Don
Giovanni's Italian Restaurant Manchester - reader comments
|
| "They
managed to ruin a very special occasion for me. I went with 10 friends,
we booked beforehand and were told that because there were so many
of us we had to leave a £10 per head deposit. That was fine.
We turned up and they were very rude, saying that
the table wasnt ready yet, we waited over an hour in the bar for the
table to be made up. They shoved us into the corner of the restaurant
and forgot we were there. The service was terrible,
since arriving it took over 2 hours to begin our main course (even
after telling them I was pregnant and needed to eat they made no attempt
to serve us promptly). Main meals arrived but not all the party got
their's, so we all ate at different times. The food
was tasteless, not worth the money they charged. We complained
about the evening and were then threatened by the owner, who shouted
at us in front of the whole restaurant. They forgot about us leaving
a deposit for £100 and took alot of convincing to take this
off the final bill. I have never been shouted at by the owner of a
restaurant because we complained of the awful experience we
have had. Take note... you'd get a more friendly reception at MacDonalds!"
-
rebecca, manchester 23/4/08 (visited on a sat evening) |
|
| "The
food was good and tasty, with a wide selection. However,
there was no designated waiter and the service really lets
it down. We had to remind them about our food - which they
brought straight away once reminded. We had to ask for the coffee
and desserts menu - then had to ask to order! We cancelled our coffees
after waiting for 20 mins after finishing our desserts (which they
then brought over!). We asked for the bill twice which arrived (incorrect)
but was promptly amended. Such a shame because the food was good and
the place is clean and well decorated. However, the
service really needs to be improved - which can be easily done by
a designated waiter" -
bekki, manchester 14/4/08 (visited on a sat evening) |
|
| "We
visited on a Saturday night prior to a show at The Palace (our booking
was 5.45pm). A treat for my Mum. There were three of us. We were seated
straight away and were asked if we wanted drinks. We ordered our food
within 10 minutes of being seated. We waited about 20 minutes but
that was because we did not order starters. When it arrived it was
well presented and you got quite alot. I had to remind
the waiter about the garlic bread we had ordered as a side order but
once reminded it was there immediately. We had dessert which was typical
Italian. We had finished our meal and were on our way to the theatre
by 7pm. All in all a very enjoyable experience. I
would definitely use this restaurant again" -
mrs burrows, st helens 14/4/08 (visited on a sat evening) |
|
"I
am seriously astonished...I think most people who have reviewed this
restaurant must have visited with blinkers on! We booked a table for
a Friday night at 6:45, plenty of time to eat before our film at the
Cornerhouse at 8:30. We arrived on time, and were asked to wait in
the bar for a drink. Very nice we thought, contemporary decor
and design, and it's busy, it must be good. 15 minutes later,
after a selection of 'nibbles' and being frowned upon for having asked
for tap water (God forbid!) we we taken through a maze of misplaced
tables to get to our seats.
Placed right in front of the kitchen and, being a Friday evening,
a hive of activity, we got our menus after 5 minutes (could they not
have given these while we waited at the bar??). 10 minutes later a
waiter (different from the one who had shown us to our seats and the
other who had given us our menu) took our drinks order and we again
asked for tap water...which was met with another disrespectful 'oh,
just tap water, erm, not still, or sparkling? Do you not want any
wine?'. Someone different came back after another 10 mins to take
our food order.
Our starter arrived quickly. I had some bizarre bruschetta with goats
cheese and swirls of highly unnecessary green and red sauce on the
outside which added nothing to the course. My partner had calamari
which was totally overcooked and inedible. We summoned
a waiter over and explained the issue to which we were met with a
defensive, 'it's fine, that's what it is supposed to be like. I'll
take it back if you really want and get you another one?' Had this
person ever eaten proper food?
The main courses arrived not long after, whereas the replacement starter
was nowhere in sight. We trundled on through the main courses - they
were ok, but nothing special. Oh, and the final insult
- we didn't even ask for the bill, they just gave it to us!
You would get better service in McDonalds along the road. Staff
were rude, incompetent, disrespectful and quite obviously incapable
of working in a high pressure restaurant environment. Also,
if they insist on placing you next to the kitchen then their kitchen
staff should be professionally dressed (not in dirty tracksuits) and
shouldn't be having arguments with their colleagues whilst you are
eating alongside.
The food, it was alright, but we can cook better ourselves at home,
which pretty much defeats the point of going out for dinner in our
opinion. This place needs a huge kick up the arse from a Gordon Ramsay
type if its going to have any chance of lasting. Looks aren't everything"
-
jules, manchester 29/3/08 (visited on a friday evening) |
|
| "After
reading the previous reviews, I was a bit dubious, but decided to
book anyway. We all had starters, mains and sweets. The food
was lovely, very tasty and well
presented. Try the Tiramasu, its wonderful! The pasta dishes
were very fairly priced and there is a lot too choose
from. The portion size was generous. I thought the
steaks etc.. were a little on the expensive side, but we specifically
went to an Italian restaurant for the pasta so it didn't matter. My
only criticsm was that there didn't seem to be a dedicated
waiter for any of the tables, so it was a bit confusing as
we were attended by lots of different servers. This seemed to cause
a mix up particularly when ordering drinks. Only half of our first
round of drinks came and it took a while for the missing drinks to
come to the table. Apart from that, it was a lovely evening and the
food was delicious. Well recommended" -
jane walker, chesterfield 28/2/08 (visited on a Sat evening) |
|
| "None
of the employees stopped for a minute. Everybody was on the
ball. Their manager (man with glasses absolutely superb -
the eagle eye - Tireless and perceptive in every way" -
kevin darlington, leicester 4/2/08 (visited on a Sat evening) |
|
| "My
fiance took me here for a romantic meal and I was overwhelmed
with the incredible service and food! The waiters/staff couldnt
do enough for us and were happy to arrange flowers and extras that
my partner asked for to make the evening really special. The
food was superb - a really wide choice of dishes, something
for everyone I would imagine, and the quality was great too. Service
was quick and efficient, atmosphere was lively
but not intrusive or too loud. I was impressed to see Giovanni himself
helping out and making sure things went smoothly. I would recommend
this restaurant for anyone looking for somewhere offering a mix of
class and top quality modern cuisine" -
liz, manchester 25/1/08 (visited on a Thurs evening) |
|
| "Excellent
impression. Clean, perfect, extremely friendly. The
food is Italian and we can´t complain. The service is always
very helpful, discret, profesional. 100% to recommend. Top" -
erick dauer, crewe 30/11/07 (visited on a Sat afternoon) |
|
"The restaurant is in a great location for a pre-theatre meal
for the Palace, Opera House, Bridgewater, Central or the Library Theatre.
We visited early evening pre-Bridgewater. We went for the pasta and
enjoyed an excellent meal in a lively, classy
setting. The food was good value, although
we found the drinks a bit pricey. Overall, though,
fair value for money and definitely one of the best Italian
restaurants in town" -
Ian, Stockton Heath 24/11/07 (visited on a Monday evening) |
|
|
"I went with 4 friends and had a lovely relaxed lunch. Excellent
food, very friendly service, great
value, very comfortable surroundings. In my experience, the
best Italian restaurant in Manchester and I'm going back
again this weekend!" -
Liz Jones, Cheshire 2/11/07 (visited on a Weds lunch) |
|
|
"The restaurant was absolutely heaving when we got there, but the
entire crew were so energetic. It was quite impressive to see the
managers (very smartly dressed) working hard, not just bossing staff
around. All in all a great dining experience. I do
remember their long standing manager (a French-looking man wearing
glasses), being very well spoken, and showing real passion and concern
for everything that went on. I haven't seen that anywhere else. Certainly
a great asset for the company" -
Alex Dimitriou, Manchester 28/10/07 (visited on a Saturday evening)
|
|
|
"Very professional and probably the best service in the UK.
Also excellent food. Excellent value for
money on food and drinks. Highly recommended" -
Daniel Huet, Wrexham 27/8/07 (visited on a Monday evening) |
|
|
"Adequate food, atrocious service. We won't go there
again, and nor should you - unless you plan to spend your evening
sitting and waiting" -
Ged Kelly, Manchester 22/8/07 (visited on a Tuesday evening) |
|
|
"We went there to celebrate our first wedding anniversary, and wanted
a really nice meal out. Only issue with the night was our greeting
at the door, the maitre de seemed confused about our booking, but
then showed us straight to a table. There were 4 of us, and with water
and wine on table, the table did get a bit crowded when food arrived,
but we just moved things around a bit to fit in. We really
enjoyed the meal and the sea bass was excellent. I am not
good at filleting a fish, so the waiter did this for us which was
excellent! Could not fault the food, and all the
staff were extremely friendly. We will definitely
go there again" -
Carolyn Williams, Chorley 2/8/07 (visited on a Saturday evening) |
|
|
"This is an Italian restaurant which has not lost its sense
of being Italian. It has only recently moved over the road
into its modern new premises. The ambience is lovely.
The food was excellent. And the wine list
was affordable!! I would recommend this restaurant to anyone
and we shall definitely go again" -
David Jervis, Warrington 31/5/07 (visited on a Fri evening) |
|
|
"The service absolutety shocking. I got a bottle
of red wine spilled on my lap/jacket without so much of a sorry muttered
under the waiter's breath. The service was so slow we were
actually in the resturant for 3 hours!!! The only thing I
enjoyed was my dessert but even that was charged wrong on
the bill... I'd seriously consider going here unless you
have the patience of a saint and a spare change of clothes!!!" -
Lee Parkinson, Manchester 4/5/07 (visited on a Weds evening) |
|
|
"We went 2 nights running Friday 20th and 21stApril. Friday the food
was better though Saturday was still good. There
were lots more people too. The staff were efficient and friendly.
The Ravioli with mushrooms was superb as a starter
and a good portion size and my wife had sea bass
both times because it was so good. They did
the simple things well which is not very common." -
Roger Bougeard, Jersey 23/4/07 (visited on a Fri & Sat evening)
|
|
|
"It has to be said, I raised my eyebrows when I first saw that Restaurants
Of Manchester had Don Giovanni's rated as the best Italian in town.
I remember their old establishment across the road and I knew it didn't
compare to the likes of Piccolino, Croma, San Carlo and Stock. It
was with much scepticism that I visited their plush new home. The
decor is fantastic and the windows offer a great
view of what's going on outside, although the waiter's found this
a little bit of a distraction as the previous reviewer has pointed
out. My Stecca Di Salmone was poached to perfection,
even if the peppers, onions, and lemon rind did distract my taste
buds as much as the passing ladies seemed to distract the waiters.
I have to say though, I was very impressed and the
food (and price) were well deserving of its elevated status over some
of the city's more celebrated Italians. Maybe it's just the new premises
changing my opinion of the food, in the same way I always find a bottle
of Evian is a lot more refreshing than tap water, but I can't remember
the old Don Giovanni's ever being this good." -
Matthew, Manchester 13/4/07 (visited on a Fri evening) |
|
"I wanted to try an Italian restaurant that where I've not eaten before.
I'd heard great things about the new Don Giovannis and thought I would
check out what was what. The restaurant is very plush
and has not long been open after a move from over the road. They've
gone for a more modern look a departure from the
authentic Italian decor that they used to have. We were greeted by
a waiter, smartly dressed, however he seemed to be more interested
in what was going on outside than us; we were seated and the menus
just thrown down. Service picked up the longer we were sat there and
I would put it down to a momentry lapse in concentration.
To start I had a very nice Verdi Salad, which was ample for the price
and very nice. Then I had Farfalle Della Casa ('action
man bow tie' - Alan Partridge). This was a chicken, broccoli, nuts
and mushroom sauce pasta dish. Again there was loads of it,
great value for money, tasted really scrummy and would be
recommended to anyone who fancies a good pasta dish, infact I'd say
it's much much better than good!
The bill was reasonable and we both remarked on the
price of soft drinks being really good value, all
too often thats where they hit you! I would go here again, but I may
try out some of the other Italian's in town first" -
Nick, Stockport 13/4/07 (visited on a Fri afternoon) |
|
| "These
guys definitely know how to treat customers" -
Ben Ramdani, Manchester 2/4/07 (visited on a Fri evening) |
|
|
