Tara Chirpy / 14 July 2025 / Categories: Food & Drink, Restaurants

Where have all the Carluccio restaurants gone?

We had to go to Leamington Spa to find one open

I feel like I have just been awoken from a Sleeping Beauty like stupor. How was it possible I’d completely missed the fact one of my favourite restaurant chains had gone into administration in May 2020 in the middle of the Covid pandemic and the business acquiring the brand had shut down over half the restaurant locations and laid off over a 1000 of their wonderful staff.

The reason I loved and still love the restaurant chain was the way better than average service and if you ever had the need to mention something wasn’t quite right, a rare occurrence the management were always eager to put things right. Maybe this was one of the reasons, customers getting used to the fabulous service taking advantage and complaining for a freebie. I genuinely hope not.

This is more a shock snoop and a little bit of a confession on my part as a very loyal or so I thought customer and an acknowledgement that when something like the pandemic hits us companies even with very loyal customers are not immune to market conditions.

With Carluccios disappearing from the restaurant landscape in many towns and shopping malls the choices available to consumers become fewer and fewer.

I used to frequent four of five Carluccio restaurants all of which have closed, one in Leicester, in Highcross shopping centre, a couple in north London. One in Finchley 1312 High Road, London N20 9AB and one on St John’s Wood High St. NW3 both shut. One in a shopping mall in Cheshire, Ellsmere Port and one somewhat local to me in Birmingham. Grand central shopping centre. a restaurant we loved providing a variety of super vegan options on their set evening menu, both Veganesca Spaghetti and Polpette di Fagioli were bloody delicious and not expensive either. Large portions. Perfectly cooked el dente pasta and fresh made from scratch sauces. Where else can you get that I ask you.

And you know what I may be getting on a bit and have gone completely senile but I haven’t actually missed them, even though my friends and I are always moaning about how dead everywhere is and how there seems to be limited quick cool restaurant choices whenever we are thinking where to grab lunch or supper.

This weekend I happened to be in Leamington Spa visiting the Mum of a good friend of mine who has recently gone into a residential home to give my friend some respite from caring for her and the old favourite Carluccios was brought up as a good choice for lunch.

Immediately I thought good lord I love Carluccios and haven’t been for ages. And then I started thinking about all the different locations I’d eaten at regularly in the past and wondered why or how this gorgeous favourite chain could have just so easily slipped off my radar.

We had a wonderful meal of old, beautiful bruschetta, salad, pasta, lovely attentive service. The staff couldn’t do enough for us and the food was as always in the past absolutely delicious.

I’ve seen Fumo in Birmingham part of San Carlos restaurants go right down hill post pandemic even though we keep going back because we don’t want to see this chain go the same way as Carluccios.

I am urging everyone to support Carluccios if you don’t want to see the one in your town disappear.

If you haven’t tried it yourself and you spot the signature blue signage grab yourself a table outside on a sunny day if possible and soak up the Bon vivant not sure how you say that in Italian.

I feel a bit guilty I wasn’t even aware of Carluccios troubles and certainly don’t wish to see them disappear altogether.