Calzone Essential Pizza - Dacorum

I used to frequent this restaurant, but I was extremely disappointed with my recent visit. What has happened? The lack of curb appeal, dirty and wobbly tables,... read more I used to frequent this restaurant, but I was extremely disappointed with my recent visit. What has happened? The lack of curb appeal, dirty and wobbly tables, sticky menus, and unenthusiastic staff make for a dismal experience. The only positive aspect was that the two pasta dishes we ordered were delicious, although we had to ask for parmesan twice. Compared to their neighbor, Darcys, which is bright, inviting, and friendly, this restaurant needs to make improvements quickly before it ends up like another failed business.

We used to frequent this restaurant regularly, but upon returning today to pick up a takeaway, it appeared that the once lively and bustling Italian gem had los... read more We used to frequent this restaurant regularly, but upon returning today to pick up a takeaway, it appeared that the once lively and bustling Italian gem had lost its spark. I was disappointed to find that my order was not taken correctly, resulting in bland food. Although the staff tried to rectify the mistake by offering a free drink and correcting the order, it was not enough to salvage the experience. The lack of engagement from the front of house staff was noticeable, and the overall atmosphere seemed off. It's a shame that this will be my last visit to the restaurant. I wonder what went wrong.

We arrived at the restaurant without a reservation on a busy Friday night, after just checking into our hotel across the water. The staff were accommodating and... read more We arrived at the restaurant without a reservation on a busy Friday night, after just checking into our hotel across the water. The staff were accommodating and quickly seated our group of 6. They easily put tables together and made sure we had menus. The menu offered a variety of classic Italian dishes, which we found to be enjoyable. The staff promptly took our orders and delivered our drinks and starters. I ordered the whitebait, which was tasty with plenty of fish and some salad. The cheesy garlic bread was also delicious and larger than expected. Other members of our group tried dishes like mussels and calamari and were pleased with their choices. For the main course, I had the creamy Leonardo pasta which was rich and delicious. The seafood paella, Carbonara, and Linguini seafood were all well received by others at the table. Overall, the food was excellent and the staff were friendly and helpful. I would definitely recommend this restaurant for those looking for Italian food in the area.

This was once such a great place, but I suppose nothing lasts for ever. Maybe there is new management or ownership. We ordered an 18” pizza takeaway and we were... read more This was once such a great place, but I suppose nothing lasts for ever. Maybe there is new management or ownership. We ordered an 18” pizza takeaway and we were given 1 x 12” and 1 x 9” pizzas, with the bizarre logic that 9” 12” 21” is bigger than the area of an 18”. It isn’t. We were told they didn’t have big enough boxes for the 18” pizzas. How about just putting the slices from the 18 into 2-3 smaller boxes? Simple GCSE maths will show that an 18” pizza has an area of 255 square inches. The 9” and 12” combo has 177 square inches. So, they were effectively providing 30% less pizza than we ordered. A complete rip-off. I politely explained this to the staff and they initially just shrugged their shoulders and tried to justify it with 9” 12” is bigger than 18”. Even 2 x 12” pizzas (226 square inches) would still have been considerably less than 1 x 18”. Then I was offered an extra can of coke as compensation! We won't be going back to eat-in or for takeaways.

I don’t review normally but all I can say is don’t go , I had a pizza they tasted and looked like a Chicago town pizza that I would only eat if I’d had too much... read more I don’t review normally but all I can say is don’t go , I had a pizza they tasted and looked like a Chicago town pizza that I would only eat if I’d had too much to drink and was very hungry) the base was obviously a frozen base for over £15 , my partner had pesto chicken pasta that had more oil in it than Saudi Arabia , we left most of it , I paid , left and will never go back , please don’t waste your hard earned money , go next door , darcys is lovely