CatPlatt's Reviews

I decided to try Pizza Mandolino because, although some people have had bad experiences, it has also had some good reviews, so I thought I should see for myself. But I am sad to say I have to agree with the poor reviews: the food is very disappointing.

I went there for lunch with a friend, so they were not busy and the service was reasonable. On the plus side, the ambience and decor are very pleasant, the pizza ovens are attractive, the seating is comfortable. You can even catch a glimpse of the kitchen, which looks spacious and sparkling clean, surely a good sign.

There were two Italian men there, whether chefs or owners I am not sure, but neither of them so much as looked in our direction, which I thought was a missed opportunity on their part, not to try and build their customer base and get to know potential repeat guests. When Peter Pan first opened the staff were super-friendly to everyone who went along and Claudio still makes everyone feel welcome and makes a point of recommending dishes etc.

My friend wanted to order a bottle of wine, but the first 4 or 5 bottles on the wine list that he asked for were not available! He ended up ordering a more expensive wine, but said that they should have offered a discount under the circumstances. The main problem with this place is that the food does not live up to the environment. The bread was good, the pizza was not bad, but the soups (we tried one beef and one bean soup) were mediocre, the salad was plain and boring and the fried Naples starters were greasy and unappetising.

A restaurant that has put this much effort into decor and environment should try to match it with the quality of their food, especially if they have two Italians in charge! The food at the very plainly decorated Abluza behind Carrefour is way better, in my opinion.

I would go here for pizza if you live right next door and it's raining too hard to go any further. Otherwise I wouldn't bother.