Giovanni's in Park Place in Cardiff

Unfortunately didn’t eat there Just had a few drinks before theatre performance on Monday 18 March. Superb service. Lovely ambience. Cool music. No time to eat but menu looked great- am vegetarian Look forward to returning

Bit disappointed by the slow cooked lamb ragu, not homemade paste and very average. A quiet Monday night was also going to a strange atmosphere, but the staff were friendly and attentive.

From the moment we stepped into the cozy ambiance of Giovannis, we knew we were in for a treat. The warm and inviting atmosphere set the stage for a delightful evening ahead. The service was impeccable, with attentive staff who were both knowledgeable about the menu and genuinely passionate about ensuring our dining experience was top-notch.Food is also very tasty.

I have been to all the Giovannis in Cardiff but this is my favourite. The service was amazing, so attentive and fun. The food was delicious and came piping hot and quicker than I expected! I can’t wait to go back and try something new.

Delicious food-we had all three courses! The staff were very welcoming from the moment we arrived. The ambience is lovely. What a great restaurant . Will most definitely be returning.

While visiting Cardiff to spend a nice weekend, have chosen the Giovanni’s restaurant to eat a dinner with girl. Both of us got so surprised by the atmosphere around, made by perfect music and an excellent service. Food served very fast, and its taste of pasta definitely will stay with me at least I visit Italy!

Definitely one of the best Italian restaurants I’ve been in wales, the costumer service was great, I’m from Portugal but I felt home if I was born in Italy what an experience thank you

Will never be going here again. Salmon was over cooked mashes potato didn't even taste of potato. The veg (over small piece of carrot and broccoli plus 2 half roast potatoes?) were certainly not sautéed on the day, they were mush. Pizza! The crusty was the best thing about it. They took the price of the salmon off but the bill (we had 2 drinks) still came to over £40 which baffles me and if I'd been the one paying would have questioned it! If you love your food I do not recommend.

We brought my Italian aunt here for her 90th birthday, and it was a joyful evening. They spent time with her, speaking to her in Italian and asking about her life and family. Nothing was too much trouble, and it seemed to me they saw it as a privilege to have her there for such a special occasion. The food was superb, and the service was out of this world. I've been here several times before, and it was the only choice for this event. I can't recommend Giovanni's highly enough.

We stopped here for a meal before going to a show at the theatre and we’re not disappointed. The food looked and tasted amazing, our waiter was very funny and nothing was too much trouble. We will definitely be back and will save some room for desert next time.

We've returned here a few times, and the food is always top-drawer. If you have any service issues, they are resolved promptly. There are cheaper restaurants out there, but you come here for the special occasions and Giovanni's are certainly worth it. Just watch out for the added service charge on the bills, if you'd prefer that was just included in the menu prices and not quietly added.

Went here with a group of 8 people. The food was very overpriced (£10 for starters and puddings, to include 3 scoops of vanilla icecream for the same price). Mains were between £20/30 each and bland. The service was ok, but the waiter was a little overbearing and he thought he was a comedian. Won't be rushing back any time soon.

Quite expensive, but great atmosphere and very friendly staff.

A lovely evening with my friends, great service, and the most delicious Italian food that I’ve ever had in my life , and really nice cocktails selection , I will come back for sure!!!

We were late for our reservation but the staff were absolutely fantastic at putting us at our ease. Friendly and attentive without being pushy. The food was just sublime. Arancini (vegetarian option) was fresh and not at all dry, in particular the sauce was delicious. Calamari were lightly coated and perfectly cooked served with lemon, herbs and a light tartare style sauce. For main course we both had the pasta Misti alla Mer - mixed seafood. Light, flavoursome sauce containing generous amount of prawns, clams, mussels, covering perfectly cooked fresh pasta. We had a side salad, so fresh with a light dressing and orange slices. Perfect with the pasta. A small error on the bill was rectified with apologies and good humour. It was a truly wonderful dining experience.

Nice atmosphere, good location and sound but a bit pricey food.

We went to the panto at the new theatre on New Year’s Eve and pre booked for dinner after. I’d visited the restaurant before but this time it surpassed my expectations. The menu was different and a singer worked the tables providing live entertainment. Not at all expected and very welcomed. Our family table’ ages ranged from 8-76 and everyone thoroughly enjoyed. The food was delicious and the waiters/waitresses very family friendly. Giovanni himself even made an appearance and welcomed us. Would definitely recommend.

Location opposite the theatre is ideal. Food was excellent but really what really made the experience special was the staff. They were all friendly and attentive. A wonderful dining experience. Can't wait to go again!!

I had the most fantastic meal with friends here. For my starter I had the Pane all’ Aglio e Mozzarella which was very tasty, followed by one of the best Pasta Arrabiata‘s I have ever had. Desert was a creamy lemon cheesecake that was incredibly smooth and moreish, albeit a bit pricy for the portion. Giovanni came over and spoke with us all which was lovely, and the hospitality was outstanding. Giovanni and everyone at the restaurant were incredibly friendly and welcoming and gave the best service I have seen at a restaurant in years! Outstanding service and delicious food! Would very highly reccommend!

What on earth has happened to Giovannis???? Once an iconic restaurant in Cardiff but a shadow of its former self. Starters were luke warm, a mini portion at best and lacking in any sort of taste. I gave the benefit of the doubt but then the mains came out. I Ordered the Beef Ragu expecting big chunks of beef at £20 a portion but it was anything but, it looked like something served up in a prison canteen. Minced lamb (I think) not sure it had no taste). Absolutely awful, bland food that you would not be happy paying £5 with at a food stall let alone anything more. My partner had the lasagne and it was more of the same, heated up to a temperature that made it impossible to eat for 15 minutes and the flavour had been zapped out of it by that point. That tends to happen if you nuke something before bringing it out. The fact the meals were with us within 5-10 minutes should have been a warning sign to us. The waiters were pleasant enough but it is a very salesman like approach that pounced on you at all points - encouraging to have a beer or prosecco (we do not drink), encouraging to have garlic bread, encouraging to have dessert. It is over the top !!!! Giovannis used to be a great Cardiff institution but I will not be visiting again as this is my second bad experience in as many visits.

Nice and excellent service and food. All staffs are very welcoming and enjoyed really well. Good place to visit. Enjoyed really well

The staff at Giovanni’s were all extremely friendly, very hospitable and attentive. I’d have no complaints on the service we received. What I can’t get my head around is paying £8.95 for a 620ml bottle of Peroni, and £5.95 for a small bowl of frozen chips. The remainder of the menu followed suit with the outrageously high prices for what you get. The lasagne was an extremely small portion which consisted mainly of sauce. All three pizzas were very much under cooked, either the dough base still raw in the middle. Giovanni’s used to be a place where you’d get good bang for your buck, instead it all felt like one big rip off and bang average food. I understand we are in the centre of Cardiff, prices are inflated, and costs are currently high for hospitality, but paying £9 for just over a pint of larger is criminal.

Lovely food and excellent staff. House wine overpriced at £30 a bottle.

Lovely Italian restaurant, friendly and amusing staff. Great lamb shank. Aranchini starter unusual but very nice. Good choice of tasty wine. Highly recommended.

I went with my boyfriend for our anniversary. The staff were extremely friendly and polite and were extremely attentive, making sure we were enjoying our meals. I had the lasagna and my partner had the lamb ragu pasta dish; the food was incredible and surpassed my expectations. The food was incredibly filling and portion sizes were perfect. We will definitely be going again.The atmosphere was amazing and it was definitely the perfect place to go to celebrate our anniversary!

We went to Giovannis after being highly recommended to us from friends for our 1 year anniversary. We were blown away by the food. I ordered the garlic tomato meatballs for starter which were flavourful and authentic and the slow cooked lamb ragu rigatoni as my main which was fantastic. The staff were incredibly attentive and joyous and we felt that the service in general was great. Definitely lives up to the popularity.

Well done for the prompt service not making anyone really wait considering there were 40 of us & other customers there. 3 course £35 which were delicious. A decent bottle of merlot cost £31 so perhaps a little expensive? A lovely drop though. Clean & comfortable in here too.

Lovely restaurant, great service and friendly staff. I highly recommend the Gamberoni alla marchesa, it was cooked to perfection. I will definitely dine here more often!

The foid was really good. Arrived at 12.30 when it was relatively quiet. However the service level was pretty average. It took 1 hour and 45 mins to serve a 2 course lunch for 3 people. Yes, the restaurant got busier and yes the staff...

What a great cosy atmosphere to sit and enjoy an evening meal with family. The staff are super friendly. No complaints with the food. All in all, a great night of food and relaxed fun can be had here.

1st time visiting off the back of rave reviews from people who have been, but far from it. Service was slow and poor considering it didnt seem to be that busy. almost 1 waiter per 2 tables. Took close to half an hour to get...

We discovered Giovannis the first time we came to Cardiff where my daughter is at university, now every time we come to visit her we go to Giovanni’s, it’s become a tradition! The restaurant has a lovely friendly feel to it, food is always fabulous,...

We have been here, a few times now and the food is always spot-on and pretty authentic. The staff including Giovanni himself, are always welcoming and friendly and our waitress Olivia was outstanding and a lovely girl.

Wonderful atmosphere, very tasty food and outstanding service. Can't recommend it highly enough

Went with family and had a lovely meal, very welcoming staff. Was a nice venue and interior was quirky. Lovely atmosphere. We would go back..

Long journey from Newcastle to Cardiff for my son running in a race. Stumbled on this restaurant by mistake, my wife had actually booked a different Italian restaurant. We walked into the wrong place, sat down and then the penny dropped. Almost got up to...

The food was great and the service was better. Especially Anna who made sure we always had what we needed straight away.

Warm welcoming atmosphere, really delicious food, and great service from our lovely hostess Anna. Thank you!

Amazing food, and such a friendly and welcoming team. Had a birthday there and loved it, and gary the wish. Will definitely come again and recommend it to everyone

There was no room at the giovannis in the city centre, but the busic here was much better, the atmosphere was more stylish, and the wall of fame was amazing. Awesome cocktails, great service, fabulous food, cool music. Loved it.

Very welcoming restaurant staff, who are polite & helpful. Giovanni, as usual was also very welcoming & talked to all the customers in the restaurant. A very good evening was had by all. The food was delicious & the wine good. Well worth a visit!

I had a beautiful meal here; everything was amazing. The food, the atmosphere and the staff made the experience amazing. I will definitely be returning here.

Popped in before a New Theatre show (restaurant handily opposite theatre!) for a quick bite. Firstly, it is good to know that they have a top 5/5 hygiene rating from the health inspectors. SERVICE: Good old-fashioned hospitality - and I thought it had nearly died...

Was an experience that me and all my friends enjoyed. The staff were extremely welcoming and helpful and the lamb ragu from the special menu was fantastic!

I love it here! I always come back here as it’s such a nice place with great staff. The prices are also extremely reasonable which makes it even more worthwhile!

An average Italian. We went here without much research and for the price I’m sure there are better Italians in Cardiff. Lamb Ragu lacked depth of flavour, pizzas were okay, dough lovely but slightly too soggy. 3 stars is fair, not great and also not awful but no better than a chain restaurant Italian

Excellent meal as always and we were greeted by the man himself!

It's not just the excellent food, it's the whole atmosphere that makes this the best Italian restaurant in Cardiff

This is such a great family restaurant. Service was welcoming and attentive. Food simply delicious. And not overpriced. Will definitely be back 👍

Saturday night only 3 members of staff on the floor!!! Business pretty busy so I don't know why owners can't manage more staff! Food mediocre and very overpriced. Our chicken was cold in the middle!!! Since there was not enough staff we weren't offered more...

Fantaic serice for our group of 12, but Gareth was very professional and keeped us all happy , our lasagne was like lava tho ( HOT HOT HOT) my partner and our friend from our group, finished there meals and they were just getting through the top layer of the lasagne (lol) and my prawn pasta dish I had was lovely apart from prawns were over good . For desert, when a few of us order ice cream, it was only chocolate out of 3 . Strawberry Sorbet was amazing tho .

Booked our meal off the lunch special. I had minestrone soup, chicken and profiteroles. All of it delicious, freshly cooked and plentiful costing £15 for 3 courses. Excellent value for money, staff were attentive and ready to explain the menu. So good we've already booked...

Lovely pizzas and very convenient for The New Theatre.

Lovely meal and staff very friendly also Gary the giant gourami was entertaining! Will definitely go back again when we're next in Cardiff.

Went to Giovannis with a few friends after the match. Great Italian restaurant and plenty of choices on the menu. I had the calamari and lasagna, both were really tasty. Finished with the homemade cheesecake was absolutely delicious! Drinks arrived promptly, we all had cocktails....

Lovely place. Nice dishes (very filling to be honest) by the way delicious pizza Festa and salmon. Kids menu available. I would like to mention Julie especially, good service, looking after our baby girls providing papers and crayons which was a good idea. And AMAZING...

Well the charming Giovanni’s suited my family perfectly. We were staying at The Hilton for a birthday celebration and were looking for a quick evening meal for our family of 2 children (12,13). It was late and everyone was hungry - we only walked 0.2...

The staff were brilliant, accommodating and amazingly friendly, courteous and helpful. Absolutely superb thank you. The meal was exceptional. Loved it definitely going again .

Our favourite place to eat. It was the obvious choice of a leaving gift for a friend, who also loves this restaurant. Having been to Giovannis many times, the personal attention that we receive makes such a difference. There is no feeling of having to rush here, and the food is delicious. Many Thanks to Giovanni, Francesca and the team!!!

Visited prior to a theatre show for a meal. Ordered off the main menu which has become fairly expensive for what is offered. But just to say that we were disappointed to find out that a Pre-theatre menu is available upon request. This was not...

My partner and I went there last night before going to see a show at the the new theatre, I must say the staff were fantastic but Giovannis sister was fantastic nothing was to much trouble she went above and beyond for us buy packing my sweet and my left overs and but int he fridge ready for me to get after the show, and even gave me a bottle of the olive oil that was amazing thank you so much all for making our first time there such a wonderful experience we will definitely come back 🤗xx

Great food, service was excellent. Would highly recommend

The place was nice and the staff very friendly. The food was… okay. I ordered a negroni and it had a lot of small ice cubes in it which was not a great start. The bruschetta was on a ciabatta bread and the tomatoes were way too cold. I had a salad as a main which was good and my friend had a pizza which was fine. Nothing to rave about. The staff was friendly and checked on us a couple of times.

I studied at Cardiff uni (10 years ago) and used to visit this Italian and loved the lasagne. My husband and I visited for the Sting gig last week and thought it would be nice to go back. A real disappointment. Staff were friendly but...

We had fabulous food and a fabulous day...definately go there again

We had a really lovely meal before our show at the New Theatre! Beautiful fresh food, presented really well. We had Sword fish and lamb cutlets, they were cooked to perfection! Really nice to visit a Traditional Italian restaurant in city centre location. The staff were really friendly and attentive, we will definitely return!

Walked in for dinner by chance in a very busy weekend afternoon. Staff was super nice. Most of the pasta dishes can be cooked as vegetarian version. Very cozy place with old fashioned decor 😆 Had a great farewell dinner in Cardiff

We ordered gorgeous pasta meals in Giovanni's at lunch time. The food was superb and the service was excellent. There were only a few tables taken at lunch time but the atmosphere was still good. There were pictures of all the celebrities who had eaten here and the pretty fairy lights twinkled on mirrors. I will come again when I am in Cardiff and try another meal as there was a good selection.

Great food staff happy and friendly portion size good would definitely recommend you try this restaurant as a retired from owning a catering company i am very critical and do complain if things are not up to standard but could not fault anything last night...

As i was in cantering running my own business for years im very critical so if i wasn't happy i would say so but food was hot tasty portion size was just right and best ive had in a long time service was spot on staff very happy and friendly would definitely recommend anyone to go and try it out you will not be disappointed sue davies

Booked table for 5 people for post theatre meal. No pizza available & no coffee- in an Italian restaurant! The portion size was ok but food not very tasty and was overpriced as were the drinks. Prepare to pay upwards of £50 per head. Could...

Pre-show lunch. Good service and polite staff. Food was really tasty and well presented.

Giovannis Park Place ligger en trappa ner cirka 100 meter från huvudgatan. Det är en fin lokal med elegant inredning....

Pre theatre menu with special offer was not shown to us before we ordered bearing in mind we were there due to seeing a show. Waitress apogised however charged full amount for a sub standard near. Portions were small starter size, prawn pasta with four...

Dreadful meal main course size of a starter really poor. Service terribly slow and not very friendly. Sadly this is another travesty that relies on one’s name to survive and doesn’t give two hoots on customer experience. Dreadful dreadful dreadful don’t bother!!!!!

Great pre theatre supper, as always Friendly, efficient staff, good food and wine - just perfect.

Good location for theatres and Cardiff city centre. Best to book as busy in the afternoon evening which puts pressure on their staff and they are super busy. Food was good but not amazing hence 4 star.

After 2 email booking requests being ignored I rang and booked for me and my parents before a theatre visit. We arrived on time and were told people were still at our table, and although they'd finished eating they didn't want to tell them to...

Excellent food, excellent service, lovely atmosphere. Would definitely go back

My friend and I were greeted by the wonderful Francesca, Giovanni’s sister and were looked after very well by her and our waiter, Dario. We were having a pre-theatre meal for my friend’s special birthday and we could not have been looked after any better....

Have been to the one on the Hayes plenty of times, and have always thought it was just “OK”. This one blows it out of the water. The service was outstanding and much more knowledgable about the menu. Has a bigger family feel than the...

Of course it’s 5 star after 40 years cooking for Cardiff wales is truly a stop off ! If your enjoying a show at the theatre, opera house or just site seeing stop and eat & enjoy Italian cooking to the best ! Seating outside alfresco! Gio brought Alfresco eating to Cardiff !

2 families went for dinner with our young teenage boys. Everything about our evening was great. The welcome, the service, the food, the extra touches like allowing our boys to feed the fish. So much better than the impersonal service you so often get these...

Lunch with Ma! Great food and had the company of Giovanni himself. Lovey afternoon

The food was lovely and the service great. The fresh ciabatta was the best bread I have ever eaten.

What an experience amazing food great wine and the waiter Johnny is a credit to the restaurant a very polite well spoken young man .

Walk in, so was grateful for availability. Service mediocre, food not served together 😒 3/4 way through food before fries arrived ( asked twice) nearly finished before frieds meal arrived. The best part was the tirimisu.

Table had already been booked. Starters came ,then we watched restaurant filing up . And we waited and waited 45 minutes later all other tables eating , staff came round to explain there was a delay and would we like more wine. Meal eventually came very small portions and meal wasn't hot, ate very quickly as going to show. I used the toilet before leaving and passed the kitchen it was small, very small for a restaurant that size won't be returning.

We have been coming to this restaurant for years but last nights meal was ridiculously overpriced. We just fancied an early evening tea and decided on Giovannis. I would really like to know why and how I was charged over £10 for a glass of...

What a wonderful place to dine at. We had an early evening meal before going to the theatre. It was quiet when we attended but the service was brilliant, the food was delicious and hot. Would recommend it without a doubt.

The food was tasty but not enough. The group was still hungry afterwards which was a shame. We spent around £300 on the whole meal and a couple of dishes had to go back as they were cold. Nice venue and the staff were lovely but we had to skip dessert as it was taking too long as we had a show to make. We allowed 2.5 hours, it just took forever. I would like to go back as it was nice but for the time and cost of the whole thing I don't think I could justify it. What a shame.

We were 3 friends and 1 family member who had all been to the matinee of Mamma Mia. One of the group a big Italian cuisine fan suggested it and we all followed. Jonny was our server and his service was amazing from beginning to...

Visited on a Friday evening with my wife on that evening I required a specific dietary requirement and the restaurant couldn't be more helpful. Thank you

Visited for pre- theatre lunch, grandparents and grandchildren. Welcoming staff, great atmosphere, good food. Pasta and pizza lovely. Minestrone soup had a little too much potato for me. Met the owner, very friendly. Will definitely go again.

Returned here after a gap of a few years - it's not the cheapest, but the service and food really makes up for it. If you want a "standard" Italian then one of the chain places is probably a better bet - but for something...

Lovely relaxing atmosphere and although they were very busy the service was very good. We will definitely be back. It is very handy for the theatre and close to the city centre. The staff were very attentive, friendly and efficient.

Went shopping and called in for lunch. 3 course meal initially £25.95 but on certain dates £21.95. meatball starter had lots of veins in and lasagne hardly ant sauce ( white ) mainly cheese and more cheese. Profiteroles chocolate was like a mouse and NOT...

Poor service ,food was not good cold vegetables, lasagne was more like soup and very bland,advised waiter who apologised but 66.00 pound for what we had was not nice.restaurant downstairs very cold and music too loud

Hard to say with this one. Pros and cons: PROS - great food - amazing lasagne - nice wine - authentic atmosphere - felt homely, but we didn’t feel like part of the family CONS - felt homely, but we didn’t feel like part of...

We arrived early for a pre theatre meal.Service was slow and we waited 50 minutes for our food to arrive. It was noisy with loud music in the foreground making conversation difficult. The menu was limited and the pre theatre special menu is not available...