Casanova in Cardiff

Italian restaurant with a more refined offer. Normally a la carte but forcing sometimes a 2 or 3 courses menu. Kind service, slow pace.

everything was excellent, especially the chocolate that came with the Grappa for dessert!

The rating is given relative to the price we paid. The food was good, but it wasn't worth what we paid unfortunately. The flavours weren't strong enough, lacked depth and the small-medium portions meant that it wasn't enough to leave you satisfied that you'd eaten a high quality or large quantity for the £30-40 pp we paid for a starter and main. The presentation wasn't what we've seen in other reviews photographs, maybe it was an off night. Again I want to stress that the food was good, I think just slightly overpriced as other higher quality restaurants are priced similarly and offer a heightened atmosphere, flavour and food sourcing.

Had a wonderful meal last night, the wine and food was all top notch. Will definitely be back. Grazie mille!

Wonderful greeting when we arrived, really delicious lunch menu. Atmosphere and service were excellent, I would highly recommend 💯

Lovely relaxed atmosphere. The staff are very attentive. We had three courses and they were all excellent. The food and wine choices are very good. Had a lovely evening. Would definitely return.

We arrived 20 minutes late to our reservation, but the staff were extremely accommodating and efficient. Menu was seasonal with some regional classics. The Rotolo, Pesce, and Canolo were all highlights with reasonably priced house red. Atmosphere was welcoming and warm.

Visited in the first week after lockdown had a lovely meal which included probably the best pasta dish I've ever had.

Sensational warmth on arrival as a solo stranger. Made me feel very welcomed. A meal that rates as one of my best ever. The beef carpaccio was so good I was going to order a second one. This place is NOT TO BE MISSED!

Me and my partner stumbled upon this place and saw an article in the window interviewing the owner where he was talking about his passion for food and ingredients. We thought we’d give it a go. We came a day later and I am slightly shocked that such an innocuous unpretentious place serves such incredible Italian food. This is without doubt the best Italian food I’ve had in this country, and would rank as one of the best Italian food experiences I’ve had full stop, Italy included. The portions are perfect, not too much, with the perfect balance of making you feel like you want just that little bit more. As for the ingredients- bursting with flavour and each component complementing each other to make a sensational meal. This is one of my favourite places to eat after just one visit!!

The best Italian food in the UK. Must visit when in Cardiff!!

I don't have anything negative to say about this restaurant. The food is DELICIOUS, the staff friendly. I went there by chance, it was next to my hotel. What a happy coincidence! I went there for lunch (23 pounds for starter, main course and coffee, who could say better?) and after enjoying myself, I did it again for dinner. Good Italian food. Here, you won't find the endless carbonara or spaghetti bolognese, it's much finer than that. They have been hailed as the best Italian in Cardiff and I am sure that is the case. I insist: go for it!

Absolutely incredible Italian, highly recommend for family and friends or a date with a loved one. Service was great and the music was on point.

Absolutely superb! Excellent food and amazing service. We will most definitely be returning. Grazie!

Used to be one of my favourite restaurant, absolutely amazing food, I still remember how it amazed me the first time I went, and the super friendly manager who was always so nice to me. Visited so many times during my years in Cardiff. But the last time I went it wasn’t as good as before.

First time in Cardiff, my partner and I bagged ourselves a simply stunning restaurant. You could tell a lot of thought and passion went into each dish. The portion sizes were expected to be smaller but that’s Italian fine dining and personally, we ordered 3 courses along with fresh bread (which was still warm and to die for) and struggled to finish the dessert we were that full. I loved the concept of the smaller menu and didn’t feel overwhelmed with choice, it was perfect. Brilliant selection of wine too and the waiting staff were very helpful and accomodating. I also felt the prices were reasonable considering it is more of a fine dining vibe. Definitely worth a trip if you’re in the area, nicest meal out I’ve had in a while.

We were so very lucky to get a table last night ahead of the concert at the Principality. Cousin recommended it and so glad we went. Food was absolutely stunning, all the staff were lovely. I had a mushroom and truffle risotto followed by chocolate cremoso and it was the best meal I’d had in a very long time. As a vegetarian, it can be tough to get a really good meal these days. Thank you for the very warm welcome and delicious meal.

Muy buena comida y muy buen trato. Nos han atendido súper bien en español y en inglés. La calidad y el sabor de la comida son inmejorables, y la cantidad es muy adecuada. Vimos un menú en internet y al llegar había otro diferente, pero esto no ha sido un problema.

Fabulous restaurant. Wonderful food and great service. Best pasta dish I have ever eaten in the UK. Will definitely return.

This is a proper Italian Restaurant - you could order anything off the menu and know it will be top class! Lovely atmosphere and friendly staff.

The three course lunch for £25 is incredible value

Amazing food and excellent service.

One of the best Italian restaurants in the UK. Delishious food with some creative twist, lovely atmosphere and service. We will defo come back

Love it . Love it!!!!! Fantastic in every way!!!!!!!

The veal was delicious and the desert (all chocolate) wonderful! And thank you so much for the perfect service.

A real good find. A very understated place and one wonders when first entering however, the food was very good. Small menu which is fine by me but tasty well executed food. I will be visiting again soon. Very good Sicilian red wine.

We had lunch here, it took too long, unbelievable long. And waste of time, the food was so-so, and way too spicy for Italian cuisine.

Maybe the best Italian I’ve tried in Cardiff. Epic.

Top notch as always. Warm welcome, smiling faces, great food and great wine. What more could you ask for? Excellent.

By far the most amazing food experience we have had living in South Wales. My husband and I popped in for a last minute meal - not expecting michelin quality. Wow - we had a 5 course taster menu and paired wine which was outstanding. Even dining at Leonardslee House just a few months back didn't compare to this. We will be back for every possible occasion and recommend you try it at least once if you appreciate good food and good wine and outstanding service. Support your local business not a chain like a douchebag.

If you want it fast and cheap, this resturaunt is not for you. Of you want great customer service and authentic, delicious high quality food - you're in for a treat! The staff were welcoming and friendly - we were greeted with smiles and seated in the upstairs area of the restuarunt. It felt cosy and authentic. The menu, although small (which I personally, prefer) had options to suit all. Some in our party requested slight variations on the menu (dairy free, for example) and this was delivered with no fuss. We spent a lovely few hours enjoying the food and atmosphere, without being rushed. I would absolutely recommend this resturaunt and look forward to retuning!

5/5 Once again food was superb! The peposo di manzo was superd,the beef melted in my mouth and the parmesan mash was sublime,and not a spag boll,or tiramasu any were near the menu thank God! I thoroughly recome d this restaraunt,

Very friendly staff and really enjoying a nice meal today with family.

Restaurant foreplay is checking the menu before even setting foot in the establishment. To my surprise, that was a waste of time here as they had a better Christmas menu! Ragu was amazing but the cremoso! Heavy dark chocolatey with the ice cream and the peanuts, it did not disappoint. It was that good I might even invite my real dad here after disappearing for 20 years to apparently ‘get some milk from the shop.’

Superb as always. The food and wine are amongst the best in Cardiff

Visited here as a group of 12 friends. Table was booked for 6pm and food was pre-ordered weeks before. We must have waited about 90 minutes before the 1st course started to arrive by which time we were all starving. The food, when it arrived, was excellent and full of flavour but portion sizes were miniscule with no additional vegetables. The wine list, whilst extensive, listed only Italian wines. The serving staff were friendly and helpful. Whilst we all had a good night we left still feeling hungry. Not sure about a second visit.

They accommodated us without reservation. Small Italian restaurant. Crowded and noisy sometimes. Set menu with very good quality food. Slow cooked Welsh lamb is a must. The manager didn't visit our table and wasn't very talkative, even basic greetings. His colleague compensated everything. She gave us the best service. Anyway, if you like fine Italian cuisine, you should not miss it.

First time experience there for lunch on Monday and it's one of the best restaurants in the city, service was excellent and food was even better, a little on the pricier side but considering the food on offer it's well worth the price

I am so glad we found this restaurant. The food was amazing and the staff wonderful. We will definitely be returning.

We received a warm welcome on arrival and good service. The food was very good, the best we have eaten in Cardiff. The lunch menu is small, just a few starters and mains, but freshly cooked and well presented. We will certainly go back.

Absolutely fantastic evening here. The four of us had a good range of meals and each one was cooked to perfection and presented brilliantly. Nothing was too much to accommodate from the staff and we were well looked after throughout the evening. Will 100% be booking back at the earliest opportunity

Beautiful small Italian restaurant in the city centre. Service was flawless from start to finish and the food was phenomenal. I have never had a specials list explained with such passion and detail, a perfect meal.

Excellent fine dining. Small menu, but everything freshly prepared and great. A little expensive but worth it for a special treat.

Wonderful place with such a lovely staff!

After a long day shopping, this restaurant was just what we needed.Made to feel very welcome and the waiter very attentive without being 'pushy'.Both the food and the white wine I ordered were spot on and would most definitely return.

Cosy friendly, family run. Small menu, be brave, beautiful well thought out delicious. Wine choices luscious. Undoubtedly the best way to dine in Cardiff

Excellent food and wine, great location, intimate restaurant. Attentive staff but not overbearing. A lovely night out.

Having been 2 times before and had great meals went again expecting prious highs. Sadly disappointed. Mackerel in starter was tired & lacked taste & the black pudding with it had a lingering unpleasant taste. Despite copious glasses of water, I couldn't get rid of it. The fish risotto main was far too seasoned. La Pruina red, sold as good company for both fish and meat was virtually undrinkable apart from with meat. The lamb main was good.

Poor service from the moment we walked in the door. There was only 1 waiter doing everything front of house and to say he was overstretched is an understatement. Specials weren't offered to us which was gutting as I would have had the risotto in a flash. Disappointed the starters were served chilled. Mains however were delicious! Would highly recommend the pork with chorizo mash. Nice enough but I wouldn't rush to return.

Lovely Italian restaurant, with good location and experienced attendants who I think are also Italians.

We were in Cardiff and looked for a different Italian restaurant. Can’t understand why we’ve not been here before. The food was very well presented and flavoursome. The chef obviously cares about his menu. House wine was rich and well chosen. Will definitely be back.

It was good but a very long wait for our food and there was only 1 other table occupied . Not sure I would go again

Awesome food in general… we visited as two couples, I had the pork cheeks with porcini risotto, my partner had the lamb ragu as mains with desserts to follow.. all full of flavour and washed down with a recommended Roman red wine.. delicious.. Nice intermit atmosphere with the owner and waitress offering an attentive service.. We will come again…!

Maybe I'm a little harsh - it was mostly excellent. I just wanted a little more. Perhaps some more nicely done veg on the side of the main dishes. Or more options than the house wine to drink by the glass. But the food we ate was very good. Nice crostini to start and the ragu as a main also very good too.

Always perfect. Food. Service. Wines A wonderful restaurant that always delivers. Lovely staff and marvellous food

Certainly the best food I've had in Cardiff. The staff and the chef know exactly what they're doing. Great food at a fair price.

Everything was first class staff were delightful

Lovely service and great food. Unassuming place but a really good find. Shame we live so far away to come back often!

Positiv upplevelse. Det var en av de bästa lasagner jag ätit!!! Så god!! Servicen var perfekt. Klart överraskande och rekommenderas starkt!!!

We had a wonderful meal and the service was excellent, very welcoming, friendly & attentive. We ordered the 5 course taster menu which was delicious and exceeded our expectations, it was superb. Book a table you wont be disappointed.

From the moment you arrive you know you are going to enjoy a fabulous meal. The front of house staff are caring and attentive and David, the star chef, is a great personality as well as a man who knows and loves food. The ingredients are top quality and the food is stunningly wonderful, the wine lists is a tome but for a delicious wine there is no need to look any further than the house wines. The menu changes daily and it is dependent on locally sources products, the style of cooking would best be describe as Welsh Italian fusion.

We had a very good meal with good sevice

Best Italian cuisine I've had outside of Italy

Absolutely amazing service, food and atmosphere. Molto bene grazie!

Semplicemente STRAORDINARIO! Normalmente non amo andare nei ristoranti italiani all'estero perché sono rimasta spesso delusa ma da Casanova è stata un'esperienza culinaria da ripetere e da consigliare sicuramente.

Excellent restaurant, exquisite food, great service. Menu not extensive and a lovely touch of hand-written specials

Not your average menu,far better.Good value too

Nothing in Cardiff compares to Casanova. If you like real food this is your place. Had the beef with red wine Risotto and it tasted as good as it looked! Thank you again Casanova for a memorable meal.

Delicious meal at Casanova this month. I honestly couldn’t fault it. This place is tucked away down Quay Street alongside Asador44 and La Pantera (two other places I love). Despite Casanova being open the best part of 20 years I’d actually never been before and I have no idea why. The service was friendly, fast and fuss free. For part of this meal, we were the only diners in the restaurant but we didn’t feel pressured or watched. The food was tasty and I just kept giving my partner tasters of mine because he “just had to try it”. I went for: 🐠 smoked haddock and leek risotto - gorgeous texture with all the flavours coming through 🐷 Maiale - not a trio but a quartet of pork in the form of sausage, black pudding (which was deliciously spiced), belly (which was melt in the mouth good with a crisp top) and the softest most tender cheek. Apple ketchup was a big hitter. 🧀 🍷 A cheese paired with a glass of Passito Rosso to finish - what can I say It was great to be in an Italian which was truly focused on Italian cuisine across the board, not just an endless list of pizza and pasta. The interior is simple, not fussy but in a way where you feel you're still out for a nice meal. One of the pieces of decor was a map of Italy, used by our server to showcase where regional dishes and wines on the menu originated from. It was so nice to see them taking great pride and joy to explain this to us. I left with a huge smile on my face, a full tum and a love for food as strong as could be. I really want to go back now for their Italian tasting experience

The food, wine and service are of the highest standard . This is my third visit and I’ll be back . Add a bit of advice on holiday destinations in Italy, this made for a terrific evening meal .

Visited for lunch and once again Casanova ticked all the boxes from quality of food to service. This really is a gem in the middle of the city. Surpasses all other!

Very nice Italian restaurant with very friendly people serving our meal and drinks, based on the critics on the website we decided to visit this small restaurant in Cardiff and had a very lovely evening with very good plates and wine, absolutely recommended.

The most wonderful restaurant with a fantastic atmosphere, absolutely fabulous flavourful fresh food and 5 STAR customer care provided by Salim. THE VERY BEST RESTAURANT IN WALES. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

10 out of 10 for the food here. Absolutely delicious. Will definitely return The owners / staff are extremely attentive also. A bit noisy downstairs. Will probably reserve a table upstairs in future but will be recommending this place to everyone

Called in today on the off chance they had a table and we were so lucky they did! They were very accomodating making room for baby in pushchair and very accomodating for us and our baby. The food was absolutely stunning and it has topped our list for our favourite place in Cardiff to eat. Would highly recommend, we had 3 courses and it was fantastic value for money.

Outstanding dinner for 5 of us! Quite a small menu but the food was amazing, The service was excellent, very knowledgeable staff, Everything was very tasty, well presented and thought out but, for me, the dessert was truly the star of the show - panna...

Very traditional Italian food though never boring as the menu is constantly updated and the dishes are never too simple. Wonderful staff to boot.

The perfect restaurant for my wife's 40th. We have travelled to Italy many times and tasted food from across the country. The tasting menu was like taking a trip back through those many holidays over our years together. Each course reminded us of a different memory. Thank you.

Exceptional service and attention to detail. The manager saw that one of our party had cold hands as she sat down, so gave us a glass with hot water and insulating paper towel. That is truly 6 star detail. The food matched the service. Delicious...

Had the most fabulous meal. Everything we had was delicious. The serving staff were lovely..friendly and helpful but not intrusive. Very highly recommended.

We have eaten here regularly over the last year, including taking large parties there. We have never had anything other than faultless food. The team are always welcoming, the menu constantly varies as there are specialities of the day, and the price is very reasonable...

Fantastic restaurant. Great food, authentic and lovely with a good wine selection. The staff are super.

Wonderful Italian dishes and lovely welcome

Lovely Italian restaurant with great food. The restaurant is cosy and has a nice ambience. We were shown to a table near the window downstairs. This was a lunchtime visit on a Friday. We chose off the Christams Menu 3 Courses £40. For starter, I...

Went to Casanova for lunch to celebrate my birthday. Delicious meal and served sensitively with friendly waiters. Will definitely come back next time I am in Cardiff

Not eaten here for quite a while so it was nice to be greeted by a familiar friendly face. A busy lunchtime with all tables downstairs occupied so we sat upstairs. Small but interesting lunch set menu from which I chose pumpkin soup followed by...

We stubbled upon this little restaurant while wandering around the city. It was busy at 2pm on a Monday. I went in on the off chance they had a table for that evening and was greeted by a very friendly Italian gent who kindly booked...

Delicious food and nice people! Really nice wine selection too.

Come here with a group of 11 work colleagues for a Christmas outing on a Wednesday lunchtime. The Christmas menu had plenty of choice, and I ended up going for the starter of Ham hock terrine, followed by rigatoni with a ragù of venison and...

Great food as always - my favourite Italian within the city.

Delicious food, great value, very tasty wine. Would definitley return

First time at this restaurant. Lovely food, well presented and really tasty.

Long established but still great restaurant - daily specials and reliable favourites on menu every time. Charming staff always able to advise well, especially on wines.

From the outside this place may look a bit like a cheap cafe but it is far from that. Food was freshly cooked and tasted devine. Service was superb and the waiters knowledge of the menu was excellent. We asked for his wine recommendation and he produced the perfect bottle. There were four of us eating and every single plate went back empty. Would recommend you book as this place is popular.

This is our 4-5th time dining here and each time has been consistently excellent. We opted for the tasting menu at 55pounds each which was great value and allows you to sample what the chef is proud of. This isn't your chain style Italian so...

Excellent restaurant. Authentic Italian cooking. Carpaccio was really tasty as was the pasta. Decent choice of wines, friendly service.

Superb in all departments... Enough said!

1st time for me,and boy was it good The Amatrian was superb I cleaned the plate,and the canola was the perfect fit with the obligatory espresso. The staff were very attentive,checking with me that everything was OK This is not your typical Italian restaurant, but...

Food was beautiful and really delicious. I love its mood too!

The small menu means that the food being prepared is fresh and made to order--this is not a place to go if you're in a hurry. Go here to savor the moment. Salim, the manager, made us feel right at home and recommended dishes based...