Harden's says
Opened in Spring 2022 (not late 2021 as mentioned in the guide entry), the new Knightsbridge branch of Cicchetti from the popular San Carlo family of restaurants offers "opulent and elevated authentic Italian dining" all week long.
Harden's survey result
Summary
“Don’t be put off by the tourist location or the gold frontage” if you visit the flagship branch of this successful Italian chain near Piccadilly Circus (which is due to double in size over 2023). For a national group, it and its siblings deliver a surprisingly high-quality formula that mixes “a great range of Venetian-style small plates” with “friendly and efficient” service and “bright and vibrant interiors” which create a “wonderful and buzzing atmosphere”. Top Tip – “super for pre-theatre eating”.
Summary
These “slick and professional” Italians (offshoots of the national San Carlo chain) are “buzzy and convenient sorts of places, where you can enjoy an upbeat bite without hanging around too long”. They serve “an extensive menu of small Venetian sharing plates”: “at best they’re excellent” and almost invariably a meal is “good fun”. The best known outlet is steps from Piccadilly Circus – “it might look like a tourist trap in its prime location but it’s a reliable and smartly decorated venue”.
Summary
A “vibrant atmosphere (especially good for a group)” helps underpin the appeal of these “glitzy and lively” spin-offs from the San Carlo national chain of glam Italians, whose most central branch – just off Piccadilly Circus – is decked out with “marble tables and stylish chandeliers”. “Very tasty small plates” that are inspired by Venetian “cicchetti” are “served speedily”. In late 2021, they are due to open a second Knightsbridge branch, just across the road from Harrods.
Summary
“Don’t be fooled by its prominent location, just off Piccadilly Circus, that it’s just one for the tourists” – this “bustling, noisy and so-atmospheric” Venetian brasserie (which also has a similar sibling, more tucked away in Covent Garden) “looks like a tourist trap, but offers an authentic culinary experience” with its “delicious small plates” (cicchetti) – “a format that caters to all appetites”, all at “reasonable prices”. Staff are “enthusiastic and professional” and “feed off the buzz of the place”, which “feels smart, even if tables are very close together”.
For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Cicchetti Knightsbridge?
Cicchetti Knightsbridge Restaurant Diner Reviews
"A year ago, we liked it. Now, the portions are so small that one can leave hungry and may not be able to afford another course. The food could have been served hotter. Mediocre at best. We had tried to lunch here a week prior, only to expect an hour's wait."
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £29.40 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.80 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £5.20 |
| Service | 12.50% |
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm‑11 pm |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑11 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑11 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑11 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑11 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑11 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑11 pm |
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