Ticino vs Franco Manca

Went to Ticino yesterday for lunch with the family. Pizzas were very good. Service a little slow and chaotic but they had only been open two days. Will definitely go again. Some interesting stuff in the non pizza sections of the menu, good Burrata if a little too cold. All in all a pretty good first experience, one thing though.... a kids menu would be nice, ie smaller pizzas, simple toppings, pasta pomodoro etc

My review for you lovely SE1-ers.

If you like pizza that was once delicious but lukewarm by the time it reached you, accompanied by 1990's music that's so loud you can't have a conversation, brought to you by hopelessly under-trained staff who are rather in love with themselves then you'll love Ticino. If you like to be given the distinct impression that you're really rather lucky to get a reservation when you go in to book, then it's even more up your street.

Hopefully things will improve with time.

I think it's only fair to point out that any reviews up to 23rd are during the soft opening and all food is only being charged at 50%.

We went last night and the manager told us that they had been a bit overwhelmed and would have preferred a slightly softer opening to give them a chance to get everything right.

Given that the whole two floors of the restaurant was open and packed, with several big tables, we thought they did very well. Staff were friendly and helpful. There were a few hiccups getting our table and drinks sorted but our food arrived fairly promptly, hot and all at the same time and it was very good. Pizzas were excellent as were the roast chicken and steak. Chips, bread and olive oil all good too.

Keep walking past in the morning and the breakfasts look very good. Will definitely go again.

I remember when antico first opened; people on here hated on it and now one of the best places around - give them a little bit longer and a chance to settle in. No connection just want to see our local businesses given a good chance - especially the independent ones

lullylush wrote:

My review for you lovely SE1-ers.
If you like pizza that was once delicious but lukewarm by the time it reached you, accompanied by 1990's music that's so loud you can't have a conversation, brought to you by hopelessly under-trained staff who are rather in love with themselves then you'll love Ticino. If you like to be given the distinct impression that you're really rather lucky to get a reservation when you go in to book, then it's even more up your street.

Hopefully things will improve with time.

I haven't eaten there yet, but let's be mild. The first days of a restaurant are very difficult to get right and are very stressful, to say the least. Moreover, it is at a reduced price until the 23rd and that is for a reason.

It is only fair to them to be gentle during the first week.

Not meaning to sound unduly harsh, folks. I've been enthusiastically supporting our local establishments for more than a decade. But I find poor service and self satisfaction a really poor combination. I wish ticino well and will no doubt try them again but they need to to sort out staff training and management attitudes pronto.

We went in on Thursday, hoping to book a table for two for Saturday evening (and checking they had a highchair for a baby). We were told that they weren't taking bookings and should just turn up, which was repeated to us on Saturday lunchtime. We (two + baby) turned up for dinner at about half-six on Saturday evening. We were initially told by a member of staff that a table was available (but needed to check). After standing there for a little while, we were approached by the manager and, when we repeated our request for a table, was informed that the restaurant was actually fully booked, and that they had been "moving the goalposts" regarding the booking situation. So we can't comment on the food. We wish the place well but, to be fair, we were a little disappointed with the approach they appear to have taken regarding their soft opening.

Went to Ticino last week. Really want to love it but yes first week teething problems rather large. Staff really not on it yet. Had to actually walk in and wave at someone from the doorway to get them to come over. Then point out they'd overcharged on the bill at the end. Enthusiastically priced pizzas - £14 for their 'Ticino' (basically the same as the Campagnolga from Pizza Lupa). Sparkling water thats not sparkling. Enjoyed the salami and pickled veg though. At 50% off i felt OK with it all but if i'd paid full price i would probably not be a happy punter.

Hope they get their act together because the street needs somewhere more informal like that. But right now i don't feel in a massive rush to go back...

However gonna give them some time.... If they are reading this i would drop your prices a bit too or Franco Manca will just kill it...

And yes CAN YOU SELL YOUR BREAD please??? That was good and it would make a LOT of sense, both from a practical but also 'brand' point of view (sorry i said that) if you did...

taaaaa

Just to add to the reviews, we went to Ticino’s on Sat evening (my husband booked on Fri evening – sorry to those who found that they couldn’t). We had bread and bresaola to start, I had the chicken and spinach with madeira sauce for mains and my husband had a pizza. I was all really delicious! We really couldn’t fault them at all on the starters and mains or the wine. Service was very friendly and I would say it was good, though you could see they were just finding their way. If I had to be negative, I would say that the Tiramisu we had for desert seemed to be more cream than anything else. My only other complaint is that we probably wouldn’t be able to eat there again at their normal prices, or we would be limited to just the pizzas. My mains didn’t come with any potatoes, so I had to order them separately, which bumps up the price. All in all, I would recommend to anyone, though you might want to give it a week to two for them to iron out any glitches. No connection, just a local who’s been waiting for ages for a Bermondsey Street restaurant I can actually afford to use!
BTW I may be wrong, but don't they sell Ticino bread from Fine Foods on Long Lane?

I worry too a bit about the pricing - the wine list for example looked great but £18 for the cheapest bottle is just too much.