Holly Heywood enjoys an evening at Carluccio’s.
On a chilly winter evening, when the end of the working week is nowhere in sight, there’s something incredibly reassuring about settling down to a meal at Carluccio’s in Solihull. The warmth of summer may be gone, but there’s enough of a glow here to make even summer favourites seem a perfect choice.
After picking our way through some deliciously herby olives, I headed for the tuna tartare: rich, studded with spring onions and capers and soft with avocado. Seldom has something so good for you tasted so…good. My dining companion encountered the 
For my main, I chose the sirloin steak, which came with potatoes and rocket. It was simply delicious, and thr crisp tenderstem broccoli I ordered as a side was the perfect partner with chilli and garlic. My partner chose the chicken saltimbocca, stuffed with parma ham, topped with sage and a white wine sauce. With rocket and pesto, this was another dish that packed in the flavours.
As an aside, if you have food allergies, I have always found Carluccio’s to be reliable. My gluten and dairy allergies were managed easily and efficiently, and I found plenty of choice on the menu.
Only one of us managed to squeeze in dessert, that being a chocolate bread and butter pudding, served with vanilla ice cream. A twist on the British classic pud, mixing croissant and chocolate pieces, this drew the only ‘complaint’ of the evening – my companion’s usual bemoaning that there wasn’t enough. Coffee was smooth and delicious: another example of getting the simple things so very right. Service was timely and personable, and everyone out on the cold windy night seemed to be having a great time. We can certainly recommend the restorative power of dinner here.
We dined as guests of Carluccio’s. Opinions are as always our own.