We went here last night, service was terrible...
We got in and it was maybe 20% full, got told to go sit at the bar while a table was got ready.... went there and no-one served us at all.
Then got ushered to the table, where it took ages to even place a drinks order. The waiters knew nothing at all about wine, one of them even said 'i know nothing about red wine because i cant drink it' - we wanted a shiraz type wine and got reccomended one by the 2nd waiter, and it tasted awful. The 2nd bottle we had was very nice, but we chose that ourselves. Completely the opposite of the service at Nonnas - they know their wines.
Anyway, food came and was very nice...
Asked for the bill, and when the member of our party who was paying had typed his pin in the machine, he realised the waiter had already added on the 'optional' service charge of over £15 - and then we were told we couldnt get it refunded! 'Optional' to me means optional, as in, crap service = no tip!
I found it shocking to be honest, and will certainly be taking all future business to Zizzi accross the way, similar food but much better feeling on your way out the door.

They seem to be getting a lot of mixed reviews judging on word of mouth and the other Strada threads on here.... Not sure I'll go anytime soon.

Dont bother, it will just irritate you.

No such thing as bad publicity? I think not.

i've been to a few Strada's around the country and usually they are pretty good, but I've been to the Sheffield one twice and it's definitely the worst. The service is pretty bad, having to wait a long time for a waitress, our food, and our bill. One time they put two bottles of wine on our bill when we had only had one... and only after asking to see the manager did it get sorted out.

I've also tried to get there for the lunchtime specials but each time we've been turned away "because it's too busy" and they can't have been more than 2/3 full.

The food at Strada is generally really nice, and I prefer the menu to Zizzi's, but the sheffield one needs to sort out it's management/service.

Only eaten there once and enjoyed it. had a fish stew , it was very nice , the garlic bread was good. the pizza base was very very tasty, a bit like portofinos pizza dough which was divne. sad to see them go.

Noticed the service was slowish bill was correct

Went last week and cant fault it.

Food very good, service very good - no problems at all, and I'm massively fussy.

went to strada last week and i must say I concur with the views expressed. The service is certai8nly lacking and whilst the food is okay the fact that the waiters have a very poor knowledtge of wines and give rubbish recommendations makes it a disappointingt experience. The food is overpriced in my view, atmosphere is lacking and nonnas is better any day.

Agree with the above comments - the food is okay as in nothing wrong with it but it really doesn't excite you, but the general service takes the edge off a night and i will not be going back soon. And don't blame the staff for not knowing the wines - blame the management ! Zizzi much better overall experience but agree with sipra - Nonna's any day !

Quite good food but we also had a mixed experience with the service. It was friendly but we had to ask about 3 times for bread - got it halfway through our main course - and they got something else wrong.

Took the family to Strada yesterday (New Years eve), after Aladdin at Lyceum (great family show). Service and food were really good, and I'd go there again - which makes a change, because eating out in Sheffield is usually disappointing.

On the inclusive service charge thing: this is lamentable, but easily addressed by tipping staff in cash at the table. If you put it on the card, tips are taxed, so they really won't mind this option.

You must be eating at the wrong places normally Kinch. Strada seems to be a bit hit and miss doesn't it, although there's more bad comments about service than good.
This isn't the first or only thread criticising it.

Went to Strada but it was badly organised. Managers and chefs lounging about in the restaurant talking to their friends and what looked like girlfriends on a quiet sunday shift. Food was pretty avg. Would definately recommend zizzi. 15% service. LOL. that took the p*ss. Won't be going back in a hurry.

If you put it on the card, tips are taxed, so they really won't mind this option.Tips are taxed if you leave cash too - http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/Taxes/WorkingAndPayingTax/DG_10026509, providing they tell the tax man of course.

Been about four times and never had a bad experience.

In fact, I've been most impressed with the service because a couple of times we've literally descended on the place in numbers (a dozen or more). They've coped, served us with a smile and couldn't be more helpful.

No complaints regarding the food from any of us (for what it is, a chain offering decent food, nothing more, nothing less).

As always, if you've had a bad experience, give the management a chance to rectify it.

I would have seen the management if any had been there...

I love Strada! Great food, much nicer than Zizzi!

Yes I just love places with very slow or no service, havent a clue about wine, staff laze around talking to their partners and a compulsory optional tip on the food with an extra random vitrual bottle or two of wine thrown in for good measure ...

Our service has always been excellent and very quick, and we've never had any problem with the bill. Feel free to stay away from it though as it'll mean it's less busy when I visit to enjoy the nicest Italian food I've had in a very long time.

Another nearly new poster who finds a restaurant good. Forgive my scepticism.

"Our" service and "when i visit"

mmm somewhat contradictory ?

I can only say what I feel as a paying punter.

You can only find a restaurant good if you have posted a lot on this forum? What kind of twisted logic is that?!

I generally don't visit on my own, hence I used 'our' service. Then I said when 'I' visit as I don't always go with the same person. Why are you picking up on something so stupid and irrelevant?

There's nothing wrong with your negative comments or my positive ones as they can only reflect our personal experiences.

Anyone can find a restaurant good.

I'm just suspicious of people who feel the need to register just to say that a restaurant is good.

Well, for me, I normally do judge a restaurant by its food, which is foremost the important one on my list, and then the service.

I like Strada. I know that it is a chain, but I find that it is a better choice for Sheffield's market, than Piccolino. Piccolino is a little bit pricier for what it is as well. They are changing the menu a little bit, and I found it disappointing. I think the Sheffield crowd is a very tough crowd to please. As we don't want to pay too much, but then do want a high standard as well. (Which I do like this kind of mentality.) It should really drive the dining industry to offer something much much better in reality.

I do agree with the food better than the service in Strada. I still recall going in there once before for an evening meal, and found that it was nice fresh food served before me. What is that about in Sheffield ? ;)

I would say it is better food than Antibo used to be.
Not as good as Piccolino for its service.

Anyone can find a restaurant good.

I'm just suspicious of people who feel the need to register just to say that a restaurant is good.

You may notice that I registered in January 2008, a year ago.

I still don't understand why it would be suspicious to register for that purpose though.

Please don't feel the need to respond to this, I don't want this to go on any further.

P.s. Good comments Bago!

Please don't respond. Is that like saying "I'd like the last word please".

You did register quite some time ago, I hadn't noticed. Which does make it less suspicious I agree.
But you can't see why I'd be suspicious of new members joining just to post about how good a restaurant was (one that was being heavily criticised). You can't see why staff or managers or owners might feel tempted to do that?

Isn't this fun! - like that bit in Ulysses, where Bloom suffers the windy prejudice of The Citizen who claims to speak for the nation! And all over a bit of pizza!

This being my second post, I claim - by the logic of deductive reasoning proffered hereabouts - a 100% increase in veracity and sincerity over my previous, and primary, posting. The more I post, the more my meal might escape the status of the merely propagandistic. If I have to do it again, I'm going to sell that bloody restaurant!

No, you don't gain any more credibility by posting in the same thread again.

We went there on Wednesday. Food is nice enough, but the service was terrible. It took them 3 hours to serve us 3 courses - we were kept waiting AGES between courses. They'd also run out of several things on the menu. One person from our table said he had the same experience with slow service a fortnight ago...and his main course arrived cold! I've always recommended Strada but now I am starting to worry...

Went on Tues night. I thought they were ace. Food was nice enough and they gave us a great area. I thought they did really well serving 28 people and although it wasn't fast, that wasn't a problem and the food was really nice - at no point did we feel like we were getting hurried out.
Definitely recommend for a large party and i will go back there again in smaller ones.

Just ate here last night. Had to send my meal back. It has still not improved from the last time I was there. Waiting staff were lovely, but food very average, and hardly plentiful. Anyway, when we got the bill we saw they add a 10% service charge. When asked, they said that if we leave our tip in this way, they will not see a penny of the tip. PLEASE refuse to pay the tip on the bill if you pay by card, and want to see your money go to the waiting staff. We had them deduct the 10%, and we left cash instead. They were well chuffed.

You tipped even though the food had to go back. You're far more generous than I would be.

Isn't this fun! - like that bit in Ulysses, where Bloom suffers the windy prejudice of The Citizen who claims to speak for the nation! And all over a bit of pizza!

This being my second post, I claim - by the logic of deductive reasoning proffered hereabouts - a 100% increase in veracity and sincerity over my previous, and primary, posting. The more I post, the more my meal might escape the status of the merely propagandistic. If I have to do it again, I'm going to sell that bloody restaurant!

Not seen fit to post again in the last 18 months. I guess he's too busy redoing people's meals in the kitchen :hihi:

You tipped even though the food had to go back. You're far more generous than I would be.

I let the person I was with pay this time. They tipped. The service was really lovely. It was just my main course that was not fit for consumption. However, you are right, I probably would not have tipped if I had been paying, on this occasion.

Any update on the service at Strada, how's it looking in 2011?

I found Strada to be a tad too expensive for the "average" food they provide. Service was ok. No problems there.

What do you expect going to a chain?

I've been a few times. It is really not the kind of place I like. It is too large, noisey and the food is average. Fine for a large parties as they can cope with it and you know that you will always have an alright meal and service.

What do you expect going to a chain?

Its hardly McDonalds is it? :rolleyes:
But chain or not, I expect to get good food when paying out my hard earned cash. Especially the amount I paid. Don't you? :huh:

You come across as if chains are beneath you.

Please tell me... You don't use any supermarkets and clothes shop chains either?
.......Or do you?:suspect:

We went last week at 6pm before the theatre. I've eaten in Strada a few times, I know its not haute cuisine, but the food has always been fine. We again had a pleasant meal, and the service was excellent even though it was fairly busy.

And even better, we paid for half of it with £30 of Tesco vouchers. :D

We've been a couple of times recent, food has been very good both times and the service has been good to match, they serve really nice italian fizzy drinks for if your not drinking.

Any update on the service at Strada, how's it looking in 2011?

I found Strada to be a tad too expensive for the "average" food they provide. Service was ok. No problems there.

I went here last night with my OH as a last minute change of plan. We weren't sure, which restaurant to try at Leopold Square. They all appeared to be the chain type of restaurants, which is what we usually try and avoid. However, we wanted Italian so opted for Strada after having looked at all the menus.

I would have to say that I agree with the above comment in that yes it was a "tad too expensive for the average food that they provide" I entirely agree with that statement after visiting last night and wouldn't personally recommend it. I'd much rather spend the same amount on an independent authentic Italian restaurant.

There was no garlic bread to choose from as a starter so we opted for some bread with cheese and we were astonished by how small the serving was when it arrived. We were very hungry. The wine wasn't too good. We ordered a chicken main course. It was simply average, nothing special. We had to order another bowl of chips because they were so tight on the portions. 1 portion is certainly not enough to share there. However, the tiramusu dessert was actually rather nice, but it didn't compensate for a lacklustre starter and main course. Staff didn't seem enthusiastic, looked like they really hated working there, maybe they do? :suspect:

first/last time I went to Strada they brought our mains before we had done with the starters, then said 'oh well you have nearly finished them anyway so can you just have them?'.

Never again.