meals and service here before , but having used another Italian in Seaham last night , that was 100% better and more reasonably priced, so think the , Sambuca Seaham gets our...