Carluccio’s is a very popular restaurant with many restaurants all over the UK. It’s not vegan, not vegetarian, but.. they do have a separate vegan menu (incl. vegetarian things)! It makes Carluccio’s perfect for if you want to go out for a meal with friends or family who are not vegan. It’s a shame there is only one main dish for vegans (spaghetti with tomato-basil sauce), but they do have a lot of yummy side dishes which you can add. Or you can make a main meal out of side dishes if you like. A reason why Carluccio’s is really standing out from the crowd is because it’s an Italian restaurants that doesn’t serve pizza. I like it, because it’s not what you expect, but they still have very nice things on the menu for vegans. It’s something different from ‘pizza, no cheese please’, vegans mostly order in Italian restaurants. Not that it’s not tasty, because yum(!), but what do you think of some nice crispy bruschetta? ..or sautéed mushrooms with garlic and chilli in a crispy mixed salad? Personally I really like the food there and even though the spaghetti is their only vegan main dish, it’s very tasty and exactly the way you expect and want it to be. For dessert you can choose between 3 flavours of sorbet.

I do really appreciate that they have a separate menu for vegetarians/vegans, but I think they can do better on the vegan options. I think it’s positive that they do pay attention to it though, it’s definitely a step in the right direction. But what about a nice plant-based risotto with mushrooms?
Carluccio’s is more than just eating a meal, because they also have a shop in the restaurant. For this review I went to the Westfield branch, but I’ve seen it in all Carluccio’s I’ve been so far. They sell all yummy Italian things, so you can take it home. Very nice gift ideas too! Another thing they do is catering. On their website is nothing specific on vegan catering, but I think they’ll be open to that. The more people ask, the more likely it becomes that they will make a separate menu for that too.

WHO? Carluccio’s.
WHERE? Westfield, Ariel Way, W12 7GA.
CUISINE? Authentic, traditional Italian.
VEGAN? No! (omni)
OVERALL? 7 (could easily be higher if they had more options)

Do you know Carluccio’s and do you like their food? Please tell me about your experiences by leaving a comment below or by showing me on Instagram, using #PlanetManel. Thank you! X