Mediterraneo Ristorante Italeano

Shocking from start to finish.

Booked a table for 2 for 8.30. Waited 30 minutes for our starters to arrive which was dismal. Garlic bread which was like cold cardboard! At 10 p.m. our main meal had still not arrived, spoke to the Manager and left!

Never again!
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Rhianon
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Saturday, September 17, 2011

Wow has this place gone downhill bigtime. We usually eat here 5 or 6 times a year and have always been pretty happy with the place, indeed happy enough to keep returning. However after my last visit, I doubt I will be back.

To start with, we ordered olives on arrival, which arrived quickly. However they were delivered fresh from the can, still covered in brine. They really should have been rinsed properly and refreshed with a drizzle of olive oil. Poor start, and its not as if the place was busy. This was 6:30pm on a weekday.

Further dissapointment arrived in the form of the worse calamari I have had in a long time. The batter was tough and leathery and not in the slightest bit crisp and the squid was tasteless and chewy. Even the lemon mayo served with it had an odd metallic tang to it.

If I thought the main course would redeem the meal, I was to be dissapointed again. The escallope of veal in tomato sauce (Sorrentino) with saute potatos was so bad on so many levels, I would be very interested in watching how on earth the chef achieved such a level of mediocrity. The veal itself was a small thin scrap of what appeared to be overcooked shoe leather. This was wrapped in a ham which had the amazing distinction of tasting of nothing whatsoever. The awful tomato sauce which it was all drowned in was overpacked with parmesan so that any other flavour within 3 feet of the dish was completely and totally swamped and again, like the lemon mayo in the first course had a very odd unpleasant metallic twang to it , none of the fresh zing of a good fresh tomato sauce, suspiciously Cambells condensed soupy! . This was served with green beans that has been under a light for so long they had become dried out and shrivelled, truely aweful and the saute potatoes were like no other saute potato I have ever been served. Pallid, soggy and just plain unpleasant.

For dessert I was taking no more risks and went for 2 scoops of ice cream. How can they mess up ice cream after all?. The ice cream was pleasant enough, after all, all the chef had to do was scoop it out of the tub, but that was in fact all he did. It was simply 2 very small scoops of ice cream dumped into a bowl with no wafer, garnish, dressing up or anything at all. just scoop plop scoop plop thats your lot son, and was charged 4 quid for it too!

The only redeeming dish of the meal was my partners creme brulee, that was actually quite nice.

I must say that the waiting staff were excellant, very efficient and friendly but they were terribly terribly let down by the kitchen.

So all in all, including a tip for the excellant waiting staff (not their fault after all) The whole thing cost close just shy of £100 for three of us. If it were not for the fact my partner was celebrating some goods news and did not want to "cause a scene" I would have sent every one of my dishes back to the kitchen.

Is this a case of a chef who is seemingly beyond caring and a resturant management that has disappeared so far up its own local reputation it thinks it can mug us provincial yokels and charge near London rates for very sub standard fare? Its looking more and more like it!
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Cogan Gnome
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 1
Monday, May 16, 2011

An amazing experience...

A sea front restaurant in Cardiff that doesnt charge too much for what is local and obviously fresh food.

The service is very efficient and the staff are very friendly.

On our visit there seemed to be loads of customers who knew the staff really well, which is always a good indicator that they are doing a good job.

The menu is massive as well, meaning there is something for everyone.

Best Italian and more in Cardiff
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devine21
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Monday, October 18, 2010

avoid like the plague! Absolutely awful..

food was dire, service was poor, even other diners were barely touching their meals. For an Italian restaurant it is seriously lacking italian dishes..
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schadwick - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 2 | Value for money 1
Friday, February 05, 2010

Went to eat in mediterraneo in Penarth and to say we were disappointed was an understatement our starters were bland and i ordered tuna for my mains and it looked like tuna from a tin along with this we sat upstairs and had a near view of the fridges which wasn't the best so overall might give it another try but won't rush as i have other places on my list first
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Caroline Coles
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 1 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 1
Thursday, September 24, 2009

Every time I have eaten here I've thoroughly enjoyed my meal. On my last visit I had the hake main course which was perfectly cooked and full of flavour. The vegetables and potatoes accompanying my meal were divine and absolutely perfectly cooked. The staff were very friendly and the wine choices were varied and the Pinot Grigio I drank was wonderful and chilled perfectly. I was excited as well on my last visit to see that Mediterraneo have also opened a new restaurant and hotel next door called Water's edge and have heard they'll be opening soon in Whitchurch. The location of Meditteraneo in Penarth is ideal but as Whitchurch is much nearer to my home I expect to be eating there plenty when it opens. But for a special occasion and for the lovely ambiance of eating on Penarths seafront Meditteraneo is perfect.
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beth
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Tuesday, September 08, 2009