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, 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 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 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.

Came calzone last night, first of all food wasn’t my expectation and service was unpleasant. Would not recommend this place staff are useless!!!!

We had seafood platter which it was out of this world , on a sunny day what else to you need other than seafood and beer Family also enjoyed as children menu is good , next time we will book our table , outside area gets busy very quick, have a seafood platter to know why I am writting this.