Nino's Trattoria Italiana - Reading

My partner and I went to Nino's for Valentine's Day and opted for the set menu, along with adding the supplement for the steak. We thoroughly enjoy dining at Nino's. The food is consistently delicious, but what makes it even better for us is the warm and friendly staff and the cozy atmosphere of the restaurant. We never feel rushed and always leave feeling like we've had a wonderful evening.

I went with a friend for a birthday lunch and was left feeling disappointed. The bruschetta starter was bland with just chopped tomatoes and garlic, while my friend's garlic bread was nothing special. We both ordered tagliatelle with king prawns, but had to peel the prawns ourselves. My friend's portion was significantly larger than mine, and the sauce was watery and lacking in flavor, tasting strongly of prawn shells. My friend couldn't finish their meal and I was left feeling hungry. To top it off, a £13 tip was automatically added to the bill which I found to be unnecessary and frustrating. I don't like service charges being included, especially when the prices of the dishes are already high. Paying £7.30 for a small glass of wine was also off-putting. Overall, the food felt more like a generic Italian chain restaurant rather than a unique, boutique experience that I was hoping for.

We had heard great things about this restaurant, but were unfortunately disappointed. The next day in Cardiff, we found ourselves dining at a different Italian restaurant. The comparison was stark. The squid was tough and the veal, while decently tasty, lacked the expected peppery sauce. We were surprised to have to pay an additional £4 for a side of vegetables. In our opinion, vegetables should be included with the meal. Of our group of four, only one person was satisfied with their meal. Another had to add extra pepper to their "diablo" sauce, and the fourth found Cardiff to be a better value overall.

Wow this little restaurant never fails to deliver, beautiful antipasto to share with beautiful Italian meats and olives and mozzarella. For mains I had spaghetti Inferno and to finish of course you can’t come here and not have Tiramisu. Service was excellent, waitresses was friendly and knowledgeable and to the owner who makes a point of speaking to everyone. Thank you for a lovely evening.

Delicious food and excellent service, super lovely local Italian great range of options on the menu, veggie and vegan options too :