Nice Nosh!
Had a nice evening! The food was tasty especially the starter; mushroom in a cheesy sauce hmmm tasty!    [05 Jun 2000 08:04:02]

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Recommended Dishes: duck was tasty

     ­Max   Max_2000_ct5 at Yahoo dot co dot uk

60's - 70's Throwback
Still featuring on a number of local websites as having won an award (dunno which one or when) I can't decide whether to utterly slate Giovanni's or recommend you go simply for a bizarre time-travel experience.

Once upon a time there were italian restaurants where big leather bars and seats and the compulsory drink before dinner were cool. When you sat down you'd probably order something with cherries on or a dish that was so slathered in cream and brandy and gunk that you wouldn't notice the 45-minute cooked vegetables served fork-and-spoon by the staff all wearing the same bri-nylon outfits. The sweet trolley (not pudding - sweet) would have ornate glass bowls with peaches in juice and a thousand nasty ways with cream based tiram...oh y'know stuff with sherry and cream ad nauseam.

Giovanni's has not moved one inch forward in lord knows how many years. It's still pretty full up with people but I cannot for the life of me work out why. It's so hugely out of date from the over-blasted veg to the "we'll give you two more spoonfuls of whatever it is we're serving you even though you've just said "please *really* no more" for the third time just to prove what a homely place it is".

Cannot recommend a restaurant in Kent more deserving of the full Gordon Ramsey treatment. For god's sake - *please* give us a decent italian locally that is somewhere towards the current decade!    [16 Jan 2005 15:28:11]

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Recommended Dishes: None

     ­Anonymous   

Italian.... Where is the Pizza???!!!
Talk about going back in time... Service awful, if I want something I ask! Manager was a loud greasy Italian overweight. Food rather un-interesting and boring, also far too pricey for my liking!! Would not recommend.. Thank god for Zizzis opening in the Towns Market Square.    [20 Mar 2006 11:01:29]

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     ­Anonymous   

Out of date!? Why is that bad!?
I'm very interested to see that the other reviews on this page are critical of the era that Giovanni's is set in. I, however, think that those very traditional values are what makes it the desirable restaurant it is! Perhaps I am wrong; perhaps slovenliness is in fashion now? Perhaps talentless, cheap teenage waiters & waitresses are what people are looking for these days?

If being out of date means being looked after by attentive waiters then I am out of date,
if being out of date means expecting a high level of service throughout then I am out of date.

Give me throw-back any day if that means good service!    [05 May 2006 11:22:13]

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     ­Jimma   

Worst Meal Ever
We went there thinking although it looked dated we would get a decent italian meal. We didn't know that new owners had taken over. We asked the owner/manager for help with the wine list and he said "i'm going to recommend the most expensive aren't I?" and walked off laughing. The woman behind the bar came over and helped us with wine. I had a starter of burnt scallops. Main course of fillet steak (the only fillet steak I've ever had with gristle round it) and tiramisu for pudding - The dregs from the serving bowl were scraped in to my dish. That was 2 years ago and I haven't been back since even though it's a 5 minute walk nor would I recommend it to anyone.    [18 Aug 2006 18:47:57]

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     ­Anonymous   

Dreadful Valentines meal!!
We had the worse meal that we have ever eaten at ANY restaurant last night! The service was truly awful - they ignored us for 15 minutes as we didn't have the usual drink at the Bar! The food was dire, a printed sheet of paper with fixed choices - when I complained I was told that I should have asked for A La Carte if I wanted it - my fault!!
Worse cheap thinnest fatty gristly steak , Triamasu slopped onto my bowl - onlt good point was the bottle of wine - would hope so at £23!!! - one of the cheapest on the menu!! DO NOT EAT THERE - unless you like 70's grubby decor, over prices horrible food and rude service!    [15 Feb 2008 06:44:53]

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     ­Anonymous   

2nd Worst Meal Ever
The worst meal I ever had was last year @ Giovannis (why did I go back you ask) I did try other restaurants first but all were booked. Well I thought it must have improved if its still open, how wrong can you be ( I should have seen the signs when I got a table for that same night). It was dreadful we had to borrow a menu from other dinners waited 35 mins to place our order & when the food arrived it was inedible. I quickly rearranged our taxi & left paying only for the wine & pre dinner drinks (£65 for 2 people!!!). Before we left I noticed several other people leaving with half drunk bottles of wine not a good sign. Wait a few months & this place will be closed or have changed hands.    [19 Feb 2008 13:34:36]

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Recommended Dishes: Anything as long as its not here.

     ­Jaylow   

At least the seafood was fresh!
The seafood maybe fresh but the decor isn't! The whole place reminds me of a working men's club circa 1980. Food definitely on the side of quantity not quality.

Gordon Ramsay could make a 2 hour show out of this place rather than the usual 1 hour slot!    [10 Sep 2008 06:44:16]

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Recommended Dishes: at least the seafood was fresh.

     ­Anonymous