Manicomio (85 Duke of York Square, London, SW3 4LY) This looked lovely from the outside (especially the outside terrace) and so we queued for a table in the sunshine. The menu itself sounded delicious but the meal itself was extremely disappointing. The ingredients did not seem fresh and the menu seemed to “embellish” the dishes. My friend had a panini which, for £8, was worse than you get in high street chains and was really greasy. I went for the soup which was tasteless and unseasoned. Although I like to be able to add my own salt and pepper, it's nice if the chef has seasoned it a little! The staff were inattentive and we were unimpressed by their attitude. When we ordered tap water alongside our bottle of wine, it seemed that we were speaking a foreign language and we were asked whether we were sure we did not want bottled! There are lots of Italian Cafes/delis in the Belgravia area and I would definitely recommend skipping this one and going somewhere else. The only positive is the location which is great for shopping.
Link to this reviewApril 2011 |