Giovanni's Restaurant in Cardiff

Me and my friend dined here last night. The service and atmosphere was absolutely amazing! It's small and intimate, but not too small. Gives off the best Italian vibes. The food was outstanding we took all our leftovers back to the hotel! Would definitely eat here again. Genarro the owner was so welcoming and attentive and friendly. Just such a vibe thank you.

A really joyful place to visit over Christmas, wonderful food and friendly staff! Pistachio pistachio pistachio!

Amazing service! Felt so welcomed and appreciated! I loved Guisy and Damiano! Absolutely made our night ❤️ LOVE YOU GIOVANNIS🫶🏽

Expected good things given the reputation of this place, but left disappointed. It's tiny, cramped with waiting staff knocking the back of your chair due to the very narrow gap between the tables on either side of the restaurant and so noisy you couldn't hold a proper conversation with your companion! Felt very uncomfortable there. We placed our order, and waited and waited! Other people sat down after us and got their meals and finished them, whilst we sat there with nothing. Eventually a waiter came and asked what we had ordered, they had forgotten to put our order through, then lost it so we had to start again!!! When the food finally arrived almost an hour after we'd first ordered it, it was very average, nothing special at all. We just wanted to get out of there so did not have a desert. They did remove the cost of one meal from the bill, but it was too little, too late. Really poor service and not an enjoyable place to spend time in. Needless to say we will not return when there are much better Italian restaurants in the city.

Best night out in Cardiff😊Authentic Italian food, so fresh and full of flavour. The atmosphere was amazing too, we felt really welcome and included. Will make sure this restaurant is at the top of my list next time I’m in Cardiff. Thank you 🙏

Came in to have an evening meal and was treated so well through out the evening by all three waiters. Stunning food, attentive and genuine service and a great atmosphere! I felt like part of the family - Would definitely come back

Charlie was great and was very helpful! :)

Extremely disappointing experience !! Was told pizza’would be over a hour wait and we were talked out of ordering one 🤔 so had to choose quickly went for a pasta dish Carbonara very bland and tasteless Definitely not restaurant quality, None of the group of 9 ordered a dessert after the mains , We all left with a very large bill and hungry, overpriced and a underwhelming experience but were offered doggie boxes to take our left food home, no thanks,

El mejor italiano de cardiff, súper recomendable, una experiencia excelente: comida impresionante y servicio 10/10. The best Italian restaurant of cardiff, high recommended, an excellent experience: food was excellent and service 10/10

had a really bad experience here unfortunately. was looking forward to it as my friends had been before and were big fans. we waited outside for 45 minutes to be seated even they we booked months ago and were on time. was craving a pizza but being vegan knew i would be limited, however they had no vegan cheese so that was off the cards. ended up with a tomato based penne which was average. server was nice and it’s a good atmosphere in there. don’t think i would return

Amazing food and great service, had an a really good time for my friends bday, definitely recommend going here and really good location.

Best Italian food in Cardiff! Without contest! We ordered a truffle and burrata pizza, and mushroom ravioli, and we loved every bite ❤️❤️

Buenísimo!!! Totalmente recomendable. Hemos pedido una pasta, pizza y entrante y todo riquísimo. Si buscáis un italiano por Cardiff, sin duda venís aquí!!!

I went to Giovanni's with some old friends of mine and I can comfortably say we had some of the best Italian we've eaten in a very long time. We were looked after with extra care and professionalism by Jonny at the restaurant. I had the Cannelloni Caprese personally and my mind was blown. Truly. Giovanni's is a fantastic Italian establishment and I would highly recommend it to anyone for a good time. All of the celebrity photos are also amazing to look at. Kudos to all the staff for entertaining our needs with such perfection.

Lovely food, good portion size, good selection of wines and great service.

I ordered Lasagne, and it was so tasty. The service was very good too.

It’s just perfect, It’s like being a guest in an Italian home.

First time and we loved it! The food was amazing and the service was great. I'm Spanish, so I loved the quick and straightforward aspect of customer service. Will definitely come back. Grazie mille! 💜

Would never dine here again! I had family down and booked for my sister’s birthday meal . The starters were fine but my main tasted funny and was not right I ordered the lobster ravioli, the waitress ask if everything was ok and I said not really my meal don’t taste right all I could taste was shell and she just walked off . When the bill came the manager had taken off 2 side dishes because I didn’t eat my main and after the waitress told him the issue and he did not proceed to come over and ask what was wrong . I had food poisoning from the lobster that night and after googling it the taste of shell that I had mean that the lobster was off! The service and management was awful I would never recommend this restaurant.

My favourite restaurant. Had sea bass ravioli in a gorgeous sauce. Excellent customer service and delicious food.

The restaurant was cramped with waiting staff pushing against my chair throughout my meal. The service staff were nonchalant and quite disappointing as despite the fact we spent over £100 on our meal, we had no acknowledgement either entering or leaving the restaurant which was so disappointing. Cardiff is rife with very good restaurants so Giovanni needs to up his game and improve the offering and pay more attention to the patrons rather than expecting that his history of servicing celebrities will be enough to command such high prices for such mediocre service. We won’t be returning which is sad as we always enjoyed our time with this restaurant!

Fabulous service and great food.. from London came in with my 3 boys the owner was very polite and welcoming

If you don't expect a formal Italian restaurant but expect a family trattoria, you'll have it right. Good food, well prepared and served simply. Some good wines on the menu and a decent grappa to finish. It's no wonder Giovanni's place is still going strong after 40 years ... and I expect will continue to do so.

I recently visited Giovanni's and had an absolutely amazing experience! The food was delicious, truly a highlight of the evening. The atmosphere was vibrant, making for a delightful dining environment. The staff and management were very amusing, adding to the overall enjoyment of the night. However, I did have one complaint: the wait time. Even with a reservation, we experienced delays in being seated, receiving our food, and getting drinks. I understand that this was the night before the Cardiff Half Marathon, so it’s possible they were just overwhelmed with customers. It did feel like they might have overbooked, which contributed to the longer waits. Despite this, I can’t emphasize enough how incredible the food was. I'll definitely be going back—just maybe on a less hectic night! 😄

Simply a great place and the staff are like family to each other, the food speaks volumes. I love everything about giovannis gracias for the service and attention :)

huge portions but still expensive. food was very hit and miss, starters were delicious but mains weren’t great. luckily we were sat upstairs where the temperature was nice but downstairs was boiling hot. staff were really lovely but quite slow to get everything done.

The staff went above and beyond with their service when we ate at Park Place Giovannis on Tuesday evening. The food was delicious and fresh, and the service was extremely quick. Thank you all!!

The food was bland but the atmosphere was lovely so that’s a plus

The lasagne is amazing. Giving 4 only due several table sheets were dirty. Please improve.

Concept: My parents from Greece visit me 1 week per year. I asked 1 day annual leave and proposed them to have a lunch altogether in an Italian restaurant. Timing of visit: Friday 13/09/2024, 15:30-17:00. Order: 2 arancini and 1 Hawaiian pizza. Price: £50.33. Method of payment: Cash. Quality of food: Good (4). Let's talk about this. I enjoyed very much the food and ... cleaned my plate. However, my parents were not equally happy. For my review, I considered an average score. Staff: Very polite (6*). Service: Excellent (7*). The food came very quickly into our table despite the fact that we came in a very busy time (we had to wait for 2 minutes to find a free table). Atmosphere: Ideal (7*). Who says "NO" to dine with traditional Italian music? Highlight: The menu of pizza was not very friendly for vegans. The only vegetarian option was pizza margarita.

Massively overpriced salmon and salad £25 although the food is delicious I think a bit more could've been added to the salad Music was loud and we were crammed into our seats Service was very good tho

The food is amazing when I come here the staff are amazing lovely kind and such a laugh Pudding here is amazing too tonight I had the muscles for starter amazing five ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ My main was a Five star⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I had seafood linguine and the fish was cooked to perfection and the sauce was amazing The whole place was ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Love you guys ❤️❤️

Lovely food, nice atmosphere and quick service. Came here for a light lunch and was not disappointed. Would recommend it to my friends.

Staff was unreal, food was amazing and it felt like a little piece of home! Would highly suggest the mastribolognia pasta. Will most definitely be back for more! Gratzi Gennaro

The food was absolutely amazing and gave a real taste of Italian culture. Food came out relatively quick and it wasn’t too busy. The food was extremely well priced and staff were very friendly. Would love to come again.

Very nicely decorated, this restaurant bar in the center of Cardiff offers a comfortable haven in the heart of the pedestrian streets of Cardiff

Amazing food amazing staff would definitely recommend, proper Italian food, range of different pastas, desserts would recommend

Well worth a visit but always book ahead . Been here lots of times and excellent every time.

Amazing service and food. Staff are so friendly and attentive.

I just wanted to say that the evening was absolutely amazing. Me and my partner went to this little gem for my 21'st birthday....and oh boy it didn't disappoint, our server Luca was absolutely amazing and just so sweet. The barman (Jonny sorry if it's wrong) made the cocktails to absolute perfection. Juan (again so sorry if spelled wrong) who brought out our food was so sweet as well. They brought out my desert (tiramisu which by the way was AMAZING) out with a candle and sang happy birthday which made the evening extra special , and afterwards we even received a free shot of limoncello each (thank you it has a lovely kick) that was on the house. In general , will we visit again ? Yes , definitely. Was this one of the most amazing evenings I got to experience in Cardiff as a visitor? Yes yes yes. So thank you guys!

Old school Italian. massive portions , and great food ..

A definitely successful atmosphere, a little cramped but you get by. Unfortunately the food was not satisfactory. The margarita pizza was bland and indistinguishable from a frozen pizza. In addition, there is the very high price level (my impression). Overall, just poor value for money. I wouldn't recommend it if you're looking for a world class pizza. Completely sufficient for the “normal guy” but this is where the price story comes into play again.

My daughter and I have just dined here tonight. The staff were very friendly and plenty of them, however... I have to say I was a little underwhelmed with our meals this evening. The food arrived quite quickly, that is a positive but my mushroom ravioli was not hot, I'd expect when you are ordering just 2 meals that both should be piping hot. My daughters pizza was OK... I think we were expecting something more impressive considering it's an Italian restaurant, her knife was blunt so trying to cut the pizza was challenging. My pasta was again OK... I was expecting a rich blue cheese sauce, it was pleasant but a little bland. After we finished our plates were cleared and we thought we'd like to try a dessert, so we waited and waited and waited, not one of the 4 members of staff asked if we would like one or if we would like anymore drinks... I feel when you implement a service charge in your restaurant you need to make sure your service is impeccable... Sadly it is not.. To sum up, nice restaurant, food underwhelming, service needs improving.

Beautiful Italian restaurant set in the centre of Cardiff. Wonderful menu choice of high quality,well presented Italian food. Very helpful, friendly staff. Excellent atmosphere and well worth a visit.

The food was very delicious and fresh. It was very cost efficient and the portion was very filling (we shared a pizza between two). The drinks were good as well and their menu has a big variety. The staff was also very friendly and came to check up on us every once in awhile

Booked for 3pm on the 9th August, arrived at the restaurant to a massive queue and was informed they had all booked, and our only option was to wait or find somewhere else to eat if we could. Ended up sitting on an outside table, service was slow but the waiter was apologetic and doing his best in a difficult situation. Food wasn't at all appetising to look at as no thought had been given to presentation, no opportunity to order extra drinks either, perhaps the fact that the owner was trying to make a friend who was giving him concert tickets welcome had something to do with his lack of concern for customers.

Great food, and it was good, couldn't eat it all.

Only had ice cream, but wow, what a great piece of art. Take pistachio and you won't be disappointed. Nice chocolate cone, good portion and pistachio pieces on top. This is how ice cream should be served

Just had the most tasty 3 course meal at this amazing restaurant the food was exquisite from start to finish home made with traditional Italian ingredients made to perfection. We have left feeling completely satisfied and already can’t wait to arrange our return visit. thank you guys this was our 1st time eating at your restaurant will definitely be returning in the future.

Great atmosphere and friendly staff, everything sounded delicious on the menu but I opted for the Giovanni pizza,mamma Mia!

Fantastic food and service once again.

This was a disappointing experience. We ended up here looking for an authentic Italian. My seafood pasta (frozen) was really disappointing. Fish dish came with the same simple tomato sauce without the slightest effort to improve the taste. The chef may have learned to cook from someone who heard it from an acquaintance of someone who once really started eating Italian food. It was cozy and the waiter at the entrance was really friendly. The rest of the staff are shouting more in the kitchen. Not recommended for me.

Wonderful food. Excellent service.

Went out for dinner with my friend. We arrived and both got looked up and down by one of the staff which made us very uncomfortable. The service was very poor and each time we caught a member of staff they would just disappear again and not listen to our requests. We then quickly rushed out of the restaurant after paying and got another inappropriate comment from a member of staff about taking us both out. We will definitely not be returning.

Incredible authentic food. Why do people go to places like Bella Italia when they can get proper Italian food in a cosy, cheery setting such as Giovanni's? It's a must visit every time the Mrs and I go to Cardiff. Which reminds me, must go back to Cardiff again soon. Belissimo!

So disappointed,I have wanted to visit for a long time - never again ! Overpriced,grubby huge portions thrown onto the plate!!☹️

What a gorgeous restaurant . A traditional Italian restaurant with a small but really thoughtful menu with some great specials including wild boar ravioli One of the freshest burratas and two wonderful pasta dishes with salmon and one with beef were perfectly executed and light rather than heavy sauces Excellent service too

Unfortunately, they offer homemade food and it was prefabricated, processed, expensive and bad.

Um…um,The place is pretty cramped and music was too loud, feel fretful about that.😓 Abit taste less for me, and inconsistent prices & food.

Lovely traditional Italian restaurant

Beautiful food and setting, we came here for my birthday following a recommendation and will definitely be back. A small, authentic Italian restaurant with exceptional food.

I normally don't leave reviews but on this occasion I felt the need to do so. Clearly this restaurant does not live up to it's reputation. I love Italian food, but the carbonara was questionable and most certainly not the authentic recipe. Pizzas were ok but overall the food was overpriced for what we got. Also, staff should be educated on hand hygiene as waitress had left toilet before me and didn't bother to wash her hands!!

Lovely food. Haphazard service and put by the kitchen when plenty of other tables free even though we'd reserved. Noisy where all staff shouting and congregating.

The food was delicious, as were the drinks. The espresso martini was a highlight due to the quality of the coffee. The staff was super attentive and friendly, couldn’t have asked for better service. Hearty portions at a fair price with seemingly great ingredients. Overall had a lovely time and definitely intend to go again!

Was such a nice dinner, staff are so friendly, had a great experience! i had the lobster ravioli which was exquisite and my partner had the spezzatino that was delicious. end the dinner with a lovely ice cream. totally recommend!!! thank you to charley, ivan, luca and gennaro for the lovely service!!!

Waiters were clearly talking about my partner and pointing at her , automatically put a 10% gratuity tip on the bill without consultation , bland overpriced food

Excellent mood and food, slightly pricey at £20 for a pizza and £10 for a cocktail, but traditional and authentic! :)

I have been here many times with no issue but went last night and they must have changed their ingredients, quite frankly the worst meal I’ve had. And they have raised their prices considerably but sacrificing on flavour. £16 for a margarita!

Always a delight to eat at Giovanni!! The best food and the best service

Great food, friendly staff, good service. Excellent location and setting. Really enjoyed my Father's Day treat!

Was in Cardiff for work and found this lovely restaurant. Staff were lovely food was to die for. I had the gnocchi with salmon and vodka wow! My colleagues food also look amazing. Will be back if in the area

When arriving at Giovannis we wasn’t greeted just looked at, informed we had a table booked for 2 just taken to our table and the manger walked off without saying anything and no eye contact given. This made us feel very uncomfortable from the start. The waitress, woman in short dark hair and glasses was very rude, abrupt and didn’t smile once. The tables are too close together. The food was just okay I’ve had better at much cheaper places and pasta wasn’t fresh. Food came out 5 minutes after ordering and we felt very rushed. I was looking forward to coming here as I love Italian such a shame on the poor service. I didn’t finish my meal because I couldn’t wait to leave because of how uncomfortable I felt. If I could give the service no star I would.

Felt very unwelcome as soon as we stepped in the door, we had made booking and was taken to our table no hello or welcome. Our server was so rude made us feel more uncomfortable, no interaction just what you want and a smile would of been nice, our server was the lady with short dark hair and glasses. The food was luke warm and didn't taste the best for a (genuine Italian) its not homemade fresh pasta, had better elsewhere even in spoons and thats saying something. Our food was on the table withing 5 min of ordering and we made to feel very rushed. Very cramed in could here all the conversation on the next table and I could of rested my head on their sholders. Cost £62 which included 2 meals and 2 drinks which automatically includes a service charge, which I wouldn't of paid but felt so uncomfortable I didnt dare dispute, couldn't wait to get out of there quick enough. The server was more chatty when paying the bill I think she was hoping more of a tip 🤔 won't be back shame this used be so nice before

Worst Italian food I have had, staff are nice but but took over an hour to get our food out. When it arrived it wasn't tasty and no appologies for the delay. Avoid if you can

Absolutely delicious, the bolognase was beautiful and the penne Arrabbiata

I greatly enjoyed our visit to Giovanni's. I accidentally ordered a pizza with prawn on it (as a vegetarian), and the manager very kindly offered to get the kitchen to make me a new pizza- which was delicious!

The worst Italian food I've had in my life. The food was bland and tastes if nothing. 0 effort into presentation. I like supporting independent business but this seems to be cheap junk food. The pizza at Wetherspoons is better...and that's not good. Absolutely 0 effort in serving a tasty meal

We attended Giovannis on the Hayes to treat ourselves and usually Giovannis is a great place to eat. However at the Hayes the female waitress with short dark hair and glasses was very rude and abrupt. The lasagne my fiance ordered was cold and when we told the waitress she seemed incredibly annoyed that we mentioned it. When she returned with the lasagne warmed up the waitress pretty much dropped it infront of my fiance, said nothing and walked off. My pizza was very soggy to the point where it fell apart in my hand everytime I tried to take a bite and was dripping with oil. Very disappointing to say the least and we wont be attending there again

Great traditional Italian restaurant set in the heart of Cardiff with Tony Bennett playing in the background, and celebrity pictures on the walls of famous diners. The food is absolutely fabulous and the service is pretty quick to.

Very disappointed with this place. French fries have been cooked in old oil leaving a very bad after taste. Pizza was over £20 but had a think layer or grease, cheap quality ingredients and overall had better pizzas in chain restaurants.

An absolutely lovely authentic Italian lunch. Came here today for lunch as we had been unable to get in earlier over the weekend as it was heaving. The food was absolutely lovely. Fresh tomato bruschetta and an amazing linguine al la marinara. Fresh, hot and beautifully booked. Finished off with affo gato and tiramisu. The staff were all lovely. No issue with sharing the sides and they brought extra plates and bowls. Nothing was too much trouble. We loved the traditional trattoria feel. Yes the tables are close together but not overpowering. If you like good Italian food please do try here. All in all

Absolute shambolic experience, waited over an hour outside. I know it was very busy ,but being told by staff just another 5 mins every 20minutes to be seated. The manager who was just running about shouting at his staff and customers. Couldn't believe how rude this guy was. Shocking behaviour.

Used to be so good. I used to come here quite often for a quiet meal with my wife. Food always used to have a home cooked vibe and taste was brilliant. Lately though food has gone downhill each time we came. The final straw that broke the camels back are the rude staff! I arrived around 10.15pm hoping to get a last minute table after seeing a show. Your restaurant is open till 11pm……… I didn’t even get through the front before a staff member laughed in my face and just said you got no chance mate and waved. Service is everything these days and this isn’t a one off incident.

Tip added to bill (£11!) without asking. Only spotted when I read the receipt. I wouldn’t have tipped as staff were abrupt, rude and frosty. Food was mediocre. Staff didn’t check if everything was ok. Disappointed (only marginally better than their one in Cardiff Bay). Spent £120 of hard earned cash on a meal I could have got elsewhere for half the price. Won’t be visiting again

Table booked for 12 people a month in advance, turned up, no table for us as the kitchen couldn’t keep up with food orders, lots of people sat without food and £20+ for a pizza? Initial staff were nice and apologetic and honest about long food wait and no pizzas because of the wait, fair enough appreciate the honesty, but manager came out and tried to tell a completely different story, wasn’t buying it. Didn’t get a chance to try the food so can’t comment.

You'll never find another restaurant quite like Giovanni's. The second you step through the doors you step back in time. Authentic traditional Italian through and through. Don't be shy, go to Giovanni's and find your new favourite restaurant. Mama Mia.

I can see why this beautiful little restaurant has been in business over 40 years- the food is superb. Lovely atmosphere and great service completes the evening out.

The food was OK but the noise level outrageous! Really couldn't hear ourselves think! Loud music, so groups were shouting to be heard.

Lovely little restaurant in very convenient place. We stopped in Cardiff for some rest during our travelling and we were struggling to find something to eat late in the evening with all restaurants around refusing to serve us 1h before closing time. Only Giovanni's accepted us and we were very grateful for that after driving for over 10h. The food was very tasty and if we ever come back to Cardiff we will be having dinners here 👌

Another excellent meal at this fabulous restaurant. Food was outstanding and service faultless. Always a good atmosphere!

Service and atmosphere good, but food appalling, and overall high priced. There was nothing fresh or crisp in my meal and the house wine was thin and sour. No Italian would recognise this fare. Avoid

service was exceptional and beyond my expectations. staff and food were incredible! the manager is absolutely incredible, extremely funny too.

A poor meal. Quite high price. Mushroom starter looked as though it came out of a tin and was served on a slop of soggy bread. Chicken was tough and veg and sauce really not good. The tiramisu was a mound of grease. House wine sour and uninteresting. Price high.

Major thanks to Gennaro for absolutely making my night. This pizza is the closest I can get to the taste of home being 3000 miles away, and not in the direction from Italy! He treated me so well and really made me feel comfortable. I am in Cardiff for the next four years, have come many times before and will continue to come again. Can’t stop recommending this place!

Food wise, the worst restaurant I’ve ever been in Cardiff. I ordered salmon but couldn't even finish it. The interior design wasn't to my liking, with tables uncomfortably close together, especially when crowded. Although the service was acceptable and the staff were polite, the food fell below average. I have no plans to return.

We had the ravioli (average) and the salmon (below average, oily and tasteless) I can’t cook and I could have made food to the same standard This restaurant is pretty expensive. More than £20 for a main and nearly £6 for a small bottle of beer. Le Monde charges those prices so I expected the same quality as there, but this was about on-par with a Wetherspoon. Also the decor is charmless and just has a thousand photos of the absent owner Giovanni with minor celebrities. As a diner I’m not sure how that’s meant to enhance my experience of eating their bad food.

We had the ravioli (average) and the salmon (below average, oily and tasteless) I can’t cook and I could have made food to the same standard This restaurant is pretty expensive. More than £20 for a main and nearly £6 for a small bottle of beer. Le Monde charges those prices so I expected the same quality as there, but this was about on-par with a Wetherspoon. Also the decor is charmless and just has a thousand photos of the absent owner Giovanni with minor celebrities. As a diner I’m not sure how that’s meant to enhance my experience of eating their bad food.

Fantastic atmosphere on Rugby match day. Highly recommended and set menu prices.

Great service even though we walked in without reservation. Reasonable priced dishes.

My daughter and I walked in without a reservation. We found the food to be mediocre and expensive for what it was, as was the service. We had no starters, no extras, just main and a bottle of wine and we paid over £75. Sorry, but entre at your own peril.