La Capannina Ristorante

I'm totally bemused by the previous 3 star review as this place was, quite simply the venue of the worst dining experience of my life. Where to start.

We ordered the house white as it was the only white available by glass. I have no idea where they got this but it at best tasted like off vinegar. They'd doubtless had bottles of the stuff sat in the cellar since 1986.

The mains: A sirloin steak that wasn't sirloin. A stringy excuse of a steak. The sauce, allegedly tomato and red wine was a greasy, tasteless concoction that drowned the meat, no doubt to hide the risible

excuse of a sirloin it covered.

I ordered veal, wrapped in parma ham in a garlic butter and mushroom sauce which sees them in breach of the trades description laws. Frying steak at best, the sauce again, a lamentable fatty mess which only served to hide the poor quality of the meat.

All in we were there for 30 mins. The waiter when being told the wine was poor simply shrugged, as he did when we said the meal wasn't that great either.

In a nutshell, the food was abysmal. Brighton is full of great places to eat, don't make the mistake we made and go there.
Comment on this reader review

Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Monday, May 02, 2011

I normally have excellent experiences in this restaurant, the service is great and food usually lovely, but on my last visit with three friends we all ordered the steak (cooked in various ways and with different sauces) and I am sorry to say that the steak was simply unacceptable. It was so poor that I was very tempted to send it back. All the people at my table said the same thing about theirs as well, very disappointing. It was chewy and tough mostly impossible to eat and didn't taste at all nice. It was also quite expensive, I don't mind paying a good price for good food, but this would'nt be good enough for a wetherspoons pub.
Comment on this reader review

Overall rating
Food 5 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 6
Saturday, February 19, 2011

We visited this restaurant on a Saturday night at around 7.30pm, on reccommendation from our hotel. The staff were friendly, and i had the sea bass, while my husband had a pizza.

We found the food extremely tasty with no problems at all, very nice.

It was slightly rushed, as i think they may have wanted the table, it got very busy very quickly and seemed very popular.

We didnt stay for dessert or coffee, but i dont think we would have felt rushed if we had, we just didnt want anything else.

The price was very good overall, as we also had a good quality bottle of wine.

I would reccommend.
Comment on this reader review

Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, September 27, 2010

I am afraid I have to agree with the previous comment.

I was visiting this restaurant for some time and for so many years. It was lovely.

I have visited the restaurant on the 21st of February 2010, my birthday. Something has happened with the quality of food, it is not seasoned, garlic does not taste of garlic, chilli peppers are not hot.

I believe other people will agree with me on this one: an I am not being rude but, if they run a restaurant in the English speaking country … the English language should be a MUST for a waiter. The waiter could not understand the difference between potatoes and vegetables, and in the end we have got not what we have ordered.

I am not going to visit this restaurant because of it's food quality ever again.
Comment on this reader review

Richard
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 0
Tuesday, February 23, 2010

I went to La Capannina highly recommended by a friend as a wholesome family run place without a pretense to nouvelle cuisine. The atmosphere was really nice and we sat by the window. The service was o.k, somewhat indifferent.

I ordered gnocchi and my husband cannelloni. Well, I have no idea if I was eating in the same restaurant as previous reviewers but the food wasn't good. Sauces of both dishes tasted almost exactly the same - bechamel based mixture, which had no taste or texture. I'm not a bad cook and wouldn't be surprised if the chef pour some tomato puree with loads of cheddar to a pre cooked base. There was no taste of herbs, mushrooms or anything really apart from heavy greasy cheese. We were not offered Parmesan at all, which I found rather surprising. We are not coming back.
Comment on this reader review

Monica
Overall rating
Food 2 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 4
Monday, June 22, 2009

As a regular visitor to this restaurant I cannot say enough good things about it. The food is fabulous and the restaurant has a very cosy family feel to it. Good attentive staff and reasonable prices. Love it!
Comment on this reader review

Kate - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Monday, June 08, 2009

This is an amazing restraunt my family are from italy and they are fussy when eating in italian restraunts in england but they both agreed that this was truly an amzing place, im always down there when i come down to brighton, well done guys
Comment on this reader review

Giuseppe
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 9
Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Ate there today as a pre-Valentine's meal and was disappointed. No welcome, for one thing. I had an excellent pizza from the specials board and my partner's pasta was excellent, however, two small slices of garlic bread were brought to teh table with the pasta, of which one was consumed - one was too dry and lacking garlic to appreciate. When the bill came, we had been charged £2.80 for two slices of garlic bread in a bowl. To add insult to injury, when I queried this with the quietly spoken proprietor he uttered the word 'sorry' faintly but did not reduce the bill by anything and, if we had waited for the change due we would still be waiting! We had a window seat - very cosy and romantic but freezing cold. You'd do better and get greater value closer to the Old Steyne at Al Duomo's or Zafferelli's, but if you prefer a slower, more intimate ambience then La Capannina is the one for you: just don't try their garlic bread it's a rip-off! Bill for two main courses and a glass of house wine each came to £26.00.
Comment on this reader review

Peter the Poet
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 4
Thursday, February 12, 2009