Nando Milano

Italian restaurant · Champaign

Nando Milano

Italian restaurant · Champaign

1

204 N Neil St, Champaign, IL 61820, USA

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Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null
Nando Milano by null

Highlights

Upscale Italian trattoria serving creative pasta & seafood dishes.  

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204 N Neil St, Champaign, IL 61820, USA Get directions

nandomilanochampaign.com
@nandomilanotrat

US$50–100 · Menu

Reserve

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204 N Neil St, Champaign, IL 61820, USA Get directions

+1 217 954 1439
nandomilanochampaign.com
@nandomilanotrat

US$50–100 · Menu

Reserve

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Last updated

Aug 8, 2025

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The Best Places to Eat in Central Illinois | Eater Chicago

"Guests can expect to pay $100 per person for dinner before drinks and tip, and yes, lest you think your eyes deceive you, that is a $600 bottle of wine on the list. Nando Milano, thus, could easily be written off as a restaurant oblivious to its location: Champaign is a college town, after all, and the folks who live there go to work wearing collars that are mostly blue, albeit a blue of a slightly whiter shade. But the restaurant’s sheer popularity proves that to be less of a deterrent than it might otherwise seem. Ask anyone in Champaign what the best restaurant in town is, and they’ll almost surely always answer, “Nando Milano.” Because good food is good food, right? That’s certainly the case with cavoletti ortolani, something not seen on the menus of other Italian restaurants in the area where the star is always going to be bottomless fettuccine alfredo. It is a “warm salad,” for lack of a better label, that comes with butternut squash, fried chickpeas, almonds, parmesan cheese, textures of Brussels sprouts, and truffle honey – in other words, everything wonderful in the world. For dessert, there is an affogato, something so simple that it could easily become a disaster, but which the staff here know how to make in a way that is quintessentially Italian. Speaking of the staff, the service at Nando Milano is a special kind of world-class — not because they are the gatekeepers of experience and make sure guests know they are just lucky to be there, but because they know what a night at Nando Milano means for most guests and make what could be rarefied and intimidating always feel welcoming and down to earth. Maybe that’s because Chef-owner Alessio Vullo opened the restaurant not to make money but as a way to keep his family together: with one Nando Milano already open in Chicago, Vullo packed up and moved to Champaign to open one there to follow his wife on her medical internship. The importance of family: that right there is something everyone in Central Illinois can relate to, if not also to a dinnertime soundtrack featuring sultry jazz covers of P!nk’s greatest hits." - Timothy DePeugh

https://chicago.eater.com/maps/central-illinois-urbana-bloomington-springfield-best-restaurants
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Bob Myers

Google
This place is quite the nice treat if you enjoy unique blends of artisan presentation to creative chef renderings of flavor combinations. Everything we had during our visit was excellent, Bread, Brussel Sprouts, Lasagna and Halibut. The only thing I would say as a critique would be the water that is served tasted like straight tap water. When eating at a higher end restaurant, I expect my water to have a high quality filtered neutral taste.

Wei-Ling Huang

Google
The food was not bad but considering the price, you might have better choice somewhere else. Overall it's still a good restaurant with great service but I personally do not have high rating for food

Eunjeong Kim

Google
There's no better place in Champaign for a romantic dinner than here! After we moved to Champaign, my husband and I visited for the first time during Christmas, and it was the perfect experience😆 The dim lighting, flavorful food, and carefully paired wines made me love my husband even more💜 We often order takeout, and we also enjoy having a drink at the bar while waiting. It’s nice to have an aperitif beforehand, making it easier to start the meal faster🥂

LL

Google
The food is rated as 5-stars. There are allergy options which solidified my 5-star review for the food. This restaurant is pricey which was a bit shocking; however we were satisfied with the food, service, & some of the atmosphere. The spaghetti on the photo has 1 shrimp, 1 scallop, & a several mussels & not worth $46. The bread was $12 & the prices were just shocking. Don't expect to leave thinking about falling asleep afterward. Our waitress gave us a free dessert for our anniversary which was a nice & appreciated surprise. The atmosphere & esthetics are rated lower due to the lighting & problems with the bathroom signage. The restaurant was too dark which made it hard for us to see the menus. Complaint: One suggestion is to make your bathroom sign visible for guests. We had to keep telling your guests where to find the bathroom because we were sitting close to it. Those of us who sat near the back of the restaurant were annoyed because directing traffic to your bathroom continuously interrupted our dinner!

Kristine Blazevica

Google
Gnocchi and ravioli were decent. However the bolognese for the second time here was quite bad- not enough flavor, no salt, pasta undercooked (not even al dente), not enough sauce. The waiter messed up our salad order. Unfortunately they use just a bit of olive oil in their dressings, most of it are vegetable oils which is unacceptable for that price.

Mitchel Reuter

Google
Squash blossoms were delicious, main food was pretty good but not my favorite when compared to some of the other Italian restaurants I’ve been to, and the desserts were delicious! Desserts were the highlight of our meal. Staff was friendly and the atmosphere was nice. Food was very expensive for the area but tasted like it was all made in house and I appreciate that. I recommend trying if you’re looking for a fancy Italian dinner in the area!

EL PARAISO STAR A

Google
The servers are pushy and I hate servers who come to my table every 2 mins. It doesn't feel good like almost like they're kicking me out. Food was very ok not as expected. We went during restaurant week and the menu they had setup was blah. It was too overpriced for the quality.

Michael Corrales

Google
Service is hit or miss but overall a good upscale atmosphere. The food is good but the prices are ridiculous for the portions and for the food itself. A Carbonara should never be that expensive give it is 4 ingredients and all the cheeses while imported are available at Costco. Overall solid and a good date night spot but I can’t justify the portions despite the quality of the food
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Adria H.

Yelp
My daughter and I tried this restaurant for the first time this evening (on a Tuesday night around 6pm). We were greeted at the door by the host who opened the door and welcomed us inside. He quickly seated us and we were then greeted by one of the waitstaff who offered us tap water or sparkling water while we waited for our server. We ordered sparkling water and our server came right over and greeted us and took care of us throughout our dining experience. The ambiance of the restaurant is very pleasant, dark wood decor, lovely dining music playing. There were only a couple of other tables with customers so it was a pretty relaxed setting, but u can imagine this would be a lovely date night spot or group dinner venue. We enjoyed our dishes (pictures included) and unlike other Italian restaurants that often provide huge portions, these meals were appropriately portioned and filling. We also had the tiramisu for dessert; it was different than what we are accustomed too. Much more creamy and more like a pudding than a cake. Overall we enjoyed our experience and dinner!
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Alanie N.

Yelp
I want to start off this review by saying I am SO sad to be giving this review, especially as someone who has worked in the service industry. We went for restaurant week, and honestly if that had been my first experience for Nandos, I would have never come back. The two other times I came, were great! But this experience alone completely changed my review of this place. I want to start with the good, the food! Per usual, the food was amazing. Regardless of the awful experience we had, the food was a 10/10. I've never had a bad dish from this restaurant and I will die on that hill. Now for the bad, it was restaurant week, and we made a 7pm reservation about 2 weeks prior to this visit. We get there, and they inform us that our table isn't ready and it won't be for awhile. We thought that was odd but figure a while was probably 10-15min after our reservation time. Wrong, we didn't get sat until 7:45. Once we do finally get sat, it isn't until 8:05 until our waiter introduced themselves and took our drink order, at this point it's an hour after our reservation time and we are just meeting our waiter. So we order drinks and our food because we can tell this is going to be a long night. Once he takes our order we see him two more times before the night is over. We did ask for a basket of bread because we're starving at this point; and then we asked for another because it's honestly almost 8:30-8:45 at this point and we still haven't eaten. What we didn't know is they charged us for the second basket of bread we ordered, which fair we ordered it, but as our waiter, why not tell us only one basket is complementary? That was weird considering how long we waited. Our table wanted to keep drinking, and never had the opportunity to order another drink until we were leaving. We didn't leave until about 10pm. No one ever even mentioned all the wait times, no one apologized, no manager came over. Things I'm use to at a restaurant of this caliber, when you have a restaurant charge what this one does, the expectations are just a little higher in my opinion! It was very clear they were short staffed, the manager's and what I believe to be the owner were also taking orders (which is Great! Amazing leadership to see) but restaurant week is not new to Champaign and it was very clear they over sat walk ins and weren't able to accommodate their reservations which resulted in just an awful experience. Being a past service industry worker, we obviously still left a 20% tip, simply because I recognize that there was SO much out of the control of our waiter and I imagine the rest of the tables were just as upset as we were and not tipping which is definitely unfair to our waiter. All in all, I genuinely don't know if I will be back after this experience and had a I left a review last time it would have been 5 starts so definitely keep that in mind when deciding to go here, this was my only experience like this, but truthfully it left such a bad taste in my mouth
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Angel A.

Yelp
Went to school at UIUC for five years and never made it here. Came to visit my parents and brought them here to try it out. nando's has had a reputation among the student crowd as being expensive so I was curious to see what this spot is all about. Staff are friendly, room feels old, and food is aight. It probably does well enough for Champaign.
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Hermade R.

Yelp
I came here with zero expectations and was blown away by how good everything was. The lasagna was layered perfectly with just the right amount of cheese and meat sauce. It came out hot and bubbling and honestly felt like comfort food at its finest. Our server was really sweet and gave great suggestions. The place was busy but didn't feel chaotic. Loved the chill vibe and great service. New go-to for pasta nights.
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M B.

Yelp
We went for my birthday early dinner, on a Friday at 5:30 (on the early side). We waited for a FULL HOUR for our food to arrive, and the restaurant was not overly busy. This has been a repeated experience there. The food was very very good. I got a gluten free chicken Alfredo, which they made just for my allergy issues. (Much appreciated). All in all, the experience was ok, but it just took TOO LONG. Maybe carry out in the future.
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sarah G.

Yelp
By far this is the best restaurant in the area the food is amazing and the wait staff is on point shout out to Jackson who waited on us!!! Definitely will be going back
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Mike C.

Yelp
Great meal. Loved pretty much everything we tried. Only minor hiccup was the texture of the gnocchi with short rib. The gnocchi fell apart a bit too easily, like the texture of real soft mashed potatoes versus having a slightly firmer chew.

Aubrianna J.

Yelp
If you're looking for an upscale hidden gem, this is the place to go. Presentation of food as well as dress attire for the staff was very professional. Very polite and knowledgeable of the menu when curious of what to choose for your meal. The food was excellent, ESPECIALLY the brussel sprouts! We got the basket of bread, brussel sprouts, lasagna, and the halibut. Overall, we were satisfied with our experience as a whole.
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Molly T.

Yelp
This is our go to spot during restaurant week typically in January. It's always so good and the atmosphere is great. The pasta is so fresh. Can't wait to visit again!
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Anthony M.

Yelp
I have passed by this place many times, but never stopped by. I decided to change that when I was in town for Ebertfest. Suffice it to say, this might be the best restaurant in Champaign. This is a pretty upscale Italian restaurant. The menu is exactly what you think. I personally got the arancinis and the special pasta carbonara. Both were excellent and I would give much credit to the crispy pancetta. That is a slightly hard to find ingredient. My buddy got cioppino which was gigantic and something he really liked! The reason why I gave it 4 instead of 5 was that the place was super loud and the food took FOREVER to get. My buddy's uber driver warned him that it takes awhile to eat here. I was concerned that the food was going to come out cold based on how long it took to get it. Nope! Came out nice and hot. Also, the service was ok. It wasn't bad, but nothing really wow'd me, especially with the price of this place. This is a very expensive restaurant. It might be the second most expensive place in Champaign coming only after Hamilton Walker's across the street. Will I be back? Sure, but it will probably be around Ebertfest. Most people are coming to Champaign for events at the University (football, basketball, etc). This isn't really a place for sports fans. Rather, its a place to go on a date or celebrate a special occasion. I am glad that places like this exists in Central Illinois, but its not a "regular go to" place!
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Phil G.

Yelp
I didn't have high expectations. Champaign-Urbana isn't Bologna, or even New Jersey. It's in the middle of Illinois, surrounded by cornfields and Subway Sandwich shops. High end Italian, with the emphasis on eye in these parts, doesn't exist. However, after fortification at Punch Cocktail Bar, we ran across the street at the recommendation of Jonathan, our bartender. As is our wont, we grabbed two seats at the empty bar at Nando's. Immediately impressed by the servers affect and sense of self as they went through their mixing and pouring behind the small bar, I perused the eclectic wine list. The selections offered were surprising for a restaurant in a lower Midwest college town. Jackson, knowledgeable and warm, took care of us, as we perused the selections on offer. His guidance through the extensive menu was helpful and engaging. Less helpful were the prices. Nando's was not inexpensive, with sobering big city pricing. Yet, we were not disappointed, and were served food worth the expenditure. My salmon, with a piquant bite, was delicious. The fish was cooked with a tender touch. While Nando's is not nestled on the shoreline in Mondello, the Cioppino's tasty ocean morsels, soaked in a rich tomato sauce, reminded us of our trips to Sicily. We enjoyed our meal. Nando's went way beyond our expectations. It must be popular. The dining room was packed at 9:00 on a Wednesday night. You will enjoy dining at Nando's. When in doubt, ask for Jackson, and he will guide you through a wonderful meal. Bon appititu!

j f.

Yelp
Excellent food! Great service. I had the lobster pasta, which was delicious. My husband had the chicken parmigiana-- big portions. Desserts were great-- the donuts and cannoli! So glad this place is in Champaign. Classy yet welcoming ambience with jazzy music in the background and lovely art on display. I would definitely recommend this place and I'll come back.

P K.

Yelp
The restaurant is dimly lit, romantic and beautiful. The service is great! The Chardonnay is delicious, but the food we've had on two occasions is just......ok. This chicken parm was chewy. The meatballs are just ok and the sauce is meh. The seafood in the lobster & crab ravioli just wasn't good - the seafood tastes frozen (of course it is frozen, but it shouldn't have that frozen taste). This is our second time dining here (we wanted to give it another try), but living in Chicago & loving fantastic food, we've found this place an "overall miss" for all of our party both times (especially at this price point). Sadly it's kind of a Champaign thing. It's not overly priced, but if your food doesn't taste any better than Olive Garden - it's then overly priced. Luckily they've been completely full both nights we've come, so the community is keeping them in business. If you are generally pleased with "all inclusive restaurants" or cruise dining, you'll be good going here- if not, go grab a chicken sandwich at Watson's or the Mac n cheese & a martini @ Hamilton walkers across the street.
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Brooke C.

Yelp
We had great food and great service here. Pasta is made in house, and they have GF pasta available to substitute on request. They have a pretty good size rotating specials menu, and everything looks so good-definitely more than your typical Italian dishes. Reservations are encouraged.
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Elaine G.

Yelp
Nandos has great pasta and an even nicer ambiance. I hear this is one of the best Italian places in Champaign and I would agree. Such a dreamy spot, feels fancy. Don't forget the bread ! Skip the Olive Garden date and get the good stuff at Nando's.
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Leyang Z.

Yelp
Fantastic dining experience, fantastic restaurant! I tried the prix fixe menu for Champaign County Restaurant week and it was Amazing. For the appetizer I had polenta with mushrooms and fondue. The portion size was huge, and the polenta was warm and soft--excellent for a chilly night! The entree was eggplant cannelloni, a very creative dish! They used thin sliced eggplant to wrap meat sauce instead of cannelloni pasta. The taste was also impressive. I ended the unforgettable meal with a small dessert panna cotta topped with mango purée. It was a great combination of sweetness and sourness; in general the dessert was not too sweet, something I like very much. It would be better if they do not spread sugar powder around it, since it got stuck on the spoon. The service was of course good as well. So in general I believe it's a great place for fine dining! Just kindly note that the price was not low in their usual time. That says, it's really worth it trying their RW special in this week!
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Andrew S.

Yelp
Great find for a nice dinner downtown. I wanted to take my sister somewhere nice when I was in town visiting her. Made a reservation here and we sat at a table outside. We started with the Arancini Di Risotto and Cuori di Lattuga deli Ces. Both were very good, but I especially loved the rice balls. My main was the Spaghetti Portofino, which was full of flavor and that pasta was perfect. Thought the Polo Alla Parmiggiana was very too good, as I tried some of my sisters dish. We ended our dinner with the Bombolone as dessert. Saw all the photos on Yelp and had to give it a try too. Server was friendly, but didn't check back very often. Maybe because he was waiting on too many tables? As much as I love a nice dinning experience, I'll just never get used to being charged for iced tea refills. I guess i understand being charged for the limonata, but iced tea is definitely a no-no. I became less of a fan when I saw that. Parking in the area is not great. I paid for parking at a meter on one of the side streets.
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Casey R.

Yelp
Appetizers fantastic! The salad with the pear was phenomenal. All of my friends entrees were delightful, But I ordered the bolognese sauce on gluten-free pasta... A staple of an Italian restaurant is it's bolognese. Everything that I was able to try on my friends' plates was phenomenal, But a simple staple for a so-called Italian restaurant is their bolognese. Absolutely inedible. Far too much salt, and while I appreciate a little wine for flavor (And my do I appreciate my wine)it tasted as though it was poured with cheap Marsala cooking wine over the top of it. Considering the fact that this restaurant is raved on in our local community for it's "Italian", I sincerely hope that this was just a one-off. Worst bolognese I have ever tasted, and that includes ragu from college days.
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Denise S.

Yelp
We ate here while on a college visit. Service was fabulous and the food was fresh, tasty and perfectly portioned. Don't skip the dessert!!

Melissa R.

Yelp
Had the best dinner here Saturday night! Service was excellent as was the food. Kind and friendly people and a cozy vibe on a rainy Sat. Can't wait to enjoy their patio soon.
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Arkadiusz S.

Yelp
Our second stop while visiting Champaign IL was @nandomilanotrat This Italian restaurant is conveniently located near array of bars and offers indoor dinning and a large outdoor seating area. Chef's specials rotate often and include some amazing food choices. The wine menu is large enough to accompany any of the dish on the menu. The selection of appetizer did not disappoint us. TRY OUR FAVORITES: TAGLIERE DI AFFETTATI CALAMARI RAVIOLI DI ARAGOSTA E GRANCHIO CHEF'S SPECIAL - BRAISED PORK SHANK
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Talyna L.

Yelp
came here with my boyfriend for valentine's day and had the best service from our server. he was so attentive and made an effort to connect with us. we've been coming here on valentine's for the last few years and this year nando's really went above and beyond! the whole restaurant was decorated with balloons and every table had a single rose and candle. 10/10 mood setting. food & drinks were also amazing. highly recommend!
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Grant L.

Yelp
Up front, I would have given a 5* rating except for the prices. Beyond a doubt, the food was prepared excellently and portions were not too big or not to small. Our server was very attentive and perfectly friendly, in an honest way. Oh yes, I must mention that the cappuccinos were not hot enough and one person didn't drink theirs because it just didn't taste good. But the food was great!
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Kimberly M.

Yelp
I appreciated that this trattoria was open a little later than some of the restaurants in the area. The dark colors, nice music, and good service offered a nice break after a long drive. I had the tagliatelle bolognese, and it was good. I wish they offered a complimentary bread service to help offer some variety against such a rich dish. Prices are on the higher side, and the pasta had a lot of bite - a bit more than al dente.
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Nermin N.

Yelp
Food was really good, and the ambience. The service was also impressive! However the prices were really high, hence the four star!
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Sohail F.

Yelp
I'm really not sure why this restaurant is not rated higher, but it should be. The food quality and preparation was superb. Service was excellent and ambiance was elegant. Best restaurant I have been to thus far in Champaign.
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Pete R.

Yelp
Since it's the food which I have the most authority and widest palette, I would say that overall this restaurant represents average Italian restaurant that still wants to retain an upscale aura. Perhaps we're paying for location, location here because the pricing certainly suggests upscale, yet the place clearly operates on a shoestring budget with a minimum of staff (our host was also our server and possibly manager too?). More than anything though, the (2.6-ish) rating here is mostly based on my $38 seafood risotto. Granted such a dish SHOULD be a bit pricey given the expectation of fresh clams, mussels, shrimp and scallops, but there were only 1 of each of the latter two, and both were over-cooked to the point of 'mealy' on the scallop. The lady's eggplant gnocchi was pretty tasty, esp the pillowy gnocchi themselves, but they were almost buried in a bowl of the veggie red sauce - coulda been much better, even just on more of a plate instead? Despite not being offered pre-meal bread like other tables, the service was actually pretty good, esp considering the barebones crew. In fact, when I mentioned the mushy scallop, there were apologies and a gratis tiramisu in front of us almost immediately. Altho not a dessert that agrees with me, the lady thought it was quite tasty and my sample concurred. A bit of a downtown vibe, the place itself is quite dated and we agreed the recent remodel in the bathrooms, needs to propagate the rest of the place. As there are too many other places in town to go, we won't likely be back, but if I did, I would probly ask them to recommend something because a few other dishes we saw around us (incl the arancini) looked fantastic.
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Sheri S.

Yelp
I am a caterer since 1990 and I must say if you want fine, Italian dining, you come to the right place. I was introduced to this restaurant by my girlfriend who lives in Chicago where it all originated and boy am I happy camper. We go here a couple of times a year and order everything on the menu because we could never pick just one. It is so good every dish excellent a masterpiece! Dario and Alessio keep up the great work and I can't wait to see your new place in Beverly Hills. Also, I would like to be on your mailing list, but I couldn't seem to find out where to sign up for that, Aloha

Ini C.

Yelp
I am not happy to leave this review but I'd like to either inform the restaurant about an opportunity for improvement or the customers for careful visitation. This was my first time at Nando's. The host and the waitresses were great. I had gnocchi - although they were overly soft, the sauce and the beef were great, I loved my food. The appetizers were also great, CAVOLETTI ORTOLANI and ARANCINI DI RISO. But it was 6 of us and the others did not have as good experience as I did with the main course. The worst were 3. First the rigatoni, they tasted like they came out of a can, the order had removed the sausage because my guest did not eat pork, don't know if that was the cause but all of us tried the rigatoni and agreed they were bad. The second one was the chicken Parmesan, it tasted like cardboard. The third one was the salmon, the fish was not fresh and left that strong unpleasant fishy aftertaste old fish did. Neither of the guests finished their dishes. The others finished theirs but were not happy about the food. It was Sat night of Mothers Weekend at UofI, may be Nando's were not prepared for the volume of visitors. The place was recommended to us, I want to believe we were the exception. Lastly, without any curtesy warning, there was an automatic 20% gratuity on the bill. I do not appreciate such an approach, especially when the food is not good. I understand automatic gratuity but I refuse to accept it when the waiter does not mention it to me ahead of time, common courtesy good customer service. In light of the food experience, I am interpreting this approach as insecurity in receiving a deserved tip, thus securing it in a sneaky way. I could be wrong. Not planning on going back, may be after a long time when the bad taste in our mouths has been long forgotten.
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Bridgette B.

Yelp
Quality did not equal cost. Branzino was dry. Arribbiata sauce was sweet. Overall cost of the food, I expected a higher quality.
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Becca W.

Yelp
Food was so yummy. Service was so lovely. Could not have had a better experience! The dish pictured is the best thing I've ever tasted! Super vegetarian friendly.
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Jane L.

Yelp
Expensive!!!! Did not meet our expectation. Service was good. Ambiance LOUD. Food, not worth the price you pay. I could have gotten better food from Olive Garden. In fact think I do prefer Olive Garden. Worse $300.00 I've spent for 3 people.
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Runzer W.

Yelp
Amazing! Especially the desserts! The service is good as well! They're pretty friendly and kind! I love the environment inside, which was quiet at that time on Sunday evening. I'm so happy to treat my friend with such a great meal! (Though the price was expensive)
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Stacey K.

Yelp
If you would like to treat yourself and your family or student, Nando is the place. True authentic Italian cuisine and fantastic upscale presentation. We had the pleasure to interact with the manager who's family owns the this restaurant and you can tell how passionate they are about the food and their restaurant. We are foodies from California who love to travel and were so pleasantly surprised by this restaurant, food, ambiance and service, top notch! The burrata appetizer was delicious, the cioppino was amazing and the carbonara is a must, made with fresh pasta. We are definitely going to visit their location in Southern Cali and for sure going back when we visit our son at UIUC next time!
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Gwen M.

Yelp
Lovely outdoor space. I love this place! The food is wonderful and the service is exemplary! I visit every time I'm in CU and I know I'll visit again!

Cole E.

Yelp
Cozy little spot with great food and service. Prices are a bit inflated in my opinion, but still a great spot for a date night.

Jennifer S.

Yelp
I recently made reservations for 16 for distinguished guests and faculty for a department at the University of Illinois. Due to unforeseen circumstances, some schedule changes, and cancellations on the day of the dinner, it ended up being for 8. Upon checkout, the chair of our department was charged a $400 no-show fee for the 8 who were unable to make it. It states nothing on your website about no-sho fees, nor was I told this upon making and confirming the reservation about any no-show fees. The reservation was on a Thursday, so it was not very busy. The cardholder's credit card company will be disputing this $400 fee and our department will no longer be dining at your establishment in the future when we have guests.

Prachi K.

Yelp
We usually love this place and go here quite often. Their pastas are truly amazing. However, our visit last night did not go too well. Like always, we ordered the meatball appetizer because it's always so good. But it was evidently different yesterday. The meat was not the best quality and the texture felt completely different than what we are used to. Unfortunately, the food last night got us violently sick and was the very first time that this place disappointed us. We really hope to be able to go back there again and still call it our favorite restaurant in town.

Nic D.

Yelp
Food the best around. Service was amazing I would eat here daily if I had the chance From date night, to special events to daily dinning No place is better
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Mark P.

Yelp
Consistently delivers outstanding Italian dishes, drinks, and wine. Attentive service for one of the best dining experiences in Chambana!
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Brad M.

Yelp
Excellent food. Service was a little slow but they only had a couple of people on the floor. I've eaten here a half dozen times and the food is consistently great. I order the seafood stew whenever they have it on the specials menu. Huge portions and definitely enough for two people.
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Lingjie L.

Yelp
Very classy restaurant! I actually wanted to come to their house for steak, but unfortunately it was not on the menu that day, so I chose the salmon. A very tasty dish, recommended! In addition, I also ordered the tiramisu. It was the best tiramisu I've ever had in Champaign.
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Maddy P.

Yelp
This is one of the worst dining experiences I've ever had in my life. Looking to have a fun date night. While they were busy, the service was horrible. I'm usually able to get over bad service, especially when I know they are busy, but the food was almost inedible. Boxed pasta made at home is more fresh than the $46 pasta we received. Actual quotes from the night: "Did the server sh*t on this plate?" and "Do you think they are trained not to ask how the food was because they don't want to know the answer?" Do not waste your money, there are so many better restaurants to choose from. I would have to argue that Olive Garden is better than this place-- and I don't even eat at Olive Garden. The hostess was nice.
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Hyun K.

Yelp
I am NEVER going back for POOR service. The old guy who assisted you at the front door has a deplorable manner. So unprofessional. Avoid this place if you are bringing a child or an important guest. Also, if you are a minority race, expect racism.

Al S.

Yelp
The food here is really good and Celiac friendly. Had a bad experience with my waiter who thought for some reason it would be funny to joke that my food in fact wasn't gluten free after I'd already started eating it, and then just sort of laughed and walked away before I could verify if he was kidding. Seeing as a Celiac reaction would have sent me to the ER for the night I didn't find it funny at all and was extremely anxious and had to waive him back over to confirm that he was joking before continuing to eat. Not funny. Never joke about that. For what we were paying to eat there that was kind of unacceptable. We still tipped 20%.

Kathryn S.

Yelp
I have never eaten here so my review is not applicable to the food. Their business practices are deplorable. We had a reservation for the weekend of May graduation for UIUC, made in January. I received a phone call approximately a month before the graduation, telling me that they were having a 3 course pre fixe menu for the weekend, with a fixed price of $80 per person. And that you had to preorder your choices. So for four people before beverages tax and tip we would already be at $320. I'm fairly certain that their salad, pasta and a dessert is not going to be worth $80. It seemed like a classic bait and switch to me. I see other reviews saying they did the same thing last year. I canceled my reservation and will be eating elsewhere.

John D.

Yelp
Profits over Patrons! We have experienced the absolute worst example of customer service by Nando Milano Management on a booked Graduation Dinner. We booked Nando Milano in March 2023 for a Graduation Dinner in May 2023. We were advised that the restaurant would have a special menu. No other contingencies were mentioned. Last week, the restaurant required us to preorder our dishes. While this is somewhat of an inconvenience and strange request, we submitted our choices. The response from the restaurant was basically extortion. They responded that they required us to order a minimum $75 per person or they would cancel on us. At this point all other restaurants were booked and we we left with no place to go. My daughter who graduated at the top 3% of her class was denied a special dinner just because we refused to comply with an unreasonable demand. Shame on this business! Stay away or be taken advantage of. Adding information from another review that may be helpful: If you are a customer that has been given this exact notice of this despicable price switch please take the following steps: leave Yelp review and To file a complaint, just go to ftc.gov/complaint, and answer the questions stating your disappointment with Nando.

Thomas L.

Yelp
Unprofessional and widely overpriced. Would be getting a lot more of the higher end dining demand if it were to lower its prices a little (For example, a bread basked costs $12) As a long time member of the Champaign-Urbana community, colleagues, neighbors, friends, and my employees will often visit other high end restaurants like Baxter's or Hamilton Walkers for similar experience Not to mention that the pre-ordering mail in order required for graduation required that was communicated a week prior to reservations is unprofessional, unacceptable and quite frankly, a poor long term business decision
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Elizabeth B.

Yelp
Everything was amazing! Our waiter took great care of us and the pasta did not disappoint. This is a small location so I highly recommend a reservation. I had the lobster and crab ravioli. The cream sauce was perfection. My husband had the gnocchi and it was melt in your mouth good! We can't wait to go again!