Great food, great location great for 1 2 1 or large
Yasna Layla
Lovely restaurant with helpful staff but one thing i wanted to say negative was that even tho the food is delicious, the portion size is not as you think considering the price you pay, i went with my partner yesterday and we ordered the steak and pasta, one cider and a small glass of wine with ice cream for dessert, as i said the food was very good but considering i paid almost £90 for a small pice of steak and 3 baby potatos that look like a starter size, didnt even fill me up and the pasta i was served was so good but it looks like baby portions, yes i know i didnt order any sides but normally in any restaurant a main course fills me up, anyway its ok i just think its over priced for the portions you get. Wont be going back there.
Adam Ellis
The staff here are so welcoming and nice. There's a reason this place has been there for absolutely years.Fit for a couple or a group! It's deceptively large when you're inside.
Jenny Foster
The service has been welcoming and knowledgeable. Amazing food and fantastic atmosphere. Highly
leigh james
We thought we'd go out for a Valentine's Day dinner to what used to be one of our favourite restaurants. We won't be going back.When I enquired as to what vodkas they stocked, I was told ' Smirnoff..we're a restaurant not so much a pub', so ended up with a G&T instead of Absolut/Goose.Hubby ordered the fungi for starters & was given 1 portobello mushroom with rocket on the side..we brought it to the server's attention, & after she, & I assume the manager, checked the menu, he was given another mushroom-as they'd noticed it said mushroomS & not 'a mushroom'.I ordered medium rare Rib-eye steak strips for mains. The meat was cut into strips & hidden under a forest of lettuce & tomato with parmesan. The steak was cooked as ordered, but inedible..in the sense that there was more fat & tissue than meat, & I ended up not eating about 90% of that steak. I wish I'd taken a before/after picture of the plate!Hubby ordered pork belly- which had roast potatoes as an accompaniment- & mixed vegetables as an extra side. We all love a good apple sauce with pork, so hubby asked a server if she could bring some..they'd run out she said, after speaking with the guy preparing pizzas in the kitchen. Another server told us "it's an Italian dish, so it doesn't come with apple sauce". You'd think that a 'great' restaurant like this one would have even a bottled apple sauce somewhere in their kitchen. They did have mustard however, & that's what he ended up with. According to him, the pork was 'ok', but the crackling wasn't. I could see it wasn't crisp, & he'd not eaten any of it.The bottle of Shiraz was lovely, & the G&T was what I'd expect from anyone who knows how to mix 2 liquids together & chuck a straw in a glass.Throughout our dinner, not once did any staff approach to ask if 'everything was OK.. do you need anything else?' Common courtesy when you dine out anywhere.At a restaurant that rates 4+ stars, the least they could have done after seeing our plates, was a apologise for the poor standards.Including a bottle of wine, a G&T, & service charge, the bill came to £135 for two.
Kirsty Dickinson
Waited 40 minutes for our food. People who came in after us were given their food so I had to ask where ours was. No apology and my pasta was hard and dry. Won’t return
Jonathan Ives
Good pizza's , friendly staff, nice atmosphere and all in the face of competition from all the big chains. Glad we
Chris Braybrooke
Superb food
Lisa Garrison
It was cold all evening despite us being a large
patrick quaid
I visited this restaurant early Saturday evening with my sister. She had been for a meal the previous evening and loved it so much that we returned the next day! The atmosphere is so authentic. Selina gave amazing ..personalised service. So professional but with warmth and care. We ordered a bottle of the house red wine which was served in gorgeous wine glasses. The food is of a high standard and freshly cooked. I definitely felt it was important to the staff that you had the best experience possible. And we did! In my opinion it's a traditional Italian restaurant which provides the best experience! Would definitely recommend and will be returning very soon!
Always WAS the best restaurant in Fleet. We haven't been for a while, as we knew the menu backwards and had been trying other places.Decided to make a booking as wanted the quality and comforting feel of familiarity.We were welcomed. The atmosphere and surroundings were pleasant and always felt like being somewhere on holiday.We were presented with menus, which had changed since our last visit.A few errors on the menu with spellings, but not that would have been picked up on a spell check, but physically reading through would have spotted them, like 'wild board' rather than wild boar for example.The prices had increased, especially on the starters, but with the cost of living and price rises everywhere, this could be the reason.The menu was reduced in size, but again, enough to choose from.My friend and I always love Calamari, and the El Castello calamari was always beautiful, succulent, and perfect in rustic shapes.The battered rings we were served on this visit were dry and chewy. They had flavour, but I was disappointed compared to previous visits. Especially at nearly £10 per serving.The main menu had some changes, and we noticed a seasonal item, and both opted for the Ravioli with pumpkin and sage. The presentation was good, and the pasta itself was good, but despite the added parmesan and black pepper, the whole dish tasted like eating a dessert, as it was so sweet. Yes, pumpkin is naturally sweet, but the sage was not evident, and no other seasoning seemed to have been added either. There was nothing to cut through the sweetness.We moved onto dessert, a banoffee pie, and a salted caramel cheesecake. The presentation again was good.The cheesecake was OK and inoffensive. More caramel and sweet than salty, but pleasant enough.The Banoffee pie was not nice. Same texture from top to bottom, no base to break through, not crumbly or biscuity or anything. Stodgy and creamy from top to bottom. There was no obvious banana in either pieces or layer and just unpleasant texture. This was left after one mouthful as not nice enough to eat.The service was varied. One waitress was very pleasant, attentive, and had a lovely natural manner. The others came across as just doing their job and going through the motions. Not unpleasant, but not personal and warming.When the dessert was discussed, we were offered an apology and asked if we would like an alternative.The dessert did not appear on the bill, and we were given two complimentary limoncello shots at the end.10% service charge is included on the bill automatically.We were disappointed with what was our favourite Italian restaurant and won't be returning. Initial impressions still look good, and the presentation of food was good, but the quality and attention to detail were lacking.The redecorated ladies toilet, now including disabled hand rail and baby change table, shows a lack of attention to detail. Firstly, the layout has changed, presumably for space for the before mentioned facilites, as there are no separate cubicles within this door, just one big space with a toilet, sink etc, and the kitchen staff could be heard talking from within, so it didn't have the feeling of privacy from the point of the customer.The paint on the upper part of the walls was on the lower tiles, and had clearly not been masked off, and there were paint splashes on the toilet roll holder and in places on the lower walls.Sadly, what was a top-quality restaurant in Fleet has changed, and though it still had some good points, it is a big loss.I am guessing a change of management and the old El Castello is no more.
bl0ndie72
12 of us ate dinner at El Castello on Friday night for dinner. When the first members of our party arrived it was quiet, but it soon got very busy. By the time the rest of us arrived & wanted to order drinks & food, it was clear that the staff were rushed off their feet & were struggling to keep up with demand. We ordered many bottles of wine & lots of food. None of the vegetarian dishes were labelled - only the vegan dishes.. I asked our waiter which of the dishes were vegetarian & he pointed to a few dishes that clearly were not (contained Parmesan cheese). The restaurant was so busy that the owner? / Manager? Had to step in & do some cooking too…it all seemed very chaotic & very noisy. The sound system kicked in occasionally & was very loud & crackly… think they were Xmas songs.. I had the stuffed portobello mushroom without the Parmesan. The pasta dishes looked nice, as did the pizza. One of the pasta dishes we ordered was supposed to be wild boar(wild board on the menu..) but was actually chicken.. there was much discussion about this. Food took a long long time to arrive.,, All in all it was not a relaxing meal, too chaotic with too many people rushing about & shouting. Such a shame as my family & I used to love family meals at El Castello. I wouldn’t recommend & sadly won’t return. Used to be the best place in town. A shame.
TracyBudden31
Always WAS the best restaurant in Fleet. We haven't been for a while, as we knew the menu backwards and had been trying other places. Decided to make a booking as wanted the quality and comforting feel of familiarity. We were welcomed. The atmosphere and surroundings were pleasant and always felt like being somewhere on holiday. We were presented with menus, which had changed since our last visit. A few errors on the menu with spellings, but not that would have been picked up on a spell check, but physically reading through would have spotted them, like 'wild board' rather than wild boar for example. The prices had increased, especially on the starters, but with the cost of living and price rises everywhere, this could be the reason. The menu was reduced in size, but again, enough to choose from. My friend and I always love Calamari, and the El Castello calamari was always beautiful, succulent, and perfect in rustic shapes. The battered rings we were served on this visit were dry and chewy. They had flavour, but I was disappointed compared to previous visits. Especially at nearly £10 per serving. The main menu had some changes, and we noticed a seasonal item, and both opted for the Ravioli with pumpkin and sage. The presentation was good, and the pasta itself was good, but despite the added parmesan and black pepper, the whole dish tasted like eating a dessert, as it was so sweet. Yes, pumpkin is naturally sweet, but the sage was not evident, and no other seasoning seemed to have been added either. There was nothing to cut through the sweetness. We moved onto dessert, a banoffee pie, and a salted caramel cheesecake. The presentation again was good. The cheesecake was OK and inoffensive. More caramel and sweet than salty, but pleasant enough. The Banoffee pie was not nice. Same texture from top to bottom, no base to break through, not crumbly or biscuity or anything. Stodgy and creamy from top to bottom. There was no obvious banana in either pieces or layer and just unpleasant texture. This was left after one mouthful as not nice enough to eat. The service was varied. One waitress was very pleasant, attentive, and had a lovely natural manner. The others came across as just doing their job and going through the motions. Not unpleasant, but not personal and warming. When the dessert was discussed, we were offered an apology and asked if we would like an alternative. The dessert did not appear on the bill, and we were given two complimentary limoncello shots at the end. 10% service charge is included on the bill automatically. We were disappointed with what was our favourite Italian restaurant and won't be returning. Initial impressions still look good, and the presentation of food was good, but the quality and attention to detail were lacking. The redecorated ladies toilet, now including disabled hand rail and baby change table, shows a lack of attention to detail. Firstly, the layout has changed, presumably for space for the before mentioned facilites, as there are no separate cubicles within this door, just one big space with a toilet, sink etc, and the kitchen staff could be heard talking from within, so it didn't have the feeling of privacy from the point of the customer. The paint on the upper part of the walls was on the lower tiles, and had clearly not been masked off, and there were paint splashes on the toilet roll holder and in places on the lower walls. Sadly, what was a top-quality restaurant in Fleet has changed, and though it still had some good points, it is a big loss. I am guessing a change of management and the old El Castello is no more.
David Sadler
Loved it! They were even able to make us Chicken Milanese which isn't even on the menu!
Colin Wood
We popped in here after the Fleet Fireworks. Glad we did. A very warm welcome, like being at home really, great service and really tasty. The decor is really interesting and reflects the owner’s eclectic taste. We will be back soon!
Great food, great location great for 1 2 1 or large
Lovely restaurant with helpful staff but one thing i wanted to say negative was that even tho the food is delicious, the portion size is not as you think considering the price you pay, i went with my partner yesterday and we ordered the steak and pasta, one cider and a small glass of wine with ice cream for dessert, as i said the food was very good but considering i paid almost £90 for a small pice of steak and 3 baby potatos that look like a starter size, didnt even fill me up and the pasta i was served was so good but it looks like baby portions, yes i know i didnt order any sides but normally in any restaurant a main course fills me up, anyway its ok i just think its over priced for the portions you get. Wont be going back there.
The staff here are so welcoming and nice. There's a reason this place has been there for absolutely years.Fit for a couple or a group! It's deceptively large when you're inside.
The service has been welcoming and knowledgeable. Amazing food and fantastic atmosphere. Highly
We thought we'd go out for a Valentine's Day dinner to what used to be one of our favourite restaurants. We won't be going back.When I enquired as to what vodkas they stocked, I was told ' Smirnoff..we're a restaurant not so much a pub', so ended up with a G&T instead of Absolut/Goose.Hubby ordered the fungi for starters & was given 1 portobello mushroom with rocket on the side..we brought it to the server's attention, & after she, & I assume the manager, checked the menu, he was given another mushroom-as they'd noticed it said mushroomS & not 'a mushroom'.I ordered medium rare Rib-eye steak strips for mains. The meat was cut into strips & hidden under a forest of lettuce & tomato with parmesan. The steak was cooked as ordered, but inedible..in the sense that there was more fat & tissue than meat, & I ended up not eating about 90% of that steak. I wish I'd taken a before/after picture of the plate!Hubby ordered pork belly- which had roast potatoes as an accompaniment- & mixed vegetables as an extra side. We all love a good apple sauce with pork, so hubby asked a server if she could bring some..they'd run out she said, after speaking with the guy preparing pizzas in the kitchen. Another server told us "it's an Italian dish, so it doesn't come with apple sauce". You'd think that a 'great' restaurant like this one would have even a bottled apple sauce somewhere in their kitchen. They did have mustard however, & that's what he ended up with. According to him, the pork was 'ok', but the crackling wasn't. I could see it wasn't crisp, & he'd not eaten any of it.The bottle of Shiraz was lovely, & the G&T was what I'd expect from anyone who knows how to mix 2 liquids together & chuck a straw in a glass.Throughout our dinner, not once did any staff approach to ask if 'everything was OK.. do you need anything else?' Common courtesy when you dine out anywhere.At a restaurant that rates 4+ stars, the least they could have done after seeing our plates, was a apologise for the poor standards.Including a bottle of wine, a G&T, & service charge, the bill came to £135 for two.
Waited 40 minutes for our food. People who came in after us were given their food so I had to ask where ours was. No apology and my pasta was hard and dry. Won’t return
Good pizza's , friendly staff, nice atmosphere and all in the face of competition from all the big chains. Glad we
Superb food
It was cold all evening despite us being a large
I visited this restaurant early Saturday evening with my sister. She had been for a meal the previous evening and loved it so much that we returned the next day! The atmosphere is so authentic. Selina gave amazing ..personalised service. So professional but with warmth and care. We ordered a bottle of the house red wine which was served in gorgeous wine glasses. The food is of a high standard and freshly cooked. I definitely felt it was important to the staff that you had the best experience possible. And we did! In my opinion it's a traditional Italian restaurant which provides the best experience! Would definitely recommend and will be returning very soon!
Restaurantji Recommends
Always WAS the best restaurant in Fleet. We haven't been for a while, as we knew the menu backwards and had been trying other places.Decided to make a booking as wanted the quality and comforting feel of familiarity.We were welcomed. The atmosphere and surroundings were pleasant and always felt like being somewhere on holiday.We were presented with menus, which had changed since our last visit.A few errors on the menu with spellings, but not that would have been picked up on a spell check, but physically reading through would have spotted them, like 'wild board' rather than wild boar for example.The prices had increased, especially on the starters, but with the cost of living and price rises everywhere, this could be the reason.The menu was reduced in size, but again, enough to choose from.My friend and I always love Calamari, and the El Castello calamari was always beautiful, succulent, and perfect in rustic shapes.The battered rings we were served on this visit were dry and chewy. They had flavour, but I was disappointed compared to previous visits. Especially at nearly £10 per serving.The main menu had some changes, and we noticed a seasonal item, and both opted for the Ravioli with pumpkin and sage. The presentation was good, and the pasta itself was good, but despite the added parmesan and black pepper, the whole dish tasted like eating a dessert, as it was so sweet. Yes, pumpkin is naturally sweet, but the sage was not evident, and no other seasoning seemed to have been added either. There was nothing to cut through the sweetness.We moved onto dessert, a banoffee pie, and a salted caramel cheesecake. The presentation again was good.The cheesecake was OK and inoffensive. More caramel and sweet than salty, but pleasant enough.The Banoffee pie was not nice. Same texture from top to bottom, no base to break through, not crumbly or biscuity or anything. Stodgy and creamy from top to bottom. There was no obvious banana in either pieces or layer and just unpleasant texture. This was left after one mouthful as not nice enough to eat.The service was varied. One waitress was very pleasant, attentive, and had a lovely natural manner. The others came across as just doing their job and going through the motions. Not unpleasant, but not personal and warming.When the dessert was discussed, we were offered an apology and asked if we would like an alternative.The dessert did not appear on the bill, and we were given two complimentary limoncello shots at the end.10% service charge is included on the bill automatically.We were disappointed with what was our favourite Italian restaurant and won't be returning. Initial impressions still look good, and the presentation of food was good, but the quality and attention to detail were lacking.The redecorated ladies toilet, now including disabled hand rail and baby change table, shows a lack of attention to detail. Firstly, the layout has changed, presumably for space for the before mentioned facilites, as there are no separate cubicles within this door, just one big space with a toilet, sink etc, and the kitchen staff could be heard talking from within, so it didn't have the feeling of privacy from the point of the customer.The paint on the upper part of the walls was on the lower tiles, and had clearly not been masked off, and there were paint splashes on the toilet roll holder and in places on the lower walls.Sadly, what was a top-quality restaurant in Fleet has changed, and though it still had some good points, it is a big loss.I am guessing a change of management and the old El Castello is no more.
12 of us ate dinner at El Castello on Friday night for dinner. When the first members of our party arrived it was quiet, but it soon got very busy. By the time the rest of us arrived & wanted to order drinks & food, it was clear that the staff were rushed off their feet & were struggling to keep up with demand. We ordered many bottles of wine & lots of food. None of the vegetarian dishes were labelled - only the vegan dishes.. I asked our waiter which of the dishes were vegetarian & he pointed to a few dishes that clearly were not (contained Parmesan cheese). The restaurant was so busy that the owner? / Manager? Had to step in & do some cooking too…it all seemed very chaotic & very noisy. The sound system kicked in occasionally & was very loud & crackly… think they were Xmas songs.. I had the stuffed portobello mushroom without the Parmesan. The pasta dishes looked nice, as did the pizza. One of the pasta dishes we ordered was supposed to be wild boar(wild board on the menu..) but was actually chicken.. there was much discussion about this. Food took a long long time to arrive.,, All in all it was not a relaxing meal, too chaotic with too many people rushing about & shouting. Such a shame as my family & I used to love family meals at El Castello. I wouldn’t recommend & sadly won’t return. Used to be the best place in town. A shame.
Always WAS the best restaurant in Fleet. We haven't been for a while, as we knew the menu backwards and had been trying other places. Decided to make a booking as wanted the quality and comforting feel of familiarity. We were welcomed. The atmosphere and surroundings were pleasant and always felt like being somewhere on holiday. We were presented with menus, which had changed since our last visit. A few errors on the menu with spellings, but not that would have been picked up on a spell check, but physically reading through would have spotted them, like 'wild board' rather than wild boar for example. The prices had increased, especially on the starters, but with the cost of living and price rises everywhere, this could be the reason. The menu was reduced in size, but again, enough to choose from. My friend and I always love Calamari, and the El Castello calamari was always beautiful, succulent, and perfect in rustic shapes. The battered rings we were served on this visit were dry and chewy. They had flavour, but I was disappointed compared to previous visits. Especially at nearly £10 per serving. The main menu had some changes, and we noticed a seasonal item, and both opted for the Ravioli with pumpkin and sage. The presentation was good, and the pasta itself was good, but despite the added parmesan and black pepper, the whole dish tasted like eating a dessert, as it was so sweet. Yes, pumpkin is naturally sweet, but the sage was not evident, and no other seasoning seemed to have been added either. There was nothing to cut through the sweetness. We moved onto dessert, a banoffee pie, and a salted caramel cheesecake. The presentation again was good. The cheesecake was OK and inoffensive. More caramel and sweet than salty, but pleasant enough. The Banoffee pie was not nice. Same texture from top to bottom, no base to break through, not crumbly or biscuity or anything. Stodgy and creamy from top to bottom. There was no obvious banana in either pieces or layer and just unpleasant texture. This was left after one mouthful as not nice enough to eat. The service was varied. One waitress was very pleasant, attentive, and had a lovely natural manner. The others came across as just doing their job and going through the motions. Not unpleasant, but not personal and warming. When the dessert was discussed, we were offered an apology and asked if we would like an alternative. The dessert did not appear on the bill, and we were given two complimentary limoncello shots at the end. 10% service charge is included on the bill automatically. We were disappointed with what was our favourite Italian restaurant and won't be returning. Initial impressions still look good, and the presentation of food was good, but the quality and attention to detail were lacking. The redecorated ladies toilet, now including disabled hand rail and baby change table, shows a lack of attention to detail. Firstly, the layout has changed, presumably for space for the before mentioned facilites, as there are no separate cubicles within this door, just one big space with a toilet, sink etc, and the kitchen staff could be heard talking from within, so it didn't have the feeling of privacy from the point of the customer. The paint on the upper part of the walls was on the lower tiles, and had clearly not been masked off, and there were paint splashes on the toilet roll holder and in places on the lower walls. Sadly, what was a top-quality restaurant in Fleet has changed, and though it still had some good points, it is a big loss. I am guessing a change of management and the old El Castello is no more.
Loved it! They were even able to make us Chicken Milanese which isn't even on the menu!
We popped in here after the Fleet Fireworks. Glad we did. A very warm welcome, like being at home really, great service and really tasty. The decor is really interesting and reflects the owner’s eclectic taste. We will be back soon!