Carluccios is a restaurant which, for whatever reason, hasn’t featured on our radar much… Until now! And now I’m not sure why we never really thought about it because this past weekend we had THE most fabulous family meal there and the kids absolutely LOVED it!

Did you know that this summer (until 31st August) kids get to eat for just £1 in Carluccios when their parents order a main course?! They get the full kid’s menu of a starter, main, desert and drink for a quid so you can’t say fairer than that now can you? Only they do! Because the food is FLIPPING fantastic, especially so when it comes to the kids and they also give them the most brilliant welcome packs with lots to do while they wait for their supper!

Did I used to think of it as a bit of a grown up restaurant only? Yes, perhaps I did but then that’s odd because the two visits I have previously made and the children have been with me. However, we’ve never really had a proper visit until now so I’m going to forgive myself for dismissing it in the past so offhandedly. The first time I went to Carluccios was when Florence was 9 days old. I went to meet my step mum and her friends at the end of the meal they were having to celebrate a reunion of their student nursing days. I sat with them in the Covent Garden restaurant but as they had already eaten the only thing I tried was the biscuits at the end of their meal and a couple of glasses of vino – which was very welcome after 9 months with a bun in the oven. I sipped wine and fed the baby for what seemed like hours hours (not as bad as it sounds, I sipped slowly) but that visit was really just a hello during a catch up party I wasn’t meant to be in so it was an odd visit.

The second time I went was for my Grandmother’s birthday when my extended family met up in the St Pancras restaurant. Again I didn’t get the full Carluccios experience because no one really got to order what they wanted (big family, someone took over) and it was such a rushed affair all I remember enjoying was the biscuits – again… And the fact that my uncle ate the kids bread sticks (their starter which came with their kid’s meal) after declaring no one could have a starter… Some people eh?!

Anyway… Not that those visits were bad (well the second time maybe it was but that was down to my extended family) but it was definitely third time lucky for us as we absolutely fell in love with way more than the biscuits at Carluccios!

The wine was amazing (yes I allowed myself a glass), the service more than attentive (thanks Leanne in Norwich, our waitress with massive patience for kids running wild), the ambience beautiful and most importantly the food… Oh the food was divine!

Then of course the grown up food too!

Carluccios is THE PERFECT place to dine with the family and my children literally ate everything on their plate. They made smaller versions of the grown up food which was a big plus for Florence and when it came to the pasta Jimmy was delighted to be able to create his own dish choosing his pasta shape and sauce separately. I have never seen Jimmy wolf up his supper so well and when it came to the cherry ice cream (a decision I thought he might not like) he couldn’t get enough of it!

We have walked past Carluccios many, many times ad miring their meringues and cakes in the window and now we won’t be able to do it without popping in, even if not for a meal, because their Italian food shop is just as amazing as the menu!

Oh Carluccios, you really did spoil us and with kid’s eating for a pound this summer we will be back before the offer ends for sure! P.S, your biscuits are still fab!

In collaboration with Carluccios.