Ci Voleva

Booked this gem of a restaurant on the 30th November 2024 for a birthday celebration. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the owner's son who made us feel very welcome. He was friendly, attentive and professional. Food was freshly made, authentic and delicious. Portion sizes were great and very filling. Nothing was too much trouble. We had brought a birthday cake in earlier that day and they prepared it all and presented it after our meal whilst singing Happy Birthday!! We were not rushed or ask to pay our bill so that they could have our table. Everything was relaxed and leisurely. A perfect night out. Would definitely recommend to anyone wanting a wonderful evening out for a reasonable price. Will 100% be going again. Thank you to everyone for making our experience a very special one.

This is a real gem! Family run, authentic Italian food made from quality ingredients and a quaint setting. The staff couldn’t do enough for us, genuine hospitality with a smile. 5* and highly recommended (I would book to avoid disappointment)

Excellent little restaurant. Good service, great food and nice little ending with the limoncello. Pricing for the food is great, some of the best pasta I've had in the UK (even better than many places in london). Would definitely recommend to any and all.

We had a lovely evening at Ci Voleva, it was the perfect venue for a romantic first date. The restaurant was small and cosy with interesting décor, what really stood out were the friendly and attentive staff members. I was complimented that I looked like Adele, which was really funny and made us laugh. I reckon Adele would be happy with the food at this restaurant. The menu was nice and reasonably priced with the Italian classics of pasta and pizza alongside a small selection of main courses. We were offered the dessert menu following our meal though were too well fed to sample this as well though gladly would have if we had space. There were Italian breadsticks on our table as well which was a nice added extra. For our starter we ordered the Antipasto ‘Ci Voleva’ sharing board for two, this was fantastic and well sized to share. The nicest parts for me were the burrata and green olives. The bread, meats and cheeses were very nice as well. The only ways in which this could be nicer would be to have a balsamic vinegar dip for the bread and Italian salami rather than Spanish chorizo. For my main I went for the Traditional Rigatoni Carbonara, the staff were very accommodating in my request to change this to spaghetti initially, then pappardelle. This dish was lovely and was different to other carbonaras that I’ve tried in Italian restaurants. Both main courses were also garnished with parsley and Italian hard cheese which was a nice touch. The atmosphere was really nice in the restaurant which brought on holiday vibe feelings, there was traditional Italian music playing at one point. The staff were happy for us to stay and talk for a little while after our meal which was really nice, given the small amount of tables in the venue. I wouldn’t hesitate to return to this restaurant to try some more of their dishes, in particular their pizzas.

This was our first visit. Great atmosphere with nice music in the background. Food and service were amazing. We will definitely come back! Thank you

AMAZING!! truly a hidden gem, Real and delicious food, some of the BEST and I mean best pasta of my life, I got the salmon pasta, the quality cannot compare to anything! The atmosphere was very nice, staff were very polite and on point with everything, chefs came out and spoke to us at the end of the meal, the hospitality setting was just on point, best meal I’ve ever had out!! There is no signage about student discount but they did give us an offer on our bowl even asked if we were students! Went in with the expectation of paying full price but they were very generous, portion sizes was perfect, anymore it would have been too much, less would have been too small and great value for how much it does cost, will defo be going again. Thank you for an amazing meal and environment!

Food is amazing, portions are normal size, staff are very friendly and amazing. Limoncello shot comes after the food like in a proper Italian restaurant, which feels very authentic. Would recommend booking a table beforehand.

The food is amazing! I ordered Pappardelle al brasato di Chianti and think I've had the best pasta in my life so far... The atmosphere is very cozy and the service is very friendly. Highly recommend.