Don Giovanni Riverside Restaurant in South Oxfordshire

The welcome and service were very good. The staff were genuinely charming and attentive. It was spotlessly clean and tidy. The food was also very good. We had the sea bass and a fillet steak aux poivres. But we were the only diners there. Perhaps because it is the end of the season, and/or it being an out of the way place. An empty restaurant is sometimes a little off putting, through no fault of the restaurant. The food presentation appears to be in something of a time warp and could be brought up to date. Apart from this "minor" point all was fine and enjoyable.

Another amazing supper at Giovannis last evening. We took some friends who it was their first visit and they absolutely loved the food , service and ambience. We moor our boat on their moorings for the night which is great. The food was excellent as usual. The staff are so accommodating and friendly. Cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough. Authentic Italian food with beautiful views of the Thames.

Unfortunately, we have had a very disappointing experience at this restaurant. A group of 6 of our family have got together for my mum's birthday, and have all traveled quite far to have a lovely meal with my mum at a seemingly high-end restaurant. My stepdad had chosen this restaurant with thought to make the day special. I am vegan. My stepdad had called in advance to ask if the restaurant can cater to a vegan diet, and they said yes. My mother and grandmother are both vegetarian, but lean more towards a vegan diet if the venue caters to it, which the manager assured us in advance they did. So they both chose the vegan option in this instance. I would like to note that the rest of the party are full meat eaters. When we arrived, we were assured that the chefs have prepared something vegan that we are sure to enjoy, but it was secretive as to what it was. Now, this is a high-end Italian restaurant with beautiful seafoods and meats, and not with a cheap price tag. I would like to note in advance, I am not a fussy eater whatsoever, and understand that if I am to go out for a meal with my omnivore family, I will sometimes have to accept a more basic meal that chefs have kindly put together for me for my requirements. I would never contend this, and do fully understand that sometimes my options will be limited. On this instance however, I feel like my dietary choices were used against me as a personal insult. We were each served a plate of frozen vegetables, boiled with no seasoning, straight from a freezer bag. Our other plate we were each served was straight from the freezer as well, consisting of two frozen vegan chorizo sausages, three frozen fishless fingers, and a chicken kiev filled with dairy cheese. All atop a bed of sad, limp lettuce. Now, imagine those were all standard meat products, and try imagining that as your "surprise constructed meal" at a restaurant that charges no less than £20 for a plate. I asked for the manager, who showed me all the freezer packaging and confirmed in fact yes it is dairy cheese. He was not concerned or sorry at all. Luckily for me, my diet is only a preference and not an allergy. Be warned if you have allergies, these guys have zero concern. The manager was totally dismissive. Please see included photos for how dire the meal looks. And I am sure plenty of closed-minded people will read my review and think I am the problem for being vegan. Honestly, if a very expensive Italian restaurant cannot imagine the very basics of: - Basil, pine nut and olive oil pasta - Avocado salad - Creamy mushroom pasta (with coconut milk or dairy-free cream) - Spinach ravioli - Pizza with no cheese and a couple of veggies Then I am slightly embarrassed that the restaurant is able to put a £14 pice tag on a dish consisting of nothing more than four prawns cooked in butter. The manager was totally condescending and had no intention of apologising or learning from mistakes. He said he can have a free drink on our next visit - as if he expects us to visit again. This was my mum's birthday dinner. As I have mentioned, I am not a fussy eater. But the food we were served was insulting and frankly embarrassing for a group of people who call themselves Italian chefs. I cook more exquisite Italian food at home with my discounted Lidl ingredients and 3 minutes of searching on Google recipes. Again, if you are a meat eaters and think a plate of two chorizo sausages, three fish fingers and a chicken kiev served on wet lettuce is your idea of fine dining, please, buy a cook book and use your imagination. I am really not the pretentious vegan character that some reading this may think. I'm easy-going and relaxed about food. Wet broccoli and a sad fishless finger just wasn't in my mind for my fine-dining Italian meal which the manager had confirmed a week in advance could cater to a different diet. All together, we still spent £170 a couple of drinks, and a couple of mediocre meat-based pasta dishes. Who knows what it would have cost if they wanted us to pay for the "authentic" Italian Tesco freezer items too. Happy birthday, mum.

This is an idyllic location overlooking the Thames and countryside. We were blessed with a perfect sunny day and enjoyed both the excellent food and friendly service.

We had a great time, but it wasn’t enhanced by our experience at this beautiful riverside setting. The riverside furniture is tired and needs tlc, staff are friendly but not attentive, menu is far too overpriced.

Oh. Food quality has really gone down. Fritto Misto tough and overcooked. Veal like mince, no aubergine. Poor wine selection. Desserts stale. Won’t be back.

The setting on the bank of The Thames is magical and as always the staff were very welcoming and made the whole experience a dinner to remember. I started with the Antipasto di Mare whilst my wife had the Gamberoni alla Griglia and both were excellent. For our main course, I had Lasagna and it was delicious. My wife had the calves liver with sage, another hit. The meal was accompanied with a great bottle of Nero D’avola. We will be returning again. There is a new chef for this Summer and the food has moved to a higher level.

Absolutely lovely venue. The food is amazing, the location beautiful and the staff can't do enough for you. We felt like we were sat in Italy with the music, atmosphere and hospitality. We will most definitely be visiting again

What a fantastic restaurant in the best possible location on the Thames. The food was perfect and the staff were exceptional. We came by boat and moored up outside. We arrived late on Sunday (closes 3pm) but we’re happy for us to take our time. They also welcomed our dog. This is truly a perfect restaurant whatever the weather as the inside is lovely and still offers views of the river. The outside area is also covered if necessary. We came last year on another boat trip and it was just as good. We love this place and hope to be back soon.

We have eaten dinner at the restaurant several times now and I have to say the food is always amazing, the staff are superb and look after you so well. We are able to moor our boat out front overnight. I totally recommend this restaurant to anyone who loves fabulous Italian cuisine, wonderful service from waiters with a lovely riverside view as well. Thank you to the team and look forward to visiting again soon.

I stopped with my family in Goring and we found this Italian restaurant on the river. We are Italian and we wanted to try as it looked nice. The location is stunning but the food quality is really, really terrible and overpriced. I think I’ve never eaten that bad in many years. Starter tasteless, carbonara and lasagne not authentic, they looked not fresh and absolutely awful. Plus, the restaurant itself is very bad maintained and filthy. The staff was lovely and friendly but the management should do something about the restaurant considering all the bad reviews!

We had amazing lunch date in this lovely restaurant. As surprise from my boyfriend. Place .. Views is amazing, passing boats and wild birds.. very beautiful. Plenty sitting area outside. Very cosy inside. All the staff was very so friendly and welcoming. Amazing food.. cook to perfection.. couldn’t find any fault. Outstanding! Such nice flavours and juicy meat. I haven’t tasted anything better. Even roasted potatoes was the best I ever tried. Complimentary bruschetta was such delightful surprise. As I had in my mind ohh no bruschetta on menu. And then there you go they delivered it to you and plus some olives! What a surprise! For starters we had raw beef.. not sure what was actually called, and it was the best fillet of beef I ever tried, I wouldn’t ever think that raw beef can taste like that!! Amazing! Grilled Tuna steak and prawns for main was so delicious. So juicy. Had smoked flavour, like cooked on bbq. Not sure how was that done and it was delicious! Tiramisu for pudding was so refreshing and so light.. again the best ever! I love tiramisu! All meal was such flavours and texture celebration in my mouth! I felt like I spend couple hours in Italy. Thank you to the amazing chef and all the staff who served us! Definitely be back again! And recommend to everyone who loves Italian kitchen!

What a pleasant dining spot to visit and gaze at the river! Plenty of tables. Lovely staff, not maybe the quickest but delightful and cheering. Food was very nicely cooked and a good variety. We’ll be back!

We found this gem on Google maps on a random night out. On arrival we found out, there is a new chef so we were excited to try. The river side seating was amazing and scenic. The staff were welcoming, super friendly and easy going. On the top of the food we ordered, we received complimentary Bruschetta and Olives to start our meal. The starters, the mains were amazing. Steak perfectly cooked. Fish well presented and well prepared. (Dishes are coming with a huge amount of green leaves. I loved that!) Desserts are simple and on point. A slice of pre-made happiness. I would definitely recommend. The location of the place with the always moving nature and the boats is amazing. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. We have got the friendly welcoming. The service was attentive, without being pushy. They were all so genuine, they were made us feel like we had known each other long time. We have got the service we didn’t know we wanted. Special thanks to Alex (with the baseball bat), Roger, Lina and David for making our dinner so special.

What a beautiful place. Booked for anniversary dinner. Torrential rain but nothing was too much trouble. Food delicious, service second to non. What delightful people. We’ll be back very soon. Thank you for a very memorable and happy evening.

We have just had the most amazing celebratory anniversary lunch for 7 of us at Giovannis. A mix of choosing from the set price lunch menu (amazing value) and the a la carte. All of which were absolutely amazing, plentiful and full of flavour. We...

I’ve been coming to this restaurant for years! Huge improvement with the new chef! Probably not the best food but the service fabulous and the scenery unrivalled ! Set lunch menu affords quite good value for money and the wine reasonably priced ! Certainly worth...

Frankly it would be tricky to screw up an evening on the Thames riverside at a renowned location. And they didn't. Friendly and professional service, tasty dishes. Bruschetta and olives compliment of the house was an unexpected nice touch. And it was crunchy. The Branzino...

Booked the pontoon in advance with our meal on the morning of our visit. Arrived in the afternoon to find the pontoon empty. Moored up and enjoyed the river for the rest of the afternoon before our fabulous evening meal. Perfect fillet steak and delicious...

I have eaten here many many times over the last couple of years in the summer months with friends and family. Make sure you get a table near the water as this place is all about the setting. I wouldn't recommend sitting inside as the...

We first visited Don Govannis last year and really enjoyed the meal, service and the views, recent reviews haven’t been great however we had enjoyed it so much last time we decided to ignore the recent reviews and try it again and I’m so glad...

very pleasant and welcoming space. the employees are always busy but always attentive at the tables and very friendly. very good food with a flavor that reminds me of italy. quality price is acceptable wine and food. I will definitely come back

Disappointed - great venue but the food didn’t live up to expectations. We chose to eat indoors as it was chilly and not enough heaters. Indoors was uninspiring with no atmosphere . The owner was attentive but other staff seemed too busy with larger parties...

We went here for my husband’s birthday last night & I wished I’d looked at Tripadvisor before booking. The setting was amazing, but from there it all went downhill. The food was average at best and the presentation seemed to be stuck in a 1970’s...

They have a new chef and the service was the best I’ve had there and all are very pleasant. The food is much improved, but that wouldn’t be hard. Had the spaghetti vongole, it was seasoned and flavoursome. The location, superb weather and attentive staff...

The setting at Don Giovani is perfect. I have been a fan of them for many years but AT LAST - the service was superb,the food delicious and could not fault anything at all. Well done with your new chef…. You deserve to be fully...

Visited Don Giovanni's last night with my Daughter in Law as she told me they had brought over a new chef. Mama mia - i had the veal from the specials list and it was the best meal i had had at this restaurant. The...

I have been coming to Don Giovanni's since they opened! I have been here for many family lunches and family functions, whether we are there for just a lunch or a big party, Erasmo and his team are so welcoming, a true Italian-family feel dining....

I booked a group into the restaurant on two subsequent weekends in early October, to celebrate my 50th birthday. The first weekend everything went like clockwork and I had a very enjoyable meal with friends - good food, good wine, attentive staff and great atmosphere,...

Recently was treated to lunch here by Antonio Santelia himself. Having watched him cook our meal with such passion & focus, I couldn’t wait to eat. It certainly didn’t disappoint. Best Italian food I’ve eaten without a doubt. Lovely location & friendly staff makes me...

Despite mediocre reviews from friends who live locally, we decided to give this place a second chance. Firstly the positives- the setting is fantastic and very nicely laid out. Service was borderline adequate. I had to ask a couple of times where my drinks where,...

Haven't been since many years ago when it wasn't an Italian Restaurant. Was keen to try it, but what a let-down. We went for lunch. Starters were fine. Main courses were a different matter. My wife ordered a steak, medium-well done. It was seriously overcooked,...

This was our first visit and will be our last. The whole restaurant especially the toilets and all outside furniture needs revamping. We ate outside, but I had the misfortune on using the toilets inside the restaurant and they were in desperate need of cleaning...

Food was really poorly presented and hellish expensive Drinks far too expensive. The whole place is selling itself on it's position and charging for the privilege the manager was surly and seemed bored with having9 to deal with customers!!! The place really does need some...

Very disappointing. Nice riverside setting. No beers just bottled larger. Asked for gin with only few ice cubes. It arrived full of ice. I sent it back and it came back with ice scooped out. Also served with all tonic poured in rather than served...

Lovely looking restaurant on the River Thames. Most of the staff were lovely, apart from the rude waiter who told me he was ‘too busy’ to get me the Parmesan cheese. They were helpful getting us a mooring nearby but, sadly, the food was average...

This was the second and last time we have visited. The first was at the end of their season, yes, they close half of the year. This time we expected the summer sun and the location to inspire them in the service and kitchen department....

The restaurant has a beautiful view of the river and the country surrounding it and the service was brilliant with some of the kindest people I’ve ever met :) highly recommend and we will definitely be returning! They could do with a kids menu or...

We came down to the Leatherne Bottel for a quiet dinner. The setting was beautiful - one of the hottest days of the year, sat on the Thames riverside. However whilst waiting for our main course, an Elvis impersonator started playing - sounds like I’m...

This is only one of a few restaurants that we found on cruising the River Thames. The main meals of veal and vitello funghi with cream were good but the veal sauce was a little cold a bit congealed but nice. The highlight was the...

The most beautiful location on a tranquil stretch of the Thames. So, a promising start to what turned out to be a rather disappointing evening. Rather superior attitude from the waiting staff and average food at above-average prices. Definitely got the impression there was no...

Had a reallly enjoyable evening here. Really good mooring for our boat. Fabulous food, good menu, plenty of choice. Very friendly and attentive staff, nothing was too much trouble, even to providing blankets to us seated on terrace next to the river. We will definately...

What a fantastic bsr and restaurant. Fabulous riverside location. Grest staff, friendly and professional. Good menu choice, plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Parking available.

Easy to moor from the river. Lovely food. Attentive service. Couldn’t be more happy. Thank you so much. Hope to come back soon.

The setting is wonderful. Right on the Thames. A lovely day as well. So really disappointing. Service was erratic. The waiter kept changing. Menu could do with more variety in the meat section. Steak and veal that seems to be it. I ordered the mixed...

The resterant is in lovely location we dined on a Monday night some of the items were off the.menu to be expected but plenty of choice. Nicely cooked and attentive polite staff. But not intrusive . great for small wedding A very enjoyable evening thanks...

We enjoyed a lovely lunch albeit seated inside, due to weather conditions at this restaurant. The homemade pasta was excellent as was the desserts - large portion of this so be warned. The setting is very very scenic and I would think that during the...

Eight of us went for a celebration and were seated in an outdoor table. One of the guests had a well behaved old labrador, and was promptly lectured by a waiter (I think he was Portuguese) about how bad behaviour was not tolerated. He was...

Tasteless overpriced and amateurish food great setting but a very unprofessionally run establishment most disappointing.

A meal has to be awful for me to consider placing a bad review on tripadvisor as I am well aware of the turbulent times the industry has experienced recently. However, this was an experience that I have never had will not be repeating. We...

How a restaurant that used to offer good food can have slipped so far. I had veal in cream and mushroom sauce the sauce had separated was thick and tasteless due to using Tesco white mushrooms which have no flavour there are many types of...

Tried booking online as been to Don Giovanni but no answer shame as the place is nice but not answering is very poor service

Stunning setting but the food was of mixed quality. Vegetariano got good reviews but my veal was in a sauce that you could cut. Disappointed

We went for lunch today and we were expecting a high standard of food and service. No only were we disappointed with the quality of service but the food fell well blow our expectations both for content and value for money. I ordered the Grilled...

Don Giovanni’s has a stunningly beautiful riverside location and sadly the food and the restaurant were disappointing.

The staff were great as was the food. However the food was a little overpriced for what you got (eg £13 for 5 prawns and some garlic butter) as a starter. We ate outside under the new covered pergola which is smart (assuming the floor...

Dropped in on a quiet mid afternoon, they couldn’t have been ruder or more unwelcoming. Everything was too much trouble. Will pop back when hell and the Thames freezes over.

We went here with our grandparents, and the food was so delicious (just like the last time we were here!). The customer service was so good, the waiters were so friendly and charming! :) Very pretty location too!

Had dinner here last night with friends which was our second visit. The service was excellent from the minute we arrived to the time we left. They were friendly, helpful, fun and attentive. The food was brilliant, we had fillet steaks which were cooked exactly...

I first visited this little gem last Wednesday 21st July. Amazing venue, sitting right by the Thames in idyllic surroundings. The food is proper Italian cuisine. Everything about this place is perfect for me. Run by a family from the Amalfi coast they sure know...

The setting of this restaurant is fabulous as it’s on the banks of the river Thames in Goring. The tables are set out on a large terrace it feels spacious and is well lit, but sadly the food is average and does not match the...

The restaurant is in a stunning setting by the river and it was a lovely sunny evening. The waiter was pleasant and chatty to start with but then suddenly changed. We asked for the dessert menu to which were told there was not much on...

Great hospitality, food and service. Family staycation lunch and the location is sublime on a sunny day. Relaxed, friendly staff, the pasta was fresh and delicious, the sea bass cooked beautifully and calf’s liver arrived pink as requested and a generous serving. All the vegetable...

You are paying for the view and location not the food. Starter of tuna £13 for a small piece of tuna (which I appreciate is an expensive fish) and iceberg lettuce - not very italian. Similar for starter of 3 "mediterranean" prawns. Main course prawn...

Avoid if you can. We love Italian food and this place is a disgrace. Location is beautiful but the food and service is below zero. Not worth the money. We are a couple and my partner is a chef and I am a food blogger....

We went and had lunch on Sunday 30th May at 1pm for 8 people. Sadly it was terrible service and just unbelievably bad food. It was an absolutely beautiful day and we had a perfect table outside. Everything was perfect when we arrived and we...

We were looking forward to an evening meal at this restaurant as local friends had recommended it. We arranged a mooring outside as we were boating on the Thames and it was a beautiful evening as we moored up at the idyllic location. Unfortunately the...

We had our 25th Wedding Anniversary lunch with 20 guests on Sunday 26th. The manager and staff were wonderful very attentive very helpful. The service was not rushed!! time to catch up and enjoy the amazing views. Food was lovely everyone choose from the menu...

From the very start the service was poor. We were left for ages before a member of staff came to take our order. The starters came. One member of the party had prawns to start. There were 3 very small over cooked prawns on the...

As a local resident we have avoided this restaurant for a couple of years given our last experience was poor service and average food priced expensively. However, we went last night and loved it. We sat outside under heaters with the river a few feet...

We arranged to meet with people for the first time so did not want to make a scene. This was for lunch but service was very slow, one waiter even telling us he was in a bad mood. The food was a very poor standard...

Stunning riverside location five minutes drive outside Goring on Thames. Fabulous views over the river to pristine English countryside. We had booked a table for lunch but that carried absolutely no weight at all as the waiters ignored us for over five minutes. They seemed...

I have now eaten at Don Giovanni 3 times. The food is excellent but the service slow and poor. Today we had to place an order 3 times and it was slow in coming. When guests are seated, drink orders and table water should be...

Such a wonderful time at Don Giovanni. We were sat right by the river and had the most beautiful view of the countryside. Staff were friendly and attentive. This was one of the most amazing meals I've ever hard. The pasta is handmade and tastes...

Beautiful location, staff were friendly and service very quick. You are paying for the location so prices a bit on high side - that being said we had the spaghetti alla carbonara - a simple dish but still hard to find it done well in...

Sublime riverside setting with helpful and courteous staff is a great start to any visit. The food was sublime - the fried fish starter was standout, as was the lobster and prawn pasta which I had for my main course. Very good wines and mooring...

A great riverside location with all the trimming to make outdoor dining perfect. We sent a email ahead as we are taking a boating holiday on the River Thames and had passed it, noting they had moorings. We got a quick response and we’re made...

Had lunch here today and we were made to feel so welcome by the staff even though we were dressed for hiking rather than dining. We sat outside in the sun by the river and were served delicious food and wine. What’s not to like....

Beautiful setting, lovely food. A little expensive but the portions are big and service was great. Unfortunately it was very quiet so no atmosphere! However the food was good so I would recommend - the pasta is particularly good and definitely seems homemade.

We enjoyed our 35th wedding anniversary here, arriving by boat & mooring up overnight - right outside the restaurant. Miguel & Lino could not have been better hosts, even making us coffee for the somewhat bleary next morning.

Asked for G n T - all the bottled tonic had been poured into the glass so could barely taste the gin! So had to order more gin. We were asked about 6 times if we were ready to order lunch - we had made...

Had had a nice walk on the Ridgeway, hoped for a drink on the beautiful riverside terrace here. But they were closed! Do they not want the business from all the hundreds of walkers going past looking for refreshment on sunny Sundays? Very odd. There...

Not a restaurant we would consider revisiting as they made no attempt to meet my request for a slight meal alteration! Can you offer a saltimboca - no! - can I have dish without mushrooms - yes! - can I have carrots - no! -...

the ambience, the food and the customer service was just perfect 👌 the waiters were enthusiastic and knowledgeable of their products. The setting is beautiful by the river at night. If we ever come this way again we will definitely go back. Well done Don...

Excellent lunch at Sunday lunchtime. Prosciutto and melon starter was flavourful and the prawn starter juicy and nicely spiced. Both sea bass dishes we had were excellent, the spaghetti alla vongole a delight and the vegetarian cannelloni thoroughly enjoyed. As always the deserts were scrumptious....

Amazing cocktails & complimentary snacks, best restaurant we’ve been to since lockdown’n amazing views too!! Thank you especially to our waiter!!

A most happy lunchtime experience, equaled by the delightful setting and helpful and attentive staff. The menu was varied and encouraged one to return to sample further offerings on the menu. If the weather is a little doubtful for outside dining, don’t let this dissuade...

We've eaten at Don Giovanni's many times before and always had nothing but good things to say about it. Yesterday was the first time we'd ventured out to eat, post-lockdown though, and despite reading some of the recent bad reviews, we decided to head here...

Fabulous lunch! Great river location and views. Wonderful food and such amazing service! Will definitely return. Thank you so much for a very memorable time!

Food good but decor and ambiance very dated. Not been to a restaurant with ash trays on tables for about 20 years. Setting on the river is great but can’t rate higher than below average. Wasted opportunity.

Visited this restaurant for my son’s birthday, we were a party of 11 and i have to say i was shocked by the lack of products and shoddy service, although one of the waiters did make soe effort to build rapport, most couldn’t care less!...

Lunch today. V pleasant setting outside. Was pretty busy as Rishi meal deal on....but service was brisk and pleasant. Food/drinks came in reasonable time. The house offer of bruschetta style pieces of bread + olives welcome but pretty tasteless unfortunately. Starters mostly all went down...

Dear oh dear! This is usually one of my fave restaurants on the Thames. The most amazing setting and usuallyvery good value for money. Went for lunch for my friends birthday and even with the 'Eat Out To Help out' scheme which I've very much...

We decided to use the 'Eat Out to Help Out' offer as an opportunity to try somewhere new. We were not disappointed. We were greeted at the door and taken immediately to our table. Service was speedy without being rushed and the staff were friendly...

Beautiful setting - disappointing overpriced food. We booked dinner and ordered the fish platter for for two at £46 - highly disappointing and more like a starter platter. There was more lettuce than fish and not anything like a fish platter I am used to....

Where do I even start. My Friends and I were very looking forward to coming here. We have been here before for drinks but never for food. The menu looked so amazing and the view of the riverside is just so beautiful. I have never...

I really don’t know where to start. I’m so disappointed. The setting of the restaurant is so gorgeous, but that is the only positive I can say. We waited 90 minutes for a caprese salad (which came out as cherry tomato’s, hard ball of mozzarella...

We had a dinner with friends , there are no words to describe how the service it s been poor ... It doesn’t matter that you got a beautiful view , this , if can be called “ restaurant “ , it s totally a...

We popped in for a pre dinner drink Great setting and lovely views We ordered G and T’s which came in a highball glass with a slice of lemon Bit disappointing given price - £11 per drink

We had an evening meal booked and our table was right beside the river unfortunately the service was dire and the food mediocre at best. No COVID-19 precautions and they lost our bill so we had to tell them what we had eaten and drunk....