Casa Paolo
Restaurant - Italian in Swindon (Wiltshire)
Common Platt
Purton
Swindon
Wiltshire
SN5 5JX
Contact Numbers
Reviews
Terrible - Go to Bottelinos!
Mid week and the place was very quiet, yet we were given the table by the toilet door. Main course tasted great, but was the size of a starter! I left hungry. No atmosphere. Would I go back - no chance - nor recommend it!
Sam Wilson - 17/10/2011 | report this review
Badly treated
We booked a table on Tuesday for the following Friday. Unfortunately our friends let us down at the last minute but we went along as planned. We were greeted in a confrontational manner asking why we hadn't let them know we were only two. We were then given a table for 2 without being asked if we minded. As we were unhappy with the table we agreed with the waitress to move to the table we had booked. We were then asked to leave by the proprietor who obviously must have had someone else in mind for this table. I have never been treated in this manner before and we certainly will not be going back to this restaurant or recommending it to anyone. It seems that they are more concerned with making money than satisfying customers.
Caroline Selwood - 23/05/2011 | report this review
Best Italian restaurant on the other side of the Alps
If you like steaks then you should try Bar Casa Paolo!... When you order a steak, Mr. Paolo will freshly cut a slice from a chunk of PRIME BEEF and ..... they are juicy and taste like no other!!!.... I am Italian, I love "real" Italian food and Bar Casa Paolo served me the finest Italian food I ever had in UK. Beleive me, Bar Casa Paolo it was worth a visit... though I came all the way from London
FRANCO FIORAVANTE - 20/02/2011 | report this review
Sunday Lunch
Very dissapointed with Sunday Lunch, especially the " hidden " prices of he specials. Made a very expensive lunch
Sue Howe - 09/02/2011 | report this review
Splendid Sunday Lunch
We (three) found the menu provided us with lots of interesting dishes; our choices of fish, chicken and venison were well cooked and served by very attentive staff. Glad we have lunched with you at last and will be back for more!
Jan Huntingdon - 06/02/2011 | report this review
Great food great staff
Excellent food and excellent service, yes the menu is not extensive but everything i have tried from it has been great, I have retured a few times and intend to continue to do so!
amy newman - 28/01/2011 | report this review
Good food, tasteful decoration and attentive staff
After three failed attempts to book in due to the restaurant being full, we were very glad that we finally secured a table. Very friendly and attentive service and so refreshing for Swindon to have an Italian restaurant that isn't decorated with checked table clothes and candles in wine bottles. Also refreshing that the menu wasn't full of heavy cream sauces. Although the menu isn't extensive - and I think this is to the owner's credit to keep it simple and well cooked - what we had was excellent. Freshly cooked, well presented and great quality. Although it took a while to get our table, we were offered drinks and when we asked for a delay before puds, the waitress obliged. All in all a lovely evening.
Amanda Barker - 15/10/2010 | report this review
The best italian in Wiltshire
You should give this restaurant a try. The owners are first generation italian and they are offering you authentic italian food. If you really are fussy about service then why not go at lunch time and you will be served by the chef himself, now it doesn't get better than that.
philomena creffield - 09/10/2010 | report this review
Don't go to market half hearted. Attempted style over substance.
The lack of decent 'italian menu' made us leave after our drinks. Staff were friendly but where was the fine italian cuisine. Menu was awfully presented which didn't help matters. For the first time in my life i could not find a dish on an italian menu i wanted to eat. My Wife and i were very disappointed. Discerning diners will be dissapointed. I wish them luck in this current climate.
Matt H - 26/09/2010 | report this review
good
Food was fantastic, however would of preferred biscuits with my cheese, and a lot of the choices from the menu was not on offer. Shall definitely be going back. Still think there are a few teething problems, with staff being one of them. On walking In I did not know who to speak to as felt overwhelmed by amount of staff to great us. Also got asked 5 times if we wanted tea of coffee after our deserts. Didn't feel like trying any on the deserts on offer as was left open and not covered so opted for selection of cheeses.
emma smith - 19/09/2010 | report this review
Very Nice Food
We went as a party of 6 and the service was very attentive without being over powering, the food was presented vlovely with fresh produce used, excellent portion sizes and you'll have to go to find out what it tasted like, but you won't be disappointed! Nice to see fresh produce and good service being the foundation of the offering. We'll be back again too.
Craig White - 14/09/2010 | report this review
Good evening, well worth a try
Spent a very busy Friday night at Casa Paolo with a group of girlfriends which was for my birthday and was not disappointed. Food was nice, different selection not your normal run of the mill italian menu. We had rib of beef as main which was very tasty and generous portion. Must say I didnt like the dessert selection (not much of a dessert person and they didnt offer a cheese alternative. Having said that though Paolo spent a reasonable amount of time sitting and talking to us and took on board our feedback and he is very willing to try to meet any requests, and did appear with some cheese for me to try. Also he makes a very wicked Limoncello which is well worth sampling (got a few glasses complimentary as it was my birthday) which was a nice gesture. The only negative I would say is that service was slow, hoping this is still just teething issues but as we were not in rush didnt bother us but would have annoyed a lot of people.
Jackie Barnett - 17/08/2010 | report this review
A good addition to Italian eating in Swindon
We had been waiting for some time to try this new restaurant. We decided to give it a try on our wedding anniversary. We arrived and were taken to the table directly, and the only negative that we can give on the night was that the service was not as attentive as we would have expected. It was nice to have Paolo mixing with clients, his passion for what he trying to deliver and his knowledge of the food was helpful. The food was very well cooked, the produce locally sourced and the service friendly, even if sometimes non-existent. We would recommend this restaurant, if you want a good local Italian. If you are looking for pizza and garlic bread look elsewhere.
Mark Hendry - 06/08/2010 | report this review
Lovely, friendly place for a drink
Been here a few times now just for drinks, but have always been given a nice welcome. The place has had a nice makeover since it was The Foresters Arms and looks clean and tidy. Last night was the first time we've been since they started doing food and even though we'd already eaten, the food smelt so good, we very nearly ate again! Booked to come back with a few friends from work, so will see how the food rates then, but from what we saw, it was looking good - generous portions too. Keep up the good work!
Kirsty Howlett - 02/08/2010 | report this review
Another wonderful night
Another wonderful meal and night spent at Bar Casa Paolo. Thank you to Paolo, Monica and Alice for your hospitality. Can't wait until 1st August when the restaurant opens properly.
Scott Dingley - 10/07/2010 | report this review
relaxed atmosphere and friendly staff
Food was great and I agree with the last reviewer, the honesty of the Chef manager made up for the expertise of his staff. Sure they'll become stars with his training! We will certainly return again as the atmosphere was relaxing and the staff friendly.
Graham Birch - 05/07/2010 | report this review
Loved it!
Great food, friendly staff, relexed atmosphere - just what we needed after a busy weekend working!
Graham Birch - 05/07/2010 | report this review
new and refreshingly friendly
We ate there tonight. We had only planned to call in for a drink and Paolo himself greeted us to explain that they had openned yesterday but he had decided that his waiting staff needed more training and so he is not serving meals until later in the month. We respect his honesty, it is unusual! Most restaurateurs would have been only too happy to take our money regardless! We had drinks and then also some superb cold meats and freshly warmed bread. The staff were very friendly and attentive. Yes the waitresses need training, but they were clearly trying hard to please our table, and the others who had pre-booked. We cannot wait for the end of the month and the opportunity to eat their properly.
jane Elizabeth - 04/07/2010 | report this review
This is the first time we have ever been shouted out of a restuarant
We arrived expecting a bit of s delay 1st night opening etc. All started well shown to our table immediately. We were then left to admire the cutlary for 20 mins no offer of a drink or even given the menu to ponder over. After asking if we were going to be served the lady (in charge) eventually gave us the wine list and menu to admire for another 20 minutes before returning to take our order, by now the table next to us have been served thier starter & main course and we were still waiting for our drinks. Drinks finally arrived waitress apologetic for the delay, said she would get the food to us as soon as possible but it wss all being freshly cooked. Food Finally arrived, no pepper or parmasan offered for the spag bog. Chicken/veg not quite what we expected. After being asked by the waitress (lady in charge) one of our party expressed that she wasn't happy with her meal, after a brief discussion she went off to inform the chef, and returned a couple of minutes later to tell us that the Chef said "if you don't like it don't come back" not really the sort of comments that you relay back to your customers. She offered us coffee as a way of an apology,this should have been said instead of relaying the chefs comments and maybe everyone would have left on a happier note. After we expressed that this was incrediably rude of her she went away & returned with the chef. We tried to express that the overall experience for us had not been good so far, and had been made worse by the waitresses tacklessness and comments. He agreed but said maybe it's because she is Italian. (surely it dosn't matter what your nationality is, you don't say that to your customer, even if you are thinking it) He felt that our comments were incorrect with regards to the food, and said that it is an individual taste.. He just was not happy and after a short while of trying to put our point across he totally lost control and demanded at the top of his voice for everyone to hear that we leave the restaurant now. His rants "How dare you" and "this is a family restaurant" in front of the whole restaurant implied that we had said something inappropriate. We never once used inappropriate language or comments during the conversation, the only inappropriate & unproffessional behaviour was by him & his waitress. So we give him 5 stars for his acting and absolutely zero for his hospitallity and customer relations. Obviously we will never go back and would never recommend it either - Shame really we had such high hopes.
Dawn East - 03/07/2010 | report this review
The best Italian food outside of Italy!
We had the best Italian food ever. A few teething problems with serving staff, but only to be expected on an opening night with new staff. Highly reccomend the mixed Italian meat starter. Real unrushed & relaxed dinning experience. Already booked for another wonderful meal. Well done & keep up the good work.
Scott Dingley - 02/07/2010 | report this review
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