Caffé Uno

Advantages: ..
Disadvantages: ..

University has taught me so much. I’ve learnt how to sleep any time of day in any place, where to find the cheapest Warburtons in town and how to make seemingly understandable notes from lectures given by professor types who only appear to know a smattering of English. The most important thing I’ve realised though, is that there’s more to Italian Restaurants than just the Tiggis I grew up with. -- The Background -- Over the last ...
...spent a lot of time eating, and 99% of those occasions have been in Italian restaurants. There’s Michelangelos (which I’m not writing an op on since he has already), Est Est Est, Ask! and Tiggis (all reviewed by yours truly), Via Roma and Don Antonio’s (too bad to even think of it) and Don Giovanis and Cocottoos (will get around to it one day), to name a few. The last one we went to was Caffe Uno in Didsbury – my choice based ... Read review

Advantages: nice coffee, clean,
Disadvantages: overpriced mediocre food, no personality

...pizzerias. However we decided on Caffé Uno which is part of a chain. I had been past it plenty of times but had never eaten there. I chose it because I thought the name café made it sound reasonable value. The Manchester City Centre branch is in a prime location facing the Town Hall on Albert Square. It's usually buzzing in the summer with its cosmopolitan outdoor seating. It had a different atmosphere on a gloomy March evening. It was very quiet ...
...the place had no personality or atmosphere at all. Perhaps this would have been different on a Saturday night. Caffe Uno serves your usual range of pizzas, pastas and salads. I do not eat red or white meat so was quite pleased with the number of vegetarian and fish dishes available. I was tempted by an unusual prawn Caesar salad but opted for one of the specials, Gnocchi with gorgonzola and basil pesto instead. I accompanied this with a mug of mocha. ... Read review

Advantages: none
Disadvantages: crowded smokey noisy and rude staff

Not a pleasant experience! Having found a promotional voucher in Sainsbury Magazine fro a free bottle of house wine for two diners, I decided to treat my wife to an evening out in London and go to a CAffe Uno. What a calamity! The restaurant was crowded (ok - so I expected that) disgustingly smokey (why do we have to out up with that?) cramped, dirty tables and the staff had absolutely no knowledge or interest in the Sainsbury voucher offer (valid ...
...being 12th 14th February) at the Caffe UNo of your choice. Why do these companies not inform staff and staff be a litle more gracious about such promotions - they just did not want to know. A very embarassing time and frankly the whole evening was spoilt as a result. I have eaten in Caffe Uno before and been moderately impressed - but out of London - perhaps that's the trick - TOURISTS BEWARE! ... Read review

Advantages: National chain
Disadvantages: Not the most welcoming

...OK this isn't going to be a prize-winning opinion, but I'll share it with you nonetheless as customer service is absolutely essential, and those people who go the extra mile to please their customers deserve praise as much as those who don't deserve suitable vilification. The Times newspaper had run, for some weeks, a promotion enabling you to eat out at various restaurants for just £5. A bargain even if you ended up with the higher priced £7.50 menu for the three-course version of the lunch or dinner. Oxford did not boast a huge choice of establishments prepared to participate in this bonanza but since Caffe Uno nationally had signed up, that was at least one option. Now, I know that the offer is at an end now but it's worth pointing out that the way that Caffe Uno in Oxford implemented it was far from what one might have expected... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Great atmosphere, sassy music
Disadvantages: Couldn't book a table over the phone, bar area too small

.......well, I don't think I'd really know as I have never been lucky enough to go there! But if my imagination is correct (and there are possibilities that it won't be!) this place reminds me of 1940's New York. I suggested this restaurant in general chains, as to date there has only been a few location specific opinions written on Frankie & Benny's. Why have I decided to write an opinion....I love the atmosphere and the food is quite good as well (and they have just opened a new one, a few months ago, in Norwich). My experiences with this restaurant chain have all been pretty good. I have done my research and found out that Frankie and Benny's (F&B from now on) are part of City Centre Restaurants plc who also own Garfunkels, Deep Pan Pizza Co, Chiquitos and Caffe Uno amongst others. I have been to 4 different locations now (Nuneaton... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Reasonable prices, quite friendly staff, wonderful food.
Disadvantages: Difficult to make choices - too much variety :)

...At first we were unsure where to go - should we go to La Margherita as we first thought, or should we try Garfunkel's or even Caffe Uno. But then, as we walked over Magdalene Bridge, we made our choice: it was to be dinner at La Margherita tonight. So we went along the road a little and found the door to the restaurant - not, perhaps, the door we were expecting, and entered. The night was not at all warm, and stepping into the glow of the restaurant was a relief. The 'lobby' was not particularly restaurant-like; a refrigerator displayed cakes and cold food, but the lady behind the counter indicated the way to go for the main restaurant. Even at that late hour, the waiter spied us quickly and asked us to wait for a table, as some people were just leaving. My girl and I leaned against the wall, prepared for a long wait, but were... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful